First off let me just say that none of these characters belong to me, they are all property of LJ SMITH.

Secondly: I was never quite satisfied with the ending of the series with Julian just fading off into nothing, sooooo for my story we are operating under the notion that Jenny and her friends win the final game fair and square and Julian lets them out of the shadow world, giving Jenny her ring with it's original inscription and promising she will never see him again unless she wishes to.

Twenty Seven year old Jenny Thorton sat in her home office staring at her computer screen. The same screen she had been staring at for approximately 11 hours at this point, her eyes were blurry and her neck stiff but she had a deadline to meet. If there was one thing Jenny Thorton always did it was meet a deadline. Perhaps that was why her one woman design company was so successful, results were guaranteed. Besides it wasn't like she had anything better to do than work.

Finally two hours later she was done, her plans sent off to the client a full 12 hours before the noon deadline. Stiff, hungry and tired Jenny finally shut down her computer and made her way to the kitchen. Leftover pizza from last night greeted her in the fridge but as hungry and tired as she was it could have been file mignon. After devouring four slices she headed upstairs for a quick shower then it was into her pjs and into bed.

Tired as she was she should have been asleep before her head hit the pillow. But no. As usual as soon as she was in bed, the house quite around her she began thinking. Thinking was the enemy these days. Everything had changed so much in the last 10 years, ever since the last game. Things were never the same after coming back that last time. Everything began to fall apart soon after their arrival. No one had believed them. Granted everyone was glad to have summer back, but as far as the rest of the world was concerned she had simply ran away and came back. Nobody believed their story, even their parent's, especially their parents.

Jenny sighed, how long had it been since she had even spoken to her parents on the phone? Two months? Three? After her return they had began shutting her out, they just didn't know how to deal with her and her "crazy tales" and couldn't understand why she wouldn't just tell the truth. The rumors that started circulating didn't help things at all, her parent's were embarrassed by her. They were relieved when she'd went away to college, she knew they were. Holidays and summer break had quickly become nearly unbearable, it was like their heart sank when she darkened their door. Her brother Joey soon became an only child in their eyes, the only thing that mattered. By the time graduation rolled around they barely spoke, anymore. Not for lack of trying but her calls typically went to voice mail and were rarely returned. Now she saw them only briefly on christmas and they typically spoke on the phone once every few months or on birthdays, and the worst part was that they seemed happy with that arrangement. Whereas she was miserable.

Perhaps the only thing she missed as much as her family was her friends. Their friendships had all suffered too much after returning home that last time. Within a month of returning she and Tom had officially broken it off permanently. Audrey and Micheal had called it quits soon after and Micheal had completely withdrawn from the group. None of them even knew where he had ended up going after highschool graduation. Audrey slowly cut her ties with everyone as well and had gone to NYU to study fashion design. Jenny hadn't spoken to her or heard from her in almost 8 years now. Zach had packed up and headed east only a few days after graduation, he had severed all ties with them and nobody could even guess where he was now. Jenny and Summer had kept in touch for a few years but slowly the weekly calls had become monthly, then they stopped altogether one day when Jenny called to find Summer's number was no longer in service. Dee had stuck around the longest, emails and random phone calls all the way through college. They had even gotten together for a couple hours every christmas break during those four years but alas even that had faded away. They wanted to forget what they went through in the game, and that meant forgetting each other. Jenny understood it, she wanted to forget it all too sometimes.

But she could never forget Julian. She still dreamt of him from time to time, his unearthly beauty still haunted her. She remembered every touch, every kiss, every word he had ever spoken to her with perfect clarity. Sometimes she could feel someone watching her and her heart would race but then she'd look and it would just be some random stranger eyeing her across the street. She'd thought of Julian more and more over the years. The lonelier she became the more she revisited those memories of him. All her dating attempts as an adult had failed miserably, none of them lasting more than a few weeks. She had finally just given up on the whole thing and hadn't been on a date in over a year now. She glanced toward her closet and smiled a little, the ring Julian had given her was tucked safely inside a velvet pouch inside her wooden trunk with all the other important mementos of her 27 years. She took it out and looked at it from time to time but she had never dared put it on her finger or read those words etched inside it. That was her final thought as she drifted off to sleep, blissfully unaware at how dark the shadows in the corner of her room were tonight.

After allowing herself the luxury of sleeping in late, Jenny finally managed to get herself outta bed and motivated enough to go for her daily one mile jog. She lived on a quite tree lined street with a handful of older victorians and a few newer georgian style homes. Hers was one of the smallest homes on the street, a quaint two story victorian cottage. She didnt know her neighbors really, she knew their names and faces but they were mostly older folks who weren't much on socializing. She completed her job just in time to meet the mailman at her box. He handed her the mail and they politely exchanged "hello's" and "nice weather we are having" before she headed inside. A cream colored envelope on the bottom of the stack stopped her in her tracks. The familiar Vista Grande Highschool emblem and the words "Reunion Committee" stared at her from the paper. She opened it slowly already knowing what it would say.

A short while later Jenny sat on her couch with the invitiation in hand. Ten years. It had been ten years since highschool. Her RSVP card lay on the coffee table next to the pen she had picked up and put back down four times already. Did she really want to go to her reunion? Part of her did, part of her wanted desperately to see her old friends. And part of her did not, that part wanted to spare her the pain of seeing them again and the awkwardness that was bound to ensue. But the part of Jenny that wanted to go thought, what if its been enough time now? What if they have had enough time for all the past wounds to heal? What if she could reconnect and have her friends back?

She was going. Her mind was made up, she picked up the pen and filled out the card, stuck it in the envelope and took it out to the mailbox. Then went inside and set about making her travel arrangements, and then decided it was time to give the folks a call. Maybe she could stay with them and visit for a couple days while she was in town.

The next 8 weeks seemed to fly by. Before she knew it she was on her way to the airport to fly back to California for her reunion. She had gotten her hair cut, her nails done, and had splurged on some fantastic new clothes. She was nervous but more excited than anything. Hope had been growing in her over the last few weeks that maybe being together again with her friends was just the thing they all needed. She would be staying at her parent's house, but they would be convieniently out of town, taking Joey and his latest girlfriend for a weekend in wine country. Maybe she would see them before she left, maybe not.

Her plane arrived right on time and she headed straight to her parent's house, so excited she could barely stand it. She was dressed and ready in record time. Too early in fact, she still had over an hour before she needed to leave for the reunion. One more trip to the mirror to see that everything was perfect. Her honey colored hair had cooperated and was styled to perfection, her Herve Leger black dress hugged every curve just right and the new Louboutins she was sporting were to die for. She looked good she decided, she looked...grown up. With that thought she wandered into her old room. Her parent's had turned it into a guest room as soon as the door shut behind her when she had left for college. The only thing that was the same was some of the furniture. She peered in the closet finding mostly storage totes of winter clothes, extra linens and such. A couple cardboard boxes on the back shelf marked "Jennifer" caught her eye. The fact that they had used her full name was like a slap to the face, no one that knew her called her that, only strangers. But then again maybe it was fitting that they call her that now too. She took down the first box and saw that it was full of random things, some photos, some trophies from her childhood and the like. The second box contained mostly paper, highschool transcripts, college acceptance letters, deans list notices and the like. Then she saw it. A glossy piece of cardstock shaped like a person. Even before she flipped it over she knew what it was. Her paper doll from the game. How had it ended up here? Where had her parent's found it?

She stood staring for what seemed like an eternity before she put the box back on its shelf. Suddenly she didnt want to be here in her old house alone anymore. She grabbed the rental car keys and headed to the high school, headed back to her past. Which she prayed would change her future.

Jenny had been one of the earliest to arrive. She recognized a handful of teachers and chatted with some of them. Soon the gym started filling with her former classmates, some she recognized and some had changed so much she had no idea who they were til she read their name tags. It was nice chatting with them but she kept searching the room for her friends, if none of them showed she was going to be crushed. Then she say that perfectly polished auburn hair that could only belong to one person, Audrey. Jenny made her way over to the sign in table, Audrey stood scowling at the name tag she was expected to wear. No doubt believing it would somehow ruin her entire ensemble. She reluctantly pinned it on to the lapel of her cropped blazer and turned to head toward the gym floor. Thats when her eyes met Jenny's. For a moment the two just stared at one another, Jenny suddenly realized she was holding her breath and let it out while given Audrey a hesitant smile and wave. Audrey quickly returned the smile and came forward for a quick one armed hug.

"Jenny! I was wondering if you would be here!" Audrey said with a smile on her face.

"Of course I came, I've been dying to see all of you. What are you up to these days? It's been so long!"

The two of them settled into a couple chairs at an empty table and Audrey began filling Jenny in on what she had been doing with her life since they last spoke. Jenny listened and couldn't help but notice how Audrey kept looking toward the door and not making much eye contact with her. She seemed uncomfortable, more so than Jenny would have expected her to be. Suddenly Audrey stood up and said "Dee! Over here!"

Jenny turned and saw Dee heading their way, she had changed so much. This woman looked like she had just walked out of the boardroom, a very chic boardroom. The old Dee always looked like she was ready to walk onto a battlefield. She quickly came over and gave Audrey a huge hug, which given how the two of them had never been that close surprised Jenny. What surprised her more though was the halfhearted one armed hug she received from Dee. The same kind she had gotten from Audrey she thought. Dee sat with them and again Jenny ask what she had been up to and much like Audrey she gave her a general rundown but didn't seem to be want to engage her in conversation much. Jenny told her self that in a bit the awkwardness would fade and they'd be chatting easily with one another. That was until Dee turned to Audrey and said "Did you get the photos I sent you from Cabo?"

Audrey then laughed loudly and replied "Oh yes I most certainly did! I think someone should have told me how awful I looked in that snorkeling get up!"

Suddenly Jenny felt as if she had been punched in the gut. "So you guys went to Cabo togeher?"

Their laughter died down and they looked at her, Jenny could have sworn Audrey blushed a little. Dee finally answered "Yeah we all went in april, just kind of a last minute thing we decided to do."

Jenny tried to keep a smile plastered on her face as she said "oh well that sounds nice".

Awkward silence settled over the table for a few minutes, finally Dee went to get some punch. Jenny played with the napkin in front of her while Audrey checked her reflection in a compact.

"Jenny?"

Jenny's head jerked up at the sound of her name, a voice she would recognize anywhere. Summer. Jenny turned with a huge smile on her face ready to throw her arms around Summer. But she froze, her arms falling awkwardly to her sides as she took in the scene before her. Summer, blonde and beautiful as ever with her fingers entwined with those of the man on her left. That man being none other than Tom Locke. She stood there for a moment taking them both in, and noticed the awkward glance they exchanged with one another. Then Tom spoke, "Hey Jenny, it's good to see you."

That snapped her out of her state of shock and she stepped forward to give them both the same one armed hug she had already been the recipient of twice that night. "It's good to see you both also." Jenny was still trying to come up with some logical reason the two of them were holding hands when Audrey blew past her and wrapped summer in a huge hug. "I'm so glad you guys came! We haven't seen you two since the wedding, of course I guess you have been busy honeymooning," Audrey said in a teasing voice.

Thats when Jenny realized the that her friends had not gone their seperate ways and distanced themselves from their past. They had distanced themselves from her. Dee and Audrey vacationed together while Summer and Tom had gotten married! After that everything seemed surreal, like she was watching a movie unfold in front of her. A movie staring 4 really good friends and a stranger in their midst. They talked amongst themselves mostly and from time to time would throw out something toward Jenny as if they suddenly remembered she was there. Finally after an hour and a half of being more or less ignored she decided enough was enough. She pushed back her chair and stood. "Well guys I hate to run but I have an early flight back tomorrow" she lied.

They all stood and one by one gave her a quick hug, and all said their own versions of "good seeing you", "take care" etc.

She walked out of the gym and looked back once more, they were all gathered in close around their table smiling and laughing and talking. Just like friends would do she thought bitterly as she marched out to the parking lot. Praying the tears building up behind her eyes would hold off til she could get in the car. They did her one better and stayed at bay until she got back to her parent's house. Once inside she sat down on the couch and let the crushing hurt wash over her. It was hard enough when she thought they had all drifted away from one another to escape the memories that being together brought. But to know that it was her they wanted to forget was heartbreaking. They didn't want her in their lives anymore, not once did any of them even ask where she lived, what she did for a living, or how to contact her.

After what seemed like an hour of sobbing she dragged herself up to the bathroom and got herself ready for bed. She lay awake replaying the night over and over for what seemed like hours. Finally she was too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. Too tired to notice the darker than normal shadow that filled the doorway.

It was good to be back home Jenny decided as she dropped her suitcase inside the door. She was glad to have some distance between her and Vista Grande again. She spent the day catching up on emails, talking to clients and lining up a couple more jobs. It was nearly midnight before she dragged herself upstairs to bed. Once again as soon as she hit the pillow her mind started its trip down memory lane. This time she wasn't thinking about her old friends, this time she was thinking of Julian again. More specifically when he rescued her after the other shadow men had tried to drown her in the cave. The look on his face, the kiss they had shared. The way she felt at that moment, she wanted to feel like that again. But she learned this weekend that you can't relive the past. She once again turned to stare at the closet where her ring was. Just as her eyes started to flutter shut she could have sworn she saw movement in the shadows in the corner by her bed. Her heart lurched and her eyes flew open, she strained to see in the darkeness but nothing looked out of place. Just my imagination she though to herself as she once again drifted into sleep. Still just before she succumbed she reached her hand out toward the shadowy corner. She drifted off with a smile on her face thinking how crazy it was that she felt long cool fingers taking her outstretched hand.

Jenny woke the next morning to find a steady driving rain greeting her outside her window. So much for her jog she though as she sat down to get an early start on her next design project. She worked for dilligently for the next 9 hours stopping only once to order some chinese after her growling stomach told her it was past lunch time. She would have probably worked another 2 or 3 hours except the storm picked up and the power went out.

"Great!" she muttered, hoping that she hadn't lost too much of the file she had been working on. She got up and went to find some candles and the battery powered radio. There was still just a little light left outside but it was fading fast. By the time she got the candles lit and the radio tuned into to a clear station it was pitch dark outside. She sat on the window seat and watched the storm rage outside. Her mind drifting back to the reunion, her chest aching with hurt all over again. Tears started to trickle down her face as she the loneliness set in. Then a crack of thunder made her jump. It was followed by a jagged blue bolt of lightning. A fierce electric blue, that reminded her of Julian's eyes. So blue, so beautiful. Another flash of lightning burned across the sky and it was as if if struck her. She jumped up from her place at the window and grabbed a flashlight out of the kitchen. Then she went upstairs to her closet and opened the trunk. There on top was the velvet pouch. She took it and shook its contents out into her palm. Her ring. Just touching it made her skin tingle, or it could be her nerves, who knew. She rolled it between her fingers reading the inscription. Then without really thinking she said it out loud "All others I refuse, Thee I chuse" and she slipped the gold band back onto her finger. Her heart pounded and she held her breath not knowing what to expect. She sat like that for several minutes, and nothing happened. Slowly she let out her breath, her heartbeat slowed. She suddenly laughed out loud at herself, what had she expected? Part of her had wanted something to happen though she reluctantly admitted. She went back to the window and watched the storm rage for a a while longer then she decided to go to bed.

She slid beneath the covers, the rain and wind still howling outside. She lay there staring at the ceiling twisting the ring round and round on her finger. Suddenly the disappointment came crashing down on her, she really had though that somehow Julian would know that she had put the ring on, that somehow she would feel the way he made her feel ten years ago. Foolish! She thought chiding herself for being so stupid. Tears welled up in her eyes threatening to spill over once again.

"Please stop crying Jenny, you know I can't bear it" came a musical voice drifting out of the shadowed darkness of the hallway.

Jenny bolted straight up in bed, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest. Her hands clumsily reach for the matches and finally she was able to get one lit and bring the candle by her bed to life. The instant that the flickering gold light lit the room she turned to the door.

"Julian" she whispered. She could hardly believe it, the same blue eyes, the same icy white hair, that impossibly beautiful face didnt look like a boy anymore though. It was the same study in perfection that it had always been but it was aged, Julian looked like a man now instead of a beautiful angelic teenager. She slid her feet to the floor and stood, afraid her weak knees wouldnt hold her. She took a tenative step toward him. He didn't move, his expression didnt change. Then he smiled. And she found herself running toward him, he caught her in his open arms and crushed her to his chest. She just stood there, clinging to him with her face pressed against his beating heart. He stepped back a little and looked down at her. She raised her eyes to meet his and without thinking the words rushed from her lips "I've missed you so much Julian."

"I know Jenny, and I have missed you," he said in that beautiful voice of his that made her heart flutter.

Suddenly she burst into tears the sobbing racked her so hard she could barely stand. Julian scooped her up and laid her on her bed and sat down beside her, Brushing the hair from her face. "Please Jenny, please stop crying. I will do anything." he pleaded with her, his voice sounding almost paniced.

Eventually her sobbing subsided and she lay there exhausted both mentally and physically from everything she had been through over the last few days. Jenny briefly wondered if she was dreaming or perhaps if she had slipped into madness. Maybe it had all been too much for her. Perhaps her mind had finally snapped and she was delusional. But she was pretty sure that delusions didnt have long cool fingers that rubbed soothingly up and down her arm. And delusions didn't have hard muscular abdomens that you rested your cheek upon. Then she looked up and thought, maybe delusions would have eyes like that. Surely something real couldn't be so beautiful. She slowly sat up and turned to face him. He leaned against her headboard, his long legs stretched out in front of him clad in dark jeans and boots, his soft black tshirt damp from her tears.

She sat there and stared for what must have been an eternity before she was finally able to will her mouth open and the words out. "Are you really here?"

That musical laugh washed over her and filled the room, "Yes Jenny, I'm here. How could you doubt it? You were the one that summoned me and you know that I can't deny you anything."

"It's just..." she faltered. Not knowing exactly what to say. "It's just nothing has been the way I thought it would be. So I can't help but doubt everything, including my own mind."

Julian slid one of those long elegant fingers under her chin and brought her face up so that she was looking directly at him, eye to eye. "You should know by now Jenny that you never have to doubt me."

It hit her then, like one of the blazing lightning bolts that had burned across the sky earlier. She didn't have to doubt him. Julian was the one person that she had never had to doubt. He had tricked her on more than one occasion but he had never truly decieved her. With that truth pounding through her brain she did the only logical thing. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

In an instant his hands were cupping her face and his silky cool lips returning her kiss, so gently it was like they barely touching but she felt it to the tips of her toes. She leaned closer and slid her arms around his neck. One of his strong arms slid around her waist pulling her closer. His lips pressed harder against her own and she opened her lips slightly. That was the only invitation he needed, his tongue slid into her mouth and began caressing her own. Never had they kissed like this before, of course before she was barely more than a child. And now she was a grown woman and Julian had obviously matured in the last 10 years also. She soon found herself panting for air and her body on fire. She pulled back from his embrace and looked at him. There was fire brewing in those eyes, blue hot flames that would consume them both. The sudden realization that he felt the same for her now as he did ten years ago had more tears building in her eyes. Rather than let him see her turn on the waterworks again she leaned forward and rested her head on he shoulder, his arms encircled her holding her lightly but firmly. They stayed like that for a long while until Jenny yawned.

Julian took his arms from around her and gently set her up. "You're tired, you need to sleep."

Panic hit Jenny suddenly. If she went to sleep would he be gone when she awoke? "Don't leave" she blurt out before she could stop herself.

Julian's face froze for a moment then the most beautiful smile she had ever seen lit it up. It occurred to her that she had never seen Julian smile like that before, she had seen him smile. But it had never seemed to reach his eyes before. This time it did. "I'll stay right here with you all night, I won't leave your side."

Had she not been so tired she would have been giddy she realized. Ten years ago the thought of Julian spending the night by her side as she slept would have terrified her. Knowing he watched over her sometimes had scared her back then. She drug herself off the bed and went into the bathroom to change into her nightclothes. She stopped in her tracks when she opened the bathroom door to see Julian standing there, barefoot, shirtless, wearing a pair of silky black pajama pants that tied at his chiseled waist line. He smiled at her and turned down the sheets and stood back motioning for her to get into bed. Jenny slid into her bed, not quite sure if Julian intended to join her. She had her answer as he gracefully slid in behind her and slid his arm under her neck. She took the invite without hesitation and turned toward him, she slid her arm across the smooth cool plane of his chest so that her hand rested on his heart and she laid her head on his shoulder. He hugged her close with the arm under her neck and brought his other hand up to cover hers on his chest. She drifted off to sleep in his arms.