(function ($) {
    $.fn.cross = function (options) {
        return this.each(function (i) {
            // cache the copy of jQuery(this) - the start image
            var $$ = $(this);
            // get the target from the backgroundImage + regexp
            var target = $$.css('backgroundImage').replace(/^url|[\(\)'"]/g, '');
            // nice long chain: wrap img element in span
            $$.wrap('<span class="spanWrapper" style="position: relative;"></span>')
            // change selector to parent - i.e. newly created span
				.parent()
            // prepend a new image inside the span
				.prepend('<img>')
            // change the selector to the newly created image
				.find(':first-child')
            // set the image to the target
				.attr('src', target);
            // the CSS styling of the start image needs to be handled
            // differently for different browsers
            if ($.browser.mozilla) {
                $$.css({
                    'position': 'absolute',
                    'left': 0,
                    'background': '',
                    'top': this.offsetTop
                });
            } else if ($.browser.opera && $.browser.version < 9.5) {
                // Browser sniffing is bad - however opera < 9.5 has a render bug
                // so this is required to get around it we can't apply the 'top' : 0
                // separately because Mozilla strips the style set originally somehow...
                $$.css({
                    'position': 'absolute',
                    'left': 0,
                    'background': '',
                    'top': "0"
                });
            } else { // Safari
                $$.css({
                    'position': 'absolute',
                    'left': 0,
                    'background': ''
                });
            }
            // similar effect as single image technique, except using .animate
            // which will handle the fading up from the right opacity for us
            $$.hover(function () {
                $$.stop().animate({
                    opacity: 0
                }, 750);
            }, function () {
                $$.stop().animate({
                    opacity: 1
                }, 750);
            });
        });
    };
})(jQuery);