Usual: Characters? Not Mine. Money? You've got to be kidding me. Everything belongs to the person/company/entity that owns it. Some belong to Marvel, some to Vertigo, and some to Shakespeare. So there.

The Dreamer and the Dream

Jeanne M



"Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream."
Guildenstern
Shakespeare's Hamlet Act II, Scene II





Sometimes you dream, and sometimes, you Dream. While can dream your whole life, the Dreamer is always forced to wake up.

Wake Up.

"You never visit anymore." His voice is the sound of rustling silk and stars. I can tell he's trying to inject humor, but it doesn't work. "I was beginning to think that you preferred the company of my Sister to me."

"Which one?" I don't look at him. I won't look at him. My eyes gaze out over the lapping waves of grey, distant and foreboding. "Are you doing that, or is it me?"

I feel him move to stand beside me. "I don't know. Maybe it's both of us, or neither of us. The rules are different here. As for which sister.....you've been dancing with too many of them." His chill hand brushes the back of my neck. "You've never turned from me so drastically before. You've changed. We've always been friends, I don't want to lose you to my sister." A pause. "It would be a shame to lose such a promising Dreamer."

"Stop it Daniel, just stop it."

"That is not my name." Steel replaces the silk, and his hand drops. "You have always taken many liberties with our friendship, mortal, but I am Dream, and I will have the respect I deserve."

"I don't care." Now the silk and stars have entered my voice, and I feel old, so very old. "You're like me, Daniel. You're a child that was never given a childhood. They forced you to grow up, to give up your humanity for your powers." I can't help the bitter laugh that escapes. "I bet you hear a lot about that. Great power and great responsibility. You've never been allowed your own dreams, or a Dream for that matter. Are you jealous? Is that it? Is that why you don't want me to give this up? Quit living through my old Dreams, Daniel. Honestly, I don't think they were ever mine at all."

"It's a beautiful Dream." His voice is soft and sad. "Not many people Dream it anymore, it needs all the Dreamers it can get."

"That's not my problem, Daniel."

"Isn't it?" I turn to leave, and his pale hand snakes out and snatches mine. "You can't deny it affects you."

"It affects me because I was forced into that Dream!" I pull my hand away. "Tell me what choice I had, Daniel. What was I supposed to do? Leave? And where could I go? I am a mutant, Daniel. Do you understand what that means? Can you understand? You were barely old enough to say 'mama' when you left my world."

"I am not a child, stop treating me like one." His tone is cold enough to give Frost a run for her money. "I have almost had enough of your stubbornness, I am Dream and...."

"And I have had enough of both of you." He turns in astonishment to the new arrival, but I just keep looking out past the waves.

"Hello, Teleute. I was wondering when you would show up."

"Hey, J. What's up?" Her face lit up at my use of one of her other names, and I can't help returning her smile. It's contagious. "That's better. A smile suits you much better than that sullen glower you were giving my baby brother."

"Sister, you cannot have her." Now we both look at him, one face is the picture of amusement, the other is of exasperation. "She is too important of a Dreamer for you to take her to your Sunless Lands."

"Damn it Daniel!" I stomp over to him and try drawing up another few inches to look him in the eyes. I try to stare down those bottomless eyes and fail. As always. "I have the right to live my own life and have different dreams! Anyway, are you of all people going to say no to Death?!?" My barb hits home, and he flinches visibly.

"Besides, I'm not here to take anyone. I'm here to tell you to quit meddling. Jubilation has the right to dream, or to Dream, whatever she chooses." Death leans on her umbrella, and quirks another grin. "I happen to have a partiality to the crowd she's been running with. They're some of the only people I've ever met more than once. It's nice having mortal 'friends', and I don't like it that you're upsetting one of my friends."

"If she loses this Dream, then she won't be hanging out with that crowd for much longer."

"It's not an easy group to run from, Daniel. It's like trying to escape a gang. Actually, I'd probably have an easier time escaping a gang!" Death laughs, nodding her agreement, and Dream just scowls. "No matter what, I'm always going to be good friends with your older sister. And no offence, Teleute, but I'd honestly rather not see you for awhile."

"None taken."

"Stop calling me Daniel! I am Dream!"

"No, Morpheus was Dream. You're the second stringer." Now my voice has regained the ice, and he winces again.

"That was uncalled for, Jubilee." Death places her hand on my shoulder, and glances sympathetically at her brother. "He is just as much Dream as Morpheus was."

"I know, it's just.....I'm tired of people dying, Teleute. I'm tired of running, I'm tired of the pain and the blood, and I'm so tired of this Dream that I've been force-fed for the past eight years. I need my own dreams now, not the Dream of an old man who's out of touch with reality." I take a deep breath, and turn to Daniel. "I came here tonight to ask for a new Dream. But if you won't give me one, then I'll just have to make my own dreams, my own way." I ruffle his pale hair and grin at him. "I want to sparkle again. I want to laugh. Now are you going to help or not?"

He desperately glances at Death, but she just shrugs and grins. "Admit it, baby bro. You owe the girl."

"I know. Dream always remembers his debts." He takes my hand in his again, gently this time. "Jubilation Lee, I have wronged you by making you dream a Dream that was not yours. Please accept my apology." A small smile plays at his lips, and the gem around his neck flashes deep fire as his free hand caresses my hair. "Wake Up."

"Wake Up."

And when I awake, for the first morning in a long time, there is no short woman with sad grey eyes lurking in my mirror. There is no brightly colored laughter or multicolored singing fishes somewhere just out of my reach. And the longing I felt for something.....else....is gone. I pick up the phone, and dial. It rings, and I hold my breath. Pleasepleasepleaseplease.....

"You have five seconds to explain how you got this number."

"I want to be real." There is silence, and I swear that I can hear Emma Frost smile.

"Ms. Lee, you do realize you just called a very restricted number, don't you? I know for a fact that I do not simply hand it out on my business card." Her brisk businesswoman tone is friendly. "May I ask how you acquired it?"

"What can I say? I always was a precocious child." This time Emma actually snickers. "I'm accepting. The job."

This time the pause is longer. "May I ask why?"

"I woke up today, Em. And I decided it's time to dream my own Dreams."
























For Anna, Sally, and Chris, who always followed their Dreams. Non Omins Moriar. Blessed Be.