Chapter 9-Dance of the Dreamscape

Legal Disclaimer-So, in the legal sense of the word, I don't own these characters, except Kari. She's for sale, contact me for details...

Author's Note-The greatest thing about power is how much power can one stand. They don't call her Spiritwalker for nothing. Thank you to my lovely reviewers. It is because of you that these chapters exist. I thank you.

Chapter 9 starts right here....

In a tent under a star filled sky, the lone man woke up, hoping that his bedding had survived his nightmare. It thankfully had, and the man crawled out of the tent, ready to stare into his dying fire. Thankfully, it was nearly morning, and he knew that he had to get to Vancouver. He was needed, and needed very badly. Kari was in some kind of trouble.

Meanwhile, back in the Underground, Brennan Mulwray's frustration grew as he surveyed the scene. He knew that Jesse's act had been noble, but to have him completely slumped over, asleep, and grasping Kari Spiritwalker's hand in a death grip was something he had no control over. Jesse knew something about her ability that he wasn't sharing. And that was frustrating. Lexa had started looking for some sort of clue as Shalimar kept monitoring Jesse and Kari's vital signs.

She kept looking at Jesse's sleeping face. He looked younger. She brushed a long lock of hair out of his eyes, then settled her fingers on his forehead. He was so fast asleep that the simple act of her brushing the hair out of face, which usually woke him up didn't even phase him.

Brennan had moved Jesse onto a gurney which he pulled next to the bed that Kari was on. Jesse had Kari's hand in a death grip.

"I think I found it," Lexa said from her perch in front of the computer, "Jesse hid a video in here."

She pulled up the video and the three turned to a haggard looking Jesse.

"Alrighty, if you guys are seeing this, something has happened and I'm in there with Kari..." he began...

In the dreamscape he was. He woke to a room filled with candlelight, and Kari laying not too far from him. He got up, walked over to her, and tried to wake her up. This time, it was successful.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to see him. She looked into his eyes, reaching out for his hand. He took it in his and helped her upright.

"Is it really you Jesse?"

"Hi, thought you might need a little company," he said, "You want to get out of here?"

"Yeah, I do, thanks for coming," she tried to smile as she got up, "Sorry to pull you in like this, you okay?"

Jesse's slight smile warmed her heart.

"Never better," he looked around the room they were in, "What is this, some sort of cave, bedroom?"

"Kind of like that, I think," Kari started to step out of the candlelight, "Gabriel lured me in here, then, well, he's a little more powerful than I thought."

"Even as a spirit?" Jesse asked, trying to calculate a new idea to get them out of the dreamscape, "You have any ideas?"

"I have, but, it's complicated," she took him out of the room and into the underground hall that she had followed into the candlelight, "What I want is out of here first, then we can get this figured out."

She lifted her free hand and a flashlight appeared.

"Nice trick," Jesse said, "Any others up your sleeves?"

"I don't know where he is right now," she continued, "I'm concerned about what he might be up to next, Jess, Shalimar was right. This guy is a bad man."

"Bad man, I like that," Gabriel's voice carried through the hallway, "Where do you think you two are going, Spiritwalker? Because out is through me."

Jesse stopped her. He knew the threats from Ashlocke tended to be real and that they may have very well just walked into another trap. He turned to face Ashlocke, who had appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Hello Gabriel," he said calmly.

"Hello Kilmartin," Ashlocke said, his eyes meeting Jesse's, "Think that you're going to get her out of here?"

"We'd like to," Jesse replied, voice dry and even, "You see, we have plans in the real world."

"This is the real world," Ashlocke glared at him, "You can be sent back, but she will stay here, with me."

"Against my dead body," Kari said, her voice growing cold, "I'm going back with him."

"You forget something sweetheart, I'm already dead," Ashlocke grinned, grabbing Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse took a deep breath, trying to phase from Ashlocke's touch, only to disappear completely from the dreamscape.

He woke up to the medlab and Shalimar's face. It took a few seconds to realize where he was.

"Kari? Shalimar," Jesse sat up and looked at the sleeping woman next to him, cringing at the sounds of medical alarms, "Dammit Shalimar, I need to get back in there."