Tapestry, Book 2, Chapter 9

I was dreaming again, dreaming in that strange, halfway place I haunted while I slept. It was odd, knowing that you were asleep, and knowing you were walking while you were dreaming. I put one foot in front of the other, experimentally, peering into the grayness of sleep, and thought about the nature of my dreams.

Now, they were all the same. Before I met Treize, though, my dreams were different.

I used to look up, and the sky would turn colors - deep indigo slashed with yellow, pale violet that shimmered with silver, colors that were breathtaking and vivid and, at times, frightening. Sometimes the air felt sensual, twining around my body, caressing and smooth. Other times, though, a bitterly cold wind would swirl from nothing and slap my face, then sear my lungs with its frigid breath; or an odd, clingy fog would appear around my legs and the air would turn thick, humid and dank, moist as the jungles of Yunnan. There were times, too, as I wandered through dream forests dappled with sunshine that the sky would darken and the sun disappear; suddenly raw, sulfurous heat would blast face and fog would boil about my feet. As I ran, panting and screaming from that place, tree roots would snatch at my legs and ankles, trying to pull me back.

What in hell is this? What's happening?

Once, they nearly had me; I lost my balance and pitched forward, fear leading the way. Headfirst, my arms braced to take the brunt of my weight, I was tensed for the worst, but I never hit the ground. It was as if the maw of the earth swallowed me; having no choice, I fell headfirst into the gaping ground, tumbling into dirt and rocks and plant roots and insects. Fear, oh so much fear as I fell what the hell is happening to me? for what felt like hours, every stone and thick root slapping and bruising and punishing. I tumbled for hours, screaming, scared to death I'd never stop.

Gods please please I don't want to die get me out of here please get me out of here I want to be somewhere safe and quiet and beautiful please please -

blink

... and suddenly I stood in a tiny cul-de-sac outside a quiet, well-kept suburban home, in a place I didn't recognize. It was a soft summer night. A light breeze caressed my neck and shoulders, rustling the leaves on the trees and shrubbery, making them sigh. The sounds of crickets and owls whirred quietly in the background. The moon was out; I looked down, and saw my shadow on the lawn, tall and thin. Calmness and peace radiated about me. I was stunned into silence for many moments, unable to think of a single thing.

But ... wha- ... where ...?

The moment the question ghosted across my mind, the landscape changed. Rank foul air, where every lungful was an effort and every moment pregnant with danger and disease slapped me in the face - and I was seated next to a squid-like creature who was holding my arm and pointing to a weird little scene playing out in front of us, on the other side of a large Plexiglass window.

"See that, my dear? All humans react that way, once flippers are attached to their appendages. Notice the sinuous movement of the torso? That would be in appreciation of ..."

All at once I had become a voyeur, watching horrid creatures act out bizarre rituals with average-looking humans - and I felt like a traitor, unable to do anything except nod as one of those creatures provided commentary. AUGH.

After one of those dreams, I wondered what on earth I ate that made my brain implode.

I never spoke to anyone about those dreams, mostly because there was no one I could tell, no one I really trusted. My officers would have put it down to stress or poor digestion - or, as the war progressed, that my mind cast OZ as those awful creatures. Had I told Wufei about my dreams, he might have tried to interpret them; but at the time I didn't want to worry him. Now, I'm glad I didn't - he would have simply told Treize.

Treize has already torn everything away from me that he possibly could have. Unless he wants to rip the thoughts right out of my head, he can't have my dreams. My dreams are my own. Mine. Not his. MINE.

...but I wanted to know what they meant. My dreams, those dreams, weren't normal, not even for non-humans. I thought I was dreaming about creatures that were real, in the non-human realm, but creatures I hadn't yet met or seen. For some reason, I was able to "connect" with them while I slept. That was not a comfortable thought.

Those dreams stopped when I was in close proximity to Wufei; when we lived together in the field, and again when Treize put us together. Once Wufei healed to his satisfaction, Treize pulled him away and left me alone. Once that happened, images from my childhood blurted into my consciousness almost immediately. While Treize harped with amazing regularity how I was a 'balance' for Wufei, apparently precious little research had been done about what kind of balance Wufei was for me.

Well, fuck him with whipped cream and cherries. I'll just find out on my own, thank you very much. Jerk.

There was a link between how I dreamed now and how I dreamed when I was younger - but whatever it was, I couldn't figure it out. Sad, desultory, I wished, not for the first time, that my father was alive. He would have been able to explain this oddness; and I would have had someone on my side.

" ... but Daddy - Daddy, I can move in dreams ... I'll come visit you! I visit other people too, Daddy, lots of people. I see them when I dream."

"I know you will, princess -"

- but he wasn't there. I needed to talk to someone, and soon.

...it's unfortunate, you know, but the only person you can talk to is Treize. Swallow your pride and talk to him. He will help you.

I hated my little annoying voice. Fuck off. Shut. Up. Now. I don't want to talk to him. He won't help me. He will only help himself. He won't tell me the truth. I don't believe him.

Did he kill you? No. Did he maim you? No. Has he hit you or chained you when you've become unbearable? No. Other owners would have. You aren't that amusing. Ask.

'Other owners.' Oh gods. My little voice was nothing except horribly, mercilessly accurate. ...argh. Just ... shut up and go away.

Since my recapture everything about my life, including my dreams, had changed. Those vivid, swirling colors had been replaced with a hazy, monochromatic gray that was pleasant but oh so dull. My wandering only took me so far; I didn't fall through the floor anymore, but I couldn't find the way out. I was forsaken, alone, the girl in the gray gilded cage with only a sleeping Wufei for company. He never woke in my dreams. I was as isolated here as I was in the real world.

I'm stuck. Jailed. Imprisoned in my own mind, locked inside my head. Who would ever believe me?

And so tonight I walked while I dreamed, my feet padding over smooth tile, expecting to see nothing except the same, soft, off-black color of sleep. As I wandered, though, I knew - I felt - something was different. A small tongue of golden yellow light reached out to lick my toes, darting out from the grayness like a shy dragon's tongue. Hardly believing my eyes, I stopped and blinked, waiting, then saw it again, flickering at my toes, playing with my feet. Then all at once multiple tongues of flame folded over my arches and twined together, creating a warm glow that cradled my feet, licked my ankles and sent golden bronze rays curling up my legs.

I was so startled I backed away and kicked a little at the light, not believing what I saw. What - what on earth -

Without warning, the floor turned a smoky gold-bronze and started to vibrate. Immediately, I felt a pleasant, warm something buzz through the soles of my feet and slide up into my calves, turning my legs to water.

...oh, WOWaughhhhhhhhh... everything felt so GOOD...bliss...

And then I heard - or did I feel? - the low murmur of masculine voices just meters ahead of me.

" - come now, Trei, you know that just about everything with a pulse felt you call that dragon. Now people are simply looking for confirmation that he is what you've said he is."

" - Janus - "

Perplexed, I looked down. That wonderful, nearly-orgasmic feeling was gone - and then I saw light spilling out of the floor, about a meter or so away from me and heard Treize's and another man's voice coming from that direction.

Wait. Light coming out of the floor? Like ... a window ... in the floor? And I was hearing voices through my feet?

You're kidding, Po. Windows into your dreams, and hearing voices through your feet? That's simply too weird -

But it was true, at least partly. Stretched out in front of me was a flat skylight, a transom, a transparent eye peering into another room - which, for all I knew, was someone else's dream, in someone else's mind.

Like ... and I intentionally stopped thinking at that point. I didn't want to know.

Quietly sliding over to the window, I hesitantly pressed my hands on the ... glass? It felt cool, like glass, but it wasn't glass. Once I touched it, the sound vibrations from the room below came straight through it, into my palms and immediately into my mind. I knew everything that was said without being in the room, without anyone knowing I was there. Literally, I was the fly on the wall. My gaze devoured everything as I listened through my hands.

I could only see the top of Janus's curly head and his arms as he sat in an overstuffed chair across from Treize. Both men were in a small library, two gentlemen taking their brandy in a civilized manner after a long day. From the ceiling, Janus's body looked a lot like Treize's; long, well muscled, very masculine. His hair was dark and curly, with shots of gray through it. I thought I saw the hint of a beard on the side of his face when he spoke.

"Trei, I understand. But you know who you're dealing with, ne? You know how terminally bored these creatures are. When you called the dragon, you literally dropped into their consciousness at the same time, completely out of the blue. You. Not Isis, or Loki, or even Apollo, but you. Didn't you think a natural consequence would be everyone's undying curiosity?"

Treize groaned. Janus chucked. My stomach flipped as I remembered what Trowa showed me.

"Ah, you understand. Of course, not only do they wish to see the dragon, they wish to see you with your rumored Guardian."

Treize tilted his head and gave Janus one of his, "oh, DO go on" expressions.

"My friend, you must know that the current rumor circulating is that not only do you eat Gorgon babies, you also kill Guardians. As this female is presumably a Guardian and still alive, people have surmised that you're waiting to rend her limb from limb in public - for their entertainment and yours, of course. Rather like you did to that poor Fate so many years ago."

Treize took a large drink from a brandy snifter filled with an amber colored liquid. "Oh, then if that's the case, I'm afraid they'll be waiting quite a long time."

"Is that so?" Janus quirked an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yes, it is. In fact, you should tell Isis and her friends that this situation is exactly like the one in which she found herself - "

I had no idea I was holding my breath until I exhaled, rather noisily, missing the gist of what he said next. I did heard Janus laugh at his remark.

" - but I'm not sure she'll understand that reference," Janus said, grinning.

"That's not my problem." With a sigh, Treize looked back at the other man and tilted his head, grimacing a little. "It's - complicated. First, this Guardian's pure - an exact match for my Dragon. They bonded before he found me."

Janus made a little snorting noise of disbelief. Treize shrugged and sipped his drink.

"It doesn't matter what you believe," he murmured quietly. "They did, which is fortunate. Theirs is the kind that's natural and will last their lifetime. It is no more and no less than what her line was designed to do - one and only one Guardian for each and every Dragon of his Clan. Each matched according to the strength and ability of the Dragon they were bred to serve. They are perfect for each other."

I blinked and tried to assimilate that. The ... what? bred to serve?... why ...?

"I'm not following. If they're bonded and that was planned, then what's the problem?"

There was a short silence. "Hn. Well. At this point, I'm teaching my Dragon the rudimentary elements of what it means to be with me. We have only just progressed to his being with me in public."

Janus laughed. "Hah. Only because someone is insanely jealous and hasn't formally presented this Dragon to us for ...mmm, let's see ... how many weeks has it been? Three? or four? or maybe even five? Admit it, Trei, you just don't know how to share!"

Horrified, I sat above them, hardly breathing. A beat passed as I waited, expecting Treize to blast that man to hell and back for his incredible impertinence. If I had ever dared say anything like that to Treize, you can be sure my head would have been handed to me, along with a cuff to remind me not to make observations like that in the future. Treize's actual response was much more mild. His glare would have melted steel. I shrank back.

"Oh, do get a sense of humor, Trei. Honestly - after all this time, you still can't admit to your little foible? Please. It's so obvious."

That frosty look hadn't lost its potency. "As I said - I'm teaching my Dragon how to be with me both alone and in pubic. That takes time, you know. He needs to understand his place with us."

Janus watched Treize, his manner as casual as his glance was alert. "So teach him! He's a pet, my friend, nothing more. Oh come now, these Dragons always put you in a mood, you know. You allow yourself to get too involved with your playthings."

"He is the last one, Janus. I was extremely fortunate that he found me"

"All right, all right, Trei, I understand." He took a sip of his drink before continuing. "But I know you, old man. That's not what's on your mind. Let's have it. What's really bothering you?" He grinned at Treize, an expression that said volumes, nodding his head. "You'll feel better, you know."

Treize sighed. "I enjoy humans, Janus, you know that. This female, though ... is a little different than most. Her background belies her character."

"Indeed? I was given to understand she was quite the revolutionary, a bold little fighter. Sounded impressive for a human female to me. Rather brazen, in fact."

"For a human, I agree," Treize replied. "However, even given all that, she's really quite the innocent, more so than any other Guardian I've had. She's never been properly socialized, believe it or not. I must proceed slowly."

Scowling, I pushed harder on the glass. What? What does he mean, an innocent? Not been socialized? What the hell is he talking about? .

"Oh, come now, Trei, she's not a savage, surely! And innocent or not, some say your timetable is much too slow."

"Let me see if I can guess who 'they' are," Treize interrupted dryly.

"The usuals. The same ones who whine and complain now moan that 'Trei keeps the best scraps for himself,' et cetera, et cetera. Today they whisper that 'Trei's snatched a human female who's unique, a saint, and anankha' - and that's set everyone off."

There was a long, stretched silence. Treize's gaze drilled into Janus until the other man threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Now, now, Trei, don't kill the messenger," he said, laughing. "I'm only telling you what's being said. You decide what you want to do about it. "

"I know that. And you know I don't kill messengers."

Janus chuckled good-naturedly, brushing off Treize's narrowed gaze. "Heh. I wouldn't be in your shoes, now or ever. You and your dragons! They're pretty, all right, but so much trouble. I'd rather have - eh, well, you know my preferences." Changing the direction of the conversation, he took a sip of his drink and said, "At least now you can take steps so that this one won't be your last, yes? And you've even got the line for the caretaker built in. That's a bonus, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course. But at this point, the boy is just learning, and skittish, so he isn't ready for company just yet."

I sat back and stared through the transparent floor at the men below me, shocked, not quite believing what I just heard.

Wait. What? Hold on ...My mind churned, turning over the myriad possibilities. It made perfect sense ... seen from Treize's perspective, of course, taking the long view, looking hundreds or thousands of years into the future ...

AUGH ... this dragon won't be his last? Not his LAST? Why, that means ... that means ... and I would be ...

He was going to have sex with Wufei's son, or daughter, or any of his progeny, just as my son, or daughter, or any of my progeny were going to be their guardians.

My hands shook. I thought I was going to get physically ill.

The murmured voices floated up to me. I could still see what the men were doing, nodding and talking to each other, sipping their drinks.

Gads. He ... he would. He would be kind to me, kind to Wufei, and then - and then go have sex with Wufei's children. He's - there's - no moral dichotomy for him. He doesn't see a problem with it at all. Not at ALL. He - he's just - amoral, inhuman. Just completely inhuman.

Now my snide inner voice decided to resurface. Of COURSE he is, moron. He told you and Trowa told you. Don't you listen?

Forcing myself back to the window, I touched it again with both hands, completely reluctant, feeling as though my entire ethical code had been violated.

" - others won't care at all as long as they get what they want. Speaking of which, a mutual acquaintance asked me to deliver a request to you. Regarding the Guardian."

Treize nodded, sounding weary. "Ask"

"Two things. First, he said that he's seen the woman - "

Treize snorted and shook his head. "Of course he has. So has everyone else. She was difficult to miss, standing like a beacon at the edges of my property. But I digress. Go on, please."

I blinked and swallowed, mortified, then leaned closer to the glass. ... um ... I ...oh, GAH ...

" - heh. Yes - well, he said it's obvious that she's a virgin - "

"Indeed - "

I blanched and felt something shiver inside me. How - how can something like that be obvious?

" - and because of - these are his words, mind - 'the enormous power stored within the virginal blood of a saint' - he authorized me to broker a deal with you for her blood. Terms to be named by you, of course, contingent upon his final approval."

Treize threw back his head and laughed, then rubbed the side of his face with his hand, shaking his head. "Is that right? I wondered how long it would take until someone asked. How nice. Very well - please, continue."

Janus chuckled, sipped his drink and nodded. "He said there were other points to consider, since she did belong to you. Just logistical considerations, mind. Whether you wanted to take her and send him the blood; or, if you wanted to assert your right, but permit him to collect the blood immediately afterwards; or, if he could negotiate with you to take her himself and collect the -"

LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS? WHAT THE FUCK -?

I stopped listening, flung myself off the glass like grease from a hot griddle and scuttled, crablike, across the phantom floor as fast as I could, feeling lightheaded and giddy and scared oh GODS just so scared. This was insane, awful, a bad dream, a nightmare, the king of nightmares and there was no way out -

SMACK

Ohgods, there was no way out. I hit the back of the room, bounced back a little and lurched to my feet, my mind chanting no way out no way out no way -

" - Janus - did you - "

- insane NO! there has to be a way out NONONO! there HAS to be a way out HAS to be HAS TO BE -

Sally?

Treize's voice - so calm, so clear - dropped into my head and stopped me cold. I froze, staring into nothingness, praying I was completely invisible.

...ehhh ... whaaaat...?...

Ahhh. Come here, Sally. Come to Me.

I looked around and saw the light in the floor again, so pretty, so inviting. It tugged at me, pulled me right over to the edge, right to him. Reluctant, I dragged myself to the light, knelt down and peeked through, my heart pounding, thoroughly frightened. Treize smiled up at me, very calm, very centered, his eyes so, so blue. He didn't seem angry or surprised. I leaned down for a closer look.

And then somehow, the floor ... wasn't there anymore. I found myself leaning precariously into the room, terrified, trying not to pitch in headfirst, my hair falling all over the place. Treize and his bearded friend were right underneath me; they exchanged glances then looked up, Treize with his penetrating blue gaze, Janus with his dark enigmatic gaze.

"T - Treize?"

"There you are," he said, reaching up, his smile warm. "I have you. No need to panic, little one."

He put one arm around my shoulders and swept me into his arms, catching my legs just under the knees. Automatically, my hands reached around his neck and I rested my head against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, slow and regular, right through his shirt; and he was warm, and smelled clean and spicy and familiar, so much so that my apprehension started to melt away. At the same time, I felt a gentle, low throbbing surround me that was so good, so comforting, soft and pulsing. My muscles relaxed on their own; I pushed and tried to snuggle a little closer to Treize. He shifted to accommodate me, then turned back to his friend. Ahhhhh...

My annoying voice decided it was time to poke at me. You must remember what they were discussing before you 'dropped in,' Po. It was important. There are freedom issues you have to sort out.

What ...? Yeah. Sure. Some other time, okay? Like - umm .. later...?

My alter ego sounded totally exasperated. Are you KIDDING? Someone offered to buy your virginity AND your blood, and Treize and his friend treated it as if they were only ordering coffee with extra cream and sugar. Doesn't that tell you something important? Like maybe you're free to choose some things but not others? You need to THINK -

That throbbing feeling intensified; I sighed and relaxed completely against Treize. Shut up and go AWAY. I'll think about it later.

"Well, well, well," Janus said softly, watching me with a little smile. "And who is this, as if I couldn't guess?"

I drew closer to Treize, forgetting all about my little voice, alarmed. Janus chucked, watching me.

"Now, now, Sally. Permit me to introduce you. Janus, this is Sally Po, Chang Wufei's Guardian. Sally, this is Janus Divomdeus, one of my oldest friends."

"H - hello," I said, hesitant, staring back at Janus. I still had a death grip on Treize's neck.

Janus smiled and nodded at me. "How do you do, Sally Po," he murmured. "It's an honor to meet you. One meets so few human dreamwalkers these days." He slid an amused glance at Treize. "Especially those that happen to be saints and anankha, eh, Trei?" He reached out and did something around my shoulder that sent shivers all through me, from my head through my toes.

I wriggled and closed my eyes for a few seconds in pure, blissful pleasure. Oh, YUM. Whatever he did felt wonderful.

"She's very sweet."

"You have no idea, my friend," Treize said above my head, his tone dry.

"Mmmmm ... no, probably not," he rumbled, stepping a little closer, still smiling. "It's been a while since I've kept a human female for company. But just the same, I still think she's charming."

"You have kind eyes," I heard myself blurt out as I watched him. Where - where did THAT come from? And wow - his eyes ... they're not the same color as Treize's, but they make me feel the same. They're so dark, so intense, so powerful - and yow, he hasn't blinked once, not even once, not at all -

"Do I?" Janus grinned at me, showing perfect white teeth. "That's a wonderfully nice thing to say to someone you've just met, Sally Po."

"Careful, Janus," Treize warned, giving me a little shake. "She's vulnerable. No defenses at all. I don't want her imprinting."

"Ah, of course, I wasn't thinking - "

His shaking rattled my teeth, broke my concentration and interrupted my happy-fuzzy-wow-isn't-life-grand state.

" ...hey ... hey, stop -" I pulled away from Treize and scowled in annoyance, giving him my best glare.

Treize looked down at me in amused exasperation with one eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

My glare wilted and died. I sighed, went limp and rested my head back on his chest. " ... um ... n-nothing ... " Feh.

He kissed the top of my head affectionately. "Good girl. Now ... I should probably send you back. You don't belong here. Not yet."

"Don't send her back on my account, Trei. Personally, I think she's refreshingly delightful. How odd that no one's ever noticed her before ..." Janus smiled, as one would at an exceptionally bright child. "You are quite a find, Sally Po, did you know that?"

This time I peeked up at Treize before attempting to answer Janus. Treize looked even more amused, if possible, but I felt satisfaction radiating from him in waves. Feeling something like that in my dream was akin to feeling the dragon do its fuzzy head-bump in real life; I felt buzzed and woozy and very, very happy.

So ... you like to please, do you? Interesting. The part of my brain that was working heard that and filed it away for later examination.

"Go ahead, Sally," he said gently. "You may answer, if you wish."

"Um ... well ... no. I didn't know that," I murmured, glancing at Janus, feeling shy. "...thank you."

"You're welcome." Janus went back to his armchair and sat down, still smiling, motioning for Treize to do the same. "Polite, well spoken, well bred - she speaks volumes for you, Trei. No wonder so many are envious."

"Yes, but you know they don't see that," Treize replied as he settled both of us into his chair, now inexplicably large enough for two. "She's human. They only see her aura and want to feed. The smart ones would keep her alive, of course, while the others ... well. Enough said."

I was pressed against him, head on his chest, eyes almost closed while he pet me, pulling long, calming strokes from my scalp down my side. His words, though, pushed through my happy buzz and made me shiver. I blinked and looked up, peering into his eyes.

" - what - keep me alive? I don't underst -"

"Hush, Sally." His petting intensified; my eyelids fluttered closed and I sighed, inhaling his scent, leaning against him. "You may stay with me, but you must relax. Do you understand?"

" ...mmm...'kay..."

"Good girl." He sounded amused, and kept petting, which felt oh so nice. Those upsetting feelings of fear and anger had ... gone. Faded. Just disappeared ...

But ... where ... why ...?

Relax, Sally. Let yourself go, and relax. Clear your mind.

Stubborn, I focused my will and tried to concentrate. I needed to think, remember why I had been angry, afraid -

There is nothing to fear. You are safe. I will protect and care for you, always. Relax, child, relax. There is no need for such anger.

- and I couldn't remember. Thinking was hard, hard, just so hard. My mind wouldn't cooperate - everything was so fuzzy - I was warm, safe, my head was heavy, and ... I ... I ...

I groaned. Feh. Later. Snuggling was so much nicer.

"She's not trained?" Janus sounded surprised. "Well, well. You certainly have your work cut out for you. You can't leave an untrained dreamwalker wandering around, especially one that's anankha. I can't imagine what would happen, let alone how any Fate would function ..."

I felt Treize's chest rumble before he laughed. "He doesn't function well at all, my friend. That's been his complaint for lo these many months."

"Treize ..."

He massaged the base of my neck, right where it joined my spine, and oh, that just felt sooo good... "Yes, Sally ...?"

The tiny part of my mind that observed and recalled everything was in despair. I couldn't fight feeling good; I was, after all, only human.

"I ... was afraid..." I murmured into his chest. "I heard you talking ..."

"Mmmhmm. So we discovered." Treize sounded amused; his massage was a little less intense, his fingers gentler. "How long were you there, I wonder?"

"I don't know. A long time. It was gray ..."

"Oh?"

I nodded against him. "Uh huh ... just gray, everywhere ... but then I saw gold on the floor. It came up to my toes ... then I was surrounded by light ... light that came from the right ..." I giggled with my eyes closed, feeling dreamy. "I rhymed!"

" - very talented," interrupted Janus, his voice soft and low.

"Quite talented. And you did, didn't you Sally? What else?" Treize sounded deeply amused.

Hesitating only a little, I continued. "Ah ... well ... then light went all the way up my legs through my body, and then there was a weird buzzing through my feet into my legs. Then I felt this huge whoosh through me, and - and - "

" ...and..?" he prompted gently.

I changed my mind about telling him what the whoosh did. " ... and then - I could hear you talking through the floor."

"Could you," Treize murmured, stroking my head. "And what did you hear that made you afraid?"

I had the distinct impression from the tenor of his voice that he knew exactly what had happened to me, from the first buzzing of my feet through the final whoosh through the top of my head. What he was asking, though, was something I wasn't ready to share with him. Not completely, at any rate.

"Um ... I ... different things I didn't ... understand." Or want to understand. It was better to speak to his chest, or at least to his side with my eyes closed. I could pretend this was normal and I was going back to sleep.

Long fingers tangled in my hair, massaging my scalp; at the same time, Treize gently turned my face up to his and murmured, "Indeed. Look at me, Sally. I believe I know what frightened you." Giving me a gentle smile, he continued, "There are things that I will speak about that aren't meant for your ears, my dear. What you need to believe now is that you are safe, and that I will always protect you. Do you believe that?"

Gazing into his blue eyes, I realized what he said was true. He was going to protect me, and I would always be safe if I was with him. I nodded. "Yes, Treize. I believe you."

"Good. Very good, Sally. Now it's time for you to go back. Say goodnight to Janus, dear."

I blinked. "Ah ... goodnight, Janus."

"Goodnight, Sally Po. It was a treat to meet a human dreamwalker. I hope to see you again."

Treize's chest rumbled again as he murmured words I couldn't understand. The world turned softly black and I fell from my dreams into a deep, untroubled sleep.

Something terribly uncomfortable was thumping and shaking me with horrible regularity, up and down, up and down, up and -

- wha-?

"Get up, Sally - come on, get up, it's time to get up - we're going out today, so come on, get up - "

I turned over in bed, groaning. Had I slept at all? And what was this shaking stuff going on? Scrunching my eyes, I glared out from the bedcovers and found Wufei inexplicably shaking my shoulder, looking energetic, of all things, and repeating himself over and over again like a parrot.

"Come on, Sally, come on, rise and shine - !"

"...no, no, I want sleep, 'fei. Sleep. NOT out." I rolled over and presented him with my back. So there. Not going. HAH.

Almost immediately, happy dog breath panted in my face as Jack attacked me, licking my nose and cheeks while Wufei nattered on in the background.

"Right. Uh huh. Go get her, Jack! Come on, Sally, get up, get up - "

"Ew - phwaa! phwaa! Jack - Jack stop, STOP, what're you doing?" I pushed myself up on one elbow and waved my hands in front of my face, pushing my oh-so-loving dog away from me and off the bed, wondering what on earth happened to make both Wufei and Jack go insane simultaneously. "All right, both of you, stop. Stop! Okay? Okay. Now I'm up - happy? Now what?"

"Good boy, Jack." Wufei's expression was smug. "Go take a shower and get dressed. Dress casual. I'll wait for you downstairs. We'll have breakfast together."

There was no rest for the weary. "I'll be down as soon as I can," I sulked, giving a tired glare to Wufei. Feh.

The old adage was true - nothing felt better than a shower and fresh clothes. I felt like a new person as I trotted down the steps to breakfast, my snarky mood evaporating, Jack yipping at my heels. And the prospect of breakfast with Wufei put me in a good mood.

While I was in the bath, I decided to pull my hair back from my face with a white band and let the rest of it drift about my shoulders. Braids took too long - and besides, I felt like something different. Not so different that I wanted to wear anything except dark blue jeans, a light blue tee shirt with short beige boots. That, to me, was casual. If someone else wanted more, then they were damn well going to have to tell me.

"Good morning! How are you today?" I was cheerful and happy as I passed Treize's Specials on the stairs, in the foyer and in the dining room on my way to the kitchen. They stared at me as they always did, with suspicious, guarded looks. I could hear them thinking, I wonder what she's plotting this time -

I rolled my eyes. Nothing, boys. I'm going off premises today. You're safe for a while.

"Come in, Sally, come in. You're just in time for breakfast before we leave."

"Ah - leaving..?"

As I wandered into the kitchen, my gaze locked with Treize's and my happy mood started to wilt. He gestured to me to join he and Wufei, and, being the dutiful person I was, I plastered a big, isn't-THAT-nice smile on my face and walked into the room. Wufei was just finishing some fruit and eggs as I slid onto a chair next to him.

"My, that looks good," I said brightly, looking down at his plate, berating myself, wondering why on earth I assumed Wufei was going to eat with only me. Po ... you are just clueless. Why would he do that?

"It was good," he corrected me, snatching the last bit of eggs with his chopsticks. "Now YOU eat."

"Yes - I'd like to see that, too," Treize said, sliding a plate of eggs along with a small dish of blueberries and a steaming mug of tea in front of me. "There's just enough time for you to eat. And we'll keep you company, won't we, Wufei?"

"Of course, Treize-sama!"

" ...oh ... you are both too kind ... "

which is how I was coerced into eating much more than usual, Treize smirking in front of me, Wufei giving Treize the most adoring looks on my right. ARGH.

I was sipping the last of my tea and chasing the last few blueberries around my dish when a Special came to the kitchen door and saluted. He waited patiently until Treize realized he was there, then spoke.

"Yes, Roberts?"

"The car is ready for your use, sir." He saluted smartly and waited to be released.

Treize nodded. "Excellent. Thank you, Roberts. We will be out in a few minutes."

Roberts turned smartly on his heel and marched away. I glanced over the top of my cup at Wufei, wondering if he knew where we were going. Probably not, I decided; but then, it really made no difference. Sighing, I put my teacup down and examined it, feeling bitter. The earth could have split underneath us and fireballs dropped from the sky and he would not have noticed. His attention, or what was left of it, was fixed on Treize, not on anything else. Treize was his alpha and omega, the one thing in this universe that gave his life meaning. If the fireballs had dropped and Treize had been safe, all would have been well; but had one hair on that man's head been singed, Wufei's attention would have been in the here-and-now, you betcha.

I, on the other hand, would have been fried, no matter which scenario had happened.

" - Sally? May I take your cup?" I felt gentle tugging at the teacup between my hands.

"Of course." I snapped my fingers away from the cup as if they were on springs. I had to endure an entire meal of Treize-adoring and Wufei-touching and groping, which was unpleasant in the extreme. "May I be excused, please? I'd like to take Jack out into the garden before we - "

"There's no need, Sally. I've already assigned someone to see to Jack's needs." Treize smiled cheerfully as he juggled some cookware next to the stove. "But of course you may be excused. Why don't you and Wufei go out front? I believe you'll find Roberts has already brought the limo around, and that Jack is already in the car. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Fine. Whatever." Without looking at either of them, I pushed away from the counter, slid off my chair and stalked away from the kitchen bar, not bothering to wait for Wufei. Those wonderful endorphins the shower had released? They had dried up, withered and died, all during breakfast.

"Go, Dragon," I heard Treize said softly. "I'll join you in a few moments. Go keep Sally company."

The limousine in front of the house looked black and hungry for passengers. It was a different vehicle than the car we usually took; it looked longer and a little wider. Shrugging into a black leather jacket from the coat rack, I walked out the front door and down the marble steps, still trying to shake off that lousy feeling from breakfast. There was Wufei, fawning all over Treize, and there was Treize, hanging all over Wufei ... it was just too much. I had had enough. I needed to clear my head, shake it out of my body, get away from them.

I slung a small black leather purse over my shoulder and headed for the limo. Roberts stood at the door of the limo, holding a squirmy Jack in one hand and Jack's leash in the other.

"Here you are, Miss," he said, handing me both Jack and his leash. My puppy was overcome with delight, panting and wriggling as I took him into my arms.

"Thank you, Roberts. Ooo, look who's happy to see me - it's Jack, isn't it - oh, now, Jack, please - Jack, that's enough! Jack ...!" Laughing, I held him away from my body because the puppy was so wriggly and energetic. He stuck his paws on my shoulders and slobbered on my cheeks and ears in no time flat.

"Did you miss me, little gu-"

Jack yipped, then gave me a big lick right on my nose.

Sputtering, I wiped my nose with one hand while tucking him away with the other. "Okay, Jack, okay - here we go - "

Now with him secure under one arm, I ducked my head and climbed into the limousine. This car was different; the seats were a combination of bucket and bench seats, and there was something quite large in the back. It was easy to climb into this car, too; I scuttled to the far side and made myself comfortable in a large swivel bucket seat next to a window, facing the same way as the driver. There were a number of controls on the seat. Jack was laying at my feet, panting, and I was playing with some of the controls and a headset I found tucked away in a seat pocket when Wufei climbed into the limo.

He looked around for a few moments, then took a seat facing me. Jack sat up and whined a little, then put his paws on Wufei's knees, asking for Wufei to pet him. With a small smile, Wufei reached down and scratched Jack behind the ears. Jack dissolved into a happy lump of puppyflesh right at Wufei's feet.

"You didn't say anything at breakfast." Wufei looked up at me as he rubbed Jack, his statement more a question.

I straightened out the wires to the headset. "I didn't have anything to say. I thought I was having breakfast with just you today. I don't know why."

A dark flush started at Wufei's neck. "I - I don't know why you thought that, Sally - "

"I just said that I didn't know why. I'm sure it was my misunderstanding." When ISN'T it my 'misunderstanding?' I was angry and tired of stuffing my feelings inside my gut all the time. I took a deep breath and looked out the window, trying to calm myself. Get a grip, Po.

"Oh. Sally - I am sorry for that misunderstanding," Wufei said, his voice softer.

I sighed, looking out the window. Go away, Wufei, leave me alone. Leave me some dignity. "It doesn't matter, Wu. We were both there, so technically, we had breakfast together. Don't worry about it." I turned back to him and shook my head. "Like I said - it doesn't matter."

"Mmm - what doesn't matter?" Treize climbed into the limo, his long frame easily curling into a bucket seat to the right of mine. "Wufei, why don't you sit here - ahh, that's good, that's very good - excellent! Now you'll have a good view of the outside, plus you'll be able to see the viewscreens embedded in the middle pod. Sally, you're at an optimum angle as well. There are several parts of our ride that are, to put it mildly, quite dull, so I've brought along some vids that will at lease allow you, if not an educational experience, at least a little entertainment, regarding our destinations."

"Destinations?" I echoed, perplexed. "How many places are we going?"

"Oh, several," Treize responded with a grin. "We'll be away for quite some time. I've already made arrangements for the house and such, and I know the government will run itself in my absence. I've seen to that."

Both Wufei and I stared at him, taken aback. "You've ... what?"

"Oh, yes." Treize grinned broadly at us. "Did you think that we were taking a short day trip into the country today? Oh, good heavens, no." He leaned forward, gave a signal and the door to the limousine closed. Immediately, the vehicle's engine started and we moved away from the curb and headed smoothly into traffic.

"We'll be gone quite a long time, my friends. We have a number of worlds to explore before we come home again!"