Billy sat upright with a jerk, biting his lip to keep from crying out. He looked around frantically at the unfamiliar surroundings willing his heart to slow down before it ripped right out of his chest. The soft sounds of Tommy and Jason sleeping peacefully beside him on the floor reminded him that he was in a safe place. He breathed out slowly. As he glanced out the glass panes of the French doors, he noticed the deep blue hue of the lightening sky. It was almost daybreak.

It was the dream. The dream that he was becoming all too familiar with, yet this one had been different. More sinister. Just like...Billy suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Just like the one he had the night Kat had died. He hadn't actually seen what happened to Kat in his dream, but the overwhelming feeling of dread had told him that something was wrong. The phone call from Tommy the next morning had confirmed that feeling.

Billy threw back his covers and jumped to his feet, Tommy and Jason were okay, but the others...Without thought to noise or whether or not he would wake anyone, he tore down the hall towards the spare bedroom. As he passed the bathroom, the door opened, and he collided with Heather. She gripped him firmly by the shoulders to steady him.

"Easy, Billy."

Billy suddenly felt as if he was hyperventilating. "But...the dream...I...have to check..."

"It's okay, Billy." Heather spoke to him in the same tone that his mother would use when he complained about vampires living in his closet. "I checked Adam, and I just left Kim. They're both fine."

As his breath began to ease, he felt the panic begin to dissipate. "You're sure."

"Yes."

He reached out and pounded his fist on the wall. He was angry at himself for overreacting. "These stupid dreams." He ground through his teeth. "I think I am going mad. Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know. But if the dreams are getting closer, then we're running out of time." Heather rubbed the back of her neck to steady her own nerves. She didn't need to be in Billy's dream to know that he had seen something awful. "What was it?"

"It was the shadow. That fucking shadow. It's evil, Heather, I can feel it. Last time I felt it this strong was the night that Kat died." He turned and leaned his back against the wall.

"What the hell is all the racket?" They turned to see Adam standing in the hallway, staring at them through still weary eyes.

"Bad dream." Billy said quickly. "Sorry we woke you."

Adam stretched his arms over his head. "No harm, I guess. The sun's getting ready to come up." Though he sounded alert, Billy noticed the dark circles under his eyes and an ashen tone to his face. He looked like he had not slept well. Billy wondered briefly if Adam had been having nightmares, and then quickly admonished himself. Of course he's not sleeping well, his wife just died, you idiot.

Adam noticed Billy's stares and narrowed his eyes at the pair in front of him. "Yeah, anyway, I going to make some coffee if anyone wants any." But he made no move to leave.

Billy realized that he and Heather were blocking the hallway. He moved to stand next to Heather. "Sorry."

As he passed them, Adam gave them both another queer look, and disappeared around the corner.

"You see that?" Billy gestured toward where Adam had just left. "My friends think I'm nuts."

Heather watched him with sympathy. "Go get a shower. When everyone's up we'll sit them down and get to the bottom of this. It's time they know the truth."

"Do you think they're ready?" Billy was uncertain.

"They have to be."

By the time Billy got out of the shower and dressed, he found that the others were already up. Kim, Tommy, and Heather sat at the dining table drinking coffee and perusing the morning paper; very little was being said. He inhaled deeply to let the unmistakable smell of bacon cooking invade his nostrils.

"Morning everyone." He tried to give them his best smile.

Kim eyed him knowingly. "Feel better?"

Billy felt himself blush with embarrassment. "Sorry I woke everyone up this morning."

"Don't worry about it, Bro." Tommy folded up his section of the paper and laid it in front of him. "I love getting up before the sun."

"When exactly was the last time you got up before the sun?" The group turned as Jason whisked in from the kitchen carrying a large plate of bacon.

Tommy glared at him. "When was the last time that you failed to miss a chance to rag on me?"

Jason clapped him on the back. "Probably the last time you got up before sunrise, my friend."

The group chuckled. Even Billy found himself feeling the tension ease as he listened to the friendly banter between them. Jason moved back towards the kitchen sidestepping Adam who had a platter of scrambled eggs and toast in one hand and a balanced stack of empty plates in the other.

"This is too much, you guys." Kim eyed the table full of food spread out before her. She reached out and quickly snagged a piece of bacon. "You're going to spoil me."

Adam smiled as he sat across from her. "Your man doesn't cook for you?"

Kim snickered. "Are you kidding? He can't even make a decent pot of coffee." The comment was met by another round of giggles.

"Speaking of coffee, I'm going for more." Heather stood. "Anyone else need some?"

"I'll take a cup, if you don't mind." Billy spoke up.

She smiled. "Of course." She disappeared in the kitchen.

Kim leaned over to Billy. "Are you sure that there's nothing going on between you two?"

"I'm sure, Kim." He rolled his eyes at her. The truth was there really was nothing between them. He had known Heather for five years, since he started teaching at UCLA. She had shown him the ropes, and they had become fast friends.

"Okay, just asking." Kim shrugged as she reached for another slice of bacon and munched it happily.

In the kitchen, Heather found Jason pulling a batch of biscuits out of the oven. She scooted passed him and poured herself some coffee before filling Billy's cup. She glanced at him.

"Sleep alright last night?" She asked nonchalantly.

"As a matter of fact, I had some strange dreams last night."

"I know."

He set the hot pan of biscuits on the stove and turned to face her. "Really, and how do you know that?"

"I was there, remember? How else do you explain me showing up in your dream?"

Jason was taken off guard. He really hadn't counted the possibility that his dream had been real. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Simple, really, you put the idea into my head before I went to bed last night. It's not inconceivable that I would dream about you. In fact, I'm sure that's exactly what you were counting on. It's all psychology, right?"

Heather sighed. He was going to be a pill to convince. "Okay, what about Tommy and Kim?"

He was silent for a moment. Things were beginning to get a little strange, but he wasn't about to let her know that she was making him uncomfortable. "Again, we had a conversation about them last night. They were on the brain, so to speak. That still doesn't give me any proof that what happened last night was anything other than a dream."

"You want more proof?" She was beginning to get a little agitated, but kept her temper in check. "Fine. Follow me. Oh, and keep an eye on Tommy and Kim."

Now more confused than ever, Jason followed Heather into the dining room. The mood was light, and everyone seemed at ease as he sat next to Adam across from Kim and Heather.

"So," Heather began. "other than Billy, of course, did everyone sleep well last night?" She glanced around the table before continuing. "Pleasant dreams, I hope."

Jason was floored as Kim and Tommy both turned a deep crimson and dropped their eyes to stare down at their plates. Kim looked horrified while Tommy had the tale-tell I-dreamed-that-I-got-laid-last-night-but-can't-ever-tell-anyone-about-it-because-I'll-never-hear-the-end-of-it grin on his face. Jason looked at Heather who simply smiled knowingly at him. It had happened. She had come into his dream and then pulled Tommy and Kim in with them. The knowledge made his head swim. The whole thing felt surreal.

The spell was broken when Kim's cell phone rang out loudly, causing her to jerked involuntarily. Without glancing at her phone, she quickly rose from her seat and excused herself, grateful for the distraction. She walked out of the dining room and out onto the back patio as she flipped her phone open.

"Actually, I had a strange dream last night." Adam said. "Zack was there, but he was standing far away. He was talking to me; kept telling me that I needed to give something to him, but I had no idea what he was talking about." He shook his head to shake the memory. "Then he just disappeared. It was really weird."

Billy glanced at Heather who was staring at him, a million questions etched in her features. He knew what she was asking, and he nodded in confirmation. Adam's dream was another link in the puzzle, but Billy had no idea how it fit.

"I guess we're all having bizarre dreams." Tommy commented, sipping his coffee.

Jason couldn't help himself as he grinned at Tommy. "Why don't you tell us about your dream, Tommy?" He almost choked with laughter as Tommy's eyes got as big as saucers. Hand caught in the cookie jar, eh bro? Jason mused.

Lucky for Tommy, he wouldn't have to divulge the details, because at that moment, Kim made her way back into the dining room. Her face was pale, and she looked as though she might faint where she was standing.

"Kim?" Tommy stood up. "Are you alright?"

She looked around the table at her friends, trying to find the words to tell them about the phone call she had just received. When she thought her legs wouldn't hold her any longer, Tommy grabbed her arm and ushered her back to her seat.

"Kim," Jason's concerned voice barely registered. "What's wrong?"

"That was Gustav on the phone, something happened to Trini on her flight home last night."

Billy felt his stomach turn to ice. "Is she okay?" was all he could manage.

"She's in a coma. They don't know what happened. She fell asleep on the plane, the next thing the stewardess knew, she was having some kind of convulsions. They landed the plane, but by the time the EMT's got to her, she was unconscious."

The silence hung heavy on the group as the news sunk in. Jason glanced from Heather to Billy easily reading the knowing dread on their faces. He suddenly stood up, almost knocking his chair over and pointed an accusing finger at Billy.

"What the hell is going on here, Billy? You know something, don't you? That's why you brought her here." He turned on Heather. "The two of you are keeping some kind of fucked up secret that has to do with his dreams, and now it's affecting the rest of us. First Kat now Trini. The two of you better start talking...now."

Billy put his head in his hands and breathed deeply. "You're right. There is something going on that's affecting all of us." He looked up at Jason. "But you won't understand it until you know the truth about yourself."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jason was getting angrier. "You have both been speaking in riddles since she got here."

Tommy stood and put an arm on Jason's shoulder. "Easy, Jas." He turned to Billy speaking in a calm voice. "I think it's time you told us this amazing thing about ourselves that we seem to have forgotten."

He followed Billy's gaze to Heather, who had been watching silently.

"Your right." She said. "But I think we should do this in the living room."

Jason stood his ground. "Why the living room?"

Heather raised a defiant eyebrow. "The chairs are more comfortable." With that she left the dining room.

The rest looked at each other, uncertain what to do next. Finally, Adam shrugged and followed Heather out of the room with Jason close behind. Tommy nodded to Kim who took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her out. Tommy glanced back at Billy who still sat motionless in his chair.

"You coming, Billy?"

"Yeah, I coming." Billy took a deep breath before pushing himself away from the table and following the others into the living room.

As they each found a seat around the room, they watched Heather as she sat perched on the arm of the couch. None of them knew what to expect as she looked intently at each one of them. Jason shifted uncomfortably in the arm chair across from her feeling his patience wearing impossibly thin.

"So," He finally said, "What's the big surprise?"

Heather took a deep breath before she began speaking. "Yesterday I told you that there are things from your pasts that have buried deep into your subconscious. Billy and I have been working to unlock those secrets that he is carrying around in his head, but we have come to an impasse; a locked door. Billy's unconscious mind has been unwilling to go any further alone. That's where you come in."

"I don't get it." Kim said, "What does it have to do with us?"

Billy spoke up. "There's something locked away that affects all of us. I think that we all need to find out together what is behind this door."

Tommy leaned forward on the couch, his hands on his knees. "How exactly do we so that?"

Billy looked at Heather, who took the cue. "You probably learned in science class that there are several different stages of sleep. In the very deepest stages, the mind begins to lose touch with the outside world. It's not like normal dreaming. In regular dreams, the mind is still aware of it's external self. That's why, when you have a nightmare, you can startle yourself awake. In these internal stages of sleep, the mind is not distracted with outside influences and the spirit is actually able to travel into what is called the Dream Dimension. It's more commonly called Astral Projection. When the soul is seemingly able to transport itself through time and space, it is traveling through the Dream Dimension. During these astral projection phases, people have been known to have influenced the physical world from hundreds, even thousands, of miles away." She paused for a moment to let the information sink in.

Adam blew out a low whistle. "Wow, that's a lot to take in."

"Yes, it is. Especially if you haven't experienced before."

"Is that what happened last night?" Jason's tone had lessened quite a bit and was now replaced with genuine curiosity.

Heather nodded. "Sort of." Then she explained to the others who looked questioningly at Jason. "I have harnessed the ability to travel at-will in and out of others' dreams. Last night, I entered into Jason's dream, and we...took a trip." She watched Jason almost smile when he remembered what they had witnessed between Tommy and Kim.

"So were we traveling in this other dimension?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. I pulled you into the very outer stage of astral projection. Your mind still had control over your external body, but we were very close."

Kim rubbed the back of her shoulders to get rid of the mounted tension in her muscles. "You still haven't said how this involves us."

"The door that Billy has been hesitant to walk through alone, is a very real place. It lies in the outskirts of the Dream Dimension." She hesitated before continuing. "I want to take all of you there with him. It may be the only way to find out what has been happening to your friends."

"I totally understand if you guys don't want to, I mean, it does seem kinda far fetched." Billy's voice was quiet.

Tommy looked around the room at his friends. Jason, Adam, and Kim still looked unsure, but Billy pleaded with him silently. That was all Tommy needed to convince him to help; if for nothing more than to make Billy feel better. "I'm in." He said.

"What the hell," Jason added, "Sounds like it could be fun. I'm game."

Billy smiled his thanks at them both before turning to the others. "Adam? Kim?"

Adam sighed. "If it's helps us find out what happened to Kat, then alright."

As she looked around, Kim noticed that all eyes were on her. She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted anything to do with it at all. The whole thing sounded like some kind of witchcraft to her. But Billy needed her help. She shrugged. "Sure, why not, I mean, what have we got to lose? Except our sanity."

She stretched her legs out in front of her, pointing her toes to relieve the stiffness in her muscles. "So, how do we go about this?"

"Group hypnosis." Heather said simply. "It's a more controlled environment, and I won't have to go searching for all of you so it will save time." She stood up. "Everyone get comfortable." She left the room for a moment and soon return with a small metronome, used by musicians to keep a steady beat. She sat it on the coffee table and turned it on. The hand on the metronome began to move back and forth giving a light click as it reach one side then the other.

"Watch the metronome. Follow the hand back and forth. Focus your attention on the rhythm of the beat. Listen as you heartbeat begins to mimic the rhythm."

Heather's voice was low and even, and Tommy began to feel like she was talking from inside of his head as his muscles began to involuntarily relax.

"When your eyes feel too heavy to keep open, allow them to close."

Adam felt his eyelids closing down around his eyes, as if he had no power to stop them.

"Keep focusing on the rhythm. Allow your breath to fall in sync with the beat. Breath in, breath out."

Jason fell into darkness as his eyes closed. He began to feel light headed as the clicks from the metronome began to echo inside his head.

"Now, in your mind, begin to count backwards from ten. Inhale on the even numbers, exhale on the odd ones. When we reach one, you will all fall into a deep sleep. Ten...inhale...nine...exhale..."

Billy focused on his breathing as Heather counted backwards. The rhythm from the metronome seemed to be slowing down. He could feel his own heartbeat and breath slowing with the rhythm.

"eight...seven...six..."

Kim felt her anxiety melting away as she concentrated on the numbers being called and matching them with her breath. She couldn't remember the last time that she felt so at ease or relaxed.

"five...four...three..."

Heather watched as the group began to slump and slide down into their seats. They were responding better than expected. She turned her attention back to the metronome, and finally allowed her own eyes to fall closed.

"two...one..."