I TOOK SEVERAL SLOW BREATHS, STEPPED onto the carefully drawn circle and passed through the glimmering portal at its center. The world around me blurred and my guts shifted like I was on one of those spinning rides at the fair.

It took a moment for the vertigo to pass. I hated Eldritch jumping, especially to the alter-world. Dimensional travel didn't always agree with me, and the jump from Alter-Lafayette to my Lafayette was long, relatively speaking.

After a few more seconds to steady myself, the twisting, drunken feeling passed. When I first discovered my ability it was, admittedly, fun. When sealing dimensional breaches and handling the nastiness that came through became my responsibility, it turned into work and like mundane work, it killed all the fun.

But coming home was relaxing. Mully, AKA the Scholar, once told me that because my body originated from this world, the physics of alternate worlds tends to cause undue stress that is relieved when I return. He was kind of a smart-ass sometimes. Generally right, but still a smart-ass.

Stress or not, frequent trips always made me long for my small, comfortable Johnston Street apartment, empty now that Sharon had moved out to live with her new family. Excursions into alternate dimensions were especially difficult on relationships. I could never blame her for leaving. Maybe I would have done the same, if our roles were reversed. Maybe. Besides, she’s safer without me in her life. At least that’s what I tell myself when I miss her.

The next few days would be peaceful. As peaceful as I generally managed.

I collected my things from around the jump site in the abandoned machine shop and snagged a portion bar from my backpack. Eldritch travel uses a lot of calories. I pushed myself to my feet with my walking stick in my free hand. I bent and stretched my leg trying to ease the ever-present sciatic pain I’ve lived with since the accident. It was nearly three years ago when I encountered a nest of energy-draining vampires called Aethers. These weren’t your typical Hollywood mainstream, sparkling-with-angst, high-school vamps. These ones were not pretty, and their sole purpose was the utter consumption of every living soul in the material plane. That night, they were hell bent for me. I nearly lost my leg before I was able to destroy the artifact anchoring them to this plane.

Thanks to a strict regimen of physical therapy, a few surgeries, and a touch of otherworldly tech, I regained all of the leg and significant amount of mobility. But nothing seemed to take away the pain.

I made my way through the maze of boxes and crates filled with retired machinery and raw material. I paused at the loosely chained door near where my 1977 International Scout would be waiting outside. I expected it to be sitting right where I left it just a few moments (in this world) ago. It was severely devalued with rust, and since it didn't make the official list of desirable vehicles to steal for every year running, I could probably leave it here for months. The best deterrent to car theft is a crappy car, after all.

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts..." I told my half-brother James once. I'm not sure he was convinced. Or that he knew what Star Wars was.

I slid under the chain and squeezed through the gap between the rusty sliding doors. Out front and behind the steering wheel of the Scout, sat my half-brother James. He took care of my affairs when I was out, which was more often than not, and has gotten me through some tough spots, when I got in over my head—also, more often than not. He was the definition of reliability. Being half Aether, granted him the ability to sway the minds of most mortals. I've seen the horror of this power. I'm not saying the men in question didn't deserve justice, but I still get chills thinking about what he made them do with that jigsaw. Thankfully he keeps that particular mojo under wraps, and even more thankfully, this gift is extremely rare among Aethers. Things get out of hand when less morally solid types have his power. Hitler comes to mind.

The moment I cleared the door, James was there, frantic and fidgeting. He was never either of these things. I halted in my tracks.

"Finally," he breathed. "We have to go now," he reached behind me and opened the rusty passenger door.

"What's the rush?" I was ready to take a shower, unwind in my recliner and escape a little reality with my Playstation. “I'm not exactly ready to deal with another crisis.”

"Something happened," he pitched his voice low, and I knew immediately it was something from my neck of the void. Being the only remaining Jumper in this time-stream, I stayed fairly busy dealing with incidents—both good and bad. He slammed the door shut just as I cleared the frame and dashed around to the driver's seat. He'd left the engine running, and I hadn't even buckled in before he peeled out and took off.

"James, what's going on?"

"Something came across a tear in the boundary last night," he said. "Something bad. Jane called me because you were out of town, and we went out."

My stomach felt like it was trying to compress into a one-inch square; things from the never-never were hardly ever pleasant, and anything that rattled James was probably worse than most.

"Anyone hurt?" James glanced sidelong at me, and I knew he understood my question. Was Jane okay?

"No injuries," he said. "What do you know about the Dreameater?"

"Nothing good," I answered. "What aren't you telling me? You're not saying something; you haven't looked me in the eye since I got back."

"I'm driving. I've gotta keep my eyes on the road. Safety first. Don't want to get a ticket. You know how hard it is to get a driver's license when you’re from another dimension?"

"James." There was a note of warning in my voice, and he shifted nervously. He may be a half-Aether, with superior strength, resilience and power over mortal minds, but I was the Jumper. The one Jumper for an entire dimension. I had my ways too.

"Listen. You need to be clear-headed for this one. I'm not sure what good you'll be-"

"James!" I snapped. His eyes paled sadly. My stomach suddenly dropped. It felt like I was falling.

"Jane stepped in the way."

I cursed so harshly, it made James flinch. I felt the Scout accelerate. Something had attacked my town—my friend—while I was gone; while I could do nothing to stop it. Jane was one of my closest friends for the last ten years. I met her at the local library, while tracking down a particularly dangerous book that slipped in from the Alter. I've often wanted us to be more than just friends, but my life involves a certain degree of risk, and I've always tried to insulate those I care for against it. For all the good it's done.

James slid the Scout to a halt, jumping the curb outside Jane's home, and I was out before the car stopped completely.

The pain in my leg seemed to disappear as I charged for the front door. Complex mathematical symbols on her house glowed, channeling pure energy from a young star in a distant and chaotic part of the galaxy, fueling the lethal defenses inside.

The equations were designed to protect Jane, should she need it. They gave her house a limited intelligence and it could sense when she was in danger and react. Right now it was working overtime.

I opened the door and barreled through, ignoring the drain on my abilities and endurance as the AI resisted my entry. I wouldn't be able to do much inside the barrier until she spoke the passphrase, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment.

The living room was empty. Ignoring my limp, I took long strides toward her bedroom. I opened the door and was met by a dense barrier of force that checked my forward momentum. The house was guarding Jane, and my heart hammered as I realized the implications. If the house's defense had kicked in, that meant Jane was so bad that she couldn't protect herself.

I slowed my pace, and concentrated on integrating my mathematical pattern with the house, through a backdoor in the defense program. The deadly force barrier subsided, allowing me through.

I stepped over to her. Jane lay on a giant queen-size bed she'd inherited from her Aunt Margaret, along with the rest of the house. I'd often joked that she could swap it out with a twin to give her more space for activities, and that it would probably be more her size. She answered with a quick elbow to my ribs and a smile.

I crept closer.

Jane lay under the covers and may have well been sleeping except that her green eyes were wide open. My breath caught in my chest. When I heard her take a soft breath, I exhaled shakily. She was alive. I sank onto the bed and reached for her hand. It was cold.

"Jane?" I whispered. There was no answer. I didn’t really expect one, but I had to try.

James stood in the doorway. His voice was low despite the unlikelihood of waking Jane.

"She hasn't responded since the attack. I brought her here so she would be safe and comfortable."

I nodded, letting him know I'd heard, but my eyes never left her. The steady rise and fall of her chest was the only indication she was still alive. Her eyes were open and unfocused.

James moved up silently and passed a small bottle of saline eye-drops to me.

"Tell me about the thing that did this to her?"

I unscrewed the top, and carefully placed two drops of the solution in each of her eyes. The excess ran down her gentle face.

"Gone," James sighed. "She tried to create a sympathetic link back to the tear and banish it, but it surrounded her… like a dark cloud. Two, maybe three-seconds later, it just vanished."

“What the hell was she thinking?”

“I don’t know,” James said.

It was my fault. I taught her about all of this. She was going to be a programmer out of college. When she learned how math could be used to affect the world around her, she was all-in. I let my interest in her overpower any notion of safety and I showed her things beyond what she would ever be ready to attempt. It was our common ground; the ice shattering, conversation starting subject that brought us together. I’ve heard of weirder hook-up stories.

"You get a look at it?" I asked and James made a sort of 'pfft' noise that I took for a no. I stood and squeezed her cold hand and hesitated a second. It was hard to see Jane like this; Her happy, animated personality laying still and emotionless like a wax mannequin blank. I leaned over and kissed her forehead, beads of cold sweat stood there and was salty on my lips.

"I'll deal with what did this, Janie. I promise." I stood and looked back down at my friend. It was difficult to leave her like this, but I had no choice. The house would make sure no one disturbed her, human or otherwise. Unfortunately, if I surmise correctly, the Dreameater now enjoyed the same protections that Jane did. James had the right idea bringing her here, but it did complicate things. I couldn’t help her here. I could end up hurting her, or getting myself dead, or both.

"Come on, James."

"Where are we going?" he asked, matching my limping stride easily. We climbed back into the Scout and he started the engine.

"My place, to find some answers."

I usually got a sense of relief when I walked through my front door but, today, circumstances had conspired against me.

Bleep, my parrot, spewed a stream of obscenities at me that could cause even the saltiest profaner to blush. Normally I'd stop and let him verbally assault me, while I traded insults—as was tradition—but I didn't have time. He trailed off with some horrific phrases about my mother, as I climbed the spiral stair to my attic office.

I couldn't remember if James had ever been in my office, but it didn't seem to bother him when I gave him a silent request to stay in the living room. I could hear Bleep's tinny voice as he cycled through his dirty vocabulary.

In my office, all available wall space was dedicated to shelving. Various artifacts, ingredients and books rested on the wooden slats reclaimed from a destroyed lighthouse… the destruction of which is another story entirely.

Jumping is basically scientific mysticism, involving very complicated math. I selected my collection of paraphernalia with care, ensuring each piece was sympathetically connected to the wheres and whens I frequented, and each piece solved for variables in the equations, taking the complexity down a peg or two.

One side of the cluttered room stood out from the rest. It held the only (arguably) modern piece of technology… My Apple IIc. The green text and audible keyboard click was soothing to me. And, oddly enough, it's the only computer that will connect to the material and Alter planes, with just a little touch of supernatural coaxing). I used a simple equation to light the candles scattered around the room, and sat in my marginally comfortable rolling chair. I stared at the blinking cursor. If there was one person in this realm that could help me, it had to be Stephan Randolph Mully. In the Alter, he is known as the Scholar and with good reason. His knowledge of every when and where was absolute. Sometimes he didn't know he knew an answer until he was asked, but you could take it to the bank that he would be able to give you something. Sometimes it seemed less than helpful something, but his information always proved out. Even if I didn’t realize it’s usefulness until after the fact.

I launched my IRC client, and began typing.

'Mully, you there? I have a small issue…'

'I expected as much. Welcome back.' Mully's text appeared on the screen, all at once. I filled him in. A googly-eyed surprise emote appeared on the screen.

'The Dreameater isn't a small issue. He's one of the Pantheon…, They are essentially gods in the Alter.'

Oh. A god. I wish I could be atheist. At least whatever he was doing wasn't a part of any ongoing plot against the material. In the Alter they could do whatever they wanted but are kept in check by the other Pantheon. Sometimes they would breach into the material, though it was rarely significant. They are formidable beings but quantum law in the material universe severely crippled their power, as it does with any Alter. The entire dimension reacts against the intruder, similar to how an oyster reacts to sand. Why the Dreameater was here made no sense. By now, it had to be far too weak to return.

'How do we kill it?'

'Well, you can't actually kill it, per se. You can banish it though. There is an easy way and a hard way…, but you're not gonna like the easy way.’

'Killing Jane is not an option,' I slammed my hands on the desk. I swatted back and forth at the ensuing dust cloud.

'I said you weren't gonna like it.'

'And the hard way?'

'Well,' Mully somehow gave the impression of scratching the back of his head, 'that's something you're not going to like, either.'

'Mully!' I was really tired of not knowing what was going on. 'Why does everyone think they needed to tiptoe around me?'

'Because you are irrational when the people you care for are in danger.'

'Alright, no need to be bring that up…,' I sighed, and rubbed my face.

'Someone,' Mully's text continued, 'is going to have to go in there and drive it out. By someone I mean you.'

'Alright, so I need to – wait, go in where?

'Into her head. Where else would you expect to find something consuming memories?'

There were many times since I'd met Mully where he'd been flippant and vague with me, it was just his way. His vast knowledge desensitized him to just about everything, but it was grating on my nerves more than usual today.

‘Technically, through a portal to the dreamworld… Jane is the doorway,” Mully’s text flashed onto the screen.

'Okay, tell me everything you know about this thing.’

'The Dreameater is a being of significant power. It is ancient, and probably one of the original Pantheon. It exists by feeding on the energy of dreams. There are theories that material and Alter dreamers become astral copies of themselves and actually enter a shared dreaming dimension that is just as real as either. Kinda gives the old wives’ tale that if you die in your dream, your body dies in the waking world, new weight.’

'So it feeds on everyone's dreams? All the time? And no one notices?'

He paused for a beat, then continued. 'This thing feeds from any human or other animal capable of dreaming, all the time. It always has. No one notices because the Dreameater takes only a little of what it needs from each creature. Most living things in this realm aren't self-aware enough to even notice when anything goes missing. The Dreameater is like Plant-life: Dreams are the carbon-dioxide by-product of consciousness. You can maybe kill the Dreameater, sure--but without it holding dreams in check the entire world will devolve into madness!'

'Wait.' I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion, 'It actually consumes the dream itself?’

'If the theory about the dream dimension holds true, then each dreamer creates a world where they play out their dream scenarios. This 'world' exists only briefly... Most dreams are only a few seconds long, after all. The Dreameater is the reason this dimension closes. If it didn’t, the dreamland would expand, potentially destroying both the Material and Alter realities.’

'What? That doesn't seem possible.' I said. I started the evening not knowing much about the Dreameater, and suddenly, I felt like I knew too much. If I knew Mully, there was more to come.

'Really? You travel to another dimension on a daily basis. Is it that much of a stretch?'

'Fair enough,' I typed.

'Answer me this,' there was a long pause. 'You sleep occasionally, I assume, yes? How clear is the memory of your dreams?'

'Well, I...'

'Can you remember them clearly?'

'Yes, I can remember some.'

'Alright. It's a complete sequence of events, or does it jump from one scene to another with no apparent connection?'

I paused for a moment, then sighed. 'Yeah. I see what you're getting at.'

'When you dream, a world of your creation pops into existence in the dream realm. The stuff of that dimension becomes the sights and sounds that make your dream a reality for you. When that happens, energy is expended and released. Though the rules that govern things in other, but similar, dimensions are sometimes wildly different and bizarre, conservation of energy is the one, universally true constant. Think of it like a campfire. The fire has no recollection of the heat that it lost; it's just gone. The Dreameater just warms itself by the fire, so to speak.’

I shuddered at the thought of what must be going on in Jane's mind right now. I shook it off. I had to focus. Mully was right; I get irrational when my friends are in danger.

'There's something else... It's not just dreams. Dreams are tied to memories in a very intimate way. Everything we dream stems from some memory or combination of memories.'

"Wait, so you're saying that the reason our memory fades with time is because the Dreameater can consume those as well?"

'Not directly, but yes...' Mully's ellipsis had me worried. 'It’s actually not a bad thing. Normally, it's beneficial. The human mind doesn't function on a level where it can keep every little memory. Most people would be insane by twelve.'

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a steadying breath.

'You said, normally.'

'Yes. If the Dreameater has taken residence inside Jane's mind, it wouldn't have access to other people's dreams. It would still need to feed in order to survive, until it found a way from the dream realm back to the Alter.'

‘What happens to Jane?'

It could have been my imagination, but I got the impression that Mully was sad.

'Could be nothing. Maybe she would lose some old memories, if they were connected to the consumed dreams.' The type appeared, and I became more anxious with each word.

I let out a curse and kicked at the desk. It hurt, but I let the pain fuel the anger.

'So my options are to violate her mind, or do nothing and let her die.'

'She wouldn't die. Her body will continue to live; it's not affecting her physical self. In its quest to return to the Alter, it'll consume everything that makes her Jane. The way I see it now, is the Dreameater only takes tiny bits of memories... Like an address or the facial details of a casual acquaintance... But as it becomes more desperate, that's when the important defining memories start to get eaten. Considering the volume of memories, this could go on for some time... I mean even dreaming creates new memories that can be consumed, but maybe they just don't have the "meat" of older, more personal ones. Another aspect of the Dreameater is that it can force dreams, bringing very emotional things to the surface.'

'So, I have no choice but to go inside Jane's head, to get at this thing?’

'Yes and no. You can't Jump directly into her mind, but you can Jump into the dream instance she's created. It's probably holed up somewhere in there feeding on her memories and dreams, as it looks for a way to cross back into the Alter.'

'We need to figure out why it attacked Jane.'

'Likely, it didn't go after her for any particular reason. More likely, because of the way the material world affects it, it was simply too weak to return to the Alter through traditional means.'

'According to James, she saw it, and called him because I wasn't available. Then she linked it and banished it back to the Alter.'

‘Her heart was in the right place, but her head was in the wrong one.’

‘I suppose.’

'So are they your personal apprentices now?'

'No. James is stronger than most of the stuff that can cross into this realm. If there's anyone I want watching Jane's back while I'm away, he's it.'

My words must have surprised Mully as much as it did me, but that didn't make them any less true. James was my brother, and the most trustworthy individual I have ever met. He knew the Alter world as well as I did, and he'd saved my hide a few times. I'd never tell him that to his face, though maybe I should.

"Aw!" James' voice carried into the attic. I looked down the ladder leading to the hall. The rectangle through which the stairs passed framed his grinning face, like some goofy family photo.

"It's impolite to eavesdrop..."

"Never stops you," he shot back, still grinning. "Can I come up?"

"Sure," I said. "You may as well." James just grinned, nodded, and jogged up the twisting stair. I just shook my head with a smile before turning back to the conversation with Mully.

'Tell James hello for me.' Mully typed.

'Wait,' I typed, 'how did you know?'

'It’s what I do.' Mully typed.

I leaned against my desk on my elbows and rubbed my face with both hands. I sucked in shuddering breaths, I needed to clear my thoughts. Charging into Jane's dreaming mind would take finesse; a skill set conspicuously absent from my resume. But if I did nothing, Jane would be lost. I took one last deep breath and made my decision.

'Well, look at the bright side. If the Dreameater catches you, you won't have to worry about Jane anymore.' Mully typed.

'That was not surprisingly unhelpful,' I responded. It occurred to me that I had not the foggiest of ideas about how to Jump into a dimension that was in a state of constant change. Even if I did, how would I target Jane's dream amongst potentially millions of dreamers that could be present in the dream realm?

'What do I need to do? How can I jump into a dream?' I typed and spoke out loud. I felt helpless. I was letting Jane down.

'Jumping is mostly about believing that you can do it,' Mully explained. 'Jumping is entirely possible without all the preparation. But the human mind, human-ish in your case, cannot cope with stepping into infinity. The preparation provides a tangible interface to leap into other dimensions. You could accomplish the same thing with a pair of ruby slippers, clicking the heels together three times.'

'I see.' I didn't see, but that was no reason to get Mully off on an instructional tangent, beyond my immediate needs at least. I think I'd keep my simple mind focused, and prepare for the Jumps.

'My advice to you is this; get Jane over here. That house of hers could cause quite a bit of interference.'

'I had intended it to protect her.'

'I know, but that's not what she needs right now. Arbitrary protection could prevent you from helping her at all. You’ve built a fortress around Jane, but since the Enemy is inside her, you just basically set up a situation where you’re locked out.’ You'll need to focus on her entirely and intimately, when you begin. Your material link to her is the only way you'll find her dream.'

I hurried down the ladder, James close behind. I turned to him when we reached the landing.

"I need you to go get Jane," I told him. "I can't do anything inside her home without her granting access, and I won't be getting that from her any time soon. "

"What are you going to do?" James asked, shrugging on his leather jacket even as he asked.

"Something stupid and dangerous, probably." I shook my head. "Give me an hour. I need to focus. This is going to be difficult enough without having to prepare the Jump more than once."

James nodded in understanding and walked out the door. I made sure it was locked behind him and went to my room.

To say my bedroom is small was a bit of an understatement, but it served its purpose well enough. There was a full-sized bed against one wall, a small five-drawer dresser next to it, and a rug that covered most of the floor space. The tiny closet opposite the bed held all of my jeans and tee-shirts and a three piece suit that I hadn't worn since my father passed away. To the right was the bathroom, and the shower calling my name. I could always focus a little better after a warm shower, and I'd need all the focus I could muster to prepare the calculations for the Jump.

I tidied up, and pulled the rug out into the living room. Once I had enough space, I maneuvered my bed and dresser until the bed was situated in the center of the room. I changed the sheets and tossed the old ones behind the couch in the living room. I knelt on the small space between my bed and the bathroom.

It took nearly half an hour to clear doubt and fear from my mind. The only thing that mattered was that Jane needed me and I was the only one who could help her. That was enough for my mind to kick itself into gear. Once I was prepared, I drew a chalk circle all the way around the bed. I carefully drew the complex mathematical formula within the circle's boundaries. I didn't solve it, because I needed the last variable. I needed Jane. I made sure the circle was visible enough so James didn't smudge it when he brought her in. When that was done, I pulled clean clothes out of the closet and lay them on the bathroom counter.

Preparing a Jump was a tedious and arduous task and required complete focus of the mind and will for the singular purpose of the Jump, with absolute concentration on the destination. The slightest disturbance or disruption would mean a fresh start from the beginning, and I wasn't sure Jane had that much time. I couldn't rush anything, and every movement I made was deliberate.

I undressed slowly, envisioning the outcome of the jump clearly in my mind. I spent nearly half an hour under the warm spray. I felt alive, invigorated, and clear-headed when I stepped out of the shower. I dressed in the clean clothes I'd laid out – soft cotton pajama bottoms Jane had gotten me for my birthday and my oldest t-shirt; black with a faded image of Darth Vader and some Storm Troopers being photo-bombed by Chewbacca wearing a big foam finger with ‘Rebels #1’ printed on it. As I slipped it over my head I felt completely relaxed.

Jane was lying on the bed when I came out. James had left the blanket folded beside her, and I nodded a silent, unseen thank you to my brother. He understood the importance of even the smallest tasks in a Jump, and it looked like he'd done all he could not to taint the area.

I carefully unfolded the wool cover and draped it over my friend's sleeping form. Her eyes were still open, blue, empty and cold. I drew in a deep breath along with every ounce of my will. I concentrated on Jane as I drew in the solution to the formulas. The circle began to glow.

I laid down on my left side next to her, slipping my left arm underneath her body, gripping her right hand in my left. Her fingers were cold on my skin. The ancients of this dimension believed that energy entered the body through the left and exited through the right. It will never cease to amaze me at how accurate ancient people’s practices turned out to be. Of course, knowing humanity's origin, I shouldn't be that surprised.

Jane and I were connected like a pair of batteries in series. The jump would use our combined energy. I let my right hand fall to her forehead, struggling against the awkward position that crushed my left arm beneath her body. My right arm rested across her upper chest, and I took care not to constrict her airway. My head fell against the mound of pillows I'd arranged, so I could still look down at her without straining my neck. I spread my right hand over her face, my thumb just to the side of her chin, my forefinger on her cheek just below her eye, and my middle finger pressed against her temple. I took several deep breaths before I closed my eyes and pushed my will forward into her mind. As I did so, I recited the only words I'd ever heard for what I was trying to do.

"My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts." If it worked for pointy-eared aliens, then it would work for semi-human, dimension-jumping constructs. According to Mully, there is nothing special about words or rituals: that is, power doesn't reside in the words themselves OR the rituals. But using certain words or rituals frame the thoughts in a way that supports Eldritch travel. The important part was that I believed it would work, and I poured all of my belief and will into the simple phrase. I repeated it a few times, concentrating on what I wanted to do.

"I’m coming to get you Janey…"

I looked into Jane's hollow and dry eyes.

I resisted the urge to reach out and catch myself, as the sensation of falling overcame me. I was barely aware as I relaxed into the soft sheets of the bed. I broke out in a light sweat. I could feel the dry coolness from my small window-mounted AC. A chill prickled across my skin as the perspiration evaporated into the mechanically dried air.

My senses were suddenly overwhelmed.

Horns blared, voices shouted, laughed, and cried. Lights flashed, faces passed me smiling and crying and everything in between. A million different aromas passed my nostrils and could feel my mouth watering at some and gagging at others. I was experiencing everything Jane had ever experienced… all at once, in reverse.

This was not typical of a Jump. I was never aware of other people until I arrived. I'd never been part of anything like this before. Images of some not-so-nice outcomes started creeping in. I ignored them with some difficulty. I always prepared and chose my Jump points with care. Jumping into someone else's dream was something of a new experience. There was no way to pinpoint where I would end up.

As suddenly as it began, the cacophony died down and the universe stopped.

I was standing in a kitchen. I recognized it right away, though the décor was very different from the last time I'd been there. To my knowledge, Jane had never owned an avocado-green refrigerator in her life.

There was a woman sitting at the table. Jane's mom. She was twenty years younger than when I first met her. Time was kind to her, leaving her features, for the most part, unchanged.

"Mrs. Laverne?" I took a step forward, unnoticed. Two screaming children barreled through me, like I was a ghost. It was a strange sensation, though I wasn’t sure if I actually felt anything or if I felt something because I thought I should. If they were real in relation to this reality, and Jane could interact, why was I an incorporeal observer? Had I done something wrong during the Jump?

"Jane hit me," the first child screamed. Whether he was laughing or crying, I couldn't tell.

The boy was about five with short brown hair all cropped into a bowl cut, except for a long, thin wisp streaming behind him as he ran on gangly legs. It was Jane’s younger brother, Jimmy.

He skidded to a stop behind his mom, using her to dodge Jane’s ire. At his own words, he thrust his arm out, revealing a purple bruise.

Jane was just a few inches taller than her brother, with a face that held wisdom greater than her years. She had brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail away from an all too familiar scowl she would aim at me on occasion.

"Mom! Jimmy pulled my ponytail!"

"Jane," Carol Laverne said.

Jane sighed in exasperation.

"It hurt!" Jane took a swing at Jimmy's extended arm. He snatched it back, once again hiding behind their mom.

"He was probably just playing around," Carol replied. "I'm sure he'll apologize. "

"I always get yelled at for stuff!" Jane crossed her arms over her chest in indignation.

I stifled a laugh. It was clear that this was an ongoing battle between Jane and her brother. I remembered a confrontation between her and Jimmy at their family reunion. It wasn't just poor judgement on Jimmy’s part, they were in a feud that spanned twenty years.

I wondered about what it would have been like to grow up with a brother. James and I got along pretty well. All things considered. But if we'd been raised together, would we have been at each other's throats like Jane and Jimmy? Would I have been favored over him, simply because I had been born second? I didn't pretend to understand human families. I probably never would. Just having friends who understand what I am and what I do tended to complicate things, but a family? I’d never get anything done.

Did Jimmy just look at me?

Fear knotted my stomach and I perceived chills running across my skin. The room spun around and faded from existence. I reached out to steady myself against the wall as it disappeared. My head swam like I was in the early stages of a good drunk. I curled my fingers into a fist and steadied my breath as a wave of motion sickness tackled my senses. I fell against a wall that swirled into existence.

When I could trust my legs again, I moved away from the wall and looked around.

I was standing in a room. Dust settled all around me, and I could feel the heat and see the yellow orange flicker of fire burning behind a thick veil of smoke and debris.

At first I thought I was alone, but then I heard a tiny voice. I was suddenly aware of the damage around me, where apparently part of the building had collapsed. I searched for the source of the voice that repeated, “Help. Please help,” over and over. Chills raced over my skin as I realized that even if I found the person, there was nothing I could do.

I crossed the room to a pile of debris where the ceiling had collapsed. The voice grew louder.

“Help me, Jane… please.”

I could see them now beneath the rubble. Jimmy lay face down, a large beam across his back. Little clouds of dust puffed up around his face as he labored to breathe. The nature of the dream made it hard to determine his age, but I guessed he was 7 or 8.

To his left lay Jane, on her back with a ceiling fan still attached to a large piece of ceiling pressing her to the floor.

“I'm scared Janie,” Jimmy said. “Please don't let me die.”

His voice was desperate and pleading, a young mind convinced that everyone older had complete control of the world.

“Hold on please, Jimmy,” Jane said.

It was sad to watch 12 year old Jane taking the huge responsibility of keeping her younger brother as calm as possible until death came and took away the terrible creeping panic of desperately wanting to fight and flail and struggle, only to be held still by the burning and broken place they used to call home and I was helpless to do anything but watch.

I wanted to look away, but found myself staring into the eyes of my friend. Hope faded from me as the flames drew closer. Somewhere in my mind I knew Jane lived, but the sadness connected to this memory was overwhelming. I was experiencing Jane’s fear when this first happened and the sadness that haunted her from then on.

Then the rubble began to rise.

Though the ceiling had fallen in, there was still some structure to it. I turned and saw the biggest human I have ever seen crouched beneath the strongest part of the living room ceiling. Jane and Jimmy’s dad slid his shoulders along the rough plaster getting himself as close to them as possible and then pushed with his legs, driving the rubble up, freeing the kids.

“Move!” He screamed, voice booming over the crackling fire and collapsing house.

Jimmy scrambled free, following his dad’s instructions on instinct.

At the edge of the rubble, in the clear part of the room, two firefighters grabbed Jimmy as he emerged.

“Jane,” her dad said, laboring to find his voice as his body shook under the strain. “You have to go sweetie.”

“Daddy,” Jane sobbed.

“It’s okay sweetie. Go. Please.”

I realized in that moment that he wasn’t going to make it. He wedged himself in such a way as to maximize effort from his powerful frame, but that also meant he wasn’t coming back out.

Jane hugged his leg and shook her head.

Her dad’s knees buckled. The weight on his shoulders shifted.

“I love you Janie,” he said.

He reached down and grabbed her by the waistband with one hand and flung her far enough for a waiting fireman to grab her and drag her screaming and crying to safety.

Flames swept in and surrounded Jane’s dad. As the fire burned his flesh, he turned and looked directly at me with a smile made wicked through melting, smoking skin.

The building collapsed.

Everything went black and I was falling again...

The world rushed in. I was in the passenger seat of a an older model car, speeding down Johnston Street in my hometown. A black cassette tape hung half-way from the tape deck and music played on the radio. Though I could hear it and it stirred a familiar emotion in me, I couldn’t place the song. I struggled for a bit of lyric or chords that I could place with a name and artist, but it eluded my memory. I turned to the driver.

“What song is that,” I asked.

The driver responded in a low, muffled tone. I squinted against the glare of sunlight coming through the window and over their shoulder as I tried to make out their face. No matter how hard I tried, or what angle I shifted to, I couldn’t see the driver’s face. My nerves crawled. Everything, the car, the driver, the song, was so familiar but, aside from the town, completely unknown.

I started talking again. My voice sounded as if it were slowed, and thick with unfamiliar pitches. I looked at my clothes. I was in a short dress and heels, but there was no color. I rubbed my eyes and steadied my breath against the panic rising in my chest.

“Who am I?”

I struggled with that thought and I was scared.

Then there was a sudden weightlessness. Discarded fast food wrappers and dirt from the floorboard hung in the air as I spun and twisted through it. Through the windshield I saw a crumpled mass of metal skitter from the road and into a tree, bodies slumped in the seats as we, the driver and I, flipped by in slow motion.

We skidded to a stop and another jolt sent the car spinning again. The car finally came to a halt, upright in the street. There was heat in my stomach and I couldn’t move my legs. I looked down. The car engine was in my lap, my crushed body beneath it. I felt my conscious fade and darkness rushed in from my peripheral.

I opened my eyes to light. It was a calm and peaceful spring morning. A warm sun rose and golden light played across a gathered crowd and seemed not to touch anything else. They were seating themselves in folding chairs set up on artificial grass.beneath a canvas canopy. I knew everyone there. All familiar faces.

I looked down and the sight made me gasp. I was floating perhaps ten or more feet above the ground. Directly below me sat a coffin. In that coffin lay Jane, thick bruising on her face and arms barely disguised by the thick layer of makeup the undertaker had applied.

With a start my mind clicked. I wasn’t in that wreck. It was Jane. I knew then that I was seeing everyone she had ever met arrive at her funeral. I couldn’t see or hear anything in the car before the wreck, because I was never there. And neither was Jane. It was a dream. An old, terrifying dream. With parts missing.

My skin crawled. Someone was watching me. I turned. Jane stared at me with, wide angry eyes.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

She lashed out and struck me in the face. It felt real, I believed it was real and I fell. My body landed hard on Jane’s coffin. I couldn’t move. I saw angry Jane hovering above me. Then the lid closed and everything was dark once more.

“You can’t save her,” a deep voice shook me to the core.

I screamed.

I was again in the kitchen. Darkness and moonlight through the window told me it was night time. The doorbell sounded through the house. I followed Carol to the living room. She was older now with longer hair and a fuller frame. An old grandfather clock chimed eleven, as Jane's mom opened the front door to two uniformed officers. Their voices were muffled even though I was standing a few feet away, and I turned my head to hear a little better.

"...sorry to tell you...Jimmy was found...sorry for your loss... " I gasped a little as I realized what was happening. I was witnessing Carol learn that her son had been killed by a criminal in a drive-by.

A gasp behind me echoed my own. I turned my head and saw the faint outline of a girl in the dark hallway. Jane was in her preteen years, eavesdropping. I was experiencing Jane's memories of the event. The details of the conversation was hidden behind her sobs.

Carol stood back to allow the two officers in. A stocky, dark-skinned officer stepped in. His arms and chest spoke of more than a few hours in the gym. David Estes. At one time, he had been Jane's dad’s partner. He had been a lead detective, and I knew it had cost her mother quite a few sleepless nights. Standing there watching Carol hear the worst possible news, I understood why.

"Carol," Estes' deep voice sounded disappointed and he nodded to Jane in the hallway. She stiffened for a moment before shuffling into the living room. She was still short, maybe four and half feet tall, but she held herself proud. She stifled her sobbing so she wouldn't show weakness. She'd been caught, and she owned up to it. Carol swallowed her own sorrow and beckoned her over.

"Come here, Jane. " Jane shuffled over, pausing for a moment to hug Estes. There was something not right about Estes. For a moment, I thought I saw a glow writhing beneath the skin of his face.

Carol pulled Jane close and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm so sorry. "

Tears flowed down both of their faces, and I struggled to contain my own. Estes and his partner stood stoically in the background, watching the two console each other.

Estes was staring at me.
Chills ran down my spine.

The world spun again. I wasn't prepared, but I managed to stay on my feet.

I was no longer standing in their home, but in a small playground. Children ran and played. Bright fresh cut grass surrounded a red swing-set. Jane played alone. She pumped her legs hard, coaxing more and more height out of the swing. I couldn't help feeling nervous the more parallel with the ground she got. Jane was no more than eleven, but she had that air of fearless confidence I had grown accustomed to.

She let her feet drag in the sandy ruts beneath her swing as she reached the bottom of its arc. Swirls of dust followed her back and forth, up and down as the entertaining pendulum changed direction.

The streets of Lafayette, beyond the boundaries of Girard Park were vague and blurry. Jane hadn't really paid much attention to whatever happened outside the playground.

The back quarter of the playground held some of the less reputable playground patrons. A big kid, probably celebrating his third anniversary in the fifth grade, covered in layers of clothing and fat, stared at Jane from his seat of authority on the merry-go-round.

"What's wrong, Jane?" I could hear the malice in the boy's voice. He had gotten up and was making his way to the swings.

Jane was almost as tall as her adult self. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, secured with a simple band. Her plaid uniform hung loosely from her lanky frame. The boy also wore a school uniform; a simple white shirt, navy blue pants, and a black fleece jacket. They looked worn, stained with evidence of the time he'd spent wearing them.

"Leave me alone, Bonner. " What the hell kinda name is Bonner? I bet his parents had names like Thurston and Cookie. What was wrong with parents these days? Well, these days twenty years ago. Bonner was probably living unhappily with a wife and kids somewhere. I could only hope.

Jane told me once that she could handle herself. "Don't be fooled, I'm wiry," she said. I have witnessed proof of that, on more than one occasion.

Bonner took a menacing step toward Jane. She put her feet down and slid the swing to a stop in a cloud of dust. She stood up, standing her ground. He was at least a foot taller, but Jane didn't flinch. She continued to stand in defiance. Bonner shoved Jane. She ungracefully shoved back at him. This was her first fight. I felt nervous, because she was nervous. Jane was just beginning to learn, building the experiences that had turned her into the confident, capable woman that I knew. Loved.

But twelve year old Jane was awkward and undisciplined. Her attack was intercepted easily.

Bonner swatted her hands to the side and reached for the front of her uniform. He grabbed a handful of cloth and threw her roughly to the ground. Jane landed with a sickening, ragged exhale on the ground.

Bonner turned his body and pressed his knee to the side of her neck. He applied pressure and Jane's face began to turn red. She thrashed a few times, but Bonner was stronger. He held her down for a few more seconds, then stood up and threw a vicious kick into her ribs. She didn't cry out, but the wind was driven from her lungs. She lay there gasping for air. Bonner sneered at her.

"You don't belong here," he said, looking at me. A shimmer of light passed between Jane and Bonner. Details of the dream world lost detail and sharpness.

What the hell? My mind was foggy. I could barely hold a thought in my head. What am I doing here?

I shook the fog from my mind.

I was furious. It was that crime of passion, murder someone with a brick kind of fury. My memories and feelings mingled with Jane’s. I wanted to lash out and take revenge on Bonner for what he had done. I reached out to grab him, but then I stopped. It was only a memory. This had already happened; I couldn't change it.

Without warning, Bonner was in front of me eyes wide and glaring. But it wasn't just Bonner, it was the Dreameater. I had no idea what touching it would do to me. I would be no good to Jane if I lost my mind. Literally.

Bonner fled from the playground as a few adults rushed over. He glanced back a few more times, before jumping the fence on the other end of the playground.

Jane stood and brushed herself off. She had a familiar look in her eyes. She followed Bonner with a glare. That glare stirred something instinctual in me.

See, when some guys get mad, they tend to lash out immediately. They punch someone or smash someone's windshield with bat or say something that comes out equally dumb. Women are different. They hold grudges - for years if they have to. I knew in that moment that Jane had gotten her pay back on Bonner. And I knew that that was a memory I desperately wanted to see.

As if on cue, the room whirled around dizzyingly. When it stopped I was standing in a high school gymnasium, complete with a garish painting of a cartoon mascot on the wall between the alma mater and the fight song.

In the center of the gym was a large may. I recognized the scene of an aikido tournament. I'd gone to one of Jane's a while back on a rare day off. That day pretty much solidified my personal vow to never really make her mad.

I walked closer to the mat, instinctively avoiding the crowd of people around it. I'd probably pass right through them, but it was a feeling I didn't much care for and so avoided making contact. I managed to find a spot off to the side, away from people, and waited. Bonner was stretching out in the ring. He looked a few years older. I looked around, searching for her. She was off to the side speaking with an older Asian man. She nodded a few times as he spoke. Finally he settled a hand on her shoulder and smiled. She smiled in return, took a step back and bowed to him.

When she turned around, sixteen year old Jane was in tournament mode.

Her face was devoid of emotion as she stepped onto the mat and took her place opposite Bonner. Someone announced the start of the final match of the tournament, and I realized this was a showdown, Karate Kid style. Daniel LaRusso was about to face off against the Cobra Kai, and I was on the edge of my seat.

I couldn't follow any of the Japanese terms or points being awarded, but I cheered louder than anyone when Jane whipped the metaphorical shit from that boy.

The points mounted and Bonner was getting angry. Unfortunately for him, that only worked to Jane's advantage. One misstep sent Bonner sailing across the floor.

Cheers erupted from the stands, and I looked up to see a large portion of Clan Jane clapping and whistling. The match ended with Jane eight points higher than her beaten opponent. Bonner looked furious, but there wasn't even a hint of emotion on Jane's face. I'd known her a long time, though, and I could see the fire in her eyes. She’d proven something to herself, and no one was going to take that away from her. I clapped along with everyone else as she was awarded the Grand Champion trophy - a monstrous award almost as tall as she was. Bonner left with a twelve inch second place trophy and deflated ego.

Somehow I knew this victory was part of Jane’s mind fighting back against the Dreameater. She had been defeated three times already. Once when she lost to Bonner, another when she lost her brother and another when she lost her father. Her mind must be trying to wake up, defending itself.

I took a deep breath and waited for the rush that signaled a new memory. I wondered if my foray through her memories was taking time, if I was wasting precious minutes as the Dreameater devoured her mind.

I tried to extend my senses beyond dream to the real world, but I couldn't perceive anything that could tell me how much time passed.

I tried to will myself to the Dreameater, to confront the Aether that had taken my friend, but my ability to witness her memories apparently didn't extend to wandering through Jane's mind.

It was probably for the better, I guessed. Being able to slip in and out of someone's mind at will would not be an ability that earned me any favors in the Alter plane.

In fact, if it was found out what I was doing, the Pantheon might come after me and Mully. I hadn't fully thought this through. If something went wrong, and I died, it wasn't just me who would suffer. Jane would be lost, and without me to take responsibility, Mully would likely be sentenced to death for aiding and abetting.

It didn't matter now, I reasoned. Mully knew the consequences before ever suggesting this. He was right about one other thing too. My judgement is definitely clouded when people I care about are in danger.

But I was here now, for the better or the worse. I had to find a way to get through these memories to save Jane.

I shoved all of my doubts and fears into a dark corner of my own mind, locking them up tight and refocused on my task. My vision cleared. I was no longer standing in the high school gymnasium.

I was back in Jane’s childhood home, watching her mom pace back and forth across the living room in front of Jane and an older boy sitting on the couch. I couldn't really call him a boy; if I had to guess I'd say he was in his mid to late twenties. He held Jane's hand in his own, both of them avoiding eye contact with the furious woman now bearing down on them. Mrs. Laverne opened her mouth - probably to yell at the couple - but Jane interrupted.

"Mother, I know you're upset. You've made that quite clear. But we can't change anything now. What we can do now is deal with this like adults. " Carol stopped abruptly, staring in shock at her eldest daughter.

"Adults?" she screeched back. "Don't think that just because you ignored everything I've taught you and made a poor decision in a moment of passion that it entitles you to being treated like an adult."

You are still very much a child - my child - and I will handle things as I see fit. " She turned to the young man with an angry glare.

"And you," she said. "You should thank the Maker that my husband isn't alive to witness this. If he didn't shoot you outright, you'd be in jail faster than you could say statutory rape."

"Mother!" Jane tried to glare her mother into submission, but Carol had long since perfected the look.

"Do not 'Mother' me, young lady. "

"Greg and I are both of legal consenting age in the state of Louisiana. "

Greg, I realized with a start, was Gregory Meloncon, Jane's first husband. I'd seen his picture in the obituaries a few years ago, and Jane had seemed genuinely upset at his passing. I'd known that they'd been married before Jane was out of high school, and I suddenly knew why.

"Mrs. Laverne," Greg had stood between mother and daughter, and I wanted to give the guy a medal for bravery. "I understand that you are upset, and you have every right to be. But I love your daughter, and I would never do anything to harm her. I've asked her to marry me, but she insisted on talking to you first. " At those words, Carol Laverne stopped cold and stared at her daughter.

"Is this true, Jane?"

"Yes, Mom," Jane looked near tears, and my heart broke a little. I'd known that Jane had been through more than some women twice her age, but to see it actually happening was something else entirely. Right now, though, she looked every bit like the scared teenager having to make a very grown-up decision.

"I suppose you've already decided against adoption?" Jane's eyes shot over to Greg, but he shook his head slightly. I'm not sure Carol caught it, but I did. They'd already had this discussion.

"Yes. This is our baby. " Her hands fell to her stomach where a new life was already growing, and I had to force my head to wrap around this new concept. Jane had been a mom-to-be, but she wasn't a mom. I could only think of a few reasons for it, and I felt my world spinning that had nothing to do with my trip down memory lane.

"Oh, Jane," I whispered the words even as the ground tilted and I stumbled into a hospital room.

It was dark save for the streetlights pouring in through the half-opened blinds. A small figure was huddled in the fetal position on the bed, and I knew without looking who it was. Sobs wracked the girl's frame, and for the second time I cursed my inability to physically touch anything around me. The urge to wrap my arms around her was overwhelming and I reached for her anyway, unable to stand by a do nothing as my best friend's world crashed down around her.

My hand passed through her shoulder and her weeping didn't falter. I stood silently as Jane cried herself to sleep, her arms wrapped around her flat stomach in phantom agony. The yellow glow glinted off the simple band on her left hand, and I wondered bitterly where Greg was right now.

I suddenly felt like an intruder, witnessing these private moments that Jane had obviously never wanted anyone to know about. I had no idea if she knew I was here, or if she was even still in possession of her own mind, but I turned away from the scene.

I moved to the door, but I knew I wouldn't be able to move beyond this room until the next memory played out. I stared at the door, trying in vain to forget the heart-wracking sobs that had come from my best friend.

I was actually grateful to feel the lurch of the floor and I closed my eyes and prayed for a better memory than the one I'd just left. Another defeat, meant another win for the Dreameater.

I watched as Jane graduated from college, her features a little harder than the last time I'd seen her. Acadian Ambulance didn't require a full four-year degree for paramedics, but Jane Laverne-Meloncon never did anything halfway.

When her name was called I heard a loud cheer from an entire section of the auditorium that had been commandeered by Team Jane. I recognized a few faces from the reunion I'd crashed, but I couldn't identify anyone but Jane's mom and sister. Lisa was a lanky teenage girl, face set in a scowl for having to participate in this very uncool activity. Greg was there as well, though he sat a few rows away from the Jane family.

Another graduation swam in front of me, and this time she was handed a badge along with her diploma. She was graduating from the Police Academy.

I’ve never seen Jane so happy than at that moment. Mrs. Lavergne was looking a little older, and a little more care-worn. Lisa had sprouted up and had that look of a girl transforming into a woman. Jane's youngest brother was looking on eagerly, but the man with the buzz cut was conspicuously absent.

Mrs. Lavergne wore an anxious expression. I remembered how devastated she'd been at the news of Jimmy's death, and I knew that now she'd pray every day that her daughter didn't meet the same fate.

Once the newly minted officers were dismissed, there was a flood of people crowding forward to congratulate their family members. Jane managed to squeeze her way through the crowd, finding her family easily in the back row. She was hugged and saluted by various uncles and cousins, and she returned them all with a smile and a laugh. Had she really ever been so green? The Jane I remember meeting had already been transferred to the detectives. This Jane looked nothing like that one. This one looked eager, full of wonder, and not so jaded.

"Jane," a deep voice boomed behind me. I turned to find Alan Nash standing there in his dress uniform. Jane smarted up and snapped to attention, but Nash just laughed. "Sorry, Officer Meloncon. At ease, girl."

She accepted the hug from her father's friend, but I could see how uncomfortable it made her. I wondered if she thought that others believed she had been shown favor or leniency due to her heritage. I knew Jane well enough to know that she'd want to silence those doubts immediately; it's probably what made her such a good cop. She'd earned every medal, every commendation, every word of praise on her own.

"Sergeant Nash," Jane greeted formally. "How have you been?"

"Good," he replied. "Jennifer wanted to be here, but her shift at the hospital keeps her pretty whipped. She sends her best."

"I know," Jane said. "You know, you’ll be a father before you know it."

"Wait, what the hell?," Nash chuckled. "I thought we were tight."

"Hey," he took a step in closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. I saw Jane's eyes dart around, checking to see if anyone had noticed. "He'd be very proud of you today. Hell, he'd be proud of you every day. I know you'll make a fine officer. And for what it's worth, I'm proud of you too."

Jane's eyes misted over, and this time she initiated the hug, lifting herself up to her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Thank you."

Nash wrapped her smaller frame in his arms briefly before stepping back. "I'll leave you to your family. I just wanted to say hi before you're whisked away into the busy life of a police officer. As if Paramedic hadn’t kept you busy enough."

Nash disappeared into the crowd, no small feat for a man of his size. Jane turned back to her family, accepting more hugs and congratulations. The scene faded away.

I was glad to see a happy memory after all the heartache, and I wondered what I'd see next. I almost choked on my own spittle as a dark night rippled before me, and a very familiar bridge came into focus. I saw a tall figure silhouetted against the street lights, and I realized with a start that it was me. Another hulking figure was giving chase, and I watched as the brute swung a huge cleaver at my head. I winced at the memory of the whistling sound it had made in passing, but watching from the outside I saw just how close it had really been. I rolled once more and I was down, the Soul Reaper demon standing over me with a manic grin. At least, that's how I remember it.

A small figure launched herself at the beast(Jane hadn't started believing in Aethers or dimensional Jumpers yet), and I watched in amazement as she completely halted the Soul Reaper’s momentum. It gave me enough time to get up, and by the time it had tossed her off and whirled around, I had drawn a quick banishment equation in the air before me. The Soul Reaper howled as it was pulled back to the Alter through the glowing circle

Even back then we'd made a pretty good team, I mused. I took a few steps closer to hear the forgotten conversation, smiling as Jane took custody of the runaway child I had tracked down. She didn't have to let me go – the girl's parents were claiming that I'd kidnapped her, of all things – but Jane was good people. Her world had been shaken by the demon, but the girl was safe. I was pretty sure those were the only two things that had kept me out of jail that night. I watched as dream me walked off with a shorter, stouter man and I spared a thought for my friend Alan. Alan was another one I lumped into the "good people" category; he spent most of his time tracking down missing children. He didn't often succeed in the hellish world we lived in, but he still helped where he could.

Jane got a commendation for rescuing little Jenny Crumb, but she refused any of the publicity. It was this that had earmarked her for Special Investigations for Homeland Security, and it wasn't long before she was promoted and transferred. But that hadn't stopped Jane. She'd gathered her team—Mully and Robert Braveheart (who worked in SIHS and myself— and faced the monsters and the madness for which that division was tasked. We'd been through a lot together, and I realized that Jane was probably the best friend I'd ever had. I made a mental note to be nicer to her in the future; she'd taken a lot of crap from her co-workers and higher ups because of me, and I felt a little ashamed about taking her for granted.

When my thoughts refocused I was standing on a beach, and my heart dropped into my stomach as I realized what I was about to witness. There was nothing in this world or the next that could make me want to watch Jane's Hawaiian Holiday with Kincaid, and I shut my eyes tightly as I forced as much of my will as I could muster into being anywhere but there. My emotions combined with my will seemed to do the trick, and I felt the world shudder beneath my feet. When I opened my eyes, I looked around at the beach in shock. It looked as though someone had rendered the whole thing in glass and then broke it. Jagged rivers of nothing stretched out in all directions, and I reached out my hand. As soon as my fingers made contact with one of the cracks, the entire scene shattered around me.

I fell forever, or at least it felt like it, before I found myself standing in the dark. There was no bone-jarring stop; one minute I was falling, the next I wasn't. I was in a forest of large wispy and dying trees. I spun once, trying to figure out exactly where I was. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on my physical body, satisfied when I could sense the coolness of my room and the warmth of the blankets around me. When I opened my eyes I was back in the forest.

"Weird," I muttered. It sounded like I was standing in a small closet, not in a thick forest. I turned once more to get a bearing. A glimmer of light winked in the distance.

I started walking slowly, wondering idly if Jane could hear me.

"When this is all over, Janie, you and I are going to have a talk about your mind. It's kind of creepy in here."

I had a sinking feeling that the demesne around me wasn't Jane's doing at all, but that of the creature. I shuddered to think what Jane was experiencing, and hoped she was blissfully unaware that anything was going on.

I wrestled through the thicket into a clearing. I gasped at the scene before me, unable to believe my eyes. Jane was standing on the edge of the cliff, arms locked in a grapple with the thing. It was the Dreameater. Its movements made no sound. The body of the thing was black and smooth, hiding any muscularity or recognizable feature, only rippling blackness where a face should be, and dancing in the darkness of its body were the faint images of memories lost. I tried to focus on it, but it didn't to have a form to speak of. It shifted and morphed, disguising its true shape.

"Jane!" I took a few steps forward but got no closer to the battle. I pushed a little harder, exerting some of my will, but it was like I was running on a treadmill. I saw Jane's feet slip perilously close to the edge of the cliff and my heart stopped. I wasn't entirely sure what would happen if she fell, but I guessed broken bones would be the least of her problems. I tried to move sideways, to line up a charge at the beast, but whatever was keeping me from moving forward was very effective. Jane was on her own.

The creature rose up a few more feet, pushing against Jane's small frame with more force. Her foot slipped again toward the precipice. Terror gripped my mind, and I felt a rush of energy surround the clearing. She found her footing at the last minute and surged forward, driving the Dreameater back a few inches.

My will seemed to have no effect here in Jane's mind, but if when I thought about it that made sense. She never had a problem telling me when I was doing something stupid or foolish, and I'd long ago given up arguing with her.

But emotions were different. Jane and I both avoided emotions, and I realized that was the key. If I could get enough emotion through, to send her as much energy as possible, then we might have a chance. All the memories that I'd just witnessed had filled me with enough emotion to power the entire Oxygen Network for years, and I gathered it and projected it outward as I spoke.

"Jane I need you to listen to me. I am not going to leave you to face this alone. Ever. I'm right here, Jane. You are the best friend I have ever had. There isn't anyone on this entire planet I care for more than you, Janie. I've got your back."

She absorbed the energy from my words like a Kryptonian in the our yellow sun and used her renewed strength to push the creature back. There was no indication that she could hear me, but I knew I was getting through.

"You know how I got here, Jane? Hawaii. That memory started and I realized I'd rather see anything else but that. I was so damn jealous, Jane. Jealous that Kincaid got to have you, that I was too much of a coward to keep you from going. I thought it was sheer willpower that broke the cycle, but it wasn't. It was something else, something stronger. "

In the battle of wills between Jane and this creature, it shrank a little. The truth of my emotions fueled her mind as she ousted the creature from her dream.

“You are more important to me than my own life, Jane."

The Dreameater’s incorporeal form faltered as it started to take shape, it lost its obscurity, giving both Jane and I something to focus our wills on. Jane's metaphysical body grew larger. I managed to stifle a snort of laughter at absurdity of her being tall. I knew it was only symbolic, but even the thought of Jane imagining herself being taller than anything was pretty funny.

"Come on, Jane. You're stronger than this thing. Hell, you're the strongest person I know. Remember Bonner? I wanted to pound that kid into the ground for what he did to you. But you did it then and you can do it again now."

The memory of twelve year old Jane being beaten and bullied angered me again, and the creature let out a howl of rage. Young Jane stood there now, facing down the terrible nightmare.

"That's it, Jane!”

Each combatant pushed against the other, but neither gaining or losing ground. I tried to take a step closer but I was still locked behind the invisible barrier. I concentrated my entire will on Jane. I knew what she needed now, and I shoved all of my doubts aside and took a breath.

"I love you, Jane. I love you."

With a final cry of outrage, metaphysical-Jane shifted back to her adult form, dropped her shoulder and twisted her hips as she grabbed the creature on its now defined upper torso and executed a perfect Morote Seoi Nage. The creature shrieked in surprise as it sailed up and over Jane's shoulders, bouncing off the ground once before disappearing into the dark formless world beyond the edge of the cliff.

In the silence that followed Jane dropped to her knees, staring numbly into the darkness.

I sensed the shift before I felt it, and braced myself as I was propelled through nothingness once again. I imagined it was like being on a runaway mine car, and my stomach lurched as I hurtled through the dark. Finally everything stopped. There was no light of any kind. I had no idea where I'd ended up. I tried looking around, and I realized that it wasn't simply the absence of light… there was just nothing around me. Had I been too late? After everything had the Dreameater won after all?

"The hell it did," Jane's voice startled me, and I whirled around. White light flooded in a circle around me like I was on center stage. I squinted to focus as she walked into the spotlight from the darkness beyond. She was dressed casually in jeans and an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt, and her brown hair was pulled back into a tail.

"You won," I stated dumbly.

She snorted.

"Observant as ever," she returned snidely. "Well, I suppose you should say we won. You did help. A little" Her hands were shoved into her pockets, and she looked up at me with a strange expression. Well, strange for Jane. She looked scared.

"You alright?"

"What the hell was that thing?" She looked over her shoulder as if expecting it to be behind her, and I resisted the urge to reach out and hold her. She'd had her head messed with before, and it had left some emotional scars. I wondered if this one would haunt her dreams too.

"The Dreameater," I told her. "Nasty Aether thing. Won't be bothering you again." At least I hoped not.

Jane nodded, seeming to accept my explanation as she looked around. She remembered everything. I knew that now. It was obvious in the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, it was in the adorable flush of her cheeks, and in the way she didn't quite look at me.

She lightly licked her lips, and I was drawn to the motion instinctively. She motioned me over.

“Hey,” she said.

"Yeah Janie?" I shuffled a little closer, leaning down a little to look into her eyes. I looked away when I felt the heat in my cheeks. Her hands on my chest.

"Get the hell out of my head. " She gave me a gentle shove, but I flew backward like I'd been hit with a wrecking ball. My limbs flailed comically, and I let out a huff of breath.

I opened my eyes.

I was back in my bedroom, my body stretched out alongside Jane's. Her body had shifted close mine, and we were lying face to face. Her left leg had somehow nudged its way between mine, and her left hand had wrapped itself around my waist and rested under my shirt. My right arm was still draped over her, but my hand was lying on the pillow behind her head. If anyone walked in on us right now, they wouldn't believe for a second that I'd just completed an extremely complex Jump and saved Jane from a nasty dream-eating monster from another dimension. I

I let my mind wander through random memories, hoping there were none missing, before I felt Jane's body stirring. I moved my legs back enough to dislodge hers from between mine and I let my right arm fall to my side as her eyelids fluttered. I looked down at her and gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. " Her blue eyes were unfocused for a moment, as if still in the grips of the Dreameater's control. I saw life return to them and sighed relief. They focused on me for a moment before glancing down at her traitorous arm still gripping my shirt intimately. She let go immediately, recoiling just a bit.

I didn't say anything for a while, unsure of how much she’d remember from the dream. I Wasn’t even sure if all of her memories were intact. If she started acting weird that I'd have to do some damage control, but so far she seemed content lying there beside me. Finally she took a shuddering breath and looked into my eyes in a way I hadn’t expected.

"What happened, ?"

“Uh… Eloquent as ever. It's kind of a long story. "

"Well you can start by explaining why you and I are in your bed. Together. Cuddling.

"Uh…"

She rolled her eyes and slid back away from me, sending the blanket to the floor as she stood. She swayed slightly, and I jumped up to steady her in case she fell. That earned me a fully fledged Jane glare and I backed off, nearly falling back onto the bed.. There was very little in this world that worried me more than an angry Jane.

"It's not…we didn't…," I raked a hand through my hair and tried to figure out the best way to explain it all to her. She obviously didn't remember anything that had happened, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Nothing happened, Janie. I swear. Something attacked you, do you remember that?"

She frowned at me for a moment, then shook her head. "I remember getting a call from a uniform. He said it was something up SIHS's alley, so I called James. I figured at the very least he could contact you if it wound up being something we needed you for." She paused then and looked around. "I guess it qualified?"

"Yeah, it did. That was last night, Jane. You don't remember anything else?" She stared at me for a moment, not really seeing me, then shook her head.

"No. Do I want to know?"

I shrugged. "It's pretty straight-forward. Something attacked you, knocked you out, and I had to rescue you. "

She punched me in the shoulder and I let out a grunt of pain and a small laugh.

"I'm not some damsel in distress. " She was suppressing a smile as I rubbed the throbbing spot on my arm.

"Damsel, no. Distress, yes. You did most of the work, though. I just helped. " She seemed satisfied with this answer, and she nodded once before taking a deep breath.

"Thanks, . "

I shrugged again and dropped my hand to my side. Apparently my brain was still in radical honesty mode, because the next words out of my mouth shocked us both. "I'm glad you're alright, Jane. I'd be lost without you."

She sucked in a harsh breath. It was the only admonishment she offered for the breach of our silent arrangement. I had long decided that us getting involved, being together, would be too complicated, too dangerous. And it would probably be the best thing that ever happened to either of us. For both our sakes I kept that last bit to myself. I'd had enough candor for one day, and my stomach was protesting loudly. Jane sighed in resignation as she walked to the door. I felt the moment she crossed the circle, the forces contained within dissipating as she broke the boundary.

"Come on," she said. "Get dressed and we'll go to IHOP. I'm buying and you are going to tell me exactly what happened."

James was waiting on the other side of the door when she opened it, and she caught him in a sudden, tight hug. He flashed a wide grin over her shoulder.

"You had me at IHOP," he said.

I fished my jeans from the pile in the closet. James grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall.

I watched my brother and my best friend walk out the door, I decided I would tell her everything… eventually. Today, though, we'd all have to settle for mostly-truth. I even managed to almost convince myself that it really was best for everyone and not just me being a coward.

Almost.