It had been far too long since Starie'd been home, truth be told, he didn't remember the trip home last night. It didn't much matter, the fact remained that he had. That he was home, and in his room when he woke. He got to his feet, wandering for a bit around the lair.

New rooms had been added, and the sleeping rooms were left alone, he smiled at the new young ones. Remembering his father's threat, he slipped toward the sounds of running water.

Finding one of the warmer pools, he slipped the shirt off, and crouched, letting his hair fall forward. After a moment's hesitation, he fiddled with the back of the collar. A soft click sounded through the chamber, and he gently set the collar down on top of his shirt, he jumped in, smoothly.

He circled the pool few times, then climbed out. Wet hair was combed through, he froze for a moment, another's thought edging through his shields.

Purple hair intermixed with green. Green eyes stared back, gentle hands hugging her. "Shadow...You alright?" He stood there, frozen, eyes glassy and vacant.

He picked her up, easily. She relaxed, completely. Something in her knew that this had never happened, but she couldn't fight it. She was safe with him. Her eyes slipped closed, feeling safe in his arms. The peace was all encompassing. She heard them enter a room, felt him manage the door, and lay her gently on the bed.

She relaxed against him as he laid down behind her. One arm across her waist, the other under her head. She could feel his heart beat. "It's okay Shad. I'm here."

Her form rippled, fluidly. Scales were replaced by skin, bones and muscle reshaped into a human form. The blanket around her became covering. The dreamer slept.

It changed suddenly. She was alone. The room smelled like him still, lightly of plums, but he was gone. He couldn't be gone. Where had he gone. he couldn't be gone. She rose, frantic to find him. He had to be here, he wouldn't leave her. The panic rose, rapidly becoming fear. Where was he" "Alex" Alex" Where'd you go' Alex?" With each repetition her fear rose.

A flash of light, a crack like thunder, and she was gone. Curled instead on the bed of room 13A.

The room around her melted for a second, and she saw a gravestone engraved with his name. She shook her head. "No...No...Alex, no." Her voice cracked. Part of her noticed that the boy was gone, not that it mattered. He was dead, he couldn't be. No. "No. Alex, Alex. Damn you, no. You wouldn't do that to me. No. You can't do that to me. I love you, you can't be dead. No."

By now she was crying, screaming his name. She was writhing, fighting. Screaming his name.

She was screaming his name, and struggling, against what, one couldn't be sure. The tears the tracked down her face didn't wake her, it was the desperation in her own voice, in the fact that she'd said all that out loud. Her voice echoed off the walls of the room. One last call before she woke, crying softly.

The dreamer was awake.