Chapter One

Have you got anything with a happy ending? * - Death

Kevin sat next to the bed, Brian's hand clasped tightly in his. "You're going to pull through this, I know you are," he whispered, hoping the words would help reassure himself as well. His cousin looked horrible, his skin as white as the sheet he was lying on, his body hooked up to more machines and needles than imaginable. The operation hadn't been as simple as everyone had thought it would be, the doctors had found another hole in his heart, and nearly lost him on the table. Now all they could do is wait… "Please God, let Brian be ok." He cried, not caring if the nurses outside the room heard his plea. Maybe God would hear him if he asked loud enough.

"I don't think He's gonna answer." A clear, bright voice replied, followed by a quick giggle. "But I'm sure He's flattered you're asking just the same."

Kevin spun around to find himself facing the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her skin was a pale white, her eyes black as a moonless night, with a black circle spiraling off one eye. Her hair, a matching shade of black, fell loose around her shoulders, not quite covering the large silver ankh that hung around her neck, and she was dressed in a pair of black leather pants, and a black tank top. Not exactly the usual attire for hospital employees…not that she looked much like your average hospital employee anyway…how had she gotten in here, security was tight as hell outside. "Who are you?" He stammered, not knowing what else to say.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him and giggled again, looking past him to Brian on the bed. She skipped over to him and bent down, examining his face with her nose pressed to his. "Hrm."

Kevin watched in astonishment, not sure why he wasn't screaming for the bodyguard in the hallway to run in and throw this girl out. Something was stopping him….something telling him she was supposed to be here. She HAD to be here.

"You really don't know who I am?" She stood up straight and turned around to face Kevin again, an amused expression on her face.

"No. And what are you doing to Brian?" He asked, his eyes widening when he saw a pink color begin to return to Brian's skin.

She shook her head slowly. "It's not his time."

"Did you just heal him?" Kevin couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth, but there was something very…supernatural about this woman.

She laughed, a musical belly laugh that made his heart soar. "Sorry cutie, I don't heal. I just give and take." She turned to leave, flicking her hair over her shoulder with a flourish. "Make sure he knows how close he came to leaving with me, would you?"

Kevin's mouth dropped open. "But, wait, will I ever see you again?"

"Oh, you will," she winked at him. "Everyone sees me at least twice." And with a skip, she was gone, the door closing behind her.

"Kevin?"

Kevin turned around to find Brian wide awake and reaching for him. "Cuz, how you doing?"

"Did I hear you talking to someone?" Brian asked, still fuzzy from the surgery, but sure he'd heard something.

"No, nothing." Kevin reassured him. "It's good to see you awake."

"I touched Death, Kev," Brian whispered, his eyes wide.

"You're here now, Brian."

"I touched her, and I lived."

* Neil Gaiman, Brief Lives

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All fire burns, little baby, you'll learn.*

Over the years, Kevin would tell himself that he'd fallen asleep sitting next to Brian's bed, and had dreamt up the beautiful woman with the white skin and black hair. He'd asked Brian once about the "I touched her" he'd said after waking up, but he had no idea what he was talking about, and denied hearing voices entirely. Kevin could only think of one possible explanation for the woman he'd met in that hospital room, and he was happier just imagining the whole thing was a dream.

"Kevin?" Nick poked his head in the room. "Got a sec?"

"Sure, what's up?" Kevin waved Nick in, always glad to talk to him.

Nick shuffled over to the couch and sat down next to Kevin, turning a pair of puffy red eyes to him. "Remind me again why I bother dating?"

"Girlfriend problems?"

"No more girlfriend."

"Ah, Nick, I'm sorry," Kevin hugged Nick tight. The younger man had never had any luck in relationships, and had come crying to him more times than he could count with the same problems. He just didn't know how to pick women. "There's always someone else."

Nick groaned. "There are too many someone else's. I just want to find that right someone, like you did."

"It took me a long time to find her, Nick."

"I'm sick of looking!" He replied in frustration. "Every single fucking time this happens, I swear off dating so it won't happen again. Someone convinces me otherwise and I go out again, then this happens again."

"That's the cycle, Nick, when it stops, it stops for good." Kevin said.

"I want it to stop NOW."

"You're too young to be so impatient, Nick."

Nick rolled his eyes and glared at Kevin. "Is there anything I’m NOT too young for, oh wise one?"

"Nick.."

"Forget it, I shouldn't have come." Nick quickly left without another look back, slamming the door behind him.

Kevin sighed heavily, wishing he could have handled that better. He loved talking to Nick, loved trying to help him. But lately, everything he said to him was the wrong thing…and he didn't know what he could do to make it right.

His worries weighing heavily on his mind, he got out of his clothes and slid under the covers, hoping sleep would overtake him quickly.

* Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere

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Will Shakespeare: Life is no play. We meet people once, and never see them again.
There is no shape to events, no point at which we turn to the audience for phrase.
No time at which we step behind the stage, to see the actors changing
their wigs, and painting their faces, and muttering their lines.

Kevin looked around in surprise. What the fuck was he doing in Nick's house? But nothing was right….there were video game characters coming out of the wall, and Nick's mother was imprinted on a side panel, somehow. And where was Nick? He took a cautious step, his eyes turning downward when he heard splashing. The floor had almost two feet of water covering it, everything was soaked. "Nick's going to get electrocuted." He said in horror, making his way out of the room. "Nick?" He shouted, moving from room to room, trying to figure out the layout of Nick's house.

Nothing seemed like it was where it was supposed to be…everything was wrong.

"There you are," he smiled, spying Nick splashing around in the pool outside.

"Don't go out there," a stern voice warned him, making him freeze in his tracks.

Kevin whirled around with a splash to face the man who'd spoken. "Why not?" His eyes widened as he took in the figure before him, with black hair and white skin matching the woman he'd met years ago.

"You're not supposed to be here." The man gestured to their surroundings. "This is Nickolas'. Your emotions pulled you here, but you should not be here. He must work through this alone, you cannot help him this time."

"His house?" Kevin couldn't help but notice the man was completely dry, even his dark cloak, which he could see clearly in the water, looked fresh and dry. How was that possible?

The man shook his head again. "His Dream."

"His Dream." Kevin repeated disbelivingly. "I think I'm going to walk outside right now, and go home, thanks." And with that, Kevin walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped into….

…one of the biggest castles he'd ever seen in his life. He was standing in the Throne Room, and the man he'd met in Nick's house was now seated in the large chair at one end of the room. "What the fuck?" He gasped, turning around to look at the art and antiques in the room. "Where the hell am I?"

"This is the Heart of the Dreaming," the man said in a booming voice, his arms waving to the castle. "This is the center of my realm, the Realm of Dream."

"Your realm?" Kevin shook his head. "This can't be real, I'm dreaming."

"Yes, you are. But I assure you, this is real."

"How can a dream be real?"

"Dreams are real."

"Dreams are real." Kevin said in astonishment.

"Have you not yourself seen dreams come true?" The man asked.

"Well, yes," Kevin's brow furrowed as he tried to understand. The Backstreet Boys had been a dream, and that had become real. "But that's different.."

"There is no difference."

"Who are you?" Kevin asked harshly. He'd had it with this, and now he wanted answers.

"I am known by many names." The man stood up and slowly walked towards Kevin, his figure growing more menacing by each closing inch. "Most choose to call me Dream, or Morpheus."

"Dream."

"Yes. I am Dream, of the Endless. I maintain order in my Realm."

"Dreams. A physical location, a Realm."

"Not quite physical in the sense you mean, but essentially, yes. You visit my Realm when you sleep."

Kevin sat down on the floor heavily, staring up at the man. Dream. Morpheus. Whatever the fuck he was. "I met someone else who looked like you."

"You have met my sister." Dream looked Kevin over curiously. "Not many can say they have done that and lived. You must be remarkable."

"She was looking at my cousin."

"And he lived as well?"

"Yes."

Dream nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded Kevin. "Both of you saw her?"

"She touched Brian."

"And he lives…" he said in a thoughtful tone. "My sister is prone to flights of fancy. I am not."

"Who is your sister?"

"You do not know?" Dream asked.

Kevin stood back up, amazed to find he still had to strain his neck to look up at the man. "How would I know? She wouldn't tell me."

"My sister is Death." Dream pointed to a group of hangings on the wall. "I believe you did already know that, although you did not want to face what you knew. A common mortal weakness. Those are my siblings, and their sigil's."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"I have seven siblings."

"And you each have your own Realm?"

"Yes."

"What are they?"

"Boss, what are you doing?" A black raven flew into the room and landed on Dream's shoulder, chattering away. "I was out with Luc and we ran into Cane and Abel, they're at it again, we could really use your help, you know." The bird spotted Kevin and flew around in a circle. "Hey, who's this? No relation? Cuz Boss, you two could be brothers. But you only got one missing brother, right?"

"Not now, Matthew." Dream waved his hand and raven flew off, still talking a mile an minute. "Please forgive the intrusion, Matthew gets easily excited."

Kevin shrugged. A talking raven. Nothing was going to shock him now. What was next, the headless horseman?

"To answer your question, I am Dream, and you've met my sister. My other siblings are Desire, Despair, Destruction, Delirium, and Destiny. I believe you've met a few of them as well, although not in as true a form as myself and my sister."

"Your sister said everyone meets her twice."

"Yes."

Kevin examined her sigil closely, staring at the intricate tapestry. "I get that you meet her when you die, but when's the second time?"

"When you die is the second time. Life can only come from Death, can it not? You knew her when you met her because you'd seen her before."

"Oh." Kevin let the words sink in. Life comes from Death….she'd been standing over Brian…

"I must send you on your way," Dream wrapped his dark cloak around his body, getting lost in the heavy fabric. "However, I will give you the option of remembering this dream, seeing as it is your second encounter with one of us. Think this decision over carefully, as the knowledge you have gained tonight is significant. I have told you all I can of us, and there are questions you have that I cannot answer, that will remain with you if you remember these events."

Kevin looked at Dream carefully and knew what his decision had to be. He couldn't keep going on blind, not knowing what was out there, could he? "I want to remember."

"Then you shall." Dream waved his hand and smiled slightly, the first time he'd done anything even close to it. "Wake up."

* Neil Gaiman, The Wake

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