Echo of Dreams 2/4
by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com

    He watched the fire consume the log through the wire mesh of the fire
place. Wade sat beside him, as she had then, back when they'd been on that
world, with her head on his shoulder. They'd done this then too, started a
fire even though it had been summer time. Then, it had been a funeral pyre,
one that burned for an entire world, a world that itself would soon be
ablaze. But now, now it was for them, for the lost years, for the innocence
of sliding that was gone. And it was gone, too, the Kromaggs had taken it
from them... or rather, Quinn grimaced, his double had taken it from them.
The fire burned for them, for Quinn and Wade, for their families, a million
worlds away, huddled in caves, he was sure, fearing the encroachment of the
Kromaggs who were trying to force them out. It burned for his mother, for
Wade's parents, and her sister. It burned for Arturo, friend, second father,
confidant and advisor. And it burned for lost dreams, his dream. He glanced
down at Wade , watching the fire reflected on her skin and in her deep brown
eyes. Yes, it burned for the lost dream, the worst of all the casualties.
For him at least. 

    As if  she were able to sense his thoughts, Wade looked up at him.
"The Zealanders have freed our Earth," she told him with a smile, "Our
families, they're alive." He looked at her, his spirits rising.
"How do you now?" he asked. After all, she was really in a coma, even if he
thought he was touching the sleeve of her soft cotton shirt, even if he
thought he smelled a faint wisp of her perfume. She looked at him with wide
doe's eyes.
"Aleaha told me," Wade said, then explained, "Aleaha found me, when they
liberated 113. I was almost dead then. She brought me back, she's a
telepath... every Zealander is. That's why they're trying so hard to save
me, Aleaha tested me. I'm a 9th Sensitive, the highest type of telepath
there is," she smiled and looked down. She was never to proud of anything
she did, it was almost as if she were embarrassed by her accomplishments. It
was one of her more endearing qualities, "She's been communicating with
me... telepathy wise. It's just that my body has imprisoned my mind," she
stood suddenly, as if she were nervous. She paced for a second, then flopped
down on the couch. He turned towards her.

"I want to find you," he told her earnestly. Wade stood now, looking down at
him, like a doe caught in the headlights of a car. For a moment, her
illusion faltered, and he saw the faintest bruises and welts on her skin. He
knew why she'd fooled him, of course. She didn't  want him to see what
they'd done to her, the physical abuse they'd put her through in an attempt
to extract information. They were slight bruises of course... black and clue
around her wrist, raised welts  of her arms, and a few he could see on her
back. Then it was gone, the wounds vanishing like phantoms. He reached a
hand up and pulled her down next to him, "I'm sorry," he said, "It's my
fault. I didn't listen... I was too wrapped up in getting at Rickman and
getting home that... when the time came to save you I just.... It's my
fault," there, he'd said it. She looked at him with a sad smile.
"Oh, Quinn," she said softly, "It's not your fault, you're not responsible
for the Kromaggs, or Rickman. Sometimes things just get out of hand, that's
all," she wrapped her slender arms around him in a hug. They sat there like
that for sometime, he glad to be forgiven, and she just glad.

    "Care to dance?" she asked with  a smile. He returned her smile with one
of his own. Neither said anything, but their silence worked better than
their words.
"Sure," he said at last. Wade went over to the stereo and turned on the
radio. He recognized it immediately from the intro, it was the same song
they'd danced to that night. Being here was like living in his memories...
and yet everything was so sharp and clear. It made the other world seem
dull. He took her hand as the singer's voice began in low, mournful tones...

You love her,
But you love your life alone as well,
But do you know the road,
Or  the reasons why,
If you loose her,
You'll be loosing your chance to stay alive,
The candle burns,
And the candle dies.

    "Remember?" she asked. She smiled a lot more than he ever remembered her
doing... at least after the Professor died.
"Yes," he leaned in low to say that, whispering it in her ear. A giggle
escaped her lips and she pulled back, waving a taunting finger at him.
"Quinn Mallory," she said, "You might even be a priest of something." Barely
had she uttered those words when the mist of white began to engulf them, "Be
careful, Quinn..." her voice was suddenly very far away, "Don't do anything
stupid."

***

    "Hey, Q-ball," Remmy said from the bathroom, "What's it with you and
sleep lately... you seeing some one at night?" Quinn snickered, he knew
Remmy meant it as a joke, but his friend had hit the nail on the head, "Sort
of," he said, so softly that Remmy didn't hear it. It was suddenly very good
to snicker.
"What?" Colin asked.
"Nothing," he smiled to himself, "Nothing at all," and he went to get
dressed. Colin merely shook his head, his brother was a mystery.

    <Another slide, another world... another life time,> Quinn thought
ruefully. Maggie had already gotten herself in trouble with the authorities,
so Remmy had gone to post her bail. Apparently, women on this world were
considered property, and Maggie's outspoken and kick-ass nature had gotten
her in trouble almost instantly. So Quinn and Colin walked through the
market place, watching the brightly veiled women flit around like
butterflies. 
"Hey!" Colin laughed, pointing towards an alleyway, "I think I just saw your
double!" Quinn followed his brother's gaze, but saw nothing. He was about to
turn away when he noticed something... his double's hair was white. He
*knew* that double. The man disappeared down the alley, taunting him.
"Wait here," he instructed Colin, "I'll be right back." Colin nodded,
confused, but he made his way over to a fruit vendor and watched his brother
disappear. 

    "Hello!?" Quinn called down the alley. There was graffiti on the walls
of the old buildings, and dust stirring in the stale wind. This place
seemed... dead. 
"Got you, you bastard!" strong arms gripped around his back, and a knife was
pressed to his neck. He struggled, but it was no use... of course, "Couldn't
listen to me... could you?" his double demanded, "Oh, no. You couldn't
listen... you can't even kill. You're weak, Quinn Mallory, *weak*."
"Let go!" Quinn protested, struggling more.
"Hey! Stop!" Colin called out. Quinn's double turned his head to see Colin,
just as the younger man threw a punch. He missed, but the double let. But,
not before giving Quinn a sharp punch in the stomach. Quinn felt the
sickening crack that followed, and then the red pain. His vision blurred..
and he fell.

***

    The sun was bright and warm. He lay on a warm, smooth rock, his head in
Wade's lap. The cool of lake water touched his feet, and the smell of fresh
rain made him feel heady and light. He looked up at Wade, she was wearing an
old, over sized shirt of his. He recognized it as one he'd given her to
sleep in when he'd out grown it.
"What are we doing here?" he asked. Every other time, it had always been in
his double's home, on Meteor World.
"I don't know," Wade said, "I was back there and then I was here. It's nice,
where ever it is." 
"Am I dead?" he asked.
"No." she seemed sure of this, as she absently ran her hands through his
hair.

***

    Then they were in the alleyway, the air still stale and dead. Colin was
gone, and so was his double, and there was pain, blinding and red. Wade was
kneeling beside him, bandaging his ribs, her touch gentle and cautious.
"Where's Colin?" he asked.
["He went to get Remmy and Maggie," Wade told him, absorbed in her work. ]
"Is this real?" she nodded, "Can he see you?"
["No," she shook her head, "I'm surprised I can manipulate things this
far... it's hard."]
"Don't then," he told her.
["Don't be silly," she scolded, almost finished with the bandage.]
 Then the sound of footsteps were heard, and Wade's eyes showed fear.
["I have to go," she whispered, "I have the coordinates of the Zealander's
world. 113119. Be careful."]
"Wade..." he began, but she was gone.
"Hey, Mallory, you okay?" Maggie asked.
"I'm fine... we have to find... Wade," he coughed, and it hurt.
"He's delirious," Remmy shook his head.
"No!" Quinn exclaimed, so harshly that he frightened his friends.
"Look, Quinn, Wade's gone..." Maggie began.
"No she's not.. she was here! She helped me," he told them.
"Maybe you were seeing things," Colin suggested.
"Then how did my ribs get bandaged?" Quinn threw back. Well, none of them
had an answer to that.
["Of course."]