Let the Dream Begin (It's not as funny as you think)

"I'm telling you, Louis, the internet is a marvel of modern invention," Lestat declared, starring intently at his new toy. "Look at this, five different search engines, no loading times, even for plug-ins, and DVD capability! Where should I go first?"

Louis rolled his eyes behind Dicken's _Hard Times_. "I don't suppose you might look into the new opera house's schedule of upcoming events?"

Lestat stared at him in astonishment. "Really, darling, I can call for that any time. This requires something special! Something unique!"

"I'm surprised you haven't searched out any of those erotic bondage web-sites," Louis sighed.

"Later. Right now, I want something more interesting."

"More interesting? For crying out loud, Lestat, what're you going to search for?"

"Myself!"

Louis cocked his head in curiosity as Lestat entered his own name into the search engine and hit enter. "Lestat, really, what on earth do you think it will come up with? Perhaps a catalog of our books or that stupid movie, but--" He stopped talking as Lestat stared far too intently at the screen. His maker clicked on a link, and suddenly more links appeared on the screen. Lestat scanned them, then clicked on one. Instantly the screen filled with computerized text, which Lestat read eagerly.

"Lestat? What are you reading?" Louis was dying to know, but he did not want to seem too interested. He couldn't be bothered with the fact that the book was upside-down.

"Something called fan-fiction," Lestat whispered, scrolling down the page. "Oh my. Oh my." His eyes widened and he looked back at Louis, then returned to the screen. "Oh...my...oh, this is just too delicious!"

To hell with seeming disinterested. "Dammit, Lestat, what is it! What are you reading? What's so damn delicious?"

Lestat grinned wickedly. "Chere, you really don't want to hear this," he teased.

"Yes, I do, tell me!"

"All right, you asked for it." Lestat began to read from the text. "'Lestat lay his fledgling beneath him, easing his head back onto the pillow so that the dark hair fell around his face like a perfect halo. Louis' green eyes blazed out with uninhibited desire, silently begging to be conquered as his refined manners would never allow him to ask. Not that Lestat needed to be asked, Louis loved to be taken, and they both knew it'."

"WHAT?!"

"Just listen, darling, it gets better. 'Lestat favored his lover with gentle butterfly kisses about his eyes and cheeks, teasing the corners of his mouth in the domination game. Louis tried to reach up and embrace his lover, but Lestat could not allow that. The stronger vampire gripped Louis' slender wrists and pushed them up to the headboard, binding them down with soft rope. Now completely helpless, Louis could only buck and moan under Lestat's heated touch'."

Louis got up and stepped over to the computer. "Who wrote this trash?" he growled. "What is their name?"

"Um...I believe her name is Dream Duck."

"Dream Duck? What sort of name is that?" Louis pouted.

"I believe it is called a web-handle, dearest. Just in case one of us popped by and found out what our mortal fans are doing."

"Very wise of them," Louis growled. His eyes narrowed as he thought of something. "Lestat, how many of these 'fanfictions' are there?"

"About us?" Lestat shrugged. "There are hundreds on this web-site alone. But some of them have to do with the others of our coven, and not of all them are this good--I mean, lascivous. See, here is one with Marius and Mael, and here is one with Pandora and--my mother! Good grief, is nothing sacred?"

"Apparently not," Louis looked at the screen. "Some of these deal with my relationship with Claudia."

"There are a few where I actually have to kill David," Lestat gasped. "And some..." he started to laugh, "and some of these sweet mortals have actually figured out my newest fledgling lives with Marius!"

"Strange that so few write about Armand and Daniel's wedding," Louis mused.

"They don't know about it, chere, they weren't invited." Lestat smiled as he scrolled through the list. "Aren't they so precious, my fans? They love me so much they write stories about me." He found another story titled Louis de Lioncourt. He clicked on it and read a description of his marriage to Louis. Lestat bit his lip and glanced at Louis, who had moved to his chair to retrieve his book. He would love to see his Beautiful One in a grove of trees, dressed finely, flowers blooming around them, and two golden rings on their hands.

"I think it's awfully presumptuous of them," Louis sighed.

"I want to act one out," Lestat suddenly said.

"What?" Louis glanced down at him. "You're joking."

"No, I want to act one out. A sex fiction," he said quickly, not wanting Louis to think he was foolish. "And I want you to do it with me."

"Lestat, you know we can't do that."

"So? I want to do this, and you're not going to stop me. Let me just print one out..."

"Lestat, no, I mean it, no. We are not going to do this. It's a ridiculous idea at best, and besides, I'm far too weak, you would hurt me. Lestat, I said stop it, damn it! Lestat, are you listening to me at all? Lestat!"

"Oh, forget about the print-out, we'll just try the first one out, sans the rope." Lestat surprised Louis, grabbing him in his arms and pulling him to the bed. Louis struggled in vain. Lestat practically threw him onto the bed and roughly pulled off the ribbon holding Louis' hair back. "Or perhaps we can use the ribbon in place of the rope?" He leaned forward to start kissing his fledgling.

Suddenly there was a hot stinging sensation on his face, and he reeled back in shock. He put his hand up to his cheek and actually found not just a warm spot, but scratches and welts from Louis' fingernails. Lestat stared in shock as Louis slid across the bed to get away from him.

"You...slapped me," he whispered in disbelief.

"Damn you, Lestat, you child! You foolish child!" Louis darted to the door. "You were about to rape me! Why? Just so you could act out some stupid story?"

"Louis?" Lestat asked, watching him in wonder.

"I'm going to my room, and don't you dare follow me!" Louis disappeared.

"But chere, I didn't mean to...I only--!"

"Just leave me alone!" He slammed his door behind himself and locked it. There wasn't another sound from him for the rest of the night.

The house was deathly quiet for the longest time. Lestat sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. He had never meant anything bad, he just wanted...he only wanted... "I've never really kissed you," he said to no one. "You never let me hold you in public. I buy you books and I only get a few words of thanks. I buy you flowers and you never kiss me. You never hold me. You never..." He lowered his head, furiously wiping away the tears forming in his eyes. "You never wanted me. Rather read a damn book you've read a dozen times before than let me kiss you."

Lestat got up and went to his desk. He turned the computer off, then pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen, and began to write.

Louis woke up the next night, alone in an empty bed. For a moment, he wondered where Lestat was. He very rarely let the brat into his bed, but usually Lestat would break in and lay down beside him regardless. Then he remembered what had happened before.

"He's probably sulking in his room," he mumbled to himself. He rose, then remembered he'd left his book inside Lestat's bedroom. Louis sighed. He certainly did not want to go back, but he really wanted to finish that book, and all the bookstores would be closed by now, so he couldn't buy another one. "Oh, well, might as well get it over with."

He got up and walked down the hall to Lestat's room. To his surprise, the door was still open. He shrugged it away. "Lestat probably went out to his stupid clubs," he said to himself. He did not turn on the lights but instead went straight to Lestat's desk. He could see his book plainly on the top. As he reached for it, however, he spotted the note beside it. He picked it up and held it close.

Louis dropped the note in shock. As he staggered back, he noticed a dark shadow in the far corner. He flipped on the lights and found Lestat sitting perfectly still. His eyes had a distant stare in them, and he did not appear to breathe at all. In his hands he held Louis' ribbon.

His book long forgotten, Louis stepped closer to his maker. Lestat was a statue, there was no other way to describe it. He put his ear to Lestat's chest and found a faint, slow beat. His body was there, but his mind had truly left.

"Lestat? Lestat, can you hear me?" Louis gripped the brat's shoulders and tried to shake him, but he could not make him move an inch. It was as if Lestat was made of marble. "Lestat, don't do this, I'm sorry, please come back. Please? Lestat? Wake up, please?"

Nothing happened. Louis put his head on Lestat's shoulder and wept for a long time, mourning his lost love. Lestat had become like the old ones, gone to ground above the earth. Had he really believed I would burn the house down with him inside? He must have. Lestat, wake up!

"Help," Louis suddenly whispered. "I need help. David! Yes, and Marius, they can help me!" He ran to the telephone and dialed a quick number. "Hello, International Operator? I need to contact..." he paused to remember Marius' most recent alias, "Mr. Markus Romanof. He is in Italy, I believe. Rome. Oh, um, Louis de Pointe du Lac. Thank you, I'll wait." He breathed nervously as he waited, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Lestat, hoping he would move or blink at least.

"Louis, is that you?" Marius' voice crackled across the phone. "Seems we have a beastly connection--"

"Marius, I wish I had more time for pleasantries, but this is an emergency," Louis interrupted.

Across the world, Marius blinked. "It must be to make you even think of being impolite. What's Lestat done this time?"

"It's...I mean...Marius', he's turned into a statue! I tried to move him but he's like rock. He doesn't blink, he doesn't breathe--!"

"Calm down, Louis, calm down. You mean he's like Akasha was?"

Louis nodded, forgetting Marius couldn't see. "Yes, exactly. I don't know what to do, how to get him out of it!"

"Just calm down. David and I will be over as soon as we can. Louis?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure he isn't where the sun can hit him, but otherwise try not to go near him. When vampire's do this, they become highly unpredictable. Understand?"

"Yes, Marius. I'll be waiting here for you."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow night, probably. And don't panic." With that, he hung up.

Louis put the receiver down slowly. He looked back over at Lestat, then lay down on the bed to wait.

Marius and David arrived the next night and found the front door unlocked. They came in and went immediately upstairs, where they found Louis crying softly into a handkerchief and Lestat still in his trance. David quickly sat by Louis and pulled him into his arms.

"Hush, it's all right, you're not alone. Try to relax."

Louis nodded and dried his eyes. "I'm glad you're here. I had no idea what to do. I can't even tell what he's thinking."

Marius nodded, looking at Lestat. "And that's exactly what we'll have to do, to see if we can break him free. He has been through so much of late, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. Louis, do you feel up to entering Lestat's mind?"

Louis glanced up in startled awe. "Yes, but...that's impossible. I'm his fledgling."

"It can be done, with the proper conduit and magicks. But I have to know that you will not fall apart when you get inside his head."

Louis nodded. "I won't."

"Good, then we can start immediately. David, start drawing the circle. Louis, sit down in Lestat's lap."

They both complied. David took out a long piece of chalk and started creating a pentagram around Lestat. Louis sat down in Lestat's lap, putting his arms around him and laying his head on the rock shoulder.

"When we start, you will feel a strange tingling, and then everything will go dark," Marius was telling him. "But when you can see again, you should be in Lestat's dreams. Louis? Louis, are you listening?"

Louis nodded with closed eyes. "Oui, Marius. I hear you. How do I drag him back out again?"

Marius shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know. Only you can do that, I think. But be careful. It's a dream, but it's his dream. You can't die, but he can certainly be hurt."

Louis sighed. "I will not allow that. When will you start?"

"Right now." Marius took out his large book and opened it up. David stepped back to watch. "Qu en dox hace un, qu e amo hace vida, qu lo alma co sanger, hace de intelli ye oje."

Louis frowned in confusion. The incantation sounded vaguely like some foreign language, but before he could ask what it was, his skin felt cold and his eyes shut. For a moment, he felt as if he ceased to exist.

When he looked up again, he was still in the bedroom, but now he was alone in an empty chair. At first he thought something had worked and that everyone was downstairs waiting for him, but then he noticed that there was no bed in here. In fact, the entire room was different. Instead of being Lestat's study, it was now filled with bookshelves and literally thousands of old books. He reached up and brought one down, Paradise Lost, but found that there were only a few pieces of words on the pages. There was no poem inside, even the author was mismatched.

"This is Lestat's memory of the book," he whispered to himself. He put the book back, then walked out of the small library. The hallway was different, full of paintings he had told Lestat he wanted, but for some reason had never gotten. When he walked up to them, though, he noticed that the details were blurry, painted from memory. The rest of the house seemed that way, vague and unfinished, only complete if one didn't stop to examine it.

"Louis!"

Louis whirled around, eager to see his maker. Lestat seemed whole, standing on the first floor with his arms out. Before Louis could descend, though, someone else ran out from thin air to wrap his arms around the blonde vampire.

It was a perfect replica of Louis. His dress was that of the late eighteen hundreds, his hair was a touch longer and he smiled as if he was perfectly happy in Lestat's arms. A small paperback was in his coat pocket, and he had his diary with him. Lestat's dream Louis.

"Mon chere, I'm so happy to see you! I thought we would be late!"

Lestat grinned and whirled Louis about. "Never, my love. Come, we'll make it just in time for the opening curtain." Hand in hand, they headed out the door.

Louis, determined not to lose them, raced out a safe distance behind, although he had a feeling they couldn't see him. When he got outside, though, he stopped in astonishment.

Lestat's dream New Orleans consisted of only one nameless street. Lestat's house was in the center, with a front yard that was oddly off tilt, while the library and several bookstores lined the other side of the street. To the left was a park, and to the right Lestat and the fake Louis were heading toward what looked like an opulent theater house.

Louis ran after them, watching them disappear inside. He groaned, thinking he'd probably lose them in the crowd. When he stepped through the doors, though, he almost stepped over them. In Lestat's dream, the doors opened up into a balcony seat for two. Below them was an undefined crowd of gray heads and shadows. Louis stepped back a bit as the lights dimmed, and the stage was lit up.

The play was the oddest thing Louis had ever seen. A young man, looking extremely like a mortal Lestat, was trying to dance on stage, but he continually had to fight every other actor for the spotlight. Each one struck at him, but he kept trying until he fell down dead. Then the lights came back on.

"Such a sad tragedy," dreamLouis said winsomely. "Do you enjoy this, my love?"

Lestat sighed. "It is too depressing for me, darling. I much prefer the second act."

DreamLouis smiled. "Oh, you and your happy endings. Why must every story meet your approval with a happy ending?"

Lestat laughed. "Because they are so rare, love. True happy endings are practically extinct."

The lights abruptly went down again, and now the poor dancer suddenly got back up and danced much better than any of the other actors, who backed away from him. He held his hands out to one dancer in particular, but the other just turned around walked through a dark door, which Louis recognized as his bedroom door. Sobbing his eyes out, the Lestat look-alike was left alone on an empty stage. He pointed at the ceiling, and a spotlight fell on him. Catching on fire, his body burned away until his soul flew up and out of sight, escorted by a beautiful angel with jewels for eyes. Now the lights came up again.

DreamLouis smiled. "Lestat, why do you think that is a happy ending? He dies."

Lestat nodded. "And I can't. At least his misery ends."

DreamLouis' smile broadened. "Would you like me to end your misery?"

Lestat laughed with despair. "You can certainly try. It's more than most people do."

DreamLouis took Lestat's hands in his and led him back into the street, holding and hugging him as they walked. Louis winced as he realized that this was something he'd never let Lestat do with him, namely display his affection in public. Of course, out here there were no people on the streets. The dream couple ducked into a bookstore, and Louis followed.

The store seemed flat, but he couldn't tell why. He watched the dreamLouis wander around the shelves before pulling a book out and taking it to the counter. The clerk was not human, but a mannequin who rang the book up. Lestat smiled and paid for it, laughing as dreamLouis clutched it close.

"Oh, thank you, darling, I was worried they'd be out."

Lestat shook his head. "Never, chere. Nothing will disappoint you here, I promise. I'll make you happy, you'll see."

DreamLouis smiled shyly. "But I am already happy, Lestat. Just being with you makes me feel wonderful."

The real Louis watched enviously as Lestat kissed his creation. It wasn't fair. Lestat was his, he didn't belong to this figment of imagination. He frowned, wondering how he could get rid of the dreamLouis. The pair walked out of the bookstore back into the street. DreamLouis hung on Lestat like jewelry, laughing happily as they strolled through the park for awhile. Louis sighed explosively, kicking a stray pebble aside. How could Lestat create this totally dependent creature and call it Louis? Did he have that little respect for him? He growled at himself. He knew he was only angry he hadn't done that with Lestat.

Finally they were back inside the house. DreamLouis put his book down and immediately turned on the stereo.

"Louis?" Lestat asked curiously.

"I want to dance with you," dreamLouis smiled, "to take away your misery. Do you mind?"

"Never, my love, never. What song did you have in mind?"

DreamLouis grabbed Lestat's hand, prepared to follow his lead. "Something from Phantom of the Opera." Together they gently turned to the soft music, slowly dancing as they stared into eachother's eyes.

Louis watched enviously as they spun in soft swirls, wishing he was the one in Lestat's arms. He felt something wet on his cheek, and he furiously wiped away his tear. He'd pushed his love to this, it was his fault that Lestat had needed to run away.

Finally the slow dance finished, but they didn't part. Instead, Lestat hugged dreamLouis closer, stroking his hair, softly crying. Louis wanted to reach out and wipe Lestat's tears away, but dreamLouis acted faster. He kissed away Lestat's tears, turning him to the stairs and leading him up.

"It's all right, mon amor," he kept saying, "let's just get you to bed. You need to rest."

"Oui, you are always right. I just need to sleep. I just need...just need..."

"Sleep," dreamLouis nodded.

"...Louis," Lestat finished. "So miserable."

Louis couldn't help himself. Lestat was his, damn it! He ran forward and tried to grab his double. Instead, because he was not really part of Lestat's dream, his hand passed harmlessly through him. The unexpected suddenly happened, then.

DreamLouis turned around and snarled menacingly at him. He left Lestat crying on the stairs and turned to face Louis, hands curled into claws and fangs bared. Since he was the only thing Lestat was focusing on, dreamLouis was the most clear thing in this dream. Louis backed away quickly, terrified of this monster. To see that beautiful face turned so cruel and hateful...

Oh no, Louis realized. That's what I looked like when I yelled at him. That's why he looks so real. Lestat remembers it so vividly...

"You dare come here?" dreamLouis growled. "You killed him in life, must you now destroy his dreams?"

"No, I'm here to bring him back," Louis argued, ducking behind a couch. "To wake him up."

"So you can slap him again?" dreamLouis laughed bitterly. "So you can call him names and tell him not to speak to you? You're part of the dream now, I can hurt you if I want." It darted toward him, reaching forward to bite.

Louis tried to back up, but he fell over a footstool. As he toppled, though, dreamLouis overshot him and tripped onto the coffee table. Wood splinted out in huge chunks. Louis grabbed one piece, then knelt and stabbed it into dreamLouis' back. The body disappeared to dust without any sound.

"Louis! Louis, no!" Lestat suddenly looked up and stared in abject horror. He flew down the steps and sat by the overturned furniture, not seeing his fledgling. "No...too fragile...come back, chere..."

"Lestat! Lestat, look at me!" Louis shook Lestat a bit to get his attention. "It's me, Louis, your Louis! Don't you recognize me?"

Lestat stared at him in silence, tears streaming down his cheeks. He shook his head mutely, not believing, and reached out his hand to touch Louis' face. When he connected and was forced to realize Louis was actually, he drew away and screamed. Windows shattered in the house as everything began to disintegrate. The walls of the house sank into darkness, and Louis could see the street fade into nothingness. The world was falling to pieces as the dream died.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I'll leave," Lestat howled. "I'll go away, I won't hurt you. I'm sorry!"

"Lestat, stop crying and listen to me--!"

"Why?" Lestat looked up angrily at him. "Everything I do is bad! Better I just leave, I can never make you happy!" His body began to turn translucent and fuzzy, leaving Louis with a faint grip.

Louis, he is retreating too far back! Mairus suddenly screamed into his head. He'll never awaken if he goes too far! You must bring him back now!

Louis started to panic. "Lestat, don't leave me, please don't leave me! I'll never survive if you go away! I need you, Lestat, I need you beside me forever!"

Lestat stared at him in confused surprise. "No...that can't be true...you said I was a foolish child...you slapped me..."

"I was wrong, Lestat, I was wrong and cruel. I've been so cruel to you for such a long time, but I swear I'll never do that again, ever! Please stay with me, I love you!"

Lestat's fading stopped, but he wasn't becoming solid again, either. "You never kiss me in the street. You never let me hold you. How can you love me?"

"I do, I do, I've just been too scared to show you!"

Lestat shook his head sadly. "No. You don't want me. I am only your maker. You only stay out of courtesy." He resumed his fade out.

Louis was becoming frantic. He shut his eyes in terror, and his tears flowed out. "Non, I love you, but I've just never shown it."

"Why not? Two hundred years and you never show it? Am I so terrible to love?"

"No..." Louis slumped forward in surrender. He'd hidden it for so long, now he had no choice but to admit it. "I'm terrified of showing love, Lestat. I loved Claudia and I lost her. I loved my brother and I lost him. So many friends while you were asleep, and they are all gone now. I wanted so much to love you, but you might have laughed at me...and then David...and the queen...the devil. Oh God, each time I thought I would lose you all over again, and I am too frightened to show you I love you." He stared at his companion. Lestat was almost gone now. He covered his face with his hands and groaned.

"And now you are disappearing, and I will be all alone again. I am losing you and it's all my fault. Lestat, I love you, I love you, I'm sorry I've never shown it to you, but I was certain you'd ridicule me, and then I would know you thought I was foolish. That would crush me, I was too cowardly to try. Better not to know, to live near you even if I couldn't let myself hold you. And now...I've told you, and I still have to see you leave me."

As he cried, he felt two strong, solid hands hold his shoulders and pull him into a tight embrace. Louis opened his eyes and gazed up at Lestat's, who smiled ever so slightly. He relaxed and lay his head on Lestat's shoulder, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"You came back to me..." he whispered.

Lestat stroked his hair. "I could say the same to you. Do you truly love me?"

Louis nodded. "Yes. I love you. I need you. When I saw you with that dreamed up version of me, I felt so jealous...I haven't felt that since...since...ever. Is that what you mean when you say I am yours, that I belong to you?"

Lestat's smile broadened. "Yes. Silver chains of love bind both ways, love. We belong to each other."

Louis sighed. "I am so much the plantation owner. I only knew one type of slavery, one based on mutual fear."

"Believe me, Louis, one of mutual love is pure heaven."

"I'll give that heaven to you," Louis promised. He looked around himself, noticing at last the vast darkness that surrounded both of them, and abruptly clutched Lestat tight. "Lestat, we're falling!"

Lestat chuckled. "No, chere. I simply do not need that shallow dream anymore. Are you ready to wake up?" Louis nodded.

Just hold still, you two, Marius chimed in. I'll have you out of there in a moment.

The shadowy void twisted around them, as if they were caught in a black tornado, and for a brief moment Louis felt Lestat pulled out of his arms, leaving him bereft. He panicked, thinking he had lost him again, but then his eyes opened and he found himself back in the bedroom, on Lestat's lap. He gasped in relief and flung himself around his lover, relishing the sensation as Lestat reciprocated.

"Shh, it's all right. Calm down, it's all right." Lestat tried to soothe his fledgling, who was beginning to cry uncontrollably. "We're home, back in one piece."

"Oh, I was so scared, Lestat, I thought I would lose you again!" Louis burrowed his face farther into Lestat's hair.

Marius and David smiled at eachother knowingly. Lestat, Marius laughed quietly, David and I shall be going now. We have our own...business...to take care of.

Lestat nodded. Thank you, Marius. This would have ended badly if you had not come. We owe you much.

Marius waved him off lightly. Never. Watching over you two makes eternity interesting. Now, if you'll excuse us, dawn will be here soon.

Lestat watched them walk away, Marius supporting David, who was struggling to stay awake. He grinned, adjusted his grip on his own lover and stood up, lifting him into his arms. "Come, darling, it's been a long, difficult night for the both of us." He carried him to his bed and lay him down, about to undress him, but he held back.

Louis looked at him in confusion, then shook his head with a smile. "It's all right, my love. Tonight we sleep in one bed."

Lestat bit his lower lip in agitation. "But what about tomorrow? I'll make you angry somehow, and you'll leave me--"

Louis laughed. "Not again. Not ever again. Tomorrow, Lestat? Tomorrow we will wake up, but we will not leave the bed, except to feed, and then we will dance to the Music of the Night."

Lestat smiled in disbelief. He continued to undress Louis, then discarded his own clothes and lay next to him. He cradled the weaker body in his arms, cuddling Louis to him. "You truly do make my songs take flight, chere."

"Lestat, you are my dream, only just beginning."