AN: Apologies to everyone who finds this chapter to be unsatisfactory. I could have developed each of these last five or six chapters into at least 12 if I had had the time, but I didn't. I edited this one a bit anyway because one of the carry-over characters had an unsatisfying background.

A personal apology to Romagen. I can't answer all of your questions.

Chapter 66: The Long Dream

From "The End Poem" for Herobrine.

"What did this player dream?"

"This player dreamed of sunlight and trees. Of fire and water. It dreamed it created. And it dreamed it destroyed. It dreamed it hunted, and was hunted. It dreamed of shelter. Sometimes, it dreamed of friendship, but more often it dreamed it was alone. It dreamed of a world beyond the one it knew, and it dreamed of love."

"A life beyond the game, what it had always wanted?"

"It worked, alone, to sculpt a true world it never knew."

"Will it never attain the highest level?"

"Maybe, someday, it will move into the long dream and be given that chance."

It was a simple thing: People did not like Herobrine and, as a rule, Herobrine did not like people. The one exception was Adam, who he liked quite a bit and who liked him well enough. So everyone besides Steve and Adam were eager to get as far away from Herobrine as they could.

They arranged a day to let everyone leave the facilities only a two days later. The sun was pounding on the ground. Herobrine was complaining about it, but he had his arm around Steve's waist anyway as long as they were in the shade. Steve was shivering a little despite the heat. He was going to be forced to see his mother again. He was probably going to have to go back to that house.

Herobrine leaned into him and kissed his temple. "You're okay," he said softly, "I'm right here for you."

"I love you," Steve said without looking at him.

He got no words in response, only another kiss where no one could see them, Herobrine's eyes closed behind the dark sunglasses he was wearing.

"We should go," Herobrine said, "the party is starting without us."

Steve got to his feet and helped Herobrine to his. They held hands to the corner of the building, gripping hard.

"Thanks for coming with me," Steve said.

"It's going to be hard not to yell at your Mother."

"We'll figure it out. As soon as I have the details ironed out with Ana and Janus, I'll get us a place of our own."

Herobrine was a little behind him. He didn't have to ask what the man was thinking. How long was it going to take to get a place of their own?

"We're pretty far from home," he said, "we might stay in a hotel tonight."

Herobrine made an approving noise. Then he paused, gazing across the plaza. He shot past Steve and sprinted across the open space in front of the building. No one paid him any mind.

Steve followed him more slowly, confused. He watched Herobrine slam into two men across the square from him, actually slam into them bodily. One of them caught Herobrine against his chest and returned the embrace. He didn't even stumble backwards. The other man was in the shadows of a building and didn't seem in a hurry to show himself.

Steve pulled up short, out in the sun. Herobrine was speaking rapidly to the two men, having been drawn into the shadows and partially out of view.

"This is bad," Steve said.

"Maybe," said a woman's voice from beside him. He turned and looked at her. She was shorter than he was by almost five inches with black hair and soft pale skin. She turned and looked back at him. Her eyes were large and liquid and blue like an ocean seen from above.

"Who are you?" Steve asked.

She smiled, "You can call me Siren." Her incisors were too long and pointed like the fangs of a snake. "No need to ask who you are, Steve."

He sighed, "That's good." He was still watching Herobrine and the two men in the shadows.

"Don't worry about them," Siren said, "they're not going to hurt him or you."

"I'm not worried about them," Steve looked around, "my mom should be around here somewhere, and I want Herobrine to be with me when I meet her."

She looked at him for a long time, then slung her arm around his shoulders, up on tip-toe to reach. "I like you," she said to him, "you're a sweetheart."

"I'm really not into-" he started.

"Neither am I," she assured him, and a look of such loss and pain came to her face that he thought she was going to cry. Her hand went to her throat, to the chain of a necklace there, "I had that burned out of me."

He swallowed hard.

Siren went back to her chipper attitude like nothing had happened, "Wanna know something else?"

"Sure," he was beginning to warm to her.

"Herobrine doesn't know I'm still alive," she said with a giggle, "any second now he's going to turn around and see me."

Herobrine turned around and started walking toward Steve, still talking to the two men behind him. He saw Siren and his mouth dropped open. He turned pale as he came forward.

"Steve," he said, "come here."

Steve glanced at Siren and then moved away from her and to him. "What?" he asked.

Herobrine leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Stay close to me. They don't want to take me with him, but they might decide you're a nice snack."

Steve was looking at the man he knew as Jack. He was the man who had been in the shadows.

Jack looked back at him from behind his own dark glasses, cocked his head to the side. "There you are," he said.

Steve nodded to him.

"Do you still have the token?" Jack asked.

"No," Steve said, "I gave it to Marshall. He needs it more than I do?"

"Who?"

Steve turned and pointed the man out. He was sitting against the wall of the compound looking down at the pendant he held in his hand. "Would you talk to him?"

"Of course," Jack walked past him and towards Marshall.

"Oh now you've given him a project," the other man sighed, pushing his long black hair out of his face, "we won't see him for months." The large shaggy dog trotted out of the shadows the men had been standing in and pressed its head against the man's leg. He scratched it idly behind the ears.

"Really?" Steve asked, half about the dog and half about Jack.

The man shrugged, "he likes doing that kind of thing. It makes him feel better."

"Speaking of which," Siren said, "What's your plan?"

Herobrine spoke up, "We're going with Steve's family."

She looked at him, disappointment showing on her face, "You sure? I can take you wherever you want to go."

"I didn't even know you were around," Herobrine said.

Siren looked at Steve then, playful, "He had a crush on me," she said.

Steve laughed, "Really?"

Herobrine was blushing. He was actually blushing.

"Oh ya," she said, "back when I was human and he was stuck in that game, Ben brought him out and by the end of the week he was just begging to get into bed with me."

"Stop it," Herobrine said, but it was a small voice.

Steve was laughing, but hearing this stung a little. He put his arm around Herobrine's waist and pulled him close. "That's so cute."

The man grumbled something about not taking him seriously. Steve gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"If you two are sure," Siren said, "we'll go. There are other things to be done."

Herobrine nodded.

She looked at Steve, then pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to him. "You ever need help," she said, "call that number. I'll be there in five seconds. Or, if you want, you can call that number and I'll take you anywhere in the world you want to go."

"Thank you," he said, meaning it.

"No problem," She turned and headed away into the shadows by the building. The man looked after her and sighed. He walked towards where Jack was speaking to Marshall, but he stopped beside Herobrine. "You take care of this one," he said, indicating Steve, "he's worth it."

Herobrine smiled and nodded. He knew that already.

Once he had walked away with the dog at his heels, Steve said, "I see her."

"Where?"

"Over there," he only gestured with his head.

Herobrine scanned the crown in that area, but couldn't pick the woman out. "Which one?"

"The small one with the flat hair and the frown."

Now he saw her, "How did she make you?" he said incredulously.

Steve scowled at him.

"Stevie," Herobrine said, "you are her polar opposite physically."

"I take after my father."

"Will I get to meet him, do you think?"

"No."

"Well you just met my family," Herobrine said, "I guess it's time for me to meet yours."

"They're your family?" Steve asked.

"Closest I've got." His voice changed, "Do not let Siren get so close to you. Jack and his friend are harmless for you, but she," he shuddered, "will give you one little nip with those fangs of hers and it will be over."

"Would she do that?"

"Without question," he leaned into Steve as they started walking towards the woman he had pointed out, "how public will I have to be before your mom freaks out and kicks us out of the house?"

"Just kiss my cheek," Steve said, "anything more and I might not be allowed to pack."

"Will you even fit in the clothes you have there?"

"I haven't been growing much since I turned 16," Steve said, "and that was almost six years ago now. I'll be able to salvage something."

"You know," Herobrine said, "I've been wondering. Steve is an irregular name for your sort of family. Shouldn't you be named Matthew or Luke or John?"

Steve sighed, "I was supposed to be named Eve."

Herobrine snorted.

"I know," Steve said, "but she," he indicated his mother, "was dead set on it, even when I turned out to be a boy. She filled out the birth certificate and everything."

"So what happened?"

"When she wasn't looking, my dad grabbed it and wrote in the letters S-T. Voila: Steve White."

Herobrine was grinning.

"What?" Steve asked.

"You hate apples."

He just stared for a second, "I'm going to take my sweet time packing."

"That's just mean," Herobrine protested. Steve could tell he wanted to sweep him into a hug, but he had asked Herobrine to refrain from public displays of affection and the man was keeping his word.

"You deserve it," he said.

"It needed to be said."

"No it didn't."

Softly, in his ear, "I love you."

Steve shivered, "Too close," he said.

Herobrine was thinking, "You know," he said, "we could get Siren to take us somewhere sunny for a week before we go back and get your stuff."

"We have no money."

"You have no money," Herobrine corrected, "I'm sure my family has something stashed away."

"No," Steve said flatly.

"Okay, just a suggestion."

"Here we go," Steve said as his mother saw them.

She hurried over, her hands coming up. "Steve!" she exclaimed, "you're okay, oh thank God."

He pulled away from her even before she touched him, a knee-jerk reaction that made Herobrine want to step between them. "Hello, Mother," he said in a tone the man had never heard before.

"What happened?" she asked, "we were told we couldn't go into the facility because we might make you all sick. How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Steve said.

Herobrine glanced at him. The man was tense already. He couldn't sit by for this, but he had to. He would kiss Steve until he was better later.

"You must have been so lonely," his mother was saying, "did you get my package?"

"I did. It was very thoughtful."

So that was where he had gotten the bible from. He had it in his bag right then. He hadn't so much as opened it.

"I just knew you would need it," she said, "being surrounded by all these-"

Herobrine stepped in as Steve's face started to shut down. "Mrs. White?" he said.

She looked up at him, then at her son, then back to the man wearing sunglasses. "Yes?" she said hesitantly.

"My name is Hero," he said, offering a hand for her to shake, "I'm Steve's friend."

She shook his hand, and he felt the bones and muscles in her hand, hard and unforgiving. "Pleased to meet you," she said.

Steve stepped in, the prepared story flowing from him easily, "Hero doesn't have any family," he said, "I said we could find space for him for a week or two, until we can find somewhere else to live."

It was a mistake, but she seemed to miss it. "Of course we can do that," she looked up at Herobrine, "you're welcome in our house until you can find somewhere else."

"Thank you," he said, thinking, "if only she knew, she'd be screaming at me to get away from her son."

"Steve!" A voice called out, and Clarence was suddenly there between them. He looked excited and happy. He had recovered well. "I just wanted to say goodbye," he said, "I know we're not on the best terms, but I'm really going to miss you."

"Of course, Clarence." Steve said stiffly, watching his mother over the man's shoulder, "I'll get in touch with you somehow, okay?"

Clarence picked up on the strange mood and stopped bouncing. He glanced at Herobrine, then turned and looked at the little woman in front of Steve. He had picked up enough from Adam to understand, and he wanted nothing to do with this. "Okay," he said to Steve, "I'll find you." and he darted away again fast.

The woman looked disgusted. She gave her son a long look. "You and I need to have a talk," she said.

Steve nodded a little, and Herobrine only just stopped himself from breaking up the conversation.

"Come on then," the woman said, "both of you." She cast a glance towards Herobrine, "I'll get you straightened out."

They both sat in the back of the car on the way home, holding hands where she could not see them, taking turns answering polite questions about the game. Every time his mother opened her mouth, Herobrine felt Steve's hand tighten in his. Halfway there, he made up his mind. They could not do this. It was toxic for Steve to so much as set foot in that house.

He leaned in close to Steve and whispered, "How long will it take for you to pack your stuff?"

Steve glanced at him, "Not long."

Herobrine sighed through his nose, "We should leave right after you do."

"Brine…" he said, and then, "Okay. I'll find some money for a hotel."

"I'll find us somewhere to stay," Herobrine said, "I'll need that phone number Siren gave you, but I can do it."

"What would I do without you," Steve sounded like a great weight had been lifted from him.

"You'd do the same thing," Herobrine said, "you'd just be doing it alone."

"Something to share?" Steve's mother asked from the front seat.

"We're just talking about Steve's job," Herobrine improvised.

"A job?" she asked.

"Yes," Steve said, "A doctor offered me a position as an intern. It's a once in a lifetime chance."

"That's great! Where is it?"

Steve took a breath, "Washington."

She glanced at him, "Well that won't work. You have to stay with us."

"I'd really like to take it," Steve said, Herobrine squeezing his hand, "it's a dream job."

"No means no, Steve. Don't argue."

He shut his mouth and looked down.

It was a long time later they got to the house. Steve didn't say another word for the whole drive. When he got out of the car, two kids that looked to be about fourteen came charging out of the house and gave him hugs, asking a million questions. Right from that moment, Herobrine could tell he adored them more than anything in the world. He would do anything for those two kids, but as they spoke, Steve was realizing they were gone, that there was no hope of him reaching them. Herobrine could see it in his posture and his face. Steve was losing it all right here and now. Then he looked back at Herobrine, still standing by the car, and he took a breath to strengthen himself.

"Thank goodness I didn't leave him to face all this alone," Herobrine thought, "this and losing me would have killed him."

Steve introduced him to the twins. Rudy was living with her husband in another state. She had not been able to come see him. They both seemed a little put off by his appearance, but nice enough.

Steve made some excuse and got both himself and Herobrine into his old room. Herobrine did not even have to look around to know that there was nothing of Steve in this room, that it was a space made for him by his mother. He didn't look.

"Okay," Steve said, "Call Siren. There's a landline down the hall. I'm going to put some stuff in a bag."

Herobrine called Siren. He didn't ask her for a pickup, only to tell him where the closest house was. She picked up on his mood and didn't even tease him, just told him to go three streets over and look for number 46. That was a safe house and she was pretty sure it was empty just then.

He thanked her and hung up.

Steve was just coming out of his room carrying a small suitcase. In the one glance Herobrine managed to get into the space again, he saw two bibles stacked one on top of the other on the bedside table.

"Mom," Steve said, "change of plan. I'm going to find a place to stay near here until I can get the job details straight."

She straightened up and looked at him, "Steve," she said, "don't be absurd. Your place is here."

"No," he said, "it's not."

Herobrine followed him into the kitchen and towards to the door to the house.

"Steve," his mother said, "don't disrespect me."

The man stopped. He shuddered once, started to turn back.

Herobrine put a hand on his back, "It's okay," he said, not bothering to lower his voice, "let's go."

Steve nodded.

"Are you encouraging my son to abandon us?" She asked.

Herobrine looked at her. "Stevie," he said, "are you ever going to come back here?"

Steve shook his head.

"You don't mind if I spill the beans then?"

"Not at all."

Herobrine spun him around effortlessly, his arms around Steve's waist, and kissed him right there in front of them all. He felt the human melt, felt him come alive at the contact. Steve made a little noise of pleasure into his mouth at the relief of stress.

All three of his present family members were staring in open horror.

"And that," Steve said, "is why I'm leaving." he sounded satisfied and not at all ashamed of himself, still nose-to-nose with Herobrine. He pulled back and tugged the man out of the door after him, fingers intertwined.

A scream of horror rose behind them, but they cut it off with the door between them.

Steve started laughing as they walked down the driveway to the road. "I didn't know it would feel that good," he said, "I can never go back, but I don't ever want to!"

Herobrine relaxed, "I can't believe them," he said sourly.

"You can disapprove of my family all you want," Steve assured him, "after we get to the new house. Knowing mom she'll try to run us down with the car."

Herobrine glanced back over his shoulder, then sighed and pulled off the sunglasses. The color and brightness made him squint for a minute, but that passed.

"Do you know where we're going?" Steve asked.

"Yes I do," Herobrine said, and then, much more suggestively, "You know what's great about these safe houses?"

"What?"

"They all have great big beds and private bathrooms."

Steve looked at him in silence for a minute, then said, "I'm not really in the mood for that anymore."

Herobrine shrugged, "Almost all of them also have fully stocked freezers and big televisions too. How we spend the night is up to us."

Steve squeezed his hand, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Herobrine said.

"Will you be happy working with Ana and Janus?" Steve asked.

"I think I will," Herobrine said, "it sounds like a lot of travelling."

"Travelling is good," Steve agreed, "it will be a lot less interesting than hiking through the woods, but much easier in the end."

"It might be hard to support two kids like that though."

Steve sighed, "I can't get them anyway, not after the stunt we just pulled. They'll never speak to me again."

"Maybe someday," Herobrine said.

"Maybe."

"Well," Herobrine asked, "did we kill the dragon?"

"We killed the one in my head at least," Steve said, "not that you can really kill a thing like her."

"No," Herobrine said, "but you can keep her unfed and small."

"Maybe I'll try that then."

"Steve," Herobrine said, "I love you, don't forget that."

"I love you too." Steve said, "and don't you forget it either."

"I won't."

Behind them in the Whites' house, the twins were looking at the two receding figures out of the window. They looked at each other, then back at their screaming mother, then back out the window.

"They look happy," The boy said finally.

"They do," The girl replied.

And they left it at that, each privately promising themselves they would get in touch with their brother again.

AN: Goodbye and goodnight readers. Maybe someday I'll pop up here again, but for now I've got other things to focus on.

Until then, message me if you want to talk and pop by my profile for more stuff to read if you're really bored.