Saucerful of Dreams:  A Sandman/DrWho Crossover
By Dominick J. Cericola (dcericola@hotmail.com)

EDITOR'S NOTE:  This story takes place between the ending of Marc
Platt's Lungbarrow and a handful of Time before the FOX TV-Movie, The
Enemy Within.  As far as Sandman continuity, this takes place several
months after the final story arc, "The Wake".

Prologue

     He stood before the window, gazing upon the land.  A light Thought
breezed through, rippling the folds of His ivory-hued robe.  A black
speck over the horizon,.  Closer..  It takes form.. A raven, an
intense look in his ebony eyes.
     The raven enters through the open window, to land on the sill before
Him.  The raven opened its beak and spoke.  "Now, Boss?"
     The Dream King just smiled, if it could be called such, for one of
the Endless weren't prone to such Mortal concerns as Emotions. "Now,
Matthew, now it Begins..."

     Time, it is said, is the greatest of Healers, gifted with the
ability to heal all Wounds.  That being the case, then why did The Doctor 
feel slightly uneasy at the idea of retrieving the ashes of his former 
Foe (whom he once considered Friend), The Master?  The Universe seemed
out of kilter, or did it?  Oh, he thought to himself, perhaps I'm just
being Paranoid.
     The Doctor stared, lost in thought, watching the Time Rotor rise 
and fall.  He felt restless, while at the same time more tired than he'd
ever felt.  Time had begun to catch up with him.  He was nearing the
end of his seventh Incarnation, the weight of it all resting upon his
shoulders.  He had seen and done so much - now it had caught up with
him.  "Time for a change," he muttered, as he set up his tea.  He
paused, in mid-thought, enchanted by the particularly enchanting
patterns the swirls of steam were creating.
     Ace... Benny.. Roz.. Chris..  Too many departures in far too short 
a span.  He rubbed his chest, a moment, a tingly feeling dancing about
in his hearts, as he remembered the hearts attack on Kibero, in the
midst of Roz's funeral... Remembering the anger he felt towards
himself at not being able to prevent Roz's death  -- She was always so
headstrong.. "Hmm. Not unlike myself, eh", he mused.
     It was all too much to deal with emotionally, even for a Time Lord.
They were never "Just Companions.."  They were the closest he had to
Family.  He sipped his tea (a pleasant little blend of vanilla and
almond he'd stumbled upon whilst in England, in the late 1980's,
dealing with Benny's father), trying to gain focus.
     Gods, he hadn't felt pangs this strong since Adric's passing.  He
paused in mid-thought.  Adric, he thought to himself.  Now, where ever
did that come from?
     On the table beside him, next to his cup, was his copy of H.G.
Wells' The Time Machine  -- a first editon no less, the pages still
remarkably creamy, showing no sign of wear, the leather cover smelling
as fresh as the day he received it  -- waiting to be picked up, right
where he left off.  He grabbed it, opening to where he had left off.
His eyes started to move across the page.  Slowly, his eyelids began
to droop, the next moment he had begun to drift off.
     "Wha--!" he exlaimed, sitting upright, very much awake, for the
moment at least.  What was with him?  Books unfinished?  Melanchony
memories?  Falling asleep without even realizing it?  He was a Time
Lord - Sleep was something he rarely ever needed, Sadness something he
tried to rise above!
     The Doctor got up, stretched a bit, even made a fresh cup of tea. He
then proceeded to rifle through his phonograph collection, settling on
a little Ella Fitzgerald for some background music. Carefully, he set
the needle down, the sweet, soulful sound beginning to pour forth from
the TARDIS speakers.  Nodding contentedly, he was about to sit back
down when a authorative Meow! issued from the seat.  "Wolsey!"  He
picked him up, setting him down on the floor, smiling.  Then, all
things considered, he sat down once again, to read, never once
suspecting that he would fall back asleep the moment he settled into
the chair.

                          *        *        *

     The Doctor awoke to find himself for what seemed, for all intents
and purposes, to be an  immense library.  He looked about.  The room
was literally a mass of shelves -- shelves which ran from floor to
ceiling, encompassing the entire room.  Every shelf was full to
capacity, not bulging just quite full, as well as neat and orderly,
almost to the point of being annoying.
     This calls for a closer inspection, The Doctor thought to himself as
he began to peruse one small section of the library.  "Why is it I
feel as if I've been here before?"
     A mewing from the vicinity of his feet drew The Doctor from his
reverie.  He looked down to find the grey and black-striped form of
his cat, Wolsey.  He picked him up, scratching him affectionately
behind his left ear, causing him to purr.  "Ah, funny thing, that...
Always wondered what Cats dreamt.."
     With Wolsey curled up in his arms, The Doctor walked about, taking
in the expansive library and its contents.  It really was quite an
extraordinary collection of works that never existed.  There was
Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures of Sherringford Holmes.  Further
along, Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood's Brother Eloysius,
and even an odd little piece by Charles Darwin titled simply, One
Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.  "Curiousier and curiousier,"
remarked The Doctor aloud.
     As if on cue, a tall, bespectacled man came out from behind a nearby
shelf. His dark frockcoat, high collar, and absense of hair about the
top of his head could have mistaken for a Man of the Cloth.  However,
he was far beyond the Presence of God (or Gods, for that matter).  He
had a fair-sized piles of books in his hands, balanced just so, right
up to his chin.  He looked down at The Doctor.  "I didn't hear anyone
come in.  Pardon my forwardness, but who are you?"
     "Yes, that's right."  The Doctor just grinned impishly, something
he'd done frequently in one of his earlier Incarnations.  It didn't
always help to get him out of scrapes, but it surely made it easier to
deal with the complicated Situations.  However, he doubted it was
going to help now.  He extended his hand, trying the more-reserved
approach. "Er..yes.. That was a joke of sorts.. You can call me The
Doctor."
     "Ah, yes, The Doctor.. The Master was expecting you."  It was his
turn to extend the hand. "And, I am Lucien, Librarian at the Master's
castle, here in the heart of The Dreaming."
     "The Dreaming.." The Doctor let the words roll of his tongue, the
nigglings at his Conscience become more pronounced. "Hmm... Now why
does that name seem even more familiar..?"
     Before Lucien could comment, a flapping of wings interrupted them. 
A raven, his deep blue eyes glistening, landed on a lectern beside The
Doctor.  In a remarkable turn of events, the raven spoke, directing
the conversation to Lucien.
     "Oh, good, you're hear... The Boss was looking for you..  He's off
in his Throne Room.."
      Lucien looked at the pile of books before, then sighing,
set them aside, on the lectern.  He removed his spectacles, polished
both lenses, then replaced them on his nose.  "Yes, well, then, I had
better go.  Matthew, can you stay here while I'm gone, and help The - "
      " - Doctor," said Matthew, finishing his sentence for
him.  Lucien stared at him a moment.  "The Boss mentioned him, before
I left.  He's what he wants to see you about."  Lucien departed,
shaking his head as he left.
     Matthew's task was easy, for no sooner had Lucien left, when The
Doctor began his perusal of the shelves.   He found an unpublished
Shakespeare manuscript, What Dream Is This?.  With Wolsey in his lap,
The Doctor found a nearby chair, which he promptly sat in, engrossed
in this tale involving a travelling Bard, a self-proclaimed Lord of
Dreams, a merry wench, and a displaced God.
     A quarter of the way through the manuscript, Matthew broke the
silence, his wings flapping.  "Er.. Look, Doc, not to be the second
being to blow you off, but well, I kinda promised Cain and Abel I'd
help them out with a little project.  Lucien shouldn't be much
longer."  He paused before the library's entranceway. "It was nice
meeting you..."
     It didn't take The Doctor much longer to finish What Dream Is This?.
As he turned the last page, closing the book, an unspoken sigh on his
lips, he felt curiosity get the better off him. He set Wolsey on the
chair, replace the book where he found it, then proceeded to go off
exploring the Castle.

     Many of the doors in the Castle were locked , others were without
any visible means of opening them.  So it was that The Doctor found
himself before yet another door, no different from the others.
Brilliant scrollwork adorned the oak surface, accented by a polished
brass doorknob.  No different from the multitude of doors he had run
up against.  Still, he'd seen and done far too much in his lifetime to
give up - He reached out and turned it.  CLICK!
     The door opened inward about an inch and half.  He paused, counted
to ten, and when nothing launched forth, lasers flaring, swords pointing,
or teeth gnashing, he stuck his head through the gap.
A wonderous site welcomed him:  a lush forest, its pine scent wafting
up his nose; the sky a subtle shade of blue; the sun just the right
brightness.
     The Doctor pulled back into the hallway.  He stood there a moment,
surprised to find.. a forest?? .. in the middle of a Castle in.. Where
was he at?  A name - The Dreaming - kept floating across his synapses.
 "Ah well.  It'll come to me in due time." He adjusted his hat, then
proceeded to walk through the doorway.  "Let's have a go at this
forest.."

                       *        *        *

     The Dream King sat motionless upon his throne, the only movement lay
within his Eyes.  To gaze upon them was to drown in a Sea of Stories,
Tales older than Time itself.  The Day's light passed through his
intricate stained glass windows, turned his ashen robe a great many
colors.
     The Throne Room was sparsely decorated.  Save for the throne,
reachable only by climbing the spiral staircase, and the locked chest
(what lay within a Story to be told another Time) beside the throne,
the room was empty.  The stained glass windows, handcrafted over Time
by gifted visitors to The Dreaming, were the final touch, setting this
room apart from any other in the Castle.
     The silence was broken.  The Dream King's reverie put aside as
Lucien entered, hands clasped behind his back.  He stood quietly, content 
to wait for the Master's acknowledgement. "Ah, Lucien, you're as prompt
and punctual as ever.  I require your opinion on some matters.."

                          *        *        *

     Time was always something he'd had a firm grip on in the past, yet
at this moment, The Doctor wasn't so sure of that.  He looked about,
trying to get his bearings.  He wasn't sure of how long he'd been
walking, but it felt like an hour.  In that time, he'd tripped once,
was hit in the head by a pine cone throwing squirrel, and in the end,
he'd managed to lose his way.
     "Still haven't changed, eh, Doctor?"  a voice off to his right
called.
     The Doctor turned, scarcely able to believe his eyes.  The young 
man before him, even down to the gold star (Wait!  Didn't I use that to
destroy the CyberLeader in my TARDIS?) pinned to the breast pocket of
his red and green tunic, was Adric!
     "Adric!"  exclaimed The Doctor, clasping Adric's hand in his own.
His mind was full of an infinite number of things he wanted to say,
but for the moment, a wordless handshake would suffice.
     They walked through the woods for a handful of moments, neither
saying a word, perhaps waiting for the other to start.
     Further along, a half-sized phoenix flew by, oblivious to them, other 
thoughts upon its fevered brain.  However, the phoenix wasn't the most
remarkable sight they were witness to.  What was unique was the oblong
table, complete with a red and white checked tablecloth, adorned with
a basket of fresh croissants, a jar of blackberry jam, a china teapot
(filled with Earl Grey) and two matching cups, a small bowl of
strawberries.
     Adric sat down first, while The Doctor played host, pouring the tea.
A sip of the tea, then he sat down.
     Another cloud of silence pervaded; this time, however, The Doctor
decided to dispell it, with words that had been pulling at the corners
of his subconscious for some time now.  "Adric, I'm sorry.."
     Adric, caught off-guard, cup in hand, turned to The Doctor, a sullen
smile on his face.  "Oh, Doctor, I forgave you long ago. You did what
you always do - You made the Impossible seem Possible, so the Universe
could breathe a little easier.."

     Time passed as the two of them exchanged tales and adventures.  The
sun had begun to set off in the distance, casting a rosy glow over the
land, just beginning to find its way into the forest.  As the light
edged closer, a figure could be seen, silhouetted against the forest's
edge.  The figure entered, too far away to determine gender, heading
towards The Doctor and Adric.
     The approaching figure, as it neared closer, was a woman.  It wasn't
her gender that caught The Doctor's attention.  It was absence of
color from her skin, giving her almost ghost-like feel to her flesh.
Once past her skin tone, or lack of, he was drawn to the silver ankh
dangling on a chain about her neck.  Everything else about her just
fell into place:  the long black hair, cascading just below her
shoulders, the black tank top, matching jeans and boots, and her own
token umbrella.
     "Death." The Doctor rose, out of respect, as well as recognition.
     "Time's Champion."  Death returned the acknowledgement.
     "I trust you liked the hat I sent you for your birthday?"
     Death grinned, mock curtseying.  "It was most kind.. Thank'e, sir."
     Now, it was The Doctor's turn to grin, followed some laughter from the
Heart, on which both Death and Adric joined in.
     A ringing bell, off in the distance, broke the merriment.  A wordless
exchange passed between Adric and Death, a subtle sadness hidden deep
within her eyes.
     Adric rose, turning toward The Doctor, hand extended.  "I'm sorry,
Doctor, but my Time is up.  I have to go."
     The Doctor grasped Adric's hand tightly. "Even for a Time Lord 
like me, there is never enough Time...ever."  He paused for moment,
adjusting his paisley tie, when in fact there wasn't any thing
altogether wrong with it.  "Well, as I once told someone else very
close to me, I do so hate goodbyes.. So, I'll just close my eyes for a
moment.."

     He opened his eyes, knowing that Adric would be gone, but still he 
had hoped otherwise.  Death remained, sitting in Adric's chair.  She was
picking, nibbling at a half of a croissant.
     Another silence settled, neither sure of what to say to break it.
Death stood up, her croissant finished, excepting a few crumbs left on
her saucer.
     "You know," she said, looking at The Doctor, reaching for just the
right phrase, "A 'Thank You' would be nice."
     The Doctor frowned slightly, yet his ever-present smile managed to
creep through.  Her comment seemed to pull him back. "Hmm.. Yes,
perhaps you're right.  Thank you, then, Death, for a most enjoyable
afternoon.  One which, I imagine, will be forever etched on my
Subconscious."  He rested his hands on the back of his chair.
     Death observed The Doctor for a moment.  She could see the scars 
Time had left on his Soul.  He'd done so much for this Universe - even
before he'd assumed the Role of Time's Champion.  She sighed, wishing
there were some way in which she could ease his Pain.

     The Doctor and Death walked away, the table and its setting beginning
to fade like the afternoon's light.  They walked in silence, neither
really felt the need to say anything, feeling it might spoil the
moment.  Instead they were content to take in the many sights and
sounds of the surrounding area of The Dreaming.
     It wasn't until they neared The Castle's gate that Death chose to
speak.  "You know, there's going to be difficulties this time - More
so than with any of your past Regenerations!"
     The Doctor frowned, then let the frown morph into a smile.  "Yes, 
I've surmised as much.. Little nigglings at the corners of my Mind.. 
Pangs of angst during Chris' and my time in Japan.." His eyes were all
twinkling, full of Stars.  "Dreams, even.." The R's rolled about on
his tongue.
     Now it was Death's turn to frown, something she very rarely, if 
ever, did.  "I just wish there were something I could do.. But, as you 
well know, there are certain unalterable Events in the Universe." She
stopped, the Castle's main entrance looming over them.  "Here we are
then.. The Dream King's castle.  My brother wishes to see you before
you leave."
     She held the door open for him, closing it behind her.  "Cheers.."
And, with that, she strolled off down the hall, the lyrics of an old
Alison Moyet song issuing from her lips.

     Dream stood beside his throne, gazing out the window, watching the 
sun set upon The Dreaming.  He'd done well - The land was beginning to
take shape again, seemingly better than before the Furies' assault
some time ago.  If The Endless were prone to emotions, he would have
chosen this moment to smile.  However, he didn't - instead, it was
that particular moment that The Doctor walked into the Throne Room.
     The Doctor bowed, smiling as he came up.  He looked about, then spoke.
"Ah.. I notice you've changed since last we met."
     Dream adopted a distant stare, his Mind remembering events that 
had transpired before all this, when he was still..Daniel.  "Changed?
Yes, as far as images as concerned.  However, for all intents and
purposes, I am still Dream."
     "Yes.. Yes.. Perhaps you are, then.. Now, your sister said that you
wished to see me.."
     Dream gestured toward the door.  "Come, walk my Castle with me, we'll
talk as I guide you back to the Library.."

     "We've both come to terms with much about ourselves of late, you 
and I."  The Doctor looked at Dream, unsure of his meaning.  "We've both
changed, recently.. In your case, you've had longer to adjust.. Still,
I have truly learned much from my time imprisoned in Burgess' cellar,
to my dealings with my other Siblings, to even come to terms with Life
and Death --- Mortality, if you will.."
     They turned a corner, one of many in their journey.  "Life is full 
of surprises and delights.. One of the things I've come to learn is that
no matter how far along we go, everyone's Lives will eventually
overlap, touching the Edge of their Souls, returning to their
Existence, but forever leaving their Mark."
     The Library stood before them, the door partially opening, inviting.
"What I had intended to say was a Change is coming for you.  My
brother Destiny knows all of it yet he can say no more than naught."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I know.. Your sister and I spoke of it on the
journey here.  It's long overdue.  My Body is tired.  Time's Champion
is a rather exhausting task."
     The Dream King opened the door further, motioning The Doctor in first.
"Our Time is nearly up.  I know not when we shall meet again, yet I know 
it will be as always a pleasure, Time Lord."
     Before departing, Dream did something wholly unexpected, even by 
the previous Dream:  he bowed.  The Doctor returned the bow, losing his
hat in the process.  He retrieved it, coming back up, Dream gone.  He
smiled, as the scene began to blur, the colors fading..

                           *        *        *

     The Doctor awoke to the sound of a ringing in his ears.  As his sense
began to refocus, he realized it wasn't a ringing - it was the sound
of the TARDIS landing.  Skaro.  He decided a sip of tea before the
trial wouldn't hurt, but upon reaching for his cup, discovered it had
become noticeably cold while he slept.  "Ah well.."
     He got up, grabbed his hat and his red-handled question mark umbrella,
and with one last look at the TARDIS' console room, went to see about
The Master's remains, a smile on his face.


  Part of Series of Overlapping Journies into The Land of The Dreaming