A/N: I actually watched A Beautiful Mind while writing the last half this which stars Jennifer Connelly as an adult, and is about John Nash, who did reportedly see people who were not there. Also, I was on the last two episodes of In Treatment, which I feel helped me write Paul with some accuracy.
Sarah - Friday 10:00 am
The door opened to reveal Sarah Williams. Her green eyes appeared full of frustration and worry. Her long, dark hair was lank with unwashing.
"Hello Sarah," Dr. Paul Weston greeted, "on the phone you mentioned that you were seeing people-"
"One person, Dr. Weston," Sarah corrected dropped herself on the couch unceremoniously, "just one person," she repeated.
"I understand that you went through a traumatic experience, a sort of a trial?"
"I summoned The Goblin King several years ago in a desperate moment of frustration to take away my brother, which he did, if I went ahead and completed his labyrinth, which I did. I won. There were a few setbacks along the way, but I've made some amazing friends, too. Anyways, I won. I am the winner. I have no idea why he's turning up now. Sarah completed her tale in a rush, complete with the unanswered question."
"But Sarah, he's not real." Paul's Irish brogue was subdued, but it was there. His brilliant blue eyes were accusatory. Sarah couldn't believe what she was hearing, but maybe she could-this was conventional therapy after all.
Suddenly, in a *poof* of silvery glitter he was there.
"Hello Sarah, " he crooned. His slightly nasal tones were reminiscent of her childhood.
"Jareth. It figures you would show up here." Sarah rolled her eyes.
To Paul she addressed, "Can you really not see him all pomp and glittery?"
By now Jareth had made himself cozy on the couch beside her and was inching closer.
"No Sarah, I can't." Paul confessed.
His look was impassive, but Sarah got the sense that he was judging her. She couldn't be certain. He just sat there in his brown, leather chair, legs crossed.
"Sarah, why are we here? This chap is rather dull." Jareth commented from where he sat beside her. He rested a hand on her knee which she slapped away with irritation.
"Don't touch me," she murmured to him.
"Sarah? Is this person, this Jareth, speaking to you now?" Paul's look was one of concern He clasped his hands in front o him and rested them on his knee. Sarah nodded not wanted to invoke another verbal response from Jareth.
"Did he say why he's come to visit you?"
"Well, I never thought to ask."
"Perhaps if you can do that he might leave you alone, Did you think of that?" Sarah thought of everything. Jareth just wanted to torture her. When he didn't get a response, Paul probed further.
"Is there anything going on at home? How is your relationship with your father?"
"It's fine. I really, I just really think that since I won, that Jareth is being a sore loser that's all." Sarah glared angrily at the offender.
"That's quite a theory." Paul said. "Did you stop to consider that at that time of stress you made the whole adventure up to deal with the situation at hand? Or that Jareth may be a figment of your imagination?"
"Hmph! I am no one's figment!" Jareth huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, hunkering down like a small child.
Suddenly, he got up and snapped his fingers in Paul's face. Paul Weston continued to sit passively in the brown, leather seat. He stood behind the chair.
"Ask him if he can see me." He demanded petulantly crossing arms over his chest once more.
"What?" Sarah was incredulous. "I am not going to ask him if he can see you, now sit back down if you are staying. We are not in the Underground you are in my world now." Sarah was starting to get agitated now. There was a look once more of consternation on Paul's face. Silently, he fiddled with his glasses.
"Sarah, I'd like to prescribe a small sample of medication to help with 'Jareth'." Paul used quotation marks to indication that Jareth was a theoretical being, still holding on to his glasses frames with his one pinky finger.
"Um, Paul, I honestly don't think that's going to work. If Jareth is a figment of my imagination, he'll just return once the drugs wear off. . . won't he?"Sarah didn't want to take medication, just confirm if she was crazy or not, that was it.
"Well, let's ask him what he wants then."
"I would like Sarah to return with me to the Underground. I'm quite bored and she is quite lovely."
"I am not returning with you to the Underground!" Sarah protested. "There is nothing for me to do there." She muttered. Both Paul Weston and Jareth, King of the Goblins arched an eyebrow at the same time. Jareth, more to say "Oh really, I think I can find things for us to do," and Paul Weston merely in a more unbelieving manor.
"Dr. Weston-"
"Paul, please, I insist." Dr. Weston corrected.
"Paul, I'm honestly not sure why I came. Maybe I wanted to ensure that I wasn't insane, but now I'm thinking this was a mistake. I don't think conventional therapy is going to help me today or ever. Thank you very much for your time."
"Are you sure, Sarah? You seem rather harassed"
"Oh you have no idea."
"I do not harass." Jareth protested.
Paul tried another tack. "Sarah, what were the last 'words' Jareth said to you before all of this began?" Paul waved a hand back and forth to indicate the situation at hand.
"His final words were 'fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.'" Sarah intoned.
"And do you fear him, do you love him? Perhaps he is looking for assurance of some kind." Paul seemed a little unsure, but decided to treat this as an impromptu couple's therapy, finally.
"Well, I don't fear him as much. If he were real, I'm sure I would probably forgive him for the childish stunt and we could work something out. I do think about that time often."
"Do you Sarah, think of me?" Jareth asked. He sat back down on the couch, facing her.
"Yes, Jareth, I think of you a lot. I still have nightmares, dreams, daydreams that feature romantic interludes. . ." Sarah trailed off. "I guess, I just never felt anything like it before or since, I don't know. I've met some guys, there was never any there there. Jareth, what do you want?" She supposed now was as good a time to ask as any.
"I want to be where you are, Sarah, and I can come here, so I do. Why will not you come with me and bask in my royal presence?" Jareth queried.
"Goblins, Jareth, you are King of Goblins"
"They can be easily trained." He scoffed. "They do all the 'housework'; you won't have to lift a finger."
"Jareth, there are modern conveniences I can't do without here."
Dr. Paul Weston just watched Sarah and listened to the one half of the conversation he could hear. She seemed to be working things out with this 'Jareth'. She reminded him very much of Laura. She was very beautiful in a young sort of way. Still he listened.
"I will make it so you won't have time to miss your 'modern' conveniences. I will love you and be your slave." Sarah just paused.
"Jareth, I don't love you yet, but if you give me time, maybe I could. Maybe I could just forget everyone and everything I know, maybe. But maybe not."
"You can come back anytime you like to visit. I will take you personally. Besides, you humans are all destroying yourselves, and this 'Aboveworld'. I will be doing you a favor. I am your savoir." He was starting to make sense, oddly, Sarah was beginning to see reason.
"Savior?" Sarah thought about it.
She guessed in a weird way, he was. She was in a crappy dead end job; she really didn't want to be in anymore, most of her relationships ended in crap. Toby, the reason she had met Jareth in the first place. Well, she could come back and visit whenever she wanted couldn't she?
"Ok, I'll do it!" She decided and smiled. Sarah turned to Paul Weston and said with certainty, "Thank you Dr. Weston, I think I have the hang of this now!" Sarah Exclaimed. She was going to quit work and go Underground with Jareth, and leave this world behind.
Paul seemed a bit confused and warned "Sarah, are you sure you know what's going on? You're sure you want to do this?" Paul was very familiar with regret, he wanted to make sure she wasn't going down that path.
"Yes. Oh Yes! I think I've been waiting for this my whole life!" Sarah was all smiles now. The answer was dropped into her lap; she would go and live a carefree life. Sarah stood, shook his hand and charged out of his office. Quickly, she ducked back in.
"I'll wire you the payment before I go, thank you again." The whirlwind that was Sarah Williams was gone. Paul had stood when Sarah got up and shook his hand prior to leaving. He watched out his window to make sure she didn't injure herself on the road for the brief time she was in his sight, and prepared for his next patient.
-FIN-