She froze, sitting on the bed with his arms encircling her waist. She hadn't thought he'd do it... not really. "Well... I've changed my mind.." she murmured, deciding to get up, but the Goblin king stood with her.
"I thought you wanted to see how I'd react." He hissed in her ear, pulling her gently against him, gliding his palms from the flat of her stomach to her hands as he placed a small kiss on the back of the base of her neck.
"It's a little obvious you will, now," She responded softly. She could feel herself beginning to shake and the heat that stemmed from her face found its way down her chest to the rest of her.
He smirked, and, still holding her hands, brought them to her stomach, "Don't you want to know -how- I'll do it, my pet? How," he kissed the same place on her neck again, "Close to my... prediction it will be?" He felt her head tilt backwards slightly against him, and brought his lips to her ear, "You don't have to be afraid anymore..." He whispered.
The Impossible
Tara Elliot had never felt so alone in her entire life. Even though her beloved niece was asleep not a foot away from her hand, the loneliness almost overwelmed her. She brought a shaking hand to the unusual warmth on her forehead, and winced as she touched the wound... in her brothers rage he had slammed the door in her face, mistakingly forcing the metal into the whole left side of her head, though only a small spot on her forehead had actually begun to bleed. She didn't mind, really. She was used to being caught in the arguments around the house, and there were plenty. Her mother and her brothers girlfriend, her brother and his girlfriend... everything seemed to come off of the girlfriend. She would probably hate her if it weren't for the child she created.
For the moment the door to her room was locked. The child, for whoms safety Tara was concerned, had slept through this argument in general peace so far, something she was glad for. Being sixteen she could safely say that she could handle the screaming, and the beating, and even the lonliness was something she could adjust to, but a six year old was far less resiliant.
"Well fine!" She heard the familiar voice of the girlfriend shout, slamming the door.
"Fine!" Her brothers voice echoed, slamming a seperate door.
Vaguely, Tara wondered who had left as she listened to a car start and screech out of the driveway. She looked down at the child, and sighed. Most likely the girlfriend. Her brother left last time. This had been going on for the past year or so, and the person leaving tended to alternate. They probably had a system of sorts to determine which one.
She didn't bother wondering what the argument was about this time. It was never anything important, or even -interesting- for that matter...
She groaned, holding her head and standing from the bed to enter her bathroom (she had the main bedroom because there was another bedroom that was bigger). Looking in the mirror, she sighed at the wound, and twisted on the water. She soaked a cloth under it, and, wincing, she put it to her forehead.
"I wish the Goblin King or whatever comes and gets me the hell out of here... right now..." She grumbled.
She went to sleep with her arms wound around her niece protectively, having absolutely no clue of the importance of what she had just said.
Chapter One
Morning Comes
"Master! Master!" A small goblin cried as it rushed around the castle, a much larger goblin with the six year old cradled in his arms trailing behind it. "Mas-!" It stopped and fell backwards as none other than the Goblin king materialized before him, looking as irritable as always, and a little headachy.
"Yes?" He snarled, strolling past it to examine the child with narrowed eyes, his gloved hand cupping his chin in thought.
"The girl! Master, she wished herself away like you said she would, sir!" the tiny one piped, beginning to run circles around the three. "But, but, but she wouldn't let go of the kid, sir! We had to take them both, sir!"
Jareth looked over at it in irritation. "Stop that incessant prattle, Snoghorn." He scolded, not giving it a chance to correct his pronunciation of his name before he continued, "Are you telling me that a legion of my strongest goblins could not dislodge a child from her aunts embrace!" It wasn't that he minded of course... another goblin to his kingdom was another person to obey him, but if the child hadn't been wished away problems could arise.
The goblin thought this over for a moment before deciding it sounded about right. He nodded, "Uh huh, uh huh!"
The king rubbed his temples at this, and began strolling back toward his throne room. He glanced over his shoulder, "Stoghem,"
"Stongblende, sir,"
"Of course it is, Stoghem." Jareth waved his interuption aside, "Is there someone on the above ground who would be likely to wish the child away? A... reletive, perhaps?"
"Oh no, master," the goblin stated, "She's a very loved child, unlike that one there."
"No one stupid enough to not notice they were doing it?" Jareth pried.
The goblin stopped and went silent, thinking, before rushing after its master, having just realized he hadn't stopped with it. "Perhaps, master, her mother... both of her parents, in fact." The poor little goblin had to run at top speed to catch up to its king, nevermind to -keep- up with him...
"I'll pay her a little visit then." Jareth smirked down at the child in the big goblins arms, "This one's too precious to let go." He laughed a little, as if it was all a joke.
"What, what kind've goblin you gonna turn her into, master? You know I've been awfully loyal, master, and, and, I don't have a wife yet.." He recoiled a pace as Jareth sent a disgusted glare at him. "N-n-n-not that I'm complaining, master, sir, I'm simply reminding you that--"
"That's enough, Stoghenge." He snarled, looking back at the child, "This one.. you say the girl wouldn't let her go? Well.. we'll let her decide then, shall we?" He smirked cruelly and laughed.
Tara slept longer than she had in a good long time. It may have had something to do with the spell the king of the goblins may or may not have cast upon her, but it was more likely the sleep deprivation catching up to her without an alarm clock to wake her up.
When she -did- wake up, however, it took her a moment to notice that something was wrong. She'd dreampt of a room much like the one she was in now, and so she expected to see it when she awoke. However, when reality hit her, by the window, she let out a shrill scriech.
"The girls up." Stogblende stated casually as it reached his ears.
Since Jareth was out for the moment, speaking with the childs mother, it was therefor Snogblende's job to introduce the new comer to the Labyrinth. He didn't know why his master had watched this one so carefully, had tweaked just a few things so she would turn to him rather than suicide. She was too old to be made into a goblin, too young to be a useful slave. The only thing he could think of was that his master was fond of her voice... she was utterly useless for anything else.
As he bounced into her room he couldn't help but grin as she backed away from the door, and into a corner, staring at him as if he were some sort of monster.
"What -are- you!" She cried, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at him.
He bent over to her in his hyperactive way. "Stogblende, madame," As things were for the moment she was a guest of the kings. No one had told him otherwise, and guests were to be treated with respect. "I'm a goblin."
"You've got to be kidding me.." Tara groaned, putting both hands to her head. "I know-- this is a dream. This is all a dream and I'll wake up with my brother screaming, and slamming doors, and-- OW!" She'd touched the wound from before, and it stung like hell. It came to her mind that one couldn't feel in dreams, and she collapsed on the floor. "...wonderful."
"Please don't worry, madame," The little goblin rushed over to her, "You've no reason to be frightened yet! The king is out and--"
Suddenly something occured to her. "Where's Xanthe!"
He blinked, "...Xanthe? Oh, the girl!"
Tara nodded, "Yes, where is she!" She rose to her feet, a dark shadow falling over her pale face.
For a moment the goblin saw what may have attracted his king to this mortal. She had spirit, that was undeniable, and rage brought out a beauty in her that no fae in the kingdom could even contemplate harnessing. Her hair was a raven color, and curly, coming to her mid waist, but her skin was painfully pale.. something that wouldn't be changing with her time in the underground.. and her eyes-- they were such a vibrant, pure green that he thought even he could see forever within them. There were many a fae who would take her as their own slave and take delight in breaking her spirit down. He hoped his king knew what he was doing. He rather liked this mortal, regardless of her disgust upon seeing his small, warted figure. He could hardly blame her for that. She'd get used to him.
"Stogblende..." She growled.
"She is safe." He stated, liking her all the more for getting his name right the first time. "The master is working on making sure she can stay. If we have our way you two shouldn't have to part..." As she fell silent he took a chance on coming closer to her again, "Please don't fret, m'lady, everything's going to be alright..."
Becoming accustomed to the numerous pimples and warts and the like was easier than Tara had expected, and she even found herself thinking of the thing as a friend quicker than she had thought of any human on the above ground before. "Where am I, Stogblende?"
"In the Underground, m'lady."
"Yes.." Tara murmured, "But why? What exactly led to this--" She trailed off. The words in the bathroom. She groaned, "I didn't -mean- it..."
"Most don't, m'lady."
She didn't respond. As much as she wanted to claim that she didn't mean it, she -had- meant it. She'd meant it so much more than she was willing to admit for the moment.
"Snoghorn!" a voice cut through the air, so loudly that Tara winced, and the goblin jumped.
"Stogblende, sir.."
"Whatever."
The king of the goblins strolled through the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked first the goblin over, and then Tara over. "Leave us." He snarled, his gaze snapping to Stogblende. The tone made Tara rocket to her feet should a fight arise. She'd be damned if she was just gonna sit there.
She sent Stogblende a look of slight apology as he scurried out the door in terror, but the look vanished the moment she laid eyes on Jareth. 'She had spirit' was a vast understatement, as Jareth found to his satisfaction. He had made a good catch. He easily stood over her as she stalked toward him, so they were no more than a foot apart.
"Where is my niece?" She snarled, emerald eyes darkening farther and rage overcoming her better judgement. She didn't know any better than to not wince as the Goblin King glared down on her... not that she would have cowered away in fear even if she -did- know the power of his rage. Xanthe's wellbeing was something she didn't play around with.
"The girl, you mean?" He drawled, passing her effortlessly and moving to the window with snide elegance.
"-Yes- the girl!" Tara raged, "Is that all you people can respond with! 'The girl?' Who else would I be talking about!"
She fell back a pace as he whirled violently on her in a surge of power she was acutely aware that she shouldn't have been able to feel. Still, she came forward again, defiantly glaring him down as best she could regardless of the fact that he easily overshadowed her, nevermind with the hair that reminded her insufferably of a cotton ball.
"It would be in your best interests to calm yourself, young Tara." He stated with mock patience, his own stormy gray eyes piercing through her vibrant ones.
"It would be in your best interests to answer the question." Tara combatted with a snarl, keeping her gaze sharp, though she was in danger of being terrified.
He laughed lowly, darkly, the sound of it grating over her nerves as it echoed off of the walls to hit her again, and again, and again, in a merciless attack that just wouldn't stop. His laughter alone was enough to send her over the edge, arousing more than one contradicting emotion to the surface.
"You are bold, my dear Tara." He stated in a hiss, "But that is something you must learn to control. I am a patient man. You will have time..."
"Where is Xanthe!" She insisted, forcing herself to stand strong, though all she wanted to do was collapse, possibly against him, possibly as far away from him as possible. Either way would have worked for her. She just wanted to collapse.
"And persistant. Yes, you will do excellantly..."
She wanted-- needed an answer. Maybe it would give her some stability. Her knees were threatening to go out from under her. "Where IS SHE!"
Her legs failed her, and she collapsed with the sudden uprising of emotion. The Goblin King made no attempt to catch her, but he did, rather owningly, pull her off of the floor, setting her into a chair.
Perhaps it was out of pity, or perhaps it was part of his game, but he indulged her that one answer. "She's being cared for by the more competant of my Goblins. She will not be harmed."
Tara looked at him uncertainly, purposely ignoring the red flush that spread across her face, and down her chest. "Will you... Will you turn us into goblins?"
He smirked a little at her unspoken surrender. He knew it wouldn't last long, but the few moments he had with her in which she was not fighting him tooth and nail would become precious to him. "No." He stated cockily, pushing a few strands of midnight hair out of a face of white as she lowered her gaze acceptingly to the floor, "I have a better plan for you."
Authors Notes: First chapter up! What do you all think? I love reviews!
Oh, and I'll say it now: I don't own the Labyrinth, or Jareth, but I do own Tara!