Prompt: Can I give a prompt about Stevie and Jareth? I'm dying to see more about the two of them ;p (They're still together right, I haven't unfortunately seen any of the s3 episodes?)
AN: I am going to be really busy tomorrow and Sunday. Also, I am stuck home all night because of ice so here is my contribution to the Winter Fic Exchange. Sorry for whoever submitted this prompt. You probably wanted a fluffy fic but they haven't shown Jareth very much this season so I can't really get in that mood. I might continue this and include something happier when Jareth comes back. Hope you all enjoy! Can't wait for all the fics this weekend! Comments are always welcome. :)
"Do you have your passport?" It was a warm Saturday morning in late May when Stevie and her mother were finishing packing for London in Stevie's room.
"Yes, and my boarding pass." Stevie was trying her hardest to calm her mother down. It was obvious Elizabeth was worried about her daughter going to London for the summer. Not only was it Stevie's first flight out of the country, she would also be gone two months. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Elizabeth had gotten used to Stevie being home and now she was experiencing the "going off into the world" feelings as though it was a flashback to when Stevie left for her first year of college.
"Did you pack that nice raincoat I bought you? You'll need it." These questions had been going on for over an hour. Stevie just kept reminding herself that this was her mother's way of coping, excessive questions.
"Remember, the outlets are different there. I bought you those adapters. You packed them, right?" Elizabeth wasn't noticing how ridiculous she was sounding.
"Yes. Mom, relax. I am going to be fine. Jareth is picking me up at the airport so I won't be kidnapped by strange men who want to put me into the sex trade." Stevie let out a giggle as she smiled at her mother.
"That's not even funny." Bess was not up for any kidnapping jokes right now. "Are you sure you don't want us to drive you to the airport?" At this point, Henry had walked into Stevie's room having overheard his wife and daughter's conversation.
"Babe, she will be fine. We've been over this." Henry came up behind Bess and wrapped his arms tight around her. "Relax, she is only going to be gone a few months."
Elizabeth let out a sigh. She could always rely on her comforting husband to calm her down. Putting her hands in the air, Elizabeth surrendered, "Okay, fine. I'll stop." Stevie gave her mother a look. Knowing her mother, she wasn't even close to being done. Bess was going to worry until Stevie was safely home at the end of July, no matter what.
"All packed." Glancing at her phone, Stevie mentioned that it was time that she said her goodbyes and get to the airport. "International security always takes forever."
As Stevie gathered her things and Henry helped carry her suitcase down the stairs, Elizabeth followed behind. "Are you sure you don't need an agent to go with you? I could call Diplomatic Security. It would only be one guy…"
The idea sounded repugnant in Stevie's head. Security? Seriously, mom? I am going to London not Syria. Stevie pondered the possibility of giving her mom a snarky comment back. But, she knew how stressed her mom was and wanted to leave on a good note. Instead, she decided to just glance over her shoulder and give her a look.
"Okay, okay. Never mind."
Downstairs, the family gave heartfelt goodbyes to Stevie. "I love you. Call us when you land, okay? Be safe." Elizabeth was on the verge of tears.
Stevie walked over to her mother and giving her a meaningful hug, "I love you too." Now she was on the verge of tears. As Stephanie walked out the door with her stuff, Henry once again wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and gave her a squeeze.
"She is going to be okay." He knew Elizabeth was still going to worry.
As the door shut, Bess whispered, "How did our little girl grow up so fast?" She was now silently crying, trying not to make a scene.
Henry stepped in front of his wife and started to lightly rub his hands up and down her arms. "I don't know, babe. It seems like yesterday she was running around the house in her diapers." Smiling, they made eye contact and Henry leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. "She is going to be okay. Why don't we go lay down upstairs? It will make you feel better." Elizabeth nodded and made their way up to their bedroom.
...
Stephanie woke up to the bumps of the plane landing in London. The twelve-hour flight left her jet lagged and exhausted.
"Attention, we have now landed in London. The time is 9pm. The weather is partly cloudy with a cool temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. You may now access your portable devices. Please stay seated until the plane has taxied to the gate. Thank you for flying with us and enjoy your stay in London."
Groggy, she gathered her things and turned her phone on to contact Jareth and, of course, her parents. Good thing they got me that international plan. After sending a text to her parents, she tried to contain her excitement while she texted Jareth. She could not wait to see him. It had been months since they had seen each other and Skype was not sufficing.
After getting off the plane and through customs, Stevie found her way through the airport to baggage. To her surprise, Jareth had already claimed her suitcase.
"I thought you were going to wait out by the taxis?" Stevie was surprised he even knew which baggage claim to go to since she barely found it herself.
"I did not want to wait any longer to see you." Embracing her, Jareth gave her a light kiss on the side of her head and whispered, "Welcome to London." Stevie pulled back a bit to make eye contact and smiled. She was so excited for the next two months.
…
"Stephanie McCord, it is so wonderful to finally meet you. Jareth has told us so much about you and your family." Flattered, Stevie gave Jareth's mother a hug and two kisses, just had Jareth had coached her on the way from the airport.
Jareth's house was exquisite, decorated from top to bottom with portraits of assumed family members and richly colored furniture. Stevie knew his family had money but not this much. Trying not to seem like a tourist, she contained her astonishment while she met each member of Jareth's family.
After greetings, it was only custom to have tea. Again, having been coached by Jareth beforehand, Stevie tried her best to be polite. Apparently not polite enough when she poured the milk after the tea. After some painful embarrassment, Stevie decided it was late and time for her to excuse herself to bed.
"Umm… I'm really exhausted from all the flying today. And I think I am a little jet lagged. It was very nice to meet all of you and thank you for the tea. I am going to head to bed."
Jareth stood offering, "I'll show you to your room." Saying her goodnights, Stevie and Jareth made their way upstairs to the prepared room for her. "My parents are kind of strict so you have to stay in here. But, I just be across the hall if you need anything."
Thanking him, Stevie kissed Jareth goodnight and retired to bed. While lying in bed, she thought about how the night went. Something felt off. She could decide if it was Jareth's family or the way Jareth was acting or maybe it was just hallucinations from the long flight. Try to put her mind at ease, she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.
…
Over the next few weeks, Jareth and Stevie toured London. They visited art museums and Big Ben. As any tourist, they visited Buckingham palace and monuments representing great royals of the past. They had seen practically all of London.
In addition, Stevie endured countless family dinners and had plenty of opportunities to redeem herself with how she prepared her tea for tea time. But, something felt off. Jareth wasn't the same guy she knew back in the States. He was kind of snobbish. She kept telling herself that it was just his family and that he had to act a certain way around them. Deep down, she knew that she didn't deserve to be treated this way. After all, she came to spend quality time with her fiancé. She imagined the possibility of them possibly having to live there in the future. That picture gave a small amount of terror.
She also felt guilty for disliking his family. Jareth was the one. She loved him so much and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He understood her in ways nobody else could. By the end of the summer, she decided that he was what ultimately mattered, not his family. She just hoped he felt the same way.