Darklady: Well hello my dears . . . we're back!!!
Ly: If I were you people I wouldn't be sure how to take that . . .
Darklady: (smacks Ly) Shut up . . .
Sarah: I hope that you're all happy to see us.
Jareth: If they could see you properly my dear they would be as pleased as I am.
Eireach: Get a room why don't you.
Gabby: (mummbles) I'd like to get a room . . .
Eireach: (turns and smiles at Gabby) I'm sorry . . . did you say something?
Gabby: (shake her head and smiles) Nope, just agreeing with you.
Darklady: Well . . . this is the sequal to The Labyrinth Continues. The title is a play off on Karen's mental break down. Lol. Umm we've got some old and new questions to answer. So sit tight and I'll get to them all in due time.
Sarah: But for now . . .
Darklady: ENJOY THE CHPATER !!!
First Dates and Lost Chances
Sarah smiled up at the L.A. sun, enjoying the warmth of it even in October. Back in Connecticut she'd been wearing a heavy jacket and probably a pair of earmuffs, here she could get away with just a denim jacket. She'd moved to L.A. after graduating from high school. She'd moved to be closer to her mother and to escape the memories of Karen and Mitch. James on the other hand had stayed at home, going to college where he could be most comfortable. And though Sarah hadn't wanted to leave him behind, both of them understood that she needed to get away from the constant reminders of her childhood.
Robert moved his entire law practice to L.A., to be closer to his daughter. He'd sold the house in Connecticut and found a house not far from the apartment that she shared with Gabby. Toby had started school the fall after the move and save for a few troubles with his arguing with the teacher about whether goblins were real or not, he was doing quite well.
At the moment she was out to lunch with her roommate. She'd been planning to ask for Gabby's help all week. While she admitted to having writing skills, Gabby was a brilliant editor. She'd helped when it came to writing the entry essays for all of her applications. However, unlike the essays that she had edited, this wasn't something that Gabby would enjoy.
"Alright,I need your help." Sarah said as they sat down to lunch with her mother's personal assistant. "If you think you can swallow your opinion about fairytales for a little while." Sarah felt her heart sink at the glint in Gabby's eyes. "Oh please don't start."
"Sarah it really doesn't make any sense to me. You're an intelligent girl, quite mature for your age, why are you so attached to the silly nonsense? Burned morning coffee, guys grabbing your ass as you pass by, laptops and internet that is the real world Sar . . . JOIN US." Sarah smiled at the zombie impression, but shook her head.
"Gabs I really don't need to hear another lecture on this."
"Apparently you do. Sarah, you can't expect Jareth to come waltzing back into your life like prince charming." The slightly older woman softened her gaze and her voice. "Sweetie, I'm sorry about what happened I really am. But it's been almost 4 years and you haven't heard a word from him. You need to move on with your life, just like he has. You're a gorgeous brilliant girl. Plenty of men would give their left nut to be with you even for a few hours." Sarah laughed, the elderly lady behind Gabby making quite the face at the mention of a male's left nut.
"Gabby we are not talking about my love life or lack of it. I'm asking my friend to help me with a story that I have to write for a class assignment. Are you going to help me or do I have to fend for myself?"
"What exactly are you asking for? I may be well read sweetie, but I don't know crap about fairytales. Honestly I don't understand how they can offer a college course in them 'Understanding the Truth of Folklore' what a load of rubbish. There is no truth to fairytales, or Hansel and Gretel would be diabetics on dialysis." Gabby glanced up at Sarah from her menu, seeing her frowning face. "What?"
"Thanks for the help, but as bright and chipper as you sound I guess I'll have to do this on my own." Sarah said glaring at her friend. "You know one could definitely say that I have a few unhealthy obsessions with fairies, ogres, trolls, and other 'fairytale nonsense', but one could also say that your hatred for them is a bit of a complex all its own." Gabby opened her mouth to retaliate only to shut it a moment later.
"Hey Sarah, I didn't know that you came here." Both women turned to the 5'11 male that had come to stand beside their table. Sarah's eyes locked with the chocolate brown gaze of Alan Michaels and felt her skin grow cold.
Alan, a classmate from the previous semester, had been repeatedly asking her out since their first class together. She wouldn't admit to not liking him, they would make good friends. He was sweet and funny, in a strange way, but that was all he was ever going to be to her.
Out of the corner of her eye she could already see Gabby plotting, she sighed mentally and smiled at Alan, secretly wishing that he would just leave without saying another word. "Hey Alan, this is my friend Gabrielle Mitchell." The two nodded to one another, it was clear that there was no attraction. Damn! Sarah thought as he turned back to her, smiling as he readjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
"I haven't seen you since that Government class last semester." She nodded. She'd taken the class on a whim and done fairly well in it. However when she'd gone to sign up for the second course, she'd found that the class had been pulled from the offered courses. "I went to that party the other night. I thought I might catch you there." He winked, the slight movement catching more of Sarah's attention than anything else he had done.
"Sorry, I was watching Toby." It was true she was, but she'd volunteered. She had wanted to see her little brother and not deal with Gabby's badgering about going out and acting more like a college kid.
"You don't have to apologize for watching your little brother. I admire how devoted you are to him." He paused, taking a breath as if he were trying to get up the nerve to say something else. Sarah braced herself for what she knew was coming and the rejection that she would give. "Hey Sarah, I was wondering if you'd want to catch a movie with me tonight, my treat." Sarah opened her mouth and nearly cursed aloud as Gabby answered for her.
"She would love to. She'll meet you here tonight at 6."
"Sarah?" She didn't look at Alan right away, her shocked expression locked on a triumphant Gabrielle.
"Umm sure Alan, I'll meet you here later." She couldn't help but smile at his obvious joy.
She waited until after Alan had left, the waitress had come and gone with their drinks and food orders before allowing her anger to get the better of her. She glared at Gabby as the other woman sipped her coke innocently, the smirk that stared back belittling her façade and doing nothing to calm her down. "What the hell was that?!"
"An intervention, you need to get out and actually date Sarah. You haven't been on a date since Jareth." Had she been a little less angry, Sarah would have pointed out that she'd never had a date with Jareth or anyone else for that matter. Her version of a date with Jareth was taking her dinner to her bedroom and eating it while they talked about their day.
"So I haven't dated, it really isn't that out there."
"You haven't gone on a date in 4 years and it isn't because no one's interested." Sarah glared at her friend.
"Your one to talk, you haven't had a date in the ten years my mother has known you."
"I'm busy working. Lord help us if Linda Williams was left to her own devices, the woman needs constant supervision." Gabby said taking a long pull off the straw in her soda.
"And I'm not busy? I've got school, Toby, and my research."
"Research, is that what you call locking yourself in your room talking to yourself until the wee hours of the morning? You keep that and you're going to end up in the bed next you know who."
Sarah scowled it wasn't something to joke about. Karen had been transferred from the mental hospital in Connecticut to one in New York that specialized in schizophrenia. The doctors had said that she'd probably murdered her brother when she'd found out that Sarah was still alive and later felt guilty for it. So she begun to hear her brother's voice condemning her for what had happened to him. "You really shouldn't joke about that Gabby, she's sick."
"I know, but if you ask me that woman isn't completely out of her head. I'm not saying that I believe that she's hearing her brother, but maybe she's just making it up. They won't put her in jail as long as she's 'criminally insane' and the hearing isn't for another few days." Gabby sipped her soda. "You know what I mean? She could be faking it just to get out of jail, even if she miraculously recovers after the hearing, she's been convicted but given no jail time because she's nutters. Double jeopardy states that they can't charge her twice for the same crime and since they've thrown the book at her . . ." Sarah shrugged even as she nodded.
"It makes sense, but what does it matter? I've moved on with my life, so has Dad and Toby. We don't live in Connecticut anymore and she'd have to work pretty hard to convince anyone that she was better. I don't think I'll be hearing from her anytime soon and even if I did, what would I care? She can't do anything to me."
There food came and the conversation moved to Linda's latest role, Robert's practice, and Toby's own role in his school play. In the back of her mind though Sarah wondered how she was going to tell Jareth that she had a date. He'd said before that he wouldn't mind her dating, had he been able to cast his spell she would probably be dating without worrying about who she might be upsetting. However do to her spell she knew who she was upsetting, who would be hurt when she went out with other guys. "Alright so show me your story." Gabby said with a smile, stabbing her fork into the chicken on her plate. Sarah shook her head.
"Oh hell no, I'm not showing you my story so you can spend 90% of the time telling me how stupid it is." The other woman pouted, the face doing a better job making Sarah laugh than feel guilty.
"Come on Sarah I promise I'll be good." Sarah shook her head again.
"Sorry sweetie, you had your chance to play nice."
They finished lunch quickly after three texts from Linda telling Gabby that she needed to get her ass back to the set before the makeup crew killed her. Sarah had gotten back to the apartment, college assignments being the only thing that saved her from being forced to tag along. However as she closed the door to their apartment college work was the farthest thing from her mind. "Hello Alex." She said with forced cheer.
The tiger looked back at Sarah from her place on the couch. Four years old Alexandra was fully grown. She was a little less than 7 feet long from nose to tail, her shoulder being a little more than 4 feet from the ground. Her eyes had kept their unusual violet shade and her coat remained white with black bands. The later had surprised Jareth, as apparently white and black tigers were rare things in the Underground. "Hello mother." Sarah moved to the couch and plopped herself down beside the large cat, her hand quickly becoming lost in thick soft fur. "What's wrong?" Alex asked again, her face taking on a cat's version of concern.
Sarah had been a bit surprised when she'd come home from school one day to have Alex and Toby both come to tell her about their day. A bit probably wasn't the right word. She'd stood in the hall of their home for almost 10 minutes just staring at the violet eyed cub. It had taken Jareth almost twice that amount of time to convince her that it was perfectly normal for the young tigress to be talking. "You know me too well." Sarah answered with a sad smile. "I'm going out on a date tonight." The tiger frowned.
"That doesn't sound too bad." She paused, eyeing her mother carefully. "Do you not find the male attractive?"
"There must be something wrong with me." Sarah said shaking her head in defeat. "He's gorgeous. I would have to be blind to not see it. But I can't help but compare him to Jareth." She sighed. "I don't feel right about going out on a date with another man when I know that it won't go anywhere."
"Then why did you agree to it?" Sarah narrowed her eyes and frowned.
"I didn't. Gabrielle did."
"It is only a first date mother. Have a good time and tell him that you just . . . want to be friends." Sarah smiled at the tigress, her hand moving to the fur on her head.
"That's a wonderful idea Alex. Now what do you suggest I tell Jareth? I was supposed to meet him tonight for a 'dinner' date." The tigress cursed under her breath. "Exactly."
"He's told you before that he would never mind you dating." Alex pointed out. "Why would that change now?" Sarah raised a skeptical brow and stood.
"Well I guess we're about to find out, because I'm about to tell him."
Jareth had spent most of his listening to the disputes of the Kingdom and the whining of his subjects had begun to take its toll. He'd kicked a few of the guards out of a window and into the fountain below, their frightened yowls helping to lighten his mood. After that however, the room had cleared leaving him alone with his thoughts.
His eyes, though he bid them not too, move to and rested on the throne beside him. It was a smaller feminine version of his, platinum gold etched with immortal creatures and a plush dark blue velvet cushion. It was her throne, where she should have sat beside him throughout the day. He should have been able to turn to her at any given moment and gotten her council though, knowing Sarah as he did, she would never wait for him to ask her opinion. He smiled at the thought.
The sound of foot falls caught his attention. His brow rose as Jessi strolled into the room, her eyes giving a silent warning a moment before another followed her in. He stood, instantly his magic filling the room with dangerous purpose. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" He growled.
"Oh my dear Jareth, did you think that you have seen the last of me?" She tsked. "You should know Fae women better than that. Gods know that you've . . . courted enough of us."
"I won't repeat myself Amelia." He said sternly, praying for one of the Gods above to strike the viper before him down.
"Oh Jareth, it's good to see the years haven't changed you. Still a hard ass with no idea of fun." She pouted. "You haven't even given me a kiss hello."
"I wouldn't kiss you if the High King was threatening me with castration." He answered with a sneer. Jessi smirked and silently nodded her agreement from her place behind the woman.
Jareth crossed his arms and glanced over the woman before him. He could have laughed as her eyes lit up with pleasure. Did she honestly think that he was interested? Her gown was cut scandalously low, her breasts barely contained as her corset forced them up. Her black gown enhanced the lilac color of her eyes. Her pale skin could be attributed to her great-grandfather, a vampire who had married a fae.
He gazed at her, surprised to see that she hadn't changed a bit since he'd called off the wedding and caught her rutting with another man in his bed. Her makeup, her hairstyle, even her choice of gowns had remained the same. What else had the woman not changed? "Are you remembering old time Jareth?" She said with a sultry purr.
"Of course I am my dear. Sadly I just can't seem to remember, were you on top or bottom when I walked in on you and that warthog of a King?" She scowled at him.
"I would have thought that four centuries would have given you ample time to cool off."
"You should know Fae males better than that by now. Gods know that you've fucked enough of them." He said with a smirk.
Amelia screamed at him, her own magic circling through the room. Jareth's own magic however, was still the dominant force in the room. "Amelia, I would suggest that you calm down before you hurt yourself." He said, pulling his magic back. "What are you doing here Amelia and do yourself a favor, don't mention anything about old times." She glared at him a moment before her eyes became vacant mirrors of amusement and affection.
"I came to see if the rumors were true. Has the Great Goblin King Jareth Athos, finally found his 'mortal' mate?" She said mortal with an open distain that made his own skin crawl.
"I don't see how that is any of your business. You have never been a subject of the Goblin Kingdom and you are most certainly not a member of my court."
"It is the business of the entire Underground when such a powerful King is to be joined." She stated as she examined her nails.
"Jareth . . .?" Came Sarah's worried voice, through a small perfect crystal beside the Goblin King's head.
Jareth instantly took hold of the crystal and smiled, relieved to see that Sarah had remembered to block her magic. Happily he looked into the crystal to see the slightly tanned face and hazel eyes of his chosen. "Hello my heart." He said with a husky tone, he used his magic to silence the fae female as she opened her mouth. Having the nerve to try and speak. With a stern glare to the woman, he turned his attention back to Sarah. "Is everything alright?"
"You're not alone." She stated, sounding less than pleased.
"Jessi has brought a guest, nothing too important." Jareth said with a playful smirk.
"Yes, because you would bother with something you found unimportant." Sarah said with her own laugh. "Tell me Goblin King how many times have you gone to the High Court in the last month?"
"Touché my dear, though you'd be surprised the amount of rubbish I've dealt with today." He glanced up at Amelia, his smirk turning into a grin at the outraged glare. "I have to finish this meeting, so we may talk more freely. Please excuse me for a moment my Lady." A laugh was his answer before the crystal popped.
"I would venture a guess that, that was your mortal." Amelia said as Jareth freed her voice.
"It was the Lady Sarah, yes." Amelia rolled her eyes at Jareth answer.
"A mere mortal will never be accepted by our people as Queen."
"I'm sorry, if MY people will never accept a mortal Queen then what would you call Eireach's wife?"
"Why Jareth you know as well as I that the Young Queen is anything but mortal. She shares blood with the High Queen herself, an undeniable fact if you've noticed how closely they resemble each other in temperament."
Jareth shrugged. Not only had he never noticed, he'd never seen or met the Young Queen. Though from what he'd heard about the Young Queen and witnessed from the High Queen, the two seemed as different from one another as oil and milk. In truth the High King more closely resembled the rumors of the Young Queen. Both could be calm and diplomatic, but were ruthless when needed. "Is there something that you actually wanted Amelia or are you just here to give me a headache?"
"I remember when I used to give you a different kind of ache." She said in a sultry tone. Behind her Jessi cleared her throat to remind the other female to tread carefully. Amelia turned to glare at the female guard. "There is no reason for you to be here soldier." Jessi stood to attention, her hand moving to her side as she looked to Jareth.
"Jessi, please go and contact Sarah . . . tell her that I may be a bit longer than planned." He glared at Amelia as Jessi left to deliver her king's message and check on her friend. "I will tell you this once Amelia, you will not order my subjects about. And most certainly not ones that are above you in rank." Amelia gave an unladylike snort.
"That mud wallowing blonde above me? I am a Duchess, what is her rank?"
"She happens to be a cherished friend of the both the Young Queen and the High King. I would suggest that you hold your tongue around her." Jareth said seating himself on his throne. "Now why did you truly come, Amelia? Everyone knows the rumors are true because I'm the one that started them. When I addressed the High court last month and told them that I was courting a female of the aboveground." He said offhandedly, secretly watching even her slightest movement.
"You announced that you were courting a woman, not that you were going to make her your Queen." Amelia said moving closer to the throne, her eyes drawn immediately to the throne beside him.
He watched her carefully, as she moved closer to it. For a moment she merely stared, then raised her hand to it. He swallowed a laugh as she jumped back from the delicate throne and muttered a few choice curses, holding her injured hand. "What the BLOODY HELL was THAT?" She squealed.
"That was a gift from the Young Queen to her future sister. The Queen Fionan designed it herself, had it commissioned especially for my little Queen." Jareth answered, making a note to send Eireach a crystal as soon as he'd finished talking with Sarah.
"What was the bloody shock for?" Amelia asked, examining her blistered fingers.
"A spell obviously." She glared at him. "The throne was a gift from the Young Queen, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she had casted a spell that would only allow my chosen to touch it." Amelia growled, finding out quickly that her magic would not heal the burn that had developed on her hand.
"Bloody hell . . ." She looked up to Jareth. "She's bloody insane. I only wanted to touch it."
"What a load of bullocks. You came here looking to steal the thrown from a woman you couldn't even begin to compare too."
"I am the most capable and handsome lover you have ever had."
"Handsome? You are no more handsome then the mud on my shoe. Beauty is only skin deep. You pet, are as ugly beneath your mask as my Sarah is a Queen."
"Jareth, see reason. That girl will never make you a good Queen, never bare you true Goblin heirs. She is mortal, with but a blink of time compared to you or myself."
"What are you babbling about?"
"Join with me Jareth. Make me your wife as I was always meant to be. Take on the mortal as your mistress. Get your fill of her while she is young and willing, but make me your Queen."
Jareth stood and stepped down from his place beside the thrones, his eyes never meeting Amelia's as he came to stand before her. He took a slow deep breath, raining in his emotions before raising his gaze to hers. The dark cold feeling of his eyes the only sign of his current mood. "You were never meant to be my Queen, Amelia. Something that I thank the Gods for every morning I wake up without you beside me. You will stay away from my castle and my chosen." He began to walk away. "As the mortals say 'bitch you are way of out your league'".
Sarah laughed as Jessi finished telling her about her latest training session with Lyzander. The two had started courting last year and as their relationship got more heated, so did their sparing. This time Lyzander had spent a good bit of time with his face buried in mud. Even with the pleasant distraction, Sarah wondered where Jareth was. "Are you going to tell me who Jareth is talking too?"
"No."
"And why not?"
"Because I'm sure his majesty wouldn't be pleased to find that I'm bothering you with such nonsense."
"Quite right you are Jessi. There is no need to bother the Lady Sarah with such drivel. Now off with you. I wish to speak with my Sarah alone." Jareth said with a playful glint.
Jessi nodded and quickly made her way out of the room, an amused smile gracing her lips. Sarah shook her head and laughed. "Lady Sarah?" She asked as Jareth took his seat before the mirror. "You never call me Lady Sarah, you know better." He smiled.
"It must have slipped my mind, I am no more perfect that you my dear." She smiled.
"Oh believe me Jareth I've known you long enough to know how far from perfect you are." She laughed at his outraged glare. "Now, tell me who you were talking too." She said trying to delay her own news.
"A fool who thought that she could cause win a prize that was never up for grabs." He answered simply. "Now tell me of your news little girl, you've never contacted me this early unless it was important." Sarah could tell she was blushing, her face warming as blood rushed to it.
"I can't make our dinner date tonight." Jareth frowned, his eyes alight with concern.
"Are you alright? Is everything well with your family?" Sarah shook her head at his concern.
"Everything's fine, everyone's fine." She bit her lip nervously. "I have a date tonight."
She watched him carefully, angry with herself for not having the courage to touch on his emotions. His eyes were blank, belittling the pleased smile on his face. Her heart sank at that smile. "Well that sounds wonderful my dear. Have you been speaking with the boy for long?" Jareth asked innocently.
Sarah shook her head, this wasn't right. Talking to the man of your dreams about dating other men and he was happy about it? This wasn't normal at all. Not that much about their relationship was normal. "No Jareth, I haven't been speaking with him at all." She said with a bit of an edge to her voice.
"So this is a let's get to know each other better date?"
"I guess . . ." Sarah looked at the clock. "Damn." It was almost time for her to meet Alan! "I have to get ready Jareth. I'll talk to you later." She said, forcing a smile.
"Yes you will. I want to hear all about your date." Jareth said with a smile. "I love you, have fun tonight my heart." Sarah nodded and cut the connection and let out a tired breath. The thought of Jareth being pleased about her dating other men was deeply discomforting. Was he seeing other women as well? She hadn't dated anyone in their years apart, but that didn't mean he hadn't. He hadn't mentioned anything about seeing other women, but she hadn't asked. Shaking her head Sarah stood.
"Alright, let's get this over with."
Sarah: Jareth are you seeing other women?
Jareth: (looks to Lady in panic) Well Sarah my heart . . . I . . . umm . . .
Darklady: (shakes her head) Jareth stop before you hurt yourself. Sarah, isn't seeing anyone. Gods know he's not that stupid.
Ly: (wraps arm around Eireach) We're keeping a close eye on him Lady Sarah, don't worry.
Gabby: Sarah, are you going to tell me what this story is about??
Sarah: (glares) Why? So you can tell me how silly it is? (turns around and walks off) I don't think so Gabbs . . . I'll see ya later
Jareth: (shakes his head and follows after Sarah)
Eireach: You didn't . . .
Gabby: What am I supposed to keep my opinions to myself? (glares at Lady) Then I guess someone should have told HER that . . .
Darklady: (smiles and runs to Ly's side starts to slowly fade away) Well I have to run guys . . . Not sure when I'm going to get chapter 2 out . . . but it shouldn't be more than a week. Love you all . . . Don't forget to click the little reveiw button.
Catch ya later!!