Notes/Disclaimers/Warnings: The 'Words' Saga, begun by Amber and continued by SkItZoFrEaK, now is about to go even further with the combined efforts of Amber and myself. You lucky people you. A quick note of recommendation: Read the preceding stories ('Say Your Words' and 'When Words Aren't Enough' in Amber's folder, and 'Mere Words' and 'Family History' in SkItZoFrEaK's folder) before attempting to understand this continuation. Or not. The choice, of course, is yours. (Psss...by the way...if you recognize any characters in here - they obviously aren't mine, are they?)
**
"When Words Get In The Way"
Part Four of the 'Words' Saga
**
It was raining on the moor. That wasn't unusual; it often rains. What was unusual was the harsh quality of this rain; especially since it was the middle of spring. This rain was of the winter storms at sea; it came down in raging torrents, in fat, freezing drops carried on ripping, howling winds. Mothers in their little homes, tucked their children under the covers tightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid, me dearest - 'tis jus' th' Bean Sidhe throwin' a bit of a temper tantrum. Sure won't it quiet down in a bit? You jus' sleep now, dear."
And as the children snuggled deep and closed their eyes, the mothers would walk by the build up the fire or turn up the heater if they lived in more modern homes, and exchange worried looks with their husbands. "It'll pass, ye see. Jus' a squall, is all," the husbands would whisper comfortingly. "Isn't it a good thing you brought the chickens in, then?"
And the mothers would smile tightly and nod, knowing they lied, but drawing comfort nonetheless.
And outside, the winds would howl and scream and the rain would beat mercilessly on the world, and a thin, high child's cry would be lost in the uproar.
'Mama!'
****
*Uh oh*
That wasn't a particularly great thought to start a visit off with, but there it was. Sarah smiled down at her little brother, Toby, as he raced to throw his arms around her waist. "Hey, kid, what've you been up to?" She asked, trying not to notice the guilty look on his face when he drew away.
"Uh, nothin' really." He replied, casually not looking at her face. "C'mon in, Mom and Dad are waitin' for you."
Sarah felt her eyebrows fly up to her hairline as she listened. There was a definite stammer in his normally over-enthusiastic voice. "Okay, Toby, what did you do?"
"Aw, geez, Sarah, you're so paranoia."
"Paranoid," she corrected. "And whenever you get that look on your face, I usually have a reason to be." She stepped into the house, pulling the door shut behind her. She'd appeared outside the house instead of directly in Toby's room for this visit, after all, it would seem rather suspicious if she just came walking out of his room.
"Sarah! There you are! We were beginning to think you'd be late." Sarah's dad came out of the kitchen just then, and in an instant Toby had disappeared up the stairs.
"Hey! Come back here, you!" she called up after him, but it was no good. He was long gone.
Robert Williams chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll get him." And he went trotting up the stairs after his son. A little too eagerly.
*Is it just me,* she reflected, *Or is everyone in a hurry to leave the room? Oh great. Now I know something is really wrong here.* For a moment, she entertained the idea of simply turning around and walking back out. Obviously this wasn't a good place to be at the moment.
Before she had a chance to think further, she noticed Karen in the kitchen door. And Sarah felt the vague sense of suspicion turn into full-blown worry. It wasn't the way Karen was clutching that dishrag like she wanted to shred it. It wasn't the way her lips were drawn into a thin, white line. It wasn't even the narrowed eyes and the slightly raised eyebrow.
It was the stance. Feet spread slightly apart, hands planted on hips, head stiff as stone...Karen Williams was a woman about to charge into battle. "I think," she said slowly. "I think you have something to tell us, Sarah."
*Oh yes* Sarah mentally nodded. *Definitely should have turned around.*
**
Karen led her back into the kitchen, and indicated that she take out a chair. Then, she turned and faced the stairwell. "Tobias Jordan Williams! You and your father come out of your hiding spot and get your tails down here NOW!"
Upstairs, she heard the door creak open, and two reluctant pairs of footsteps.
Karen returned to the table and seated herself, hands folded in her lap. A moment later, Toby and his dad appeared in the kitchen and made their way to their own chairs. Sarah tried to catch their eyes, but neither would look at her.
"So," Karen said, sounding almost calm.
"So," Sarah agreed carefully, still trying to get some kind of clue from her family's faces.
"I was having a chat with Toby this morning," Karen started. She paused, and looked at her husband. "We were having a chat with Toby this morning," she amended.
Another pause. Robert dared to meet Karen's eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. She was watching him with an obviously expectant look in her eyes. He sighed. How did this get pushed off on him?
"Sarah, honey, Toby tells us...well...you see, we know you're an adult now, and we really want you to be your own individual and take care of yourself, but we still want to be part of your life, and when he told us, and you hadn't told us, we felt a little hurt, well, very hurt, that you hadn't told us yourself, so we just wanted to bring it up, but we're not accusing you or anything like that, just asking you and wanting to know why, that is, that you didn't tell us yourself."
Sarah stared at him blankly. "Um, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"What?"
"What your father is trying to say," Karen interrupted, "is that Toby mentioned a man named Jareth. From what Toby says, this man is very important to you."
Sarah shot a look at her brother, who was suddenly very interested in the grain of the tabletop before him. How much had he told?
"Yes." She nodded carefully.
"He also said something along the lines of you being his wife."
Ah. That much. Had he told about the pregnancy, too? She watched him again, but his face was well obscured by the blonde curls that hung just far enough to cover his eyes.
Sarah looked back to her stepmother and father, and bit her lip slightly...well, she'd known she was going to have to tell them sooner or later. She'd *wanted* to tell them...but how did one tell one's parents that one has not actually been studying literature in Britain as they had been told, but had actually married the King of the Goblins and was currently a Queen of the Underground?
'Oh, Dad, I just thought you should know that from now on, my name's Queen Sarah, and should you need me, call my name in the mirror and I'll drop things at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City and materialize right in the room you called from.'
No.
'Oh, don't mind the little goblin servants, Karen, they're just running a few errands for my husband the King while I'm here in the Aboveground. Don't worry, they aren't too pretty, but they're well behaved enough if I make them.'
Nope.
"Look, I'm sorry you didn't know," she said finally, picking her words with care. "It's just that...well...um...you see, he's the last remaining member of a rather old family..." she felt a story starting to formulate in the back of her head. It was a wild one, but much more believable than the truth. Calling up her acting skills, she let out a little sigh and rubbed a hand across her forehead mournfully.
"There's this other family, just as old, but only a few people left. You see, the two families have been in a feud for generations, and he doesn't want anything more to do with it, but a couple of the other family's surviving members don't see it that way. " She paused, watching her parents' faces for reactions. "They try to carry out the feud. That's why he moved to Britain, to get away from them. He didn't want to get married in any kind of fuss, because since he's rather rich, the papers would probably make a big commotion about it and blow his cover. So I didn't dare tell even you. And then I felt too guilty to tell you later."
She stopped and rubbed her eyes quickly, as if hiding a tear, and prayed that they would buy it.
"You told Toby," her dad pointed out quietly.
"Accident. He sort of figured it out after I made a careless remark or two," she shot the brother in question another dark look, and he had the grace to blush and nod.
"Yeah. And I promised I wouldn't tell...um...I guess I forgot..."
"So," Karen said again, and furrowed her forehead in concern. "Sarah, are you sure it's...safe...to be married to this man?"
*Actually, now that you mention it, I've nearly died several times in various battles and invasions...but otherwise I'm quite safe.*
"Of course, Karen. He's gone to great lengths to keep me safe." Well, that much is true, at least.
"Sarah, honey," Robert reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm glad your happy, and I understand why you didn't tell us now. But I agree with Karen. Are you absolutely sure you are safe over there? Do you think you should come home for a little while? Maybe you can move here with this Jareth - "
"I don't think so, Dad."
Toby raised his head suddenly, and Sarah was startled to see tears in his eyes. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, Sarah, really really sorry, and I knew you wanted to tell 'em yourself but it was an accident, don't be mad, please?"
"Hey, it's okay, kid," she reassured him. "I'm not mad. A little glad to get it off my chest, even. It'll be okay."
Toby got off his chair and came around the table to hug her tightly, and Karen did likewise. Sarah hugged back, but was careful to keep her stomach well away from Karen's arms. Karen finding out she was pregnant into the bargain was just not the type of stress she needed right now.
**
**
"When Words Get In The Way"
Part Four of the 'Words' Saga
**
It was raining on the moor. That wasn't unusual; it often rains. What was unusual was the harsh quality of this rain; especially since it was the middle of spring. This rain was of the winter storms at sea; it came down in raging torrents, in fat, freezing drops carried on ripping, howling winds. Mothers in their little homes, tucked their children under the covers tightly and whispered, "Don't be afraid, me dearest - 'tis jus' th' Bean Sidhe throwin' a bit of a temper tantrum. Sure won't it quiet down in a bit? You jus' sleep now, dear."
And as the children snuggled deep and closed their eyes, the mothers would walk by the build up the fire or turn up the heater if they lived in more modern homes, and exchange worried looks with their husbands. "It'll pass, ye see. Jus' a squall, is all," the husbands would whisper comfortingly. "Isn't it a good thing you brought the chickens in, then?"
And the mothers would smile tightly and nod, knowing they lied, but drawing comfort nonetheless.
And outside, the winds would howl and scream and the rain would beat mercilessly on the world, and a thin, high child's cry would be lost in the uproar.
'Mama!'
****
*Uh oh*
That wasn't a particularly great thought to start a visit off with, but there it was. Sarah smiled down at her little brother, Toby, as he raced to throw his arms around her waist. "Hey, kid, what've you been up to?" She asked, trying not to notice the guilty look on his face when he drew away.
"Uh, nothin' really." He replied, casually not looking at her face. "C'mon in, Mom and Dad are waitin' for you."
Sarah felt her eyebrows fly up to her hairline as she listened. There was a definite stammer in his normally over-enthusiastic voice. "Okay, Toby, what did you do?"
"Aw, geez, Sarah, you're so paranoia."
"Paranoid," she corrected. "And whenever you get that look on your face, I usually have a reason to be." She stepped into the house, pulling the door shut behind her. She'd appeared outside the house instead of directly in Toby's room for this visit, after all, it would seem rather suspicious if she just came walking out of his room.
"Sarah! There you are! We were beginning to think you'd be late." Sarah's dad came out of the kitchen just then, and in an instant Toby had disappeared up the stairs.
"Hey! Come back here, you!" she called up after him, but it was no good. He was long gone.
Robert Williams chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll get him." And he went trotting up the stairs after his son. A little too eagerly.
*Is it just me,* she reflected, *Or is everyone in a hurry to leave the room? Oh great. Now I know something is really wrong here.* For a moment, she entertained the idea of simply turning around and walking back out. Obviously this wasn't a good place to be at the moment.
Before she had a chance to think further, she noticed Karen in the kitchen door. And Sarah felt the vague sense of suspicion turn into full-blown worry. It wasn't the way Karen was clutching that dishrag like she wanted to shred it. It wasn't the way her lips were drawn into a thin, white line. It wasn't even the narrowed eyes and the slightly raised eyebrow.
It was the stance. Feet spread slightly apart, hands planted on hips, head stiff as stone...Karen Williams was a woman about to charge into battle. "I think," she said slowly. "I think you have something to tell us, Sarah."
*Oh yes* Sarah mentally nodded. *Definitely should have turned around.*
**
Karen led her back into the kitchen, and indicated that she take out a chair. Then, she turned and faced the stairwell. "Tobias Jordan Williams! You and your father come out of your hiding spot and get your tails down here NOW!"
Upstairs, she heard the door creak open, and two reluctant pairs of footsteps.
Karen returned to the table and seated herself, hands folded in her lap. A moment later, Toby and his dad appeared in the kitchen and made their way to their own chairs. Sarah tried to catch their eyes, but neither would look at her.
"So," Karen said, sounding almost calm.
"So," Sarah agreed carefully, still trying to get some kind of clue from her family's faces.
"I was having a chat with Toby this morning," Karen started. She paused, and looked at her husband. "We were having a chat with Toby this morning," she amended.
Another pause. Robert dared to meet Karen's eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't. She was watching him with an obviously expectant look in her eyes. He sighed. How did this get pushed off on him?
"Sarah, honey, Toby tells us...well...you see, we know you're an adult now, and we really want you to be your own individual and take care of yourself, but we still want to be part of your life, and when he told us, and you hadn't told us, we felt a little hurt, well, very hurt, that you hadn't told us yourself, so we just wanted to bring it up, but we're not accusing you or anything like that, just asking you and wanting to know why, that is, that you didn't tell us yourself."
Sarah stared at him blankly. "Um, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"What?"
"What your father is trying to say," Karen interrupted, "is that Toby mentioned a man named Jareth. From what Toby says, this man is very important to you."
Sarah shot a look at her brother, who was suddenly very interested in the grain of the tabletop before him. How much had he told?
"Yes." She nodded carefully.
"He also said something along the lines of you being his wife."
Ah. That much. Had he told about the pregnancy, too? She watched him again, but his face was well obscured by the blonde curls that hung just far enough to cover his eyes.
Sarah looked back to her stepmother and father, and bit her lip slightly...well, she'd known she was going to have to tell them sooner or later. She'd *wanted* to tell them...but how did one tell one's parents that one has not actually been studying literature in Britain as they had been told, but had actually married the King of the Goblins and was currently a Queen of the Underground?
'Oh, Dad, I just thought you should know that from now on, my name's Queen Sarah, and should you need me, call my name in the mirror and I'll drop things at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City and materialize right in the room you called from.'
No.
'Oh, don't mind the little goblin servants, Karen, they're just running a few errands for my husband the King while I'm here in the Aboveground. Don't worry, they aren't too pretty, but they're well behaved enough if I make them.'
Nope.
"Look, I'm sorry you didn't know," she said finally, picking her words with care. "It's just that...well...um...you see, he's the last remaining member of a rather old family..." she felt a story starting to formulate in the back of her head. It was a wild one, but much more believable than the truth. Calling up her acting skills, she let out a little sigh and rubbed a hand across her forehead mournfully.
"There's this other family, just as old, but only a few people left. You see, the two families have been in a feud for generations, and he doesn't want anything more to do with it, but a couple of the other family's surviving members don't see it that way. " She paused, watching her parents' faces for reactions. "They try to carry out the feud. That's why he moved to Britain, to get away from them. He didn't want to get married in any kind of fuss, because since he's rather rich, the papers would probably make a big commotion about it and blow his cover. So I didn't dare tell even you. And then I felt too guilty to tell you later."
She stopped and rubbed her eyes quickly, as if hiding a tear, and prayed that they would buy it.
"You told Toby," her dad pointed out quietly.
"Accident. He sort of figured it out after I made a careless remark or two," she shot the brother in question another dark look, and he had the grace to blush and nod.
"Yeah. And I promised I wouldn't tell...um...I guess I forgot..."
"So," Karen said again, and furrowed her forehead in concern. "Sarah, are you sure it's...safe...to be married to this man?"
*Actually, now that you mention it, I've nearly died several times in various battles and invasions...but otherwise I'm quite safe.*
"Of course, Karen. He's gone to great lengths to keep me safe." Well, that much is true, at least.
"Sarah, honey," Robert reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm glad your happy, and I understand why you didn't tell us now. But I agree with Karen. Are you absolutely sure you are safe over there? Do you think you should come home for a little while? Maybe you can move here with this Jareth - "
"I don't think so, Dad."
Toby raised his head suddenly, and Sarah was startled to see tears in his eyes. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, Sarah, really really sorry, and I knew you wanted to tell 'em yourself but it was an accident, don't be mad, please?"
"Hey, it's okay, kid," she reassured him. "I'm not mad. A little glad to get it off my chest, even. It'll be okay."
Toby got off his chair and came around the table to hug her tightly, and Karen did likewise. Sarah hugged back, but was careful to keep her stomach well away from Karen's arms. Karen finding out she was pregnant into the bargain was just not the type of stress she needed right now.
**