I
There he stood with his great black cloak swirling around him as debris from the shattered window cluttered the space between them. "What do you want Jareth?" Sarah hissed from her defensive position in the doorway, blocking Jenny from his view. "Oh come come now Sarah. You couldn't expect me to simply stay away once I realized who she was." He offered a sinister smile and took a menacing step forward. "Actually, I did. She's neither your responsibility nor concern so feel free to flutter back from whence you came," Sarah shifted to further push her daughter out of Jareth's line of sight. "I'm afraid that won't do at all, Sarah. The girl is of both realms and must be raised to fulfill her duty to both." Jareth paused and turned to the nightstand. "It seems as though the young lady has kept my gift." He offered a sardonic smile as he lifted the tiny crystal orb from its hiding place and balanced it delicately between his hands.
Sarah snapped her head back and levelled a chastising look on her daughter who turned her attention to the weathered floorboards in shame. "Take your damn crystal and leave us alone, Jareth. You had your chance with Jenny," she spoke the words with a steely resolve. "Sorry Sarah but I will not leave without my daughter or some assurance that she will be allowed to spend time in my realm preparing for her future role as Queen of the Goblins." He pulled the crystal between his hands, transforming it into a small diadem which he gingerly laid on the faded quilt at the foot of Jenny's bed.
"Now we can stand all night and bicker or discuss this issue as rational adults," Jareth stated matter of factly, crossing his arms over his chest. "No." Sarah repeated. In an instant Jareth flew across the room and towered meanacingly over her, his hand reached out to secure a firm grip on her chin. "We will discuss it, and you will defy me again," his voice was low and the threat was clear. When he finally released her she rubbed her chin and ushered the party downstairs to the kitchen.
"Toby take Jenny outside," Sarah's harsh tone brokered no argument from her younger brother as he ushered his niece through the backdoor. "Sit." She commanded of Goblin King once Jenny was safely out of the room, this time the Goblin King complied and dropped into one of Sarah's antique dining chairs. "Now listen here Goblin King because I'm only going to say this once. You cannot decide fifteen years into your daughter's life that you are going to assume the role of father. If you wanted a child so badly you would have come all those years ago and taken care of us when Tom abandoned me. Jenny will not be forced away from me by your parlor tricks. She will decide for herself whether or not she wants to get to know you or even spend time with you. If you try to force her, I swear on your God and mine that you'll wish you'd never left that pit you call a kingdom."
She leaned against the counter as she gauged the myriad of emotions that flashed across his face. The pair exchanged heated silent stares before Jareth stood swiftly and adjusted his cloak. "I will agree to your terms only if you allow her to read the novel. I will return to see that you are holding up your end of the bargain and to talk to Jenny about the importance of her return underground," and with that he was gone.
Toby and Jenny wandered around in the yard as Sarah's shouts echoed through the still night. "Why didn't she tell me?" Jenny looked to her uncle as she kicked as stray pebble. "Jareth's your father by blood only. Tom and Sarah raised you." Toby responded as he watched a shadow settle across her face. "But why now? Why does he want to be my dad now?" She continued, pausing to look up at Toby. "Time is different where he is from. Years seem like weeks, maybe he thought he'd come back in time." Toby shrugged as they turned back toward the house.
Jenny found her mother at the kitchen table cradling her head in her hands. "Mom?" She laid her hand gently on Sarah's shoulder as Toby took Jareth's vacated seat. "He won't take you." Sarah looked up to her daughter, tears falling down her pale cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me?" Jenny fell into the chair beside her mother as Sarah reached out and took her daughter's hands between her own. "I'm sorry, Jenny. I should have known that he would make demands once he figured out who you were. He's not a very kind man but he can be a good man and what happened between us should never been but I would never take it back. You are my daughter and if you want nothing to do with Jareth then I support you and if you decide you want to go back with him, I'll support you. It's your decision Jenny. Jareth asked only that I let you read this," Sarah pushed the tiny red leather volume toward her daughter who inspected the cover. "The Labyrinth?" Jenny looked between her mother and uncle who had both fallen into a solemn silence. "He'll be back soon, he asked that you finish the book before then." Sarah pushed away from the table and stormed out the backdoor.
"It's been years since I've seen that book," Toby mused from across the table. "Why does he want me to read this?" Jenny turned the book over in her hands, sliding them across the cold leather. "That's the story of how they met. I guess he wants you to see that it wasn't all dark magic and hate at first." Toby shrugged. "Why does mom hate him? I mean she had to like him at some point." Jenny opened the book to a folded page. "I don't think Sarah ever hated Jareth. They didn't always get along but that's because they both have too much pride and neither of them are willing to understand each other's side. I think they love each other so much they are afraid of what would happen if they just let go of their reservations and accepted it." Toby watched as Jenny picked up the book and stood. "You must think about it a lot to have come up with a theory like that," Jenny offered a strained smile. "Give him a chance Jenny. Maybe you can finally make them realize how perfect they are for each other." Toby waved her off and decided to put on some coffee and wait for his sister's return.
Sarah yanked her cellphone from her pocket and madly punched in the numbers she knew by heart. She held the phone gingerly against her ear as the shrill ring echoed through her skull. "Sarah?" the familiar warm male baritone immediately soothed her. "Hi Richard, I was wondering if you still wanted to come over tonight." She ran a hand hurriedly through her hair as she waited for his reply. "Of course! I'll be over in half an hour, are you okay? You sound upset." His concern sparked a fresh wave of tears. "I'll tell you all about it when you get here. It's been a long day," she sniffed. With that she disconnected the call and made her way back to the house.
"Richard's on his way," Sarah announced as she stepped into the kitchen to find Toby pouring a mug of coffee. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Jenny's just had quite a shock, maybe you should go talk with her." Toby resumed his place at the table. "I think we both need time to process what's happened. Then we can start talking about what we are going to do about it," Sarah moved around the kitchen picking up mugs and silverware and depositing them in the sink. Toby shrugged and let out a long sigh, "Mother knows best," he muttered into his coffee.
Richard Stein parked his gleaming black SUV at the end of Sarah's driveway beside Toby's old rusted pick up. "Thank God you're here!" Sarah raced down the front steps and fell into his embrace. "What's going on? Did something happen to Jenny?" He pressed as they walked back into the house. "Yes and no," Sarah sighed as Richard took a seat in the oversized arm chair next to the fireplace. "That's very cryptic." He chuckled as Sarah began to pace back and forth across the living room. "It's her father, he's come around asking for a custody arrangement," Sarah watched as Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Last time I checked Tom was dead," he quipped as he continued to watch her. "He is. Jenny's father was not Tom. In fact, her birth father didn't even know about her until she was a toddler but even then he never came around." She fell back onto the sofa with an exasperated sigh. "Legally he has no rights to her, Sarah. And if he continues to harass you about it you can have him brought up on charges." Richard moved from the chair to wrap an arm around her shoulders. A comforting gesture that should have helped to calm her nerves but was failing miserably. "Her father is a very powerful man, Richard. The kind of man you don't say no to." Sarah laid her head on his shoulder as Richard stroked her hair softly. "You know I support your decision no matter what you choose and I can stay with you if you are afraid of being here alone." Richard placed a chaste kiss on the crown of her head as Toby shuffled into the living room.
He grabbed his keys from the dish near the door, "Richard," he nodded as he reached for the knob. "I'm heading home, Sarah. Let me know if you need anything." Toby offered a smile before stepping out into the night. Richard and Sarah sat in silence as the truck engine revved and he pulled out of the drive and sped off toward home. "Would you mind staying the night?" Sarah asked as she curled deeper into Richard's embrace. "Of course not," he smiled and tightened his hold around her as she laid her head against his chest.
Jenny sat cross-legged on her small twin bed, the little red book lay open before her. What no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers. The line was haunting. "My father is a kidnapping socio-path and my mother wished my uncle away," she muttered increadously to herself as she slammed the book closed. She then snatched up the book and shoved it into the drawer of her nightstand. "It's all a dream, none of this is real." She repeated the mantra over and over as she pulled back the sheets and laid against the pillows. "None of this will exist tomorrow and it'll just be me, mom, Richard and Uncle Toby." She sighed before turning on her side and falling quickly asleep.