Hiya Guys,
Sorry its been so long, my beta had a lot of work to do and he's only just got round to checking this. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and I am going to try and make sure you don't wait quiet so long for the next one.
Jareth landed on a tree branch outside of the house that the book had last been in. He watched as a woman placed two small suitcases into the boot of a car and walked back into the house. A few moments later the woman walked back out with a small girl following her.
"Where are we going mummy?" the little girl said as she ran after the women, who must have been, her mother.
"We are not going anywhere. You, however, are going to a place called the Labyrinth, where they keep unwanted brats like you!" The mother replied with a sharp tone.
Jareth was shocked at the name of the place that the child was supposedly going to. He followed the car as it drove off; it was three hours later that the car pulled up outside a very big house. Before the woman or child could get out of the car, the front door to the property had opened and a young woman stepped out. Something in Jareth recognised the woman but it took him a few moments to realise who she was. It appeared that Sarah had grown up a lot in the last ten years. She looked the same as she had when she had run his labyrinth, but seemed older, even her hair was the same. She wore a white dress with blue flowers that flared out at the waist and small white shoes with a slight heal. Jareth's attention was drawn away from Sarah by a loud bang which signalled that the woman had removed herself from the car. She moved to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, after a few minutes it was clear that the young child was refusing to step out of the car.
"Get out you stupid little brat!" the woman screamed. At this Jareth noticed Sarah run down the front steps and get to the car.
"Let me handle this" Sarah whispered to the mother as she knelt down to the child's level. "Hi, my name's Sarah. What's yours?"
"Lucy" came the reluctantly mumbled reply, "Mummy said that no one wanted me and this is where they put children that aren't wanted" and with that the child promptly burst into tears.
Jareth watched as Sarah unbuckled the child's seatbelt and pulled her into her arms for a cuddle.
"I'm sure mummy didn't mean it, sometimes mummies and daddies just need a break, and they ask me to look after their children because they know they'll be safe here." Sarah explained to Lucy, silently cursing the careless parent that had made her job that bit harder. "Now shall we go inside and meet the other children and show you your room?"
"Ok" Lucy said as she looked at Sarah with sad eyes.
Sarah looked towards the front door and noticed her staff member Kevin standing there watching. She nodded at him and he did the same back, conveying without words what she wanted done. Sarah turned to the lady that was glaring daggers at Lucy.
"You must be Mrs. Sheppard. If you'd like to follow Mr. Fray up there He'll take you to the office and go over the paperwork" Sarah said, pulling the woman's attention away from the child
"Fine" the woman snapped and moved to follow the man on the porch.
"Shall we go inside then?" Sarah asked Lucy as she stood up. When Sarah got no reply she looked down at Lucy. It seemed Lucy's attention was elsewhere. Sarah followed Lucy's line of sight and froze when she saw an owl that she recognised on a tree nearby.
"What's that?" Lucy asked Sarah.
"It's an owl sweetheart, it's not usual to see them out during the day." Sarah explained, keeping her eyes on the bird.
"It's so pretty, can we go closer?" Lucy wanted to know, a pleading look in her eyes
"I'm not sure sweetie, it……" but before Sarah could finish her sentence the owl had flown down and landed on the path in front of them. Sarah reluctantly put Lucy down, and she knelt and stroked the owl. Sarah found it amusing that the bird seemed to be enjoying the attention. Mere minutes later Mrs. Sheppard rushed out of the building. Lucy saw her just as she reached them and quickly moved to hide behind Sarah's dress. Sarah saw the look the crossed the woman's face. Before Mrs. Sheppard could open her mouth, Sarah had held up her hand to draw the attention to her.
"Has all the paperwork been signed?" Sarah asked the woman, looking just past her to where Kevin stood for confirmation.
"Yes" Mrs. Sheppard answered as Kevin nodded. Now Sarah's focus was completely on the woman.
"Then may I suggest that you get into your car, go home, live your much wanted life, and forget about the child" Sarah said, paraphrasing the line the Goblin King had used on her all those years ago. Sarah only ever used this speech on parents that she felt had no right to come back. For some reason Lucy was terrified of her mother so she was probably best off staying here. The woman turned away from Sarah and got into her car. Lucy tugged at Sarah's dress, pulling her attention away from the rapidly disappearing car and onto the little girl.
"What is it sweetie?" Sarah asked Lucy.
"Who are they?" Lucy asked pointing towards the door. Sarah looked in the direction that Lucy pointed to. Most of her current residents and all of her staff had joined Kevin on the porch and front steps.
"They, my dear, are just more people who want you" Sarah explained, and giving the girl a little encouraging push asked "Why not go say hello?"
Lucy seemed wary but visibly took a deep breath and walked towards the group at the door. Sarah made sure that Lucy was happy and that everyone had moved towards a different room before turning to the owl that had not moved from its place on the path.
"I wondered when you'd turn up" Sarah said putting her hands on her hips. Jareth transformed himself back into his Fea form.
"How dare you little girl!" Jareth said with ice cold anger in his voice, "What right do you have to keep children that should be mine?" Something in Sarah snapped at this declaration, the children in her care were human beings, not some possession to be owned.
"Should be yours?" They should be children, they should be loved, they should be a lot of things, Goblin King, but no way on this earth should they be yours!" Sarah said raising her voice but making sure she was not loud enough to be heard by those inside. With this she turned to go inside but stopped at the quiet reply he gave.
"Do not try me Sarah, I can be cruel."
"I'm not scared of you Goblin King," Sarah said over her shoulder, "The children are happy here, now go back to your castle and leave us be"
Sarah walked into the house and closed the front door and leaned against it, she noticed Tim staring at her from the stairway.
"Who was that?" Tim asked Sarah.
"He's the reason I started this" Sarah said, swinging her arms around her to indicate that she meant the house and the children in it. "Now shall we go and make Lucy comfortable?"
Tim moved away from the stairs and walked beside Sarah into the playroom where everyone had gathered.
Please R and R
