Chapter III. Negotiation
Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
For a long moment Sarah stared at the feather, her mind going a million miles a minute. It's not necessarily an owl feather. It could have blown in from outside except the window hasn't been open all night or it could be from one of our pillows you sleep with a tempur-pedic, idiot or it could be from one of Maggie's silly feather boas since when did she have a white feather boa?-
She forced herself to breathe, trying to block out her shrieking conscious. The room was dark and quiet, save for the soft splatter of the rain and Maggie's heavy breathing. Nothing was going to happen. Breathe, just breatheā¦
The sudden rumble of thunder cracked across Sarah's shattered nerves and her knees gave out. She crumpled to the floor, shaking, heart palpitating like a terrified rabbit. The floor was wonderfully solid underneath her, and she gripped the plush of their carpet, trying to convince her sleep-addled brain that everything was fine and thunder was nothing to be afraid of. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.
Except for the pair of eyes staring at her from under the bed.
A scream scrambled up Sarah's throat, but it was too late, far too late. Strong hands gripped her ankles and she was falling.
Falling.
Falling.
Thump.
- - -
There was warm stone under her hands. And hip. And face. Sarah groaned, pushing herself up onto her hands. Her head was spinning, and for a few moments, confusion cluttered her thoughts. A feather. Lightning. Hands. Eyes.
Her eyes flickered open.
Amber light filtered in through high, stained windows. Grooved cobblestones dug into the heels of her hands. Sarah could feel a string of straw in her hair. She stared down at the stone under her spread fingers, not wanting to look up.
"Hello Sarah."
Shit.
She knew that voice. She knew that voice from every dream she'd had for the past seven years. She knew it from the thirteen frustrating hours she'd spent in the Underground and it still sent shivers down her spine. Sarah tilted her head up, every fiber of her being shrieking. And there he stood, just as imposing as he'd been seven years ago. Tall, slender, cruel and beautiful, Jareth, King of the Goblins stood over her, black-clad and impossible.
"No."
Jareth quirked an already upswept eyebrow. "No?"
She got up slowly, deliberately, hating the way his eyes felt on her. He eyes her unashamedly, mismatched gaze sweeping over her curves, horrible smirk firmly in place. She took a shaking breath, but spoke with strange clarity. "Send me home."
His smile stretched wider. "I'm afraid you're in no position to make demands, Sarah."
She set her jaw. "Send me home, Jareth."
"What's said is said-"
Sarah finally exploded. The fear and rage that had been building inside of her finally found release. "I don't CARE what was SAID. SEND ME THE FUCK HOME, JARETH. NOW!"
He watched her scream with an expression of mild amusement. She hated him all the more for being so relaxed in the face of what could only be called a meltdown. "There are rules I have to follow," he replied simply.
"You MAKE the fucking rules, you ass! Send me HOME!"
Her fists were clenched so tightly she could feel her nails digging into her palms. She'd read somewhere that causing yourself pain while experiencing completely unrelated pain would help balance the two out. She wasn't sure if physical pain could be used to balance out mental pain, but it felt good. Felt real. It was something she could control. Her rational mind had completely shut down, and she was screaming and blathering at a figure from a fucking story who shouldn't be real but at least she was still the master of her own body.
"You've been wished away to me, Sarah. She said the words, you heard her yourself. There isā¦procedure that must be followed." he paused, turned away and settled himself lazily in his throne. He looked for all the world like a big cat, draped over his seat, predatory look in his odd eyes.
Sarah stood her ground, feeling rooted to the spot. "I'm not going to play your games, Jareth."
He flashed her a grin, giving her a brief glimpse of his sharp teeth, "It's not you that has to play my games, is it?"
Sarah stood, stunned. It was true. Maggie had wished her away, now Maggie would have thirteen hours to run the Labyrinth. "Where is she?" Sarah asked cautiously, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.
"Still asleep, in the charming little room you share," Jareth tapped his foot against the arm of his throne. "I thought I'd offer you a deal before we woke her up. It's only fair."
"No deals. I'm not messing around with you, you're a liar and a cheat."
Jareths eyes flashed. He pushed himself out of his chair, stalking closer. His movements were graceful, feline even, and Sarah shuddered as he moved closer. "Do you think your little friend can solve my labyrinth? Do you think she'll be as lucky as you were? If she fails, you'll be here forever." He put such horrible emphasis on the word forever that Sarah physically balked. He seemed pleased he'd been able to affect her so. "Do you think she'll refuse my offer? I can show her her dreams, Sarah, and not everyone is as stubborn as you."
A pit yawned open in Sarah's stomach as her tortured mind considered her options. Should Maggie refuse Jareth's offer, she'd still have to complete the Labyrinth. Somehow, Sarah couldn't imagine her friend surviving the first few obstacles, let alone actually winning. Sarah herself had beaten Jareth on pure luck and because of the friends she'd made along the way. If Maggie didn't make the same decisions, could she even find her way into the maze itself?
"What's your offer?"
Jareth appeared to ignore her, but stepped closer, and with a flourish of his hand, conjured one of his crystal balls. Sarah stared at it nervously. "Speaking of dreams," Jareth drawled, examining the orb closely, "Why don't we have a look at some of yours, shall we?"
Sarah could do nothing but stand in mortified silence as the depths of the crystal ball materialized into moving shapes. She recognized her own face, eyes closed, lip caught between her teeth, ecstasy in every feature, and over her the familiar silvery head of hair of the Goblin King who watched her, smirking at the horror in her eyes.
"Stop it," Sarah managed to choke out, tearing her eyes away. Jareth tucked the ball into the pocket of his coat, standing far too close for comfort, and folded his arms. His expression was one of a cat who'd just caught a mouse. Accomplished, and deeply smug.
"I'm sorry to tell you I've been watching your dreams for some time now, Sarah."
"You had no right-"
He ignored her. "And so I have a proposition for you. Your friend can run my Labyrinth and fail, and I know she will. I won't make it easy for her as I did for you."
As irritated and angry and embarrassed as Sarah was, she couldn't help but splutter "EASY?"
Jareth continued to ignore her. "Or, you can remain here. For as long as I see fit."
"No dice. As long as you see fit could be a hundred years."
Jareth shrugged. "It's quite a bit longer than eternity. Which is how long you'd be forced to stay should your friend fail in my labyrinth."
Sarah knew he was manipulating her, and she wasn't about to fall for it. "Jareth, I'm not going to make a deal with you. I'm not stupid. Send me home. If you recall, YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME."
Faster than she thought possible, he was behind her, hissing in her ear. "You're wrong. You've been wished away to me, so Miss Williams, I'm afraid to tell you that I do have power over you and I mean to exercise it."
Sarah leapt away from him, darting across the room and maneuvering so her back was to the wall. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible. "NO. I'm not a kid, she didn't even say the fucking words right. Jareth, SEND ME HOME."
"You can throw all the temper tantrums all you want. What's said is said and you can take my offer or leave it. Unless-" with another burst of inhuman speed, he'd pinned her to the wall, hands easily capturing her wrists and bringing them up beside her head. She squirmed against him, but couldn't stop him from lowering his head to whisper hotly in her ear "Unless you wish to re-enact any of the charming scenarios from your dreams. You've grown up Sarah, don't think I haven't noticed, and if your subconscious has anything to say, it's that you want me."
Momentarily stunned by his offer, Sarah couldn't fend off the thrill of lust that washed over her body. As bad as the situation was and as trapped as she felt, she couldn't deny that having him pressed up against her like that, whispering to her in a voice that was obscenity incarnate, was more than just agitating. She quickly beat her hormones down, allowing them to be replaced with righteous anger. She struggled, but couldn't break his iron grip, and eventually sagged against the wall, glaring at him from beneath her curtain of dark hair. "Get OFF!"
"A month."
"What?" she asked, exasperated.
"You were wished away here, and I should keep you forever. But I'm feeling generous. A month."
A month? A month wasn't that bad.
"No re-ordering time."
"I swear." He pushed away from the wall and Sarah scuttled away, to stand in the middle of the floor, where there was no way he could pounce on her again.
"What's the catch?" She asked nervously.
"No catch. You simply stay here, do what I tell you, and when your time is up, you are free to leave."
"I don't believe you."
"It's this or forever, Sarah. Take it or leave it, my patience is running out."
Sarah stared at the floor. Her options were limited. In fact, she didn't have any options. She was stuck in the Underground with a man so infuriating he made her skin crawl. But a month didn't seem too bad. She could probably spend a lot of it making his life a living hell. And although she couldn't help but remember his hot breath on her ear and the image in the crystal ball, she straightened her back and set her jaw resolutely.
"Fine. A month."
"Done." Jareth moved to one of the arched doorways and stopped, motioning for Sarah to follow him through it. As she passed him, he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close to growl in her ear, "I've seen your dreams, Sarah Williams, and don't think for a second that by the end of this month they won't come true."
Another stab of lust weakened her knees but she kept her eyes ahead, clamping her mouth shut. Had this been another time, and on her own terms, she'd have some witty reply, but right now all she had going for her was her fear and anger and out-of-control hormones. He swept past her, and she thought she heard him chuckling to himself. Beating back the tears she'd kept at bay since arriving, she followed him.
Sarah Williams was back in the Underground.
- - -
Authors Note: Comments are like crack to me. That is all.
