She didn't know for how long she sat in that silence staring at herself with her hair half brushed. It could have been hours, or merely minutes. But every second was spent in a contemptuous staring contest with her abhorrent reflection. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. This wasn't right. A shadow, a monster, that's what she was. A worthless crone. Even as she stared it seemed her eyes became more sunken and dark. An angry buzz growing louder in her mind, like a thousand voices asking, "whywhywhywhywhyWHY?"

Her destructive reverie was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing. Turning to investigate she saw a beautiful young-looking woman coming out of a hidden door in the wall beside the fireplace.

Servant's entrance, of course.

The woman was rather short and very strange looking, she had long willowing limbs in porcelain pale. Long, flowing blue hair framed a very refined and reserved countenance. Her dress was a very lovely shade of aquamarine in a very practical cut. And she was covered in jewelry made of various kinds of sea shells. A pair of slightly unsettling night-black eyes rose and fell with a courteously sweeping curtsy. A calm and measured voice rose from pale green lips.

"My lady Sarah, please forgive the intrusion. My name is Brenna, I am a handmaid of the estate. His Majesty has instructed that I attend to you for the duration of your stay here. Any time night or day for any of your needs, I am completely at your disposal."

Sarah started to feel self-conscious in the presence of someone so put together when she must be even more haggard then before. it was hard to resist the urge to compulsively straighten her clothes.

"May I approach?" Sarah noticed she was still in her prostrate position.

Fake it til you make it she thought to herself. She did her best to straighten her crooked back and tried to imitate the girl's surefooted way of speaking.

"Brenna, it's lovely to meet you. Of course, you certainly may."

She watched then as Brenna drew herself up smoothly and glided effortlessly over to the vanity. Hell, Sarah might not have guessed she'd even had feet had she not seen them herself. The petite things were housed in thick, soft, lightly beaded slippers that effectively hid the sound of her steps. Maybe that was on purpose, to keep the servants from being noticed while they milled around the castle. She stood at attention to Sarah's right, having not made a single sound. Her eyes looking meekly to the floor.

"Do I please you, my Lady?"

Well, that simply won't do. Time to play grandma.

"Brenna, child. Look at me."

Brenna's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly before she slowly rose her eyes to Sarah's face. A surprised expression escaped her as Sarah took her hands in her own and gaver them a reassuring squeeze.

"You're a very nice and polite young woman. I know there is probably a certain way things are done here. However, when it's just the two of us I'd like us to be more friendly and familiar. That's the way people…Above ground relate to each other. I'm just a little too old to get used to all the 'my lady' and the bowing. I'd like for us to keep it more relaxed. It would just make me feel more comfortable. Do you think you could do that for me?"

Sensing some hesitation, she continued.

"His Majesty won't here it from me, sweetheart. It will be a secret between friends."

Slowly, a warm expression broke through the thin veneer of professionalism as Brenna truly smiled.

"Of course, my…Sarah."

Sarah nodded once in approval. "Much better. Now do you think you can help me into the bathroom? I'd like to get clean before anything else surprising happens."

More thoughtfully than Jareth had, Brenna held out her arm for Sarah to take. Helping her to stand and shuffle along the cobblestones at her own pace.

When they finally reached the en suite, Sarah was already exhausted and she almost groaned when she saw it. White marble was everywhere. A huge counter piled high with several bottles of various lotions and soaps was pressed against the length of one wall. That silly boy, did he give her every kind of soap known to man? A delicate and expensive looking water basin and mirror twinkled with gold and silver at the back of the room. A deep standing bathtub rested in the middle of the huge space…not a single handrail in sight.

Good lord, she was going to die all over again in here.

"Oh, dear me."

Brenna looked at her, concerned. "Is there something wrong, Sarah?"

"I don't quite know how to say this, child. I am not ungrateful to His Majesty. This is a bathroom for a queen. But this room, truly lovely as it is, was not designed for someone like me. Someone with my…needs."

Brenna looked around the room and took it in from Sarah's perspective, comprehension and slight embarrassment coloring her features.

"Oh, dear me is right. This simply won't do. I'll see to it immediately." Sarah almost saw the old-fashioned light build appear over her head as she seemed to have an idea. "If I may suggest an alternative for just this once?"

A wary nod from the suddenly nervous old woman.

"Am I right in thinking that even with the suitable changes, you will need assistance to bathe?"

Wryly, Sarah nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I used to have a caregiver for these sorts of things. Bathing, dressing, using the toilet. I know it probably all seems quite unmentionable to you. Would you be ok taking up those duties in addition to your usual ones?" Her voice had grown a little small, this was always so humiliating.

Without hesitation Brenna exclaimed, "Of course! You are our champion, it is our blessing and our honor to serve you. I was thinking, if I brought in a comfortable chair I could give you a sponge bath. It is how we water pixies prefer to bath when we are away from our home. If we get into something like a tub the temptation to never get out is rather great, so we take sponge baths. Far more practical for those of us who prefer to be punctual."

Sarah smiled at the adorable turn of phrase. "Well, that sounds fine to me for the meantime. Thank you for being so accommodating. I'll wait here while you get the chair." Unhooking herself from Brenna she braced herself on the wall.

Shortly, Brenna had returned with a wide seated wooden chair and they began the process of bathing as a team sport.

Brenna was very gentle and respectful, taking cues from Sarah seamlessly. Very soon Sarah was more at ease then she had felt in ages. As lather was being worked into her hair in what amounted to an amazing head massage she could have sworn she felt all the stress and grief of the past few months be washed away down the silver drain.

Waiting had always hard on her, but waiting to die was almost impossible. Watching the doctors give up, watching her family grow desperate, planning her own funeral, saying all those many goodbyes. Dying didn't just happen in one day for her. It was a long and agonizing process. While she had been thoroughly prepared for it, it certainly wasn't easy.

And now after all of that, here she was. Worlds away from home in Jareth's castle being bathed by creature of mortal fantasy like it was merely a Tuesday. Did they even have weekdays here? She had a million questions, just as well because it seemed she would have forever to ask them. the prospect sounded mountainous.

At some point, I am going to have to make choices again. And right now, I choose to enjoy this. I'll deal with the rest later.

After she had been rinsed, dried in fluffy towels, and wrapped in a warm dressing gown Brenna once again sat her down by the vanity to begin brushing her hair properly this time.

Sarah froze when she looked in the mirror this time. Her hair…what had happened to her hair?

The thin wisps of cobweblike strands now fell past her shoulders in thick, shiny white locks. Running her hand through it she felt it's full bodied and strong texture. She smiled widely for the first time since her arrival.

"You are a miracle worker! Whatever is in that shampoo?"

Brenna seemed slightly aghast too, but she breezed over it well.

"Nothing special, maybe you just needed to be clean again. The stress of crossing over, a new place, fresh faces and everything. I'm sure anyone's hair would be a bit lank after something like that."

Well, that makes a simple kind of sense. Wait a minute…

She didn't hear her new friend chattering on about underground beauty routines. Her attention was totally fixed on running her tongue over her teeth. ALL her teeth.

I haven't been wearing my dentures this whole time, how did I not notice?

Deciding to keep this revelation to herself for the time being, she pretending to be paying attention with the occasional "huh" and "oh really" as her hair was braided into a long loose plait to dry. All the while she was inwardly counting gleefully to 32 and back again. She resolved to somehow get her hands on a big juicy cheeseburger even if she had to build the first one ever in the underground.

Both women started when a loud clatter and an "OWIE!" sounded from the servant's entrance. Sarah looked to see the odd sight of a sugar bowl rolling to her feet.