Chapter 4

Sarah woke early the next morning, anxious to check on Jareth. She was half afraid she'd perhaps imagined the previous night, and he wouldn't be there at all. Sure enough, though, as soon as she reached the living room, he was sprawled over the sofa, half of him hanging off it, looking troubled in his sleep. The sight of him there made her smile slightly – at least it hadn't been a dream. She still didn't know why, but she definitely felt lighter than she had in ages; it was like a weight had lifted from her after meeting with him the night before.

She wasn't sure if she ought to wake him up and ask him if she could get him anything, or if she should simply leave him there and let him rest. Knowing how it felt when she was hung over, she decided to let him sleep, and stay nearby in case he woke up and needed something. She was just finishing a pot of coffee when the front door flew open, and she gasped in shock.

"Seth?" Sarah asked timidly, walking into the hall. It was much too early for him to be home. And Jareth was still on the sofa.

"What, bitch?" Seth asked angrily, pushing past her into the kitchen.

"Uh…what are you doing home? You're not usually home so early."

"So I came back earlier than usual. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked threateningly. "What the hell has you looking so goddamned happy, anyway?"

"N…nothing," Sarah stuttered. "Sorry. I uh…I made coffee, do you want some?"

"No shit," Seth said, rolling his eyes. "Hurry it up."

"Of course," Sarah said meekly. She didn't know what to do. She hoped that maybe he planned to leave soon, and wouldn't look in the living room, because she didn't have any other feasible plan. She handed Seth his coffee.

"Tastes like shit," Seth sneered, putting it back down on the table. "God, woman, you can't get anything right."

"I'm sorry, Seth," Sarah apologized quickly. "Do you want me to redo it?"

"Fuck no," Seth said. "I'll just get a damn shower."

"Okay," Sarah said, nearly sighing in relief. If he went in to get a shower, she could wake Jareth and get him out of there.

"The fuck are you so happy about?" Seth demanded again. "You're practically goddamned smiling."

"Nothing, Seth, I'm sorry," Sarah said. "Just…go on and get your shower."

"Fine. But you'd better be naked on the bed when I get out."

"Of course, Seth," Sarah said, not meeting his eyes. She absolutely loathed having sex with him. Being raped by him, more like. Every weekend he did it multiple times, and every time she ended up feeling drained beyond comprehension. But she had no choice…if she didn't comply, he'd just hit her until she did. It was easier this way.

Seth got up from the table and headed into the hall, but rather than going toward the stairs, he headed to the living room instead.

"No, wait!" Sarah cried in desperation as she ran after him, not sure how she might explain herself.

"Who the hell is this?" Seth yelled, enraged, upon seeing Jareth on the sofa. Sarah saw he'd turned over so his face was buried in the back cushions now.

"He's just a friend, he had a bad night," Sarah explained quickly, hoping Seth would calm down. "He didn't have anywhere to go, so I let him sleep it off here."

"Are you fucking kidding me, woman?" Seth said angrily, turning to Sarah. "I know you don't have any goddamn friends. You've been cheating on me?"

"No, Seth, of course not!" Sarah said. "Please, he just needed somewhere to stay for a night. I'll get him out of here, I swear. I'm sorry!" she cried as Seth advanced on her. She instinctively put her arms up to shield herself, but he pinned her to the wall behind her and hit her anyway. He was much, much stronger than her, and she was completely unable to fight back.

"How fucking dare you sleep with someone else," Seth spat in her face. "Everything I've fucking done for you, and it's all for this bullshit."

Tears of pain were streaming down Sarah's face now; his blows hurt worse than usual, he somehow felt stronger this morning.

"He's just a friend," Sarah sobbed. "Please, Seth, please let me go, I swear he's just a friend, nothing happened."

"You don't have any fucking friends! No one wants you!" Seth screamed.

"I know, I know, I hadn't seen him in years, it wasn't anything at all," Sarah cried. "Please stop," she begged as he smacked her across the face again. She was afraid all this would wake Jareth up, and she didn't want him to see any of this. No one needed to see it.

"Fuck you," Seth snarled. "You lying little bitch."

"I'm not lying, I'm not, I swear," Sarah sobbed. He hit her again and she felt blood trickling down from her lip this time.

Jareth was lying in a fitful sleep. His dreams had not been pleasant, he'd woken often feeling quite ill, and now he could almost hear Sarah crying. He wanted to get to her, to help her, but he didn't know what was going on. Finally he managed to open his eyes and attempt to orient himself. He was strongly nauseated and the second he sat up, his head swam. He looked around and saw a man pinning Sarah to the wall, and watched him strike her. Rage erupted in him, overpowering his ill feelings, and he stood up at once.

"Take your hands off her!" Jareth commanded.

"Sounds like your goddamned boyfriend woke up," Seth bit out, bringing his knee up into Sarah's stomach and causing her to cry out and double over in pain.

"I said take them off her!" Jareth yelled, crossing the room to tear the man away from Sarah himself, grabbing his collar and yanking him off his feet. Sarah fell to the floor, clutching her stomach where Seth had kneed her, crying from the pain of it all.

"Get the fuck off me, man, if you know what's good for you," Seth said, turning around and facing Jareth. His eyes widened in shock, as did Jareth's.

"Maldonek," Jareth hissed, his eyes narrowing. "I see you haven't changed."

"Fuck you, old man," Seth snarled, his eyes flashing, struggling against Jareth's hold on him. Strong as he was, Seth couldn't manage to break away from Jareth.

"You were imprisoned up here to change your disgusting behavior, not to enhance it and practice it on humans," Jareth spat. "I wish the Council had simply listened to me and executed you to begin with."

"Get the fuck over yourself, Jareth," Seth sneered back. "You haven't got power over me, not all alone. What the hell are you doing here anyway? Don't tell me you were actually sleeping with the stupid human girl."

"I was not," Jareth said, eyes narrowed, growling in Seth's face. "And I will thank you to keep your insults to yourself."

"Get out of my house," Seth growled.

"With pleasure," Jareth said, flinging the man to the floor. He walked swiftly back to Sarah, kneeling next to her and taking her into his arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" Seth yelled, getting back to his feet. "Leave her!"

"Like hell," Jareth growled in response. "You won't use her. It won't work."

"It already has," Seth sneered. "I only need a little more from her. I've been going back to the Underground every weekend for a while now. As soon as I'm finished with her, I'll be able to return forever, and get out of this blasted form."

"Damn you!" Jareth yelled, cradling Sarah. "You will not take her. You will not finish it, you will not get to her again!"

"Why do you care?" Seth yelled back. "Why do you even give a damn? She's a pathetic little human!"

"Regardless of my feelings for her, I will not allow you to return, Maldonek!" Jareth said imperiously. "The Council will be informed of this, and they will not be pleased. You will not succeed!"

"Give her to me!" Seth growled, eyes flashing dangerously. "Give her to me, Jareth, or so help me, your kingdom will be no more."

"I'd like to see you try," Jareth snarled. "We're finished. Come near her again and I will kill you myself, Council be damned. That is a promise, Maldonek." With one last dark look at the being in front of him, Jareth disappeared, bringing himself and Sarah to his castle.