"I don't want to go." Sarah grumbled, dressed in her usual work clothes of a sweater and pencil skirt. It was raining outside, and even though it was the middle of summer it was seriously chilly. "This weekend has been so perfect, I don't want it to end."
They had spent the entirety of Sunday in bed, alternating between sleeping, sleeping together and talking about their future plans.
Not much had been decided, but Sarah had asked for an Aboveground wedding as well as Underground, and Jareth had agreed straight away. He had always assumed she would want both, and the Aboveground wedding could take place before she was Fae, as it would have no significance Underground anyway. He wanted to give her as much humanity as he could, knowing that soon everything would be different.
"I know love, but you love your job really."
"I love you more." She said sulkily. "Fine, I'll go. I guess I'll have to give it up soon anyway so I might as well finish what I've started."
"That's the spirit." Jareth said cheerily. "Shall we go then?" She looped her arm through his, and Jareth smiled when he caught sight of her ring glinting on her left hand. He still wasn't used to seeing it there, and it made his heart flutter every time he saw it.
"Let's go." Sarah said, and Jareth did as he was told. They appeared in the usual alley, and Sarah hugged him longer than she normally did.
"What's the matter?" Jareth asked. "You don't seem yourself."
"I'm fine." She said, not looking at him. "I just feel a little emotional this morning, that's all. I guess you were right about the pill not stopping my PMT. I feel like I could cry and eat a whole chocolate cake at the same time."
"No crying, but cake is acceptable. I'll see you at six, and we can watch whatever terrible film you want to tonight."
"Thanks." She said gratefully. "I should be happy. I am happy. Really happy."
"I know you are, love. Go to work, and I'll see you later."
Sarah waved goodbye to him, and walked over to her office. She walked up the stairs to the second floor where her department was, and said good morning to her colleagues.
"Good morning Alison." She waved, and Alison looked at her suspiciously.
"What's that on your finger?" She asked with a wise grin, and Sarah smiled awkwardly.
"I got engaged at the weekend." She admitted, and Alison shrieked and hugged her. Sarah didn't like to talk much about her personal life at work, and as several women swamped round her to look at the ring, she felt decidedly uncomfortable. They all asked for details, and she gave them the bare bones of the story. She guessed she'd have to get used to this, at least for the next day or so.
"It's such an unusual ring!" One woman, who Sarah was pretty sure was called Pat, said. "Very intricate."
"He had it made for me." Sarah told them, to appreciative "ooh"'s.
She still hadn't told her mom or dad, though Jareth had told her the previous day that he had asked her father permission to marry her on the way back from his nephew's naming ceremony. She had been touched that he went to all that effort for her, and surprised her dad had managed to keep a secret.
She kept her head down for the rest of the day, editing a new book that had just come in called "Lost In Love", which was about a woman who got lost in the woods and met a lumberjack. It made Sarah feel even worse; looking at terrible work all day was always depressing, but when she was already in such a bad mood it felt like torture.
Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was lunchtime. She wasn't hungry, and she knew that she had a phone call to make. She hated to tell her mom over the phone, and before her dad, but if she didn't tell her soon it would look like she was trying to hide it. Sarah tried to work out when she should say it happened, what with the flight she was supposed to have taken home from New York. She picked up the phone, and decided instead to call her Dad. It would be 7am there, and if she was quick she wouldn't get caught making international phone calls from the company's line.
"Hello?" Irene answered the phone, and Sarah grimaced.
"Hi Irene, it's Sarah."
"Sarah, you're calling awfully early."
"It's not early here. I just needed to catch my dad before he went to work, is he still there?"
"I'll pass him over." She could hear Irene mutter something, and Toby shouting in the background. He must have been getting ready for school.
"Sarah?"
"Hi Dad."
"Is there a problem?" He asked, sounding wary. Sarah laughed.
"No, no problem. I just wanted to tell you before I called Mom. I said yes."
"Oh that's wonderful news! Congratulations honey."
"Thanks Dad. Thanks for saying he could ask me."
"I don't think he really wanted my permission, Sarah. He asked because he knew it would mean a lot to you. You don't need my permission for anything, kiddo. I didn't give you permission to run off to London but that seems to have worked out pretty well for you. I'm proud of you."
Sarah felt tears prick her eyes, and she smiled even though he couldn't see.
"Thanks Dad. Will you tell Tobes for me? I have to go, but I'll call again soon."
"Sure thing kid. Bye."
"Bye Dad."
She hung up the phone and picked it up again straight away. It was difficult being the child of divorced parents; she didn't want to play favourites, and timing was important. She punched in her mother's number, and waited for the phone to connect.
"Hello?" The voice at the other end wasn't her mom's, and Sarah tried to place it.
"Um, hi. Is my mom there? It's Sarah."
"Oh, hello Sarah. It's Judith." Sarah screwed her nose up in distaste. Even talking to the woman on the phone was annoying.
"Oh, hey."
"How are you?" Judith asked, her voice even more clipped than usual. Sarah got the impression she didn't really care.
"Fine, thanks."
"Recovered from Friday?"
"Er, yeah. Is my mom there?" She asked again, not wanting another lecture on drinking responsibly.
"She's just here. Goodbye."
"Sarah?" Linda came on the line, and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey Mom. I wasn't expecting to talk to Judith."
"She just popped over for a chat, that's all. Jeremy's left again."
"Oh Mom. When are you going to ditch that loser?"
"He's not a loser Sarah. He's troubled, a true artist is always complicated."
"Of course he is." Sarah said sarcastically. "Poor tortured actor who can't stay away from twenty year old ingenues."
"Sarah!" Her mother said, sounding hurt, and Sarah felt a little guilty for being so harsh on her. "Are you alright honey? You don't normally call from work." Linda asked, and Sarah almost laughed at the concern in her voice.
"I have some news."
"Oh?"
"Jareth asked me to marry him last night."
"He did?!" She squealed. "I hope you said yes!"
"Of course I said yes." Sarah snapped at her, feeling a little sensitive.
"Well, I am just so pleased! What wonderful news! Can I come over and see you tonight? I want to give my future son-in-law a hug!"
I bet you do, Sarah thought.
"Sure. Come over about seven, I'll cook something." She actually planned to just ask Jareth to wave his hand and make something.
"I'll bring dessert."
"Fine. See you later then."
She hung up, not sure if she was dreading seeing her mother or looking forward to it. She certainly didn't relish the prospect of her mother being overly touchy with Jareth yet again, but it was nice that her mom wanted to celebrate with her.
She watched the clock for the rest of the day, until finally it was time to leave to meet Jareth. He always met her at the door of her office, rather than the alley.
"Hello darling. How was your day?" He kissed her hello, and she sighed.
"Long. Long and boring. I should have stayed home with you." She said, cuddling into him.
"I was quite busy today informing my Kingdom of our engagement, so you would have been alone. My father wishes to meet you soon."
"He does?" Sarah asked, feeling rather scared of meeting Jareth's father.
"Of course. You will be queen, and he needs to know what you're like."
"So he'll inspect me?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. Jareth shook his head.
"Nothing as terrible as that. He's agreed to come Above, so we'll have dinner at our house. He wouldn't be able to acclimatize to the real world. My mother also wants to meet you, but I think that's just because she's so excited at the prospect of finally having a daughter-in-law she might explode." Sarah smiled; Jareth's mother had looked sweet in her portrait, and by all accounts she was a kind woman.
"I'd like that. By the way, speaking of mothers, Linda's coming over tonight. I called her to tell her the good news and she insisted on coming to see us. Well, I'm sure she's coming to see you really." Jareth grinned at her; it was no secret that he and her mother flirted outrageously, but it was nothing serious. He would never betray Sarah's trust, and if it truly bothered her he would put a stop to it. He got the impression she secretly found it rather amusing.
"Wonderful. I will be on my best behaviour tonight, I assure you. Shall we go? Walk or magic?" He always felt ridiculous calling it "magic", but it was the only word to describe it really.
"Magic. I need a lie down before Mom comes."
"A lie down? Sarah, are you alright?"
"Considering I hardly got any sleep yesterday and exerted a lot of energy celebrating our engagement, thirteen times might I add, I'd say it's not surprising I'm a little tired."
"Do you want me to check your magic?" Jareth asked, looking concerned. He had tried to refrain from checking it without her knowledge, and didn't want to interfere with the progress of her transformation by introducing his magic too much. She needed to be strong in her own right, not because of him.
"No. I'm fine, I'll just have a nap and I'll feel better. Work was so boring today that it might have actually sedated me. Let's just go." They walked to the alley together, and seconds later they were home, standing in their bedroom. "Thank you." Sarah crawled onto the bed and fell asleep straight away. Jareth watched her with concern, but resisted the urge to check her. Covering her with a blanket, he went downstairs to clean up before Linda came.
"Jareth!" Linda stood on the door step, holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and balancing a tupperware dish on the other. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to ask Sarah?"
"It was a surprise." He said simply, taking the things she was carrying. "You're looking lovely this evening. Jeremy couldn't make it?"
Jareth and Jeremy didn't get on; they both thought the other was a smarmy git.
"Don't talk to me about him." Linda sighed, as she flounced into the house. She was dramatic by nature, and Jareth was getting used to her constant on-off relationship.
"Sarah's asleep, I'll go wake her."
"Asleep now? That's odd." Linda said. "Is she sick again?"
"No, just a hard day at work I think. Plus a little jet lag." Linda looked confused, and Jareth remembered that she had seen them on Friday night. "I surprised Sarah with a quick trip to see her father. Concorde is a marvelous invention, there and back in the blink of an eye."
"Coming back to Earth with a bump, I believe the phrase is. After a weekend of romance I'm not surprised she's tired. Although I'm not sure seeing Robert is anyone's idea of romance."
"She enjoyed it. She got to see Toby again."
"Well, I'm glad." They walked up the stairs together, and Jareth left Linda on the landing of the first floor, telling her to go and make herself comfortable in the living room. He left the container and the bottle of champagne on a table by the living room door. He continued up the stairs to their bedroom. He rarely used the stairs in his own house, finding them to be a dull waste of time.
"Sarah?" He said softly, opening the door. She still slept soundly, and he walked over to her. Lying down next to her, he whispered in her ear. "Sarah, your mother's here."
"Huh?" She mumbled, turning over to face him. "Wha' tim'sit?"
"A little after seven."
"'Kay, I'll get up." She stretched, opening her eyes slowly. The bandages over her eyes had come loose while she slept, and Jareth pressed them back down.
"Do you feel better?" He asked her softly, stroking her forehead.
"Yeah. I don't know what happened, I just felt really bad today."
"Isn't that normal? Around your.." Jareth came from a society where they didn't really speak of private bodily functions, but Sarah knew he meant to say 'period'. She had no idea if Fae women even had periods, and she wasn't entirely sure Jareth knew either.
"I guess. Can you take care of dinner?" She asked him, stretching out her arms.
"Done." He told her. "I'm quite the excellent cook, you know."
"You mean those goblins of yours are." She said, sitting up. "Okay, go down and entertain my mother - not too much." She said pointedly, and Jareth grinned at her. "I'll be down in a second, I just want to fix my hair and change into something more comfy."
"Of course."
Jareth went back down the stairs, and continued down to the kitchen to get three champagne glasses. He took them and the bottle into the living room, where Linda was staring out of the window aimlessly. He placed the things on the table, making Linda jump.
"She'll be down in a moment."
"Great. I can't wait to see the ring! Where did you get it?"
"I designed it, actually. I have an old friend who makes that sort of thing."
"Oh! How romantic!" Linda said, clutching her hands to her chest.
"I think so." Sarah said, coming into the room. "Hey Mom." Linda ran over to her and enveloped her in a hug so tight that Sarah looked at Jareth for help. He just shrugged, and tried not to laugh.
"Hello sweetie! Let me see, let me see!" Sarah duly held out her hand for inspection. The intricate design of the ring really was beautiful, she thought as her mother squealed over it. The Labyrinth design had not gone unnoticed, and she hadn't been sure whether to laugh or cry.
"How unusual! Jareth, you're an artist." She told him, and Jareth watched her trace over the metal. Sarah stood there, looking rather irritated, but didn't say anything. She really was behaving most strangely today.
"I just wanted something special for her."
"I brought champagne!"
"That's really kind of you, Mom. Jareth, can you open it?" Sarah asked.
Jareth did as he was told, popping the bottle open and pouring it into three glasses.
"To your engagement! May you both have a long and happy life together." Jareth and Sarah shot a look at each other - if only Linda had an idea of just how long their life would be.
"That was delicious." Sarah told Jareth as he cleared the plates away (by hand - he hated human chores almost as much as using stairs). "Mom, did you bring dessert?"
"Yes! I left it upstairs, let me go get it." Sarah waited until she could hear footsteps on the staircase.
"I'm tired again." She said, yawning and leaning on his shoulder. Jareth looked at the clock; it was only eight thirty. "I'll have whatever she's brought for dessert then I'm going to bed."
"Alright sweetness, whatever you want."
Linda came back into the kitchen holding a tupperware dish Sarah had never seen before; Linda wasn't particularly domestic, and Sarah didn't even know she could use her stove before she brought her that soup last week.
"Ta dah!" Linda opened the container to reveal the most delicious looking chocolate cake Sarah had ever seen.
"Oh my god, that looks amazing!" Sarah groaned. Jareth handed Linda a knife, and she cut Sarah a big piece.
"I knew it was your favourite! Jareth, would you like a piece?"
"No thanks. I'm sweet enough." Jareth didn't care for Above chocolate; he had very sensitive taste buds and found it overpoweringly sweet.
"Mom, this is so good." Jareth laughed as he saw Sarah take an enormous bite, closing her eyes in ecstasy. "Since when do you bake?"
"Judith made it, she asked me to give it to you."
"I guess she's not so hideous after all." Sarah said through a mouthful of cake.
"I haven't met Judith. What's wrong with her?" Jareth asked, remembering how the woman had vanished just as he'd gotten there.
"Nothing is wrong with her! She's just a little..critical, I suppose. She's a good friend to me Sarah and I won't have you say mean things about her."
"Fine. Tell her I said thank you." Sarah said begrudgingly. The cake really was amazing.
"Perhaps you two got off on the wrong foot. I want you two to be friends."
"Mom, no offence but I don't need a forty year old woman who feels the need to judge my relationship, my drinking habits and my career as a friend. I'm feeling really tired. I might go to bed."
"Okay sweetheart, I've got to go and give Jeremy his stuff back anyway."
Sarah rolled her eyes; the "giving Jeremy his stuff back" scenario always turned into "I accidentally slept with Jeremy" and then "Me and Jeremy are back together, isn't it wonderful!" Her mother was as predictable as the books Sarah edited.
"Thanks for coming round, it was good to see you." Sarah stood up and gave her mother a quick hug. "Goodnight!" She practically ran up the stairs, and Linda gave Jareth an odd look.
"Is she alright? She really doesn't seem like herself."
"Women's problems, I believe." He said lightly.
"Oh, that makes sense. And explains why she ate that cake so quickly. Right, I best be going. I'll leave the rest of that for her." Linda gestured to the cake on the table. "Congratulations again..son!" Jareth laughed, and showed her out. Shutting the door, he took himself to their bedroom. Sarah was undressing for bed.
"I'm sorry for running off, I just feel so tired, and a little sick. I'll be fine after a proper night's sleep."
"I'm worried about you, love." He told her, and she waved a hand, dismissing his concerns.
"There's no need. The markings are hurting, I'm sure it's just that making me feel tired." She peeled back the bandages and Jareth took a sharp intake of breath. "What?" She asked, looking scared. "What's wrong?"
"Go look." He said breathlessly, and she ran to the mirror. She stared at her reflection, tracing over the marks lightly with her finger tips.
"They've healed! You said it would take longer, it's only been a week."
"Nearly two." Jareth reasoned, and Sarah frowned at herself.
"Still, that's not right is it?" Sarah said quietly. She had had her reservations about how fast everything was going, but she didn't want to worry him. Now she was suddenly exhausted again for no real reason and her markings had healed so quickly, she was a little scared.
"No." He told her gently, admitting what he had known for the past two weeks; everything was moving far too rapidly, and he was consulting with his medics on whether or not it was actually safe for her. None of them could come up with a conclusive answer. "No, it's not right. Lie down, let me check you."
She did as she was told, and he placed his hand above her heart. He could still sense the slightest trace of Juturna, but that was all. Everything else seemed fine, the same as it had been the last time.
"It could be the amulet accelerating the process." He pondered, still examining her. "I think it must be the amulet."
"Why?" Sarah asked. "I thought it would anchor my magic, not interfere with it."
"It's not human metal, and it's infused with magic, as is your ring. It might be too much for you. I should have thought, it was careless of me."
"I don't want to take them off." Sarah said stubbornly, clutching at the necklace with her left hand. "They mean too much."
"What's the use of keeping them on if you're tired all the time? If it puts you in danger?" Jareth asked her sternly. "Take just the ring off, then."
"But it's so beautiful." Sarah said sadly, staring down at her finger. It was also the one reminder that she was still human; Jareth had given her this ring to acknowledge that, and now she couldn't even have that.
"You'll wear it again, Sarah. It's not forever. Once you're Fae, which at this rate won't be long, you can have it back. But I just don't want to expose you to too much while you're so weak. The amulet will be enough, and that's the thing that means the most. A true symbol of my love for you."
"Fine." She took the ring off, and threw it down rather aggressively. Jareth looked at her in disbelief; it was only a ring, and she would be able to wear it again eventually.
"Sarah." He said warningly, and she glared at him.
"What?" She got under the covers, rolling away from him.
"Don't be like this." He sighed; he was used to the odd hormonal rampage from her and the best way to handle it was gingerly.
"Be like what?" She challenged him, and Jareth spoke before thinking.
"Difficult." It was the wrong word, definitely. Nobody liked to be called difficult.
"I'm not being difficult. Maybe I'm too weak to understand."
"Sarah, you know I didn't mean it like that. It was my fault, I didn't realise that they would have such an affect on you or I would have just gotten you a mortal ring."
"I just want to go to sleep." She said miserably. "I feel useless."
"You're not useless, precious. You're just at an awkward stage in the transformation." He turned her over, and sat her up. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her. "I love you Sarah. I know this isn't easy for you, and I can never express how much I value your sacrifice for me."
"I love you too. I want to be with you, and this is part of it. I just feel a bit down about the whole thing today. I'll be fine tomorrow."
"You mustn't bottle anything up. You can tell me how you feel, you don't need to be passive aggressive with me."
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm fine, really. Can we just go to sleep?"
"I'm needed Underground for a while, I need to speak with my Father. Can I leave you to rest? I won't be late home."
"Okay baby." She mumbled, already half asleep. "Love you."
"Love you too, precious. Sleep well."
Checking she was safely asleep, Jareth went Underground.
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Hope this chapter isn't too boring, but I hate those fanfics that are suddenly like "EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN TWO DAYS" with no build up and I'm desperately trying to avoid being one of those..
I'd love to hear from you, you know what to do!