Dare to Heir
Chapter 10
"I'm fine!" Sarah stated emphatically while giving Gideon her version of the evil eye. It wasn't nearly as effective or as scary as Irene's but it was passable. "The doctor said I could go back to work, so stand back and let me!"
Holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat, Gideon inhaled sharply and exhaled deeply. "Fine," he huffed, clearly put out. "I was only thinking about you."
Standing up, Sarah placed her hands on her slim hips and said, "I know, Gideon and its sweet of you to be concerned, but get over it already. I'm tired of sitting around this place. I need to feel useful."
Not to mention that I need something else for my brain to focus on other than that damn book. Running a hand through her hair which had yet to be pulled back into its characteristic pony-tail, she sighed again. It was a combination of a tired and exasperated sigh and spoke volumes of how harassed she had been since, once again, having the book in her possession.
"You're not going to wear those hideous shoes, are you?"
Sarah clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Of course I am." Grabbing an elastic band she grasped her swath of dark hair and in a few well-honed twists wrapped it up at the crown of her head.
Why he continued to harp on about her shoes was a mystery. So, they weren't the most attractive and anything less than stylish was an offense to his eye. Was that any reason to go on and on about it?
"Other than the obvious, what do you have against my crocs?"
He grimaced. "Where do you want me to start?" Gideon watched in distaste as she used the wall for balance as she slid - first one foot and then the other - into a pair of atrocities of an equally heinous lime green. "Is it absolutely necessary to have a plethora of them in every color imaginable?"
"You really are a snob, you know that Gideon?"
She knew she sounded bad tempered, but damn it! She hadn't been resting well, not even with the medication the doctor had prescribed. Vivid dreams haunted her the minute she put her head on the pillow. Mostly, they were fragments, pieces that had no sense and were in seemingly random order. She'd wake coated in a sheen of sweat gasping and clutching at her blankets.
She dreamed often of the Goblin King. Those dreams were far clearer than the other hodge-podge glimpses she'd had when she'd dream of things other than him. In several of them he had laughed at her. This had been especially infuriating. In a few he'd kicked and screamed at squat, unattractive creatures. The poor things were terrified, and shook and trembled whenever he was near. Yet, even at his most abhorrent – and there had been several instances of this – Sarah couldn't deny his unnatural beauty.
"Having fashion sense automatically makes me a snob?" Gideon asked, effectively interrupting her internal musings. "I find that statement to be snobbishness of the highest order!"
She ignored his comment, and entered the bathroom where she began "putting on her face" as Gideon called it. He had to confess it generally took her less than ten minutes. An anomaly considering the majority of the women of his acquaintance took a half an hour or more.
Leaning against the door jam, he remarked in a casual manner, "You know, if Irene knew about your plan to return to work, she'd race home from the park."
Gideon's threat wasn't an empty one and while it failed to have her shaking in her crocs, it did manage to piss her off. This had to stop!
"You two sure have become tight." Excruciatingly so. "What about all those disagreements, those less than amiable feelings? Huh? I really miss those days." And she did too. Her life might have been a tad more complicated when he and Irene weren't getting along, but at least it had still been her life.
"Irene," Gideon ignored her snort at the use of her step-mother's first name, "And I have bonded over a mutual mission." At her confused look, he continued, "Keeping you alive and well."
"For your information, and you can pass this along to Irene, I am perfectly fine. Even the doctor agrees, and he's a professional and that should suit both you and your new best buddy."
Gideon shoved his hands into the pockets of his designer jeans. He forced his voice into a neutral tone, before continuing. "Yes, well, Irene and I aren't so certain. We were thinking that you could continue to stay here, you know, just in case you need her or your dad."
"You two are unbelievable!" Sarah advanced on him. Taken by surprise he backpedaled in his hand-made leather loafers. "I am moving back to my home today." Poking a finger in his chest, she inquired tartly, "Is that understood, oh friend of mine?"
Gideon was used to Sarah being forceful, but the genuine wrath on her face was new, and a bit alarming. "Fine," he conceded, reluctant to give into her wishes. "You're going to tell Irene."
"No problem," Sarah agreed with a brisk nod of her head. Pushing him aside, she reached for her keys. "I've already packed," she informed him while sending him a winning smile over her shoulder.
Gideon shook his head in bewildered wonderment while following her out to the car. She'd already pushed the passenger door open from the inside. "Thanks," he muttered crossly, climbing into the seat.
"If you're going to sulk," she retorted while buckling her seat-belt, "you can get out now. I'm going to be dealing with children all day – some of which – will undoubtedly be bad-tempered. I don't need one more added to the mix."
Ouch, he thought ruefully. Sarah could be really nasty when she put her mind to it. "I do not sulk," he stringently denied, following his words with a petulant pout.
Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, Sarah held back a giggle. He really was a piece of work, but he was her friend and by default that made him her piece of work. She was touched by his concern, but it was misplaced. Of course, telling him that made no difference. He was still as clucky as a nervous hen, and it didn't help matters that Irene encouraged him in all of his nerve-racking over protectiveness.
"Listen," she began, this time less snippy, "It's no big deal." She started the car and pulled away from the curb. After making the turn off of the street, she accelerated. When he didn't answer, she sighed.
Her window slid down with one press of the button on the side of her door. She thought about hitting the one that would lower the passenger window, but settled for the back two instead. Gideon had never been too keen on getting his hair mussed up.
"Giving me the silent treatment now?"
"No," he sniffed, after a brief hesitation. "I'm worried about Irene. She's going to have my guts for garters." He sounded so miserable at the prospect of incurring Irene's wrath that Sarah threw her head back and laughed.
It was good to hear her laugh again, Gideon decided. She was beautiful when she laughed. Especially right now, with her hair whipping like a dark banner around her face. His hand itched to pull the loose strands back from those marvelous eyes which were now lit up with the rays of the rising sun. Who in their right mind could stay angry at Sarah when her face was flushed with rosy color and her mouth curved into a teasing smile? Certainly not him, that was for sure.
Other than the low sounds of music coming from the radio, they traveled the rest of the way in relative silence. It was one of the things that Sarah loved about Gideon. He didn't feel the need to fill the gaps with nonsensical chatter. Theirs was a comfortable silence built on years of friendship; a true meeting of the minds. There was no need to impress, flatter, or any of those silly things. They accepted each other.
"Finally," Sarah said as she stepped out of the car and onto the pavement. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she gazed with pride up at the sign above the door. This was her place, her business, and she loved every minute of it. Loved working with Gideon, loved the kids, and loved the feeling she got every time she held one of those tiny little people in her arms. "I have missed this!"
"As you can see, the place hasn't fallen to ruin without you." Gideon reached into the back of the car pulling out a large box, grunting under its weight. "What do you have in here?"
"Coloring books, crayons, paints, sketch pads, play dough…"
"…bricks, rocks, mortar," Gideon quipped.
"…easels, books, board games," Sarah continued as if he hadn't interrupted. "I noticed we were running low, and decided to pick up reinforcements."
Gideon shifted the box from one thigh and then to the other as he watched Sarah rifle through her purse. Her brows furrowed in frustration as she opened interior zippers still finding nothing.
When she began to pat down and search pockets she'd already searched, Gideon offered up, "Mine are in my coat."
Giving up on her purse altogether, she delved into his coat and fished around until her fingers closed over his keys. She chose the correct key amongst the others, pushing it into the lock and turned until she heard the distinctive click of the bolt sliding free.
"Don't look at me!" Gideon exclaimed when she eyed him with suspicion. "I didn't take your keys. And, just remember, Irene loves you."
"Swiping the keys from my purse is overkill, don't you think," Sarah admonished lightly while holding the door open so that Gideon could sidle through with his burden. "I can't believe Irene actually thought that would stop me from coming back to work."
Gideon knew better than to tell Sarah just how far Irene had gone to ensure Sarah's well-being. If Sarah ever found out that her stepmother had contacted the doctor in the hopes of having him suggest to Sarah that she should indefinitely delay her return to work, she'd totally blow a gasket!
Sarah pushed the door inward, and then propped it open with a doorstop shaped like one of the seven dwarfs. Gideon moved forward with his burden and dropped the box on one of the plastic kiddie tables.
"Careful," Sarah exclaimed, concerned that the table wouldn't hold up under the box's weight.
Rubbing his lower back, Gideon ruefully replied, "Your lack of concern for my muscles and joints is touching. Relax about the tables. They might not look like much, but these fellas could withstand the poundage of an elephant." At Sarah's disbelieving look, he continued while slapping his hand on the surface of one such table. "I have the assurance from the manufacturer that these babies can withstand the destructive tendencies of even the worst kid."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Sarah asked with an amused twitch to her lips, "You're comparing a few rowdy youngsters to elephants?"
"Well," he blithely replied, "if the trunk fits."
"You're as crazy as they come. Now, let's get moving. Our kids will be here soon."
With a crisp salute, Gideon stated, "Aye, aye captain!"
They began pulling items from the box. Gideon was amazed at how much she had managed to purchase in such a short span of time.
"How, in the world, did you manage to slip away long enough to buy all of this stuff? Irene has done everything with the exception of hire a professional babysitter, or place a detective on your trail! So, give over, how'd you do it?"
"Oh, I have my ways," was her cryptic reply.
Sarah was setting up a toddler-sized easel, and Gideon was placing Scooby-Doo coloring books on a shelf when the door opened admitting Jesse and James. They squealed when they saw Sarah, and ran to throw their arms around her legs.
"Whoa there, tigers," Gideon gently admonished them before attempting to pry their arms off of Sarah who was having problems keeping her balance due to their exuberance and constricting embrace.
Reluctantly they released her, and then gave a shout when they saw the new toys scattered throughout the room. Gideon grinned when they beat a fast pace to the cardboard cans of newly opened play dough.
"My goodness, you're back, and how wonderful you look too!" Sarah was enveloped in a tight hug by Gillian and Gabe's aunt.
Drawing back, Sarah answered brightly, "Thank-you, Clara. It's good to be back. Come here, my darling boy," Sarah cooed, while taking an eager looking Gabe from Clara's arms. Cradling him to her chest, she reached out to brush a curl off the forehead of his sister. "Hello, to you too, my pretty girl."
Gillian began to wave her chubby little arms at Sarah, motioning for her to be taken from her aunt as well. "They've both missed you," Clara proclaimed, while jiggling Gillian on her hip.
"What is this?" Gideon demanded with a light laugh. "I wasn't a good enough replacement?"
"If I hadn't come to your rescue, Gideon Pierce, you'd still be walking around this place lost and confused," Clara shot back at him with a grin.
Rescue? What did Clara mean?
"Now don't be getting uppity just because you donated a few lousy hours here and there," Gideon cheerfully returned before going to greet Mrs. Mason-Harding. The woman was looking harassed and dragging a little girl in each hand.
Placing Gabe in one of the cribs, Sarah grasped Gillian under her arms and pulled her close. "Thanks for helping out, Clara. I had no idea."
"No need to sound guilty, Sarah. You were sick, and Gideon was frazzled out of his mind here without you." Shrugging, she added, "Besides, I'm between jobs at the moment, and it was fun."
"Now, you are being generous! I know exactly how Gideon runs things when I'm not here. Why do you think I haven't taken a vacation in years?"
"No, really," was Clara's earnest rejoinder, "He was fabulous. He's incredible with the kids, isn't he?"
Sarah glanced over to where Gideon was thumb-wrestling with Millie. "That's because they're on the same wavelength," Sarah muttered wryly.
Jareth appeared not in a house – as was usually the case – but in a room littered with unusual objects. There were several pint-sized tables and chairs as well as two chalkboards set up on tiny easels. Massive amounts of multicolored hand prints on various shades of cardboard were attached to the walls. Some sort of playroom Jareth surmised.
A small gasp caught his attention. A young boy, possibly four or five, stared at him with his mouth hanging open. Was this the child he was to take or the one who had done the wishing away? Either option was odd to Jareths' mind.
Generally, the wished away child was younger; more infant than toddler. In Jareth's extensive experience, babies with their dirty nappies and constant crying often drove humans to wish them away without thought for the consequences. The wisher, on the other hand, was usually much older than this little lad. Certainly, there had been the odd case or two. Cases, in which, the person doing the wishing away and been much younger than was normal although not ever as young as this one.
Jareth strode toward the frightened child as non-threatening as possible. Lowering himself to the youngsters level he asked in what he hoped was a soothing voice, "Well, what have we here?"
Staring steadily into the Goblin King's eyes the lad leaned in and whispered, "You're you."
Jareth laughed. "That I am, little man. That I am." Playfully tapping the boy in the chest, Jareth asked in a whisper soft voice, "Who might you be?"
The boy giggled, swatting at Jareth's fingers. Then, using a moist thumb, he pointed to himself and said, "Jesse."
"Well, young Jesse, it's a pleasure to meet you." Cocking his head to the side, Jareth asked kindly, "Do you know how to shake hands?"
Jesse's cobalt blue eyes registered confusion. Popping his thumb between pink lips, he shook a curly-haired head before mumbling a barely coherent, "Nuh uh."
Jareth, not well versed in baby language, took that to mean no. "It's not that difficult really." Jareth patiently explained. "Hold out your hand like this."
Jareth demonstrated. Jesse followed suit. Jareth beamed while taking Jesse's tiny fingers into own, and gave them two gentle but firm shakes up and down. Sensing Jareth's approval, Jesse's own face broke into a wide grin. Jareth was enchanted. What a lovely little chap, he thought. Reaching out, the charmed Goblin King ruffled the little boy's hair.
Jesse simply popped his thumb back into his mouth and began to suck in earnest. Jareth was once again struck by the oddity of the situation. He was just about to question the boy further when a scream nearly had him springing out of his boots. Jumping to his feet at record speed, Jareth spun around while materializing a crystal orb out of thin air, prepared to defend young Jesse at all cost.
It isn't possible, was Sarah's first thought. One minute she'd been heading back from a short trip to the bathroom - nap time was a good time as any to take a bathroom break – only to discover that Jesse had left the nap area while she'd been gone. Searching for him was no big deal. The place wasn't that huge. The next minute, she was stumbling upon some stranger kneeling far too close to Jesse. Sarah rubbed at her eyes. Clearly her vision was faulty, but when she looked again, he was still there. Big as life: Jareth the Goblin King!
Jareth relaxed his battle stance, and though he might not have appeared to be, he was equally stunned. Years of sitting through court dinners went a long way into fine tuning the best avenues in which to disguise a vast array of emotions. He had never been more grateful for that training then at this moment. The last thing he wanted was for Sarah to know just how affected he was by this strange turn of events.
With a familiar twist of his wrist the glass orb disappeared. He crossed to her with what Sarah could only describe as a swagger. His lean hips swiveling with each step until finally he was before her. He shone – literally shone – with an otherworldly light, which would make perfect sense because he did hail from another world.
"My, my, my," Jareth muttered. "This is a most unusual set of circumstances. One for the record books to be sure."
She'd changed since they'd last parted, and although he'd peered into her life via one of his crystals, the reality was far more striking. She was a woman now, with little left of the young girl he recalled. At fifteen she'd held the promise of beauty, and now years later that promise had been realized. Yes, gazing at her through his crystals had been inadequate at best. They had not done her loveliness justice.
Jareth asked, "Did you summon me, dear Sarah?" Gesturing toward the child still immersed in sucking his thumb. "Or, perhaps, this little chap might have been the one?"
"I… I don't know what happened, or how you got here." She pulled the young boy behind her in an effort to shield him from any possible harm. "Jesse couldn't have called you. He wouldn't know anything of you, or the Labyrinth. No one does. I've told no one!"
Her voice had a pleasant husky tone to it, one not there before when last she was in his presence. Before, she'd been frightened, but now she sounded more incredulous than anything else; more confused as well. He could well relate on that score. The last time he had appeared, both of them had been in no doubt as to why. So, confusion had not been uppermost in her mind then. Now, there was true confusion in her lovely green eyes and something else that Jareth could not put a name too.
"Yet, here I stand," Jareth remarked while placing his hands on his hips. "How do account for it?"
"I can't." She sounded agonized. "Until recently, I thought you were a dream." Touching a hand to her head, she swayed slightly before continuing, "Until recently, I hadn't thought much about you at all."
Well, that was quite the blow to his ego. Fortunately he was in possession of a healthy one. Still, it rankled that she hadn't thought of him while the same could not be said as far as he was concerned.
"No matter," he answered, carelessly dismissing her words. "I have business to attend."
Suddenly, several more little bodies turned the corner, and then stopped at seeing such an alien person standing near Miss Sarah.
Throwing out her arms, Sarah ordered the mass of youngsters, "Stay behind me!"
"Who is that?" Mary-Lou demanded in a high pitched squeak. "He's purty," she proclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder.
Sarah almost laughed at the gob-smacked expression on Jareth's face at being called pretty. She watched in fascination as a flush of color began to darken on his high cheekbones. Sarah could not believe it. The unflappable Goblin King was blushing!
"Control your children, Sarah," Jareth snapped at her.
Millie, who was shyer than her sister, tentatively waved at Jareth from where she clung onto Sarah's leg. Before he could stop himself, Jareth raised his own hand and gave Millie a short wave. She giggled before hiding her face in the material of Sarah's jeans.
Jareth's answering smile absolutely took Sarah's breath away! How had she ever forgotten his magnificence? That stunning shock of white-gold hair! Those amazing one-of-a-kind eyes! She must have been stunted in the brain to have forgotten all of that!
"Quiet children," she shushed them. "We don't want to wake the babies."
Babies? When he had peered at her through a crystal, he recalled seeing her with one baby. Exactly how many children did Sarah have? He did a quick head count. Four that he could see and one baby that he had knowledge of.
Stamping her foot, Mary-Lou proclaimed, "Will not! Wanna talk to purty man."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Jareth huffily commanded, "Explain to this child that I am not a man." A repulsed expression settled on his exotic features. "The very idea is revolting!"
Brow furrowed, Sarah asked in exasperation, "What exactly am I supposed to tell them? That you're a fairy king?"
Little eyes widened in wonder, quickly followed by a chorus of 'oohs' at Sarah's pronouncement.
"Not fairy! Fairies little, like Tinker Bell!" Mary-Lou proclaimed in her best know-it-all way.
"Can I be your pwin-cess?" Millie asked timidly.
Horrified, Sarah exclaimed, "No," while grabbing onto Millie's shoulder. "I'm sorry darling," Sarah lowered her tone to soothe the now shaken child. "I think your mummy and daddy would be sad if you ran off to be a princess."
So, they are not all her children after all. Jareth found himself feeling, for some strange reason, relieved.
"Princesses belong to princes," Jareth patiently explained to the little girl. "I am a king. Therefore, I need a queen."
"Do you have wun?"
Sarah couldn't have been surprised than if Millie had begun to sprout another head. She never talked to strangers. It had taken her months to feel comfortable enough to say, 'hello' to Sarah, and longer for Gideon. Yet, here she was, making conversation with – of all people – Jareth!
"Such an inquisitive child," Jareth mumbled. He was finding this question and answer session quite entertaining. "If you must know, little princess," Millie beamed and the name he'd called her, "I do, indeed, have a queen."
Sarah did a double-take. "What?"
Looking once more into Sarah's eyes, he asked, "Why so surprised, dear Sarah?"
"I just… I mean…," she stammered. "Oh god, I don't know what I mean."
Jareth threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh.
Sarah closed her eyes trying to steel herself against his blazing beauty. She'd barely escaped his spell when she was fifteen. Back then, his attentions had been cold, haughty, and arrogant. His laughter was alien to her, and beyond bewitching.
"Sarah," he chuckled in true delight, "I cannot recall the last time I have enjoyed myself so much." In truth, he hadn't felt this good in years.
"Yeah, we're a real hoot, all right," was her dry response.
"Indeed," he agreed. "I would take you all back with me to act as my court-jesters. Alas, I fear if I did, you would quickly lose the desire to make me laugh."
Bristling at the very idea of stealing the children away, Sarah threw caution to the wind. "If you lay one hand on any of these children, buster," holding up her pointer finger, she reiterated, "Even one! I'll rip every last white hair from your arrogant-addled head!"
"Threats, Sarah?"
His voice was filled with dispassionate hauteur, but it didn't frighten her. Much. The children were her main priority, and she would defend them with her life. Hopefully it wouldn't come down to that.
Sarah tilted her chin in defiance, and with forced composure answered, "If that's what it takes. I should warn you, I take kick-boxing and martial arts classes!" It was a fib if there ever was one, but Sarah was desperate.
Jareth scrutinized her with keen interest. Did she really think that she could best him at hand-to-hand combat? Ridiculous! That aside, had she completely forgotten that he had no need to perform such barbaric acts? He had magic at his constant disposal. Still, he admired her bravery even if it were a bravery born of stupidity.
"You cannot stop me," he informed her with calm certainty. "You, of all people, must be aware of this."
"Bad man?"
Sarah looked down at James. How could she answer his question without scaring him? The truth was; Jareth was bad. She knew it. He knew it. Anyone who'd met him knew it! She was struggling to come up with something that wouldn't scare the kids out of their wits when she heard it. Jareth heard it too. Someone was whistling, and Sarah knew just who that someone was.
Gideon turned the corner. He was whistling itsy-bitsy spider, and in one hand he held a Styrofoam cup of coffee. In the other…
Sarah closed her eyes in despair.
"Hey, look what I found in the car," Gideon said, sounding like his cheery old self. "It's a beaut of a story. It's all about a Goblin King. Might be a bit girlie for the boys, but it's something new."