Jareth was once again left alone as Karen went to make the call, Fran left with the monkey, and Sarah went to the garage. When she returned she carried a large cage up the stairs. Great. Out of one cage and into another. At least this one is bigger.
Sarah walked back over and picked him up with the blanket still under him. "Some day we had, huh?"
Oh, you're so funny I can't even laugh.
As she walked up the stairs, the slow up and down motion started to make him realize just how tired he really was. It was becoming harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Especially with the blanket underneath him. Don't fall asleep. Stay awake for just another minute. I will not fall asleep in my enemy's arms. I will not...fall….asleep….soft….blanket...so….tirrrrrrrrr….
Sarah walked up the stairs to her room, in deep thought. I can't believe all that happened today...actually happened! I mean, I thought after I got Toby back that would be the last I'd see of Jareth. Then, low and behold, he's in my Biology class of all places. As an owl! Why the heck is he stuck as an owl?! That doesn't make sense.
And then I go on a mission with Fran to save him. Jareth, the guy who stole my brother less than a week ago! Who trapped me in a maze! Who terrorizes his citizens! Who drugged me with fruit! Why am I doing this? Pity? Guilt? I don't even like him! And I know he doesn't me! He's arrogant, pig-headed, untrustworthy, deceitful, tricky, crazy and….sleeping?
She looked down and saw that yes, the almighty Goblin King had fallen asleep in her arms. Well….I uh, guess he's had a hard few days. Sarah set him down on her bed and opened the door to Merlin's puppy crate. She threw in a few pillows, a large blanket to cover the metal bottom, then slowly set the Owl King and his blanket inside of it, sliding the lock. He's gonna be able to open this...then again, his wing is broken, and he knows he has no chance in this world without my help. Jareth out in nature? He probably can't even eat a mouse.
Then again...I can't eat a mouse.
She got in her bed and under the covers, but could not fall asleep. What they heck am I gonna do? I have a Goblin Owl King sleeping in my room. He has no magic, and I'm assuming can't get home. I don't know how to change him back! How did that even happen? This is so weird. Well, one thing's for sure: Jareth needs to stick with me until we figure out how to switch him back. But it's illegal for me to own an owl.
This isn't gonna be easy.
Sarah's alarm clock didn't even cause Jareth to stir. He'd been so exhausted, someone could've played a trumpet right next to him and it wouldn't have woken him. When he finally opened his eyes, sunlight was pouring into the room. Great, I'm in a cage again. ...Wait...I don't remember Sarah putting me in here. The last thing I recall is...oh dear. He shook his head. He'd done the unthinkable and fallen asleep while Sarah was carrying him. If she ever brings it up, I swear I'll-
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw what was in front of him: Two bowls that looked very familiar, but much cleaner. One was full of water, the other a brown mush. What, is she buying the same garbage as Natas? He smelled it, trying to figure out what it was. It smelled sweet, much better than what he'd been reduced to eating lately. He took a scoop of it and happily found it was oatmeal that tasted like maple and brown sugar. In less than five minutes, the bowl was emptied. Unfortunately, he was still hungry. That's when he noticed what else was in front of him.
A peach.
Oh, Sarah, he sneered, Once again your humor eludes me. Obviously, she'd been going for cruel irony since a peach is what Jareth had poisoned her with once before. But what Sarah didn't know was that it had been a peach that had gotten him stuck in the Nether Facility in the first place.
Nevertheless, his hunger won over his mind, and he began to eat it as the door to the room opened. Sarah walked in wearing jeans and a red shirt and took a seat at her dresser. "Oh, you're finally awake. Good, because we need to talk."
…Shouldn't you be in school?
Sarah turned to him and saw his confused glare. "...What? Why are you looking at me like that for?" After a minute, the wheels clicked in her head. She turned the digital clock towards him. "It's three thirty in the afternoon. You slept through like, half the day."
What?!
"Well, I doubt you were sleeping well in the Facility, and our time is different from Labyrinth time. Like, our clocks go back to one after twelve, not thirteen."
Well that's dumb.
"So your internal clock is probably super thrown off. Anyway, we've got more important things to go over." She got down on the floor and looked at him. "I don't know how you got in an animal testing facility or how you got yourself stuck as an owl...I mean I'm assuming you would've transformed if you could've."
Really, you think?! And you're the one who did this, Sarah, so you better figure out how to fix it!
"But I do know that you're gonna need to stay with me until you can become yourself again. I'm the only one who knows who you really are. But like Karen said, it's illegal for me to own an owl. Unless we figure something out, then the vet and animal rights activists are going to want you to go to an owl rehab facility or something along those lines, and then they'll want you released back into the wild. And you and I both know you can't make it out there. So, I did some research in the library at school today and I think I have a solution...but you're not gonna like it."
For the love of God, spit it out!
"According to the internet, they allow people to foster animals who've come out of this kind of situation. However, I've never fostered an animal before, so the vet is gonna need a little...convincing. But, if we make it look like that you cannot recover physically or mentally without me around, we may have a shot at this."
...Meaning?!
"...You need to, uh...how do I word this? You have to kinda...cuddle up to me, and refuse to leave my side. You have to act like you won't let anyone else come near you but me. You have to basically fake a mental breakdown to the point that they won't have any choice but let you stay with me."
All he could do was stare at her.
"I know it's bad, but if it works out, they might let you stay with me until your wing heals. That would give us a few months to change you back to...you."
...Well, you're right. I hate the idea. But if this is the only way, then I guess I'll just have to suck it up. Right after I throw up that oatmeal.
