AN: I own nothing.
AN2: This is turning out to be a bit longer than expected (uh, started off with six chapters and now I'm on 11...and I still have a few more to go!), but I'm glad that you all like it! Thanks to my reviewers!
"Can never find a waiter when you need one!" Sarah muttered to herself as she walked back toward the buffet tables, after making the rounds of the guest tables and seeing no one. Most certainly not an attractive blonde man with a lovely accent.
"Looking for something, Sarah?" Charlie appeared out of nowhere, surprising Sarah out of her intense searching.
"Jeez Louise, what is with people scaring the crap out of me today? I swear, another surprise like that and I won't have to go to the bathroom for a week!" Sarah gasped, clutching her throat as she whirled to face Charlie. and then tottered sideways a few steps. He was, after all, standing a bit close. And she had had some tea. Enough said.
"Oh. Well then. Perhaps it'd be best to never mention bodily functions to me again, hmm? But anyway, were you looking for something, or have you just had too much punch? Or tea? Or both, I suppose? I see that the aunts have partaken, I guess you might have joined them as the festivities were settling down. You were kind of wandering aimlessly with this forlorn look on your face like you needed more tea." He knew he would have to act fast, in case Jareth woke and remembered, but he was nervous having this responsibility. Bobby had always done the actual intervening of keeping Jareth's memories locked away-- Charlie had had no practice. And, it was clear, Sarah was not safe if the Goblin King was in a rage. She was still too young and too innocent -- he would surely hurt her feelings, if not break her heart, if he remembered her run.
"You're kind of babbling there, my dear cousin. Nervous, much? Perhaps you've had a nice long conversation with your date, Jareth Kavanagh? I haven't seen him in a while, I almost thought he'd gotten lost in the swamp." Sarah laughed, trying for some humor, but her stomach had quickly turned sour at the nervous babbling and the thought of Charlie's date. The mere thought of that man just threw her for a loop, throwing her off kilter, causing her to entertain thoughts she'd never had before. It felt like something was going to happen...had maybe already happened and he was at the center of it.
"No, no, of course not. He got to talking with one of the wedding guests and they wandered off over there somewhere." He gestured with his hand carelessly, and yet carefully directing Sarah's attention away from the church. If he hadn't been looking at her at that exact moment he wouldn't have seen the brief look of disappointment that ran across her features at the mention of Jareth with someone else. He had to get her out of there...and fast. She was like tinder to Jareth's flame -- if the two were to cross at this point, there'd be one heck of a bonfire.
"Ah, well, your aunt sent me to see if you were going to leave soon and to remind you to say good-bye before you go." He thought the reasoning sounded logical, but he knew by Sarah's change of face that it wasn't so very plausible.
"Uh, she left twenty minutes ago...did you get lost on your way back from the men's or something? Or have you had too much punch there, bucko?" Sarah willfully put her thoughts of Jareth away and tried to make light of the situation, lightly tapping Charlie's arm as she tried to make a joke.
"Well, it did take a little bit of doing to find you, I'm not even sure how long ago I talked to her! So when are you going? I think the aunts might need a ride if you're going their way..." Charlie trailed off to wave at the gossipers' table as they laughed loudly about some joke or other, skillfully turning the conversation away from awkward.
"They've certainly been entertaining today...one of the few things that have helped me keep my sanity and prevented me from running headfirst into the Bog of...er, well, the Swamp, of course."
The Bog of what?! Where the hell-o kitty did that come from!? Sarah's eyes widened briefly. It was almost as if the thought had come from someone else. Or from her -- but subciously. As if something was lurking beneath the surface and was seeping through the cracks.
"They are rather eccentric ladies. Did you need help coordinating rides for them?" Charlie, very studiously, ignored the almost reference to the Underground. It was clear that the something was influencing Sarah's memories, perhaps springing the latch to the box she had created many years ago?
"No, I should be all right in getting them home. I'm sure they won't mind, or even remember in the morning, cramming into my little car. Besides, that way I can just shove them all out at the same time and have done with it. I'll get them some coffee first, and then we're outta here." Sarah turned away from Charlie, seeking a waiter with a renewed vengeance. Her seventh sense (sixth being the ability to know exactly when the microwave popcorn was done) was screaming at her that it was TIME TO GO. She rarely ignored that sense.
"All right then. Hey, if I don't see you before you go, don't be a stranger." Charlie pulled Sarah into a semi-awkward embrace, considering she was half turned away from him and he was still trying to ensure that she wasn't looking at the church, and released her quickly.
"Sounds like a plan. Catch ya later, Charlie. Hey, tell Jareth...uh...nevermind." She had almost made a fool of herself over a man she'd barely exchanged words with! Good thing Charlie had turned away by that point and had only briefly paused, his profile to her, as she trailed off.
He nodded and kept moving towards the church. Which was odd, as there was no one in the church. And the bathrooms were through the side entrance.
"Hmm, I wonder what he's up to." She had started to follow him her childlike sense of curiousity piqued, only to be stopped by a very tall, very imposing figure. Well, moreso stopped by his chest.
"Well, you must be Sarah", the Jolly Green Giant rumbled.
