Lotte- what is this? I post before you, now all we need is Nightwish on MTV for the world to end! Love you, and I'm trying to break away from my usual patterns. Shake things up a bit. Mwhahah.
Chapter 12
"Helena..." Jareth watched her lean on the rail of the library balcony, watching the stars glow in the sky.
"yes?" She brought her attention back to him, watching him lean in the same fashion as she was.
"What were those stories you mentioned earlier? The ones your grandmother told you?"
"Well... actually the stories all belonged to my great grandmother, but my grandmother repeated them to me, as sort of a family tradition. My grandmother Jane swears they were all true, but it truly is silly. She took her stories from a play, Peter Pan. I... I don't know if you know literature... being here I mean." She blushed as she spoke, focusing her gaze on the rail in front of her.
"Yes... I am familiar with the work of J.M. Barrie." Jareth's voice grew cold, his own gaze focused on anything but Helena. "You speak of your family, do you miss them, being here?"
"I have been here a day, what is there to miss of them?" Helena shrugged her shoulders, her hands wringing together. "Truth is, I do."
"Oh." he was not sure why he cared, but her words hurt him.
There was no reason, he told himself, she was just a reason to get to Sara, I shouldn't care if she is happy here, she isn't staying.
"I've missed them for a long time." Jareth tilted his head towards her, confused slightly by her words.
"I don't understand."
Sarah laughed at herself, realizing how stupid she must sound to Jareth.
"I mean my other family. My father, and little sister. I haven't seen them in years, I couldn't even tell you what my sister looks like, last time I saw her she weighted 10 pounds and was bald. She's nearly four now."
"Where do your father and sister live?" Jareth asked, truly interested in her, and her life.
"um.. London."
"Why do they live so far away?"
"I am the one that lives far away. Thats were I grew up, London. At this old family home. It was my grandmother's, and my great grandmother's before her."
"Why aren't you there with them?"
"Because this snake keeps me here." She laughed again, this time revealing her words were simply light hearted. "You mean why do I live near Sarah? Simple really, divorce. It's actually funny really, the house my father lives in now belongs to my mother, or at least I think he still lives there. I couldn't imagine he would move, there has always been family living in the Darling home."
"Darling?"
"Oh yes, that was my great grandmother's Maiden name." She turned around to lean backwards on the banister, her attention no longer the landscape, not it rested completely on Jareth. "Can I ask you, King of the Goblins, about your family? Or, are their some laws against that I do not know about? I am new here you must remember." Jareth chuckled and grinned.
"There is no law, although, I've never had the question asked, you see, goblins don't have families, not in the way that you do."
"You don't have a family?" No wonder you were crying, she found her mind finishing.
"I did...before I came here... a long time ago." He sighed, stepping away from the rail to stand in front of her. " I had a large family. I was the youngest of ten." Helena could not help but notice the sorrow in his eyes.
"What happened to them?" She couldn't stop herself from saying.
"They lived their lives, some longer than others."
"They... they are all dead?" She felt her own eyes begin to water, the thought of losing her entire family was something that never crossed her mind.
"Yes, do not look so sad, why the youngest of my brothers lived to be seventy-seven." Helena's jaw dropped as she looked at him, complete confusion clung to her face.
"How... I don't understand." She straightened her back to stand up, bringing herself just slightly closer to him.
He laughed again, leaning his arm on the rail. "I am a lot older than I look." His grin seemed almost boyish to Helena, cocky but charming in a way. "This place, it's quite reserving. I just passed my hundred and twenty first birthday.
"Wow. You don't look it." They stood there simply smiling for a moment, each feeling their heart race.
"It's getting late. Thank you, for the tour."
"It was my pleasure." He stepped away from her, heading back into the castle. "Let me walk you to your room." She nodded and linked her arm with his.
They walked in silence, Jareth listening to the sound of her dress dragging on the floor, and Helena just listening to his boots clicking with each step. As they approached her room, both simultaneously slowed their step, trying to keep the evening from ending. Despite their attempts, they reached her room, the point where they had to part.
"Sleep well." The Goblin King released her arm, trying to let it linger against her body as long as he could.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Jareth opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead only closed it and bowed his head slightly. She watched him walk away, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. When he was out of her sight, she entered her bedroom. Leaning against the now closed door, she found herself giggling, although the cause of them was unknown to her. She was just simply happy.
Her happiness did not last long when a pair of hands gripped her shoulders, and pulled her away from the door.
"What the-"
"Come home Helena, we need to get out of here!" The capture that now pulled her towards the window urged.
"Sarah?"
"Come on!" She dragged her to the window, something Helena just realized was open.
"No!"
"What is wrong with you? And... what is that?" Sarah stopped suddenly. Helena now stood in the moon light, her new tattoo almost highlighted by it.
"If doesn't matter. I can't leave."
"Yes, you have to. Come on Peter is getting Toby." She yanked on Helena again, finally bringing her to the window.
"Peter?"
"I'll explain to you later." Once I figure out whats going on too.
"But-"
"No, we have to go meet him-" Sarah was silenced when the sound of a scream hit their ears. Helena's heart froze, it belonged to Jareth.