"What You Wish For" by Kitty Rasputin
Disclaimer- I own a piece of gum and a green necklace, nothing more.
Chapter 14- A Birthday Surprise
It was Sarah's birthday, but she didn't feel like celebrating. Other than Toby, who had probably forgotten, she had no family to share it with. She had a feeling that the day was bound to be overshadowed by the conspicuous lack of parents, much like Thanksgiving and Christmas would be. She hadn't even mentioned the day to Jareth because of that.
It had been over two weeks since he had promised that she could see her friends. She hadn't asked about it since then because she knew that he was busy. In addition to his normal kingly duties, Jareth had also decided to officially take over Toby's education of the Underground. Every night he would come over and spend at least an hour showing Toby how to use his now-blossoming magic. Sometimes, Sarah would watch this instruction, especially when he explained the history and the etiquette of the realm. These things were important for both of them to know since she was also going to be living in the Underground. She still wasn't sure she was comfortable with the idea yet.
Several other things had been happening to put Sarah on edge, things she hadn't bothered to tell Jareth about. A strange-looking woman had been showing up at least once every other day. She claimed to be one of Eliza's lawyers, but Sarah wasn't buying it. There was something otherworldly about her, a kind of aura that Sarah wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't known Jareth already. Needless to say, she hadn't even let the woman inside the house.
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"Two weeks! It's been two weeks and the wench still hasn't let me in. How am I supposed to find some dirt on the girl if I can't even get into the house? I haven't even seen the boy yet." Tanith stomped around the parlor, getting angrier by the second.
Eliza watched the temper tantrum with thinly-veiled amusement. Her interest in Sarah had waned. There was no way a judge would take the boy away from her just because she had a boyfriend. To be honest, she had grown quite bored with the custody battle.
The sheer effort that Sarah put had been putting into keeping her brother was not lost on Eliza. She had thought that giving Toby everything he could possibly desire would make her feel better about the massive rift that had always been between her and her sister, Karen. Seeing the two of them together, though, she realized that taking him away from his sister would be just another tragedy for the family.
"She's a smart girl. She rarely lets the two of us spend any time alone. I dare say she has learned to watch the things she says and does."
Tanith stopped pacing for a moment and glared at Eliza. "I've realized that already. The wench is clever. I can't even see into her house. Even when she leaves the house, she rarely looks into a mirror. Any other girl her age would be worried about their appearance all the time."
Eliza could barely hold back her laughter. Because of her own vanity, she had become well acquainted with Tanith and her ferocious temper. Watching the fae woman get angry because Sarah was besting her with effortless ease was a great source of entertainment. "I'm actually ready to give up on this. The boy is obviously much better off with her. Maybe you should find something else to occupy yourself with."
"No! I can do nothing else until I've exacted my revenge! I won't stop until the girl is dead."
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Sarah sat in her father's study grading papers. She was teaching three classes at the local college this semester. The job wasn't glamorous, but it was helping to pay the bills. The phone rang, startling her away from her paperwork. The interruption made her both grateful and annoyed because she wanted to be done with the work as soon as she possibly could.
The conversation was brief, but alarming. After she had blindly hung up the phone, Sarah just sat there in stunned silence. She didn't even realize that she was crying until she felt the tears splash against her empty hands. When the door opened several minutes later, her vision was so blurry that she couldn't even see who it was.
"Sarah?" Strong arms enveloped her body and she leaned into them for support. He did not ask her what was wrong, choosing instead to let her cry as long as she needed.
"They've set the court date for Monday," she finally said once the tears subsided. "I may have less than a week left with him." She had not even allowed the idea to cross her mind until then that she would not get custody.
It only took a glance between her tired, stressed-out figure and the tall stack of graded papers for him to come to a decision. Despite her protests, he gathered her up in her arms and carried her upstairs. "Sarah, you are wearing yourself out. I know that you're just trying to help Toby, but you won't be able to help anyone if you keep pushing yourself so hard. I am ordering you to relax, at least for the rest of the night. Toby and I will make dinner while you take a bath or something." He noted her upraised eyebrow at the word "order" and was more than a little surprised when she didn't object.
"As you wish," she replied with a smirk similar to the one that usually adorned his face. They both laughed for a moment until she became serious again. "Jareth, I need to know how I can find a job in the Underground. We've never discussed it before and it's time that I found out what my options are. I have to support Toby somehow."
Jareth was speechless as he realized how Sarah never ceased to amaze him. He had not expected this scenario, but he already had a solution for it. He'd already thought up a proposition for her. Now wasn't the time for it, though. "I promise that we will talk about it before the two of you move to the Underground."
"I'll hold you to that. What's said is said." The words followed Jareth out to the hallway. He chuckled softly at them, once again grateful that Sarah was back in his life. Then, he hurried down the stairs. There was much he had to accomplish.
Sarah decided, once the Goblin King was out of sight, to take his advice. Whether anybody else knew it or not, it was her birthday. Just because she didn't want to celebrate didn't mean she had to work herself to death. Humming a tune to herself, she walked to the bathroom and prepared to take a nice hot shower.
It was only a short time later, but Sarah felt much better. The shower had done wonders for her aching muscles. She had even opted to exchange her nice teaching clothes for stretch pants and a sweatshirt. The enticing aroma of food helped move her toward the kitchen. "Hey, what smells so good? I'm starving."
The sight in the kitchen made her stop and stare in wonder. It had been transformed so that it looked very much like a room out of Jareth's castle. A bountiful feast was laid out on the thick wooden able, including a very delectable-looking cake. The light fixture had been changed into a dark chandelier, complete with lit candles. The stove, refrigerator, and other modern appliances had disappeared, making the table the absolute center of attention.
"What do you think, Sarah? I did it all by myself. Well, Jareth helped with the food. Do you like it?" Toby bounced up and down, waiting for her answer. He was dressed in fae clothes, tan breeches and a dark overcoat, and his hair was tussled in a similar fashion to Jareth's. The effect was rather startling and it took her a few minutes to form a coherent answer.
"It's amazing, Toby. You've come so far in such a short time. You'll probably be ready for the Underground in no time. You already look the part. Why the big production, though? We're not having a party, are we?"
"Of course we are," a silky voice said into her ear. Jareth stood behind her with a sly grin on his face and a package in one hand. "It's your birthday. There is almost no greater cause for celebration."
Sarah smiled shyly, completely unaware of how it lit up her features. "You didn't have to do this. I was completely prepared to forget about my birthday."
"Which is exactly why we're doing this, he replied smoothly. "Come now, Sarah, I've brought you a gift. Don't you even want to see what it is?"
"Will I have to give up my baby brother?" The words slipped out before she remembered how much she now trusted him. The horror she felt made her cover her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Gently, he removed her hands and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "My dear, you have nothing to apologize for. I have been cruel and everyone in this room knows it. There should not be stipulations on presents. Nevertheless, if you insist on giving me something, I'll take a kiss, but only after you open this." He shook the box at her.
She took it from him, unsure of what she would find inside. The olive green fabric was soft to the touch and she carefully lifted the dress out so she could see all of it. It wasn't quite as elaborate as the white ballgown she had worn. In fact, it looked like a grown-up version of one of her old costumes. There was also a cloak and a matching pair of tall boots made out of light gray material. In the bottom of the box was an amulet on a thin chain. "Jareth, it's all so beautiful. I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't expecting anything. Thank you." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back."
The dress and the boots fit perfectly, almost as if every inch of her had been measured. The thought made her blush and she turned to the mirror. For just a moment, the reflection was not her own. She blinked and the apparition was gone. Ignoring the warning bells that went off in her head, she picked up the amulet and clipped it around her neck. The dark green stone felt warm against her skin and she vowed to ask Jareth what it was.
The dinner was fun. Toby pleaded with Jareth until he demonstrated how to juggle the crystals. They talked and laughed about some of the friends that Sarah had made in the labyrinth. She described in great, horrific detail the look and smell of the Bog of Eternal Stench. At that point, Jareth explained how he had never actually put anybody into the bog. It was just a very good threat.
As Sarah began cutting into her meat, a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Jareth, where exactly did you get this chicken?"
"Oh, it was in the throne room," he answered absently. When he looked up, though, he was grinning wolfishly. "I would have thought you'd be more worried about the cake," he said, gesturing to the delectable chocolate concoction. "It's a special recipe that calls for peach wine."
In response to the unspoken challenge, Sarah reached out with her fork and took a bite-sized piece of cake. It practically melted in her mouth and was so incredibly delicious that she closed her eyes in ecstasy. "That is the best cake I've ever tasted. I may have to exercise after this meal is over."
Jareth had waited to find an excuse for this. "Maybe you would like to go for a walk with me later. For now, I would like to propose a toast." He raised his goblet and stared intently at the woman across from him. "To Sarah. May she get everything that she wishes for."
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Author's Notes- Another chapter done and closer to the end. I hope the wait hasn't been too excruciating for my faithful readers. Now for the response to my loyal reviewers.
Fester's Love, InuLvr7, kitsmauels, AvitarGirl, notwritten, and Artemisdesari- I'm glad all of you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you liked this one just as much.
Yodeladyhoo- I did not wish to offend anybody and was not trying to force any of my readers to read "Eyes Closed." Like I said in my conclusion to that story, I had to write that poem for my creative writing class. I just wanted some opinions from people who are actually interested in "Labyrinth". Now, when I said I was planning to finish this in four chapters, I was not planning on cutting anything out. I just estimated the length it would take to finish it. I also have everything (well, almost everything) figured out.
I hope this chapter has been as decent as all the others. I promise that the end will come before the end of the semester, even if it kills me. I should have a new chapter up in a few weeks, hopefully before Easter. Until then, ciao.