Darklady: Sorry that it took me soo long guys. My beta and I have been kinda busy. But mostly I've just been stuck . . . LOL Anyway . . .
Sarah: New Character!!
Gabby: New Character!!
Ly/Jareth: Who cares?
Darklady: (glares at boys) You two had better be nice. Jareth you've been friends with the man for centuries . . .
Sarah/Gabby: Their just jealous that the new guy has it all. Looks, Brains, and Charm
Ly/Jareth: WE have all that and more.
Darklady: Yeah you also have egos the size of large jungle cats, and like all cats they like to be stroked. (SHAKES HEAD) Anyway . . . enjoy guys!!
Chapter 18: Daddy's Little Girl
Robert Williams had always thought himself a reasonable man. He had never struck a woman, or child, he gave respect when it was due and expected nothing less in return. He had been taught by his Celtic grandmother to be respectful of the world's magic, but never in his 45 years did he think he would meet a Fae. If that truly was what the man before him was.
"What the hell?" Even to his own mind it sounded ridiculous, a point only proven by Jareth's next comment.
"Is that truly the best you can come up with?" Jareth chuckled. "You bloody mortals have very little imagination." He paused for a moment and smiled fondly to the air. "Save for Sarah, a true diamond amidst a world of coal." Robert felt his rage flood back to the forefront of his mind.
"You stay the hell away from my daughter!" Robert roared. "Who the hell do you think you are?! She's a minor!"
"Jareth Athos, King of the Goblin Realm and Guardian of the Labyrinth and her Mistress'." Jareth answered with a flamboyant bow, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. Robert stood perfectly still for a moment, wondering if at any minute the man before him
would pop. King of the goblins?
"Alright someone obviously didn't take enough or ANY of their medication today."
Robert mumbled, trying to think of what he would do. He was startled out of his thoughts when the man before him barked with laughter. Looking to back to Jareth, Robert decided that it was a laugh that held little to no humor.
"You met and married a woman who has been trying to kill your daughter since your wedding night. It was this woman whom you believed in over the word of your own flesh and blood…even when the proof of your daughter's rape was being shoved into your face." Robert frowned at Jareth's words.
"I banned him from the house." Robert stated defensively. Jareth smirked, something that warned one to tread carefully.
"Be honest Mr. Williams, you didn't really ban him from your home did you? Were it not for the fact that he was running from the law and could not come to your home, you would welcomed him back again. To hell with Sarah and her 'stories', you had to keep Karen happy." Jareth sneered, stunning Robert into silence.
Jareth knew he was close, dangerously so, to losing his temper. He had watched Sarah and her family for 12 years, during which time he'd come to believe certain things about the man before him. He had thought Robert Williams to be an open minded and intelligent man, but at the moment Jareth was finding Robert anything but open minded. Gods help them both if Jareth's impression of the mortal was completely wrong, because with every passing moment Robert had his mouth gaping like a cod fish, Jareth was forced to slowly question himself.
Jareth stood, arms crossed and brow raised in silent challenge, wondering if the lawyer before him was ever going to come back with an opposing argument. It seemed not.
"Mr. Williams I can…sympathize with your current situation." Jareth found himself frowning as Robert snorted.
"Keep your sympathy, because you can't possibly imagine what is going through my mind. My wife has been lying to me for our entire goddamn marriage and not so secretly planning my daughter's rape and murder. My son is most likely traumatized for life from the image of his mother forcing a knife into his sister's throat. My ex-wife is downstairs, having shown up after 12 years of FRIGGEN NOTHING. For the cherry on the pie of my day, my 17 year old daughter is dating an over 20 pervert, who can't possibly want anything but to get into her pants!" Robert ended, his face purple and nearly panting for breath.
Jareth took a deep breath, keeping his barely contained anger in check. Knowing somewhere in the more reasonable part of his mind, it would do him no good to scare the man before him. It was amusing, on some level, to learn where Sarah got her quick temper. Jareth had mistakenly thought that it was a trait from the girl's mother, but it was quite obvious from Robert's little outburst where had gotten her smart mouth. Calm once again, Jareth found himself immensely bored and wishing for nothing more than to be able to comfort his Chosen.
"Mr. Williams if you have nothing more to say, Sarah and Toby both have been through quite a trying day. As you just pointed out. So perhaps we could finish our business so we may both return to them." Jareth watched as Robert flashed an even deeper shade of purple, he barely resisted the urge to groan and put his hand over his face. Apparently Sarah got her pigheadness from her father as well…DAMN IT!! He had been hoping that was just one of her special gifts. No such bloody luck!
"We will finish our conversation so that I can get back to MY children." Robert stated pointedly. "You are to stay away from my children. Especially Sarah." Robert said, poking his finger into the air before Jareth's face.
"And pray tell Mr. Williams, who shall stop me should I choose to continue seeing your daughter?" Jareth asked, cradling his chin in his right hand while he pressed his forefinger to his lips.
"Myself if need be! You are far too old for her and in dire need of medication! Goblin King indeed." Something seemed to click in Robert's mind. "That's how you got to her isn't it, you sadistic bastard? A young girl starved for any kind of attention and here you come pretending to be Prince Charming from one of her fairy tales." Jareth chuckled, unable to contain himself.
"Villain actually."
"I don't give a rat's ass if you told her you were her frogy god mother! You are using my
traumatized daughter for your own sick pleasure you bastard!" Robert bellowed, crossing his arms in some futile sign of finality. Jareth frowned at the man before him, the grasp on his anger slipping.
"I would suggest sir that you refrain from questioning my parentage again. I would demand that you STOP implying that your daughter is weak or stupid enough to fall for a man who wanted nothing more than a quick tup." Robert frowned himself, glaring at Jareth even before he had finished.
"I don't care about your suggestions and damn your demands! The only thing I care about is my children. I never, EVER want to see you within 1000 yards of either of them!" Jareth knew he had lost control the moment Robert's eyes turned confused and frightened. His magic had flared lashing out at the world around him. For the briefest moment Jareth didn't care who knew where he was, what he was doing, the only thing that mattered was that someone was trying to forbid HIM for seeing his mate.
Jareth watched as Robert trembled before him, feeling twisted pride at making such a man fear him. Suddenly Rin forced herself into his mind, rage and sadness crashing from the ancient creature to himself. Her beautiful voice sounded more like a dragon's harsh whisper in his mind, the fire of her anger playing across his skin.
'Save your games for those who can fight back in our world Goblin King. Here you affect more than you realize.' She paused her voice softening. 'Think of Sarah.' The name of his Chosen from Labyrinth's sweet voice causing him to calm almost instantly. Pulling his magic back Jareth looked to Robert, careful to keep his face completely indifferent. Robert quickly regained his confidence, standing taller than he had only moments before. Looking at the man Jareth knew he had only made his case worse. Shaking his head he created a crystal smiling when he found Sarah in the kitchen alone. She turned to him, as though she knew that he was watching and exactly where from. His smiled turned into a smirk as he watched cross her arms below her breasts, the act causing more than intimidation.
"What in the 9 layers of hell are you doing up there?" She asked in a quiet hiss, obviously hoping that she wouldn't be overheard.
"I merely lost my temper for a moment. It was nothing." Jareth said calmly into the crystal, ignoring Robert's look of panicked shock.
"Nothing my ass, I could feel it Jareth. Come down stairs and I'll talk to my dad." Jareth shook his head, even though he was sure she couldn't see him.
"Sarah, your father and I are stepping out for a moment. We will return shortly." He vanished the crystal quickly, seeing the flames beginning to dance in his Chosen's eyes. He barely repressed his grin as he felt Sarah's magic fill the room, she truly was pissed. 'I love it.' He thought, smiling at Robert as he spoke to the man. "You sir are coming with me." Robert shook his head.
"Yeah right! I'm not going anywhere with you Goblin Boy!"
"Goblin Boy?" Jareth chuckled as he formed another crystal. "Well like it or not Mr. Williams, you will be coming with me. Take a deep breath; this will only hurt for a moment." With that Jareth tossed the crystal in his hand at Robert's feet, the perfect fragile sphere shattering as the ground fell from beneath the mortal's feet.
Robert felt his feel leave the ground, as if flying…or perhaps falling. His eyes were shut tight against the tremendous winds that battered his face. His body felt as though it were being pulled in a thousand different directions at once. His lungs refused to work, as panic caused his body to tense painfully. Just when he thought he might pass out, it stopped and the world was suddenly alive with more noise than he thought he could handle. Opening his eyes Robert found himself once again stunned speechless, something he had never been overly found of.
The room he now stood in, looked and smelled worse than any frat house he had ever had the displeasure of being in. Chickens ran wild about the room, leading to a rather repulsive stench of old bird droppings. Added to the scent of stale beer and un-bathed bodies, Robert found it once again difficult to breath. The floor was littered with garbage of every sort. The only clean spots being the middle of the room, a small area littered with plush pillows and the rather overly masculine chair at the back of the room.
Running, drinking, and staring about the room were small misshapen creatures of all different sizes and colors. Some of the things were scaled, some leathery, some even appearing to have an oily shine to their skin. There were brown, gray, green, blue, and even strange yellow looking ones. None looked as though they could reach his navel, some shorter than even his knees. They all seemed to have a certain air of curiosity about them, as though something as simple as breathing could astound them.
Even as he thought about it Robert noticed that some of them appeared to be more intelligent then others. Those…beings…sticking out more because of their cleaner looking clothes and bodies.
"Goblins." Robert found himself whispering, even with his mind blatantly denying even the idea. Yet he had to admit that there was nothing else they could be, the realization frightened him to no end. He was in a room filled with…goblins.
Looking around, startled, Robert found Jareth in the chair at the head of the room, shaking off the thought that the chair had been vacant a moment ago. Robert carefully made his way to Jareth, noting the…relaxed way the man sat, lounging as though everything were as normal as day and night.
Jareth had debated on where to take Robert, where he would easily but quickly get him to believe what he was trying to get the mortal to understand. At first he had thought the throne room, but there was to great a chance of being caught by his fellow King or worse…the Queen herself. Jareth shuddered at the very picture. Personally he'd never met the woman, by Fae law he wasn't permitted to until he had marked his own mate. Archaic laws aside…meeting the Queen was something he was not looking forward too.
He had then thought he'd take the man Labyrinth herself, but the would only seem like being outdoors. It had come down to his garden or the holding room. As the garden was currently being exterminated by Hoggle, Jareth chose the holding room. At the moment the sound of the scab's voice was liable to lead to Hoggle living in the bog. Something Jareth was undeniably sure Sarah would not appreciate.
He hadn't thought were would be so many goblins in the room, but no matter. The little pests were doing a great deal more for convincing Robert than he would have by himself. Jareth glanced at the man who was now making his way through the goblin horde, fear and anger swirling in the mortal's eyes. Goblins moved from Robert's way unsure if the man would share in their King's enjoyment of kicking them out of windows and unwilling to see if he shared the accuracy.
"Where the hell am I?" Robert asked drawing Jareth's full attention.
"In the Underground of course." Jareth answered as he pulled his gloves tighter on his hands. "More precisely the Goblin Realm." Robert stood for a moment, apparently taking in the information. Suddenly, as though he had finally gotten a joke, he began to laugh.
"Yeah right! You know I've seen a lot of quacks…but you definitely take the cake." Robert said trying to calm himself. With each chuckle Jareth found himself becoming less and less amused. With a single nod to the mass of goblins, Jareth signaled that they may 'play' with the mortal. All the time wondering where the family's obsession with cake had come from.
Jareth watched as Robert's laughter suddenly stopped, turning into startled yelps, as goblins began to scurry on or to him. A few climbed up his back to look over his shoulders, some latched onto his legs, one even managed to get upon the poor man's head. Jareth couldn't help but smile as Robert danced about the room, trying to rid himself of the unwelcome pests. With another nod the goblins dropped from Robert's body falling to the floor and moving quickly away.
"Enough games Jareth! I want to be home NOW!" Robert roared, moving to stand only a few feet away from the King. "I don't know where I am or how you brought me here, but you will send me back this instant! I don't know how you met my daughter or how you tricked her into being with you, but you will never come near her again."
The room grew deathly quiet. Robert glanced around, each goblin stood perfectly still. Their eyes all focused on the same person…Jareth. The goblins could tell their King was upset, could tell he was trying not to harm the man. Still all of them jumped when Jareth bellowed for them to be gone.
As goblins scurried to flee from their King's sight, jumping out windows and pushing one another to be free of any coming threat, Jareth sat not amused a bit by the show they offered. His eyes mismatched and enraged remained on Robert. He dared to tell him, in his own Kingdom, what he was going to do. Dared to order him around! He calmed himself, speaking through clenched teeth.
"I wonder sir, are you hard of hearing?" Jareth paused standing once the room was nearly empty. "Your daughter has said we are courting, more than once she has said it. I suggest, Mr. Williams, that you listen to your daughter. Otherwise I fear our relationship will remain a trying one." Robert turned a remarkable shade of purple once again.
"We have no relationship, Sarah is not your girlfriend! You are never to see her again." Jareth found Robert's statement amusing this time.
"Glix, I do believe that I said everyone. " Jareth said glancing behind Robert, where one lonely goblin stood. Jareth watched as Robert took in the goblin's appearance. Glix was no where near as imposing or frightening as a good many of the goblin's in the royal guard, but was definitely something to see. He stood at a mere 3 ½ feet tall, with black hair with dusty blue skin. His eyes were an unearthly yellow, though they were common in his family. His clothes were all green with slight gold accents, announcing to all from what Kingdom and King he hailed from.
"Glix was sent with a message." Jareth frowned.
"A message from who?" Jareth asked something like worry blooming in his chest.
"Whom do you think?" Came the booming voice of his fellow King. The weight on his chest lifted a bit, though the appearance of his life long friend could bring nothing but trouble at the moment.
Robert glanced about the room, he, Jareth, and Glix were still the only ones there. Then where had the voice come from? Turning to look at Jareth, Robert jumped. A man standing at least 2 inches taller than Jareth had suddenly appeared at his side. The man was the opposite of Jareth in appearance. Instead of a mass of white gold hair, there was a mass of midnight curls, each curl seeming to glow with its own special moonlight. His skin, while pale like Jareth's, dipped a bit further towards sickly than the Goblin Boy's. It left this man looking almost like the vampires he'd seen his daughter reading about, but that same moonlight glow he seemed to possess made the pallor more appealing than sickly. It was his eyes, however, that held Robert's attention.
If the man before him truly was the vampire he looked, then those vibrant, bottle green eyes should have frightened him, but they seemed to soothe more than anything. Those same eyes looked Robert over with a strange mixture of confusion and curiosity as to why he was there, understanding at why he seemed frustrated and finally a rolling frustration towards Goblin Boy.
When Jareth balked and curled a lip towards the newcomer, a comforting smile spread over the deathly pale face, until it revealed a smile that could kill…literally. Suddenly, Robert's reassurance flew out the window after some of those goblins. He may not be a vampire, but his teeth were just as sharp and impressive as Jareth's.
The look of comfort and reassurance melted from those bottle green eyes as the man turned to Jareth, frustration and annoyance taking their places, "Jareth what the bloody HELL is going on!?" The man paused, taking a calming breath, then continued. "For years we've told each other everything. I've heard about meaningless flings after meaningless flings, about your twisted fantasies, and hopes." The man paused again glaring at Jareth. "I was even there when you were insane enough to join with someone other than your true mate. Yet after all this, after all the centuries, I have to hear about your discovery of you Chosen from a GOBLIN!" Jareth frowned.
"I was going to tell you, I was only hoping for a bit more time to prepare her." Jareth answered with honestly Robert could tell. Ten years as a lawyer had done him some good it would appear.
"Prepare her for what? To meet me? I'm not as big and bad as the courts believe, my Chosen says I'm a teddy bear." The man said, calming visibly at the mention of his wife. Looking at the man Robert wondered what kind of woman would dare to call him a teddy bear. Neither Jareth or the new man before him, looked as though you would want to cross her. Toned and obviously intelligent, it wouldn't take long for either of them to destroy any opponent, even without the use of their magic.
"Eireach tell me that she doesn't know!" Jareth demanded, his tone more panicked then anything. Eireach smiled, a chill running down Robert's spine at the gleam in his eyes.
"Do you honestly think I'm going to tell her? Damn Jareth, I know I like a bit of action, but I'm not dumb enough to piss off that woman…even if she wasn't my wife." Jareth gave a sigh of relief at his friend's confession. 'What the hell?' Was all that would run through Robert's mind as he continued to watch the scene play out before him.
"How did you find out?" Jareth asked.
"Hoggle told me that you needed someone to keep an eye on you." Eireach chuckled. "Seems the poor dwarf believes you won't follow the rules, but I assured him even you weren't that stupid." Eireach turned back to Robert. "And who is this?" Jareth shook his head and glanced at Robert. It seemed for a moment that he had forgotten the man's presence.
"Robert Williams, the father of my Chosen." Jareth answered, gazing at Robert intently. Finding himself uncomfortable, Robert moved his eyes to Eireach once again.
"Ah, pleased to meet you sir." Eireach stated kind heartedly, grasping Robert's hand with one of his own. It was surprisingly stronger than Robert had expected. "Why, may I ask, are you here Mr. Williams?"
"Because the Gobble Kid over there brought me." Robert felt himself grow red with discomfort as both men began to laugh, the deep rich sounds filling the air. After a few minutes of continued laughing from the two men, Robert found he'd had more than enough. "IF you two are finished I'd like to go home, I have children to check on." Jareth nodded calming first.
"Very good, you and I will go and che…." Robert cut him off.
"NO! I think I've made it perfectly clear. I DO NOT WANT YOU AROUND MY CHILDREN!" Robert watched as both men sobered immediately. Eireach giving Robert a look of pity as rage danced through his friend's mismatched eyes.
Jareth had known that Robert would be difficult to convince, but not even Sarah was this stubborn. The man stood in a castle, had been surrounded by goblins, was now alone with two fully grown Fae males and STILL he didn't get it. Rage at being told to stay away from Sarah clouding his eyes, fear at the possibility or never seeing her again crushed his chest to the point of suffocation. Jareth shook his head, before anyone left this room Robert would believe and except Jareth as Sarah's boyfriend and possible husband. Even if he had to hold the man upside down above the Bog of Eternal Stench.
"Mr. Williams, as I've told you before, I have no intention of staying away from either of your children." Robert puffed up, looking somewhat ridiculous, though Jareth was sure a mortal man would fin him intimidating.
"You will stay away from my daughter!"
"And who is going to bloody well stop me if I don't?!" Jareth asked taking a single step towards the mortal.
"I will if need be! I won't have you reenacting your twisted fantasies with my underage and traumatized daughter!" Jareth smirked.
"I should think not." Jareth lowered his voice to a husky whisper. "I'd much rather act out Sarah's. I did mention her delightful imagination." Robert puffed to his full height, his entire face an intriguing shade of maroon. While Jareth stood tall and proud, a smirk placed smugly on his usually elegant face.
"Enough from the both of you!" Eireach bellowed, throwing each man at opposite walls and pinning them there with his magic. Jareth let his eyes move to Eireach for a moment, taking in his friend, his normal calm person flustered with annoyance. Something that, in Jareth's mind, he should have been used to while around him. "Mr. Williams, like it or not Sarah is going to be spending quite a bit of time with Jareth. There is truly nothing you can do about it, so I would suggest for the sake of both your children and yourself that you get used to it!" Jareth chuckled, unable to help himself as Robert nodded in defeat. His amusement was cut short as Eireach turned his burning green gaze on him.
"Don't look at me like that!" Jareth spat, forcing the magic that held him away.
"I'll look at you however I bloody well please!" Eireach said, moving to stand directly before Jareth.
"What the hell did I do?!"
"Nothing that can't be explained by your lack of common sense." Eireach shook his head. "I swear with your bloody attitude I'll never understand how you get children to trust you without magic." Eireach looked back to Jareth. "That man is the father of your Chosen! He deserves respect and reassurance. He is in a different world, learning all his fairy tales are real, that his daughter is much more than he ever thought, that he is basically losing her. He deserves your patience." Jareth opened his mouth, promptly shutting once again when Eireach held up his hand. "I don't give a rat's ass." A term he'd obviously learned from his wife. "He is her father, the very reason she exists. I would start showing him the proper respect, or you very well may lose Sarah. Stop acting like an ass."
"I am not acting like an ass." Jareth said, trying to keep the part of him that agreed with Eireach at bay.
"Oh yes you are. You're acting like a spoiled selfish child." Eireach stomped his foot, not noticing for the moment how much he did as well with the single movement. "And damn it I'm trying to keep this all away from my wife, something that is equal to prancing around naked in Fiery territory." The very thought of what the Fiery's would try to rip off making both men shudder. "But I promise you right now, if you do anything, ANYTHING to endanger Sarah or her family my wife will be the least of our concerns." Jareth nodded.
Eireach was right, of course…he usually was, Jareth thought with a sigh. Robert Williams, though unbelievably blind, deserved a certain amount of respect. He cringed at the thought of Sarah knowing what he'd said to her father. Swallowing his pride, Jareth moved passed Eireach to Robert. Robert stood watching the scene play forth, whether he had heard what was said or not Jareth was unsure, but it was clear that Robert knew something had changed.
The two men stood studying the air for a moment, both men unaware what should be said. Jareth knew he should apologize for his earlier comments, but couldn't manage to swallow quite enough of his pride to do so. He could feel Eireach heated gaze burning holes into the back of his head.
"So this is all real…isn't it?" Robert asked, breaking the silence that threatened to suffocate both of them. Robert opened his arms, gesturing to the world around him. "This isn't a trick? You really are the Goblin King?"
Jareth watched as frustration and fear danced within his clear blue eyes. He wondered if he should tell Robert anything, if he should just wipe the man's memory. It would be easier for all involved, easier for the man to believe his daughter was dating a slightly older man, than a cradle robbing Fae. However lying was something he truly found appalling, twisting the truth and lying were two very different things. Jareth also knew that Sarah would never agree to hiding such a thing as his true identity from her father, or with his messing with the man's mind.
"Yes Robert, this is all real." Robert nodded sadly to Jareth confirmation.
"What is so bad about that?" Eireach asked, careful to keep his voice light. Robert looked to the both Fae as though they had lost their minds.
"What is so BAD!? This is another world, with different rules and version of propriety. My daughter is 17 years old, but apparently that's fine in your book. I know nothing about you, or your family and I've read that book. You take children and turn them into goblins…." Eireach turned to Jareth frowning as he crossed his arms.
"What did you do?" Jareth shook his head, frowning at the question.
"What in the nine layers of hell makes you think I did anything?"
"Because before we came to rule people never dared to think about us changing children into goblins, let alone believe in either of us. Now they use our title as a threat to make children behave. Now every Ron, Prick, and Barry believe not only do we steal children, but that we transform into creatures that most believe unintelligent and evil." He paused, crossing long arms over his chest. "And since I know I haven't said a thing that leaves…YOU." Eireach stated calmly, though the last word seemed to drip with a bit of venom.
"First I'm sure you said it wrong …it's Dom, Hick, and Tarry. Second, I didn't do a damned thing! I still don't understand why you believe I would spread such a vicious and juvenile rumor." Jareth watched as Eireach took in a deep breath, his eyes glowing with delighted mischief. Jareth gasped, glaring murder at his friend. "DON'T YOU DARE!" Jareth growled as Eireach continued to chuckle, turning they both gave their full attention to Robert once more. "I don't know who started that horrible story, but I can assure you that none of the Goblin Kings have ever changed a child into a goblin." Eireach nodded to Jareth words, a far too amused smile still on his glorious face.
"They reproduce faster than rabbits; they need no help from their Kings to keep their population going." Eireach said with his ever present smile.
"Kings? You mean you both rule…? That wasn't in the book." Robert said, looking between the two Kings. Eireach's smiled disappeared with a blink of Jareth's eyes.
"What bloody book?!" Eireach looked to Jareth who currently stood with a look of feigned innocence. "What book?" Eireach repeated, looking rather expectantly to his fellow King.
"Quite a few things weren't in the book." Jareth said, calmly ignoring Eireach and his glares. "There are however, two Kings of the Goblin Realm." Robert looked to them confused.
"How does that work? Time share…? I mean, don't you tend to step on each other's toes?" Eireach looked away from Jareth, though he noticed the blonde's sigh of relief, and shook his head with a huff.
"No, we do not step on each other's toes. We live in separate castles; we can't step on each other's toes." Eireach looked to Robert, his gaze holding the irritation he felt for Jareth. "As for how two Kings work, it's quite easy to explain." Jareth nodded, glad for the reprieve, though he knew that Eireach hadn't forgotten a thing.
"Eireach is in charge of all the political business of the Kingdom. He goes to High Court, keeps peace with our fellow Kingdoms and makes sure that we don't cause an accidental war." Jareth smirked. "Eireach sees to all the political drivel because in his old age he's become just as mind numbing as the other fuddy duddies." Eireach nodded, his eyes closed.
"Firstly, I'd like to point out that you are a day older than I am," Eireach stated pointedly to Jareth before turning to Robert. "While I attend to my 'fuddy duddy' duties, Jareth deals with all the inner workings of the Kingdom. Sometimes he manages to settle disputes, enforce laws, and keep our army in shape." Eireach opened his eyes, a gleam of amusement telling Jareth that he was about to get it, but good. "I shouldn't really be surprised that Jareth works so well with them, they have so much in common. Seeing as Jareth is both immature and sex crazed, the only missing personality trait is the alcoholism." Jareth glared at his friend's all too pleased smirk.
"What in the God's names is that supposed to mean?"
"It means, my dear friend, that you, like many of the goblins we rule, are crude and lack the control of your hormones. Goodness Jareth your bed had seen more action than a goblin pub." Jareth glanced to Robert seeing the man's mouth gaping as much as his own.
"You don't expect Sarah to….I mean she's too young…too…" Jareth looked between the two men utterly confused.
"Expect her too…what?" Jareth asked, a bit upset when Eireach began to chuckle. The man truly seemed to find everything funny today.
"Another thing he has in common with goblins, he's quite intelligent but sometimes…how does she put it...? Oh yes…the lights aren't all on." Robert smirked as Eireach smiled, while Jareth continued to stand looking confused. Jareth wondered for only a moment if he should be offended before he decided that it didn't matter. "As for your question, Robert, no he has no expectations of your daugter. Fae laws prohibit him from doing…that…with his Chosen before they are joined. Married," Eireach added when Robert seemed lost. Robert's face dropped as he glared at Jareth.
"You don't expect her to marry you do you?" Robert asked in more of a feral growl than a human voice. Both Eireach and Jareth turned to the other.
Robert watched as the two stared at each other, seeming to have a full conversation without saying a word. The silence was terrible, the absence of sound leaving him little do but think. He'd been blind when he married Karen, he'd seen that she didn't like Sarah. It had been obvious that she wasn't going to learn to care about Sarah, and yet he'd been foolish enough to hope. He shook his head, not hope. He hadn't cared. He hadn't cared if his daughter was happy, he'd been lonely and Karen had been there to comfort him.
As the years went by he'd just ignored whatever Karen was doing to Sarah. Secretly he'd even blamed her for everything that had happened. He'd known all along that none of it was Sarah's fault, but at the time he hadn't cared. He'd blamed Sarah for Linda leaving, blamed her for Karen's poor behavior. He shook his head, guilt and anger pounding at him so strongly he fought for breath.
In the seven years he'd been married to Karen he'd punished Sarah and now he had to make up for it. He wondered for a moment if Jareth was how he was supposed to start. Looking at the blonde he wondered how. Was he supposed to save his daughter from this man…this immortal? Or was he to let him sweep her off her feet? Allow this man to date and marry her?
Marry his only daughter?
He was pulled from his thoughts, started from them as both men turned to him, "Do you want us to be nice…or do you want us to be honest?" Eireach asked, clearly displeased with having to explain at all. It would seem that Jareth had neglected to do quite a few things.
"I think I would prefer kind honesty." Robert answered, glad that both seemed to agree.
"I won't lie to you Mr. Williams, I want nothing more than to marry your daughter. I care for your daughter quite deeply and can think of little else that would make me happier than being able to call Sarah my wife. The choice however is Sarah's." Jareth said calmly, obviously trying to be both honest and kind as Robert had requested.
"She has a choice?" Robert asked, his voice holding more hope than he would have cared to share.
"Yes…" Eireach started, glancing at Jareth disappointedly. "I really don't understand why you can't explain these things on your own. Sometimes I wonder how you're considered an adult."
"I have my moments of brilliance." Jareth said with a shrug. Eireach nodded in agreement, before smiling.
"Yes of course, even a broken clock is right twice a day." Eireach turned to Robert, ignoring the glare Jareth had thrown his way. "Yes, Mr. Williams your daughter has a choice…everyone has a choice. However, I can tell you now that Sarah will never be as happy or safe or loved as when she is with Jareth." Robert felt anger bubble inside him at Eireach's far too calm words.
"Are you telling me…sir…that my daughter is not happy or safe or loved when she is with her family?" Robert asked, watching as once again the two men conversed without words.
"Have you forgotten the years you spent ignoring her? The years your wife tormented her? Planned her murder…?" Jareth asked his voice calmer than either men in the room had ever heard before in a voice.
"And where were you OH mighty Goblin King? You left her on her own just like I did." Robert frowned as Jareth remained perfectly calm. Eireach stepped between the two men, strangling the fire before it could flame to life again.
"There is only so much we can do without being called to help, Mr. Williams. Jareth can and did comfort Sarah, made sure that she was safe whenever in his care, but in your home…where she has not called to him…he has no power." Eireach said, his own voice now as calm as Jareth's.
Robert pulled into his mind again. He'd never had any of his family's gifts, not like Sarah had. He didn't see things, or feel things. He couldn't make things happen by merely wishing for them too, but he had learned at a very young age, two rules. Always trust your instincts and never doubt the family. Gazing at the blonde male before him Robert understood, believed that this was really happening. And the realization sent a ripple of fear through him.
Eireach watched Jareth and Robert, taking in both their reactions. He watched as Robert Williams stood tall and proud before him, though his eyes trembled with a fear Eireach wasn't sure the man had even admitted to himself yet. He watched as wave after wave of comprehension crash over the mortal. The understanding that everything was real had finally broken through his walls of normalcy. How or what caused his walls to crumble were a mystery, but however it happened, Eireach was grateful. Jareth on the other hand had always been interesting to read, seeming to only let a person see what he wanted them too. At the moment the Fae King appeared calm and controlled, but Eireach, of course, knew better.
From their boyhood Eireach had always had a curious understanding of the man beside him. Where others had seen a stoic little boy, he'd seen the tumultuous storm of curiosity and determination that had stirred within his friend. Somehow he had always seen the small signs to discover Jareth's mood.
At the moment Eireach could tell Jareth was confused, something that always unsettled him, even with his air of perfect understanding. Neither seemed able to pinpoint why Robert had suddenly began to believe. Suddenly Eireach saw that Jareth understood, as if someone had turned the upside down book right, but what was it?
Robert looked to Jareth and frowned, "Is what she says true? Did you really do that for Sarah?" Jareth nodded, looking a bit upset.
"Is what who says true?" Eireach asked, as confusion twisted is features.
"Labyrinth." Jareth answered slowly.
Eireach felt his heart stop and launch itself into his throat as his stomach dropped nauseatingly, Hoggle hadn't told him about that. Eireach looked to Robert finding himself slightly breathless. The man before him was the father of a Labyrinthian Queen. His wife was going to kill him. Sarah Williams truly was a sister to his wife and she was to have no knowledge of Sarah's existence. His mind whirled and his stomach churned as his own realization hit.
The prophecy.
Even in a world where magic was real, Eireach had believed the prophecy to be nothing more than a fairy tale. Something the mother's of his world had told children to lull them to a restful sleep. Yet here it was clear as the nose on his face, Sarah Williams was the second Queen of the Labyrinth. Oh his wife was going to KILL him…or rather hurt him a whole hell of a lot.
She'd read about the prophecy years ago, even discussed it with him on a few occasions. Yes he was in some SERIOUS trouble, he smiled, but no where near as much as Jareth would be once BOTH women found out. Eireach turned to Jareth, amused by the 'here it comes' look he had glowing from his eyes.
"You keep your Chosen a secret from me…fine. You want me to keep it a secret from my wife, I may not like it but you're my friend and I'll do as you ask. Even if it's a risk to my health and happiness. But not telling me about Sarah's connection to Labyrinth…to the ENTIRE Underground! That's even more stupid then your usual stunts." Eireach paused. "I'm not even sure why we're keeping this all a secret." Eireach admitted, looking to Jareth expectantly.
"Perhaps I may shed some light on the subject." Rin's musical voice came tinkling through the air, as her mortal presence appeared. Oh his wife was going to rip him a new one, once she'd heard everything!
Darklady: Alright so how does everyone like Eireach?
Sarah/Gabby: (swoon)
Ly/Jareth: He's alright.
Eireach: I don't know if I'm glad to be here, but I'm certainly pleased to meet such fine ladies.
Darklady: (smiles to Eireach and glares at Ly) Why can't you ever act like that? (Sighs) Alright everyone I know that a few of you might recognize Eireach from another story . . . maybe. Eireach was based off the character of my sister's story . . . Eireach from Crystal Vengence. Please no burns I got permission from Grace before using Eireach . . . besides if she really had a problem she would have told me while she was editting.
Eireach: I really have to keep this a secret from my wife?
Jareth: Yes . . . Just like I have to keep it a secret from Sarah.
Sarah: Keep what a secret?
Jareth: Oh nothing love, come I'm sure your friend Hamhock is waiting for you.
Sarah/Eireach/Ly/Darklady: HOGGLE!!
Jareth: That's what I said. (disappears with Sarah in a flash of glitter)
Eireach: Is that common?
Ly: Quite. Come Eireach, lets you and I get to know one another better.
Darklady: ( to Gabby) I suppose that leaves the two of us.
Gabby: (watches as Eireach is lead away by Ly) Yeah.
Darklady: (smirks) Come one . . . You can help me write the next chapter . . . Hope you enjoyed guys . . . don't forget to leave a quick review and tell me what you think!! Byes for now!