I dont own Labyinth
Chapter 21 - Beauty and the Beast
Sarah woke the next morning feeling free. She kept her eyes closed and snuggled down further under her warm covers. It had been a while since she had felt this good in some distant part of her mind Sarah felt that it wasn't going to last. Karen, her stepmother, was going to enter her room at any moment and command her to get up, get ready for school, see to Toby and then go to school. The thought was promptly squashed with the realization that she was lying on silk sheets, in the Underground and engaged to the Goblin King, her former enemy Jareth.
With a soft sigh of contentment she wiggled her toes and was slightly surprised to find them constricted. She cracked her eyes open and was treated to the sight of a fat, wriggling bundle of… something. With a startled gasp she threw herself backwards, the silk sheets sliding her smoothly, until she was sitting up against the headboard. A leopard cub was lying on her feet.
Puzzlement and caution warred with the insane desire to pick the cub up and hug it within an inch of its life. Caution won over and she held her hand out slowly to the cub, making soothing noises low in her throat. The cub rolled onto its side watching her through its forest-green eyes, Sarah slitted her own moss eyes and the cub rolled over showing his stomach. Slitting her eyes was not malicious behavior to the cub, it's often a welcoming gesture to a cat. Smiling with delight Sarah crept forward letting the Cub watch her slow movements through his own slitted eyes. The soft underbelly of the cub was a tawny brown lighter then his slightly mustard back dotted with the dark brown rosettes of a leopard. It was the softest thing that Sarah had ever touched. Gently she ran her hand along the belly and on its sides and the cub relaxed against her hand, a soft sound immerging from its throat and it took her a little while to recognise it as purring. The purring was deeper into its throat then a kitten, it rumbled instead of vibrated along her hand. She laughed with delight this was the most amazing experience of her life. A sudden thought occurred to her, what was a leopard cub doing sitting on her bed?
"When I need to think, away from the bustle of the city and the magic of the Underground, I fly in owl form over the Savannah in Africa." Jareth pushed himself away from the wall where he had been watching from the shadows Sarah's tentative approach of the cub and came over to sit on the bed beside her. "I was just flying overhead when I saw the cubs mother being grabbed by a crocodile as she drank from a waterhole. Usually that hardly ever happens but I think the mother was already wounded from something and she was caught and killed. I took the cub."
Sarah looked up at his expressionless face and felt pity for the mother, "what of her mate? Wouldn't he look after the cub? Aren't big cats very family orientated?"
Jareth sighed and a small smile tipped his mouth, "usually they are, lions and cheetah's are very family orientated however, leopard and jaguar and even panthers are loner cats. The male mates with the female and then leave the female to fend for herself, he might stick around until the cub is born but he leaves soon after." He reached out his gloved hand and stroked the cub's head, the purr if possible got louder.
Sarah felt saddened by this, "that's so cruel," she said.
"Yes it is, but that is life."
"Yes life is cruel." She replied, they were silent for a moment in the depressive atmosphere. Suddenly Sarah laughed to ease the tension.
"Look at us!" She laughed, "I'm not in your presence for more then two minutes and I'm already depressed. Good morning Your Majesty, Jareth King of my heart."
Jareth was completely unprepared for the kiss she dropped onto his lips. Not that he was complaining however, he removed his boots and shifted onto the bed to get a better angle and kissed her back. The cub lying forgotten on the bed sat up and padded over to Sarah's lap he rammed his head into her side to get attention. Sarah and Jareth broke apart to laugh at the disgruntled cub. Reaching out her hand Sarah let the cub smell it and deeming it an ok smell the cub licked it. She stroked it and it climbed into her lap and fell asleep.
Looking down at it she still couldn't believe it was there, "you and me we're going to be great friends, as soon as I find a name for you."
She looked back up at Jareth, and leant in for another kiss, "thank you for the cub Jareth, I'll take good care of it."
"Sarah dear, I wouldn't have given him to you if u didn't think you were capable of taking care it him."
She made a face at him sticking out her tongue, Jareth leaped forward and kissed her startling her onto her back on the bed with him leaning over her. The cub thrown from her lap glared at them and stalked to the end of the bed curled up and went back to sleep. The couple didn't notice. Sarah could feel her heart pump blood all around her body, he was so close to her, making her so aware of her body. The abrupt movement of his kiss had thrown her against the soft mattress of the bed throwing her arms above her head so she didn't go into the headboard and her top had ridden up a little and the smooth skin of her stomach was showing.
Jareth lay just above her keeping his body off her so she wouldn't feel the effect she had on him and also so that he could look at her under him. He noticed very quickly the line of silky skin that was showing from under her top and the way her pulse jumped in her throat and her breathing increasing the rise and fall of her perfect chest. He would give anything to have her naked beneath him for the first time, it was going to be soon, so soon, he could almost feel her skin against his. The thought was so powerful he couldn't resist but to straddle her legs and run two fingers along her exposed skin. Goosebumps rose where ever his warm fingers touched and Sarah arched her back slightly letting the material come up even more. Jareth let his hands drift up the skin of his future wife's sides. He got to her ribcage and lowered his mouth to her skin, between her ribs he kissed her, she shivered and arched her back again to meet with his mouth. He moved down leaving a kissed trail to her belly button then he left it and smoothed his hands over the wet trail on her stomach and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and leant in to kiss her. Sarah let him come and kiss her, taking her hands from the headboard she ran them through his hair, it was as soft as she had imagined it.
Jareth finally lowered his body onto hers so he could relieve his arms the task of holding him up, he hoped that this session with his future wife would last a long time. Sarah could feel his desire for her and it made her blush. She was still young, not exactly innocent, however, it was the first time she had been on a bed with her future husband who was obviously happy to be there. It made her feel proud that she could elicit this reaction from him, honoured even that he wanted her so much.
Her hands left his hair and with a little maneuvering she managed to run them down his thighs then up under his shirt. Running her hands over the taunt muscles in his back she could feel each one move in reaction when she ran her nails faintly over them. Jareth stopped kissing her and just lay there his head rested above her shoulder breathing a little heavily on the side of her neck.
"I love you." he whispered against her neck, "I want to wake up next to you like this for the rest of my life."
Sarah couldn't contain the little thrill that went through her and whispered back "I want that too Jareth forever and ever."
They lay there in perfect stillness and silence just basking in each other's company, it was peaceful and the atmosphere was filled with love and hope.
At length they became aware that the there was a kingdom to be run and even though they would rather stay there in that time for ever they had to get up and life had to start. The cub sensing the movement in the atmosphere woke up to be fed. Jareth and Sarah smiled at each other when they heard it start making snuffling noises at the base of the bed. It started to make a sounds deep in its throat, and they knew it was going to attack Jareth's feet if they didn't get up soon, that said they were just about to kiss again when Sarah's stomach made a noise. With a laugh Jareth rolled off Sarah and sat up. "I guess that means that we have to get up and life has to start."
"I guess so," Sarah replied with a smile, "but don't worry my king we have the rest of eternity to do that."
Sarah slid off the end of the bed and Jareth followed her reluctantly. The leopard cub made a funny noise and they both looked at it, it was on its back staring up at them with a grin on its face. Sarah giggled and tickled it under its chin, its claws grabbed at her and it sunk its nails in. Sarah made a face and removed the little needles from her skin. "Jareth the cub is hungry, we need to feed it, now." Jareth laughed and magiked a plate onto the floor. On it was a huge piece of rump that had been pummeled into an inch of its life, soft and yielding. Sarah lifted the cub, which was heavier then it looked, off the bed and onto the floor. The cub raced up to the meat and began to circle it making little jabs at it with its paws and teeth, finally it settled down and began to eat.
Jareth sidled up behind Sarah and put his hands around her waist. Sarah smirked at him and slid out of his grasp.
"Goblin King you have a kingdom to run and you have to feed me and show me the castle, I suggest you run along and let me get dressed so all this happens in the next hour and not in the next four."
The Goblin King had a very naughty smirk on his face as he prepared to leave. Before she could ask what it was he vanished leaving pink glitter all over the floor.
"I wonder who has to clean that up now?" and as she watched the glitter began to disappear. On its own, it just seemed to melt through the floor. "Oh," she giggled and started to prowl around the room getting to know what it looked like. It was a nice room simple and elegant, done in white and royal blue. There was a nice pair of shutters on one of the walls and pushing them open Sarah found herself looking at a balcony that over looked the right side of the Labyrinth, it looked like the Firey's forest. She could almost imagine the floating heads.
The cub had grown tired now and wondered over to Sarah, she grimaced when she saw the tawny fur of its muzzle red with blood. "Sweetie I'm going to have to wash your mouth now." The cub made a noise of discouragement but Sarah didn't take notice she started to walk away and wondered vaguely if the cub would follow her. It did. The cub had obviously decided to adopt her as his mother, not understanding or where his mother was. Both smelt female so he went with this one with the oddly prey-like smell of her.
It wondered into the bathroom after her, Sarah put on the bath water a trickle to rinse out the average size bath that was sunk low into the floor, she had to go onto her hunches to be the proper height to scrub the bottom. With a flash of tawny fur the cub was inside the tub chasing the water down the drain. Sarah was so astonished she just sat there and then it dawned on her that the cub was chasing water she began to laugh. Turning the water on a little and watching the cub pounce again then look at its wet paws with astonishment and disapproval set Sarah off again. For a full ten minutes Sarah continually put the water on and turned it off and put it on and turned it off and watched the cub pounce again and again. Eventually straight after she had put it on and off for the cub a voice bellowed at her.
"Miss I beg you, please just leave the water either on or off!"
Sarah was so startled she fell over onto her bottom on the cold tile floor.
"Who said that?" she gasped though being in the labyrinth and having talked to doorknobs she shouldn't have been surprised that something in the bathroom was talking to her.
"I'm Gog the bathroom." Replied the deep masculine voice.
"You're the entire bathroom?" Sarah was beginning to feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, what with the knobs and now the bathroom talking to her.
"Yes I am the bathroom and I would really appreciate it if you just ran the water or let me do it so you could get in and get clean. Please get that dirty cub out of the bath so that I can run the water for you."
The voice of Gog the bathroom echoed in the tiled room, still feeling a little dazed that the bathroom was talking to her Sarah did as it asked, taking the cub out and the water started to flow into the bath. She reached in and found it to be the perfect temperature.
"Um thank you Gog," she said feeling silly thanking the bathroom, her only reply was a gurgle in the basin. Hurriedly she got into the bath, got clean and hurried out. The cub didn't get forgotten, she grabbed a wash cloth and cleaned his muzzle before she left the bathroom to the disgust of Gog who said, "humph!" rather loudly. Sarah had fought the urge to stick out her tongue.
Standing in the bedroom with a towel around her Sarah wondered where she was going to find clothes. She had no more thought this when a door that she hadn't noticed opened and a very polite voice inquired what she would like to wear. Sarah almost dropped the towel, but managed to maintain her dignity.
"And who are you?" she asked the voice as she stepped up to the door.
"Dresser, the dresser." Replied the polite voice, it was female and it made a nice change.
"Ok Dresser," Sarah cleared her throat and remembered that she was going to be wondering around the castle today. "What is appropriate for me to wear today?" Immediately there were several dresses lying on her bed. Very sweet sundresses nothing fancy more like what you would wear to a picnic, about 50 years before.
"Ahuh." Sarah said blandly as she looked at the dresses, "thank you Dresser."
"It was my pleasure Dear, if you need any help ask Hank."
Sarah didn't dare ask who Hank was, she would ask about that later. Right now she needed to be dressed. Looking over the dresses she picked one that didn't look quite so old fashioned. It was a lovely white with a fitted waist and full skirt. The buttons went from her neckline to the very end of the dress, Sarah undid the first four buttons from her neckline and slipped on the dress. It fell around her and made a very flattering picture. She buttoned up two buttons and let the other two undone.
"Oh Fabulous Darling," you could hear the stereotype gay voice capitalizing and italicizing every word.
"Hank?" Sarah almost dreaded the answer.
"Yes Darling, I am Hank the bedroom. Would you like a mirror to see how you look?" She was going to kill Jareth he had purposely given her a room that had inanimate objects that spoke. Rooms no less!
"Thank you Hank that would be nice."
Instantly she was presented a mirror that appeared out of the wall. She smiled at her appearance. The cub came through then and wound its way around her feet. It gave Sarah and idea, she went over to Dresser's still open door.
"Dresser?"
"Yes my dear?"
"Do you have a collar that I can put on my leopard, and maybe a lead so that he doesn't get lost?"
"Certainly dear," the sweet reply came and a sweet little collar of black leather with diamond studs appeared next to a strong chain lead.
The cub didn't like being put into the collar but Sarah won out in the end. She was finally ready to go.
"Thank you everyone."
There was a chorus of voices answering her, many more than three and Sarah suddenly realised that everything in the room might not be inanimate, she sincerely hoped that the toilet was however, it would be very embarrassing to use it while it spoke to her.
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Apparently the toilet was the only object that didn't talk in the entire room besides her clothes and the linen. Every other inanimate from the ornate wash basin on the dressing-table had a personality, name and voice.
Sarah had smacked the amused Jareth rather hard on the arm when she had found out.
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"And here is my study," Jareth gestured at a very impressive door with his hand, "which you are allowed in at anytime before we are married unless I am in a meeting, and when we are married you have free cart blanche in the palace. Which means you can sit in on any meeting you like."
Sarah laughed, "your castle is so much more then I ever thought it was."
"Well you only saw the throne room and the Escher room." He looked down at their entwined hands abruptly changing the mood.
"Do you still remember the song I sang to you in that cursed room?"
"Yes." Sarah replied she felt tears well up as she was reminded of how she had caused him pain and how much she had hurt.
Jareth noticed but didn't want to let the subject dropped he needed to talk about this, leading her gently they went into the room that Mecrinda had never been allowed in and Jareth led her to the window with its huge sill. He lifted her up and placed her on the edge against the glass, Sarah let him move her around. He got up beside her and sat against the wall bringing her closer she snuggled against his chest lying her head back on his shoulder and letting the sun warm her through her closed eyes. A breeze lifted her hair and she opened her eyes in puzzlement she could have sworn there was glass no more then two seconds ago. There was none now, they sat in the window still but the glass was completely gone. It was beautiful. Sarah sighed and kissed Jareth's neck before laying her head on his chest and facing out the window and closing her eyes again. She sensed he wanted to talk about it still, so she took a deep breath and began quietly.
"The song you sang to me in the Escher room was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. It was heart-wrenching for me to hear it." A soft sound escaped him and Sarah kept her eyes closed tightly, "I thought you were just trying to distract me, that you didn't love me. It was still a game and I wasn't going to lose, it didn't matter how much I wanted to take your hand, how much I wanted to give in and believe your words."
Jareth's hands tightened around her, and a soft sound escaped her, she felt so safe here.
"Jareth will you sing it to me again? Now that I know that you love me please?"
He shifted, "not just yet Sarah, I need to know something."
"Anything."
"Did you love me when I offered you everything?"
Sarah needed to see his the face that went with his tone, she turned out of his arms and the glass was back so she wouldn't fall. She was grateful for it because turning around on a window-sill is a huge feat.
She ended up on her knees facing him.
"Yes I loved you when you offered me everything I could ever want. I loved you so much and yet I still thought that you were playing my emotions, I thought you were trying to win. As much as it hurt I couldn't let you have Toby, I didn't know what you would do with him. I didn't know if I could trust you with my heart, I had never been able to trust anyone with it, not my father or Karen" she looked away out of the window, "not even my mother," her tone was soft and wistful. Her green eyes shimmered with tears and the first ran unheeded down her cheek as she stared blindly out of the window. Jareth's question was answered, forever.
He ran a finger down the side of her face and she looked at him, her eyes shuttered like a closed blind.
"I love you, and you can trust me with your heart." He smiled at her a genuine smile filled with warmth and love, "just like I trust mine with you." Sad thoughts forgotten with Jareth's smile Sarah walked forward on her knees and Jareth let her straddle him. The glass had disappeared again and the warm breeze felt nice when it ruffled her hair. He hugged her and she relaxed against him. Then she turned around so she was lying against his chest with her back to him again. This was her favorite way to sit with him, he was just so safe to sit with his arms around her and his steady heartbeat thudding into her back.
"We are going to stay like this all day."
"What? Jareth don't you have a kingdom to run?"
"It can wait for a day. We should have done the same thing this morning."
Sarah blushed remembering what they had been doing that morning. She snuggled closer to Jareth's chest and felt secure in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly
"What?" Jareth asked thinking something was wrong.
"I just found a name for the cub." The cub was at present lying underneath the window in a small basket the Goblin King had conjured up for it.
"And?"
"Nemo."
"Nemo? You mean that great explore/pirate"
"Kind of." No way was she going to tell him thattheNemo she was talking aboutwas a fish, a clown fish from an animation movie called 'Finding Nemo' to be exact.
"A good strong name for a leopard. Very dignified."
"Yes I thought so too." Sarah facing away from Jareth couldn't contain her smile, she let him believe what he wanted.
Together they sat there all day until the day faded into gold, red and then endless blue.
A/N: Right so life got into the way. I wont bore you with the particulars but you can bet that at every moment i wasnt working my ass off i was trying to write the rest of this chapter.
Well im so sick of saying that the wedding and corenationare coming soon. Screw it, its coming when its coming.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed and told me to get my rear in gear. It helped.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, im going to keep this story going, i find its impossible and irritating to find the first story if u find the sequel first.