Okay... I am SOOO SORRY that this took me FOREVER to finish. Damned writer's block as well as the stress of school and whatnot. But hey, it's spring break now. Which means that yall can be expecting some freaking amazing chapters piling in, as well as a few new things (maybe). Hell, maybe even some art on . Lol, dunno yet. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh... and let me clarify this: I am not ashamed. At all.

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Chapter Twenty Four: Intrusion And A Conversation

The skies were clouded, and a delicate wind whipped my hair against my shoulders, but this didn't bother me in the slightest. It was comforting. My headphones were practically glued into my ears, the volume deafening. My shoes scuffed against the pavement of the sidewalk as I neared my house. The temperature had to be about fifty degrees. It wasn't too bad, but chilly none the less. I sighed heavily, my pace slowing slightly as I shoved my hands in my pockets. My head was spinning with events that would have made anyone else go completely mad.

I think what made this day completely wrong and yet strange was something that I had accidently walked in on— and naturally blamed for intruding…

I had just finished putting my books and stuff into my backpack, and had begun heading out of the hallway when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Helena motioning for me to follow her. Sighing, I did so; she led me down the hall and to the left, back through the main courtyard of the school. I realized that she was taking me to the drama hall of the school, near where the auditorium was. I frowned as she grabbed my arm, quickly leading me.

"Helena, what's going on?" I asked. She spun around and motioned for me to be quiet. I bit my bottom lip, and frowned again. What the hell was up with her?

"You have to be quiet." She whispered, pulling me around the corner and leading me up the stairs into the stage. The door was slightly ajar, and though there was light, it was very faint. Too faint for a teacher to be working and too faint for students to be rehearsing drama skits or Shakespearian quotations. I was confused, but as she led me through the door— silently— she stopped by the thick black curtains that framed the wings of the stage. I noticed, as I peered around, that there were candles lit.

There was loud breathing. My heart rate quickened as I recognized the raggedness. Either someone was having the time of their life by themselves, or they were not alone. I almost didn't want to look. Watching people have sex (or if alone— masturbating) sickened me. Which was why I wasn't into movies with a lot of sex or romance novels. I couldn't stand it really. I preferred the action or fantasy movies. Humor more often than not. Maybe even some slight Disney now and then… but this was nauseating me.

I think what was making things worse were the slight moans. Why did Helena bring me here? She knew that I hated watching or reading of such… intimate romance (yet my own was not a problem. I guess it's because I am not really conscious to what it is I do…). But apart from the moans, the grunts, the gagging smell of sweat was the name that was said— the voice behind it. It made the world stop and the few shreds of light fade away to complete inky darkness as I stood frozen. I wasn't sure if Helena was still beside me or if she had gone. Or even if she had never been there at all and for reasons unknown I had come alone to the stage to see this passion play.

"Christa…" It had been said again, this time I was snapped into focus and my heart drummed roughly in my chest. A thin film of sweat coated my brow and my hands shook at my sides. I took an involuntary step forward, not even realizing that I had moved until I clearly saw them. Even in the dim lighting of the candles, I could make out which figure was who, and exactly how they were positioned.

They, unfortunately, had no decency for cover, and were exposed to any and all who would walk in and see them. Derek lie on his back, his legs positioned about three feet apart and his knees were bent, though outward— almost like he would be lying on his back with his legs crossed, but below the knees his legs were spread away. Christa was on her knees on top of him, and his hands were on her hips, guiding her. Her head was tilted back as she moaned loudly; her thick black hair was slicked with sweat.

Derek's blond hair was mangled in funky twists and curls, his eyes squeeze shut. His pale skin glowed in the lighting, and was difficult to see when Christa's shadow covered him. The flames of the candles danced brilliantly, and for a moment I was surprised that no one else had come in search from the nose. But I realized that because the thick, plastic foldable wall was shut and locked, no sound would be heard. My heart would beat to excruciatingly painful levels, and plummet, before rising to repeat the process.

Their motions increased in pace, their moans grew louder and more frequent. My face twisted into a mask of grossed horror. Their climax. I had come to see their climax of this sex. How long had they been here? I wasn't sure I wanted to know. As Christa's voice filled my ears, Derek sat up and shoved her down to the floor, taking her with such ferocity and passion that I wanted to run away. But something kept me chained here. I couldn't will myself to leave, and I was certain that Helena had abandoned me long ago. With a slight turn of my head and the wonders of peripheral vision, my suspicion had been correct.

The labored panting of two High school juniors was hoarse as they lied there. Tears brimmed on my eyes as I stared at the two people I used to consider as my closest friends. But here I stood, and I barely knew the naked people that I gazed upon. They had familiar skins of souls I loved… But I didn't know them!

I had known they were close together, closer than two peas in a pod or whatever lame analogy one wanted to compare them with. But so close as to fuck each other's brains out so badly they couldn't leave school?! And for Helena— her bringing me to this made me question her position. Did she bring me here to laugh at my loss of friends… or did she sincerely believe that I would have wanted to see something like this for fear on her part that she would have thought that I wouldn't have believed her?

I couldn't be sure. But as Christa turned her head as Derek ravaged her throat, and her eyes fell upon me, all I wanted to do was disappear.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" She hissed venomously. Derek froze, and sat up, turning his head to see me. His look of worry melted to vehemence. I had come to the wrong place, at the wrong time, and had seen the wrong people.

"What the fuck do you want?!" Derek added to the questions that were swirling in my own head. I took a step back. Derek stood, possibly uncaring to the fact that he was still completely nude— and though I wasn't dating him, I couldn't deny that he was a gorgeous man; though nothing compared to Jareth— as he glared at me. I shivered slightly, taking another step away.

"Do you think it's right to eavesdrop on people? Do you think you have the right to just walk in on someone?!" The first tear slid down my face, and Derek watched it fall, his anger boiling over as he slapped me— hard.

"You do not have the fucking right to cry!" He shouted. Christa shifted in the background, no doubtingly trying to clothe herself in the event that a teacher would hear. But what teacher would notice a little argument? Enough had happened so recently that it was almost nothing by now. Candles were being blown out one by one as I took another step back, and Derek followed, his anger more terrifying than any I had ever seen. More terrifying than my father's— and that was saying a lot.

"Derek!" Christa placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to her. "Enough." She said calmly. The pain in my cheek had numbed, before vanishing entirely. While tears still streamed my face, I was surprised at how quickly it had come and gone. Something like that had never happened before, and I wasn't sure why it was happening now.

"Christa, think of what she's done to the both of us! She broke your jaw and she broke my heart!" Christa was holding his pants, but he didn't seem to notice them. She turned her hazel eyed gaze on me, but I was ashamed. I couldn't meet that gaze.

"Don't you think it's time to forgive her for that? I'm healed." She said softly. Fresh tears streaked my face.

"What about me, Christa?! Think of what she did to me!" She sighed. Her eyes glanced at me, and in the moments that had passed, I had forgotten that my sleeves were rolled up, revealing the bruises from my father. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she tried to give me the 'what the fuck?' look, but Derek repeated his question. Her attention shot back to him.

"What about her, Derek? You said some pretty cruel things to her as well. You've hit her before Derek. I deserved the broken jaw." Derek's cold eyes softened, and it seemed he'd forgotten that I was there for a moment.

"No… no you didn't…" He said, his blond hair sweeping over his face as his palms cupped her cheeks delicately. I took a slight step back, and another, and another. I could slip away unnoticed. I could just forget about all of this ever happening. I could have Jareth find a way to erase this memory… I didn't want it. I didn't need it. Christa's words… well… those healed most of the blows Derek had made. But the memories of them… I could do without those memories. I could do without a lot of my memories…

I managed to hurry down the stairs, and out of a different exit, booking down the street and in the direction of my home…

I sighed, glancing down at my hands as I sat on my bed. I frowned, and rolled my sweater sleeve up to stare down upon a fading bruise that my father had given me. I hadn't heard anything about a trial or sentencing. Nothing at all. Perhaps they didn't need to put him through a trial and sentenced him to death. I sighed again, rolling my sleeve up farther to reveal more bruises. I made every attempt to keep these hidden from Sarah and Jareth, as well as my friends at school. But Christa had managed to see. She was the only one who had seen. Caitlyn and Charlotte only knew…

A tear had fallen as I felt a cool breeze, and a strong scent of peaches. I turned my head to see Jareth gliding over to me, before falling on his knees at my feet, his head in my lap. I frowned as I began to stroke his hair gently. His hands grasped my calves tightly— but not so much as to cut off circulation. He had large palms, but they were not that large. I didn't notice that he was crying softly until I felt the wetness of his tears against my legs, and his shaking breathing as he tried to keep it quiet. I bent my head low, my hands stopping on the top of his head.

"Jareth? Baby, what's wrong?" I asked him softly. He inhaled sharply as he trembled slightly. I slid off of my bed and cradled him against me. His arms wound around my mid back, his face buried against my shirt above my breasts. He was shaking now, not violently, but enough to make me worried as I held him tightly. What was so upsetting that he was crying? That he was shaking so fiercely I, myself, was trembling with him? His muffled sobs made me cringe. He shouldn't be crying…

"Jareth… Jareth, love, tell me what's wrong." I said. His sniffled loudly.

"I— I don't know what I'm going to do, Aerynn." He responded sadly, his voice quivering.

"What do you mean? Is there something that's going on?"

"Somewhat… it's just…" He inhaled slowly. "My Brother is saying that I— I have to make a choice. I— I have to ch—choose between being King…" He lifted his head, his eyes filled with tears. "Or being in exile because I want to be with you. Either w-way, things could end badly…" He whispered. My hands had been playing with his hair when he had said this. My fingers tightened slightly, refusing to let go in the least. I lowered my gaze away from his for a moment. Badly? How badly?

"My destiny…" He continued, wiping tears away as he tried to regain control of himself. "My fate… has always been to be with Sarah…" I nodded slowly. "But… she's given up. And now that I have you—" His fingers brushed against my cheek. My skin burned. "They're saying that I have to choose between my Kingdom and my love for you. They can't understand that whatever had been decided for myself and Sarah is gone. There's nothing that anyone can do to bring the small spark from twenty— twenty five years, whatever! there's nothing that we can do to bring it back to life. Sarah gave up long ago, and now I've finally given up." He said softly. I nodded slowly again. I understood that completely. Jareth shuddered against me, his breath quivering.

"Love…" I whispered, pulling him closer to me. His hands left my face and wrapped around me again. His hair brushed against my skin, and I buried myself into it. It was soft, smooth, silky, and smelled deliciously of peaches. I ran my fingers through it, detecting strands of white amongst the blond. I smiled slightly, imagining Jareth with white hair… He looked good with it, actually. He shuddered again, but was slowly calming down. He was still trembling even after a few minutes, but none the less, he was getting better.

"Shh, it's okay, love. It's okay." I whispered to him. He shook his head slowly. "Yes it is, don't say that. And if it isn't right now, it will be." I pressed my lips against the top of his head. He sighed heavily. The light of a setting November sun passed through my window. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly. Jareth was still in my arms, though quite still. I suspected that he may have fallen asleep against me. I smiled slightly, lifting my right hand and running my fingers through his delicate hair again. He sighed softly.

"I just don't know. My Father is High King of the Underground. If I disappoint him or do something foolish, he could be looked poorly upon because of me. My Brother, Vizael—"

"Vizael?" I asked. It was an interesting name. Jareth chuckled.

"Yes, my parents are original with names. But anyways, my Brother is a Fire Mage— one of the most powerful Fae of the Elements. He's older, wiser, and stronger than I am, and I know that he tries to look out for me as best as he can. I know that more than anyone. And I also know that he's getting frustrated with my actions. He constantly reminds me that I'm meant to be with Sarah, and even though I try to explain it to him that there is nothing I can do— he continues to abide by the fate I have been given. But I don't believe that anything is ever set in stone. It can't be. Just as the future is always changing, so is destiny…" He whispered. I nodded.

"And then… there's Cyrus." He said. I frowned.

"Cyrus?"

"My Sister."

"You have a sister?!"

"Yes. She's a remarkably bright young woman. She's a woman of Sight, but also, in a sense, a Puppeteer."

"Sight?"

"She can see the future."

"Oh. And what do you mean by her being a puppeteer?"

"She can control people to a certain extent. She can make any Fae do any act that she wants them to. But someone like Vizael with a much stronger will has more resistance. She'd only be able to make my Brother do a slight action— when he's caught off-guard that is. With effort, I'd be able to resist, but I'm also not as strong as Vizael."

"You make that sound like you doubt yourself." I said.

"Perhaps I do." I sighed.

"Jareth, you are one of the strongest people I know. Have faith in yourself. Okay, so you're not following your destiny, but that doesn't make you weak. You're not running away from it, Jareth! You're accepting that what had been planned for you simply didn't work out, and you've found someone else that you love because you love them— not because you're forced to." Jareth lifted his head to meet my gaze for a moment, his face stern and cold.

"You think my love for Sarah was forced?" I shrunk away slightly.

"Well, no… I don't doubt that you loved my mother. Even my ass of a father loved my mother." Jareth snorted in disgust and disbelief. But I pressed on. "People who barely know my mother are drawn to her. She's told me before what she was like in her youth. She said that after she turned sixteen and learned to see that some people weren't so bad, she opened up and became accepting of them. And now that I've learned of the Labyrinth, I believe that she really became accepting after meeting you." Jareth sighed sadly.

"Yes… that may be so. I watched her transform from a selfish teenager to a bright, knowledgeable and compassionate young woman…" I cupped his face in my hands.

"And don't you dare think for once that she never loved you in return! I've read her diary Jareth, I know. I could ask her right now. I could walk up to her and ask her if she loved you. And Jareth, believe me when I say that I'm certain that she would say yes." Jareth's eyes glittered with what looked to be tears as he wrapped his arms around me again. I held him tightly as he did to me. I smiled as a thought came to me.

"And if you're family still gives you shit… don't worry. I'll have a nice talk with them." Jareth just laughed.

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Jareth: Ho shit.
UndergroundValentine: Yeaah...
Jareth: HO SHIT!
UndergroundValentine: Jareth, I wrote it, I KNOW!
Jareth: God, I feel so bad for Aerynn. Having to witness her once best friends have sex with each other? And then I COME IN WITH MY ISSUES!! *sigh*
UndergroundValentine: Well, relax. The next chapter is the Talent Show. :P
Jareth: WHOOT!

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Responses~

notwritten: yeah, I'm still trying to work out the kinks with dA. but they should be up there soon too. :P

schmexykittykat: Yeah. I dunno if I'm gonna get into anymore detail with jackson or whatever. And let's just say that "Derek" will NEVER SEE THIS STORY!! XD

CrystalusAurora: (Jareth: I AM LOVED AGAIN! SQUEE) Yeah, anyyyywwaays. Lol. Things will be cleared up for them all, that much is certain. :P

reader ninja: Well, I am glad that you are enjoying it thus far! It's always a pleasure to have new enthralled readers! :D

Dothacker16: Lol. Hun, you're amazing, you know that? XD *hug* And yes, YOU MUST UPDATE YOUR STORY!! IT IS REQUIRED

ournationsfate: yeah, I figured that my grammar is off. *shrug* It happens. But yeah, I'd love to disuss it with you. :D I'm always looking for improvement!

muffinanarchy: thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

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Holy crap guys. Thanks for the reviews! :D