A/N- Hey guys I'm back. I know that you guys don't want excuses, but I do have a legitimate explanation. My dad and I were on our way back from getting my permit (I was NOT driving) when we got into a car crash. So yeah, I think I can whine a little and not update because my hands were swollen. We're both fine and the idiot that was on the wrong side of the road is fine too. There's just some bruising for all of us and a broken finger for me. Broken pinkies may not sound all that painful, but try typing with one, I will never under estimate the power of the pinky ever again. AND I would like to thank you ALL for the 300+ reviews :D
Sarah could feel the tell tail tingle of magic run through her body when she took the king's hand. When the feeling stopped, she slowly opened her eyes and nearly gasped at the sight. They were standing in the Royal Gardens. Sarah had only been to certain parts of it while playing with Toby, but she had never been to any part of the gardens like this. Unconsciously, Sarah let her hand drop out of Jareth's, and she slowly walked out to the middle of the 'room'.
They were both standing in a sunken area about three feet into the ground. Around the edges of the walls there were little natural looking streams that slowly lead inward to a beautiful pond with strange looking fish in it. A see-though barrier was over top the streams letting you walk over them. On either side of the alcove was a set of marble steps. Along the three foot walls hedges grew about six extra feet above them. All over the hedges were dozens of flowers, dipping down to cover some of the wall.
In the far distance, if Sarah strained her ears, she could faintly hear the sound of Toby screaming happy toddler laughs. Suddenly, she realized that she had been looking around just a little too long. Turning sharply to Jareth, Sarah saw him looking at her intently. He was leaning against the wall beside a group of four partial circle benches that were placed so people could sit in a circle formation. He was studying her intently. His seemingly perpetual smirk was gone, and seeing this made Sarah think just how beautiful Jareth looked when he wasn't trying to look belittling.
That thought made Sarah's cheeks ting an ever so slight pink. She hoped desperately that Jareth didn't see her blush, but when he quirked an eye brow at her, she knew she had been caught. He pushed himself gracefully off the wall, and took a seat on the inside of one of the circular benches, motioning for her to do the same.
Slowly, Sarah made her way over and took the opposite seat in front of him. They did not touch in any way, but just being that close to Jareth made Sarah realize just how much she had missed him. She was also hit by the urge to hug him, but knew that it would only earn her embarrassment and an irksome Goblin King. If Jareth had known this, he would have swept Sarah into his arms.
There was an awkward silence for several minutes before someone broke it. Sarah, with her need to protect herself decided to start first. If she could just get ahead of him in his word games, then maybe she could be sent away with a little dignity left. "You already took Toby once, was that not enough for you?" Sarah had wanted to say stole but the lie was too strong to throw in his face. She knew he would never steal anything.
When the angry looking girl before him hit hard with the low blow, his initial impulse was to make one of equal or greater severity. However, he let his eyes settle on hers for just a moment before speaking. He could see the need to protect herself clearly in her eyes. She was only trying to keep her, little it may have been, pride from being completely torn to shreds.
"Sarah," his voice was imploring. "why must we always do this?" His eyes bore into hers, pleading with her. "Why can't we understand that we both don't want to hurt anymore?" Suddenly he let the tiredness show on his face. He looked a little worn, sleep deprived, but most of all he looked sad.
Jareth's unexpected display of emotion nearly overwhelmed Sarah to the point of shock. He had never been so free of mind with her before, except only hours ago in Helen's room.
'Sarah, I could never hate you…" The words Jareth had spoken only that afternoon flooded through her mind. She wanted to badly to believe him…but she had been disappointed so many times in the past. Even people she loved had turned their back on her. Her mother left. Her father married Karen. 'Friends' at school would make fun of her behind her back for not dating. Karen was misunderstanding. No one had ever kept their promises except Toby and her friends from the labyrinth. Toby was only a toddler still and Hoggle had betrayed her once already. How was she to trust Jareth, even if she wanted to so badly?
"How…" Sarah placed her hand on her forehead, hiding most of her face. "how can I trust you? I want to, but I just don't know if I can." She looked up at him and quietly said in a low whisper. "I don't even think I know how to trust anyone anymore."
Jareth was taken aback by this. Then mentally he thought. 'Of course she doesn't know how to trust! She's never had anyone she could really rely on.'
Gently, Jareth took on of Sarah's hands, as if trying not to spook a wild deer and slowly raised it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss there and looked deep into her eyes. "Just give me a chance. That's all I ask Sarah. Get to know me, the real me. Let me show you the Labyrinth through my eyes. I can paint you mornings of gold or," here Jareth wanted to say 'spin you valentine evenings', but thought he might scare her away, "move the stars into any formation. Just learn to trust me…" silently his mind added, 'and maybe you'll learn to love me…'
Sarah watched Jareth passionately ask for her trust. Well, if he was willing, then who was she to deny a friend? She had always loved making friends, but sadly no one had been that willing in the Aboveground. Smiling softly Sarah said, "So does this mean we're friends?"
Jareth through back his head and laughed. "If that is your wish Sarah, then it shall be…on three conditions."
Instantly Sarah was on alert. What could he possibly mean by that? Conditions? Friends didn't have conditions….or maybe they did in the Underground. With her voice heavily guarded she replied. "What kind of 'conditions' Goblin King?"
Jareth could tell she was on guard and gave her a friendly smile to calm her nerves. "Nothing disastrous I guarantee. First, I wish for you to call me by my given name when not in the presence of another nobles. I get quite tired of 'Goblin King' after so long."
Sarah blushed, but nodded. These conditions didn't seem so bad after all. "What are the other two?" her voice was no longer threatening, and sounded almost interested.
A little more solemnly he replied, "You must promise not to judge me right off. I treat the goblins fairly, but sometimes when it seems I'm abusing them, they quite enjoy it. That and…I may not be particularly fond of my job, but it is my most honored duty. I take away the unwanted." Here he looked at her intensely. "Sarah, I have to answer a summons. It causes me physical pain if I ignore it, and 99 percent of the time I save a child's life from abusive family members."
Sarah let tears well up in her eyes. She had made a friend in fourth grade that had been abused. It was not a pretty thing. Katarina would often come to school with large bruises, and she was extremely skinny. She had died in sixth grade after a very bad beating one night.
Jareth knew of Katarina and that Sarah was thinking of her. He wanted to comfort her, but Sarah had already wiped her eyes of tears and was ready to listen. He sighed this was the one request he was afraid she wouldn't agree to. "The last condition is that you quit with this silly maid nonsense and take your rightful place as Champion of the Labyrinth. The title is equal to princess. Princesses shouldn't polish floors."
"But that's not fair! I made a deal with Lee and I can't just back out!" Vaguely her mind registered he had basically called her a princess, but she was fuming now.
"Sarah, Lee works for me, so by making a deal with her you were actually making a deal with me. I only wish to free you of that deal."
Sarah had liked sewing and watching Toby, and she had no intention of giving that up. "Jareth, please, I really enjoyed sewing, and I loved watching over Toby…I won't let him be taken from me again."
She liked sewing? Well if it had been something she had enjoyed, he would not take it from her. "You only needed to ask. If you really liked sewing you may continue with it. But, I would never take Toby from you. I had no intention of it in the first place." In him mind Jareth wondered why she couldn't just trust him.
Sarah furrowed her brows, but smiled. "You mean I can still take care of Toby and sew with Isabella?"
Jareth smiled. "Of course! If it's something you enjoy, but I won't let you continue scrubbing floors and such. You shouldn't have to slave away, especially with your back-" Jareth wanted to slap himself as soon as he mentioned her back. She didn't know he had seen it, and he hadn't wanted to tell her he had.
Sarah's eyes grew big and her face filled with shock. "How…how did?" she stammered. Her face grew immediately red with shame.
'Why did I open my big mouth about that?' Jareth asked himself. Then he moved to sit beside her and cautiously spoke, trying not to spook her. "I think nothing less of you Sarah." She had moved her face way from his, but turned slightly when he said this.
"Really?" she whispered.
He let out a big sigh. "Oh, Sarah, I think all the more of you if anything else. It had to have been painful." Jareth winced slightly as if remembering a particularly painful moment in his life.
Sarah smiled a watery smile and hugged him gratefully. They were friends now right? So this was perfectly fine, even if Jareth had held his arms up in the air awkwardly for a moment before hugging her back.
Pulling away after a few moments Sarah looked up at him. "We're friends now right?"
Smiling devilishly Jareth said, "Say your right words."
"I wish Jareth would be my friend forever, not long at all." She smiled broadly, almost bordering goofy at him.
The words hit Jareth like a ton of rocks. 'Forever…not long at all, and not nearly long enough for me.'
A/N- Sorry if it's not as long as some other chapters, but my hand is starting to hurt form all the typing. Sending a little review may help me feel a little better too ;)
