Chapter 35 – Just Friends
Elsa woke Sarah early in the morning as she had to return Aboveground for her mid-morning appointment with Dr. Fraser. Her black silk slacks had been cleaned, so she wore those and the emerald green tank and cardigan that Jareth had selected from her closet. She dismissed Elsa and then packed her own suitcase, carrying it down to the dining room where she joined Jareth for breakfast.
He was waiting for her and although it was difficult to say goodbye, he could not help but be pleased with how much she had recovered in her few days Underground. She smiled warmly at seeing him in his standard black leather pants, black boots, white poet's shirt and midnight blue vest trimmed with silver. "I have sincerely enjoyed the last few days" she said as she smiled affectionately at him. "You have been a wonderful host."
"It has been my privilege, Sarah. I have to admit that having an intelligent companion has been quite satisfying." He summoned a crystal and held it out to her, pleased that she took it without hesitation, only looking at him questioningly.
"That crystal will permit you to move between the Aboveground and the Underground. Just keep the image of where you want to be in your mind, and it will transport you. If you cannot clearly visualize the location, it will either select your home Aboveground or your suite of rooms here in the castle."
Sarah stared with delight at the crystal and then raised her enchanted eyes to him. Her gratitude made the effort of creating the crystal worth the exhaustion it had cost him. A single transport spell was simple, but a recurring one with more than one location took a great deal of energy to fashion.
They lingered over breakfast, neither wishing to be the first to say it was time for her to leave, but finally she realized she would miss her appointment if she delayed any longer. She reluctantly stood and he rose as well. Stepping forward, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Thank you again, Jareth. I will see you soon, I'm sure."
"I will hold you to that Sarah" he murmured.
She held on to her suitcase with one hand and the crystal with another and focused on her condo Aboveground. She closed her eyes as the room tilted and within moments felt the ground beneath her feet and opened her eyes, finding herself in her living room. What a marvelous gift he had given her! And what trust he showed, permitting her access to his kingdom at any time.
She called down to the doorman and asked him to hail a cab, then headed down. She barely made it to her appointment with Dr. Fraser on time, but for once didn't mind nearly being late. It was hard to return to the noise and crowded conditions of Manhattan after the quiet beauty of the Underground.
Dr. Fraser was astonished at her recovery, as encouraged with the fragments of memory she seemed to be remembering from periods immediately before her accident. He was cautiously optimistic, but scheduled another MRI to log her progress.
Returning home, she picked up her regular mail and sorted through it. Most of her bills were set up for automatic payment, so at least she didn't have to go through writing out and mailing checks today. She had a number of Get Well cards from friends and associates, and was touched by the affectionate notes written in the cards.
Once she had opened her regular mail, she went to the loft and powered up the computer to look through her email. She responded to a variety of notes hoping she was feeling better, including ones from her father, stepmother and Toby. They would be returning soon and she looked forward to seeing them as they planned to stay a night in New York with her before returning home.
She noticed a note from her friend Melissa had an attachment and hoped it wasn't a virus. However, she was pleased to read:
"Sarah, I hope you are on the road to recovery. If you need anything at all, just let Daniel or I know; whether it's shopping, cleaning, or if you need a sympathetic ear or someone to vent to. We're here for you.
I'm attaching a video Daniel made on the night of your surprise birthday party. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps nudge a few memories back in place. But even if it doesn't, it lets you see how much you are loved.
Love, Melissa
With delight, she opened the attachment and hit play. She smiled as Michael's and Brian's condo came into view, showing her and Michael discussing songs that he would play while she sang. She noticed that she was wearing a green wrap dress with a V-neckline, and while she didn't remember buying it, it looked a little familiar. The camera panned the room, focusing on each guest present. She saw her friends from her Union Cooper days, Marty and Carolyn, and several of the authors with whom she worked. She was delighted when the camera focused on Jareth, eyes widening at his human charcoal gray slacks, black turtleneck sweater and black leather blazer. He was incredibly attractive, she thought.
She watched as her video self sang three show tunes and was pleased that her voice held true throughout the songs. At Carolyn's request, Michael began playing "Unchained Melody", one of her very favorite love songs. She laughed watching the video as he stopped playing after she had only sung the first line. In a teasing voice he asked "How how many think she's singing it with a sultry enough voice?" and her friends laughingly booed her. However, her eyes then widened when Michael said "Sarah love, sing it to Jareth there if you need inspiration for that come-hither voice" and Jareth immediately responded with "Yes Sarah, let us hear that 'come-hither' voice." Good lord, the man was practically purring at her as he challenged her.
Apparently she had felt it was a dare as well, because her video self smirked and then began singing in a deliberately husky and enticing voice. Sarah felt her cheeks warm as she watched herself deliberately and publicly go out of her way to seduce Jareth. However, what also captured her attention was that he was eating it up. It was obvious he knew she was teasing him and he enjoyed it.
She watched herself wander across the room and then deliberately saunter back to Jareth, her hips swaying, her eyes half lidded. Her eyes widened as her video self reached him; moved one hand on his chest seductively, and then slowly walked her fingers up to the base of his throat.
A headache began pounding deep in her skull, but she could feel the knit of the sweater under her fingers, could feel her fingers walking up his chest and touching his throat. She stopped the video with a shaky hand. She could see him watching her with…an admiring and approving smile, enjoying her seduction. Flashes of images and feelings seared through her mind and she clutched at her head as the images flooded her mind.
She felt the Labyrinth's concern and a mental question whether she needed assistance. "Wait…no…say nothing…tell no one…let me process this…" she gasped.
With her eyes closed and her hands clutching her head, she let the memories come. They came too fast at first, with no sequence, no sense. She felt her necklace warm on her neck and knew the Labyrinth was doing something, but was too overwhelmed to pay attention. Slowly, the images slowed and then settled into her mind and the necklace's warmth began to cool.
She remembered feeling someone was in her condo, but that it wasn't malicious. She had set a trap; almost not believing it would capture anything, but had caught a cute little goblin who became her constant companion.
More goblins came, and she remembered them eating, playing and digging through boxes, breaking glasses. She received replacements and a note from the Goblin King. She remembered her surprise at that. Images of him visiting the first time, then subsequent visits and the realization that she liked him, enjoyed his company, found him interesting, amusing, intelligent and attractive.
She remembered teaching Jareth dances in the living room and attending the cocktail party with him, then learning Underground dances and about the kingdoms there. Her head was splitting but she took deep breaths, trying to accept and process the onslaught of memories.
She went Underground and…Keeper! The Labyrinth asked her to be the Keeper! She felt a flood of fondness, support and happiness that pushed the headache away and she reveled in the intimacy of the moment. "RIN!" Affectionate amusement washed over her. For several long minutes, she pushed other memories aside and focused on the closeness and affection of the Labyrinth.
Eventually, she felt Rin nudge her back to other memories and remembered that she had met Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo, and their pleasure in the gifts she had brought.
She remembered dressing for the ball, coming down the stairs to Jareth's admiring and satisfied approval. The picture she had drawn at the top of the stairs of the ballroom overlaid the real memories and the two merged. She remembered meeting Oberon and Titania and then Jareth surprising her with a tango.
Jareth… Jareth asking to …Jareth asking to court her. The feel of his lips on hers, being in his arms, feeling his shuddering response to her touch and her equally trembling response to his touch. She had never felt as strongly or as passionately about another man, she realized.
She remembered that he was at the hospital every day and night, but never pushed himself on her; he only waited for her to respond. He held himself to friendship with her, never pushing or intruding, but always there. The two perspectives of him, both before and after the accident coalesced into one incredible man, someone she…loved. She loved him. She loved Jareth, the Goblin King.
She drew several deep and shaky breaths, trying not to let the headache overwhelm her. Again, her necklace warmed and the headache receded slightly. "Thank you, Rin" she murmured.
She thought about Jareth…she had asked him if they were a couple and he…he didn't say yes or no. OK, so he didn't want to push himself on her, but she had asked the question and he didn't give her an honest answer. She had even told him how honesty was the most important trait in a life mate.
Sarah smiled wickedly. "Not a word or thought to him Rin! Promise me!" Amusement washed over her as Rin waited for her thoughts to complete. "Just friends, hmm Jareth?" Her mind raced and she asked "Do you think I could summon him to me while Underground, Rin?" She felt the mental affirmation along with the impression that the summoning would have to be though a method meaningful to both of them.
She looked at the video she had stopped, with her hand touching the base of his throat. "Like a song?" Again affirmation met her thought. "So I could summon him with a song…and seduce him with another while playing innocent." Sarah grinned sensually. "Then mention something about only being friends and that I had asked him whether they were more and he prevaricated. I can subtly remind him about the honesty issue and then leave. It would take him several seconds to realize the honesty discussion was before my accident. I would have time to turn on some tango music and when he follows we can dance." She loved it.
Sarah thought about her favorite love songs: Unchained Melodies, Hello by Lionel Richie, When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole, Could It Be Magic by Barry Manilow… her mind stopped at the last one and she smiled slowly. That song exuded steamy sexuality. She would call him with Unchained Melodies and then capture him with a verse or two from Could It Be Magic.
The headache she had been ignoring became too much and she finally went downstairs and took some pain relievers before laying down to rest, but fell asleep with a mischievous smile on her face.
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When Sarah awoke again, she took a long bath using her favorite vanilla and almond bath oil that left her skin silky smooth. She took two silver hair combs and pulled the hair away from her face, then used her curling iron to create a tumble of curls down over her shoulders. She applied light make-up, outlining her eyes with deep green eyeliner and creating a smoky look with shades of bronzed brown. She had thought about wearing the short blue dress that had made him so uncomfortable, but finally decided on the red silk halter dress that she had worn to the cocktail party. She remembered his reaction to the bare back and shivered with anticipation as she remembered he had removed his gloves to enhance the sensation to himself.
She picked up a blanket and then went to the kitchen, pulling a picnic basket out of the pantry. She filled a carafe with peach schnapps and orange juice and added a wine goblet. Then she added a number of candles. Moving to the living room, she put the lights on their dimmest setting and smiled to herself. Finally, using the crystal he had given her she focused on the glade where she had accepted Rin and felt herself transported there. It was evening and the moon was just beginning to appear in the starry cloudless sky.
Looking around, she was satisfied that she was alone there, but murmured "No one but Jareth can enter, OK Rin?" Amused agreement met her comment. She spread out the blanket and put out the carafe and goblet hiding Jareth's crystal behind the decanter, and lit the candles around the blanket. She positioned herself on the blanket, leaning back with her head tipped to the sky and her legs positioned to their best advantage. She took a deep breath and began to sing, pouring her heart into the words.
Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.
In the castle, Jareth felt an intense erotic wrench at his soul. He was unable to resist the compulsion, and was nearly dizzy with turmoil as it coerced him to follow. He transformed to his owl form and flew towards the source of the compulsion. His enhanced eyesight found Sarah alone in a glade in the Labyrinth, the darkness broken by small pools of candle light. He flew down to the glade and transformed back against the walls in the shadows, drinking in the sight of her.
She was partially reclining on the blanket, her long legs exposed, leaning back on her arms with her eyes closed and her face was turned up to the moonlight reflecting the flickering of the candle light. Her velvet voice began to lift a song to the sky.
My love take me, high upon a hillside
High up where the stallion meets the sun
I could love you
build my world around you,
Never leave you until our lives are done
Baby I love you
Come, come,
come into my arms
Let me know the wonder of all of you
and baby I want you,
now, now, oh now,
oh now and hold on fast
Could this be the magic at last
Could it be magic…
Finally, her voice released the last silken notes and her eyes slowly opened. Magic was reflected in the dark pools of her eyes and seemed to play under her nearly translucent skin. He took a step forward, and her eyes slowly focused on him.
"Good evening, Jareth" she said with a slight smile, allowing her lips to caress his name with her husky voice. If she was an element he thought, she would be smoke, permeating, pervasive yet difficult to hold and capture. "What brings you here this enchanted evening?"
"You apparently did, Precious" he managed after a sharply drawn breath. His senses were reeling from the sight of her tantalizing form on the blanket, her long bare legs tempting him, the hint of cleavage teasing him, the seductive song filling him with an aching hunger.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did my singing bother you all the way up at the castle? I didn't think anyone could hear me from there." She turned slightly, leaving her bare back exposed to him while she reached for her goblet.
He felt the remnants of magic tingle along his veins as he stood riveted watching her form hungrily. The minx was deliberately tormenting him he realized as his eyes devoured the bare silky flesh of her back. And it was working. He felt a hunger for her threatening to overwhelm him, a yearning so deep it would take years of drinking from her lips for his thirst to slake. He physically ached to hold her, caress her and love her until their sweat-drenched bodies were exhausted and satiated.
With an effort, he murmured "That was a most unusual song, Precious. Quite erotic, in fact. What made you choose that one to sing?"
"Was it erotic?" She paused from sipping her drink and licked her lips as if considering. His eyes were riveted to the sight of her tongue lightly touching her lips. They parted as she softly began to sing a verse.
My love take me high upon a hillside
High up where the Stallion meets the sun
I could love you, build my world around you
Never leave you until our lives are done.
Her phrasing was slow and seductive and he closed his eyes briefly as her dulcet tones flowed over him.
"I suppose that could be suggestive, but erotic?" she asked ingenuously.
"Perhaps it was the next verse, Precious" he said lazily, leaning against a tree to keep himself from ravishing her where she lay, but allowing himself a small smirk of acknowledgement that her seductive teasing was effective.
She seemed to be considering his comments about the next verse and with a graceful movement, rose to her feet, slightly tipping her head back to sing.
Baby I love you
Come, (her hands beckoned)
Come, (the fingers pointing to herself)
Come into my arms (her arms crossed over her body as if in an embrace)
Let me know the wonder of all of you (her hands seemed to trace an invisible torso in front of her)
And baby, I want you now, (tracing over an unseen chest, down invisible sides)
now, oh, now, (her hands moved to her own hips)
oh now and hold on fast (and her body arched slightly)
Could this be the magic at last? (her voice purred the last lines)
This time, there was no question that she was putting all of her considerable talent into tormenting him, whipping the fires inside him to dangerously rampant levels. By the gods, he wanted her and he wanted her now. He took a half-step in her direction before he caught himself.
"You know Jareth…" her lips caressed his name sending a deep shudder along his spine. "I asked you whether we were a couple, whether we were more than friends. You prevaricated. You said my friends must have thought so because I taught you to tango and because we were good at it." Her eyes were dark, alluring, her voice intoxicated him and kept him enthralled.
"Do you remember what I said was the most important thing to me in a relationship when you asked me the question?"
He tried to think through the intense haze of desire and longing. "Honesty" he muttered, then paused. Honesty and he hadn't been honest with her. He took a step in her direction and watched in dismay as she disappeared.
His eyes widened in shock as she vanished. Had he ruined his chances with her entirely? She had said that honesty was the most important attribute, as from it came honor, integrity, trust. Realization abruptly burst upon him. She had said that the day before the accident…
Sarah appeared in her dimly lit living room and moved over to the DVD player, turning on a provocative Latin beat counting down "three, two, one…" The lights dimmed and he transported into the room with a loud crackle of electricity, his eyes frantically searching for her in the near darkness. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, smiling sensually in satisfaction and he spun around to face her at the nearly imperceptible sound she made.
Three steps brought him to her. "Sarah, my Precious Sarah" he crooned, reaching for her.
"Just friends, Jareth?" she questioned raising one eyebrow, but with a sensual smile that drove him to near madness.
His gloves disappeared and he took her hands, kissing each finger hungrily, and then placed them around his neck. He slid his own hands to her face, cupping it and lowered his lips to her, kissing her tenderly, longingly, pouring all his fear, his love, his devotion into it.
One hand slid behind her neck keeping her in the kiss while the other slid slowly and sensuously down to her bare shoulder and then leisurely down her side to her waist, before moving gradually and tantalizingly up her bare back. He lightly stroked and caressed her silky skin, feeling his magic spark at the intensity of the feather light touch. She arched toward him as the tingle where their flesh touched caused an involuntary reaction and he growled deeply in his throat, a sound a human throat couldn't reproduce.
He deepened the kiss, letting his fevered passion engulf him, pressing her against him, wanting to feel every part of her. She caressed his neck, encouraging him and as his passion flared her own desire, she raked her nails down his back to the top of his breeches, then back up his spine. He shuddered and growled again, pulling her tighter against him and thrusting toward his hips toward her.
His lips moved down to her neck, finding the tender spot along her collarbone, and he kissed then nipped at it before blowing along it gently, causing her to shiver and moan softly. The sound was almost more than he could bear. Sarah, his beloved Sarah was moaning in his arms. He drew a shuddering breath trying to find some measure of control.
Her hands dropped to the small of his back and began caressing it in a circular motion, pulling him against her with each movement, his groin touching hers with every motion. He groaned and fought for control, but then her hands slipped beneath his silken shirt and her bare hands were repeating the motions in a sensual repetitive pattern and she arched against him.
Her lips found the base of his throat and her tongue flicked against the sensitive skin, causing him to shudder at her touch. The sounds he was making, the growling was more erotic than she could have ever imagined. Everywhere their skin touched, she felt a tingling sensation that didn't fade. Her senses were overwhelmed with his aphrodisiac touch. She could feel his excitement pressing against her, further rousing her. She wanted him, all of him and slid her hands under his waistband to his hips.
In a small portion of his mind, a warning rang in Jareth's mind. He wanted her desperately and felt her desire and passion equaling his own. He wanted to join with her, bind her to him, bond with her… He groaned deeply and whispered "Sarah, we have to stop" just as her nails bit into the flesh of her hips. Nearly overwhelmed, he stepped back, gripping her hands at his hips and pulling them to his chest.
"Sarah, I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone in my life, but we have to stop" his voice hoarse with his pained longing for her.
Her eyes were smoldering with desire for him, her body arched towards him and it was almost more than he could endure. He closed his eyes to stop the erotic vision.
"Why" she whispered. "You want me and I…I want you my dearest delight." She attempted to move against him and he tightened his grip, trying to hold her off.
"Precious, please listen to me." His voice was raw with his desire. "I am Fae. My desire is feeding yours. Fae passion can overwhelm humans, clouding their judgment. And this…it would be an irrevocable bonding." He drew a shuddering breath, trying to find his link to the Labyrinth and force his message through it as well.
With her body not pressed deliciously against him, he slowly regained some small measure of sanity, although his yearning for her was a profound ache that still threatened to overwhelm him. "A bond is something you have to agree to when you are not filled with Fae passion, my precious Sarah. I would never want to manipulate or control you. It must be freely given with full understanding."
He saw some understanding in her smoldering eyes and knew she had finally heard him. He kissed her hands again, afraid to touch any other part of her. She focused on his face and breathed deeply, allowing the tension to release from her body, although her pulse was still beating rapidly.
After several deep breaths, she allowed her lips to form a sultry smile and looked up at him from under her lashes. "Just friends, Jareth?" she asked slyly.
He laughed then, a deep laugh that bordered on a groan. She was a cruel minx, but she was his cruel exciting sensual voluptuous minx, and he loved her more than mere words could ever express.
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