Chapter Thirty Seven

Safe Haven

It had taken more than two weeks to get the stench out of Sarah's office. During that time, Grizbine sent no more gifts, and Sarah held her morning meetings in the garden. It still felt off, but it was better. She made a point of wearing the slippers that Jareth had fabricated to look like the pair Grizbine had sent. She told people how comfortable they were. If Grizbine had a spy in Jareth's court, he was being led a merry chase. Sarah wore the beads often as well.

One evening when Jareth was away, Sarah spent working on the quilt for the baby. The children had been read to and tucked in. She was too restless to read, and Sarah found needlework always seemed to calm her. She was just finishing one of the panels when Jareth entered the chamber.

"Still up?" he questioned. He deposited himself on the bed next to where she was working. "Waiting for me, my pet?"

"In your dreams," she teased. "I'm almost done with the quilt." She held up the panel she'd been working on.

Jareth touched the fabric gingerly. "You do beautiful work, Sarah."He looked at the wall where he'd hung the portrait she'd done of him in the tunnel before she came to live there. On either side was now a little portrait of each of her children in the striped pjs sitting in the Escher room. Jareth had also framed the portrait of Toby Sarah had made. "I've always thought of you as talented."

Sarah finished the stitch, and put her needle back in a holder. "That will do for tonight I think."

Jareth tapped a large open square. "Why is this one empty?"

"That's for the baby's name and birth date." Sarah watched him inspect the quilt. "By the way, are we on a Gregorian, or a Julian calendar?"

"We use a Gregorian calendar when dealing with the world above, and for personal use here we are on the old Celtic Lunar calendar." Jareth said not looking at her. "I'll give you all the dates you need when the time comes." He dropped the cloth back onto the bed, "Sarah, I think it's time."

"Time, Sire?"

"To tell the children, you are starting to show you know." He pointed to her tummy. "Jenny is going to notice, and we should tell them first. How did you tell her when you were expecting Gwynn?"

"I didn't." she whispered. "She over heard Paul order me to… get rid of it…" The memory was still painful. "When I refused he…struck me, and walked out."

"You sure I can't just turn him into a…toad?" Jareth placed his hand on hers.

"Not much of a turn, and why poison the toad populace?" she quipped.

Jareth chuckled, "Alright, Sarah. I won't turn the sod." He kept his hand over hers. "We still have to decide how to tell the children."

"Jenny is going to have other questions, Jareth. Questions even I don't know how to answer." Sarah's voice was soft with worry and internal conflict.

"We can not put it off indefinitely," he warned.

"She's going to want to know things." Sarah looked at the portraits of her children on the wall. "I'm not sure she old enough to understand most of it."

"Answer her questions as simply and honestly as possible," he said quietly. "I'll be there to help."

"And when she asks if we are married, and are you her new father? What do I tell her then?"

Mismatched eyes were determined, and resolved. "Give the child credit, Sarah. She is your daughter, and she's not stupid."

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Fire flashed in green eyes.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Woman, she comes in here every night for her bedtime story. You think she does not know this is my bed? You think she is not aware that you share it with me?"

Sarah looked down at the quilt, not wanting to meet the eyes staring at her. "I'm sure she knows…that still does not tell me how to explain it to her. What do I tell her about us?"

"That we were together before you met Paul, and that we should have stayed together..." His fingers tightened on hers. "Tell her the truth."

"Whose truth? Yours or mine?" Sarah groaned. "And when she asks what to call you?"

Jareth moved so that his eyes were level with hers. "If she and Gwynn wish to call me father, I'd be honored."

"You're not their father." She reminded him. "We're not married! You're not even their step father!"

"So provincial," he teased.

She tossed back the blanket and the quilt, leaving the bed. "Damn you."

Jareth watched her pace. "You are my consort. True we are not married in the sense that you and Paul were. But we are bonded, and that is deeper than any mere marriage vow."

"Oh that's a great thing to tell a little girl of seven going on eight. Mommy is bonded to the King, no we're not married, we just sleep together and make babies…." Sarah spat out sarcastically.

"I think we can be a tad less crude than that, Sarah." Jareth snickered, as he patted the edge of the bed. "Sit down, all that pacing is making me tired just watching."

Sarah contemplated the consequences of not obeying him, in the end she felt it was best to acquiesce to his wish. Coming to his side of the bed, she sat where he had motioned for her to. "They will never understand…. I'm not sure I understand."

Jareth removed his gloves, wanting to touch skin to skin. "Sarah, you are making far more of it then they will." Long elegant fingers moved over her with caressing pressure. "For now, all they need know is they are loved, and they are going to have a baby brother to play with." He eased the tension in her muscles away. "They are happy here, Sarah. Everyone in the Kingdom accepts them; they have an entire Labyrinth to play with and in. They have a safe haven in our union."

"Our union…"she repeated. "And when you tire of our union, and me, what then?"

Jareth's breath was at her ear, "Tire of you? Woman, even in conflict I could never tire of you. I'd rather be at war with you, than playing court games with some empty headed, self centered, vain, court climbing Fae woman." His hand cupped her chin. "Tire of you, Sarah? Could I ever tire of drawing breath? Could I tire of the excitement of magic? It will never happen."

"I've heard vows before…"

"I'm not Paul." His voice dropped several octaves as he moved from ear to throat. "I'm the one who will be always there, even…" he teased with the tip of his tongue. "As the world falls down."

"I'm afraid…" she admitted. "Afraid of what the children will think of me. I'm living with you in sin…."

"Hardly!" He mused. "We are bonded and you are my consort." He sat upright and stared at her. "You really don't understand, do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Sarah in every sense of the word you are my mate, my matched half. Does the term wife mean so much to you?" He looked into her eyes.

"I didn't think so," her voice was miserable. "I've made such a mess of being a wife."

"No you didn't." Jareth soothed. "Remember, woman, I've been watching. You tried to make the best of a loosing proposition. You did everything you could to save a sinking ship."

"And my husband wished away our children."

Jareth nodded, "He's a sod, and didn't deserve you, or the little ones. I on the other hand, am devoted to your children."

"You used Jenny against me, to get your way." She reminded him.

"True, I did," he whispered in her ear. "You don't really think I'd go through with something like that, do you?"

"Why say it?" there was skepticism in her manner.

"Because I knew it would work."

"You are such a bastard," she huffed.

"Yes, I am," he smirked. "Besides, I wanted to make you hurt…I was hurting I wanted you to hurt as well."

"Childish!"

"Often," he said proudly.

"Stubborn!"

"I'm also pigheaded, and selfish." He offered, tipping her backward. "Over sexed, and demanding as well." He looked at her with dancing eyes. "I vow to you, my consort, I will never harm your children. I think of them as my own."

"You said that to the High Queen… I thought you were just being…."

"No, Sarah, I meant it. I value your children. I was there the night Jenny was born. I watched her birth from a window, unable to be at your side. Unlike the man who chose to not be there. I saw you walk the floor with her when she was colicky. I saw her first steps, heard her first words, saw her off for her first day at school. I was there when Gwynn was born as well." He cupped her chin again. "Now tell me I'm not their father."

"Paul didn't…"

"I am not Paul." He stated again firmly. "I would never have ordered you to 'get rid' of my child! I would never strike you. I will never strike you, not even when you drive me mad."

"Are you offering me safe haven?" she asked incredulously.

"No, for you there will never be a safe haven, my fire breathing beauty. For you and I there will always be antagonism… I'm beginning to think of it as foreplay, and you calling me Bastard as a substitute for endearments." He teased. "I offer you my oath,

I will always think of your children, all of them, as mine."

Sarah nodded, "We'll tell the children in the morning…in the garden, together."

"Good." Jareth kissed her forehead. "Now get back in bed, you've had a long day."