Chapter 13
The next morning Jareth woke to several sets of eyes staring at him. "You cretins better have a good reason for being here." He groaned as he closed his eyes again. Hearing laughter that didn't come from a goblin, he looked to find Toby sitting on the floor by the tv. "Looks like someone is in the doghouse."
Sitting up, he rubbed his head. "I see no doghouse, Toby, nor do I know why anyone would be in one."
"It means you're in trouble. If you slept out here, you and Sarah must have had a fight. Dad sleeps on the couch when he and mom fight." Toby explained.
"Well if must know, we didn't fight, at least not exactly. You sister just wanted to be alone so I honored her wishes." Jareth stated. He stood and with a flick of his wrist he was dressed and had a cup of coffee in hand.
"Cool!" Toby exclaimed.
Jareth ignored the boy and made his way to the bedroom. Knocking softly on the door, he called out, "Sarah, your brother is here." He listened for a reply, but heard none. "Sarah, are you awake? I have coffee."
The door opened slightly and a hand reached out. "Coffee..." a voice muttered.
Chuckling, he handed her the cup and blinked when the door shut once more. Sighing he returned to the couch. "She should be out shortly."
A while later, Sarah emerged fully dressed with empty coffee cup in hand. "Morning Tobes." She said cheerfully.
She exchanged looks with Jareth, forming a silent agreement to deal with the result of the night before without Toby present with subtle nods.
"Morning Sarah, so why is Jareth in the doghouse?"
"Toby," Jareth scolded.
"He's not. I just needed some alone time. Every now and then I need to be alone to think. You remember that right, Toby?"
"Yea, usually when something was upsetting you or you had a tough choice to make." Toby answered. "Anyway you guys missed breakfast, but then almost all the grown ups did."
"Wow, I didn't realize it was already so late." Sarah said as she glanced at the clock to see it was almost 10.
"Guess there's no point in trying to eat now. Perhaps a piece of fruit if you need a snack?
Jareth declined politely." I'm fine."
" Then we might as well wait for lunch," Sarah grabbed her coat. "Shall we build snowmen today?"
"Yay!" Toby and the goblins cheered.
Two goblins rushed over and hugged her legs. "HI! YOU'RE PURDY!" one goblin screamed at her.
"Lady smells nice." The other goblin grinned before licking her leg.
Sarah tried to pull her legs away, but they held tight.
"Enough, you idiots!" Jareth yelled. "Feel free to kick them, Sarah."
"Chad, it's not nice to lick people." Toby told him as he pulled the goblin away from Sarah.
"Chad?" Sarah looked at the Goblin. His warty little face looked oddly familiar
"Lady remembers Chad!" He jumped up and down happily.
"Oh yes, I remember you very well." Sarah said through gritted teeth as she glared at the Goblin King.
He at least had the good grace to look a little guilty.
"Toby" Sarah said to her brother while not taking her eyes off of Jareth. "Take the Goblins and go play, but keep them out of sight of any of us humans, and stay nearby. We'll be a few minutes."
Toby looked back and forth between the two adults, understanding what was about to happen. "Come on guys, we better get out of the way. Sarah is maaaad."
They left quickly. When the door was closed, Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Really? You disguised goblins to go on dates with me to deliberately sabotage me? What the hell, Jareth!? Why would you do that?!"
"Precious..." He saw her eyes narrow. "Sarah, please understand, I was worried about you after I heard your wish. I couldn't let you just find any deviant who could have terrible plans for you. I knew I would be perfect to step in and help you, but I believed you wouldn't choose me, your old nemesis, unless your other options were so terrible as to make myself look like the best option."
"So you thought you were the best deviant for the job?" Sarah replied.
"Touche'." Jareth answered. "I have my moments, Sarah, but I wouldn't see you hurt, or worse, if I could prevent it. Perhaps it wasn't the best tactic, but I only wanted to help."
"If you were so worried about me all this time, why did you wait so long? I know you well enough to know that if you really wanted to talk to me you could have found a way. I think you were just hoping to get over on me, have a laugh, maybe get a piece, and go back to your world able to brag you *finally* got your revenge. You finally got power over me. You made me fall in love you and then you could lord it over me that *you* conquered me. That's what I think."
She felt almost relieved in a way. Finally a reason. The other shoe dropping so now she could move on and not do something foolish.
Jareth looked genuinely confused on top of angry. "That's patently ridiculous. I could not contact you until you wished for something in your hearts of hearts, and finally, FINALLY, you did. Do you even know what you *really* wished for, Sarah?"
Sarah crossed her arms. "Yeah, a fake boyfriend." she scoffed.
Jareth copied her body language. "No, that wasn't it. It's far deeper than that. I'm the King of Dreams and Wishes, Sarah, words only tell part of the story. I can hear your heart talking, feel its desires, and I can assure you what it wants is nothing remotely fake."
He saw it then, the moment her eyes changed for just a second. Her heart opened, but she closed it to him a second later.
"That's just ridiculous Jareth and I don't want to talk about this anymore. Look, let's just go build a snowman with Toby, then try to get through the next two days. Then we can be done with this whole thing. Just plaster on a smile okay? It's Christmas Eve, tomorrow is Christmas, and I don't want Toby upset or anyone else. I appreciate that you've done this for me, but let's just...get it over with."
She brushed past him and grabbed her coat, putting it on before he could help. "Are you coming? "
Jareth followed and grabbed his coat. "Still so selfish, Champion. Oh you give much, but never your heart. Never your love. You'll just keep it there inside, shut away, rather leave it to rot than to even give another a chance to earn it. This...this is why you needed a fake lover, Sarah. You're far to frightened to find a real one."
He walked past her, opened the door, and slammed it shut. Leaving her there alone.
By the time Sarah joined Toby, Jareth and the Goblins, they were halfway done with the snowman.
Jareth was a bit subdued but Toby and his new playmates were having a grand time. She jumped in and helped, her and Jareth being polite to each other and trying to push their differences aside.
"Here." Sarah handed him a carrot she had found in the refrigerator. He gave her a weird look. "For the nose."
"Ahh yes." He placed it firmly on the top snowball.
The goblins found a hat, a scarf and some buttons, and Sarah didn't even want to know where the brought them from.
When it was finally done the group stood back and admired their handy work.
"Not bad." Sarah remarked.
"He's very dapper." Jareth observed.
"Let's get a picture!" Toby brought out a disposable camera.
"Toby, goblin won't appear on film to anyone but us. They'll just look like smudges or blurs." Jareth said.
The boy shrugged, "I don't care I'll know what they are."
So they gathered together and Jareth was able to manipulate the camera to take a picture of them all gathered around.
Then Toby insisted one of just him and Sarah, him and Jareth, all three of them, and of Sarah and Jareth. It was a bit awkward, for Sarah at least, but it made Toby happy.
After they were done, Jareth sent the a goblins home with a large bag of sweets for their reward, and the three tromped through the snow that was beginning to fall rather heavily to have lunch.
Toby went to eat with his parents while Jareth and Sarah sat at their assigned buffet table where Minnie and Gordon were also sitting.
"Good afternoon you two!" Minnie said cheerfully.
Gordon gave Sarah a skeevy grin. "Hey, Sarah Jean, you got up late. Must have had a late night." He winked.
Sarah shuddered. "Actually Gordon, I didn't feel well. Don't be disgusting."
She wasn't in any mood to put up with his leers or innuendo.
"Please watch the way you speak to Sarah. You need to be taught some manners." Jareth snapped. He wasn't in any better mood.
"Now, you young ones, it's Christmas Eve. Behave." Minnie scolded.
All three mumbled apologies.
"Goodness, everyone is touchy this day. Far too much of the demon alcohol flowing free last night if ya ask me." She tsked.
"Probably." Sarah reached over and put her hand over her aunt. "Don't let it get you upset. You're right, it's just hangovers."
Minnie's sharp eyes had already caught Jareth and Sarah avoidance of looking, touching, and talking to each other.
"A good sight more I think. You two, don't waste too much time fussing. Time is shorter than you think."
"Now you sound like him." Sarah gestured to the man at her side but couldn't help but smile a little.
"I'd say she's far wiser." Jareth said with a laugh.
They both looked at each other, and reached a silent understanding. Now was not the time. Jareth picked up Sarah hand and kissed her knuckles. "Truce?"
Sarah nodded.
There was so much more, she knew, but they could just enjoy the next two days, and part friends.
They ate a leisurely lunch. Sarah was still tired so she went for a nap, While Jareth wanted to take a walk alone.
It would be another long evening and they both needed some time alone to rest and think.
Jareth walked leisurely through the falling snow. He didn't know where he was going, he just wanted to be alone. Sighing, he looked up at the falling snow.
He had gotten so close, just for her to shut him out again. True the goblin dates were a bad idea, but she was shutting him out before that.
As he walked further into the woods, he wondered if there was any hope of this ending the way he wanted it to.
He wasn't sure how long he was gone, a couple hours he supposed. Deciding he should head back and check on Sarah before getting ready for dinner, Jareth froze when he heard the call of a wisher. "Damn it, of all the times." Sighing again, he glanced around to be sure he was alone and then vanished.
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Back at the cabin, Toby tried talking to Sarah, but she wasn't in a very good mood. He had seen this before. Everytime she got too close to someone, she would back away or do something to sabotage the relationship.
Toby had really hoped that things would be different with Jareth.
He had always assumed her obsession with the Goblin King was why she didn't date any one for more than a couple of months, except once that hadn't ended well either.
But now that she had the King she cared for, she was doing the same thing.
Toby made his way out to the edge of the woods. Maybe the goblins were still around or maybe he could find Jareth. Sarah had said he had gone for a walk.
"Look it's the baby that can't ski!" Exclaimed Toby's cousin, Stewart. His Aunt Irene's kids and they weren't much nicer than her.
"Yea, he's such a baby he still has to sleep with his mommy." Laughed Phillip, Stewart's brother.
"Bet he still wets the bed too." Giggled their little sister Ellenor.
"That's a lie!" Toby shouted.
"Oh yeah?" Then why aren't you in the cabin with us?" Phillip asked as he pushed Toby.
"Yeah we have to share a cabin with the others, including Missy and she's afraid of the dark." Ellenor added.
"If you're not a baby then you're going to stay with us tonight." Stewart demanded.
"I won't do it." Toby tried to walk away, but the three of them kept getting in the way and pushing him back towards the large pine tree. "Stop it!" Toby shouted.
"Stop it!" The three of them mocked him and laughed.
Toby clenched his fists and took a swing at Stewart, the oldest and biggest of the three, and was shocked he connected. The boy hit the ground and when he touched it sore nose, he found it was gushing blood.
He glared at Toby and got back on his feet. While the other two helped Stewart up, Toby ran into the woods.
"Get him!" Stewart shouted as they started to chase after him.
Toby ran as fast as he could into the woods. He knew he was dead if they caught him.
As he ran the snow came down harder and harder, making it hard to see where he was going. By the time he realized his cousins were no longer behind him, he was very deep in the woods.
Toby stopped and leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath. He looked and listened, hopubg he had lost them.
Just as he smiled with relief that he had escaped, he also realized that the snow was quickly covering his tracks and he had no idea where he was. "Uh oh. I'm lost." he began to fell afraid as tried to figure out what to do.
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As it began to get dark, Sarah finally decided to get out of bed. She showered and began to prepare for dinner.
When she went in the other room, she had expected Jareth to be there, but he wasn't.
As she turned to go back into the bedroom she heard a frantic banging on the door, and r rushed to answer it. It was her stepmother.
"Karen, what's wrong?" It was clear from the distressed look her the older woman's face, something was dreadfully wrong.
"We can't find Toby. He's not here is he?" she asked, breathless from running.
Sarah shook her head. "No I haven't seen him for hours. Did you check the main lodge? I heard they were giving milk and cookies to the kids today."
"We've checked everywhere. I didn't want to disturb you as Jay said you were feeling ill, which is why I didn't think he would be here. But when we weren't able to find him..." Karen cover her face with her hands and began to weep.
"Relax. I'm sure he's fine" Sarah assured her. "He's probaby with Jay..." Sarah froze as the thought crossed her mind.
She put on a brave face and hugged Karen. "Go back to the main lodge. I'll get dressed and grab a few things and meet you there then we'll look together."
As soon as Karen was gone, Sarah closed the door and paced the room. "He wouldn't, would he? Sure they had fought and she even debated throwing things at the glittery git, but he wouldn't take Toby to back at her...would he?" She asked herself out loud.
Sarah debated the idea as she dressed and bundled up quickly, found a flashlight in the kit the resort provided in case of a power outage, and headed out.
Would he do it? He's certain capable.
And if he did, and I brought him here...
Her anxiety rose as she contemplated the idea this was her doing.
She trudged to the main lodge through the heavy snow and went inside, finding her family forming teams to go search.
Just as they were about to leave Jareth entered, surprised that there were 30 people about to go out the door as he came in.
"What's going on?" he instinctively turned to Sarah.
She pulled him to the side and told everyone to go ahead and she would catch up.
"What the hell did you do? Where is Toby?!" she accused in a harsh whisper.
"What? The boy is missing?" As he realized her implication his expression changed from confused to anger. "Sarah, do you seriously believe I would harm a hair on that child's head? I know you are upset with me but I assumed you knew me better than that, at least."
Sarah backed off a bit. "I'm sorry I..." tears formed. "I do know I just...my brother is out there lost , and it's cold, and what if he.."
Jareth grasped her shoulders. "I will find him, love. Trust me, Let's go."
They hurried outside to join the search.
Sarah followed him as he moved faster than she could barely keep up with. He would stop periodically for her to catch up because he didn't want her to lost too.
She watched him as he would stop and listen with his eyes closed, then use a crystal to guide him. After about an hour of this he held his hand up for her to stop and be silent.
"Be still. I feel his presence. He's not far." He held up the crystal. "Goblins, come."
The half a dozen creatures were instantly at his feet. "The boy. Find him." he commanded.
They were gone in an instant. Blurs disappearing into the storm.
"They can get into places I can't." He explained.
A few minutes later there was a strange sound Sarah had never heard before. It was a howling, growling whistling sort of thing all at once.
"What?" Sarah asked, unnerved.
Jareth grinned at her. "Goblin call. They found him."
He grabbed her hand and Sarah felt like she was falling, but before she could even blink her feet were back on the ground.
There huddled in a hole under a clump of tree roots was Toby, his head poking out, surrounded by dancing Goblins. "We founds him Kingy! We founds him!"
"Toby!" Sarah yelled out as he pushed himself out of his hiding place and through the snow. As soon as he was clear she swept the 10 year old up into her arms, kissing him.
"Siiis! No kissing!" He squirmed.
Jareth stood there with his hands on his hips taking in the scene.
"You certainly caused a stir, young Toby." He said. "You need to be more careful."
Sarah sat him down. "Why? Toby? Why would you run off into a snowstorm!?"
He didn't say anything. He just blushed.
Jareth knelt. "What is it?"
"I don't want to cause trouble. I was just mad."
"At us?" Sarah asked. Thinking maybe their arguing set him off.
Toby shook his head. "No...it was...well...Stewart, he started saying things, calling me names. He started it. Then Phillip joined in. Even Ellenor. They called me a baby and said I wet the bed. Said if I wasn't how come I didn't want to stay in the kids cabin,"
He blushed harder and peeked up at Jareth. "I swear I don't."
Jareth ruffled his hair. "I know you don't."
Sarah clenched her fists. "I swear. Stewart is as miserable as his mother. He always starts in on Toby. Let's get back, and get out of this weather."
"Shall I then?" Jareth offered.
"Yes, but out of sight. Toby take his hand and mine."
In seconds they were just inside the treeline 20 feet from the lodge.
"That was cool!" Toby said about the transport magic.
"Yes it is."Jareth smiled, looking at Sarah. "Isnt it? "
"Well sort of. Makes me a little dizzy. Let's get inside."
When they came through the door Karen was there waiting, having just come back herself, and ready to head back out with several others.
"TOBY!" She grabbed her son and held him tight. Toby just sighed, resigned to the fact there was not much he could do about it where his mother was concerned.
Through her tears she spoke to Sarah."Oh thank you Sarah. Thank God you found him."
Jareth didn't say anything, so Sarah did. "It was Jareth. All him. He found him. I can't really explain how, but he was able to track him down."
Karens attention turned to Jareth. "I'm forever grateful to you. Thank you for finding my son. You're a good man, Jay. Welcome to my family, you'll always have a place at our table."
Of course, Jareth knew Karen had no knowledge of what her words could mean to his kind, if he would choose to use the power. It was an invitation given willingly and in complete ignorance. He refused the magic that it offered to him, letting it fade before he could grasp on.
He had done enough manipulating. He had to win Sarah honestly. It would be the only way she would accept him.
"I thank you, Karen. But no need. I only did what needed to be done, nothing more. I have...enhanced tracking abilities and simply put them to good use."
He nodded to Sarah. "If you'll excuse me I need to take a hot shower and change before this evenings festivities begin."
He went to leave but Sarah stopped him. Before he could ask why she threw herself into his arms and kissed him., then moved back. "Thank you Jay...I...thank you."
"You are welcome, my dear. I'll be back shortly." As he left Sarah, Karen, and Toby watched him go.