A/N: Chapter Fourteen. Read and let me know what you think. Thanks! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

Blind

Chapter Fourteen: Shattered

The walk back to the library in Sarah's borrowed dress and silk ballet flats, was cheerful and guided by Jareth and the guardian. The animal remained dutifully at Sarah's side, keeping his head by her hand and quietly whimpering. Sarah felt this behavior was odd; so any time he began to whimper, she'd rub his head with her hand. Jareth, however, was less than pleased with the wooden animal's behavior, even bordering on irritated. Jareth expressed it by his tone as he told the guardian, "Guardian, go open the library doors and lay down by my chair. Really, Guardian, this behavior." he reprimanded. But Jareth sounded more anxious than angry. Why did the guardian's actions upset Jareth so much? The guardian gave a doggy half grumble, half growl, then reluctantly trotted off to do as Jareth told him.

They made it into the library and into their armchairs, Jareth assisting Sarah into hers before settling down near her in his own. "Would you like me to begin reading?" He asked, lifting the enormous book he had found earlier, into his lap. She only knew he'd picked it up, because the teaware on the table rattle quietly, and the slither of the book's leatherbound cover against the wood table sounded as he did.

Sarah smiled, "Yes, please." and settled back into her seat, ready to listen. The story was fantastical-even more wonderful than she had imagined. Gradually Sarah found herself dozing off to Jareth's lilting voice. At last she fell asleep, dreaming of home and of her family, and of the library and of Aaron. She awoke a few minutes later, disorientated and frightened.

"Jareth-?"

"I'm here, Sarah. I haven't left you." Jareth said soothingly, and slid forward in his chair to place his hand on hers. Sarah breathed shakily, and he took up her hand delicately in his. "You're alright, I promise." Sarah relaxed back into her chair, a surprising peace coming over her, making her feel safe.

Jareth leaned forward, and Sarah could feel his hesitation before he even began to speak. "If it would help," He started gently. "you could hold my hand-so that if you fall asleep and later awake again, you'll know that you're not alone." Sarah felt a strange sense of deja vu, and finally she relented. "...Thank you, Jareth."

A gentle smile in his voice, Jareth returned. "Of course, Sarah." Jareth went on reading, Sarah's hand in his. It seemed strange to her, the thought of holding the hand of the man she had once considered a villain. Stranger still, was how perfectly safe she felt, sitting right there beside him. She had closed her eyes after he began to read again, but didn't doze off a second time. A strong part of her was still trying to figure out the odd sense of deja vu from earlier.

After about an hour, Jareth suggested taking a break for lunch, and Sarah agreed, feeling hungry herself. "Thank you again for reading to me." She smiled a little and placed her hand atop of Jareth's where it rested upon the arm of her chair. This seemed oddly familiar to her, though. Off, somehow. Like something she should remember.

"Of course, Sarah." Jareth replied kindly, and then that sense of deja vu fell into place in her mind.

It all reminded her of Aaron.

He had read books to her in his calming, lilting british accent. He used to hold her hand, too, to comfort her when she awoke after dozing off. So she wouldn't wake feeling afraid or alone. Sarah felt cold. Was it possible?... She swallowed down the sick feeling beginning in her stomach.

Casually, Sarah felt gently at Jareth's hand, and her thumb paused as it moved over the same slight scar by his middle knuckle that Aaron had, and her fingers paused before feeling at the silky smoothness of Jareth's palm and fingers. They were soft, but strong. Sarah felt the blood drain from her face. She studied his hand again with more care, focusing on every detail.

Every one was the same as Aaron's. Down to the last detail. Jareth was Aaron. All along, all those days spent reading to her in the library, giving her comfort. All along, it had been Jareth. All that time, he had lied to her.

She couldn't breath.

"Sarah?" Jareth's voice turned concerned when she didn't respond, and he gently took both her hands into his. The very same way Aaron did.

Comfort and repulsion warred violently in her mind, and she shrank back. She felt sick. His voice-something that had sounded so soothing to her mere moments before-was now making her feel quite ill as it implored her. "Sarah, you're trembling! Whatever's the matter?"

"You..." Sarah mumbled the word as everything came together. She struggled momentarily for breath as tears budded in her eyes. She bit her tongue, angry at her tears. With a jerk Sarah pulled her hands free from Jareth's like they'd been burned. Aaron would have been a source of comfort to her then. She could turn to him, hold his hand, and feel safe. But now that safety was gone. It was taken, leaving her with empty air and no one to turn to. She felt stranded, as though in a vast ocean with no land in sight. Her hands turned into fists and she held them close to her chest.

Sarah stood from the armchair in a panic, her legs accidentally knocking over the small table between them when she scrambled to lift herself up. The crystal cups with their half consumed tea shattered on the library's marble floor, sounding more like an explosion in all the silence of the room. Her legs shakily aided her as she whirled around her chair and made her way toward where she thought the doors of the library were. But she turned too soon, and her foot caught on one of the clawed feet of the chair. She tumbled, her fisted knuckles hitting the floor first as she fell. A hiss of pain and a sob escaped her lips before she could stop them. She heard Jareth cry out to her in concern and approach, his boots tapping the marble beneath them as he half ran to her side. He'd been saying her name over and over again all the time she'd been panicking, only making it worse for her. Her heart felt like it had been crushed even as it was trying with vehement fury to escape her chest.

Clenching her jaw, she flushed in anger, determined to ignore both him and the tears that fell down her cheeks. The scent of his ethereal cologne grew stronger as he came closer. His scent was so soothing.

Like Aaron's had been.

She wanted to hit him. She wanted to shout and to sob. Her best friend had turned out to be her brother's kidnapper, and her subsequent tormentor from so many years ago. 'No, that's not fair.' She pursed her lips at the irony of the word. 'He was just doing as I asked. It's my fault all of that happened.' Tears made twin tracks down her cheeks, and Sarah bit her lip to keep from fully crying. She felt the warmth radiating off of Jareth's body and the caress of his breath as he knelt beside her. Sarah stiffened further and turned her head away from him, keep her hands close to her chest as she sat up.

"Sarah-" He began haltingly, then stopped. He shifted beside her and Sarah tensed, unsure what he was doing. He very gently took her shaking hands and moved to one side to face her. But Sarah kept her face turned away, and after he sat silently a moment, Jareth began to examine her hands, gingerly touching them. She winced with an involuntary hiss of pain and silently cursed herself. Jareth hummed in response to her reaction as though she'd vocally told him where her hands hurt. Sarah jumped when she suddenly felt the feathery touch of his hair on her wrists, and the blind woman froze when he placed an equally feathery kiss on both the backs and the palms of her hands.

A ripple of warmth spread out from the places he'd kissed her hands. The pain ebbed away, then was gone. Jareth exhaled across her hands and they cooled, then he straightened back up. Delicately he examined her hands once more and spoke to her. "Are you alright?" Sarah gave a jerking, angry nod, and Jareth sighed in relief. He then spoke gently. "You should be more careful, Sarah. I can't heal all wounds." It wasn't a reprimand, but Sarah was so upset at that moment, that it might as well have been.

She grit her teeth sorrowfully. "I'll be sure to 'look where I'm going' from now on." She snapped, fighting to keep herself in check. The bitterness was heavy in her tone, her throat tightening. Jareth's hold on her hands tightened a little, and she could sense the frown on his lips as he spoke. "That's not funny, Sarah."

Sarah's anger blazed and her control shattered as her head snapped up to face him, her eyes glaring as she tried to take her hands back from him. He held them fast, though, and moved closer to her. Sarah's stomach flipped and her eyes widened in fear. Startled, she sat back, away from him. Her bottom lip trembled and a quiet sob escaped her lips. "How dare you!" She cried, furious tears welling up in her eyes.

Jareth responded in question, surprised and concerned for her. "How dare I what? Sarah, what's wrong?"

Sarah shuddered when he said her name, hearing the voice and recognizing both Aaron and Jareth. The woman took a shaky breath. "I know about the library, about Aaron-about you." She said brokenly, and Jareth froze before her. She went on. "How dare you do this-come into my life after my accident and pretend to be my friend! Pretending to care about me, and making me grow to care for you-!" She stopped abruptly with a red face, and ducked her head away from him. Her chest ached terribly and she wept, eyes clenched shut.

Jareth's hands gripped hers a little tighter-almost convulsing when she nearly confessed her feelings, before they became gentle once more. "I have never pretended to care about you, Sarah. The feelings I have for you are genuine. Please, you must see that." Jareth implored her softly, his thumbs caressing the backs of her hands to comfort her. But this motion meant in comfort only made her feel worse. His voice wavered as he spoke and he sounded so utterly broken. It was like they were in the Escher room all over again. But this time it was harder for both of them.

Jareth continued in whispered agony. He was trying to stay calm, to keep from upsetting her further, but his voice shook from the effort. "Please, Sarah-"

Sarah cut him off raggedly. "No!" She felt light headed and gasped for breath, her hands beginning to feel numb from the shock. "I-I need to be alone!"

Jareth fell silent, and Sarah wasn't sure if she was grateful or regretful for it. A few breathless seconds passed, and Jareth's hands loosened around hers with such care, that it made her physically hurt, all over again. He cared. He cared so much, and yet his betrayal had shattered what trust she had gained in him.

"..Of course." Jareth murmured. He spoke then to the guardian who had come near when she fell, but did not intervene. "Guardian, guide Lady Sarah to the east guest chambers." The guardian came up to them with a whine, but fell silent as he stopped by her side. Jareth's breath breezed over her face, cooling her tears as he spoke. "Send Guardian to me should you need anything."

Sarah nodded stiffly and pulled her hands out from within his, trying to ignore the way her heart clenched at the loss of his once comforting touch. The guardian nudged her hand with his nose to let her know where he was, and her hand brushed over his head to rest at his furry neck. Sarah came to her feet, the guardian stepping closer to aid her in the action. Without a word to Jareth, Sarah held onto the guardian as he led her to the doors. They reached the library entrance, and he patted one of the doors with a paw, opening them, before the two slipped into the hallway. Once the doors were closed behind them, Sarah stopped to wipe her face with her hand. As she did, she thought about what Jareth said about the guest chambers. She needed somewhere outside to think. All of those morning runs she used to do had helped her in that.

"Lead me outside, please, Guardian." Sarah requested. The guardian made a quiet whining sound as though unsure, and she implored him. "Please. I need some air." The wooden animal quietly whined again then rubbed its head against her knee before poking its shaggy neck out to her. Sara took a firmer hold of the fine wooden hairs, and he pulled her slowly along beside him. Thankfully the guardian was a tall, lean dog, and Sarah didn't have to bend over to hold on to him. She wondered as they walked down the hall if he wasn't some kind of greyhound-although the shaggy neck made her think he might be a tall wolf. "Are you a wolf?" She questioned.

The animal hesitated then nodded a 'yes'. "Are you the only guardian?" This time the wolf nodded positively again, with more confidence. Sarah continued. "Do you have a name?"

It nodded a 'yes' again, then slowed to a stop and lifted its head and howled quietly. Sarah jumped at the suddenness of it, and the wolf turned its head to her. She heard the sound of its tongue lolling out, apparently pleased with itself. "So... Howl?" She asked, and it nodded its head once with a short jerk. "It's a nice name." She complimented, and Howl barked twice as though to thank her. Howl stood and nuzzled her wrist for her to take a better hold again, before he started leading her away.

Sarah found herself holding on to her tears on their way. She wanted to be out of the castle fully before she let herself cry. Hopefully somewhere quiet. The two reached their destination in less time than she thought they would. Howl made more turns in downward angles than seemed possible in such a small castle. Though to be fair to the building, it was a magical place. It could be twice the size on the inside as it appeared on the outside, for all she knew. It didn't seem impossible, considering the owner of the castle's magical capabilities. At the sharp pain in her chest at that thought, she stopped herself abruptly from thinking about Jareth and tried to think of something else.

Howl stopped at a door, then patted it with his wooden paw to open it. They stepped into the garden, and immediately Sarah's nose was caressed by a warm breeze, and the heavenly scents of the garden that flowed with it. She recognized Lilacs, Lilies, Roses, Jasmine, and an assortment of other scents. She could hear the faint tinkling of a fountain nearby. Was this place the castle gardens? It was so peaceful. Sarah sighed, feeling tired after everything that had happened. Howl whined and nuzzled her side in question.

A faint smile touched Sarah's lips and she reassured him. "I'm just a bit tired. Is there a place that I can sit down?" Howl yipped and nodded his shaggy head. He led her a surprisingly short distance to a dainty chair. It felt like marble that'd been carved into lace on the back, it had so many holes and intricate lines. The seat itself was solid, and she sat down carefully in it. Sarah's hands brushed a table before her, and she felt at its edges. It was small and round, maybe two feet in diameter.

A cheerful voice greeted the dark haired woman from the marble table before her, and Sarah jumped in surprise.

"'Allo!"

A/N: Don't know if anyone's noticed Jareth's clever (or perhaps not so clever) words of reassurance. Regardless, the cat's out of the bag. What did you think?

Disclaimer: Don't own it.