Hello all and thank you for your reviews. Here are a couple of chapters that I've recently come up with and thought that you would want to finally be able to read. Sorry about taking so long to post this I've just come up with another fic that will be posted hopefully by the end of this weekend. So now I got three fics to work onJ and I love it. So for your reading enjoyment I give you two more chapters of Things Change.
Things Change
Chapter 5
Wrapping herself within the long dark red silken robe Sarah made her way toward the bedroom where she remembered seeing a hair brush on the vanity. Ignoring the cold stone floor beneath her bare feet she picked up the brush quickly running it through her long dark hair, she grimaced as she hit a couple of tangles but paid it no mind. Eyes glaring at her reflection she was still seething about how she was brought to the Underground. He had kidnapped her and was now expecting her to stay in his castle and be one of his subjects! Sarah scoffed at the idea. No one told her what to do especially him! If he didn't want her leaving the castle she was just going to have to make it an effort to do so.
Sarah froze as she felt a gloved hand covering hers that held the brush, so wrapped up in her own thoughts she had not noticed Jareth standing behind her. She stiffened as she felt his warm breath caress against the back of her neck. No words came forth; all she could do was stand and stare at him through the reflection. Where had all of her courage gone and why was his touch making her feel so strange?
He had been watching her roughly brushing her hair obviously still seething with anger. Not able to stay away any longer he stopped her from causing herself any more pain. His hand resting on hers he gently took the brush from her hand amused by the stunned expression he received when he started to slowly and gently brush her hair.
Her mouth opened slightly in astonishment, he was actually brushing her hair and it felt very nice, making the anger that she was feeling towards him slowly melt away. Sarah cursed herself, for as she spoke her word's came out as a whisper, "What are you doing?"
Jareth inwardly grinned as he heard her softly spoken words, he was definitely confusing her by his actions, "I'm brushing your hair. You seemed to be having some difficulties." Stopping he gently laid his hands on her shoulders guiding her down to sit in front of the vanity.
So stunned by his actions she did not fight with him as he guided her to sit down in front of the vanity. As he continued to brush her hair she couldn't help herself as her eyes closed at the gentle and soothing feel of him brushing her hair. No one had done that for her since she was a child, it often would put her to sleep. Slowly, she started to relax as the soft bristles of the brush gently messaged against her scalp.
He watched her carefully through the reflection of the mirror sensing her relax and drifting off to sleep. Slowly placing the brush down on the vanity he leaned down so that he could whisper in her ear, "I'm done."
Her eyes opened with a start as she felt his warm breath caress against her ear a small tingle running through her body. Turning her head slightly towards him she wanted to say something but was at a loss for words at the moment. He was so close and she was starting to feel quite confused at his behavior towards her. She had done nothing but snap and be mean towards him since she had arrived, well, she did have a nasty hangover. Why was he being so nice to her now, and was it just her or did he really smell good?
Seeing that she was not going to say anything he continued, "I see that you drank the potion I had given you. Feeling better?"
Feeling a bit more at ease as he had pulled away from her she shifted a bit uncomfortably in her chair suddenly realizing that she was only wearing a robe. "Yes…I…uh," For the first time in her life she actually felt flustered. She couldn't explain why she was feeling this way. She had never felt like this when she had first met him two years ago?
"Good, I came by to see if you were in the mood for dinner. You slept most of the day and I assume you have not eaten anything since last night." His eyes held hers as he waited for her response.
Sarah blinked at the information, she did feel hungry but she was a bit hesitant since the last time that she ate anything within the Underground led to her being drugged and dragged into a ball where Jareth had attempted to make her forget about Toby. She grimaced at the memory, looking away from the Goblin King as she remembered what he had put her through. Her resolve hardening she refused to allow his charms to sway her from her opinion of him.
Rising from the chair she turned to face him with defiance, "I would rather that you take me back."
Jareth inwardly sighed at her response he could tell it was going to take a lot of work to change her opinions of him, "Sarah," he warned, "there is no going back. I will return in an hour and expect you to be dressed and ready for dinner." With that said he stepped back disappearing from the room.
Sarah's brow furrowed in aggravation as she made her way towards the closet to find something to wear. To think that just yesterday the only thing that she had on her mind was witch college she was going to go to and what her major would be. But now she had to find a way to escape the Goblin King's castle and find a way to get back home.
The throne room was relevantly quiet as Jareth the Goblin King sat leisurely in his throne while the clock on the opposite side of the room slowly ticked closer to the next hour. He had made sure that the dinning room was prepared in an intimate setting for the dinner he had planned within the next hour. If Sarah was surprised about his actions earlier, she would be even more surprised for what he had planned for her this evening.
Her blue eyes stared back at her reflection as she took in her new look. Never in her life had she ever worn anything so lovely, save for the time she was swept away by the spell Jareth had cast upon the peach she ate. Pushing the memory to the back of her mind she concentrated on the present. She had looked thoroughly through the closet to only find nothing but dresses. How was she supposed to make an escape in a dress? The long skirts would do nothing but weigh her down and get in the way, but she did admire how good she looked in her new clothes.
The soft material was unlike any that she had ever felt and the emerald green complemented her complexion. She looked like a princess, her hair slightly pulled away from her face by two diamond-jeweled hairpins. Turning away from her reflection she looked to the door slightly unnerved by the aspect of dinning with the infamous Goblin King.
She had never forgotten her journey through the labyrinth and the friends that she had made there. Often she yearned to see them again but this was not what she had in mind. What did he want with her anyway and what was with her reaction to his touch earlier? The more she thought about her feelings towards his touch, the more worried she had become.
Deciding that it would be better not to think of the incident, she slowly made her way towards the window of her room. The view that met her eyes was a bit of a surprise. Instead of the Goblin City and junkyard she saw a large garden. It looked huge and breathtaking unlike anything that she had ever imagined before.
Appearing within the room that he had provided for Sarah his heart leaped within his chest as he saw her standing in front of the window dressed in emerald green. Her dark hair was adorned in curls cascading down to the middle of her back.
With a deep sigh Sarah turned from the view and was not prepared by the image of the Goblin King standing within the room. With a start she stepped back slightly, her hand going to her heaving chest as she fought to keep her heart from leaping from it. He startled her half to death and she fought to catch her breath, "Do you not know how to knock?"
Mismatched eyes drifting approvingly over her form he bowed slightly, his usual mocking grin set in play, "It is my castle Sarah. I need not do so."
"Are you always so rude or do you act this way just for my benefit?" she retorted hotly.
Jareth's eyes locked with hers, "So many questions," he tisked.
Sarah suddenly felt very nervous for some reason, her eyes unable to look away from his. As he started towards her she felt the sudden need to flee from his approach, but stood her ground, trying to ignore the growing number of butterflies inside her stomach.
A playful grin swept across his face as he noticed that she was not making any attempt to flee from his approach. Never allowing his eyes to leave from hers, he gently took her hand in his bringing it to his lips, "Sarah," his words were soft yet said with a passion as he kissed the back of her hand. "You are lovely this evening, let us not quarrel before the evening is yet to even begin."
Her cheeks flushed at his words and the intensity in which he spoke them. Suddenly, she found herself unable to provide any type of witty retort, her mind still concentrating on the fact that he just kissed the back of her hand and had yet to release it. There was a moment of silence as her eyes were still locked with his, her mind desperately trying to get a hold of her senses. Finally finding her voice, she looked away from his intense eyes towards his hand that was still holding hers, "Um…" Sarah faltered slightly, "alright."
Grinning devilishly at her sudden inability to make eye contact, he let go of his hold of her hand offering his arm, "Shall we then?"
Looking hesitantly towards the offered arm, she slowly took his arm and felt slightly dizzy as the room suddenly shifted. Still holding his arm, she looked slowly about the room, a bit taken back by the scene before her. The room was decorated with red roses and candles, a small and intimate table stood towards the other end of the room close to a window that showed a view of the star lit sky and part of the labyrinth, along with a small section of the gardens. The table had a red satin tablecloth draped over it, two long white candles lit at the table's center, two silver plates and two wineglasses filled with a light colored wine.
Allowing her a moment to take in the room, he guided her towards the table. Freeing his arm from her light grasp he pulled the chair out for her, waiting for her to sit before he made his way to the other chair across from her to and sat.
This was something new. Not only was he acting differently from what she remembered him from two years ago, the room and its intimate setting was making her wonder about his intentions. At first she had thought that he had brought her here for some sort of revenge but now she was not so sure. Her feeling towards the Goblin King were beginning to confuse her even more. When he had kissed the back of her hand she thought that she might melt from the overwhelming sensation that radiated through her. It was not something that she was familiar with.
Taking the silver wineglass in hand he studied her as it looked as if she were deep in thought. Sipping the peach wine, his eyes traced her form. Her delicate creamy white arms, the curve of her chest, those soft pink lips that he watched with sudden fascination as her tongue swept across them suddenly wetting them.
Sarah fumbled with her hands under the table eyes focused on the table's center. Nervously licking her suddenly dry lips, she dragged her gaze from the table's center and attempted to make eye contact. For the first time she actually allowed herself to study his form. Surprisingly, she found his pale skin, distinct jaw line, uniquely styled hair, and thin lips made him very handsome, but she avoided his eyes. There was something about them that made her a bit uneasy. Finding the quietness suddenly uncomfortable, she tried to find something to break that silence, "Jareth, why did you bring me here?"
His eyes were finally able to move away from those inviting lips of hers as his brow rose at her question, "For dinner of course." Did she know her effect on him?
Sarah frowned, "No, not here, to your castle?"
Jareth grinned, "Terry did wish you away my dear. I am the Goblin King, this is what I do. I answer to those who summon me."
Taking the wine in hand, Sarah took a timid sip trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Realizing the peach flavor of the wine she quickly but gently put it back down, a part of her wondering if it was anything like the peach he had given her the last time she was in the Labyrinth.
As if knowing her thoughts, Jareth answered her unspoken question, "Sarah, I have no need to cast any spell upon you. Nothing here tonight is like the peach from your last visit. Which brings me to wonder. Did you enjoy the ball I gave you?"
Sarah flushed at his statement, her eyes looking up to meet with his, "No," she retorted hotly, suddenly feeling a bit angered by his statement.
"Really!" he returned, "It seemed like you enjoyed it. I think that you even daydreamed about that specific ball quite often these past two years."
"You…" words escaped her as she felt suddenly enraged by him knowing that little secret of hers. How did he know that? She never told anyone about her journey through his labyrinth nor did she ever confide about how she danced in the arms of the handsome Goblin King. Sarah mentally slapped herself for thinking of him in that way. He had kidnapped her and was the enemy.
Jareth smiled inwardly, knowing the reason for her inability to deny his accusation. Seeing one of the goblins entering the room with a tray of their dinner he allowed the subject to drop, "Ah, our dinner has arrived."
Both waited patiently as their food was served. Jareth watched Sarah the whole time, noting her sudden quietness. As the goblin servant left Jareth began to eat his dinner watching with slight amusement as Sarah viciously stabbed at her food.
She was inwardly seething and all she wanted to do right now was to finish eating so that she could get away from Jareth. Her inner emotions felt flustered and confused as they were filled with anger, nervousness, outrage, bewilderment, and something else she wasn't quite sure how to describe. Now feeling full, she stared at the left over food in her plate desperately wanting to be away from him and back in her room alone to sort out her confusion.
Taking another sip of his wine he broke the long silence, "Sarah, why so quiet?"
Sarah bit her bottom lip taking another sip of the wine, at the same time wishing that it was another flavor besides peach. Making eye contact she found the sudden need to vent out her frustration at the Fae before her. "What do you want, Jareth? To sit here and make chit chat, to entertain you. You kidnapped me, remember? I'm not exactly here of my own free will, as you so insistently made it an ultimatum for me to join you for dinner. I want to go home. I had a life you know!"
Jareth scoffed at her outburst, "Life, what life was that Sarah? Your stepmother still treats you like you're a burden that she has to put up with. You still watch Toby every weekend while your so called parents go out to have fun, never once asking if it was okay with you. I've seen the way you drowned yourself with your schooling and your books, trying desperately to drown out the reality of your life. You constantly allow others to use you and pay it no mind, and really, Sarah, your choice in friends is quite questionable."
Sarah stared at the table teeth grinding as his words hit awfully close to home. His words hurting her more than she wanted to admit, she pushed back the tears that wanted to surface. Fist clenching she abruptly stood up from the table knocking over her chair, "You have no right to talk about my life! You…" she was starting to lose it as her eyes where overrun with tears. Turning away from him to hide her tears she tried to walk away but was stopped as his hands wrapped about her arms stopping her in her attempt to leave.
He cursed himself for hurting her the way he did, but it was true and truth was not an easy thing to accept. Wanting to soothe her pain he turned her around to face him, "I'm sorry. Upsetting you was not my intention tonight." God he wanted to physically hit himself for making her cry.
Clenching her eye's shut she pulled herself from his grasp, "Please take me back to my room."
"Very well," he sighed, "I will see you in the morning." With that said, he summoned his magic transporting her back to her room. His plans for dinner ruined, he cursed himself for loosing his temper with her, yet he was relieved to finally be able to tell her what he thought of how she was living her life. It pained him to see her living her life the way that she was, the fire and dreamer slowly dying with each passing day that she lived within her world. There was so much he could offer her, show her, if only she would open up to him and allow him to do so, she would see that her life would be so much better here inside his world.
Chapter 6
Feeling the room shifting, she opened her eyes to find that she was back in the room that Jareth had provided for her. Seeing the bed, she flung herself on it allowing herself to let out the agonizing grief she was feeling inside. Openly sobbing she buried her face in the pillows and every once in a while, banging her fist against the soft mattress in a fit of despair.
He was right about her life, about everything. Why did he have to know so much about her and she know nothing about him? It was not fair.
"I wonder what your basis for comparison is?" Jareth's voice mentally came to mind.
Growling into the pillow, she bolted up from the bed violently throwing the pillow across the room. Red puffy eyes glaring at the pillow that lay on the other side of the room, she wiped her eyes trying to dry her tears. Her heart ached from having the truth of her life thrown into her face. He was so right. She had done nothing but try to drown out her dismay about her own life by keeping herself emerged within books and her own imaginary world that she tried to create for herself. She knew that her friends only used her for her car or because she was always willing to do anything that they asked of her.
Drawing her knees to her chest she rested her head on her knees staring at the wall to her side. What was she to think about Jareth now? Why had he watched her for so long and what did he want from her? He could have easily sent her to an oubliette or to the bog of eternal stench, but instead he brought her to his castle, gave her an extravagant room with wonderful dresses, and was being halfway decent to her. Not to mention that potion that the he provided for her hangover when he could just as easily allowed her to suffer through it.
His actions towards her had been mocking, aggravating, charming, and truthful, nothing to indicate that she was here for his revenge. Her mind flashed back to the past, his accented voice heavy within her memories.
"Everything that I've done, I've done for you. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." Bits and pieces of his words coming to mind, that hurt look on his face when she had spoken her final words to defeat him.
She had always thought his words to be a way to try and sway her from saying the needed words to rescue herself and her brother. Could his words have been true, did he mean what he had said to her? Shrinking down into the bed, she rolled to her side holding herself in the fetal position as she closed her achy eyes. Her thoughts were in turmoil as she drifted off to sleep. She didn't want to accept the obvious, to admit that she was starting to have feelings towards the Goblin King, and that he so obviously had feelings towards her.
Dark brown eyes looked sympathetically at the image in his mirror as Duncan leaned back in his chair. The image held not his reflection, but the scene that took place between Sarah and Jareth at dinner followed by Sarah crying herself to sleep. Waving his hand in front of the mirror, the images faded as they were replaced by his own reflection.
"Jareth, you do have a way with the ladies," he sighed. Tapping his fingers against his knee he considered his options. Should he just sit back and watch his friend ruin things with Sarah or should he perhaps interfere? A mischievous grin spread about his lips as he decided on which option he was going to take.
Morning came, the sun's rays shining through the window of Sarah's room lighting her face with its warmth. Groggily waking, Sarah turned her face away from the light, her mind still caught between sleep and being awake. Opening her eyes, she rubbed the sleep from them and felt her heart drop. For a moment she forgot about being in the Goblin King's castle and as her memory came back to the surface, she pulled the pillow over her head and groaned.
It was not a dream, all that had happened that night really happened and her best friend did wish her away. At this point Sarah wanted to scream but refrained from doing so. Instead, she pulled herself out of the bed and made her way towards the bathroom. One thing that always made her feel better was a nice hot soak in the tub.
Finding that her bath had already been prepared for her, Sarah looked around the room a bit unsettled that whenever she wanted or needed something it was always there. Mentally laughing at her self for her paranoia, she slid off her pajamas and slowly immersed within the warm almost hot water, the steam steadily rising from the waters surface.
Allowing herself to relax, she closed her eyes taking in a long deep breath. The water smelt faintly of jasmine, making her smile, that was one of her favorite scents. Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation, a cold chill running down her back as she sat bolt upright, her arms wrapped about herself for comfort. Her eyes darted in search for the sudden sense of dread, it felt as if someone else was in the room with her, but she could see no one. The sudden need to be out of the room filled her being and quickly got out of the bath, grabbing the robe as she rushed out of the bathroom.
Escaping the bathroom, Sarah felt the sense of dread dwindle and almost laughed at herself for her foolishness. It was probably her overactive imagination, nothing more. Making her way towards the closet, she set herself in search for something to wear, hopefully something simple.
Within the door of the bathroom a woman stood, her eyes dark, lips pursed in a snarl. The steam within the bathroom swirled about her and through her transparent form as her gown of white moved slightly from a slight breeze.
A cold rush of air hitting her from behind, Sarah turned towards the bathroom, an expression of bewilderment as she could have sworn that the cold air had come from that direction. The only thing that greeted her eyes was the light steam that came from the doorway.