Okay, so the rewrite didn't take as long as I thought it would. Things should move pretty swiftly now that I finally have this chapter the way I want it. Next three chapters are written and just have to be posted. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: See Chapters 1 and 2. Today's title is courtesy of Bryan Adams. Can you tell I gather a lot of inspiration from music? All dialogue from the movie belongs to J.H.P. damn them for being so creative!
Chapter 3
Please Forgive Me
It had been a quiet week since Sarah's arrival at her parent's house. She and Toby went to the park nearly every day to play hide and seek among the trees, play touch football with his friends, or just talk. She nearly laughed at his first mention of a certain girl at school that he thought was pretty, but instead offered an understanding ear to his plight.
She had not called Jareth the entire week. Her dream had made her cautious and hesitant about calling him, especially since she wasn't sure if he had knowledge of the dream as well. However, this did not stop her from thinking of him when she was alone. After closing her door for the night, she sat upon her bed, rolling her sky crystal in her hands, looking into its depths without really seeing it. She knew that she had a decision to make, but wanted to put off making it.
On the Saturday morning a week after her arrival, Sarah woke to a chilly house and rain beating against her window. Looking forward to a day of peaceful reading and playing games with Toby, she quickly dressed and went downstairs, only to find a note from Karen explaining the rest of the family's absence. Her father had been called to the office by some emergency, and Karen was off taking Toby to a birthday party, so Sarah was left alone in the house to entertain herself. She loved listening to the rain on the roof and spatter against the windows, so she spent the morning in her room, listening to the sounds of the rain.
At noon, she left her refuge in search of some lunch. She heated some soup and poured it into a mug. She went to the living room and built a cozy fire to warm the chilly house and grabbed the throw blanket from her father's armchair. The sky grew blacker and the rain pounded harder as she settled on the couch in front of the fire and sipped her soup. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and let herself totally relax. Letting her mind wander as she stared at the orange flames dance in the fireplace, her thoughts settled on abstract moments from her past, things that had no logical connection at first.
She scrambled up the stairs, cold, wet, and miserable. She practically shoved her father aside to get up the second flight to her room.
"Ahh, Sarah! You're home. We were worried about you."
"I can't do anything right, can I?"
"If that's all the help you're gonna be, the you can just leave."
"How do you know what my plans are? You don't care, you don't even ask me anymore!"
"Generous. What have you done that's generous?"
Each memory made Sarah wince a bit more than the last. Newer memories from work appeared for her to blush and be ashamed at. She had always used her quick wit and sharp tongue to cut others down, only to regret it later on. She supposed that this was why she had no really good friends except for Jareth, and he wasn't exactly the type that you bring for a round of drinks with coworkers. Not that they would think to invite her anyway. After the way she treated most people, she was surprised that even her family would talk to her. For the first time, Sarah was genuinely ashamed of her behavior, and wished that she could go back and change all of the hurtful things she had said.
Visions of the hurt looks her ex boyfriends had given her when she broke up with them brought tears to her eyes. She told herself that she had grown tired of them, and wasted no time in using the "its not you, its me" excuse to end their relationships. Deep down, Sarah didn't want to hurt them, but she was terrified of being hurt by another human being. She preferred to be the one that did the hurting, or she built emotional barriers around herself so no one could see where she was most vulnerable. The memory of her beloved mother walking out on her and her father was almost more than she could stand. She felt as if her heart was going to be torn apart as her tears flowed freely and sobs racked her body.
Sarah drew her knees to her chest and tried to calm her sobbing. Desperately, she called out to the first name that came to mind.
"Jareth. I need you."
* * * * * * * *
The rain was pounding down upon the Underground as well. The usually busy Labyrinth was eerily quiet, save for the sound of falling rain. Even the worms had decided to save their bathing for when the rain didn't fall so hard.
Inside the castle, a merry fire was crackling in the throne room. Jareth had grown tired of the goblins always hanging about when he was trying to think, so he had given them jobs inside the castle and had the pit replaced with a fireplace. Even if they didn't have a brain cell to split between them, they still did a damn good job of keeping the castle clean.
Jareth hated rain. It depressed him. It was hard enough that that love of his life, his soul mate, the one he was destined to be with did not return his love, and the rain made it harder. At least when the sun shone, he could forget some of his troubles and appreciate the beauty of the Underground, if only for a little while. He sat thinking of this very thing when he heard a shout coming from the kitchens. Something about peaches. Peaches. The fruit always made him think of her. Realizing that it had been over a week since he had last spoken with her, Jareth conjured up a crystal and concentrated on Sarah's image within. He expression was hard to read, as she seemed preoccupied with her thoughts. He searched for a way to trigger her brain into thinking of him in order that she might call him so that they could talk.
When his efforts to creep into her subconscious failed, he settle back in his throne for a few hours of Sarah watching when he saw her expression change to one of deep sadness, and tears begin to form in her eyes. It was several minutes before the tears splashed unstopped down her cheeks and the gasping sobs escaped her lips. Something was making his love cry and Jareth didn't like it.
He didn't like it at all.
"Call to me, my love, and I will be there. I will stop whatever or whomever is making you cry. May the Gods help them when I get a hold of them." Jareth had risen from the throne and was now pacing the length of the room with sweeping strides. Minutes seemed like hours as he waited for something that he was not quite sure that would be said. He had almost given up hope when he heard it, sounding more beautiful than anything else in the whole world.
"Jareth, I need you."
* * * * * * * *
Sarah buried her face in the blanket and continued to sob. Almost immediately, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she instinctively leaned into whomever was hugging her. It wasn't until after she had rested her head against her hugger's chest that she opened her eyes and was greeted by Jareth looking down at her with concern on his face. At that moment, her mind began to tell her to break away, but her body was not responding. There wasn't anyplace that she would rather be.
Jareth held her without speaking until her sobbing ended. He took advantage of those few minutes to capture every memory of her that he could: the way she felt in his arms, the feel of her hair when he brushed his cheek against it, the smell of flowers that had seeped into her skin. He closed his eyes and tried to picture what it would be like to do this everyday.
After Sarah quieted, she spoke.
"Jareth, what am I going to do? I have made so many people unhappy and have hurt the people that I love the most. Not once have I apologized for my behavior to anyone, and I know that isn't right. I've treated others with so little respect, and I have asked for so much. What should I do?"
"You're asking me? The one who made up the rules that you thought were so unfair?"
Sarah smiled weakly at these words. She knew that she had treated him unfairly, too. He had, after all, only granted her wish. She pulled away from him and looked him squarely in the face.
"You know that I don't see you that way anymore."
I'm lucky if you see me at all. Jareth thought.
"You're the only one that I can really talk to. All of my other friends seem so wrapped up in their own lives to even care. I suppose I deserve that after the kind of treatment I have given them." She hung her head and her voice began to quiver again, "I don't deserve to be happy. Not after everything I have done."
"No, dearest, that is where you are wrong. Everyone deserves happiness in their lives. No one can live on work alone. The soul needs feeding just as the body does, and yours is no different. Our spirits need constant care and dedicating your life to work is not enough."
"What about you? Don't you ever think of following your own advice?" Sarah spoke without thinking and mentally slapped herself for being so crass. She knew the answer to this question as sure as she knew her own name.
Jareth looked pained, "Sometimes we do have to wait for what we want, Sarah. Even I as a king cannot change that."
"But that doesn't mean that someone doesn't have options in getting what they want. There are lots of paths to take, each one as good as the one next to it." Sarah hoped that she had sufficiently dodged the issue again.
"No, Sarah. I don't have options, nor do I have paths." He moved as if to go back Underground, but Sarah stood and took his hand.
"Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone right now."
Jareth turned and looked at Sarah and was amazed at how young and scared she looked. He nodded, and they both sat together. Sarah laid across his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, as if to shield her from harm. She felt him sigh as she closed her eyes, heavy from all of the crying she had done. She felt warm and secure in his arms. Deep down, another emotion was growing inside of her, and it took her several minutes to put a name to it. Before she drifted off to sleep, Sarah looked up at Jareth.
"I'm sorry."
Jareth bent down and kissed her lightly on her cheek. Her eyes closed again and she felt contentment for the first time since she could remember.