Part Ten
"I don't know if this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I can assure you this: these are the only times you got."
"How come cool stuff like this never happens when I come to visit?" Toby demanded, crossing his arms and sighing tragically. Sarah grinned and threw a pillow at him.
"Who said it was cool? I'd be thankful I wasn't there, if I were you."
"If you were me and I was you, would I be me as you?" Toby chanted the old riddle and threw the pillow back. Sarah plucked it from the air, shoved it behind her back and closed her eyes.
"I'm glad it all worked out anyway," Toby told his sister, crawling across the floor to put his head in her lap. "You were real brave, huh?"
"Believe me, I wasn't trying to be a hero." She brushed a few wayward locks of blonde hair flat, and chuckled as they only sprang up again.
"So then what happened?" Toby sat up. "After you got home again? What happened?"
"We slept."
"On the floor?"
"Yep. Best sleep I've ever gotten, too. Didn't feel as wonderful once I woke up," she laughed. "Oh, I was sore from that one for quite a while."
"I still am," a dry voice said from behind.
"Oh, hey Jareth." Toby jumped to his feet. "Aw, you don't look so bad," he said, and then flushed as he realized what he'd said. "I mean, I'm sure it was bad, Sarah told me all about the cuts and stuff, I guess ol' Oba-whassissname tortured you and all-which is real cool-well, not real cool for you, and I mean, I don't think it's so great and all and I'm glad your alive, I just thought you'd be a lot more beat up and stuff, you know, considering, but I guess you heal fast, huh?"
Jareth nodded, secretly amazed that such a small child could have such a large lung capacity. He didn't think Toby took a single breath in that entire monologue.
"Oh, well that's good. Um, you gonna take Sarah back now? She's only been here a coupla hours. I still gotta tell her about my history project, I got best in the class! And she hasn't told me all the rest of the story yet. I mean, whatcha been doing since you fixed the Labyrinth and everything?"
Sarah tilted her head back to look up at her husband, amusement shining in her eyes. He returned the look, and then quirked an eyebrow at her. She flushed and immediately ducked her head to swallow the sudden burst of giggles. Jareth's grin somehow managed to get even more devious, and he knelt swiftly to wrap his arms around her and lift her to her feet. He glanced at the confused Toby and muttered, "Making up."
Toby looked at the laughing couple, shook his head, and mumbled "Adults." But he let Sarah hug him tightly, and allowed Jareth to muss his hair (he hated it when anyone else did that, but, well, he figured Jareth was cool, so it was okay), and made Sarah promise to visit again soon.
"I will," she told him, and let Jareth wrap his arms around her.
"Toby!" His mom called from downstairs. "Bedtime!"
"Okay," he yelled through the door, and when he turned around again, his room was empty.
"You really are a devil," Sarah told Jareth, back in their room at the castle.
"This comes as a surprise to you?"
"No." She stretched lazily. "But speaking of surprises..." She trailed off with a yawn, and turned to lean casually against the window, breathing in the scented night air.
"I would assume," he said from behind, "that by that you are implying you *have* a surprise for me."
"You would assume correctly."
"I would also assume that you are going to tell me what this surprise is?"
"My, you're getting good at this, aren't you?" She smiled sweetly at him, and turned to leave the room.
He caught her just before she reached the door, seizing her by the waist and holding her firmly in place. "You are giving me gray hair before my time."
"Makes you look distinguished."
"Sarah..."
"Oh, if you insist," she twisted in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, leaning up to whisper in his ear.
And then she laughed. She couldn't help it. Jareth just looked so funny when he was shocked.
"How...how do you know..."
"Hetta," Sarah told him. "She pointed it out to me about twenty minutes before I left to lead the Nightmares into the throne room. I wanted to tell you a little earlier, but, well...we've been rather busy. What with the kingdom and all," she put in quickly, blushing again (just a tiny bit).
Jareth's face darkened slightly. "You went into a battle knowing that you were-"
"I had to," she cut him off. "The Nightmares would follow no one else."
"Still, you could have-"
"No. I couldn't. And there's no use getting upset about any of that now, is there? What's done is done."
"Are you sure you didn't hurt-?"
"Yes, I'm quite sure. I had Hetta check me out, she claims to be an expert on these matters, and she says we're both fine."
"And you will stay that way," he told her sternly. "No more hanging from window ledges."
"How did you know that?!"
"Sarah, Sarah, did you really think I wouldn't notice someone dangling from my walls? It's rather...unusual, you know. Most people just use the door. But, you have always done things your way haven't you? Gave me a good scare, that fall. If you hadn't caught yourself, I would have gone out there and done it myself. And then I'd have locked you in the cellar." He smirked at her furious expression. "But since you did, I decided to let you have your fun for about an hour or so."
Sarah felt distinctly cheated. She'd been proud of her little escape. And he'd been watching all along, letting her do it. She wanted to strangle him. But, in light of recent events (she still felt just a touch guilty about that fight right before the invasion...especially since he'd been right, damn it all.) she opted instead for a slightly disgruntled. "Oh, shut up."
"As you wish, my queen."
Pause.
"Hmm." Sarah hummed thoughtfully.
"What?"
"I was just thinking. If it's a boy, I think we'll name him Jareth." She tilted back her head to look at him. "He'll have your eyes."
"But your soul."
"Lucky kid."
"Just promise me you will take care." He laughed. "Of both of you."
"I promise. But Jareth, you have to make a promise to me, too."
"Yes?"
"You're going to have to be very patient with me-I get the feeling pregnancy is going to make me less than agreeable."
"I'll be hard pressed to tell the difference."
"Jareth!"
"I promise."
And as the moon shone approvingly through the arched window, they sealed their promises with a heartfelt kiss.
--------------------------------------Fin-------------------------------------
"And now it is time to depart- for me to die and for you to live. But which of us is going to a better state is unknown to everyone but God."
A giant thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed me. You are what makes posting all worth while. And special thanks to Amber- couldn't have done this without you, chica. Stay Tuned, readers. We're already planning another story in this particular plotline! Ciao.
SkItZoFrEaK
"I don't know if this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I can assure you this: these are the only times you got."
"How come cool stuff like this never happens when I come to visit?" Toby demanded, crossing his arms and sighing tragically. Sarah grinned and threw a pillow at him.
"Who said it was cool? I'd be thankful I wasn't there, if I were you."
"If you were me and I was you, would I be me as you?" Toby chanted the old riddle and threw the pillow back. Sarah plucked it from the air, shoved it behind her back and closed her eyes.
"I'm glad it all worked out anyway," Toby told his sister, crawling across the floor to put his head in her lap. "You were real brave, huh?"
"Believe me, I wasn't trying to be a hero." She brushed a few wayward locks of blonde hair flat, and chuckled as they only sprang up again.
"So then what happened?" Toby sat up. "After you got home again? What happened?"
"We slept."
"On the floor?"
"Yep. Best sleep I've ever gotten, too. Didn't feel as wonderful once I woke up," she laughed. "Oh, I was sore from that one for quite a while."
"I still am," a dry voice said from behind.
"Oh, hey Jareth." Toby jumped to his feet. "Aw, you don't look so bad," he said, and then flushed as he realized what he'd said. "I mean, I'm sure it was bad, Sarah told me all about the cuts and stuff, I guess ol' Oba-whassissname tortured you and all-which is real cool-well, not real cool for you, and I mean, I don't think it's so great and all and I'm glad your alive, I just thought you'd be a lot more beat up and stuff, you know, considering, but I guess you heal fast, huh?"
Jareth nodded, secretly amazed that such a small child could have such a large lung capacity. He didn't think Toby took a single breath in that entire monologue.
"Oh, well that's good. Um, you gonna take Sarah back now? She's only been here a coupla hours. I still gotta tell her about my history project, I got best in the class! And she hasn't told me all the rest of the story yet. I mean, whatcha been doing since you fixed the Labyrinth and everything?"
Sarah tilted her head back to look up at her husband, amusement shining in her eyes. He returned the look, and then quirked an eyebrow at her. She flushed and immediately ducked her head to swallow the sudden burst of giggles. Jareth's grin somehow managed to get even more devious, and he knelt swiftly to wrap his arms around her and lift her to her feet. He glanced at the confused Toby and muttered, "Making up."
Toby looked at the laughing couple, shook his head, and mumbled "Adults." But he let Sarah hug him tightly, and allowed Jareth to muss his hair (he hated it when anyone else did that, but, well, he figured Jareth was cool, so it was okay), and made Sarah promise to visit again soon.
"I will," she told him, and let Jareth wrap his arms around her.
"Toby!" His mom called from downstairs. "Bedtime!"
"Okay," he yelled through the door, and when he turned around again, his room was empty.
"You really are a devil," Sarah told Jareth, back in their room at the castle.
"This comes as a surprise to you?"
"No." She stretched lazily. "But speaking of surprises..." She trailed off with a yawn, and turned to lean casually against the window, breathing in the scented night air.
"I would assume," he said from behind, "that by that you are implying you *have* a surprise for me."
"You would assume correctly."
"I would also assume that you are going to tell me what this surprise is?"
"My, you're getting good at this, aren't you?" She smiled sweetly at him, and turned to leave the room.
He caught her just before she reached the door, seizing her by the waist and holding her firmly in place. "You are giving me gray hair before my time."
"Makes you look distinguished."
"Sarah..."
"Oh, if you insist," she twisted in his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, leaning up to whisper in his ear.
And then she laughed. She couldn't help it. Jareth just looked so funny when he was shocked.
"How...how do you know..."
"Hetta," Sarah told him. "She pointed it out to me about twenty minutes before I left to lead the Nightmares into the throne room. I wanted to tell you a little earlier, but, well...we've been rather busy. What with the kingdom and all," she put in quickly, blushing again (just a tiny bit).
Jareth's face darkened slightly. "You went into a battle knowing that you were-"
"I had to," she cut him off. "The Nightmares would follow no one else."
"Still, you could have-"
"No. I couldn't. And there's no use getting upset about any of that now, is there? What's done is done."
"Are you sure you didn't hurt-?"
"Yes, I'm quite sure. I had Hetta check me out, she claims to be an expert on these matters, and she says we're both fine."
"And you will stay that way," he told her sternly. "No more hanging from window ledges."
"How did you know that?!"
"Sarah, Sarah, did you really think I wouldn't notice someone dangling from my walls? It's rather...unusual, you know. Most people just use the door. But, you have always done things your way haven't you? Gave me a good scare, that fall. If you hadn't caught yourself, I would have gone out there and done it myself. And then I'd have locked you in the cellar." He smirked at her furious expression. "But since you did, I decided to let you have your fun for about an hour or so."
Sarah felt distinctly cheated. She'd been proud of her little escape. And he'd been watching all along, letting her do it. She wanted to strangle him. But, in light of recent events (she still felt just a touch guilty about that fight right before the invasion...especially since he'd been right, damn it all.) she opted instead for a slightly disgruntled. "Oh, shut up."
"As you wish, my queen."
Pause.
"Hmm." Sarah hummed thoughtfully.
"What?"
"I was just thinking. If it's a boy, I think we'll name him Jareth." She tilted back her head to look at him. "He'll have your eyes."
"But your soul."
"Lucky kid."
"Just promise me you will take care." He laughed. "Of both of you."
"I promise. But Jareth, you have to make a promise to me, too."
"Yes?"
"You're going to have to be very patient with me-I get the feeling pregnancy is going to make me less than agreeable."
"I'll be hard pressed to tell the difference."
"Jareth!"
"I promise."
And as the moon shone approvingly through the arched window, they sealed their promises with a heartfelt kiss.
--------------------------------------Fin-------------------------------------
"And now it is time to depart- for me to die and for you to live. But which of us is going to a better state is unknown to everyone but God."
A giant thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed me. You are what makes posting all worth while. And special thanks to Amber- couldn't have done this without you, chica. Stay Tuned, readers. We're already planning another story in this particular plotline! Ciao.
SkItZoFrEaK