For You
Part Six
Sarah couldn't sleep. She drifted in and out of half-consciousness, tossing and turning restlessly. Every time she closed her eyes, Jareth appeared in her mind, leaning in for a kiss. Wetting her lips, she could still feel how sweet and velvety his own had felt.
"That's it." Sarah grumbled to herself. "There's no point in lying here anymore." Swinging out of bed, she quickly bathed and garbed herself in a dress of pale yellow. "I need to take a walk." Walks always had a way of clearing Sarah's head, and even though it was hours before the sun would rise, she wandered out of the castle in search of some gardens Jareth had once spoke of.
The kiss was the only thing on Sarah's mind as she ambled aimlessly, and she wasn't really watching where she was going. Rounding a corner of a stony part of the maze, she plowed into a small figure, completely garbed in black. It ran into her so fast it knocked her to the ground, and scrambled away without looking back.
"Hey!" Sarah called after it, leaping up. "Hey, come back here and apologize or something." She demanded, unaware of how she sounded uncannily like Jareth. The creature, dressed similar to the one she had seen before, either didn't hear her or ignored her, because it kept running. Eager to find something to vent her frustration at, Sarah sped after it, screeching all the way.
Suddenly a second cloak-and-dagger type joined in the chase, then quickly a third, and a fourth. The deeper the chorus plunged into the Labyrinth, the more mysterious figures appeared and raced in the same direction. The chase was pointless now, and Sarah knew it, but she also refused to give up.
Sarah recognized the corridor they were running through now. It was the same one she had chased the mysterious figure through the first time. Just around the next bend it had disappeared, and Sarah had ended up in the Chamber of Doors. She shuddered at the thought. Well, Sarah thought stubbornly, they're not getting away this time. She lunged out and grabbed the back of one of the portly figures, ripping off its cloak. The thing stopped suddenly, and turned to face Sarah. What she saw made her gasp.
"Hoggle?"
***
Jareth, as luck would have it, didn't sleep that night either. There was simply too much to do, too much to arrange. He had to face the awful truth now. Sarah had to go back. Keeping her in the Underground would only make it harder for her to cope with Toby's death. Something kept tugging at the back of his mind however, something that seemed to deem itself important, but whatever that something was remained a mystery to Jareth. Only one thing was clear to him. He was going to loose Sarah. Again.
I ask for so little. Just let me rule you.
He scoffed at his prior sentiments. As if giving someone power over yourself was something little. He should know. Sarah had held the power over him for years.
***
"Hoggle, what is this?" Sarah demanded, as one by one the band of mysterious figures disappeared through an ordinary stone wall. Hoggle looked sheepishly down at his shoes.
"Come inside, an' I'll explain everything." Beckoning for Sarah to follow him, he walked straight through the wall. Sarah laughed at herself for being shocked, after all, walls were never what they seemed in this place. Holding her hands out in front of her, just in case, Sarah walked boldly through the wall, and found herself somewhere else entirely.
The chambers she entered were dark, dank, and overall dungy. Torches mounted on the wall provided some faint light, and the place was swarming with cloaked persons of all sizes.
"Hoggle!" Sarah laughed, looking around. "Is this some kind of secret society?"
"You could say that." Sarah stopped mid-giggle. She had been joking. Hoggle, obviously, was not. "It's just a place to get away from Jareth, mostly." He led her to a quiet corner of the room, with cold stone furniture.
"I see." Sarah said quietly. She was busy staring at a couple of goblins, who were hurling darts at a picture of Jareth.
"Woohoo! I got 'im in the eye! I win, I win…" This goblin proceeded to do a little victory dance.
"Arghhh. Your mother's a fraggin' aardvark." The other muttered dejectedly, throwing his remaining darts on the ground.
"They don' really mean any harm." Hoggle said, calling back Sarah's attention. "Are you feelin' alright?" He asked suddenly. "You don' look so well."
"He kissed me!" Sarah exclaimed, and was partially embarrassed of her outburst, and partially glad to have someone to confide in.
"So?" Hoggle asked, uninterested. He was busying looking over what looked like blue prints a gnome had brought him.
"So? So he kissed me! Why is this not as upsetting to you as it is to me?" Hoggle waved away both the prints and the gnome, and smiled condescendingly down at Sarah.
"So, we all knew it would 'appen sooner or later. The King's really lost his head over you."
"What?" Sarah cried, a little louder that she had intended. Everyone in the dismal chamber stopped and stared at her, even the elderly group of elves examining a crystal, or the cluster of demons playing cards in the corner.
"Sarah, don't be so naive." Hoggle chided. "It's obvious he loves you. He said so 'imself."
"Yeah, in between asking me to be fear him and obey his every word. He was just afraid to loose!"
"He wasn't afraid of loosing the game, Sarah. He was afraid of loosing you." Sarah didn't want to hear any more. She stood up abruptly and asked to be lead out. Hoggle complied, quietly. As she stepped out into the Labyrinth, however, he called one more thing out after her.
"Don' get me wrong Sarah. I hate the Fae as much as the next guy. But what I said was true. Just don' let yourself get carried away in his fancy words. You deserve better." Sarah was only halfway listening.
***
The sun was rising by the time Sarah had stumbled into the gorgeous gardens Jareth had told her about. They were truly beautiful. Flowers of every kind blosomed on the edge of intertwineing paths, and in the middle was a lovely fountain, of carved fairies flitting over lily pads. To Sarah's delight there was a wooden swing hanging off of a huge tree she couldn't identify, and she hopped onto it, swinging gently in the breeze. But she couldn't forget Hoggle's words.
"You're up early." Sarah winced at the velvety voice that came from behind her. She needed time to think, and she could already tell from her racing heart that she certainly wouldn't be able to think clearly with Jareth around.
Jareth hand been surprised to find her sitting and twirling her hair on an old garden swing, apparently lost in thought. She stiffened at his approach, and he felt her body tighten under his fingers as he pushed her lightly on the swing.
"Go away." Sarah said, as evenly as she could. Shivers ran down her spine every time he touched her, pushing her slightly higher in the soft breeze.
"Why?" Jareth asked, with a tone that possible reflected actual sincerity.
"Because." Sarah could feel her heart threatening to pound out her chest, and she couldn't stand his subtle touches on her back. It felt like he was toying with her, pushing her away and then pulling her back to him.
"What kind of an answer is that?" Jareth mocked her softly.
"I just, I just…I can't…" Sarah couldn't explain herself, not when half of her wanted to run away and the other half wanted to fall into his arms. Carefully Jareth grasped the ropes that suspended the swing, and lulled it to a stop. Protectively he wrapped his arms around Sarah's shoulders.
"You don't have to be afraid." Jareth whispered. Then he let go, and walked around in front of her. "I've brought you a gift." He smiled archly.
"Not a crystal?" Sarah eyed him warily. Jareth didn't answer. Instead he took her by the hand (oh God, her palms were sweaty now) and led her down one of the garden paths. He stopped just beside the fountain, next to an ashen pedestal. And on that pedestal sat…
"Jareth, what is my answering machine doing here?" Sarah sputtered in disbelief.
"It seems you have six new messages." Jareth answered, as if it were a common occurrence for random appliances from someone's apartment to appear in a garden in the middle of his Labyrinth. "Perhaps you should listen to them." Sarah turned to demand that Jareth tell her what the hell was going on, but her tongue seemed to have forgotten how to move. Left with no other option, Sarah dubiously pressed the play button.
"Sarah, honey, this is your dad. How are you handling everything? It might be better if you come home for a few days, so you have someone to look after you. Call me later, okay? Bye honey." Click.
"Hey Sarah, it's dad again. Call me as soon as you get home okay? Bye." Click.
"Sarah? This is Karen. Call home right away. You're worrying your father. We miss you, and we need to talk. Please call soon sweetie." Click.
"Hey babes, this is Anna. Look, you're family's totally flippin' out down here. Where are you anyways? Sorry about your brother and all that. Your parents told me to tell you to call, so call already!" Click.
"Sarah, please, call me. Just tell us where you are. Karen and I are very worried. Please, just call." Click.
"Sarah. I talked to your friend yesterday; it's great you found someone to stay with these past few days. He said you'd be checking your messages, so I just wanted to tell you that the funeral is tomorrow. Your father and I really hope you'll be back in time." Click.
"What do you think, Sarah?" Sarah jumped at the voice in her ear. She had forgotten Jareth was there.
"I really wish you would stop doing that." She said softly.
"What?" Jareth replied innocently, spinning her around slowly to face him.
"Sneaking up on me." Sarah answered. Locking eyes with him, Sarah continued rather boldly. "Is the funeral really tomorrow?" She took his silence to be an assent. "Can I go?" Jareth blinked for a moment, as if chasing away some thought or feeling, and answered simply.
"Yes. Yes, you can go."
***
Sarah didn't sleep that night. Instead she sat out on the balcony, all night long, images of an elegant ball dancing across her mind. She was about to get what she wanted; she was about to go home. But sometime throughout the night a startling realization hit her. Did she really want to go home?
But I'll be there for you.
The next morning Sarah got dressed in the simple, modern-styled black dress she found laid out for her. First she found Cara, then Ludo, then Didymus, then Hoggle, and bid them all good-bye. She found Jareth in his throne room.
He was leaning against a windowsill, and staring out over his vast kingdom. He turned in acknowledgement when she entered. Sarah searched his face for some hint that he truly did love her, some regret of some kind. His face was blank. Stony and hard looking. Completely devoid of any emotion. He advanced on her, and conjured a crystal.
Everything I've done I've done for you.
"Just touch it, and it will transport you home." But Sarah didn't take it. She took a few timid steps away from the offending crystal. She had to know. She couldn't leave before she knew.
Jareth mistook her retreat for fear, and frustrated, tossed the crystal to her instead.
"Just catch it then." He said coldly.
Sarah could have caught it. She wasn't a completely inept athlete, and the crystal was heading straight for her very hand. The only way to miss it would be to leap out of the way.
I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all FOR YOU.
Sarah jumped aside, and the crystal shattered when it crashed to the ground. Jareth stared at Sarah questioningly.
"Jareth, I, I can't." Sarah started, walking slowly over to where he stood in the middle of the room. "I, I can't face it alone." Jareth allowed her to come but a few inches from him, but he refused to meet her. Blood pounding in her ears, Sarah nervously bit her lip. Jareth's eyes poured over hers, searching for an answer.
"Come with me." Sarah pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. Jareth brushed a stray hair out of her face, his finger tracing down the side of her shaking cheek.
"As you wish." He whispered, and a slight smile crossed over his features as he took her hand.