Chapter 4: The Elders
Author's Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Happy birthday, KC! I'm sorry that I'm taking so long to finish this story. I'm hoping less time will be needed for the rest.
Feeling better about the arrival of the elders thanks to Ludo, Sarah turned to head toward her quarters.
She was halfway to the building when the front door opened, revealing Jareth. The look of concern on his face melted away as soon as he saw her.
"Sarah," he rumbled, reaching out a hand.
The fact that he was suddenly okay with affection, even going so far as to show his feelings plainly, spoke volumes to her. He raced ahead until he was right in front of her, eyes drinking her in. Her heart jumped to her throat as he twined his fingers with hers, as though he needed reassurance that she was physically there.
"You're still here," he breathed, sounding relieved.
"Of course I am," she replied, as though it was obvious. "Why would a couple of kooks scare me when I've gone toe-to-toe with you and won?"
To her surprise, he didn't let go of her. In fact, at hearing her response, he tightened his grip, his lips curving into a half-smile. "Why indeed? Sometimes I just need more confirmation." His voice dropped as he leaned in. "Everything is different when it comes to you, and I couldn't be more delighted."
"I'm glad to hear that; I'm not leaving," she said, her breathing growing ragged the longer she held his gaze and hand.
"I hope you won't," he intimated, his thumb brushing against the small of her wrist. "I'm slowly getting used to having you around and learning to depend on you." His thumb pressed firmly against her flesh. "Is this affection…welcome? Do you like it?"
He sounded so nervous, and inwardly she rejoiced, glad he was trying. "Yes," she responded gently, bringing her other hand up to sandwich his. "I like it a lot."
He let out the breath he had been holding. "Good. I wanted to be more affectionate since you seemed to want it, but it was hard to overcome my longtime aversion to it…until now." His eyes softened. "Until you."
It seemed dancing with Ludo really had made a difference. If that was the case, then it was likely that Jareth would be much more willing to hold her hand or touch her in the future, and she looked forward to it.
"I, I'm very proud to make a difference. There's nothing – not even the oddities and actions of the elders – that could make me want to leave you now," she vowed, caught in the deep blue of his eyes, how they swirled with devotion and more. I've grown to care about you and the students."
"I'm glad," he said, face turning serious. "You're about to be severely tested, and if you fail, you'll lose your position."
Her heart thudded to a halt, her blood ice cold as she considered leaving. "Really? They can do that? Those crazy loons?"
"Yes," he answered, nodding sadly. "They make the final decision. Your position carries many responsibilities, and they take their job seriously. Few have made it to this point – in fact, you're the first – because the headmaster or myself has sent them away. You have to impress these guys."
"Oh," she said, suddenly worried all over again as she stared at their joined hands.
She couldn't quit now; she had come too far! It wasn't fair! How could her future depend on men who weren't here most of the time?
Doubts and fears swirled in her mind until Jareth raised her chin with his free hand. He didn't seem anxious, and she wished she shared his confidence. She knew nothing about them!
"Which is why we need a plan. Do you have time tonight to discuss all that needs to occur in preparation for the recital?" he asked, and she breathed a little easier knowing that he wouldn't abandon her now.
Her mind rapidly switched gears from emotional distress to business. How was it that she could go through such a range of emotions in such a short time with him? She was still aching to go back to their little moment of emotional vulnerability, but she really needed to figure out first how she felt. Once she survived the recital and the visit, she would be better prepared to talk to him and understand her emotions.
"Yes," she replied, nodding her head. "Let's go to the cafeteria and discuss plans over dinner."
That night, Jareth explained everything to her, his vision, what the elders expected, and what all needed to be done to prepare the students and costumes. Combined with her ideas, she felt like they had a good plan with just enough time to accomplish it all, especially if she took all the feathers with her so she could create fluffy tails for each of the students to wear. Sarah's small notepad was filled by the end with everything that needed to be done, but with Jareth willing to work with her, she felt equal to the task.
Until the following morning.
The day began as it always did with Sarah and Jareth warming up together, and his bright orange leotard reminded her that they had guests who were already nearby, watching closely. When she heard him mutter a curse, she went to him.
"What's wrong?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
"I didn't stretch something properly, so now I'm cramping," he admitted ruefully, showing her where it hurt.
"Oh! Here," she said, recognizing the spot from her past and rubbing his ankle. "I've had that happen before. I always do this to fix it."
"Thank you," he said after a long moment, and she looked up, noting how grateful he seemed.
"Anytime," she replied warmly, applying less pressure. "How's that?"
"Better." He placed his hand on hers, voice dropping. "You should move soon, though. The elders have been watching us since you entered, and they were observing us last night as well."
"So what? I want them to know I care. That's their job, and this is mine," she said, checking him one more time before she let go. "To make sure you're ready and able to teach our pupils."
He offered a hand to help her up. "You speak of them as ours like they've always been that way," he commented, a smile appearing as she grasped his hand.
"They are quite firmly fixed as ours now, and there's nothing you can do about it," she said nonchalantly, looking up at him through her lashes. "They've grown on me, and I like them all. I want them to succeed and be happy, so you're not going to be able to get rid of me."
"But they smell," he said, scrunching his nose. "They're loud. They love chickens too much, and their ale–"
"What do you mean by ale?" she thundered, getting in his face. "They're too young to drink alcohol!"
She was curious about the chickens as well since she hadn't seen any yet.
Clearing his throat, he clarified, "A different, special kind of ale. They can drink this one."
Giving him a wary look, she got into the starting position. "Very well. Regardless of all those things, I still like them. If I can like you, why not them?"
"I wonder sometimes about your basis of comparison."
With that, the two practiced until students arrived, and as soon as Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus were there, the elders stole them away with questions. Sarah restrained her urge to stare as she watched two of them loop arms and do-si-do as they pranced away with their first interviewees. Ludo was released first, followed by Didymus. Hoggle remained an extra hour, but when he returned, he seemed at ease, talking normally with his friends like nothing had happened.
During their first break time, Sarah was lacing her shoes when Hoggle approached quietly. "They didn't ask about you, if you were wondering," he said, making her jump slightly. "Mostly Jareth. They want to know and understand why he's changed so much."
"Thank you for telling me. Did they see me dancing with Ludo yesterday?" she asked curiously, meeting his eyes.
His guarded look gave nothing away. "They did. They've never seen anything like it before, which makes them extra inquisitive."
"Thank you for spending so much time with them; if you need any extra help learning what you missed, let me know. I'm happy to assist you," she said before rehearsals began again, her hour to teach beginning.
At the end of her hour, Jareth was about to take over when the elders interrupted, a few of them walking en pointe to practice what she had been showing. "Jareth, may we have a moment?"
As soon the blond went to them, Hoggle was in front of her, smirking. "That's what I thought they'd do. I expect they're going to be talking to Jareth a lot the next few days," warned Hoggle, pointing at them. "I hope you like teaching by yourself."
"I like it; I'm used to it but doubt Jareth will let that happen," she said, avoiding saying more when her co-teacher and several of the elders approached her.
"Sarah, a few of us have some urgent questions for Jareth. Will you please teach for the rest of the day?" asked one, his handlebar mustache wiggling.
"Jareth, are you alright with that?" she asked in response, turning to him.
He took a moment to respond, clearly not happy with the arrangement. "I don't have a choice. While I'd prefer to continue teaching with you for some time before leaving you alone with all of them, you need to do so eventually." Remembering something, his face lit up, and he placed a reassuring hand on top of hers. "I need to develop more trust, and this is the perfect way to do it. Based on what we discussed, I believe our students are in good hands." More quietly, he added, "I'm hoping to be back by the end of the day. You know our plans. Enlist everyone's help."
She was so proud of him based on that complete one-eighty in how he spoke of her. It was proof that he was trying to change, and she loved seeing and hearing it. She was determined to give him many reasons to trust her.
"I will." She faced the older gentlemen, noting their collective surprise as they observed Jareth. "I'm ready to teach however long it takes. Even if it goes longer."
"Thank you. Two of us are staying to observe your techniques; we look forward to learning all about you so we may evaluate you correctly," said a different elder, this one shorter and apparently bald as he lifted his toupee to wave it at her.
"Yes. It's obvious that you get along tolerably well with Jareth now; it's not so clear about the rest–"
"So what you need is a little mess-around," chimed in another older man, kicking his legs about for no reason.
They really were a strange lot, especially with their striped suits that were a mixture of red, orange, and yellow. She had noticed them at different points during the day trying to replicate what Jareth taught, and they were quite spry for their age, dancing about in any old direction they pleased. The one throwing a leg out wasn't that unusual, no more so than the one swirling his cane on his arm and swaying his hips like it was his sole job to move. Soon after, Jareth with some of the elders left, and the rest took up their perch by the door and on the second floor, watching the proceedings.
At first, class continued normally, and the kids learned the final move needed to complete their routine. Just as she got ready to have them practice together, though, one began talking, then two. She let it go, assuming they would stop, but they didn't. As the others watched her not do anything about it, they joined into the conversation, even Hoggle, and Sarah grew frustrated, understanding what Jareth meant about fear. They felt comfortable with her, and they had never really seen her angry, or anything else beyond the helpful teacher. It was time to fix that.
"So, would anyone like to play a game?" she asked loudly, drawing everyone's attention at once.
"You'll play a game with us? Truly?" asked one kid, eyes big with awe. "Kingy never plays games with us."
That little nickname of his really was ubiquitous. Even the younger ones called him their king. There had to be more to the story, and she wished someone would explain.
"Well, he's not here; I am," she said, dropping her voice to a theatrical whisper. "And since he's not here, he can't join us. It's just us now. How about it?"
As all but the three oldest cheered, Sarah motioned for all to stand, and they complied.
"In order to play this game, we need music. I've got several song options from Jareth's music supply; which one should we listen to?" she asked, quickly determining the favorite, a lively mixed tape. "Good. Now everyone create a circle of chairs, one chair for each person, minus one. We're playing musical chairs, but moving only in whatever position I call out. Got it?"
The game was a smashing success. Every child there loved playing games, and she drilled the final move into their muscles, all of the kids panting and exhausted by lunch.
"Wow, that was the hardest game ever," said one boy at the end. "Fun, but tiring."
"There are easier games and versions we could have played, but since you all were talking, you missed out on those games. Hopefully next time you won't talk during class," she said, making many mouths drop.
"There are more games?" asked another, wide-eyed and excited.
She grinned her own Cheshire Cat smile. "Of course there are. I went to school and learned them all." She leaned in expectantly. "But, if you're extra bad in class, then there won't be any games at all. At least now, we will mix games with lessons."
"Okay!"
As all the kids fled for lunch, Hoggle waddled up to her. "You're going to regret the offer of games. They're going to expect it now. You can't possibly deliver that many."
"We'll see. I have many tricks up my sleeve when it comes to games and children," she said smugly. "Have some faith."
He shook his head and walked off, just in time for the elders to take her aside. "Sarah, a word with you before lunch?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?" she asked, placing her hands behind her back.
"There are several things," one answered, lifting fingers as he spoke. "First, the game idea was brilliant. I've never seen them so tired before. Jareth has never played games with them before, and we're going to suggest he do more of that going forward. Second, I hope you have other ways of controlling them, as they are an unruly lot. They cause mess and chaos wherever they go and need a firm hand. Third, what are your thoughts on disciplining children, especially physically?"
"I, uh," she hemmed, surprised that Jareth never had played games with them and that they would ask about discipline of all things. "I don't discipline children that aren't mine. There are other ways to handle them."
"And if you did have children of your own one day?" asked the other, eyes going comically big.
"Why are my parenting skills in question here?" she asked calmly by way of reply. "I'm a teacher."
"To make out your character, of course. To see how suitable you are for Jareth and this school," said the first one, as though it were normal to ask such things. "Oh, and how do you feel…"
Her entire lunch was spent fielding odd, very specific and personal questions from them, and she did her best to answer them in a cool, collected manner each time. She didn't want her temper being shown to them this early in the evaluation period.
"That's all for now. You handled all of that quite well, so I'll leave you with one final question," said the taller of the two elders, his voice higher pitched. "Where you goin' with a head like that?"
Thrown off, she tilted her head, patting her crown. "Like what? Is my hair a mess?"
"No, no, of course not. You just look stressed; you need to chilly down with us some evening. We're loads of fun," said the same one, cracking a smile.
"Yeah, we like to have ourselves a good time around a fire every night. A little singing, a little dancing–"
"You should join us!"
"I, uh, that's very kind of you," she stammered, wanting to find a way out of the offer. "I doubt I'll have much time during this visit, though, because we have a lot of prep to do for the last minute recital."
"Of course. Next time then! Bring your dancing shoes, and break a leg with those crazy kids," said the shorter elder as he waltzed off. "And don't expect to see Jareth for the rest of the school day."
Her heart sank at learning that, a little sad that she wouldn't see him. "Oh."
"What's wrong? Already nervous to be stuck alone with the likes of us?" asked Hoggle, appearing out of nowhere.
"What? No!" she cried, horrified by the suggestion. "I just…wanted to see Jareth."
"Hmph. No one in their right mind does," said Hoggle before heading to his friends.
After turning down several requests for more games, she got through several hours of teaching without interruption. As the end of the dancing lessons loomed, though, the kids got antsy. When one attempted to whisper, she knew she had to think fast, so she called out his name.
"What did you want to ask me?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Uh, nothing," he replied, staring at his hands.
"Good. Let's continue," she said, calling out anyone who tried to start up conversations. After several more instances, she realized it was fruitless to keep that method going. "Shall we play another game to end our dancing today?"
In a blink, all were riveted to her, and the game became beloved by all, as it involved singing and dancing. For whatever reason, the kids loved that combination of things, and she filed that away for future games.
"Now that we're done dancing for today, we shall take our usual break then head for the classroom. Instead of learning today, though, we're doing crafts together so we can make our costumes for the recital," she announced, unprepared for the roar of excitement at crafting.
During the break, Sarah endured yet another round of odd questions from the elders, and afterward she had her first experience crafting with kids, as the usual teachers didn't know a thing about the costumes or crafting. She had been expecting Jareth to be there, as he knew where everything was located, and thankfully, Didymus and Ludo helped her find everything so the kids could make their own headpieces.
Throughout the experience, Sarah was observed as she put out fire after figurative fire, from several different containers of glitter and feathers falling to the ground and spilling, to cuts and running around to find more glue since it mysteriously vanished. It was a trying afternoon, but by the end, the tape was her best friend. It took her some time to get everything cleaned up after everyone left, even with help from Ludo and Didymus, and the day didn't officially end until the elders asked her one more round of questions and comments.
After dealing with the kids, their questions didn't phase her, and she sighed in relief when she left the building alone, heading toward her favorite bushes, hoping to hear more comforting singing.
"Sarah?" called Jareth from around the corner, smiling with relief when he saw her. "How are you enjoying the skit preparations?"
"It's a piece of cake," she said sarcastically, giving him a dark look. "It's always easy doing the work of two people on your own, all while doing something at a new place with lots of people commenting on your every move."
He grimaced and patted her shoulder. "Sorry. They're especially intrusive with their questions this time. I understand why, but it's not necessary. At least you're handling it well, with all the grace of a queen according to them."
So she was a queen now? She was intrigued. Did that mean she would get a nickname at some point? She wouldn't mind being the queen to his king.
"Thank you," she said, feeling her cheeks warm.
"I'll admit I was worried you wouldn't be able to handle yourself alone, or that those strange old men would steal you away from me completely so I couldn't even talk to you now," he said honestly, deflating her good mood.
"You didn't need to worry on either of those counts," she said, glaring at him. "You can trust me; I can handle myself. I taught children elsewhere before coming here, you know."
She wasn't paid that well since it was at the local community center on the weekend, but she had done it in college to help aggrandize her resume.
"Yes, but, I can't help it sometimes. I'm trying to change; it'll take time," he insisted, returning her look with one of his own. Noticing where they stood, he pointed at the opening to the Labyrinth with a concerned look. "Why are you over here at this hour?"
She didn't understand why he was so against her wanting to be near the Swan King, especially when she half-suspected it was him. Why warn her away from himself? Did he really dislike himself that much?
"Because I'm stressed and was hoping to listen to some beautiful singing to relax for the night," she answered honestly, drawing a double take from him.
When the shock wore off, he met her gaze, full of warmth and hope. A little smile played upon his lips, and the hand at her shoulder slid just a little lower and toward the center of her back, as though drawing her in to give her what she sought. The press of his hand as he pushed her toward him was soothing and welcome after a long day of being on edge, and she leaned into it, exhaling quietly and taking strength from his presence.
For a moment, the two just stared into one another's eyes, and she had never been more relieved to have quiet. She greedily drank in the look, smell, and feel of him, finding much comfort in him. He exuded grace and power like he had always wielded it, but the more she took on a leadership role with him, the more she valued his inflexible strength. At first, it annoyed her because it was used against her; now, it was a rock that helped hold her up as he learned to include her in his daily life.
She didn't need more reasons to fall for him, but he was making it very hard for her not to. He seemed worried when he came looking for her just now, and his distress was written across his face as she mentioned how stressed she was. He was learning to look beyond himself, and she was slowly becoming addicted to being the center of his attention.
His head lowered infinitesimally, and he licked his lips as his eyes darkened with something new and mysterious, causing her breath to hitch. When he blinked, the moment passed, and he was back to himself. "Not tonight," he said, taking her hand.
Just that simple touch of bare skin against hers caused her to shiver, as charged as it was with urgency, with the need to be joined.
"Okay," she said meekly, overcome with emotion, content to be with him. If he wanted to stand and hold hands all night, she'd do it, recital preparations forgotten. Just his touch was magnetic, and she wanted to feel like this every night, to know she was wanted fervently.
He gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you. I've missed you. How about a stroll through the garden? You can tell me how your day went and unload upon me."
"I'd like that," she said, her smile widening when he offered his arm so arms and hands could touch.
Whatever this was between them, she wanted to explore it more, and he seemed to want it as well. For the next hour, they wandered through the roses, eyes fixed on the other and lost to everything and everyone else. It was one of the best hours in her life, being able to just be and spend time with him, commiserating about their students.
"I'm surprised they were so careless with the glitter; they usually know to be careful with it," he said as they exited the garden. "I've threatened them with violence about it on several occasions."
"Oh! Is there really a need to threaten them like that?" she asked skeptically, squeezing his fingers.
"I always thought there was," he said, his certainty waning as she gave him a pleading look. "What else would you have me do to avoid glitter covering every surface in the whole school? They track it everywhere."
"Make sure it gets all over their clothes and in their hair so they get sick of it," she said with a straight face.
As he gave her a questioning look, she smirked, causing him to laugh before leaning in. As his fingers grazed her chin, raising her face to his, she couldn't remember being this close to his face before. It was dangerous how much she liked the closeness, and he seemed just as enthralled, eyes unblinkingly beholding her.
"Oh, Sarah, you clever girl. So fighting fire with fire is your vice of choice, is it?" he queried softly.
"Always," she breathed before going to his ear. "It worked on you, didn't it?"
He chuckled before answering, his lips barely grazing her earlobe. "It did. Now look at me: utterly ensnared by you."
His words triggered memories from school, of all the times she responded better in class when praised. Making a mental note, she decided to try praising the kids more so they would prefer pleasing her versus disappointing her.
"That makes two of us," she whispered, inclining her head just so she could feel another nudge of his flesh against hers, his hot breath and body heat keeping her warm as the temperature outside decreased.
"Good." He pulled away at that, waking her up from a most pleasant moment, and offered his arm once more. "Let's get you inside before the sun goes down. Do you feel more relaxed now?"
"Yes. Thank you for listening. I'll convince you yet of the joy of playing games," she said as they walked toward her building.
"Good luck. I've sworn those off for a reason; you don't know them like I do," he said, stopping when they reached the front door.
"I know, but they're still only kids. They need more than just practicing, and other ways to expend energy. You'll see," she insisted, opening her door.
"Hold on to that attitude, Sarah. You're going to need it," he said, bending over her hand and kissing it. "In all that you do the next few days. Good night."
It was very hard to leave him after that, but she managed to escape. Once she made it to her room, she watched him as he headed to the other building, heart beating wildly in her chest. She was certain that he liked her, and she was thrilled. It was perhaps not wise to fall for the man who she worked so closely with, but she couldn't help it. He made it impossible for her not to feel something for him, even if it was just hate or annoyance.
When she slept that night, she dreamed of holding his hand and exchanging secret kisses in the garden. Upon waking, she hoped that Jareth would be back at her side, but alas, only two other elders greeted her, telling her that Jareth was already detained.
No matter. She was a big girl, and she warmed up efficiently, grabbing Didymus and Hoggle when they entered. "You said you finished sewing together the costumes for everyone, right?"
"Yes, My Lady! I put them all in the closet like you requested for tomorrow," answered Didymus with a salute.
"Thank you. Please follow me to the closet so I can show you what else I created for the costumes," she requested, both boys following her to the craft room.
The plan was for all the kids to wear white to look like swans, and Hoggle and Didymus had sewn wings onto the outfits for her. When she opened the door, though, four cans of paint rolled out, splashing her with orange, blue, green, and red. She stared in horror as she realized that the paint cans had somehow fallen onto the costumes, causing all of them to be covered to some degree with one or all of the colors, and she almost fainted.
"Sarah?" asked Hoggle. "What happened?"
"I don't know, but all of your hard work has gone to waste." She turned around, her chest feeling tight with fear and panic. "I don't understand. How could this have happened?"
"It was impossible!" cried Didymus, pointing at the top of the closet. "There's no way any of those large paint cans fit up there. Someone must have maliciously destroyed these." He bowed his head before giving her a pitying look. "I'm sorry that someone would want to do this to you. We'll find a way to fix this, though," he said brightly. "You always do."
"Yes, we will find a way," she said, not quite believing it. "Let's go back. The others will arrive soon."
As she walked, she debated how best to fix this mess. When she found an elder, she requested a moment to talk to Jareth to discuss the recital, but she had little faith she would see him based on their response.
The day only got worse. The sets they had been working on before now had a couple small rips, and water spots kept appearing after breaks, making several kids almost slip and fall. Those things, combined with the costumes and Jareth's comment about the glitter, had her wondering why someone seemed so intent upon ruining this recital.
Was she really so untrustworthy and unwelcome? For that matter, who would do it?
She had started off the day nicely by complimenting everyone and playing more games, but the growing list of "accidents", those gnawing questions, and many more judgemental questions from the elders had her cross by the end of the day, a headache forming.
As the end of the lessons drew near, two of the more problematic children started to poke one another, which soon broke out into a fight. As soon as they raised their voices, she had had enough. Very much done with them and this day, she stomped toward them, eyes blazing with fury, and she roared their names, giving her temper free reign.
"Stop your fighting at once! Why did you start?" she asked, glowering at them both.
Immediately both shrank before her. "I'm sorry!" both peeped. "It was nothing. It won't happen again."
"It better not," she replied. "I won't tolerate it. You should be friends, not enemies. You won't get anywhere unless you can learn to work together. Find more in common with another." As they nodded, she faced the rest of the students. "And I expect no fighting or talking during my lessons from all of you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Miss Sarah!"
"Good. Class is dismissed," she said, letting them out a few minutes early.
She wouldn't be able to focus, and she was pretty sure she just lost any chance she had of staying at the school. It wasn't fair in her mind, especially with the circumstances being what they were, and she resisted every temptation to blurt that aloud. Feeling utterly miserable, she turned away from the students, closing her eyes as tears fell, waiting for one of the old men to come rushing toward her, telling her that she wasn't allowed to speak to the children like that.
Instead, Ludo and Didymus came forward, Hoggle not far behind.
"My Lady," said Didymus, placing a hand on her leg, "I'm sorry you're so frustrated about all of this. Is there any way I can offer my services to help you?"
"I'm afraid you can't help me keep my job when I talk like that," she sobbed, feeling defeated.
"Then let us hug you," said Ludo, patting her back.
Turning to face then, she was happily surprised when both Ludo and Didymus embraced her at the same time, and she hugged them back, glad to have their support. "Thank you."
"That outburst shouldn't affect you. Jareth talks like that all the time," said Ludo, making her glance between them with surprise.
"Really?" she asked, hope rising. "But would they allow me to do the same? I meant well, but–"
"But you do have a temper, just like His Majesty," said Hoggle, not sounding happy.
"Yes, I know. I'm always trying to keep it in check," she said, groaning. "Well, there's no point to worry about it. It is what it is. It's time to deal with the next big accident: the costumes."
"Your idea with the markers and tape did wonders for the sets; it was brilliant!" exclaimed Didymus, making her smile. "I would say you made them look even better than they did before in fact. I'm sure you can make something work with these costumes."
"So we can't be swans. No big deal," said Ludo with a shrug. "I don't like them anyway. They're mean. I like ducks. And rocks."
She had been tossing around ideas all day in her mind to try to find a way to salvage the costumes and hard work. Thus far, she had had no luck, and Jareth never came by to give bis opinions. Resigning herself to putting on this recital alone, she thought about ducks, and that was when the idea hit her.
"That's it!" she cried, giving Ludo a hug. "Thank you! You've been really helpful. I think I just figured it out. Let's go."
If she could still make the recital happen, then the auditors might overlook her temper. It was worth a shot. The thought of losing this job now made her sick to her stomach. Sprinting to the craft room, she barely beat the students there, and she began gathering all the painting supplies they had. Once everyone was present, she stood in front of them, a grin plastered on her face.
"As you all know, the original plan was to have all of you dress as swans for the recital. How many of you actually like swans?"
A couple raised their hands, but most shook their heads, making her smile larger.
"Good," said Sarah, lifting up the white feather bunches she had created. "Because as of now, you are now dressing as black ducklings." Amid many cheers, she continued, "Everyone grab your costume, headpiece, and one set of feathers from me. We're going outside to paint and put the finishing touches on our costumes."
"They never let us paint on our own! I'm so excited!" enthused one child, others soon saying something similar as all grabbed the items they needed.
Sarah had the three teens help her carry all the paint and brushes outside, and once everyone had an appropriate amount of space to get creative, Ludo gave everyone a brush.
"Notice the different colors on each of your costumes," called Sarah. "The great thing is that you can just mix the colors together and get black, so go ahead and use any color you want. So long as your whole costume looks black, it doesn't matter. Now have fun!"
The elders backed away slowly as the little ones went wild with their paint. After such a stressful day, it was very satisfying for Sarah to throw paint at the leftover costume pieces and watch everyone else do the same. At some point, there was a paint fight, and lultiple cans of paint flew through the air. By the end, everyone was a giant mess of paint splatters, but all were smiling and happy. Best of all, everyone had a costume and knew their parts well, so Sarah could rest easy that night, knowing she had managed to put out all the fires on her own.
Once all of the kids put away their outfits and she locked up everything, she headed outside once more, hoping to find Jareth. As she approached the bushes, though, a familiar song wafted through her ears, and she was spellbound, drawn at once to the hedges. That time, she went to the entrance, leaning against it and closing her eyes to let the enchanting song work its magic within her.
Tonight was a treat for her, as she heard the same lines as before and learned new ones.
"As the pain sweeps through,
Makes no sense for you.
Every thrill is gone
Wasn't too much fun at all.
But I'll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down.
Falling
As the world falls down.
Falling,
Falling in love."
More than ever, she wanted to believe that Jareth was the Swan King. How else could he know or say such words that spoke to her so well? She had felt alone for most of today, but between the trio of boys and this song, her situation didn't feel quite so lonely.
As the greenery felt ever more inviting, she leaned into it, softly humming along with the song as it repeated. For a time, she let the beautiful words be the balm her tired, wounded heart needed, and by the time she became aware of her surroundings, she was half lying back, the branches entwining around her arms to hold her there. Even the grounds seemed to want to keep her, strengthening her resolve.
"You're right," she said to herself. "I can't let one slip up and some little accidents stop me from going after what I want. I want to stay and teach here, so I will. I'll make it work, and I've got support. I can do this."
With that, she headed back to her quarters and prepared for bed. As she fell asleep that night, her mind didn't focus on the pain and not alone parts, instead reminding her of the last line repeatedly.
"Is he falling in love with me?" she asked, hugging herself at the idea. "I hope so."
She slept afterwards, her dreams full of scenes of her running into his arms and singing together. It left her in a hopeful mood when she woke up, and her day got that much better when she arrived in the practice room.
"Jareth!" she cried happily, running to him.
His whole face broke into a smile upon seeing her, and he met her halfway with his long, loping strides. As soon as they could reach one another, he gathered her into his arms, holding her close against his chest.
"Sarah," he breathed into her hair. "I'm sorry. Being separated from you gives me physical pain, especially knowing you're shouldering all of the stress right now. How are you?"
"Managing. Better now that you're here," she said before looking up into his eyes.
"Good. I heard you raised your voice to the students; I'm proud of you," he said, smirking. "You scared them well, and yet they still seem to love you, not an easy feat."
She shrugged, not surprised that he liked her showing her authority. "It was a rough day. So much happened. I had to make a few changes."
He let out a long sigh. "I heard. Normally, I would be furious that you made changes without my consent." Shutting her eyes, she nodded in understanding, feeling bad once more. "Under the circumstances, though, you had no choice, and you reacted well under the pressure. You have my support for the costumes and sets," he said in a warmer tone, a hand rubbing her back. "We'll get to the bottom of these accidents after the recital. I'll see to it personally."
His eyes became dark with menace, and she should have been afraid. Instead, she felt nothing but satisfaction knowing that he was on her side.
"Thank you. We'll dole out justice as appropriate…together," she said, placing a hand on his chest.
He grinned. "Of course. Together. If you want any mercy, it'll have to be you giving it. The perpetrator will receive none from me. Not after all they've done to you. I won't stand for it."
"How long can you stay today?" she asked, hoping he could at least help her backstage with the recital.
"I'm not sure. They said that I should come see them after greeting you. Let's go together," he said, taking her hand. "It shouldn't be that much longer."
Hand-in-hand, they walked quietly to the office set up for the elders. The door was ajar when they drew near, and both could hear the elders, along with Hoggle's voice.
"How has our little plot worked out?" asked one of the men.
Upping hearing that, Jareth made a shush motion and eased Sarah against a wall so they could listen in.
"It's all going according to plan," answered Hoggle. "I've spoken more to her to draw out her thoughts and feelings regarding all of us. I've also been causing accidents to occur all over the place, with the sets, costumes, floors, and more."
As he spoke, Sarah felt cold all over, hurt and betrayed that he would do all that. She could lose her job! She could lose all of them! She started to spiral quickly, losing faith in herself that someone she had talked to so much would do something so terrible. When she glanced at Jareth, he looked furious, and a small part of her rejoiced.
"You wanted her to be tested, and I have provided all the means to evaluate her and help you. Now you've seen her temper," said Hoggle, sounding pleased with himself.
"So you're the reason why my Sarah has been left alone and been stressed for no reason!" shouted Jareth, storming into the room with Sarah not far behind.
"How could you, Hoggle?" she asked, near tears.
"Because I was ordered to do it and I don't trust you," said Hoggle honestly. "I'm not looking for new friends or change, and that's all that's happened since you arrived."
With that, Hoggle turned and ran from the room, and she felt like someone had punched her in the gut.
Jareth looped his arms around her. "Don't worry, Sarah. I'll see to it that he's punished. I'll throw him out if that's what you'd like–"
"No," she interrupted, pulling out of her stupor to make this point clear by pressing a finger to his lips. "It's natural to be afraid and distrust me. He's trying to protect you and everyone else. Don't punish him like that. I'll think of another way. He stays. Will you promise me that?" she requested, giving Jareth her biggest puppy dog eyes.
Groaning, Jareth nodded. "Very well. As you wish. Determine his punishment after the recital."
"Thank you. So now we put on our recital?" she asked, looking at him and the elders.
"Not quite. Just you, young woman. This will be your final test," said one of the elders, looking solemn. "We need to know you can do all this on your own."
Sighing, she understood why they wanted it this way, even if she hated it. This was the way things had to be done, and she would play her part of the heroine. When she met Jareth's eyes, she saw equal pain along with resignation, and something warm unfurled in her chest, knowing he wanted to be beside her.
"I understand. I'm sorry, Sarah," he said, squeezing her hands. "Just know that I do believe in you, and that–"
"You'll be there for me, right? Even as the world falls down?" she stated hopefully.
His whole body shivered as she repeated the song lyrics, and he gave her a sad smile. "Yes. Always."
That was all that she needed to know. She had his support, as well as Didymus and Ludo's. She could do this. If the outburst hurt her, this recital would redeem her. If the elders liked her display of authority, just like Jareth, then she would show them just how capable she was.
Setting her shoulders, she smiled warmly. "Then I'm ready. The show must go on."
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading!!
Foxchick1: Yes, she is figuring it out since she is a clever girl. From there, it's time to see how she feels about that being the case. Thanks for reading and the review!
Guest: Thank you!!! I appreciate that. I have really enjoyed playing with this AU using certain aspects of the show. Thank you for reading and for the lovely comment!
Guest: Birdsong, thank you so much!! I'm so happy you like all 3 of the chapters!! Thank you for reading!!
Mr. M30w M3ow: Yes! Ish. My goal is to finish this fic this year. Thanks for reading and the review!
