~*I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter. Are you guys losing
interest, or what? Lol. ( If you all are getting impatient with me, this
chapter has a revelation about J/S. I don't normally beg, but . . . eh,
screw it: please, PLEASE, pul-EASE R&R!*~
~*~*~
Sarah was shocked beyond words when she opened one of the doors to find a large closet full of dresses, nightgowns, and underclothes. Everything looked as if it were tailored to fit her perfectly. She was confused. Why was he being so nice? To make up for the past, or make her feel more at home? Maybe a little bit of both. In either case, she decided, he didn't deserve the buried hostility she still felt toward him. Not even a little. Making a promise to herself to be the sweet, manageable woman that he probably didn't even know existed, she pinned up her hair, looking at her reflection. A tired, drawn face looked back at her.
~
Jareth barely restrained himself from pacing the length of the small, intimate dining room he had chosen for their meal. Everything was out in the open now-well, almost everything. Everything except a detail, minor really, that might prove to be the hardest to swallow for Sarah. Poor Sarah; hadn't she had enough today? Torn between informing her of those details and giving the poor woman a break, Jareth found himself unable to decide. On one hand, he would have no secrets between them. But suppose she had one of those mental breakdowns that Humans were prone to? And on the other hand, he might be able to pass a pleasant evening with her. He could imagine her anger, however, when she discovered that he had kept things hidden from her.
Not even one day into his life and she was already causing him stress.
Typical Sarah.
The door opened, and he turned to meet her. He was disappointed when he noted that her hair had been braided into a bun at the nape of her neck. She looked so lovely with her hair wild and free. But he also noted the faint smudges of fatigue under her eyes and the pale cast of the skin on her face. No. Tonight wouldn't do for revealing yet more secrets.
Sarah found she couldn't breathe when she stepped inside the dimly lit room. Mirrors were mounted on each of the walls, so the numerous candles were reflected again and again. But it was Jareth that made her heart jump; he wore a loose beige silk shirt under a stiff, brown leather jacket. His pendant glowed in the candlelight. Every lean muscle in his legs were clearly defined by his brown leggings, accented by his shining brown leather boots. So beautiful.
"A girl could get lost in this castle," she said. "It's like a labyrinth."
He chuckled. "Wouldn't that be a pity? Please, sit down."
Smiling, she gestured to the table laden with exotic foods in pearly dishes. "It's great of you to pull out all the stops, but I'm really not that hungry."
"I suspected as much. Perhaps you're thirsty," he said, grasping a green bottle in one hand. He was determined to give her a good time; determined to show her that he wasn't a villain all the time--he could play the charming gentleman with equal skill and genuine ease; determined to persuade her that staying with him could be perfect.
"Maybe." Her exotic green eyes sparkled at him over the rim of her goblet.
"So what have you come to decide?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what to think about what you told me today. It explains a lot. Now I know that you weren't being a complete ass."
"That's good to know." Jareth watched her carefully; she was sure being friendly. Perhaps she was having one of those nervous breakdowns?
Sarah poured herself a little more wine. "What's a girl supposed to do, anyway, when she's told she's the power plant of the whole existence? Hell, I had almost convinced myself that the Labyrinth wasn't real."
"I know." His voice held a sad note, and she looked up at him questioningly. "You gave up on the Labyrinth, Sarah, but the Labyrinth didn't give up on you. Never forget that."
Her eyebrows drew together and she looked down. "Yeah. It's always been here when I needed it. Now it needs me. Ironic." She shook her head suddenly. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's talk about you. Got any family?"
So Jareth told her about his family, about his quirky father, Liam, and flighty mother, Victoria. They lived in a respectable mansion on the over side of the Underground, where they had moved to after Liam had relinquished power to Jareth, his eldest son. His two younger brothers, Anthony and William, and his younger sister, Kit, were spread out across the Five Realms. Anthony was unmarried, unattached; he moved freely throughout the kingdoms, welcomed in each one; he was especially fond of Mount Olympus and its clouds. William, on the other hand, was much more serious. After marrying the only daughter of Coli, the Fairy Queen, he began establishing good relations with the other Lords, preparing for when the power was handed to him and his bride, Alexandria. Kit and Aidian had had a solid marriage for two hundred years, and hadn't but one child.
"*Three* siblings?" Sarah shook her head. "Jeez."
The Goblin King started to say something, then hesitated. No secrets, he reminded himself. "I used to have three brothers, but one of them . . . disappeared."
Daniel had always been the "black sheep" of the family, to coin a phrase. Never had he accepted that just because Jareth had been born a mere four minutes before him that Jareth would be the one to get the throne. It must have ate at him, consumed him--the jealousy, the hatred--until one day, he simply vanished. No theatrics, no drama--just gone.
"I'm sorry," Sarah murmured, doing the curious thing that Humans always seem to do when they see another suffer--apologize. She reached across the table to grip his hand. "What do you think happened to him?"
He shrugged, obviously not liking to talk about it. "The most probable possibility is that he went to live in the Third Realm. More wine?"
Don't press it, Sarah told herself. Leaning back, she shook her head, already feeling pleasantly warm. It wouldn't do to get drunk around a sensual Goblin King. Especially one that was currently glowering at his plate, wallowing in memories. What could she do to cheer him up? A teasing smile that Jareth remembered so well curved her lips.
"Have you met Tessika yet?" she asked.
"I was waiting for you to say that," he replied, an answering smile blooming across his face.
A second later, they were grinning at each other from across her bedroom.
"Slick, Jareth."
A breezy shrug lifted his shoulders, then he smirked. "It was, wasn't it?"
"I just hope that she's in here. We wouldn't want you to tire yourself out."
An eyebrow lifted. "You do not know where she is?"
"Nope. She seems to come and go when she wants."
"Why don't you try that door?" He was pointed to the one she had yet to use.
Her heart stuttered when she pushed the door open. Inside lay the room of her childhood. Everything that had mattered to her, given her dreams, and comforted her, was inside. Everything. From the numerous posters to the shelves of stuffed animals to the vanity. After she had gone to college, Robert and Karen packed up all of the stuff she left behind and gave it to Goodwill. There had been sparks when Sarah found out-she viewed the act as though they were erasing her from their lives, and was afraid she would never see the things of her childhood again. Yet, here it all was, down to the very last book. A few of the animals, the music box, and some crystals lay scattered on the floor. In the quilted bed lay Tessika, her dark hair contrasting beautifully with the snowy whiteness of the pillow. Her chest rose slowly; she was asleep.
"This pleases you?" His breath was hot against her ear.
This time, Sarah did not flinch away. A tear slipped down her cheek as she turned into his arms. "Thank you."
He drew her out of the room. "Come. We will not wake her. I've been watching her since she was born--speaking to her can wait another day."
"Why are you doing all this for me?" Sarah asked, shutting the door. "Why are you being so generous?"
"Why wouldn't I?" He walked away from her, toward the window.
"I'm sure you've got better things to do then please some mortal." Her finger idly followed the line of a chest at the foot of the bed.
Moonlight washed his face, jaw clenched and eyes hard, and turned his fine hair silver. The time had come. "I won't lie to you, Sarah. You are not 'some mortal' to me."
She stood, patiently studying him, much the way she had studied him in the dining room. Waiting.
He turned. "Do you remember what I said to you before you defeated me?"
Her head tilted back as she thought, then shook negatively. He said a *lot* of things, and I couldn't remember that damn line.
"Love me, fear me. Do as I say and I will be your slave."
A shudder ripped through her; yes, now she remembered.
The air seemed to thicken as he walked back toward her. "You were too young and distracted then to really comprehend what I was saying, what I was offering. Now you are not." Now he studied her. "We have feelings for each other, do we not?"
She frowned. Do I? Can you have feelings for someone you consider your enemy?
Suddenly, the distance between them was closed. She couldn't seem to sort her thoughts with him so near, his comforting scent surrounding her.
His gloved hands gently massaged her tingling arms. "Perhaps this is another chance for us."
"There is no 'us'," she muttered, pulling away, head down. Memories five years old clouded her brain. "Not when you use and manipulate me every chance you get."
"When did I do any of those things?" he asked, a little taken back by her change in mood.
"Forgetting that little adventure you put me through when I was fifteen," she spat at him, "how about when you screwed me, yelled at me, and left. Left me pregnant."
"I was not the one that was using people then," he said pointedly. "*You* called me, *you* seduced me, *you* ordered me out of your life. I was trying to tell you of my feelings."
"You were the one that jumped out of bed the second you were finished!"
"Merely because you were like ice."
"I was angry because I felt like you were using me!" she yelled.
"I thought you were using *me*!"
Silence. Equal expressions of realization spread across their faces.
"Doesn't that say something of my feelings for you?" Jareth whispered in Sarah's memory. Right before I pulled him onto the cheap college dormitory bed. And he was so angry with me afterward. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would get angry with the girl he just used. More like the kind of guy that would get angry if a girl used him. *Did* I use him?
Jareth was recalling the incident as well. At the time, she hadn't seemed like she wanted him to go. People that use people don't normally want them to stick around. She came to me for comfort and I made her life worse.
"I'm sorry," Sarah began, her cheeks flushed.
"I apologize," Jareth said, at the same time.
They looked at each other.
"Maybe I did use you--" Sarah tried again.
"I see now that you didn't use me--" Jareth also tried, at the same time.
This time, they laughed, a little hysterically.
"You first," she told him, as if relinquishing power.
And so they explained to each other precisely how they each viewed the incident and how they thought the other viewed it. They talked, like they should have in the first place (but no one ever listens to me). Needless to say, both felt they were going to explode with relief; things they had thought about each other turned about to be untrue. It did leave a lot to think about.
Afterward, Jareth pulled a reeling Sarah into his arms. "Let's forgive each other, and forget the past. What's done is done. Now is what is important. Tomorrow I'll take you and Tessika through my kingdom." He pulled back and grasped her chin, tilting it up so her eyes met his. "Think about what I said, about second chances."
His eyes, intense, slid down to her lips. She trembled as he leaned closer, wanting so badly but frightened about what it might bring. Their mouths were a breath away when he disappeared.
"Good night," his disembodied voice murmured, barely keeping his self- satisfied laughter in check.
Sarah opened her eyes and looked around. "Ugh! Bastard!" she cried, throwing a pillow across the room. Talk about leaving a girl hanging.
But she couldn't keep a smile off her face.
Her heart had never felt lighter. She doubted her feet touched the ground as she danced across to the mirror. The reflection in the mirror couldn't be the same Sarah that just a day before felt as if the world was crushing her, or even the same Sarah that had stared back haggardly, not two hours before. Her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks had color, and her skin seemed to glow. Another memory, triggered by the night's revelations, suddenly appeared.
"But what no one knew," Sarah told her reflection, "was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl." A pause followed, her eyes slowly lighting with knowledge. "And he had given her certain powers."
~*~*~
Sarah was shocked beyond words when she opened one of the doors to find a large closet full of dresses, nightgowns, and underclothes. Everything looked as if it were tailored to fit her perfectly. She was confused. Why was he being so nice? To make up for the past, or make her feel more at home? Maybe a little bit of both. In either case, she decided, he didn't deserve the buried hostility she still felt toward him. Not even a little. Making a promise to herself to be the sweet, manageable woman that he probably didn't even know existed, she pinned up her hair, looking at her reflection. A tired, drawn face looked back at her.
~
Jareth barely restrained himself from pacing the length of the small, intimate dining room he had chosen for their meal. Everything was out in the open now-well, almost everything. Everything except a detail, minor really, that might prove to be the hardest to swallow for Sarah. Poor Sarah; hadn't she had enough today? Torn between informing her of those details and giving the poor woman a break, Jareth found himself unable to decide. On one hand, he would have no secrets between them. But suppose she had one of those mental breakdowns that Humans were prone to? And on the other hand, he might be able to pass a pleasant evening with her. He could imagine her anger, however, when she discovered that he had kept things hidden from her.
Not even one day into his life and she was already causing him stress.
Typical Sarah.
The door opened, and he turned to meet her. He was disappointed when he noted that her hair had been braided into a bun at the nape of her neck. She looked so lovely with her hair wild and free. But he also noted the faint smudges of fatigue under her eyes and the pale cast of the skin on her face. No. Tonight wouldn't do for revealing yet more secrets.
Sarah found she couldn't breathe when she stepped inside the dimly lit room. Mirrors were mounted on each of the walls, so the numerous candles were reflected again and again. But it was Jareth that made her heart jump; he wore a loose beige silk shirt under a stiff, brown leather jacket. His pendant glowed in the candlelight. Every lean muscle in his legs were clearly defined by his brown leggings, accented by his shining brown leather boots. So beautiful.
"A girl could get lost in this castle," she said. "It's like a labyrinth."
He chuckled. "Wouldn't that be a pity? Please, sit down."
Smiling, she gestured to the table laden with exotic foods in pearly dishes. "It's great of you to pull out all the stops, but I'm really not that hungry."
"I suspected as much. Perhaps you're thirsty," he said, grasping a green bottle in one hand. He was determined to give her a good time; determined to show her that he wasn't a villain all the time--he could play the charming gentleman with equal skill and genuine ease; determined to persuade her that staying with him could be perfect.
"Maybe." Her exotic green eyes sparkled at him over the rim of her goblet.
"So what have you come to decide?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what to think about what you told me today. It explains a lot. Now I know that you weren't being a complete ass."
"That's good to know." Jareth watched her carefully; she was sure being friendly. Perhaps she was having one of those nervous breakdowns?
Sarah poured herself a little more wine. "What's a girl supposed to do, anyway, when she's told she's the power plant of the whole existence? Hell, I had almost convinced myself that the Labyrinth wasn't real."
"I know." His voice held a sad note, and she looked up at him questioningly. "You gave up on the Labyrinth, Sarah, but the Labyrinth didn't give up on you. Never forget that."
Her eyebrows drew together and she looked down. "Yeah. It's always been here when I needed it. Now it needs me. Ironic." She shook her head suddenly. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's talk about you. Got any family?"
So Jareth told her about his family, about his quirky father, Liam, and flighty mother, Victoria. They lived in a respectable mansion on the over side of the Underground, where they had moved to after Liam had relinquished power to Jareth, his eldest son. His two younger brothers, Anthony and William, and his younger sister, Kit, were spread out across the Five Realms. Anthony was unmarried, unattached; he moved freely throughout the kingdoms, welcomed in each one; he was especially fond of Mount Olympus and its clouds. William, on the other hand, was much more serious. After marrying the only daughter of Coli, the Fairy Queen, he began establishing good relations with the other Lords, preparing for when the power was handed to him and his bride, Alexandria. Kit and Aidian had had a solid marriage for two hundred years, and hadn't but one child.
"*Three* siblings?" Sarah shook her head. "Jeez."
The Goblin King started to say something, then hesitated. No secrets, he reminded himself. "I used to have three brothers, but one of them . . . disappeared."
Daniel had always been the "black sheep" of the family, to coin a phrase. Never had he accepted that just because Jareth had been born a mere four minutes before him that Jareth would be the one to get the throne. It must have ate at him, consumed him--the jealousy, the hatred--until one day, he simply vanished. No theatrics, no drama--just gone.
"I'm sorry," Sarah murmured, doing the curious thing that Humans always seem to do when they see another suffer--apologize. She reached across the table to grip his hand. "What do you think happened to him?"
He shrugged, obviously not liking to talk about it. "The most probable possibility is that he went to live in the Third Realm. More wine?"
Don't press it, Sarah told herself. Leaning back, she shook her head, already feeling pleasantly warm. It wouldn't do to get drunk around a sensual Goblin King. Especially one that was currently glowering at his plate, wallowing in memories. What could she do to cheer him up? A teasing smile that Jareth remembered so well curved her lips.
"Have you met Tessika yet?" she asked.
"I was waiting for you to say that," he replied, an answering smile blooming across his face.
A second later, they were grinning at each other from across her bedroom.
"Slick, Jareth."
A breezy shrug lifted his shoulders, then he smirked. "It was, wasn't it?"
"I just hope that she's in here. We wouldn't want you to tire yourself out."
An eyebrow lifted. "You do not know where she is?"
"Nope. She seems to come and go when she wants."
"Why don't you try that door?" He was pointed to the one she had yet to use.
Her heart stuttered when she pushed the door open. Inside lay the room of her childhood. Everything that had mattered to her, given her dreams, and comforted her, was inside. Everything. From the numerous posters to the shelves of stuffed animals to the vanity. After she had gone to college, Robert and Karen packed up all of the stuff she left behind and gave it to Goodwill. There had been sparks when Sarah found out-she viewed the act as though they were erasing her from their lives, and was afraid she would never see the things of her childhood again. Yet, here it all was, down to the very last book. A few of the animals, the music box, and some crystals lay scattered on the floor. In the quilted bed lay Tessika, her dark hair contrasting beautifully with the snowy whiteness of the pillow. Her chest rose slowly; she was asleep.
"This pleases you?" His breath was hot against her ear.
This time, Sarah did not flinch away. A tear slipped down her cheek as she turned into his arms. "Thank you."
He drew her out of the room. "Come. We will not wake her. I've been watching her since she was born--speaking to her can wait another day."
"Why are you doing all this for me?" Sarah asked, shutting the door. "Why are you being so generous?"
"Why wouldn't I?" He walked away from her, toward the window.
"I'm sure you've got better things to do then please some mortal." Her finger idly followed the line of a chest at the foot of the bed.
Moonlight washed his face, jaw clenched and eyes hard, and turned his fine hair silver. The time had come. "I won't lie to you, Sarah. You are not 'some mortal' to me."
She stood, patiently studying him, much the way she had studied him in the dining room. Waiting.
He turned. "Do you remember what I said to you before you defeated me?"
Her head tilted back as she thought, then shook negatively. He said a *lot* of things, and I couldn't remember that damn line.
"Love me, fear me. Do as I say and I will be your slave."
A shudder ripped through her; yes, now she remembered.
The air seemed to thicken as he walked back toward her. "You were too young and distracted then to really comprehend what I was saying, what I was offering. Now you are not." Now he studied her. "We have feelings for each other, do we not?"
She frowned. Do I? Can you have feelings for someone you consider your enemy?
Suddenly, the distance between them was closed. She couldn't seem to sort her thoughts with him so near, his comforting scent surrounding her.
His gloved hands gently massaged her tingling arms. "Perhaps this is another chance for us."
"There is no 'us'," she muttered, pulling away, head down. Memories five years old clouded her brain. "Not when you use and manipulate me every chance you get."
"When did I do any of those things?" he asked, a little taken back by her change in mood.
"Forgetting that little adventure you put me through when I was fifteen," she spat at him, "how about when you screwed me, yelled at me, and left. Left me pregnant."
"I was not the one that was using people then," he said pointedly. "*You* called me, *you* seduced me, *you* ordered me out of your life. I was trying to tell you of my feelings."
"You were the one that jumped out of bed the second you were finished!"
"Merely because you were like ice."
"I was angry because I felt like you were using me!" she yelled.
"I thought you were using *me*!"
Silence. Equal expressions of realization spread across their faces.
"Doesn't that say something of my feelings for you?" Jareth whispered in Sarah's memory. Right before I pulled him onto the cheap college dormitory bed. And he was so angry with me afterward. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would get angry with the girl he just used. More like the kind of guy that would get angry if a girl used him. *Did* I use him?
Jareth was recalling the incident as well. At the time, she hadn't seemed like she wanted him to go. People that use people don't normally want them to stick around. She came to me for comfort and I made her life worse.
"I'm sorry," Sarah began, her cheeks flushed.
"I apologize," Jareth said, at the same time.
They looked at each other.
"Maybe I did use you--" Sarah tried again.
"I see now that you didn't use me--" Jareth also tried, at the same time.
This time, they laughed, a little hysterically.
"You first," she told him, as if relinquishing power.
And so they explained to each other precisely how they each viewed the incident and how they thought the other viewed it. They talked, like they should have in the first place (but no one ever listens to me). Needless to say, both felt they were going to explode with relief; things they had thought about each other turned about to be untrue. It did leave a lot to think about.
Afterward, Jareth pulled a reeling Sarah into his arms. "Let's forgive each other, and forget the past. What's done is done. Now is what is important. Tomorrow I'll take you and Tessika through my kingdom." He pulled back and grasped her chin, tilting it up so her eyes met his. "Think about what I said, about second chances."
His eyes, intense, slid down to her lips. She trembled as he leaned closer, wanting so badly but frightened about what it might bring. Their mouths were a breath away when he disappeared.
"Good night," his disembodied voice murmured, barely keeping his self- satisfied laughter in check.
Sarah opened her eyes and looked around. "Ugh! Bastard!" she cried, throwing a pillow across the room. Talk about leaving a girl hanging.
But she couldn't keep a smile off her face.
Her heart had never felt lighter. She doubted her feet touched the ground as she danced across to the mirror. The reflection in the mirror couldn't be the same Sarah that just a day before felt as if the world was crushing her, or even the same Sarah that had stared back haggardly, not two hours before. Her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks had color, and her skin seemed to glow. Another memory, triggered by the night's revelations, suddenly appeared.
"But what no one knew," Sarah told her reflection, "was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl." A pause followed, her eyes slowly lighting with knowledge. "And he had given her certain powers."