Chapter Five
Sarah sang softly as she scrubbed every inch of herself. She felt as though she were washing away everything that had ever given her grief in her life. She lay back in the tub, luxuriating in the sweet-scented bubbles. Then, because she knew Jareth would return soon, she regretfully leaned over and pulled the plug, then watched as the water drained away as she dried herself off with a wonderfully fuzzy towel. Going back into her room, she laid out some dresses, trying to decide which one to wear. She finally decided to wear the forest green crushed velvet. It came off her shoulders in short draped sleeves, and had a sprig of holly at her bosom. Dainty green slippers completed the outfit.
Sarah sat down at the dressing table and began brushing her hair before plaiting it in a crown about her head. Then she stuck more holly throughout the plait. Looking herself over critically in the mirror, she almost laughed. She looked like the Ghost of Christmas Past, only much sexier. She smiled, then added some lipstick to her lips, making them a brilliant scarlet. Almost a minute after she was done, there was a knock at her door.
"Come in."
Jareth walked in and stopped in his tracks. Sarah stood before him, absolutely breathtaking. When he had last seen her so dressed up, she had been merely a child, but now she was every inch a woman, and her beauty had matured with her. Sarah noticed his reaction, and almost laughed. But she merely smiled and curtseyed.
"Does it please your majesty?" Jareth looked her up and down, struggling to remain passive. Soon, he thought, soon....
"Yes, it pleases me very much." Jareth didn't look to bad, either, Sarah thought. He was decked out in a cream colored loose fitting shirt, green pants, and a green velvet jacket. His knee high green boots were a slightly lighter shade. He held out a small box to her, wrapped in gold paper with red ribbon.
"What's this?" Sarah was surprised.
"A gift. Open it." Jareth leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Sarah sat down at the dressing table, running her hands over the box, then finally, almost reverently opened it. Inside, on a bed of cotton, was a heart-shaped bottle of perfume.
"Oh how wonderful!" Sarah held it in her hands and smelled the fragrance. It was heavenly, and vaguely familiar somehow. As Jareth watched her every move carefully, Sarah sprayed a little on her wrists and then on her cleavage. The scent filled her senses, and Sarah felt complete. Jareth smiled and offered her his arm. She took it, smiling, and as the walked from the room, she noticed neither the label on the bottom of the bottle, "Peach Dreams", nor Jareth deftly pocketing Jonathan's ring from the dressing table where Sarah had laid it before bathing.
* * * *
Jonathan thrust aside the painting materials that Toby had brought him a few hours earlier. He was too frustrated to do anything creative right now. He was tired, that's what he was, dead tired. He sat back down and looked again at Sarah's sleeping, smiling face. It had been five days since the car crash, and Sarah hadn't even twitched; just lay there with that eternal sweet smile on her face. Jonathan wondered what she was thinking of to make her smile so. He ran his hands through his hair, noting it needed to be cut before the wedding next week.... if there was a wedding. No, no he could not allow himself to think like that. She would be fine. He knew she would be. He loved her. He rested his head on the wall behind the chair, planning to shut his eyes for a few minutes. God, he was tired....
When he opened his eyes again, he looked around him in amazement. Where the heck was he? It looked like some sort of shopping mall. Then he saw Sarah walking along, looking better than he had ever seen her, on the arm of some guy who looked like he was right out of Jonathan's drawings. In amazed excitement, he ran toward her, waving his arms, calling her name, and crashed into something, cracking his forehead a good one. Jonathan shook his head, and then looked up. He could still see her, and moved forward, only to be stopped...by what? He couldn't see a thing. It was as if some glass shield separated her from him. He screamed her name, and then realized that nothing was coming from his throat. He was making no noise at all. Sarah and the guy were walking directly parallel to him, and he was running alongside, crazily trying to get Sarah's attention. He beat the shield, kicked it, tried to ram through it, all he succeeded in doing was bruising himself. Sarah was laughing wittily at something the guy had said, and looked happy...as happy as she had looked laying in bed. Jonathan stopped, and realized that he could hear them with no trouble at all.
"Tell me! Where are we going?"
"I told you it's a surprise. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait." Jareth grinned at the sight of Jonathan standing in astonishment. Sarah could neither see nor hear him, but he could see and hear her.
"Jareth, you are a tease."
"Of course my darling, of course." Jareth grinned deliberately at Jonathan and dropped a small kiss on Sarah's cheek. Sarah blushed and touched her cheek. She looked up at Jareth, and then blushed again. Jonathan tried to reach out to Sarah in his confusion. He again encountered the damned invisible wall. Why? What was happening? Jonathan stared at this...Jareth, she had called him? What the hell was going on? Jareth stared at Jonathan over Sarah's head; she didn't notice. Jonathan heard his voice in his head. Forget her. With each passing hour she becomes more mine. Jonathan, in a fury, pounded on the glass with his fists, and instead heard only laughter.
Jonathan woke with a start. He looked immediately at Sarah, who still lay in the same unconscious state. What had he been dreaming about? He racked his head, but couldn't remember. He just felt...weird. Really unsettled. Maybe he needed a Coke or something...then, looking at Sarah, decided he would stay and keep watch awhile longer.
Sarah sang softly as she scrubbed every inch of herself. She felt as though she were washing away everything that had ever given her grief in her life. She lay back in the tub, luxuriating in the sweet-scented bubbles. Then, because she knew Jareth would return soon, she regretfully leaned over and pulled the plug, then watched as the water drained away as she dried herself off with a wonderfully fuzzy towel. Going back into her room, she laid out some dresses, trying to decide which one to wear. She finally decided to wear the forest green crushed velvet. It came off her shoulders in short draped sleeves, and had a sprig of holly at her bosom. Dainty green slippers completed the outfit.
Sarah sat down at the dressing table and began brushing her hair before plaiting it in a crown about her head. Then she stuck more holly throughout the plait. Looking herself over critically in the mirror, she almost laughed. She looked like the Ghost of Christmas Past, only much sexier. She smiled, then added some lipstick to her lips, making them a brilliant scarlet. Almost a minute after she was done, there was a knock at her door.
"Come in."
Jareth walked in and stopped in his tracks. Sarah stood before him, absolutely breathtaking. When he had last seen her so dressed up, she had been merely a child, but now she was every inch a woman, and her beauty had matured with her. Sarah noticed his reaction, and almost laughed. But she merely smiled and curtseyed.
"Does it please your majesty?" Jareth looked her up and down, struggling to remain passive. Soon, he thought, soon....
"Yes, it pleases me very much." Jareth didn't look to bad, either, Sarah thought. He was decked out in a cream colored loose fitting shirt, green pants, and a green velvet jacket. His knee high green boots were a slightly lighter shade. He held out a small box to her, wrapped in gold paper with red ribbon.
"What's this?" Sarah was surprised.
"A gift. Open it." Jareth leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Sarah sat down at the dressing table, running her hands over the box, then finally, almost reverently opened it. Inside, on a bed of cotton, was a heart-shaped bottle of perfume.
"Oh how wonderful!" Sarah held it in her hands and smelled the fragrance. It was heavenly, and vaguely familiar somehow. As Jareth watched her every move carefully, Sarah sprayed a little on her wrists and then on her cleavage. The scent filled her senses, and Sarah felt complete. Jareth smiled and offered her his arm. She took it, smiling, and as the walked from the room, she noticed neither the label on the bottom of the bottle, "Peach Dreams", nor Jareth deftly pocketing Jonathan's ring from the dressing table where Sarah had laid it before bathing.
* * * *
Jonathan thrust aside the painting materials that Toby had brought him a few hours earlier. He was too frustrated to do anything creative right now. He was tired, that's what he was, dead tired. He sat back down and looked again at Sarah's sleeping, smiling face. It had been five days since the car crash, and Sarah hadn't even twitched; just lay there with that eternal sweet smile on her face. Jonathan wondered what she was thinking of to make her smile so. He ran his hands through his hair, noting it needed to be cut before the wedding next week.... if there was a wedding. No, no he could not allow himself to think like that. She would be fine. He knew she would be. He loved her. He rested his head on the wall behind the chair, planning to shut his eyes for a few minutes. God, he was tired....
When he opened his eyes again, he looked around him in amazement. Where the heck was he? It looked like some sort of shopping mall. Then he saw Sarah walking along, looking better than he had ever seen her, on the arm of some guy who looked like he was right out of Jonathan's drawings. In amazed excitement, he ran toward her, waving his arms, calling her name, and crashed into something, cracking his forehead a good one. Jonathan shook his head, and then looked up. He could still see her, and moved forward, only to be stopped...by what? He couldn't see a thing. It was as if some glass shield separated her from him. He screamed her name, and then realized that nothing was coming from his throat. He was making no noise at all. Sarah and the guy were walking directly parallel to him, and he was running alongside, crazily trying to get Sarah's attention. He beat the shield, kicked it, tried to ram through it, all he succeeded in doing was bruising himself. Sarah was laughing wittily at something the guy had said, and looked happy...as happy as she had looked laying in bed. Jonathan stopped, and realized that he could hear them with no trouble at all.
"Tell me! Where are we going?"
"I told you it's a surprise. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait." Jareth grinned at the sight of Jonathan standing in astonishment. Sarah could neither see nor hear him, but he could see and hear her.
"Jareth, you are a tease."
"Of course my darling, of course." Jareth grinned deliberately at Jonathan and dropped a small kiss on Sarah's cheek. Sarah blushed and touched her cheek. She looked up at Jareth, and then blushed again. Jonathan tried to reach out to Sarah in his confusion. He again encountered the damned invisible wall. Why? What was happening? Jonathan stared at this...Jareth, she had called him? What the hell was going on? Jareth stared at Jonathan over Sarah's head; she didn't notice. Jonathan heard his voice in his head. Forget her. With each passing hour she becomes more mine. Jonathan, in a fury, pounded on the glass with his fists, and instead heard only laughter.
Jonathan woke with a start. He looked immediately at Sarah, who still lay in the same unconscious state. What had he been dreaming about? He racked his head, but couldn't remember. He just felt...weird. Really unsettled. Maybe he needed a Coke or something...then, looking at Sarah, decided he would stay and keep watch awhile longer.