Disclaimer: you know I don't own Labyrinth! Would I be here, writing this if I did? No! I'd be playing in the labyrinth…*drifts off to the happy place in her head*
Jenny: Thanks, glad you like it. I can't possibly here that too much (^_~)
Redaura: Lucky for me then. Hope you enjoy this one too!
Solea: Yup, but I hope to make it all better by the end. Well mostly better cause a perfect life would really be no fun at all. (^_^)
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Kara stepped back through the mirror, hastily uttering the words that closed the door she had created. Then she leaned heavily against the now normal mirror. She was suddenly tired and for that she was more that a little grateful, "two birds, one stone," she muttered to herself. She thought less about what she had done when she had tired herself out and if she went to bed exhausted her dreams were even subdued. It was getting better, as Hunter had told her it would when she had sobbingly confessed, with time. It still bothered her, she still dreamed…or had nightmares to be precise, but already the sharp edges where fading. The part of her that helped her cope was taking over, numbing it. The memories would always be there, and she prayed almost feverently that she would never have to do the same again…but it was getting better.
Shaking her head as if to clear it of all unwanted thoughts Kara left the room and ran quickly down the hall to her own, thinking of Sarah instead. Things had gone much better than Kara would have hoped. She was pretty sure that if everything she just said had come from Jareth, Sarah would never have listened, mostly out of sheer stubbornness. Now at least there was a chance Sarah would think about what had been said. All Kara could do was hope that the older girl would take it to heart.
Pleased by what she saw as success, she practically skipped into her room and hurriedly pulled off her shirt and jeans, shoving them into the box and tossing that carelessly under her bed. Millie would find a better place for it in the morning. She was glad she'd hurried because just as she got her nightdress over her head she heard voices in the hall.
"Oh honestly Millie, I'm only going to say goodnight. I'm sure her headache isn't so bad that will bother her so much." Almost as soon as Hunter was done speaking she felt the brush of him in her mind, checking on her, concerned, and she smiled sending a small thank you to whatever God was listening that he hadn't done that sooner.
"But sir," Millie protested, "She asked me to let no-one disturb her."
Kara opened her door a little, "It's ok Millie, let him in." Hunter walked past the maid who gave her mistress a small secret smile. Kara nodded once with a smile of her own, before she shut the door.
"How's you head?" Hunter asked.
"Fine," Kara replied, "It would be better if I didn't have to spend whole days arguing about dress fabric."
Hunter smiled at her understandingly, "try politics," he said with a laugh.
"No thanks, dress fabric is complicated enough!" Kara sat at her vanity table and picked up a brush. She began running it through her hair with a sigh. Waist length hair was pretty but the upkeep was hell. It would take a while to brush out all of the day's tangles. Hunter walked up behind her and plucked the brush from her fingers. Kara began to protest but it died in her throat as Hunter began to brush her hair with strong, even strokes. She sighed again but this time it was contentment. She let Hunter work, finding it wonderfully soothing.
She felt a little stab of disappointment as he finally laid the brush back on the vanity, but that was quickly dispelled when he knelt behind her, running his fingers along her bare arms and Kara shivered slightly. He gathered her silky mass of hair, pushing it over her shoulder and leaning forward slightly he nuzzled the side of her neck. Kara closed her eyes, a tiny smile playing on the corner of her lips. His arms slipped around her waist and she leaned back into him, tilting her head back so he would have easier access to her throat. His tongue flicked against her pulse before his lips covered it, sucking gently and being careful with his fangs so as not to break the skin, though she felt his teeth graze her skin and knew his restraint. The feel of her heartbeat pounding in his mouth was so intoxicating it took as much self-control as he had. One hand slid up pausing just below the swell of her right breast, giving her a chance to protest but when she didn't he continued upwards, cupping her in his hand and drawing a soft moan from between her lips.
His lips trailed from her neck, against her jaw. Kara turned her head and his lips captured hers, his tongue skimming against her lips and probing deeper when they parted willingly for him. His hand found the ties on the front of her nightgown and pulled them undone. He pulled back the thin material and when his hand came into contact with her now naked breast the sensation was electric for Kara. She moaned, arching her back into his touch. Awareness skipping down her spine to pool between her legs.
A sharp solid knock on the door caused them to jump guiltily apart.
"J…just a second!" Kara called out breathlessly, her cheeks going a violent shade of crimson as she fumbled with the ties on her nightgown. Silently Hunter's fingers took over, tying them swiftly and expertly. She smiled a grateful smile at him and ran to the door, pulling it slightly ajar.
Millie was standing on the other side, holding a steaming cup.
"You're hot chocolate miss," she said, holding the cup out. Kara let the door swing open a little more.
I didn't ask for hot chocolate, she thought, taking the cup with a slight frown. Millie's face remained impassive as Kara took the cup and simply bobbed a curtsy when Kara had it before walking back down the hall. Kara watched her go, still puzzled.
Hunter arched an eyebrow at her, having picked up her thoughts easily, as she turned back into the room, nudging the door closed with her foot.
"I think that was a discrete 'not till the wedding' message," Kara said, still looking puzzled, wondering how nothing ever seemed to escape anyone in this place, or at least at times it definitely seemed that way. Hunter took the hot cup from her hands and set it down beside the bed.
"Then I should say goodnight, since nothings a damn secret around here," he responded, echoing her thoughts. He smiled warmly at her. "Still, only one month to go."
Kara smiled up at him and he closed the distance between them.
"Still it's a month too long if you ask me," he growled before sweeping her into his arms and leaving her with a lingering kiss she was unable to forget. Even drifting asleep she could still feel the impression of his lips on hers, chasing away all the bad dreams she might have had.
***
Sarah woke up in her small, one bedroom home wondering why she felt so unsettled. Then she remembered last night's strange conversation. For a moment she wondered if she had simply dreamed the whole thing. She'd had many dreams about the Goblin King after her adventure but never one where a human girl like herself had come to plead his case for him.
Then she realised she was still holding her book in her hand and she knew it hadn't been a dream. It had been a while since she'd fallen asleep holding the book as well. There were some days where she wouldn't even let herself think His name. Evidently today was going to be one of them.
Thankfully it was Saturday so she could stay indoors and not face the world. She had never admitted it to anyone, but ever since the labyrinth this world had seemed cold and hard and well…dull.
It had been hard enough to make friends before but afterwards she found it even more so. There just weren't enough people in the world who still believed in magic and fairytales and having seen it for herself, she was afraid getting close to these people would mean losing a truly precious memory.
Precious! Her mind rebelled. Think what he put you through!
She did, but the more she thought about it, the more Kara's words crept in. she pulled the cover over her head, resolving not to think about it.
The first wave of pain took a stab at her heart and she felt the tears threaten.
Did she love him?
No, impossible!
But…
She curled into a ball and wept; unconsciously hoping that Kara would come back.
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A/N: Yeah, I know I'm a tease! If you want more you'll just have to R&R (^_^)
