A/N: Thanks everyone, for all the wonderful reviews and AIW, great
pointer, grammar was never really a strong point for me. Anyway, thanks
again, the reviews are what keep everyone going and its good to know that
you all seem to be enjoying the story. So, on that note, lets continue.
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 9 - Are my dreams reality?
"Good night everyone!" Gary called over his shoulder as he took hold of Sarah's un-waving arm, "see you on Monday, Jareth!"
"Yes, see you then." Jareth exclaimed as he began to get himself into the back of the waiting taxi. "Goodnight Sarah," he added.
Sarah turned to him and waved quickly as she saw him close the door behind him. Her face was red hot. How could someone she knew very little about make her blush as profusely as she was now doing, and with such a small gesture.
"You know we could stick you in an oil drum and allow fifteen homeless people to warm their hands on your face, unless that is just the chilly air getting to your cheeks," Gary teased.
"Don't," Sarah stood shaking her head slightly, "don't even joke about it. The way I have been tonight anyone would think I was some loony just escaped from the local institution, not a thirty year old 'grown' woman."
"Well, why don't you just tell me what you've been itching to tell me all night. That way when I do arrive at the mad house I may be able to prevent any personal injury of the patient . or 'chaperone'." He giggled lightly until he saw her face. Stopping himself abruptly he smiled and carried on walking in the direction of Sarah's cottage.
"It isn't bloody funny, Gary. I am so screwed up about this whole thing. You know I told you that I haven't drawn anything or completed any artwork since I left college?"
Gary shrugged and nodded his head, motioning for her to continue.
"Well, you see . I lied. I have been, for a while, I kind of never really gave up."
Gary was now nodding even more. "I guessed!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah? Okay, I should have known that you would know one way or the other. Anyway, you know how I always got on better drawing my fantasies and dreams?"
"Is this about your prince?" Gary asked astutely, bordering on sarcastic.
"Are you going to be serious?"
"Sure, Sarah. I know better than anyone what those drawings meant to you, mean to you; I knew that the face you kept seeing in your dreams was the man you always believed to be your dream lover. I also knew, with eyes wide open I hasten to add, that you envisaged every man you went out with to emanate him in every detail. And when we all came up short, you were gone . in a flash. I even had the audacity to believe that I could be the one to break this spell that he had over you, I thought I could make you love me, like I love you, but it wasn't to be. So, I'm here for you as a friend, as a proxy big brother if you like. I just want to see you happy, which is not what I'm seeing right now."
By the time Gary had finished his short speech the couple had reached the front door to Sarah's cottage. Sarah rummaged through her purse trying to find her key and, on doing so, she pushed it into the lock, opening the door in order to let them both in. She quickly flicked on the light to the lounge and removed her jacket, throwing it over the back of one of the chairs as she moved towards the back office.
Gary followed suit as he watched the retreating form move off in front of him, not too sure if her intention was for him to go after her. She didn't reappear so he figured she wanted him to join her in the one room he had never had admittance too on previous visits.
Sarah began to talk as she heard Gary walk through the house. "The thing is Gary, I'm not sure about any of it anymore. I know that I have never met Jareth before in my whole life, but if that is true how come I know every detail of his face, how do I know his expression, his exact colouring, and most especially how do I know the unusual fact that each of his eyes are a different colour and that I got them the right way round?"
Gary made his way into the office taking a position just behind Sarah. He gasped with astonishment. Seeing the pictures before him, he now knew he wasn't surprised with Sarah's earlier display but he was shocked at the flawless resemblance between the artwork and the real thing. How could she have matched Jareth so perfectly if tonight had truly been their first meeting?
"Jesus, Sarah. Is this some kind of joke?"
"What do you mean? I guess I thought you might take this badly . but not this badly!" Her eyes were wide with shock as she turned to find the support that she thought Gary was going to be able to give her.
"I'm sorry, Sarah, but this is ."
"Sick? Bad taste? A nightmare? What, Gary?"
His demeanour softened as he began to realise what Sarah must have been going through all evening. He smiled slightly, after all, this was extremely good work, even if it was bizarre. ". Incredible, this is incredible. I think you missed your vocation in life." He said looking down at her and playfully nudging her.
Sarah brought her hand up to her mouth as tears started forming in her eyes. "Thanks," she blurted out as Gary took her into his arms. He carefully guided her across the room to sit her down on the sofa that occupied the wall under the window.
Gently stroking her hair with his left hand he took her right hand in his and started to stroke the back of it with his thumb, trying to soothe her as Sarah's crying coursed through her. He had to ease her distress. "I was trying to get you to smile," he tried, "didn't think you'd go all weak on me though and start this malarkey."
Sarah's crying began to ease and she brought her eyes up to meet his and Gary noticed a faint smile wash over her features. She was going to be okay, for now at least.
"I'm sorry," Sarah began. "It's just I don't know what to do! Before tonight ever happened I had my dreams, my realities and had them kept away in here, away from prying eyes and people that would make no sense of my visions. You see that one there?" She said pointing to latest of her keepsakes, "That was the last one I drew. The night I left you in fact. I had had a pretty wild dream, probably one of the wildest I have ever had, that was the reason I had decided to leave you then. I couldn't go on lying to you. Anyway, when I got back here I had this overwhelming urge to draw him. I was like a thing possessed, sketching and detailing, I didn't let up until I had finished it. I wanted to remember him looking like that for some reason, kind of 'normal' I guess, considering how I depicted him in all the other pictures.
"It was strange too, the other day when you called. I had been out in the garden so the nearest phone extension was this one. As soon as I had answered the call to you and you started talking about Jareth I knew I was going to meet the man from those portraits tonight. I don't know how I can't explain it, I just knew.
"Thing is what do I do? If I stay away and Jareth Reynolds truly is my prince, then I'm going to miss finding out if this man truly is my soul mate. But if I do get to know him and we get to a point that I feel I can trust him . what . I show him this little collection and he then believes I am deranged and turns tail. What am I going to do?"
"How do you feel about him? The man in the pictures, I mean, Sarah."
"This is going to sound so stupid." She winced.
"Try me!"
"I believe . no, I know I am in love with him. Don't ask my how I can love someone I a, don't know, and b, is a figment of my imagination but I do, very much."
"A very good figment, Sarah." Gary's comment being met with a wry smile. "What do your instincts tell you about the man you met this evening?"
"Well, I am obviously attracted to him, he is very handsome and I believe that we could have a good relationship. On face value, he does like a joke but he seems sincere with it. I like him, Gary, and not because of these damn pictures either."
"Good, that's a start. Do you think he was attracted to you?"
"I don't know," she said with all honesty and then smiled, blushing, "I hope so."
Gary smiled too. "I think he does, he may have got the impression tonight that you were someone not in their right mind, but I think he'll make the effort to see you again. And I got the impression that he would want to do that soon."
Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "What on earth gave you that idea?"
"Call it, male intuition."
"Ha! Male Intuition? I call it, male testosterone!"
"Call it what you will, Sarah! But I know what I saw. He really likes you. There was just something in the way the two of you looked at one another that nobody could deny what was going on between you both. There was definitely a spark. Just do me a favour though, be careful. I don't want to be a godfather just yet!"
"I'll be as careful with him as I was with you," she deadpanned, as she laughed for possibly the first time that evening since they had all left the pub.
"Oh god, we're all in trouble then. Seriously though, Sarah, I will be here for you every step of the way. And if he does turn out to be your lifelong partner tell him about this" he motioned to the portrait covered walls, "as soon as you feel it is the right time, don't wait as it may cause unnecessary pain for you both."
"Okay. Thanks Gary," she said smiling. "I'm really getting tired, I think I'm going to hit the hay." Making her way to the door she stopped and turned back. "Do you want to stay? The spare beds made up."
"No, I'm going to make tracks."
"Okay, well I'll see you soon then."
"Course, probably sooner than you think." He returned as he made his way slowly back through the house and to the front door, picking his coat up on the way. Sarah had followed opening the door for him when they had reached the threshold. He leant over and kissed the top of her head, "You going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine." She answered. "You know me, stronger than an ox."
"That's what I'm afraid of!"
"I'll be fine! Go! Go Now!" Sarah ushered him out onto the doorstep and then remembered something she had forgotten to ask earlier on. "Gary, wait a mo! On Tuesday, you didn't see Jareth use the telephone at school, did you?"
"Mm, I don't think so. Wait, yeah, now I come to think of it he was on the telephone when I was introduced to him. After he came off the phone he said he was putting a request in with the local radio station for his brother or something. Turned out his brother and his wife had had an upset, he wanted to request a song for her and he wasn't allowed to use the telephone at work, had no mobile either. So Jareth said he would sort it out for him. Why?"
"No reason," Sarah said, slightly confused but smiling to herself nonetheless, "I'll give you a ring Gary."
Perplexed, Gary shrugged his shoulders and made his way up the path. "Okay, speak to you soon then. Bye."
"Bye." And with that Sarah shut the door, locked it and promptly went to bed. She decided that she was going to have a great dream tonight as now she had a name for her prince, and his name was Jareth Reynolds.
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 9 - Are my dreams reality?
"Good night everyone!" Gary called over his shoulder as he took hold of Sarah's un-waving arm, "see you on Monday, Jareth!"
"Yes, see you then." Jareth exclaimed as he began to get himself into the back of the waiting taxi. "Goodnight Sarah," he added.
Sarah turned to him and waved quickly as she saw him close the door behind him. Her face was red hot. How could someone she knew very little about make her blush as profusely as she was now doing, and with such a small gesture.
"You know we could stick you in an oil drum and allow fifteen homeless people to warm their hands on your face, unless that is just the chilly air getting to your cheeks," Gary teased.
"Don't," Sarah stood shaking her head slightly, "don't even joke about it. The way I have been tonight anyone would think I was some loony just escaped from the local institution, not a thirty year old 'grown' woman."
"Well, why don't you just tell me what you've been itching to tell me all night. That way when I do arrive at the mad house I may be able to prevent any personal injury of the patient . or 'chaperone'." He giggled lightly until he saw her face. Stopping himself abruptly he smiled and carried on walking in the direction of Sarah's cottage.
"It isn't bloody funny, Gary. I am so screwed up about this whole thing. You know I told you that I haven't drawn anything or completed any artwork since I left college?"
Gary shrugged and nodded his head, motioning for her to continue.
"Well, you see . I lied. I have been, for a while, I kind of never really gave up."
Gary was now nodding even more. "I guessed!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah? Okay, I should have known that you would know one way or the other. Anyway, you know how I always got on better drawing my fantasies and dreams?"
"Is this about your prince?" Gary asked astutely, bordering on sarcastic.
"Are you going to be serious?"
"Sure, Sarah. I know better than anyone what those drawings meant to you, mean to you; I knew that the face you kept seeing in your dreams was the man you always believed to be your dream lover. I also knew, with eyes wide open I hasten to add, that you envisaged every man you went out with to emanate him in every detail. And when we all came up short, you were gone . in a flash. I even had the audacity to believe that I could be the one to break this spell that he had over you, I thought I could make you love me, like I love you, but it wasn't to be. So, I'm here for you as a friend, as a proxy big brother if you like. I just want to see you happy, which is not what I'm seeing right now."
By the time Gary had finished his short speech the couple had reached the front door to Sarah's cottage. Sarah rummaged through her purse trying to find her key and, on doing so, she pushed it into the lock, opening the door in order to let them both in. She quickly flicked on the light to the lounge and removed her jacket, throwing it over the back of one of the chairs as she moved towards the back office.
Gary followed suit as he watched the retreating form move off in front of him, not too sure if her intention was for him to go after her. She didn't reappear so he figured she wanted him to join her in the one room he had never had admittance too on previous visits.
Sarah began to talk as she heard Gary walk through the house. "The thing is Gary, I'm not sure about any of it anymore. I know that I have never met Jareth before in my whole life, but if that is true how come I know every detail of his face, how do I know his expression, his exact colouring, and most especially how do I know the unusual fact that each of his eyes are a different colour and that I got them the right way round?"
Gary made his way into the office taking a position just behind Sarah. He gasped with astonishment. Seeing the pictures before him, he now knew he wasn't surprised with Sarah's earlier display but he was shocked at the flawless resemblance between the artwork and the real thing. How could she have matched Jareth so perfectly if tonight had truly been their first meeting?
"Jesus, Sarah. Is this some kind of joke?"
"What do you mean? I guess I thought you might take this badly . but not this badly!" Her eyes were wide with shock as she turned to find the support that she thought Gary was going to be able to give her.
"I'm sorry, Sarah, but this is ."
"Sick? Bad taste? A nightmare? What, Gary?"
His demeanour softened as he began to realise what Sarah must have been going through all evening. He smiled slightly, after all, this was extremely good work, even if it was bizarre. ". Incredible, this is incredible. I think you missed your vocation in life." He said looking down at her and playfully nudging her.
Sarah brought her hand up to her mouth as tears started forming in her eyes. "Thanks," she blurted out as Gary took her into his arms. He carefully guided her across the room to sit her down on the sofa that occupied the wall under the window.
Gently stroking her hair with his left hand he took her right hand in his and started to stroke the back of it with his thumb, trying to soothe her as Sarah's crying coursed through her. He had to ease her distress. "I was trying to get you to smile," he tried, "didn't think you'd go all weak on me though and start this malarkey."
Sarah's crying began to ease and she brought her eyes up to meet his and Gary noticed a faint smile wash over her features. She was going to be okay, for now at least.
"I'm sorry," Sarah began. "It's just I don't know what to do! Before tonight ever happened I had my dreams, my realities and had them kept away in here, away from prying eyes and people that would make no sense of my visions. You see that one there?" She said pointing to latest of her keepsakes, "That was the last one I drew. The night I left you in fact. I had had a pretty wild dream, probably one of the wildest I have ever had, that was the reason I had decided to leave you then. I couldn't go on lying to you. Anyway, when I got back here I had this overwhelming urge to draw him. I was like a thing possessed, sketching and detailing, I didn't let up until I had finished it. I wanted to remember him looking like that for some reason, kind of 'normal' I guess, considering how I depicted him in all the other pictures.
"It was strange too, the other day when you called. I had been out in the garden so the nearest phone extension was this one. As soon as I had answered the call to you and you started talking about Jareth I knew I was going to meet the man from those portraits tonight. I don't know how I can't explain it, I just knew.
"Thing is what do I do? If I stay away and Jareth Reynolds truly is my prince, then I'm going to miss finding out if this man truly is my soul mate. But if I do get to know him and we get to a point that I feel I can trust him . what . I show him this little collection and he then believes I am deranged and turns tail. What am I going to do?"
"How do you feel about him? The man in the pictures, I mean, Sarah."
"This is going to sound so stupid." She winced.
"Try me!"
"I believe . no, I know I am in love with him. Don't ask my how I can love someone I a, don't know, and b, is a figment of my imagination but I do, very much."
"A very good figment, Sarah." Gary's comment being met with a wry smile. "What do your instincts tell you about the man you met this evening?"
"Well, I am obviously attracted to him, he is very handsome and I believe that we could have a good relationship. On face value, he does like a joke but he seems sincere with it. I like him, Gary, and not because of these damn pictures either."
"Good, that's a start. Do you think he was attracted to you?"
"I don't know," she said with all honesty and then smiled, blushing, "I hope so."
Gary smiled too. "I think he does, he may have got the impression tonight that you were someone not in their right mind, but I think he'll make the effort to see you again. And I got the impression that he would want to do that soon."
Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "What on earth gave you that idea?"
"Call it, male intuition."
"Ha! Male Intuition? I call it, male testosterone!"
"Call it what you will, Sarah! But I know what I saw. He really likes you. There was just something in the way the two of you looked at one another that nobody could deny what was going on between you both. There was definitely a spark. Just do me a favour though, be careful. I don't want to be a godfather just yet!"
"I'll be as careful with him as I was with you," she deadpanned, as she laughed for possibly the first time that evening since they had all left the pub.
"Oh god, we're all in trouble then. Seriously though, Sarah, I will be here for you every step of the way. And if he does turn out to be your lifelong partner tell him about this" he motioned to the portrait covered walls, "as soon as you feel it is the right time, don't wait as it may cause unnecessary pain for you both."
"Okay. Thanks Gary," she said smiling. "I'm really getting tired, I think I'm going to hit the hay." Making her way to the door she stopped and turned back. "Do you want to stay? The spare beds made up."
"No, I'm going to make tracks."
"Okay, well I'll see you soon then."
"Course, probably sooner than you think." He returned as he made his way slowly back through the house and to the front door, picking his coat up on the way. Sarah had followed opening the door for him when they had reached the threshold. He leant over and kissed the top of her head, "You going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine." She answered. "You know me, stronger than an ox."
"That's what I'm afraid of!"
"I'll be fine! Go! Go Now!" Sarah ushered him out onto the doorstep and then remembered something she had forgotten to ask earlier on. "Gary, wait a mo! On Tuesday, you didn't see Jareth use the telephone at school, did you?"
"Mm, I don't think so. Wait, yeah, now I come to think of it he was on the telephone when I was introduced to him. After he came off the phone he said he was putting a request in with the local radio station for his brother or something. Turned out his brother and his wife had had an upset, he wanted to request a song for her and he wasn't allowed to use the telephone at work, had no mobile either. So Jareth said he would sort it out for him. Why?"
"No reason," Sarah said, slightly confused but smiling to herself nonetheless, "I'll give you a ring Gary."
Perplexed, Gary shrugged his shoulders and made his way up the path. "Okay, speak to you soon then. Bye."
"Bye." And with that Sarah shut the door, locked it and promptly went to bed. She decided that she was going to have a great dream tonight as now she had a name for her prince, and his name was Jareth Reynolds.