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 14 - The story
The days first rays of light shot through the gaps in the drawn curtains streaming a shaft of white light over the two entwined figures. Jareth moved slightly welcoming the beams and looked down to the sleeping form still wrapped in his arms.
He had been awake most of the night, catching maybe two hours of sleep at most. Every moment awake he had kept a vigil watching her body rise with the even breaths, smoothing her hair away from her face and holding her tightly in his embrace. He never wanted to ever let her go but something deep within him knew that he would have to.
Sarah moved slightly relinquishing him of his duty, giving him the opportunity to move his position and stretch. He got out of bed and found his boxer shorts slipping them on, and all the while Sarah lay there sleeping with a jubilant smile still plastered over her face. He smiled too.
He wandered silently over to the far wall noticing the pictures had fixed there. He immediately recognised them as photographs, Sarah had asked him on occasion why he never had any of his family, he had told her that he had no family. Maybe he should have told her the truth then but in all fairness he hadn't been quite sure if she would have taken it at all well. Skimming over the photos quickly, he saw a couple of a young boy and in each of them he was slightly older. He thought recognized him but at first couldn't place him and then he knew, it was Toby. "I knew you would grow up to be a handsome young man," he whispered to the picture.
Taking a seat under the window he continued his watch, continually thinking about their hours of lovemaking and about what he had to do next. He knew that the next few days were going to be difficult but he couldn't see anyway for them to continue as a couple if Sarah didn't know the whole truth.
And, he thought, it had nothing to do with his magic either. He had spent 12 weeks here as a human and apart from that one time, he had never thought about wanting or needing it, or using it. He had certainly learnt that lesson, you could never take anything for granted and he knew that he would never take his magic or his position for granted ever again. Or Sarah, in the short time he had really got to know the real woman, she had made him understand what it was to really need someone. To love someone on its own was not nearly enough, even Luther had tried to point that out to him. It was all about needing them like a drip, wanting to spend every moment with them, being there for the good and the bad, allowing them freedom to do as they pleased safe in the knowledge that no matter what they did they would return to you and most importantly trusting them.
And last night had been exactly about that too. In those hours they had shown each other trust and eternal love, like neither had ever done before. Any time he had ever slept with a woman in the past he had known it had only been for lustful purposes, normally for his own end. But last night he had given himself to Sarah, his pleasure was her pleasure, and the love that evoked was so pure that it had made them both cry with happiness and ecstasy.
So where was he going to go from here? The simplest solution for getting her to understand her first journey was by allowing her to read the book. Another item he had had commissioned for her and had been able to slip through the barriers between their two worlds, if she read that it would give her the knowledge she needed to know why she had been drawing him from an early age. But he didn't have that here it was at his place.
He looked over to the clock, reading the illuminated figures to himself. 5.00 am, if he called a taxi he could be there and back in half an hour at this time in the morning. He dressed quickly, made his way down stairs and called the local taxi firm up and true to his assumption he was back in Sarah's house within the allotted time. He quickly undressed and slipped back into bed beside her, the small red leather bound book waiting patiently on the bedside table beside him. Embracing her once more he kissed the top of her head, "I love you, Sarah, more than any words could ever express, I just hope that it is within you to forgive me," he whispered before he too fell asleep.
***
Jareth awoke to the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee as it drifted through the house and ultimately to Sarah's bedroom. She had obviously decided to get up and allow him to sleep for a bit longer on his own. Either that or he had pushed her out unintentionally, he still wasn't quite used to smaller beds. He rolled onto his back staring at the ceiling for a moment trying to focus on the new day before stretching out all of the crinkles in his body and sitting up. Rubbing his hands through his hair he looked over to the bedside table on 'his' side of the bed and realised something was wrong. The book had disappeared.
He never thought he could move so rapidly in his whole life, but there he was rushing out of bed finding his boxers and slipping them back on again before rushing down the stairs trying to find Sarah and his book.
He scanned the living room she wasn't there, he tried the office and she wasn't in there either. Finally, he found her in the kitchen sitting up at the island counter in the centre of the room with her back towards him, sipping coffee, munching on a slice of toast and reading . his book.
What was he going to do? After all, she wasn't supposed to be reading it just yet. He sneaked up behind her and pulled her into a hug, nuzzling on her neck as she began to giggle, at least that was a good start, she was still in a good mood. "What are you doing?" Jareth asked.
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like someone slipped out of bed when I don't believe I gave them permission too." His said, his voice heavy with desire.
"Oh, so because we took our relationship to another level last night I now have to answer to you do I?" Sarah remarked, as she turned round on her stool. "Good morning, Jareth, have I told you how much I love you this morning!"
"Good morning to you my love, and yes you just did. I love you, Sarah."
"I hate to say it, but after last night there is no way I would ever doubt that. Coffee?"
"Mm, thanks. What are you reading?" He sat on the stool beside the one Sarah had occupied.
"Jareth, don't play games with me, you know exactly what it is considering it is your book," Sarah exclaimed as she prepared his coffee.
"So if you know it is my book why are you reading it?"
"I couldn't resist any longer. I'd seen it at your place so many times and I wanted to know what kept you interested in it. You always had it left open on some page or other, but when I saw it there this morning I . well I didn't think you'd mind. You don't do you?"
"Well," he couldn't say he did mind after all, his intention had been for her to read it, he just imagined telling her about it first. "The thing is, my love."
"What?" She asked handing him the mug of the steaming dark brown liquid.
"How far have you got?"
"Oh, only a few pages, Sarah is running home in the rain with the dog."
His eyebrows rose to an all time high, had she just thought about what she had said. "That doesn't strike you as odd?"
"What?"
"Repeat to me what you just said!"
"What about Sarah running home in the rain?"
"Yes!"
"Sarah is running home in the rain with the dog!"
"Yes!"
"I'm sorry Jareth . I'm not normally this stupid but I really don't have a clue what you are trying to get me say!"
"I'm not trying to get you to say anything, I'm trying to get you to think about what you said. Sarah has been practising a play with her dog, right?"
"Yes, a dog called Merlin."
"Right, what was your dog called when you were growing up and what did he look like?"
"Well he was an Old English Sheepdog called ."
"Yes!"
"Merlin," her eyes flashed with anger, "what the hell is this Jareth, some kind of joke?"
"No, it's your story. In fact it's our story. Of the first time we met." He looked at her hoping to see some kind of emotion in her face but there was none. The old Sarah, the one that he had gone head to head with when she had found out why he had made her go through the Labyrinth for a second time, the one that had told him that she had wished she had never met him had now reared her head. In one swift moment he had lost all that he had accomplished, he had lost all that he had loved and he would never be allowed to forget. He got up from his seat and started to walk out of the kitchen, a man dejected.
"Jareth, where are you going, don't you think we need to talk?" A glimmer of hope shot through his senses.
He stopped and turned around to look at her. "Read it, finish it, and then come to me. There are probably some things in that book that may distress you and make you feel like you hate me, at the time the events occurred I thought you did too, but we both fell in love. That book is not one sided, it does not show me in any other light than the one it was intended. It is a completely true and fair view of everything that happened to us both. Once you have completed it and only then will we talk. Just remember whatever you decide to do, whether it be to love me or hate me, |will always love you and for a Fae that is for eternity." He turned around again intending to gather up his things so that he could go home.
"Where are you going?" Sarah's voice cracked and he could hear her sobs as she waited for his answer.
"I'll be at home when you are ready to talk." He said finally, not turning to her or looking back, he could here her continually crying and knew that if he had seen her he would not have been able to go but he had to leave, had to let her decide what to do. So, he merely retraced his steps to the bedroom, finished dressing and headed out of Sarah's house, hoping that it wouldn't be forever.
***
Yet again, Jareth couldn't sleep and no matter what he tried to do he just couldn't get his eyes to close and allow him the rest that he so badly needed.
He picked up his wristwatch and examined the face, the hands pointing to make it 2.15 am. He replaced the watch on the cabinet and lay back on top of the covers, apart from anything else the heat wasn't helping him to get to sleep either. A sharp white light shot through the window and he heard the sound of a car engine being turned off. He jumped up from the bed and paced the short distance to the window, although he couldn't understand why he was trying to see who it was that had left their car at a strange angle outside of the building. He knew who it was; Sarah had come to him at last. He smiled to himself hoping that everything would be okay; at least Sarah's coming to him meant that she wanted to talk, right?
He heard her banging on the outside door, as he slipped on his robe. He ran down the stairs just beating Robert to it as he reached for the lock and turned it to open the door to Sarah. He watched as she solemnly walked up the stairs and through his front door as he followed her in silence. Once they were both safe within the confine of his living room did she speak. "So this is our story you say." He nodded.
Sarah continued, "you took my brother and I had to beat your labyrinth in order to get him back." He nodded again. She closed her eyes as fresh tears streamed down her face. She staggered back slightly and fell into the chair she instinctively knew was behind her. Opening her eyes again she watched waiting for Jareth to take the other one. "The thing is though Jareth, after reading your book twice I still come to the same conclusion."
"You read it twice?" He asked, not quite believing he had heard her say exactly that.
She nodded her acknowledgement. "Don't you want to know what my conclusion is?"
"Yes, please tell me!"
"You only did what I asked you to do. You took Toby away, you were formidable, you reordered time and you turned my world upside down. I was a stupid 15-year-old teenager who wanted a game, and you gave it to me. And even after I turned down your generous offer you still loved me."
"You were never stupid, Sarah, you gave me a run for my money too you know. There were times when I misjudged you totally and allowed my heart to rule my head on more than one occasion."
"I know," she started to smile; she got up from her seat and made her way out of the room. Jareth followed unsure of where she was off too but he didn't need to ask when he realised she had headed into his bedroom. She waited from him to cross the threshold before she continued. "This is our story too, isn't it," she said pointing to the carvings on the bed. He nodded again allowing her to continue. "Now I understand my earlier dreams, now I understand my journal, now I understand my pictures and sculptures. I thought it had all been in my imagination but I had really been there once, to the underground."
"You've been there twice!"
Sarah eyed him suspiciously, "sorry!"
"I said you've been there twice! Once when you wished Toby away and once when you wished to never see me again." Jareth began wringing his hands together as he knew this would be the time to tell her the rest of the story.
"What? There's more!"
"Yes!"
"Is there another book I have to read, another side to this bed," she said moving around to the other side to look at the carvings that resided there. Finding that they were just a continuation of the others, she took a seat at the end of the bed not knowing what to do for the best.
Jareth crossed the short distance and sat next to her taking her hands into his and found that she didn't pull away so he guessed he was on safe ground at that moment. "There is no other book and as you now know there are no more carvings. I can't even show you what happened in one of my crystals, my magic has been taken from me. I must simply explain it to you."
"Is it bad, I mean worse than the first encounter."
"Yes and I was the stupid one. I had an arrogant belief and acted on it. If I had been blessed with foresight, as many of my peers and friends had themselves, you and I wouldn't be here now."
Sarah was weary with everything that she had been expected to take in and now there was more. "Jareth, do you have to tell me now. Can't we just have one more night together, knowing that it will be blissful before our worlds fall apart."
"I can't Sarah, by Hades there is nothing I would like more than to show you exactly how I feel about you tonight but were would it leave us. When I tell you what I have to tell you, you may very well end up hating me then. There is no underlying tale of things I have done for you in the next part of the story as I only did the things I did for my own selfish needs, mistakenly believing that you would love me regardless. Sleep here tonight if you wish I will go and sleep in the other room." He got up from the bed but Sarah wouldn't let go of his hands.
"Jareth?"
His eyes shot to hers. "Yes?"
"I will always love you no matter what!" She kissed each of his hands in turn and let go, finding his face once she had finished.
Sullenly he turned from her not wishing for her to see him cry. He quickly removed himself from the room and went into his now dark living room. He sat in the armchair he had vacated earlier on letting all his emotions flood his mind and allowing silent tears to trickle down his face. In a few short hours he would have to tell Sarah the final part of their story and from that moment on he had no idea what would happen.
***
Sarah stood in the doorway to the living room wondering if Jareth was awake, asleep or dead. She had been there watching him for about five minutes and wasn't quite sure what to do.
As if aware of her presence Jareth's tear stained face looked around the wing of the chair. He tried smiling but it didn't quite work, "Did you sleep well?" He finally asked, rubbing at the dried on salt covering his cheeks.
"Yes, Thank you. That bed is very comfortable, despite everything I really feel refreshed."
"Good, at least someone got some use out of it last night. Sarah we need to talk!"
"Yes, we do." She made her way from the door and took the seat next to Jareth's. "I meant what I said last night, you know?"
Jareth smiled a little, "Yes, I know, but you need to hear the rest of the story."
"I don't want to know it!"
"Sarah, you have to. I am bound to tell you, it is part of my punishment!"
"Punishment?"
He nodded, "yes, my punishment. Do you remember the day when you heard the song change on the radio?" Now it was her turn to nod. He continued, "in the original course of events I changed that song for you as a way of calling you to me. It worked, you wished to see the Goblin King and he arrived. I persuaded my friend Luther to take on the role, he was to tell you that I was trapped in one of my oubliette's, sent there by the Seelie Court as I was a danger to myself and my subjects by being in love with you, he also conjured up a crystal showing you exactly that for extra effect. You, in order to receive me as a prize, were asked to run the Labyrinth again as a way of testing your love for me. You gladly accepted.
"Things started off well, you traversed through it like an old pro and I could hardly believe that you were getting through it so quickly. The first mistake I made was allowing my love to shine through the Labyrinth, it allowed you a fairly free passage, and my second mistake was to send you a crystal. I was supposed to be in an oubliette so how could I get a crystal to you, and you wasted no time in pointing that out to me, but my arrogance and conceitedness did not allow me to see what I was doing.
"Your friend Hoggle overheard a conversation Luther and I had, he was very unsure of my intention toward you and ran off to find you and let you know the score, according to him. I made my third mistake by allowing Luther to keep a watch over you and your progress, asking him to tell me if anything untoward were to happen. He told me nothing of Hoggle's misinterpretation trying to deal with the situation by himself.
"You dealt with things the way that you should have, it was commendable. I threw a Griffin into the mire and you took it with ease, you even managed to persuade him to fly you to the castle so that you could confront me. All your friends were there, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambrosias. Luther tried again to warn me that for me to love you and you to love me wouldn't be enough, there had to be trust and no lies. Humans apparently thrive on that, and if I hadn't had this punishment bestowed upon me I don't ever think I would have learnt that. For a Fae it is different, once an acknowledgement is made it can never be revoked especially when it has been acknowledged with a sentiment crystal. No one realised that that was what I had done until I was in front of the court and really everything was my own entire fault, I should have trusted Luther more. I don't know what ever made me believe that you would know my intention, after all you are not versed with the ways of the Fae, I just naturally assumed that you would instinctively know.
"You believed, quite rightly, that I had deceived you and had taken advantage of the situation. I lost your trust because I believed that you just needed to be loved. I was wrong, I admit it and I am truly sorry. But when you wished that you had never met me that hurt me the deepest, I cannot imagine not having you in my life for one moment and when you vanished I thought my life was over, but I was wrong.
"I was summoned before the court, which on this occasion had also included my parents. I was told off quite severely by them as well, but I now realise why. I asked that I be allowed to take my punishment quickly so that I could endeavour to get over your memory quickly. They responded by telling me that I would never be allowed to forget you having been so foolish with your love for me. They also sent me here to find you, they believe Sarah, that you and I could rule the Underground together very effectively, but I was told that I had a year to find you, hope that you would fall in love with me and when I had told you the whole story of our meetings still hope that you could find it in your heart to love me.
"The thing is, I now realise why they sent me here. It was to teach me a lesson about humility, modesty, selflessness, loyalty, friendship, trust and above all true love and you were to be my teacher. When I first arrived I couldn't believe my luck to find that I was situated closely to you, now I know why, they wanted me to learn quickly. They took my magic so that I could do nothing to rearrange anything that was here and that I didn't like or couldn't be bothered with, I had to do everything for myself or with your help. And to you I am truly grateful."
"So you lied to me and misused my trust because you thought I would fall at your knees if you just declared yourself to me?" Sarah asked.
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"But your not like that now!"
"Because I had a good teacher."
"Jareth you didn't learn it all from me." "Yes, I did. Even before our meeting at 'The Black Horse' I was learning from you."
"There's still something I don't understand. I drew that last picture of you before we met, why was I having dreams of you and me in normal situations? And were you having the same dreams?"
"As to why we are normal to Aboveground, I don't know, Sarah. However, when I first told Luther of my dreams he began to watch us both. He was able to ascertain that when you dreamt, I dreamt and that it appeared we both had the same dream."
"Which means there is something else at work here, even if we are soul mates, Jareth, there is no possible way that we could be connected through our dreams. Do you truly know if you love me or could this just be some facet of your imagination or some kind of evil at work trying to get back at you, maybe? Have you ever done something that could only be acted upon be a vengeful act in order that you lose control of your Labyrinth?"
"Sarah, what are you saying?"
"Jareth, I don't know, I just don't know. I need some time to think about things, I'm sorry I have to go. I'll call you. Bye." With that she was gone, out of his apartment and probably out of his life forever and all he felt like doing was dying.
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 14 - The story
The days first rays of light shot through the gaps in the drawn curtains streaming a shaft of white light over the two entwined figures. Jareth moved slightly welcoming the beams and looked down to the sleeping form still wrapped in his arms.
He had been awake most of the night, catching maybe two hours of sleep at most. Every moment awake he had kept a vigil watching her body rise with the even breaths, smoothing her hair away from her face and holding her tightly in his embrace. He never wanted to ever let her go but something deep within him knew that he would have to.
Sarah moved slightly relinquishing him of his duty, giving him the opportunity to move his position and stretch. He got out of bed and found his boxer shorts slipping them on, and all the while Sarah lay there sleeping with a jubilant smile still plastered over her face. He smiled too.
He wandered silently over to the far wall noticing the pictures had fixed there. He immediately recognised them as photographs, Sarah had asked him on occasion why he never had any of his family, he had told her that he had no family. Maybe he should have told her the truth then but in all fairness he hadn't been quite sure if she would have taken it at all well. Skimming over the photos quickly, he saw a couple of a young boy and in each of them he was slightly older. He thought recognized him but at first couldn't place him and then he knew, it was Toby. "I knew you would grow up to be a handsome young man," he whispered to the picture.
Taking a seat under the window he continued his watch, continually thinking about their hours of lovemaking and about what he had to do next. He knew that the next few days were going to be difficult but he couldn't see anyway for them to continue as a couple if Sarah didn't know the whole truth.
And, he thought, it had nothing to do with his magic either. He had spent 12 weeks here as a human and apart from that one time, he had never thought about wanting or needing it, or using it. He had certainly learnt that lesson, you could never take anything for granted and he knew that he would never take his magic or his position for granted ever again. Or Sarah, in the short time he had really got to know the real woman, she had made him understand what it was to really need someone. To love someone on its own was not nearly enough, even Luther had tried to point that out to him. It was all about needing them like a drip, wanting to spend every moment with them, being there for the good and the bad, allowing them freedom to do as they pleased safe in the knowledge that no matter what they did they would return to you and most importantly trusting them.
And last night had been exactly about that too. In those hours they had shown each other trust and eternal love, like neither had ever done before. Any time he had ever slept with a woman in the past he had known it had only been for lustful purposes, normally for his own end. But last night he had given himself to Sarah, his pleasure was her pleasure, and the love that evoked was so pure that it had made them both cry with happiness and ecstasy.
So where was he going to go from here? The simplest solution for getting her to understand her first journey was by allowing her to read the book. Another item he had had commissioned for her and had been able to slip through the barriers between their two worlds, if she read that it would give her the knowledge she needed to know why she had been drawing him from an early age. But he didn't have that here it was at his place.
He looked over to the clock, reading the illuminated figures to himself. 5.00 am, if he called a taxi he could be there and back in half an hour at this time in the morning. He dressed quickly, made his way down stairs and called the local taxi firm up and true to his assumption he was back in Sarah's house within the allotted time. He quickly undressed and slipped back into bed beside her, the small red leather bound book waiting patiently on the bedside table beside him. Embracing her once more he kissed the top of her head, "I love you, Sarah, more than any words could ever express, I just hope that it is within you to forgive me," he whispered before he too fell asleep.
***
Jareth awoke to the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee as it drifted through the house and ultimately to Sarah's bedroom. She had obviously decided to get up and allow him to sleep for a bit longer on his own. Either that or he had pushed her out unintentionally, he still wasn't quite used to smaller beds. He rolled onto his back staring at the ceiling for a moment trying to focus on the new day before stretching out all of the crinkles in his body and sitting up. Rubbing his hands through his hair he looked over to the bedside table on 'his' side of the bed and realised something was wrong. The book had disappeared.
He never thought he could move so rapidly in his whole life, but there he was rushing out of bed finding his boxers and slipping them back on again before rushing down the stairs trying to find Sarah and his book.
He scanned the living room she wasn't there, he tried the office and she wasn't in there either. Finally, he found her in the kitchen sitting up at the island counter in the centre of the room with her back towards him, sipping coffee, munching on a slice of toast and reading . his book.
What was he going to do? After all, she wasn't supposed to be reading it just yet. He sneaked up behind her and pulled her into a hug, nuzzling on her neck as she began to giggle, at least that was a good start, she was still in a good mood. "What are you doing?" Jareth asked.
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like someone slipped out of bed when I don't believe I gave them permission too." His said, his voice heavy with desire.
"Oh, so because we took our relationship to another level last night I now have to answer to you do I?" Sarah remarked, as she turned round on her stool. "Good morning, Jareth, have I told you how much I love you this morning!"
"Good morning to you my love, and yes you just did. I love you, Sarah."
"I hate to say it, but after last night there is no way I would ever doubt that. Coffee?"
"Mm, thanks. What are you reading?" He sat on the stool beside the one Sarah had occupied.
"Jareth, don't play games with me, you know exactly what it is considering it is your book," Sarah exclaimed as she prepared his coffee.
"So if you know it is my book why are you reading it?"
"I couldn't resist any longer. I'd seen it at your place so many times and I wanted to know what kept you interested in it. You always had it left open on some page or other, but when I saw it there this morning I . well I didn't think you'd mind. You don't do you?"
"Well," he couldn't say he did mind after all, his intention had been for her to read it, he just imagined telling her about it first. "The thing is, my love."
"What?" She asked handing him the mug of the steaming dark brown liquid.
"How far have you got?"
"Oh, only a few pages, Sarah is running home in the rain with the dog."
His eyebrows rose to an all time high, had she just thought about what she had said. "That doesn't strike you as odd?"
"What?"
"Repeat to me what you just said!"
"What about Sarah running home in the rain?"
"Yes!"
"Sarah is running home in the rain with the dog!"
"Yes!"
"I'm sorry Jareth . I'm not normally this stupid but I really don't have a clue what you are trying to get me say!"
"I'm not trying to get you to say anything, I'm trying to get you to think about what you said. Sarah has been practising a play with her dog, right?"
"Yes, a dog called Merlin."
"Right, what was your dog called when you were growing up and what did he look like?"
"Well he was an Old English Sheepdog called ."
"Yes!"
"Merlin," her eyes flashed with anger, "what the hell is this Jareth, some kind of joke?"
"No, it's your story. In fact it's our story. Of the first time we met." He looked at her hoping to see some kind of emotion in her face but there was none. The old Sarah, the one that he had gone head to head with when she had found out why he had made her go through the Labyrinth for a second time, the one that had told him that she had wished she had never met him had now reared her head. In one swift moment he had lost all that he had accomplished, he had lost all that he had loved and he would never be allowed to forget. He got up from his seat and started to walk out of the kitchen, a man dejected.
"Jareth, where are you going, don't you think we need to talk?" A glimmer of hope shot through his senses.
He stopped and turned around to look at her. "Read it, finish it, and then come to me. There are probably some things in that book that may distress you and make you feel like you hate me, at the time the events occurred I thought you did too, but we both fell in love. That book is not one sided, it does not show me in any other light than the one it was intended. It is a completely true and fair view of everything that happened to us both. Once you have completed it and only then will we talk. Just remember whatever you decide to do, whether it be to love me or hate me, |will always love you and for a Fae that is for eternity." He turned around again intending to gather up his things so that he could go home.
"Where are you going?" Sarah's voice cracked and he could hear her sobs as she waited for his answer.
"I'll be at home when you are ready to talk." He said finally, not turning to her or looking back, he could here her continually crying and knew that if he had seen her he would not have been able to go but he had to leave, had to let her decide what to do. So, he merely retraced his steps to the bedroom, finished dressing and headed out of Sarah's house, hoping that it wouldn't be forever.
***
Yet again, Jareth couldn't sleep and no matter what he tried to do he just couldn't get his eyes to close and allow him the rest that he so badly needed.
He picked up his wristwatch and examined the face, the hands pointing to make it 2.15 am. He replaced the watch on the cabinet and lay back on top of the covers, apart from anything else the heat wasn't helping him to get to sleep either. A sharp white light shot through the window and he heard the sound of a car engine being turned off. He jumped up from the bed and paced the short distance to the window, although he couldn't understand why he was trying to see who it was that had left their car at a strange angle outside of the building. He knew who it was; Sarah had come to him at last. He smiled to himself hoping that everything would be okay; at least Sarah's coming to him meant that she wanted to talk, right?
He heard her banging on the outside door, as he slipped on his robe. He ran down the stairs just beating Robert to it as he reached for the lock and turned it to open the door to Sarah. He watched as she solemnly walked up the stairs and through his front door as he followed her in silence. Once they were both safe within the confine of his living room did she speak. "So this is our story you say." He nodded.
Sarah continued, "you took my brother and I had to beat your labyrinth in order to get him back." He nodded again. She closed her eyes as fresh tears streamed down her face. She staggered back slightly and fell into the chair she instinctively knew was behind her. Opening her eyes again she watched waiting for Jareth to take the other one. "The thing is though Jareth, after reading your book twice I still come to the same conclusion."
"You read it twice?" He asked, not quite believing he had heard her say exactly that.
She nodded her acknowledgement. "Don't you want to know what my conclusion is?"
"Yes, please tell me!"
"You only did what I asked you to do. You took Toby away, you were formidable, you reordered time and you turned my world upside down. I was a stupid 15-year-old teenager who wanted a game, and you gave it to me. And even after I turned down your generous offer you still loved me."
"You were never stupid, Sarah, you gave me a run for my money too you know. There were times when I misjudged you totally and allowed my heart to rule my head on more than one occasion."
"I know," she started to smile; she got up from her seat and made her way out of the room. Jareth followed unsure of where she was off too but he didn't need to ask when he realised she had headed into his bedroom. She waited from him to cross the threshold before she continued. "This is our story too, isn't it," she said pointing to the carvings on the bed. He nodded again allowing her to continue. "Now I understand my earlier dreams, now I understand my journal, now I understand my pictures and sculptures. I thought it had all been in my imagination but I had really been there once, to the underground."
"You've been there twice!"
Sarah eyed him suspiciously, "sorry!"
"I said you've been there twice! Once when you wished Toby away and once when you wished to never see me again." Jareth began wringing his hands together as he knew this would be the time to tell her the rest of the story.
"What? There's more!"
"Yes!"
"Is there another book I have to read, another side to this bed," she said moving around to the other side to look at the carvings that resided there. Finding that they were just a continuation of the others, she took a seat at the end of the bed not knowing what to do for the best.
Jareth crossed the short distance and sat next to her taking her hands into his and found that she didn't pull away so he guessed he was on safe ground at that moment. "There is no other book and as you now know there are no more carvings. I can't even show you what happened in one of my crystals, my magic has been taken from me. I must simply explain it to you."
"Is it bad, I mean worse than the first encounter."
"Yes and I was the stupid one. I had an arrogant belief and acted on it. If I had been blessed with foresight, as many of my peers and friends had themselves, you and I wouldn't be here now."
Sarah was weary with everything that she had been expected to take in and now there was more. "Jareth, do you have to tell me now. Can't we just have one more night together, knowing that it will be blissful before our worlds fall apart."
"I can't Sarah, by Hades there is nothing I would like more than to show you exactly how I feel about you tonight but were would it leave us. When I tell you what I have to tell you, you may very well end up hating me then. There is no underlying tale of things I have done for you in the next part of the story as I only did the things I did for my own selfish needs, mistakenly believing that you would love me regardless. Sleep here tonight if you wish I will go and sleep in the other room." He got up from the bed but Sarah wouldn't let go of his hands.
"Jareth?"
His eyes shot to hers. "Yes?"
"I will always love you no matter what!" She kissed each of his hands in turn and let go, finding his face once she had finished.
Sullenly he turned from her not wishing for her to see him cry. He quickly removed himself from the room and went into his now dark living room. He sat in the armchair he had vacated earlier on letting all his emotions flood his mind and allowing silent tears to trickle down his face. In a few short hours he would have to tell Sarah the final part of their story and from that moment on he had no idea what would happen.
***
Sarah stood in the doorway to the living room wondering if Jareth was awake, asleep or dead. She had been there watching him for about five minutes and wasn't quite sure what to do.
As if aware of her presence Jareth's tear stained face looked around the wing of the chair. He tried smiling but it didn't quite work, "Did you sleep well?" He finally asked, rubbing at the dried on salt covering his cheeks.
"Yes, Thank you. That bed is very comfortable, despite everything I really feel refreshed."
"Good, at least someone got some use out of it last night. Sarah we need to talk!"
"Yes, we do." She made her way from the door and took the seat next to Jareth's. "I meant what I said last night, you know?"
Jareth smiled a little, "Yes, I know, but you need to hear the rest of the story."
"I don't want to know it!"
"Sarah, you have to. I am bound to tell you, it is part of my punishment!"
"Punishment?"
He nodded, "yes, my punishment. Do you remember the day when you heard the song change on the radio?" Now it was her turn to nod. He continued, "in the original course of events I changed that song for you as a way of calling you to me. It worked, you wished to see the Goblin King and he arrived. I persuaded my friend Luther to take on the role, he was to tell you that I was trapped in one of my oubliette's, sent there by the Seelie Court as I was a danger to myself and my subjects by being in love with you, he also conjured up a crystal showing you exactly that for extra effect. You, in order to receive me as a prize, were asked to run the Labyrinth again as a way of testing your love for me. You gladly accepted.
"Things started off well, you traversed through it like an old pro and I could hardly believe that you were getting through it so quickly. The first mistake I made was allowing my love to shine through the Labyrinth, it allowed you a fairly free passage, and my second mistake was to send you a crystal. I was supposed to be in an oubliette so how could I get a crystal to you, and you wasted no time in pointing that out to me, but my arrogance and conceitedness did not allow me to see what I was doing.
"Your friend Hoggle overheard a conversation Luther and I had, he was very unsure of my intention toward you and ran off to find you and let you know the score, according to him. I made my third mistake by allowing Luther to keep a watch over you and your progress, asking him to tell me if anything untoward were to happen. He told me nothing of Hoggle's misinterpretation trying to deal with the situation by himself.
"You dealt with things the way that you should have, it was commendable. I threw a Griffin into the mire and you took it with ease, you even managed to persuade him to fly you to the castle so that you could confront me. All your friends were there, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambrosias. Luther tried again to warn me that for me to love you and you to love me wouldn't be enough, there had to be trust and no lies. Humans apparently thrive on that, and if I hadn't had this punishment bestowed upon me I don't ever think I would have learnt that. For a Fae it is different, once an acknowledgement is made it can never be revoked especially when it has been acknowledged with a sentiment crystal. No one realised that that was what I had done until I was in front of the court and really everything was my own entire fault, I should have trusted Luther more. I don't know what ever made me believe that you would know my intention, after all you are not versed with the ways of the Fae, I just naturally assumed that you would instinctively know.
"You believed, quite rightly, that I had deceived you and had taken advantage of the situation. I lost your trust because I believed that you just needed to be loved. I was wrong, I admit it and I am truly sorry. But when you wished that you had never met me that hurt me the deepest, I cannot imagine not having you in my life for one moment and when you vanished I thought my life was over, but I was wrong.
"I was summoned before the court, which on this occasion had also included my parents. I was told off quite severely by them as well, but I now realise why. I asked that I be allowed to take my punishment quickly so that I could endeavour to get over your memory quickly. They responded by telling me that I would never be allowed to forget you having been so foolish with your love for me. They also sent me here to find you, they believe Sarah, that you and I could rule the Underground together very effectively, but I was told that I had a year to find you, hope that you would fall in love with me and when I had told you the whole story of our meetings still hope that you could find it in your heart to love me.
"The thing is, I now realise why they sent me here. It was to teach me a lesson about humility, modesty, selflessness, loyalty, friendship, trust and above all true love and you were to be my teacher. When I first arrived I couldn't believe my luck to find that I was situated closely to you, now I know why, they wanted me to learn quickly. They took my magic so that I could do nothing to rearrange anything that was here and that I didn't like or couldn't be bothered with, I had to do everything for myself or with your help. And to you I am truly grateful."
"So you lied to me and misused my trust because you thought I would fall at your knees if you just declared yourself to me?" Sarah asked.
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"But your not like that now!"
"Because I had a good teacher."
"Jareth you didn't learn it all from me." "Yes, I did. Even before our meeting at 'The Black Horse' I was learning from you."
"There's still something I don't understand. I drew that last picture of you before we met, why was I having dreams of you and me in normal situations? And were you having the same dreams?"
"As to why we are normal to Aboveground, I don't know, Sarah. However, when I first told Luther of my dreams he began to watch us both. He was able to ascertain that when you dreamt, I dreamt and that it appeared we both had the same dream."
"Which means there is something else at work here, even if we are soul mates, Jareth, there is no possible way that we could be connected through our dreams. Do you truly know if you love me or could this just be some facet of your imagination or some kind of evil at work trying to get back at you, maybe? Have you ever done something that could only be acted upon be a vengeful act in order that you lose control of your Labyrinth?"
"Sarah, what are you saying?"
"Jareth, I don't know, I just don't know. I need some time to think about things, I'm sorry I have to go. I'll call you. Bye." With that she was gone, out of his apartment and probably out of his life forever and all he felt like doing was dying.