Disclaimer: Just a reminder, none of this is mine. Don't be deceived.
A.N.: I'd like to address a concern that was brought up by a reader.
Earlier in the story I wrote a comment about Sarah opting to stay in school
rather than become a stay-at-home mom. This was not meant to belittle the
efforts of stay-at-home moms. While I realize my imagery (baking cookies,
cleaning bathrooms) was somewhat cliché, my intention was to emphasize
Sarah's need to do something that was for herself rather than for Toby.
It was 8:30 when the evening started and it was now almost 1 am. Jareth had never felt so emotionally drained in his entire life. Sarah had sobbed shamelessly at least once during each movie he had been subjected to, and had managed to finish the entire carton of ice cream in the meantime. He tried not looking at her, but she obviously didn't care whether he was there or not. Jareth wasn't sure exactly when it had happened, but he felt the distinct desire to cut off his own testicles.
Sarah blew her nose once, threw the used tissues along with the empty ice cream carton in the trash, and then turned to ask him, "So what are you doing here?"
"That's it? Just like that, after the hell I sat through, you can go back to business as usual?" Jareth stared at her in awe, and something akin to fear. It was like the last four and a half-hours never took place.
"Believe it or not, Jareth, that wasn't about you, it was about me. Now I'm done." She watched him, her arms crossed over her chest and head tilted to one side. Determined not to give him the upper hand.
This was completely out of character. Jareth realized he would have to update his ideas about Sarah. No longer being 15, he obviously couldn't depend upon the same emotional outbursts to give him the advantage. "Well, if you must know, Toby made a wish." Ah, there it is, he thought. Her eyes had widened just slightly, but enough to betray fear. However, it wasn't really fear he was looking for. I should probably stop goading her and just thank heaven for small favors.
"I swear to God, you son of a-" "Sarah," he cut her off, "it's not what you think. It's actually rather charming. It seems your brother is more concerned for your well-being than you know. He wished for you to have a friend - a grown-up friend, I believe he phrased it - and I have decided to take him up on the offer." He settled back in the sofa, grinning as his words sunk in.
Sarah didn't say anything for quite sometime. She just stared at Jareth, frowning slightly as if she didn't understand the words he had just spoken.
"So..you're just here to be my friend?"
"Yes."
"You're joking, right?"
"Would I have sat through those wretched movies if I weren't serious." He had a point there. Sarah sat in the recliner next to the couch, folded her hands under her chin and looked down at her lap. She deliberated over the possible outcomes. It was pretty apparent by that point that Jareth wasn't there for Toby. And it was entirely possible that he did indeed want to be friends. The psychiatrist would tell her this was a good opportunity to deal with her past, but the more Sarah thought about those 13 hours, the less she liked the idea of having Jareth around. She wasn't even sure who she was mad at, Jareth, or herself, but remembering the struggle she went through to keep Toby was enough. "No." she told him.
"What do you mean 'no'?" he asked, taken aback.
"I mean no. I don't want to be friends, I don't need you fulfilling any wishes, except this one: in the future, if Toby makes wishes, just ignore them." She stood up and pointed towards the door. "I appreciate the sentiment, Jareth, but no thanks. I think you know the way out."
It was 8:30 when the evening started and it was now almost 1 am. Jareth had never felt so emotionally drained in his entire life. Sarah had sobbed shamelessly at least once during each movie he had been subjected to, and had managed to finish the entire carton of ice cream in the meantime. He tried not looking at her, but she obviously didn't care whether he was there or not. Jareth wasn't sure exactly when it had happened, but he felt the distinct desire to cut off his own testicles.
Sarah blew her nose once, threw the used tissues along with the empty ice cream carton in the trash, and then turned to ask him, "So what are you doing here?"
"That's it? Just like that, after the hell I sat through, you can go back to business as usual?" Jareth stared at her in awe, and something akin to fear. It was like the last four and a half-hours never took place.
"Believe it or not, Jareth, that wasn't about you, it was about me. Now I'm done." She watched him, her arms crossed over her chest and head tilted to one side. Determined not to give him the upper hand.
This was completely out of character. Jareth realized he would have to update his ideas about Sarah. No longer being 15, he obviously couldn't depend upon the same emotional outbursts to give him the advantage. "Well, if you must know, Toby made a wish." Ah, there it is, he thought. Her eyes had widened just slightly, but enough to betray fear. However, it wasn't really fear he was looking for. I should probably stop goading her and just thank heaven for small favors.
"I swear to God, you son of a-" "Sarah," he cut her off, "it's not what you think. It's actually rather charming. It seems your brother is more concerned for your well-being than you know. He wished for you to have a friend - a grown-up friend, I believe he phrased it - and I have decided to take him up on the offer." He settled back in the sofa, grinning as his words sunk in.
Sarah didn't say anything for quite sometime. She just stared at Jareth, frowning slightly as if she didn't understand the words he had just spoken.
"So..you're just here to be my friend?"
"Yes."
"You're joking, right?"
"Would I have sat through those wretched movies if I weren't serious." He had a point there. Sarah sat in the recliner next to the couch, folded her hands under her chin and looked down at her lap. She deliberated over the possible outcomes. It was pretty apparent by that point that Jareth wasn't there for Toby. And it was entirely possible that he did indeed want to be friends. The psychiatrist would tell her this was a good opportunity to deal with her past, but the more Sarah thought about those 13 hours, the less she liked the idea of having Jareth around. She wasn't even sure who she was mad at, Jareth, or herself, but remembering the struggle she went through to keep Toby was enough. "No." she told him.
"What do you mean 'no'?" he asked, taken aback.
"I mean no. I don't want to be friends, I don't need you fulfilling any wishes, except this one: in the future, if Toby makes wishes, just ignore them." She stood up and pointed towards the door. "I appreciate the sentiment, Jareth, but no thanks. I think you know the way out."
