Welcome back to my fic, Things Always Get Worse! I just wanted to say a few things before continuing. Firstly:
If I offend, it is my good will, that I come not to offend, but with goodwill. To show my simple skill, that is the true beginning of my end. My true intent is, that you will know all that you are like to know. (Yes, that's from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream play. I thought it might sound good as a disclaimer.)
Also, if anyone lives in Australia and watches Big Brother, has anyone seen Daniel doing his crystal ball thing? It's what Jareth does, if anyone noticed! Creepy.
So here we go. Many thanks to all who reviewed!
*~*~*~*
A baby's screams split the night air. Corey held her daughter close, now safe in the refuge of Thomas and Penny's hut.
"What be her name, child?" Penny knelt next to them. Corey thought, then grinned.
"Sarah," She laughed.
"I'll call her Sarah."
*~*~*~*
Weeks passed. Sarah grew, and Corey hid them both from Jareth. The times they had to hide grew less as her daughter grew older. Penny and Thomas let them stay, and changed the back room into a bedroom. Corey spent her days making clothes for baby, and helping Penny around the home. They were happy. But Sarah seemed to have a cat's curiosity, and was always asking about her father.
"Mama, why don't I have a father?" Sarah was playing with wooden blocks Thomas had made her. Corey looked up sharply from her sewing.
"You do have a father, Sarah. Everyone does."
"Then where is he?"
"Probably up at the castle."
"Why?"
"Because he lives there."
"Why?"
"Don't ask me, I don't know."
"Why?"
"Sarah!"
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to her blocks. Corey went on with her sewing, but she was distracted. Soon she'd have to tell her daughter the whole story. Later. Not now.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"Why doesn't my father live here with us, instead of at the castle?" Looked like it was going to have to be now after all.
"Because... he doesn't know we're here."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't tell him."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want him to know."
"Why?"
"Sarah!"
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to the blocks again. Penny, who was doing the dishes, shot Corey a sympathetic look. Kids and their questions.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"What's father's name?" Sarah looked up at her mother with large brown eyes. Corey's throat caught. She had never said his name for four years, since she escaped the castle, and she thought that was why she had had so much luck hiding from him. She thought if she said his name, he would come, like an unwanted yet called dog. But her daughter, her innocent daughter, wanted to know his name. She would have to take a chance.
"Jareth." She said quietly.
"Corey," a voice said behind her. For four years, she hadn't heard that voice. For four years, she had feared it. And yet after four years, there it was again.
"No!" She shrieked, diving for Sarah and burying her daughter under the folds of the blanket she had been wearing over her shoulders. Her daughter safe in her arms, Corey turned to face him. Penny had frozen near the sink, eyes wide and fearful.
"Well, Corey. After all these years, I have found you. Tell me, how did you do it?" Jareth approached slowly; she backed away.
"Do what?" She snarled.
"Escape. Evade. And raise our child," His eyes rested on Sarah, peeping out from between the folds of the blanket.
"With a little help from my friends," she quipped sarcastically.
"Yes, the herdsman. I shall deal with him,"
"No! Don't you dare," She cried. He paused, glancing at Sarah again.
"Fine." He said. Corey, tracing his gaze, gripped her daughter tighter. The girl squirmed.
"Mama, you're hurting me," she squealed. Corey let her grip loosen, but wouldn't let go.
"A girl. May I see her?" Jareth asked softly. She paused, but slowly and unwillingly unwrapped her child from the blanket cocoon. Sarah gave her father stare for stare, staying very close to her mother. After a minute the Goblin King looked back up at Corey.
"I shall leave you both here, and no harm will come to the herdsman." He disappeared. Suddenly Corey could breathe again, and she hugged her daughter tightly.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"Was that my father?"
"Yes, Sarah."
*~*~*~*
Sorry it's a short chapter! I'll try write more soon!
Sweet Sunshine
Seul Loup
If I offend, it is my good will, that I come not to offend, but with goodwill. To show my simple skill, that is the true beginning of my end. My true intent is, that you will know all that you are like to know. (Yes, that's from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream play. I thought it might sound good as a disclaimer.)
Also, if anyone lives in Australia and watches Big Brother, has anyone seen Daniel doing his crystal ball thing? It's what Jareth does, if anyone noticed! Creepy.
So here we go. Many thanks to all who reviewed!
*~*~*~*
A baby's screams split the night air. Corey held her daughter close, now safe in the refuge of Thomas and Penny's hut.
"What be her name, child?" Penny knelt next to them. Corey thought, then grinned.
"Sarah," She laughed.
"I'll call her Sarah."
*~*~*~*
Weeks passed. Sarah grew, and Corey hid them both from Jareth. The times they had to hide grew less as her daughter grew older. Penny and Thomas let them stay, and changed the back room into a bedroom. Corey spent her days making clothes for baby, and helping Penny around the home. They were happy. But Sarah seemed to have a cat's curiosity, and was always asking about her father.
"Mama, why don't I have a father?" Sarah was playing with wooden blocks Thomas had made her. Corey looked up sharply from her sewing.
"You do have a father, Sarah. Everyone does."
"Then where is he?"
"Probably up at the castle."
"Why?"
"Because he lives there."
"Why?"
"Don't ask me, I don't know."
"Why?"
"Sarah!"
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to her blocks. Corey went on with her sewing, but she was distracted. Soon she'd have to tell her daughter the whole story. Later. Not now.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"Why doesn't my father live here with us, instead of at the castle?" Looked like it was going to have to be now after all.
"Because... he doesn't know we're here."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't tell him."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want him to know."
"Why?"
"Sarah!"
"Sorry Mama." Sarah went back to the blocks again. Penny, who was doing the dishes, shot Corey a sympathetic look. Kids and their questions.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"What's father's name?" Sarah looked up at her mother with large brown eyes. Corey's throat caught. She had never said his name for four years, since she escaped the castle, and she thought that was why she had had so much luck hiding from him. She thought if she said his name, he would come, like an unwanted yet called dog. But her daughter, her innocent daughter, wanted to know his name. She would have to take a chance.
"Jareth." She said quietly.
"Corey," a voice said behind her. For four years, she hadn't heard that voice. For four years, she had feared it. And yet after four years, there it was again.
"No!" She shrieked, diving for Sarah and burying her daughter under the folds of the blanket she had been wearing over her shoulders. Her daughter safe in her arms, Corey turned to face him. Penny had frozen near the sink, eyes wide and fearful.
"Well, Corey. After all these years, I have found you. Tell me, how did you do it?" Jareth approached slowly; she backed away.
"Do what?" She snarled.
"Escape. Evade. And raise our child," His eyes rested on Sarah, peeping out from between the folds of the blanket.
"With a little help from my friends," she quipped sarcastically.
"Yes, the herdsman. I shall deal with him,"
"No! Don't you dare," She cried. He paused, glancing at Sarah again.
"Fine." He said. Corey, tracing his gaze, gripped her daughter tighter. The girl squirmed.
"Mama, you're hurting me," she squealed. Corey let her grip loosen, but wouldn't let go.
"A girl. May I see her?" Jareth asked softly. She paused, but slowly and unwillingly unwrapped her child from the blanket cocoon. Sarah gave her father stare for stare, staying very close to her mother. After a minute the Goblin King looked back up at Corey.
"I shall leave you both here, and no harm will come to the herdsman." He disappeared. Suddenly Corey could breathe again, and she hugged her daughter tightly.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Sarah."
"Was that my father?"
"Yes, Sarah."
*~*~*~*
Sorry it's a short chapter! I'll try write more soon!
Sweet Sunshine
Seul Loup
