AN: Many thanks to those who continue to review my work. I can't tell you enough how much it means to me. For those who are interested; The UC homepage has been updated. The cast page has been redone and Jacob has been recast. Also there is an additional photo page titled. "The Henry Farm" that has been added. http://www.geocities.com/jareth_sarah/uc/unexpected.html
As always, thanks to my wonderful beta Scattered Logic.
Chapter 20: Trust and Mistrust
The earth was already worn from Jareth pacing over it. His mind kept repeating the same things over and over again like a mantra.
'She's mortal. I can't possibly…No!'
He shook his head and angrily thrust his fist against a nearby tree in frustration. He was so distraught that he barely felt the pain.
'I'm forgetting who I am here…I'm becoming one of them. Yet…' He glanced down at his gloved hands.
"What am I without my magic?" he asked aloud. He frowned. "I'm as helpless as a mortal…" The information was disturbing and with a heavy sigh, Jareth leaned against the oak tree. His shoulder immediately protested, but he ignored it.
"Why am I here?" he asked no one in particular. "Why was I punished like this? As if ruling the goblins wasn't disgraceful enough." His eyes narrowed. "I was defeated, my kingdom destroyed and I have feelings for the one responsible for it all. What is wrong with this situation?" He glanced up at the clear sky with its twinkling stars. "Is this someone's idea of a joke?"
"Jareth?"
Jareth pushed himself away from the tree quickly, standing his full height and cursing in Goblin when he saw Jacob come into view with a copper and glass lantern in his hands. Jacob was the last person he wanted to see right now.
Jacob held up the lantern when he saw Jareth. The pale light from the flame danced across Jareth's fine features.
"There you are. You gave Sarah quite a scare. She's very upset."
"Good for her," Jareth spat.
Jacob shook his head, attempting to keep his expression neutral. "It's obviously never happened to you before, has it?"
"What?" Jareth asked, brows drawn low over his eyes.
"I thought so. I believe I know what your problem is."
"No, you don't," Jareth told him bitterly. "How could you possibly know?"
"You're smitten with Sarah and your feelings are frightening you," Jacob revealed.
"How dare you presume-" Jareth started furiously.
Jacob laughed though his expression was not one of amusement.
Jareth shot him a withering look.
"Quoting you, 'I won't let it happen.' I'm not quite sure what the mortal part meant, but from the way you're acting, I'd say that you have it for Sarah quite bad." Jacob smiled at Jareth's uncomfortable look. "Jareth, you don't have to keep up this façade with me. I'm not stupid. I'm a man and I know what it's like to be smitten with a beautiful woman."
"I'm not-" Jareth snarled.
"You are," Jacob insisted, "and there is nothing wrong with that. Sarah's smart and sweet, a little outspoken at times but very intelligent not to mention very beautiful. What man wouldn't be infatuated with her?" Jacob finished, his tone slightly cold.
"Are you admitting that you find Sarah attractive?" Jareth asked, eyes narrowed.
"How can I deny her beauty? She's lovely in every way," Jacob told him truthfully.
"No, she isn't. She can be cruel," Jareth warned.
"I haven't seen that side of her, but perhaps you have. Was she cruel to you, hmm? Perhaps you deserved it if she was. Maybe you could enlighten me?" Jacob asked, his tone harsh.
"No," Jareth told him flatly. "My past with Sarah is none of your business."
"Fine, I respect that, but let me tell you something." Jacob looked into Jareth's eyes as he stepped closer. "Sarah is an incredible woman and women like her don't come around very often. In fact they are a rare breed."
"You speak as if from experience," Jareth said, his tone suddenly cool.
"I do speak from experience."
Jareth folded his arms over his chest. "Explain."
Jacob walked to a nearby rock and placed the lantern down as he began to speak. "Marguerite Sampson. Beautiful, intelligent, sweet. The perfect woman in every way and she and I were extremely good friends. We grew up together. Went to school, saw each other in church every Sunday."
Jareth's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then why are you not with her? Where is she?"
"I let her slip away from me. I loved her and I didn't tell her. I was preparing to. I had not seen her in a few days so I went to visit her at her home to finally admit what I felt. I was nervous as hell. I was afraid that she would reject me and I'd lose the friendship I shared with her."
"And?" Jareth asked impatiently.
"I arrived at her house only to learn that she had left Concord with her family. Her father is a shoemaker and because we have 3 others in the area, he went elsewhere to make business. Marguerite moved south and I never saw her again." Jacob looked away.
Jareth's expression softened slightly.
"She wrote me once to tell me that she had married a gentleman and they were expecting their first child." Jacob gazed at Jareth. "It was the most horrible and wonderful letter I ever received."
Jareth frowned. "I don't understand."
"I loved her and I wished that I had been the one to marry her, but she was happy where she was. Very happy and I would never take that away from her. It pleased me and pained me at the same time to learn of her joy."
"What does this have to do with Sarah and myself?" Jareth asked impatiently.
Jacob sighed. "I'm trying to tell you that you shouldn't take so long with discovering whatever feelings you might have for Sarah. She cares for you. That much is obvious with how she looks at you and speaks to you." Jacob's tone was bitter.
Jacob looked away for a moment, his gaze to the stars as he sighed and returned his glance to Jareth. "Other than concern, I do not know what she feels. Women are strange creatures. They can be very open but will close themselves to the world at the most inopportune times. Do you know of Sarah's past? She's never spoken of it with me."
Jareth shook his head. "I know that her mother abandoned her when she was younger and Sarah took it very hard. It happened before we…met."
"Her mother abandoned her and you had the insensitivity to rush away from her when she was trying to help you in the kitchen?" Jacob seemed furious.
"Is that what she told you?"
Jacob shook his head. "She wouldn't tell me anything. She only kept staring out the door, probably hoping that you would walk back into the house and apologize. Even after I attempted to comfort her."
Jareth's eyes narrowed.
"You hurt her, Jareth. She was attempting to help you and you tore off out of the house like a wild animal. You've confused her and you've hurt her. Well done."
Jareth could feel his blood beginning to boil. "I did not intentionally hurt her, if that is what you suggest. I am very unsure of things. I need time. Time that would be better spent away from her."
Jacob stepped closer to Jareth. "You're angry with yourself for feeling something for her. You think you're invincible and that it can't happen to you. But no matter how tough you act, you have feelings just like the rest of us. Feelings that if they are shut out and denied for too long, could do irreparable damage. You shouldn't rush into things, but you should not delay either. She won't wait for you forever."
Jareth gave Jacob a suspicious glance. "We have never gotten along and it's obvious that you care for Sarah. Why are you attempting to help me?"
"Because Sarah cares for you and I want to see her happy. And since she can't be happy with me, she might as well be with someone she cares about." Jacob looked away.
Jareth's brows lowered and his eyes narrowed. "You asked her to court you, didn't you?" He stepped closer and suddenly grabbed Jacob by the collar of his shirt. Jareth pushed him backward, pinning him against the tree.
"Yes, I did ask her." Jacob's voice dripped with contempt. "You had just admitted that you were not her father. The perfect opportunity for me to find out if I had any chance with her, before it was too late. I had a feeling that she would reject me and I was right…she did. Either way, you win."
"This has nothing to do with winning or losing," Jareth snarled.
Jacob snickered. "Doesn't it? It's obvious that being in charge is what you crave the most. And you'll have the upper hand no matter who you hurt to retain it. Sarah, myself…my sister."
Jareth's eyes widened.
"Oh, don't believe for a moment that I'm naïve. I know all about what you did to Elizabeth. You enjoyed hurting her so that you could keep Sarah by your side and I don't doubt you will stop at nothing to keep her there. You once claimed that Sarah was yours. You obviously were not lying."
"I never lie," Jareth admitted. He pushed Jacob hard against the tree once again before releasing him.
Jacob coughed and pulled at his collar. "Since you've already claimed her, you should follow though and help her. You owe her that much."
"What?"
"I probably don't need to remind you that Sarah is alone. Her father is far away from her and you appear to be the only person she has and the only person she wants." The disdain was evident in his voice.
"She won't confide in my family. After what happened with your deception, the relationship that my mother and Sarah shared has shattered so that it's no longer recognizable. While the two talk, Sarah won't answer personal questions. My mother says she stiffens up and either finds a way to leave the room or change the conversation."
Jareth put his hands on his slender hips. "We all know how assertive your mother can be at times. Perhaps Sarah feels uncomfortable or perhaps she simply doesn't wish to talk about her past. I certainly can't blame her. We all have secrets we wish to hide. Besides, your mother tends to dig too deeply."
"While that very well may be true, I think there is something more."
"What more could there be?" Jareth asked irritably.
"I believe Sarah doesn't speak of her past because she's afraid to. Confiding in someone means trusting and she seems to have a difficult time with that. She's friendly and speaks to everyone in the house, but she won't talk to them about anything personal. She won't trust anyone completely. All my attempts to get close to her have failed."
Jareth crossed his arms over his chest and tilting his head, gazed at Jacob in the dim light. His glance was insolent. "And what do you want me to do? Do you expect me to figure out my feelings in the span of a heartbeat, help Sarah get over her fear in just a few minutes and then everyone will live happily ever after? This is not a child's fairytale. There are complications that neither you nor Sarah are aware of."
Jacob stepped closer, staring directly into Jareth's eyes. "There are always complications, Jareth. They differ from person to person. Life wouldn't be as enjoyable if everything was easy. We need harsh reality to make us recognize the good in our lives."
Jareth snorted. "Good? I hardly see much good in my life."
Jacob looked disgusted. "Perhaps you should open your eyes and look more closely around you. Before your good changes her mind and decides to walk away. And if she does that, I will welcome her with open arms."
Jareth opened his mouth to make a retort remark but Jacob had grabbed the lantern and was walking away, abruptly ending the conversation. It wasn't until Jareth was alone that he realized that the good Jacob spoke of… was Sarah.
* * *
Several days passed and things in the Henry house were tense. Jareth ignored everyone and barely ate as he battled himself over his feelings. Sleep was a luxury that evaded him and he spent countless nights tossing and turning. Sometimes he left the house to walk outside with the hope of clearing his mind.
Though he stayed away from everyone, he kept a close watch on Sarah. She seemed depressed and he fought whether or not he should do something. Unfortunately, his stubborn side won and he continued to keep his distance.
* * *
One day in particular was different from the others. Sarah's depression seemed to double and she, too, began to avoid anyone who crossed her path.
Jareth watched her from the porch as she sat out in the yard. It was a beautiful day but she seemed to take little notice. Jareth watched as Jacob attempted to comfort her and a bout of jealousy swept through Jareth fiercely.
"You really do enjoy hurting that girl, don't you?" came an angry voice.
Jareth jumped and then spun to see Mrs. Henry dressed in an apron, hands on her hips in the doorway.
"I don't mean to hurt her," he told her, his voice low.
"Really? You sure could have fooled me. Ignoring her like you are. As if ignoring the rest of us wasn't bad enough. You're ignoring her and she needs you. Especially today."
"What's different about today?" Jareth asked, eyes narrowed.
Mrs. Henry shook her head in disgust. "I knew that you would forget."
"Forget what?"
Mrs. Henry took the broom standing nearby on the porch and smacked Jareth with it.
Jareth drew away from her, his hand stinging from the contact of the handle and his eyes wide at her for striking him.
"You're a horrible man! It's the girl's birthday! She has no family; no one but you and you don't even care! I don't know what she sees in you!"
"Her birthday…?" Jareth was suddenly reminded of his discussion with Sarah about mortal birthdays. "What is today's date?"
"It's June 4th."
Jareth cursed in Goblin and ignored the strange look given to him by Mrs. Henry. He pushed past her and into the house, leaving Mrs. Henry alone on the porch.
* * *
Jacob had finally left her alone and Sarah sat by the small pond to the west on the front lawn of the Henry farm. She sat with her legs folded beneath her and gazed at her reflection.
What a wonderful 18th birthday this was turning out to be. Other people her age were taken out to dinner or the movies or if a friend had a car, a trip to a club was in order. But not her. She wondered what her parents were doing today. Did they even realize that she was missing? Or did going back in time make it so they were not even born yet?
She suddenly thought of Toby and how last year the three-year-old had drawn her a picture. It consisted of blue crayon for the sky and a scribbled yellow circle for a sun. He had told her he'd made it himself. When Sarah asked him why he had drawn the sun, he proudly told her it had been raining and he missed the sun just like he missed her when she was at school all day.
Before she could stop herself, she began to cry, her hand covering her face as the tears began to stream down her cheeks. God, how she missed Toby.
"Sarah?"
She stopped crying at the concerned voice and turned to see that a horse and a buggy had pulled up behind her. She was so busy wallowing in her misery that she had not heard it approach. The horse and buggy were blurry due to her tear filled eyes. Slowly, her eyes focused on the driver and her eyes widened when she saw Jareth holding the reins in his leather encased hands. Glancing at the horse quickly, she realized that he had hitched Dan to the buggy.
The sight of her tears disturbed Jareth and it was obvious by the expression on his face.
Sarah got to her feet and backed away from the buggy, wiping her tears viciously with the sleeve of her dress. "Please just leave me alone. I don't want company."
"I require your company and I won't take no for an answer," he told her gently but firmly.
"Oh, you think that you can ignore me for a few days and then just like that," she snapped her fingers, "step back into my life?" She was breathing heavily.
"I didn't ignore you. It was my turn to do some thinking. It's your birthday, Sarah. Let's not spoil the day by arguing, hmm?" He tilted his head and gazed into her eyes.
Her eyes widened in surprise at his words and then again when he offered her his hand. She watched it hover in midair for several moments before she took it into her own.
Jareth carefully pulled her up to sit beside him on the seat of the buggy. He watched as she glanced down in between them, her brows drawn together in confusion at the sight of a wicker basket, its contents hidden by a blue cloth.
"What's this?" she asked.
Jareth smiled warmly. "Your birthday lunch. We're having a picnic." He gathered the reins in his hands and dropped them lightly against Dan's back. "Forward," he commanded.
Dan began to walk and with another light tap of the reins on his back, the gelding moved into a trot.
"Since when did you learn to drive a buggy?" Sarah asked, pushing her hair back from her face due to the sudden breeze.
Jareth gave her a proud smile. "I taught myself."
"How in the world did you do that?"
"The last several days I have had a lot of time to myself," Jareth told her. " I was curious to learn if Dan could drive the buggy and each night while everyone was eating, I put the harness on him and got used to handling him on the ground. This is the first time I've taken him out hitched to the buggy. He's doing splendidly." He smiled.
Sarah found herself smiling in return as she glanced from Jareth to the bay gelding and back to Jareth again. "He seems really happy to be outside. He's holding his tail and his head up high and picking up his feet."
Jareth nodded and attempted to ignore the feelings growing within him at the sight of Sarah's smile. "His spirit returned when I began to practice with him. He's quite a lovely mover."
Sarah smiled broadly. "You're really attached to him, aren't you? I would never have thought that could have happened."
Jareth grinned. "That's because you don't know much about me. But yes, I am attached to him. I've grown quite a soft spot for this horse."
"He seems to feel the same way about you." She smiled.
They rode for a quite a while and then Jareth turned Dan down a lightly traveled path.
"Where are we going?" Sarah felt like a child again, going on some family vacation into the unknown.
"It's a surprise. Somewhere I found while out exploring a few nights ago," Jareth grinned.
Sarah's question was answered completely when a beautiful waterfall came into view.
"Ah, here we are." Jareth smiled as he pulled Dan to a halt.
Sarah suddenly looked panicked and Jareth frowned. "What is it?" he asked.
She shook her head as images of blood, as sounds of gunshots and of howling filled her mind. Images of Jareth slumped against a rock, unconscious. "No! Please…"
Jareth looked concerned. What was the matter with her? "Sarah, what's wrong?"
"We can't stay here please… Please, turn the buggy around." She buried her face into her hands in an attempt to make the images go away.
Jareth realized that she was afraid and immediately he turned Dan and brought them back onto the path.
Sarah's breathing and heartbeat finally slowed as the imagery faded and green trees and lush woods filled her vision. "How could you have brought us there?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"How could I not? It's a lovely place for lunch." He was confused by her reaction.
"No…no, it's not." Sarah told him, shaking her head. "Don't you remember what happened there?"
Jareth shook his head.
"Jareth, that's where we stayed the night that you were shot. You forced me to take the bullet out…there was so much blood…" Her hand came to rest over her mouth and tears filled her eyes as she glanced up at him. "I thought you were going to die…How can you not remember?"
Jareth swallowed. "Sarah, I remember very little about what happened after I got shot. The iron was strong and it clouded my memory. I don't remember much."
"Well, I remember enough for the both of us." She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold.
Jareth noticed that she was shaking and lifting one hand from the reins he lightly touched her face. A tear streamed down her cheek and he followed its path with his thumb, wiping it away.
Sarah closed her eyes at the touch and then pulled away from him.
Jareth saw that she was not comfortable with him. He returned his hands to the reins and the rest of the ride was in silence.
* * *
Jareth spread the blanket by the small pond they had discovered on the way back toward the farm. A stop by a stream to eat was abandoned when they were attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. A few resided by the pond, but not nearly as many as in the woods.
The tension grew thick as the two ate in a growing silence.
Jareth noticed that Sarah seemed lost in thought and she had barely eaten a thing.
"Do you not like the sandwich?" he asked.
"It's very good," she told him.
"If it's so good, then why aren't you eating it? Did I make it incorrectly?"
Sarah's eyes widened. "You made it? I would have thought that Mrs. Henry did."
He shook his head. "I made it. It was not difficult to put chicken into bread."
She nodded though very unenthusiastically. "I'm sorry, Jareth. I'm not very hungry and I'm not good company today."
Jareth watched her carefully. The sandwich was in her hands, which rested on her lap. Two or three small bites were taken from it. She was looking out over the pond, her mind obviously elsewhere.
"You are thinking of your family," he told her softly.
Her eyes met his and she nodded slowly. "How did you know that?"
"Because I know the look upon your face. I believe I have the same expression on my face when I think of home."
Sarah frowned. "A home that I destroyed." She lowered her head.
"Homes can be rebuilt. Families can not." Jareth wondered when he had become so forgiving. "Your brother must be a few years old now," he added softly. Visions of a babe bouncing in his lap filled his mind.
Sarah nodded and a slight smile tugged at her lips as she thought of the blond little boy running around the house, getting into all kinds of mischief and begging for more stories. Her eyes filled with tears. "He'll be 4 in August."
"You miss him, don't you?" Jareth asked carefully.
Sarah bit her lip and nodded. "Yes, I miss him a lot."
Jareth stretched out on the blanket. "What is he like?"
Sarah wiped at her eyes. "Like? Um…He's really smart. He knows what's going on around him and he remembers things really well." Sarah smiled slightly. "He always makes me smile when he tells his mother not to yell at me."
"His mother? Don't you think of her as a mother?"
Sarah shook her head. "Definitely not. I tried to at first and Karen just took advantage of me."
"Karen? Is that your stepmother's name?"
Sarah nodded.
"Why do you not get along?"
Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. I tried to get along with her. I really tried. I did what she asked of me, but it was never enough." Sarah lowered her head. "It's because I'm not her child."
"Why do you say that?" Jareth asked softly.
"Because why else wouldn't she love me and accept me as she does Toby? She doesn't like the idea of raising another woman's child and she makes it obvious. She makes things impossible for me and when I am able to accomplish what she demands of me, she finds a way to see that I fail regardless." Sarah's brows lowered. "She wanted me to go out, to date and do things with other people instead of staying home all the time. She once told me that a girl my age should do those sorts of things."
"And what happened?"
"I started going out. I joined the drama club and I even met someone who became a boyfriend. But then my going out was cutting into her time. She had no one to watch Toby so she fought with me about it. She even tried to convince my dad to make me quit. She told me she wouldn't pick me up after practice and I had to take the late bus. She loves to make everything impossible for me."
"She seems as if she is a tough woman to please," Jareth observed.
Sarah snorted. "I don't know what my father ever saw in her."
"And what of your real mother? Where is she?"
Sarah froze and then hesitantly said, "Let's just drop this. It's my birthday and I don't want to talk about this sort of thing, okay?"
Jareth regarded her cautiously. "If we don't talk about it, it's going to continue to eat away at you."
"It's not eating away at me," she told him confidently.
Jareth looked into her eyes. "Oh, really? And that's why you have been haunted by nightmares since you were a child?"
"Jareth, please," she pleaded. "I don't want to talk about this. I…I hate my mother for what she did to me. She doesn't deserve to be talked about."
Jareth's brows rose. "You hate her?"
"Jareth…"
"Sarah, I can't help you fight your demons unless you let me."
"I don't want you to help me!" she shouted.
"Why not?"
"Because I'll tell you and you might leave me….just like she did. I trusted her and she let me down. How do I know that you won't do the same?" Tears filled her eyes.
Jareth shifted closer to her. "I promise that I won't leave you, unless you want me to."
"But you did leave me for a few days. I tried to help you and you walked away from me. Or rather you ran, and left me in the kitchen wondering what I'd done wrong."
Jareth sighed. "Sarah, you didn't do anything wrong. I needed to think. Just as you had to do. I'm here now, doesn't that qualify?"
"I guess…"
Jareth could see her will to fight him was failing her. "Your mother left you?"
Sarah nodded numbly.
"Tell me what happened," he said softly.
Sarah looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "She…had an affair."
Jareth gave her a confused look. "I don't know what that means, Sarah."
"She left my dad to be with someone else. She slept with another man while she was still married to my father," she said through gritted teeth.
Jareth nodded, suddenly understanding. " She was unfaithful. I'm sorry," Jareth offered.
"Yeah, so am I. But she obviously wasn't," she fumed.
"Explain."
Sarah sighed, obviously not happy to be talking about this, but she relented. "She got a call from her producer about a show she might be able to audition for. A show was a big thing for my mom. She'd been doing plays mainly and while she was fairly big in New York productions, she wasn't very well known elsewhere. She wanted more exposure and she got it," Sarah told Jareth bitterly.
She sighed and continued, "She started taking long trips away from home. Trip to LA here, a trip to Seattle or where ever there. I started seeing less and less of my mom. My dad was okay with that and he did the best he could to raise me. He told me my mother was going to make our lives better. She'd be making more money, which would be better for us all in the long run. He didn't know how wrong he was then."
A tear streamed down her cheek. "It all happened so quickly. My dad was upset and he kept refusing to tell me what it was. I was 8 at the time and smart enough to know when something was really wrong. I came home from school one day to find my mom was home, but it wasn't a happy occasion. She and my father were fighting and my mom was packing her clothes. She walked out and that was the last I saw of her for a year."
Jareth watched her carefully and wondered how a parent could do such a thing to their child. Sarah's mother was obviously a very selfish person.
"My dad was a mess. I often spent time at my grandparents place while he got over whatever he felt. He and my mother got a divorce but that and the fact that my mother had betrayed him didn't keep him from trying to tell me that my mother still loved me and she always would."
"My dad put on the TV one day and there was my mom doing a guest appearance on a show. I was so excited and I think it really hurt my dad to see me get into acting, wanting to be like my mother. I saw her occasionally in person for visits, but not very often. Things were okay for a little while but when I was 10, my father introduced me to Karen. He had met her at work. I accepted her as a friend and didn't think anything of my father spending time with her. When I was 13, they dropped the bomb."
"Dropped the bomb?" Jareth asked in confusion.
Sarah nodded, her eyes glazing with tears. "They let out a big secret. Something that shocked me and I had no say in what they were going to do. They were getting married and Karen was pregnant. Things became strained. I began to rebel when Karen became my stepmother and she thought she could order me around like I was her little slave. When Toby was born, things got worse. I withdrew into myself and into fantasy. I let myself believe that I hated Karen and Toby, when I didn't."
"That is when you wished the babe to me?"
Sarah nodded, feeling sick to her stomach. "I never meant to wish him away…I really do love him…" She hiccupped, fighting back her tears.
Jareth fought the urge to comfort her.
"After I came back from the Labyrinth, I took all of my mom's pictures down. My dad had told me a few days earlier what really happened, but I had tried to deny it. I hadn't seen her in a year and a half and she had stopped calling and I recognized that it was time to let her go. She wasn't coming back. Some part of me still wanted to be an actress and I kept on with it. Karen, of course, hated that. The day you came to ask for my help, she insulted me and my mother and like a fool, I stuck up for her."
"It appears that you don't really hate her, just that you can't forgive her," Jareth told her.
Sarah's eyes flashed with sudden anger. "I do hate her! She left me and she never came back. What mother does that to their child?"
"I don't agree with what your mother did." Jareth sighed. "In fact, I understand your feelings completely."
"How can you?"
Jareth looked into her eyes cautiously. "Because my father did it to me."
Sarah's jaw dropped. "Your father left you?"
Jareth nodded.
Sarah shifted on the blanket, wiping the tears from her eyes. "What happened?"
Jareth put up his hand and shook his head. "My past can wait for another day."
"No. You told me that once before. I want to know what happened. I told you what happened to me."
"Sarah, I don't think telling you is going to help. It might push you away."
"It won't push me away."
"You say that now…"
"Jareth, I told you about what happened to me. Aren't we supposed to be friends? Friends tell each other things. It's obviously something that bothers you, tell me."
Jareth smirked. "If I had said that to you it would not have worked. Are you sure you wish to hear this?" He suddenly seemed hesitant.
Sarah looked into his eyes. "How can we help each other if we don't know what demons the other is fighting?"
Jareth nodded. "My childhood was not a happy one. It was confusing and it got worse as I got older. So you understand things more easily, my grandfather ruled a kingdom to the west. A beautiful land. He was a well respected man, but shocked the Underground when he took a mortal as his bride."
Sarah settled closer to Jareth, suddenly interested.
"My grandmother was said to be a fine ruler beside my grandfather, and though his subjects accepted her, the rest of the Underground did not. They thought that my grandfather was weak and corrupted for taking a mortal as his wife. They thought him unfit to rule his kingdom and they banished him to a place full of wild magic. The Labyrinth."
"That's terrible!" Sarah told him.
"Indeed, it was terrible. But my grandfather and grandmother made the best of things." Jareth's glance was far away. "They were said to be very much in love. My grandmother bore a son. Half Fae, half human. But things grew unexpectedly strained as he matured. He rebelled against his parents. He hated his mortal half and sought a way to leave the Labyrinth so he could join the other Fae. But nothing he did would allow him to leave what would one day be his kingdom."
Jareth looked down at his hands in his lap, his expression one of loss. "My grandmother died unexpectedly one day. It was later learned that she was poisoned though the culprit was never found. My grandfather was devastated and he died two years later. Some claim it was due to a broken heart. He loved my grandmother with a passion that not many Fae possess. Their son took over as Goblin King and he took a wife several years later. A Fae woman who bore him a child with eyes like his own."
Sarah's eyes widened. "You."
Jareth nodded and looked into her eyes.
Sarah started to put things together. "So that's how you're able to survive with all the iron here. You're a quarter human."
Jareth nodded again. "Yes, I am. While iron is deadly to me, I have a greater chance of surviving is effects than a full blooded Fae would. I was raised to hate mortals," Jareth continued.
"I was told that when I came of age, I would join my father in slaughtering them. Many Fae believe that mankind was the reason for our exile. Why our ancestors left the Aboveworld and made a home in the Underground. A place that took countless centuries to tame. Most Fae hate mankind and my father became one of them." Jareth lowered his head.
"I grew up not knowing what I should feel. My father taught me to hate, while my grandfather taught me to love."
Sarah's brows furrowed. "I don't understand. I thought you said that your grandfather died?"
Jareth nodded and looked into Sarah's eyes. "He did, but his words did not. I found a journal of his hidden in a secret place within the castle. I kept it from my father after he destroyed the rose garden and read about the life my grandfather and grandmother led whenever I was alone."
Jareth looked away. "When mortals wished away children, my grandfather was merciful to them. He taught them valuable lessons while my father taught them to fear the Fae. My father made mortals run the Labyrinth and then slaughtered them as if they were animals. The children were turned into goblins. When the Seelie Court learned of his doings, they agreed to allow my father to claim my grandfather's old kingdom. He had proved himself to them and I would join him just as soon as I proved myself."
Sarah was almost afraid to ask. "What did that entail?"
"Killing a mortal as they ran the Labyrinth in the year I came of age."
Sarah suddenly felt sick, her heart was pounding in her chest. "And did you?"
He let out in a hurried breath. "My father ordered me to as the girl stood trembling in front of us." He looked away. "She could not have been more than 12 years old and I was to drive a blade through her heart." Jareth lowered his head, fighting memories.
Sarah inhaled and then exhaled deeply.
"And I couldn't do it. I let her go. I yelled at her to run, to hide." He let out a shuddering breath. "My father struck me down and denied me as his son right then and there in front of those who had gathered to witness the event. He killed the girl and he and my mother left me to rule the Labyrinth alone without a further word."
"Oh, my god…Jareth…" Sarah's hand flew up to cover her mouth, her heart pounding in her chest. Her troubled childhood paled in comparison to his.
"I hated mortals after that. I hated that mortal blood coursed my veins along with the Fae blood. I never killed, but I wanted to. Each mortal that ran my Labyrinth was hated with a passion. They reminded me of why I was alone. They disgusted me with the way they threw themselves at me, looking for their happily ever after with a King whom they didn't even know. I blamed them for my father and mother leaving me, but the older I got, the more I realized that it wasn't their fault. I blamed myself."
Sarah shook her head and reached out to touch his uninjured shoulder. Her heart was pounding madly in her chest. "But it wasn't your fault! Your father made that decision because of his own biased beliefs."
"I know…but it took me centuries to realize that," he admitted softly.
Sarah frowned and her eyes filled with tears. "And a mortal defeated you…and destroyed your kingdom. Oh, god, Jareth…I'm so sorry."
"What's done is done."
"I'm still sorry…" Her lower lip trembled. "It must have been difficult for you ask for my help. You must not have been happy to see me again." She lowered her head.
"I won't lie to you, Sarah. I wasn't. I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to restore my kingdom, including abducting you if need be." He sighed, suddenly weary. "I even planned to seek revenge against you," he told her honestly.
Sarah's eyes widened. Revenge? She looked down at her hand on his shoulder and pulled it away as if burned.
Jareth didn't notice as he stared out over the pond. "But the time for that has come and gone. I no longer wish revenge upon you."
"I don't believe you!" Sarah cried out.
Jareth's brows rose at her outburst.
"That's why you've wanted to be my friend! So you could get close to me, so I'd show you what made me vulnerable and you could finish me off. Isn't that right?"
Jareth shook his head. "No, I offered my friendship to you honestly. The time for revenge has passed. I no longer wish to hurt you, " he admitted sincerely.
"I don't believe you!" Sarah got to her feet and Jareth glanced up at her wide-eyed.
"You're lying! You don't care about me! I'm probably just another stupid mortal who's letting herself…" She cut off the sentence before she revealed too much and glared at him with an expression that contained anger and hurt.
"You're using me, just like I was afraid you would. I'm a pawn on your game board, just as I was 3 years ago. I'm…retribution…" she choked. Tears clouded her eyes, but Sarah refused to let them fall. She refused to let him see that he'd hurt her once again.
Grabbing her skirt into her hands she spat, "You can go to hell!"
Jareth's heart was pounding fiercely. How had things suddenly turned in this direction?
Sarah rushed off into the woods before Jareth could stop her. "Sarah! Sarah, please!" he called after her. She wasn't listening and kept running without looking back. She pushed past the branches that reached at her and disappeared into the leafy foliage.
Jareth got to his feet unsteadily and he rushed after her only to discover that he couldn't find her. "Sarah! I didn't lie to you! I don't want revenge! Not anymore!" he cried out. But the sounds of the woods were his only reply. He ran to Dan and jumped into the seat of the cart. He ordered the horse to move and began to search for Sarah feverishly.
Minutes quickly turned into hours and Jareth couldn't find her. Clouds rolled in to hide the sun and it grew dark, threatening to rain. Jareth turned Dan towards the farm, hoping that perhaps Sarah had returned there.
He panicked when he found out that she wasn't.
"What have you done to her now? Hurt her again?" Jacob cried out at him.
"There was a misunderstanding, she wouldn't let me explain," Jareth said as Jacob saddled a horse in the barn. "Let me go with you."
"No, you've done enough for one day." Jacob led the horse from the barn and mounted it before galloping off toward the woods at break neck speed. In the distance, angry thunder rumbled.
* * *
Jareth paced in the kitchen.
"Please stop that. You're making me dizzy," Mrs. Henry told him.
"I can't help it," Jareth replied.
"What did you do to her? How did you manage to spoil a picnic? I thought you loved her?" Mrs. Henry said bluntly.
Jareth spun to face her, his eyes wide as saucers. "What did you say?"
"The way the two of you were looking at each other. I thought you cared about her, perhaps even loved her? Why are you with her if you don't care for her?"
"I do care for her…," he admitted shakily
"Well, you have a strange way of showing it."
Jareth turned back to the window hoping to end the conversation. It was pouring outside, the rain coming down so hard that visibility was very poor. It was growing later and was getting darker. If Sarah wasn't all right, he was never going to forgive himself.
Moments later, he heard the sound of hooves and looked up to see Jacob galloping his horse into the yard. He rode to the porch and Jareth felt some relief when he saw Sarah cradled in his arms. But the relief quickly became jealousy when he saw Jacob pull her closer and as Sarah accepted that embrace.
Jacob entered the house and pushed past Jareth as if he wasn't even there. "Mama, I need blankets for her and a clean dress. She's soaked to the bone."
Mrs. Henry nodded and dropped what she was doing to help.
Jareth moved toward Sarah. "Sarah, are you all right?"
Her response was to bury her face into Jacob's chest, ignoring Jareth all together.
Jareth felt his heart constrict and watched as Jacob carried Sarah up the stairs to her room. Mrs. Henry went inside with blankets and a dress, shooed Jacob out and closed the door.
Jacob glared angrily at Jareth but the two men did not speak. Jacob went to change his own wet clothes and then returned to the hall. He and Jareth waited outside the room in silence.
Mrs. Henry finally opened the door much later, prompting both men to rush at the door. "She wants to see you, Jacob," she told him and then moved down the stairs.
"And what of me?" Jareth called after her, but she was already out of sight.
"Leave Sarah alone!" Jacob yelled at him. "Don't you understand that she doesn't want anything more to do with you? You've lost!"
"No! It was a misunderstanding, it can be resolved!" Jareth shouted back.
Jacob moved closer to Jareth. "Well, she doesn't want to resolve it."
Jareth's brows lowered and he attempted to step past Jacob.
Jacob grabbed the collar of Jareth's shirt and pushed him hard. Jareth stumbled backwards, falling onto his bottom on the floor. He got to his feet and challenged the younger man.
"I'd rather not hit you, but if you try to enter that room, you give me no other choice!" Jacob warned as he balled his hands into fists.
Jareth's jaw dropped and he didn't know what to say or do. He couldn't beat this man in a fistfight. Jacob was younger, did a great deal of hard labor and he wasn't injured. Astonishingly, Jareth backed away, admitting defeat.
Jacob turned from him and went to Sarah, closing the door to her room firmly behind him.
Jareth angrily slammed a wall with his fist, wincing as pain shot though his hand and arm. He attempted to ignore it and leaned against the wall. He tried to hold up a cool, calm façade, but it was slipping. Slowly he slid down the wall, anguish gripping his weary heart.