AN: Thank you to everyone who is continuing to read and review this story.
All your thoughts and comments are appreciated!
Special thanks to my wonderful beta and friend, Scattered Logic.
Chapter 27: Worries about the future
The house was quiet when Jareth and Sarah entered. They had expected there to be a shouting match going on, but instead they were met with only the steady tick of the grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs.
Sarah seemed to relax at the silence but Jareth remained alert and ready. Almost as if waiting to be ambushed.
They walked quietly through the kitchen and Jareth halted when he saw a lantern burning on the table beside one of the chairs in the living room.
"It's about time," came a feminine voice. A voice that was strained from too much arguing.
Jareth felt Sarah clutch his arm tightly.
Mrs. Henry rose from the chair she was sitting on and Jareth and Sarah got a good look at her. She looked tired and worn down.
Jareth expected a shouting match to ensue but nearly the opposite happened.
Mrs. Henry gestured calmly to the couch. "Both of you please sit down."
Jareth settled on the couch uncomfortably, his posture stiff and erect. Sarah sat beside him, holding his hand firmly.
Mrs. Henry sat down in the chair again. "There are certain rules in this house that are expected to be obeyed and the two of you have broken every single one of them. Jacob seems to think that I owe you both an apology for the way I've acted even though I was upholding those rules."
"You weren't upholding them. You were enslaving us with them," Sarah shot at her.
"I hardly think that anyone in this house has enslaved you. Until I discovered that you two had a serious attraction, the rules were very simple. It was only when you broke rules that every parent, every adult swears by, that there was a problem." Mrs. Henry looked into Sarah's eyes. "Can you honestly tell me that were your mother alive, that she would have allowed her daughter to go off with a man whenever she pleased?"
Sarah lowered her head.
"Well, child, would she have allowed that?"
Sarah shook her head. "No," she replied softly.
"I wanted to protect you, child."
"I don't need protecting from Jareth."
"We all need protecting, even from ourselves at times," Mrs. Henry said, making sure she got the last word in. "Jacob has made me see that I went too far, but I only wanted what is best for you."
Jareth snorted.
"If that was true then you would have let me see and speak to Jareth," Sarah told her. "You would know that he is what is best for me."
"He might be what is best for you now, but what about in the future? You can't stay at this farm forever. As grateful as we are for the help, there will be a time for you to move on. How will Jareth provide for you when he has no money or estate?"
"I have money and an estate," Jareth started. "My estate is in need of repair but it will be fixed when I bring Sarah home to it."
"If you have such things, then why are you here?" Mrs. Henry asked. This was the first she had heard that Jareth owned anything.
"We were not meant to come here. It was an accident," Jareth told her, treading carefully. "But we are here and until we are able to return to our home, this is the safest place we can be. I will not risk bringing Sarah into the wild or into any towns. Not with war lingering about."
Mrs. Henry's eyebrows rose. "Yet, you were ready to take her when we argued."
Jareth's brows lowered over his eyes. "I was angry and you provoked me."
"Perhaps," Mrs. Henry said in a dismissive manner. "Are you willing to commit yourself to this woman and care for her needs or do you think you can have your way with her and leave?"
Jareth reached for Sarah's hand and held it up so that Mrs. Henry could see the ring on her finger. "I have already committed to her and I stand by my word."
Mrs. Henry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You didn't waste much time, which can only mean one thing. She's carrying your child."
"She is not carrying my child," Jareth's voice dripped with annoyance.
"That could be possible and yet you would still be willing to wed her?" the older woman tested.
Jareth did his best to keep from lashing out at the woman. "It was my intention to ask her some time ago. Whether she was with child or not."
Mrs. Henry crossed her arms over her chest. "Why didn't you ask her then?"
"He's asked me and that's all that matters," Sarah snapped. "It's not any of your business why he asked, when he asked or anything else. He's asked and I've accepted."
"True, child." Mrs. Henry glanced at the grandfather clock. She gave a sigh. "The hour grows late. We should retire."
Jareth and Sarah rose quickly. Jareth was surprised that what he had expected and what had actually happened upon their arrival was as different as night and day.
"I would like Sarah to stay. I'd like to have a few words with her." Mrs. Henry noticed how Jareth's arm went possessively around Sarah. "We'll be just a few minutes."
"It's all right," Sarah whispered to him.
Jareth glanced at Mrs. Henry, his eyes narrowed dangerously. It was very obvious that he didn't trust the woman as far as he could throw her. He peered down at Sarah again and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He didn't intend to hide what he felt for Sarah from anyone. Having an audience, she hesitated at first, but responded slightly. Regretfully, he broke their embrace after a few short moments.
"I'll see you in the morning," she told him softly.
He nodded and moved slowly away from her. His eyes didn't leave Sarah's form until he was out of view.
Mrs. Henry waited until she heard the door to Jareth's room open and close before she spoke. "I think you are making a terrible mistake."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "The only mistake is you believing that you can keep us apart. While I appreciate your motherly concern, I don't need it or want it. I've made my decision. I'm marrying Jareth."
"Do you truly believe that he will care for you?"
"Yes," Sarah answered without hesitation.
"What about when you're carrying his child?"
"Even more so then," Sarah replied proudly.
"What about when another pretty young girl turns his head?" Mrs. Henry attempted.
"My answer isn't going to change," Sarah told her firmly.
Mrs. Henry shook her head. It was obvious that right now Sarah wasn't going to change her mind. "Go to bed, child. We'll speak of this later."
Sarah turned and left, climbing the stairs without looking back.
* * *
The following morning Sarah awakened, got dressed and tried to get back into the daily routine of feeding the animals. She had recovered very well from her bout with cholera and felt it was time to seriously take part in her chores again. She would do almost anything to keep herself out of the house and away from Mrs. Henry.
"You feed them and come right back," Mrs. Henry told Sarah as she passed through the kitchen. "Elizabeth is coming home today and Ellie is coming up from the field to help, but I still need the floors washed in the upstairs hall."
Sarah nodded but didn't say a word as she left the house.
A few minutes later, Jareth came down the stairs. His eyes narrowed when he saw Mrs. Henry cutting something on the table.
"Jacob's already out chopping the wood. He might need a hand," she told him without looking up.
"Very well," Jareth told her and he started for the door.
"Sarah's out feeding the animals. She looked tired so she might need some help. She thinks she's recovered but not completely."
Jareth halted when he heard her words. Had he heard her correctly? He turned to face her.
"Don't go getting any ideas," Mrs. Henry told him as she shook a finger at him. "Just because I might start allowing you to see some of her. I only do it because it will keep the stress down for her. Can't have stress if she's pregnant and still recovering."
Jareth gritted his teeth. "Sarah is not pregnant."
"Yes, and Jacob's horse, Flame, can fly," the older woman said sarcastically. "The only reason a man offers to marry a woman as quickly as you did is because she is pregnant OR because he doesn't want her to wed another." She raised her brows and Jareth understood what she was referring to.
His brows lowered over his mismatched eyes. "I am certain that Sarah told you our engagement was none of your business. I have asked her and that is all you need to know," he spat coldly.
Mrs. Henry wiped her hands on a cloth and walked to him. "I don't like that she's planning to marry you and I'll warn you right now that I'm prepared to do what it takes to convince her otherwise."
Jareth turned so that he faced her fully. "Do what you will but Sarah has made her choice. We will be wed as soon as possible." He turned on his heel and left the kitchen. As he was leaving, he saw Ellie coming to the house with an apron full of apples.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted.
He nodded a greeting and continued to walk. He heard Ellie enter the house and heard Mrs. Henry's voice.
"Oh, you've brought apples. And perfect ones, too. I can cut them up and make a fine pie. Please set them in a bowl on the table, Ellie."
A grin appeared on Jareth's face as he continued to walk.
* * *
He was still grinning when he entered the barn. Sarah was emptying food into one of the troughs when she saw him.
"Jareth!" She quickly dumped the rest of the food in, dropped the bucket at her feet and rushed into his waiting arms.
He held her tightly against him. "Good morning." He gave her a squeeze and then pulled back, brushing her hair behind her shoulders.
Sarah smiled and noticed the smirk on his face. "What are you grinning about?"
Jareth bent his head to one side and placed a kiss on Sarah's neck. "I'll just say that the perfect apple will not be found in Mrs. Henry's kitchen."
Sarah cocked her head to the side and looked at Jareth for a moment. "Jareth, what did you do?"
"I just played a harmless prank." He pressed another kiss against her, this time on her cheek. "Nothing for you to worry about."
She shook her head. He was worse than a child. "What are you doing here?"
He feigned an expression of offense. "Oh, you don't want me here?" he purred.
Sarah laughed. "I never said that."
Jareth fingered her silky brown hair. "It was suggested that I offer you some assistance and then I am going to offer the same to Jacob."
Sarah appeared shocked. "Mrs. Henry told you to help me? That doesn't sound quite right."
Jareth shook his head. "It isn't. After she suggested it to me, she told me that she wasn't pleased that you and I planned to wed and she thinks that she can change your mind about it."
Sarah snorted. "Fat chance."
Jareth chuckled softly.
"What?" Sarah asked. "Why are you laughing at me?"
Jareth drew her to him. "Because mortals use such strange phrases. 'Having a cow', 'fat chance'. I find them amusing."
Sarah smiled.
Jareth kissed her again, this time on the lips. The kiss intensified and soon hands were roaming and lips were slanting hungrily. One of Jareth's hands moved to Sarah's breast and with a heaving sigh Sarah suggested that they stop.
Jareth leaned his forehead against Sarah's.
"She's given us a chance to be together and alone. We shouldn't take advantage of that," Sarah told him.
Jareth looked disappointed.
"At least not yet," she told him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
He moved back and nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't provoke her, even if she deserves it."
Sarah once again looked shocked. "You're agreeing with me?"
Jareth couldn't resist placing a soft kiss beneath Sarah's ear. He felt her shiver at the touch. "Of course, darling," he purred.
"You not taking advantage of a situation? That doesn't seem like you," Sarah teased.
"I don't like this situation any more than you do," Jareth told her. "I just plan to handle this in my own way."
Sarah frowned. "Your own way? I don't know if I like the sound of that."
Jareth grinned revealing his sharp teeth. "Trust me."
"I do trust you."
Jareth kissed her hair. "Then you have nothing to worry about."
Sarah laughed. "Tell me, Your Majesty, what does your own way entail?" Sarah smirked.
Jareth kissed her gently on the lips. "If I told you, what fun would that be? With my magic returning to me, the fun has just started. Believe me." He grinned. "Now, what needs to be done?"
Sarah sighed. "I still have the cows and horses to feed. I've finished the smaller animals, well, except for collecting the chicken eggs. I figured I would do that last."
"I'll feed the cows and horses and you gather the eggs."
Sarah nodded.
* * *
After finishing their own chores, Jareth and Sarah went to help Jacob. He was nearly done chopping the wood but he was grateful for the help and the company.
Sarah piled the wood as the two men chopped it. "Jacob, I wanted to thank you for siding with Jareth and myself. You've been a big help."
Jacob swung the ax and sliced a piece of wood. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Sarah. "It was the least that I could do. After all, it was my fault the trouble started in the first place."
Jareth shook his head. "It was not your fault. We would have been discovered eventually and the reaction might have been much worse. We could have been cast from the house and left with nothing."
Jacob chopped another piece of wood. "While my mother is overreacting, she really is a kind woman at heart. I don't truly believe that she would cast you from the house. You've seen her when she's sweet and usually that's how she acts. Death does strange things to people. My mother took losing her sister and her nephew harder than we thought. It changed her so that she felt she had to protect everyone, to the point where she bordered on obsession. She'll be difficult for a while but she will come around." Jacob smiled. "Trust me, I know."
Sarah laughed. "I'm sure you do!"
Jacob and Jareth cut a few more pieces. With the wood finally chopped they all loaded up and walked toward the house.
After unloading the wood into a wooden box in the kitchen, they all sat down at the table for breakfast.
Everyone was fairly quiet as they opened their mouths for food and not talk.
"We would have had nice apple pie for dessert tonight, but it wasn't meant to be," Mrs. Henry mumbled.
Jareth looked up from eating his food and grinned devilishly. "Whatever do you mean by that, Mrs. Henry?"
Mrs. Henry looked flustered. "Well, don't you know that after I peeled all the apples that they all had worms in them? All of them. That's never happened before. It was like someone or something was working against me!"
Jareth smiled. "I couldn't imagine that happening." He took a bite of his eggs and felt Sarah's heavy stare. He gazed up at her and noticed she looked upset. Later, he would have to ask her what was wrong.
Breakfast was uneventful. Although Mrs. Henry kept a watchful eye on Jareth and Sarah, she was too upset about all the work she put into the apples to pester the two.
Jareth helped Sarah carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen when everyone had finished eating. When they were alone, she shook her head back and forth.
"What?" Jareth asked looking innocent.
She put her hands on her hips and looked frustrated. "You're going to get us in trouble."
His brows arched. "How so?"
Sarah groaned. "You made worms appear in all the apples, just like there was a worm in my peach when I woke up in the junk pile."
"It was a harmless prank," Jareth insisted with a casual shrug. He didn't understand what she was so flustered about.
Sarah moved closer to him and lowered her voice. "Mrs. Henry let us spend some time together today. If we continue to show her that we are responsible then that time will increase. If you start playing pranks and she finds out, she's going to make our life a miserable hell again."
"Ah, but I don't intend to be caught," Jareth told her with a smile.
"No one intends to get caught yet people still do. We were lucky that nothing ever became of your prank on Elizabeth. Don't play with fire because you are going to get burned," Sarah warned. She turned her back to Jareth and began to scrape any leftover food off the plates and into the bucket for the pigs.
"She's hurt us and since I can't show her who I truly am, my nature insists that I do this."
"Well, tell your nature to knock it off, " Sarah spat coldly.
The look on Jareth's face made Sarah sigh.
"I'm sorry, I should not have said that. You're Fae and that's how you act. Just.just try to tone it down, okay?"
He made two crystals appear at his fingertips as he nodded. Sarah watched him for a moment and then threw up her arms in aggravation. Hadn't he listened to a word she had said?
She turned back to the dishes, except the dishes were gone. Glancing up, she realized that they had been cleaned and put back into the cabinets. She spun around to face Jareth, but he, too, was gone.
* * *
The rest of the day passed by without incident as everyone did their chores and waited for Elizabeth and Mr. Henry to come home. They arrived in time for dinner both appeared tired.
Mr. Henry and Jacob talked of the war and some skirmishes between the redcoats and the colonists that had been heard about in town. Elizabeth talked non-stop about how wonderful William was and she hoped that he would ask her to marry him. Sarah thought she was going to be sick if she heard once more how William was such a gentleman who knew how to treat a lady.
The topic of marriage brought up the conversation of Jareth and Sarah's engagement. Mr. Henry was overjoyed for them while Elizabeth cut off the conversation and started talking about herself.
Jareth and Sarah spent more time alone together when everyone went to bed. They sat outside on the porch, gazing up at the stars. Jareth leaned his chair back against the wall of the house and effortlessly twirled a few crystals on his fingertips.
Sarah sighed at the sight and turned her attention to the atmosphere around her. She attempted to clear her thoughts but the clinking of glass against glass kept her from her task. She refrained from saying anything for now.
The following morning, Jareth was coming back from the barn after brushing Dan, when he noticed Mrs. Henry hanging the laundry.
She was humming to herself as she hung the last of her dresses on the rope line. As she put the final clothespin in place, she heard a snap. Her eyes widened when she realized that the clothesline had broken. Time seemed to pass by slowly as a wind that had not been there earlier whipped the clothes and line around her. She got tangled in some while the others fell onto dirt below the line.
Jareth watched the scene unfold from behind a large oak tree about 50 yards from the clothesline.
Mrs. Henry stood perfectly still for several moments with a wet dress wrapped around her. And then her face turned bright red as she shrieked and stomped her feet like a child having a tantrum. Jareth hid himself behind the tree and he had to cover his mouth with his hands to keep from laughing too loudly. His sides shook with merriment and his eyes filled with tears.
He finally got himself under control and watched as Mrs. Henry picked up all the clothes and hurled them angrily into her basket. She stomped off to the house to wash the clothes all over again.
When she had gone, Jareth used his magic to fix the rope so that it looked as if it had never broken at all.
Two days later, Jareth couldn't help playing another prank on the older woman.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when he noticed the small sack of flour on the shelf above Mrs. Henry. He hid himself in the hall and made the sack rip right down the center. Moments later, flour poured from the sack and Mrs. Henry became covered with the white powder from head to toe.
She blinked in shock for a few moments and then she began to cough and sneeze. She started shrieking again and her movements sent flour in all directions. Soon, it looked as if it had snowed inside the kitchen.
Jareth bit back his laughter as he backed into the living room. He bumped into Sarah who had come downstairs to go out and feed the animals.
Sarah was curious to why Jareth's face was so red and why he had been backing away from the kitchen. She heard a commotion in the kitchen and peered in to investigate. She gasped when she saw Mrs. Henry. The older woman was covered in flour and so was the kitchen. Sarah backed away from the room and directly into Jareth who was trying very hard to not roll with laughter right there in the living room.
Angrily, Sarah took his hand into hers and dragged him out the front door of the house.
Jareth's brows rose in surprise as Sarah stomped her way to the barn.
Once inside the barn, she closed the doors and spun to face him. The horses whinnied, excited that breakfast was coming, but Sarah ignored them.
Jareth watched her watching him for a moment. He was surprised about the way she had stormed to the barn, dragging him behind her. Her manner was childlike, something he hadn't seen in Sarah since her journey through his Labyrinth. He watched her turn and begin to pace. When it was clear that she wasn't going to say anything to him right away, he leaned against one of the stalls and absentmindedly twirled a few crystals on his fingertips.
Sarah turned to him again. Her expression became one of complete anger. "STOP IT!" she cried out at him. She didn't give him time to respond as she reached forward, snatching a crystal from Jareth's hand. He was so surprised by the action that the other two crystals fell from his hand. They fell onto the dirt floor of the barn and rolled a few feet away.
Jareth looked down at the crystals on the ground and then up at Sarah. She was clenching the crystal she had taken, looking as if she was trying to break it with her bare hands.
"What did you do that for?" Jareth snapped irritably.
"Are you stupid?" Sarah cried out. "Twirling your crystals around as if this was your world? Do you want someone to see that and accuse you of witchcraft or whatever? Do you know that in Salem they hung people if they thought they had magic? And what about these pranks of yours? Everyday it's something new! Why can't you just stop!"
"Why are you so angry with me?" Jareth asked in confusion.
Sarah groaned. "You agreed to tone it down, yet you're still doing things your way. First it was the apples, I'm sure you were responsible for the clothesline snapping and then appearing back in place, and now you dumped flour on Mrs. Henry!"
Jareth grinned at the thought of the older woman covered in flour. It was his best prank yet. But the grin faded as Sarah began to speak again.
"You have to stop. You have to."
"I don't have to do anything." Jareth shot back in annoyance. Did Sarah forget whom she was talking to? He was a King not some mere mortal.
"You got by without twirling crystals before. You can stop until it's time to go home. I'd like you to stop, for me," she added.
Jareth's brows lowered over his eyes. "Am I correct in assuming that you are expecting me to change who I am for you?"
Sarah snorted. "I'm not telling you to change who you are for me. That would be selfish and I'm not selfish."
Jareth let out a chuckle." We're all selfish at times, dear Sarah," he chided. "And insisting that I stop acting in ways that I am accustomed to acting is telling me to change."
"You can look at it however you want to look at it," Sarah told him crossing her arms over her chest.
Jareth tilted his head and looked curiously at Sarah. "Why are you snapping at me?"
"I'm not snapping at you."
"Yes, you are." Jareth stepped closer to her. "Why this sudden change in your attitude toward me?"
Sarah huffed. " I haven't changed my attitude about you. You're making something out of nothing."
Jareth shook his head. "No, that would be what you are doing. I'm not harming anyone with what I am doing. I'm having a little fun at Mrs. Henry's expense. She deserves much worse after what she has put us through." His mismatched eyes narrowed. "I could do much worse."
Sarah snorted. "Fine, continue your pranks if it makes you happy. But stop twirling those stupid crystals in my face. Every time that we're alone you're twirling them on your fingers."
"I do not twirl them in your face," he shot back.
"Whatever."
Jareth's brows furrowed. "Why are you choosing to pick an argument with me? I've done nothing wrong to you. Why does the fact that my magic is returning and my habits resurfacing offend you so?"
"I'm not offended," Sarah snorted.
"You are clearly acting as if I am offending you. Why do my habits suddenly bother you?" Jareth took a step closer and Sarah tore away from him as if he was some repulsive creature. How had things escalated so quickly to this? He frowned openly.
"I have things to do," Sarah said in a dismissive tone. She started to move away.
"You haven't answered my question," he told her.
She began the task of feeding the animals and ignored Jareth's presence completely. She felt Jareth's eyes on her as she worked but she didn't turn to face him.
"And you are apparently not going to answer it," he said softly.
It was a while later when Sarah heard him leave the barn to go out and feed the animals in pens.
She gave a deep sigh when he was gone. She lifted one hand and massaged her temples. Her entire body felt tense and she didn't know why. She moved her hand away and leaned against one of the stalls. She had been a bit snappy at Jareth. While thinking about it, she had been angry with him, too. In fact, each day she seemed to grow angrier and angrier with him.
His stupid pranks were going to get them in trouble and his annoying habit of playing with his crystals got on her nerves. She knew she should have been happy that Jareth's magic was returning. It meant that she could go home. But where was home? Back with her family or with Jareth?
She sighed and realized that she had just agreed to marry Jareth. Which meant that her home was no longer the familiar large white house at the end of County St. It was a vast decaying maze filled with strange creatures, and a large drafty castle at the center filled with smelly, messy goblins. A place she had only spent 13 hours of her existence in.
But Sarah knew that her new home wasn't what truly bothered her. She could grow to love the Labyrinth and believe it to be her home, but that all depended on Jareth.
When Jareth proposed, he was a different man than the one who had taken her baby brother and the one that had gotten them lost in the 18th century. He had changed due to his new environment in the mortal world. The fact that he had no magic, no familiarity of his past life surrounding him had made him less dangerous and more.well, like a mortal. Sarah realized with his magic returning that the Jareth she had fallen in love with was transforming into Jareth, the Goblin King. The man who kicked goblins and manipulated people to get what he wanted.
How would she react to him when he had all his magic back and, more importantly, how would he act around her?
Sarah frowned. What if he became someone she didn't know? It wasn't unheard of. Many times people married and later found out that the person they married was a different person than who they thought they were. Who was to say that couldn't happen?
Sarah suddenly felt sick to her stomach. The thought of Jareth becoming someone she didn't know or love anymore was frightening. What if she married some crystal twirling psycho? She would be stuck by his side for the rest of her life, trapped in his world with nowhere else to go. The thought of it was jarring reality.
Sarah suddenly felt like she had to get away from the barn and clear her mind. She quickly finished her task of feeding the animals and then rushed outside.
Special thanks to my wonderful beta and friend, Scattered Logic.
Chapter 27: Worries about the future
The house was quiet when Jareth and Sarah entered. They had expected there to be a shouting match going on, but instead they were met with only the steady tick of the grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs.
Sarah seemed to relax at the silence but Jareth remained alert and ready. Almost as if waiting to be ambushed.
They walked quietly through the kitchen and Jareth halted when he saw a lantern burning on the table beside one of the chairs in the living room.
"It's about time," came a feminine voice. A voice that was strained from too much arguing.
Jareth felt Sarah clutch his arm tightly.
Mrs. Henry rose from the chair she was sitting on and Jareth and Sarah got a good look at her. She looked tired and worn down.
Jareth expected a shouting match to ensue but nearly the opposite happened.
Mrs. Henry gestured calmly to the couch. "Both of you please sit down."
Jareth settled on the couch uncomfortably, his posture stiff and erect. Sarah sat beside him, holding his hand firmly.
Mrs. Henry sat down in the chair again. "There are certain rules in this house that are expected to be obeyed and the two of you have broken every single one of them. Jacob seems to think that I owe you both an apology for the way I've acted even though I was upholding those rules."
"You weren't upholding them. You were enslaving us with them," Sarah shot at her.
"I hardly think that anyone in this house has enslaved you. Until I discovered that you two had a serious attraction, the rules were very simple. It was only when you broke rules that every parent, every adult swears by, that there was a problem." Mrs. Henry looked into Sarah's eyes. "Can you honestly tell me that were your mother alive, that she would have allowed her daughter to go off with a man whenever she pleased?"
Sarah lowered her head.
"Well, child, would she have allowed that?"
Sarah shook her head. "No," she replied softly.
"I wanted to protect you, child."
"I don't need protecting from Jareth."
"We all need protecting, even from ourselves at times," Mrs. Henry said, making sure she got the last word in. "Jacob has made me see that I went too far, but I only wanted what is best for you."
Jareth snorted.
"If that was true then you would have let me see and speak to Jareth," Sarah told her. "You would know that he is what is best for me."
"He might be what is best for you now, but what about in the future? You can't stay at this farm forever. As grateful as we are for the help, there will be a time for you to move on. How will Jareth provide for you when he has no money or estate?"
"I have money and an estate," Jareth started. "My estate is in need of repair but it will be fixed when I bring Sarah home to it."
"If you have such things, then why are you here?" Mrs. Henry asked. This was the first she had heard that Jareth owned anything.
"We were not meant to come here. It was an accident," Jareth told her, treading carefully. "But we are here and until we are able to return to our home, this is the safest place we can be. I will not risk bringing Sarah into the wild or into any towns. Not with war lingering about."
Mrs. Henry's eyebrows rose. "Yet, you were ready to take her when we argued."
Jareth's brows lowered over his eyes. "I was angry and you provoked me."
"Perhaps," Mrs. Henry said in a dismissive manner. "Are you willing to commit yourself to this woman and care for her needs or do you think you can have your way with her and leave?"
Jareth reached for Sarah's hand and held it up so that Mrs. Henry could see the ring on her finger. "I have already committed to her and I stand by my word."
Mrs. Henry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You didn't waste much time, which can only mean one thing. She's carrying your child."
"She is not carrying my child," Jareth's voice dripped with annoyance.
"That could be possible and yet you would still be willing to wed her?" the older woman tested.
Jareth did his best to keep from lashing out at the woman. "It was my intention to ask her some time ago. Whether she was with child or not."
Mrs. Henry crossed her arms over her chest. "Why didn't you ask her then?"
"He's asked me and that's all that matters," Sarah snapped. "It's not any of your business why he asked, when he asked or anything else. He's asked and I've accepted."
"True, child." Mrs. Henry glanced at the grandfather clock. She gave a sigh. "The hour grows late. We should retire."
Jareth and Sarah rose quickly. Jareth was surprised that what he had expected and what had actually happened upon their arrival was as different as night and day.
"I would like Sarah to stay. I'd like to have a few words with her." Mrs. Henry noticed how Jareth's arm went possessively around Sarah. "We'll be just a few minutes."
"It's all right," Sarah whispered to him.
Jareth glanced at Mrs. Henry, his eyes narrowed dangerously. It was very obvious that he didn't trust the woman as far as he could throw her. He peered down at Sarah again and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He didn't intend to hide what he felt for Sarah from anyone. Having an audience, she hesitated at first, but responded slightly. Regretfully, he broke their embrace after a few short moments.
"I'll see you in the morning," she told him softly.
He nodded and moved slowly away from her. His eyes didn't leave Sarah's form until he was out of view.
Mrs. Henry waited until she heard the door to Jareth's room open and close before she spoke. "I think you are making a terrible mistake."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "The only mistake is you believing that you can keep us apart. While I appreciate your motherly concern, I don't need it or want it. I've made my decision. I'm marrying Jareth."
"Do you truly believe that he will care for you?"
"Yes," Sarah answered without hesitation.
"What about when you're carrying his child?"
"Even more so then," Sarah replied proudly.
"What about when another pretty young girl turns his head?" Mrs. Henry attempted.
"My answer isn't going to change," Sarah told her firmly.
Mrs. Henry shook her head. It was obvious that right now Sarah wasn't going to change her mind. "Go to bed, child. We'll speak of this later."
Sarah turned and left, climbing the stairs without looking back.
* * *
The following morning Sarah awakened, got dressed and tried to get back into the daily routine of feeding the animals. She had recovered very well from her bout with cholera and felt it was time to seriously take part in her chores again. She would do almost anything to keep herself out of the house and away from Mrs. Henry.
"You feed them and come right back," Mrs. Henry told Sarah as she passed through the kitchen. "Elizabeth is coming home today and Ellie is coming up from the field to help, but I still need the floors washed in the upstairs hall."
Sarah nodded but didn't say a word as she left the house.
A few minutes later, Jareth came down the stairs. His eyes narrowed when he saw Mrs. Henry cutting something on the table.
"Jacob's already out chopping the wood. He might need a hand," she told him without looking up.
"Very well," Jareth told her and he started for the door.
"Sarah's out feeding the animals. She looked tired so she might need some help. She thinks she's recovered but not completely."
Jareth halted when he heard her words. Had he heard her correctly? He turned to face her.
"Don't go getting any ideas," Mrs. Henry told him as she shook a finger at him. "Just because I might start allowing you to see some of her. I only do it because it will keep the stress down for her. Can't have stress if she's pregnant and still recovering."
Jareth gritted his teeth. "Sarah is not pregnant."
"Yes, and Jacob's horse, Flame, can fly," the older woman said sarcastically. "The only reason a man offers to marry a woman as quickly as you did is because she is pregnant OR because he doesn't want her to wed another." She raised her brows and Jareth understood what she was referring to.
His brows lowered over his mismatched eyes. "I am certain that Sarah told you our engagement was none of your business. I have asked her and that is all you need to know," he spat coldly.
Mrs. Henry wiped her hands on a cloth and walked to him. "I don't like that she's planning to marry you and I'll warn you right now that I'm prepared to do what it takes to convince her otherwise."
Jareth turned so that he faced her fully. "Do what you will but Sarah has made her choice. We will be wed as soon as possible." He turned on his heel and left the kitchen. As he was leaving, he saw Ellie coming to the house with an apron full of apples.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted.
He nodded a greeting and continued to walk. He heard Ellie enter the house and heard Mrs. Henry's voice.
"Oh, you've brought apples. And perfect ones, too. I can cut them up and make a fine pie. Please set them in a bowl on the table, Ellie."
A grin appeared on Jareth's face as he continued to walk.
* * *
He was still grinning when he entered the barn. Sarah was emptying food into one of the troughs when she saw him.
"Jareth!" She quickly dumped the rest of the food in, dropped the bucket at her feet and rushed into his waiting arms.
He held her tightly against him. "Good morning." He gave her a squeeze and then pulled back, brushing her hair behind her shoulders.
Sarah smiled and noticed the smirk on his face. "What are you grinning about?"
Jareth bent his head to one side and placed a kiss on Sarah's neck. "I'll just say that the perfect apple will not be found in Mrs. Henry's kitchen."
Sarah cocked her head to the side and looked at Jareth for a moment. "Jareth, what did you do?"
"I just played a harmless prank." He pressed another kiss against her, this time on her cheek. "Nothing for you to worry about."
She shook her head. He was worse than a child. "What are you doing here?"
He feigned an expression of offense. "Oh, you don't want me here?" he purred.
Sarah laughed. "I never said that."
Jareth fingered her silky brown hair. "It was suggested that I offer you some assistance and then I am going to offer the same to Jacob."
Sarah appeared shocked. "Mrs. Henry told you to help me? That doesn't sound quite right."
Jareth shook his head. "It isn't. After she suggested it to me, she told me that she wasn't pleased that you and I planned to wed and she thinks that she can change your mind about it."
Sarah snorted. "Fat chance."
Jareth chuckled softly.
"What?" Sarah asked. "Why are you laughing at me?"
Jareth drew her to him. "Because mortals use such strange phrases. 'Having a cow', 'fat chance'. I find them amusing."
Sarah smiled.
Jareth kissed her again, this time on the lips. The kiss intensified and soon hands were roaming and lips were slanting hungrily. One of Jareth's hands moved to Sarah's breast and with a heaving sigh Sarah suggested that they stop.
Jareth leaned his forehead against Sarah's.
"She's given us a chance to be together and alone. We shouldn't take advantage of that," Sarah told him.
Jareth looked disappointed.
"At least not yet," she told him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
He moved back and nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't provoke her, even if she deserves it."
Sarah once again looked shocked. "You're agreeing with me?"
Jareth couldn't resist placing a soft kiss beneath Sarah's ear. He felt her shiver at the touch. "Of course, darling," he purred.
"You not taking advantage of a situation? That doesn't seem like you," Sarah teased.
"I don't like this situation any more than you do," Jareth told her. "I just plan to handle this in my own way."
Sarah frowned. "Your own way? I don't know if I like the sound of that."
Jareth grinned revealing his sharp teeth. "Trust me."
"I do trust you."
Jareth kissed her hair. "Then you have nothing to worry about."
Sarah laughed. "Tell me, Your Majesty, what does your own way entail?" Sarah smirked.
Jareth kissed her gently on the lips. "If I told you, what fun would that be? With my magic returning to me, the fun has just started. Believe me." He grinned. "Now, what needs to be done?"
Sarah sighed. "I still have the cows and horses to feed. I've finished the smaller animals, well, except for collecting the chicken eggs. I figured I would do that last."
"I'll feed the cows and horses and you gather the eggs."
Sarah nodded.
* * *
After finishing their own chores, Jareth and Sarah went to help Jacob. He was nearly done chopping the wood but he was grateful for the help and the company.
Sarah piled the wood as the two men chopped it. "Jacob, I wanted to thank you for siding with Jareth and myself. You've been a big help."
Jacob swung the ax and sliced a piece of wood. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Sarah. "It was the least that I could do. After all, it was my fault the trouble started in the first place."
Jareth shook his head. "It was not your fault. We would have been discovered eventually and the reaction might have been much worse. We could have been cast from the house and left with nothing."
Jacob chopped another piece of wood. "While my mother is overreacting, she really is a kind woman at heart. I don't truly believe that she would cast you from the house. You've seen her when she's sweet and usually that's how she acts. Death does strange things to people. My mother took losing her sister and her nephew harder than we thought. It changed her so that she felt she had to protect everyone, to the point where she bordered on obsession. She'll be difficult for a while but she will come around." Jacob smiled. "Trust me, I know."
Sarah laughed. "I'm sure you do!"
Jacob and Jareth cut a few more pieces. With the wood finally chopped they all loaded up and walked toward the house.
After unloading the wood into a wooden box in the kitchen, they all sat down at the table for breakfast.
Everyone was fairly quiet as they opened their mouths for food and not talk.
"We would have had nice apple pie for dessert tonight, but it wasn't meant to be," Mrs. Henry mumbled.
Jareth looked up from eating his food and grinned devilishly. "Whatever do you mean by that, Mrs. Henry?"
Mrs. Henry looked flustered. "Well, don't you know that after I peeled all the apples that they all had worms in them? All of them. That's never happened before. It was like someone or something was working against me!"
Jareth smiled. "I couldn't imagine that happening." He took a bite of his eggs and felt Sarah's heavy stare. He gazed up at her and noticed she looked upset. Later, he would have to ask her what was wrong.
Breakfast was uneventful. Although Mrs. Henry kept a watchful eye on Jareth and Sarah, she was too upset about all the work she put into the apples to pester the two.
Jareth helped Sarah carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen when everyone had finished eating. When they were alone, she shook her head back and forth.
"What?" Jareth asked looking innocent.
She put her hands on her hips and looked frustrated. "You're going to get us in trouble."
His brows arched. "How so?"
Sarah groaned. "You made worms appear in all the apples, just like there was a worm in my peach when I woke up in the junk pile."
"It was a harmless prank," Jareth insisted with a casual shrug. He didn't understand what she was so flustered about.
Sarah moved closer to him and lowered her voice. "Mrs. Henry let us spend some time together today. If we continue to show her that we are responsible then that time will increase. If you start playing pranks and she finds out, she's going to make our life a miserable hell again."
"Ah, but I don't intend to be caught," Jareth told her with a smile.
"No one intends to get caught yet people still do. We were lucky that nothing ever became of your prank on Elizabeth. Don't play with fire because you are going to get burned," Sarah warned. She turned her back to Jareth and began to scrape any leftover food off the plates and into the bucket for the pigs.
"She's hurt us and since I can't show her who I truly am, my nature insists that I do this."
"Well, tell your nature to knock it off, " Sarah spat coldly.
The look on Jareth's face made Sarah sigh.
"I'm sorry, I should not have said that. You're Fae and that's how you act. Just.just try to tone it down, okay?"
He made two crystals appear at his fingertips as he nodded. Sarah watched him for a moment and then threw up her arms in aggravation. Hadn't he listened to a word she had said?
She turned back to the dishes, except the dishes were gone. Glancing up, she realized that they had been cleaned and put back into the cabinets. She spun around to face Jareth, but he, too, was gone.
* * *
The rest of the day passed by without incident as everyone did their chores and waited for Elizabeth and Mr. Henry to come home. They arrived in time for dinner both appeared tired.
Mr. Henry and Jacob talked of the war and some skirmishes between the redcoats and the colonists that had been heard about in town. Elizabeth talked non-stop about how wonderful William was and she hoped that he would ask her to marry him. Sarah thought she was going to be sick if she heard once more how William was such a gentleman who knew how to treat a lady.
The topic of marriage brought up the conversation of Jareth and Sarah's engagement. Mr. Henry was overjoyed for them while Elizabeth cut off the conversation and started talking about herself.
Jareth and Sarah spent more time alone together when everyone went to bed. They sat outside on the porch, gazing up at the stars. Jareth leaned his chair back against the wall of the house and effortlessly twirled a few crystals on his fingertips.
Sarah sighed at the sight and turned her attention to the atmosphere around her. She attempted to clear her thoughts but the clinking of glass against glass kept her from her task. She refrained from saying anything for now.
The following morning, Jareth was coming back from the barn after brushing Dan, when he noticed Mrs. Henry hanging the laundry.
She was humming to herself as she hung the last of her dresses on the rope line. As she put the final clothespin in place, she heard a snap. Her eyes widened when she realized that the clothesline had broken. Time seemed to pass by slowly as a wind that had not been there earlier whipped the clothes and line around her. She got tangled in some while the others fell onto dirt below the line.
Jareth watched the scene unfold from behind a large oak tree about 50 yards from the clothesline.
Mrs. Henry stood perfectly still for several moments with a wet dress wrapped around her. And then her face turned bright red as she shrieked and stomped her feet like a child having a tantrum. Jareth hid himself behind the tree and he had to cover his mouth with his hands to keep from laughing too loudly. His sides shook with merriment and his eyes filled with tears.
He finally got himself under control and watched as Mrs. Henry picked up all the clothes and hurled them angrily into her basket. She stomped off to the house to wash the clothes all over again.
When she had gone, Jareth used his magic to fix the rope so that it looked as if it had never broken at all.
Two days later, Jareth couldn't help playing another prank on the older woman.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when he noticed the small sack of flour on the shelf above Mrs. Henry. He hid himself in the hall and made the sack rip right down the center. Moments later, flour poured from the sack and Mrs. Henry became covered with the white powder from head to toe.
She blinked in shock for a few moments and then she began to cough and sneeze. She started shrieking again and her movements sent flour in all directions. Soon, it looked as if it had snowed inside the kitchen.
Jareth bit back his laughter as he backed into the living room. He bumped into Sarah who had come downstairs to go out and feed the animals.
Sarah was curious to why Jareth's face was so red and why he had been backing away from the kitchen. She heard a commotion in the kitchen and peered in to investigate. She gasped when she saw Mrs. Henry. The older woman was covered in flour and so was the kitchen. Sarah backed away from the room and directly into Jareth who was trying very hard to not roll with laughter right there in the living room.
Angrily, Sarah took his hand into hers and dragged him out the front door of the house.
Jareth's brows rose in surprise as Sarah stomped her way to the barn.
Once inside the barn, she closed the doors and spun to face him. The horses whinnied, excited that breakfast was coming, but Sarah ignored them.
Jareth watched her watching him for a moment. He was surprised about the way she had stormed to the barn, dragging him behind her. Her manner was childlike, something he hadn't seen in Sarah since her journey through his Labyrinth. He watched her turn and begin to pace. When it was clear that she wasn't going to say anything to him right away, he leaned against one of the stalls and absentmindedly twirled a few crystals on his fingertips.
Sarah turned to him again. Her expression became one of complete anger. "STOP IT!" she cried out at him. She didn't give him time to respond as she reached forward, snatching a crystal from Jareth's hand. He was so surprised by the action that the other two crystals fell from his hand. They fell onto the dirt floor of the barn and rolled a few feet away.
Jareth looked down at the crystals on the ground and then up at Sarah. She was clenching the crystal she had taken, looking as if she was trying to break it with her bare hands.
"What did you do that for?" Jareth snapped irritably.
"Are you stupid?" Sarah cried out. "Twirling your crystals around as if this was your world? Do you want someone to see that and accuse you of witchcraft or whatever? Do you know that in Salem they hung people if they thought they had magic? And what about these pranks of yours? Everyday it's something new! Why can't you just stop!"
"Why are you so angry with me?" Jareth asked in confusion.
Sarah groaned. "You agreed to tone it down, yet you're still doing things your way. First it was the apples, I'm sure you were responsible for the clothesline snapping and then appearing back in place, and now you dumped flour on Mrs. Henry!"
Jareth grinned at the thought of the older woman covered in flour. It was his best prank yet. But the grin faded as Sarah began to speak again.
"You have to stop. You have to."
"I don't have to do anything." Jareth shot back in annoyance. Did Sarah forget whom she was talking to? He was a King not some mere mortal.
"You got by without twirling crystals before. You can stop until it's time to go home. I'd like you to stop, for me," she added.
Jareth's brows lowered over his eyes. "Am I correct in assuming that you are expecting me to change who I am for you?"
Sarah snorted. "I'm not telling you to change who you are for me. That would be selfish and I'm not selfish."
Jareth let out a chuckle." We're all selfish at times, dear Sarah," he chided. "And insisting that I stop acting in ways that I am accustomed to acting is telling me to change."
"You can look at it however you want to look at it," Sarah told him crossing her arms over her chest.
Jareth tilted his head and looked curiously at Sarah. "Why are you snapping at me?"
"I'm not snapping at you."
"Yes, you are." Jareth stepped closer to her. "Why this sudden change in your attitude toward me?"
Sarah huffed. " I haven't changed my attitude about you. You're making something out of nothing."
Jareth shook his head. "No, that would be what you are doing. I'm not harming anyone with what I am doing. I'm having a little fun at Mrs. Henry's expense. She deserves much worse after what she has put us through." His mismatched eyes narrowed. "I could do much worse."
Sarah snorted. "Fine, continue your pranks if it makes you happy. But stop twirling those stupid crystals in my face. Every time that we're alone you're twirling them on your fingers."
"I do not twirl them in your face," he shot back.
"Whatever."
Jareth's brows furrowed. "Why are you choosing to pick an argument with me? I've done nothing wrong to you. Why does the fact that my magic is returning and my habits resurfacing offend you so?"
"I'm not offended," Sarah snorted.
"You are clearly acting as if I am offending you. Why do my habits suddenly bother you?" Jareth took a step closer and Sarah tore away from him as if he was some repulsive creature. How had things escalated so quickly to this? He frowned openly.
"I have things to do," Sarah said in a dismissive tone. She started to move away.
"You haven't answered my question," he told her.
She began the task of feeding the animals and ignored Jareth's presence completely. She felt Jareth's eyes on her as she worked but she didn't turn to face him.
"And you are apparently not going to answer it," he said softly.
It was a while later when Sarah heard him leave the barn to go out and feed the animals in pens.
She gave a deep sigh when he was gone. She lifted one hand and massaged her temples. Her entire body felt tense and she didn't know why. She moved her hand away and leaned against one of the stalls. She had been a bit snappy at Jareth. While thinking about it, she had been angry with him, too. In fact, each day she seemed to grow angrier and angrier with him.
His stupid pranks were going to get them in trouble and his annoying habit of playing with his crystals got on her nerves. She knew she should have been happy that Jareth's magic was returning. It meant that she could go home. But where was home? Back with her family or with Jareth?
She sighed and realized that she had just agreed to marry Jareth. Which meant that her home was no longer the familiar large white house at the end of County St. It was a vast decaying maze filled with strange creatures, and a large drafty castle at the center filled with smelly, messy goblins. A place she had only spent 13 hours of her existence in.
But Sarah knew that her new home wasn't what truly bothered her. She could grow to love the Labyrinth and believe it to be her home, but that all depended on Jareth.
When Jareth proposed, he was a different man than the one who had taken her baby brother and the one that had gotten them lost in the 18th century. He had changed due to his new environment in the mortal world. The fact that he had no magic, no familiarity of his past life surrounding him had made him less dangerous and more.well, like a mortal. Sarah realized with his magic returning that the Jareth she had fallen in love with was transforming into Jareth, the Goblin King. The man who kicked goblins and manipulated people to get what he wanted.
How would she react to him when he had all his magic back and, more importantly, how would he act around her?
Sarah frowned. What if he became someone she didn't know? It wasn't unheard of. Many times people married and later found out that the person they married was a different person than who they thought they were. Who was to say that couldn't happen?
Sarah suddenly felt sick to her stomach. The thought of Jareth becoming someone she didn't know or love anymore was frightening. What if she married some crystal twirling psycho? She would be stuck by his side for the rest of her life, trapped in his world with nowhere else to go. The thought of it was jarring reality.
Sarah suddenly felt like she had to get away from the barn and clear her mind. She quickly finished her task of feeding the animals and then rushed outside.