AN: Wow! Thanks for the feedback ( Keep it coming, the more I get the more
motivated I am ;) though I will keep writing anyhow, just slightly more
like a mud puddle. So-enjoy!
Buffy's eyes opened wide. "You wished away your little brother," her gaze flicked over to Jareth, clearly doubting Sarah's sanity, "to him?"
"Yeah." Sarah didn't need Buffy to make her feel any stupider or guiltier for it. "I was younger, and stupider, and he wouldn't stop crying, and Karen was always making me baby-sit him." She defended herself lamely.
"Indeed, you were quite overburdened and neglected as I remember." Jareth mocked Sarah. Spike shook his head sadly, "My sister wished me away to protect me, I wish I had been able to do the same for her." Jareth walked to Spike's side and placed a comforting hand on the vampire's shoulder. Both Buffy and Sarah were thrown by the tender moment between the two men and maybe just a little jealous.
They were walking towards a dense forest that seemed to allow little sunlight through its oppressive foliage.
"We should be able---" Jareth cut himself short, his gaze had drifted to the slayer, her pallor had become pale and wan. Her breathing seemed labored as well.
"Able to what?" Buffy asked, getting impatient with all the secrecy, she just wanted to get out of here and home. Spike looked to her.
"'Cor Slayer, you look awful."
"Shut up Spike" She spun angrily to face the vampire, the momentum too much for her, she pitched forward. The world was a blur to her eyes for a moment, before they closed-- a blackness enveloping her weary mind. Jareth was the closest to Buffy he lunged forward and caught her in his arms. Without thought, Spike was next to Jareth again, his hand resting on Buffy's cheek.
"Buffy." his voice was soft, her appearance lacked all of the strength he associated with her. Sarah looked at them in worry, then she looked behind them, in the distance Jareth's castle could be seen, at the heart of the Labyrinth. It was covered in the black swarm they had seen through the throne room windows. Her observations were cut short as the ground beneath them trembled again.
"Quick, run to the forest." Jareth shouted. Spike grabbed Sarah's hand, running with her to the trees. A hill behind them rose up and started rolling behind them like the ocean in the middle of a huge storm.
They barely made it to the edge of the forest, the rolling grass and dirt stopped, as if an invisible wall were there.
"What's going on Jareth?" Sarah panted, her hand still in Spike's. It took Jareth a moment to respond.
"I am not entirely sure. We are safe here, this is the oldest part of my kingdom, the magic here is the strongest in the kingdom and it will not bend to the Lady Trevlei's will so easily. Here these trees break before they bend. To break the magic here would be devastating." He took a deep breath and started walking again, further into the forest. "Follow me, there is a sanctuary not far away, we should be able to tend to the Slayer there and try to figure out what our next course of action is going to be."
"Do you think she is going to be ok?" Sarah whispered nervously to the vampire. She had only known him less than a day; she was intimidated by him. She had been at first because he had reminded her of Jareth, and with good reason, it seemed, but now, well he was a vampire for heaven's sake!
"I have never seen the Slayer faint. She is never weak." Spike shook his head, trying to figure it all out, but he didn't have all of the facts and thinking about it only frustrated him more. He let out a small growl, startled when he felt Sarah tug at his hand. He had forgotten he was still holding it. He looked over to her with a somewhat sheepish expression. "Sorry luv, I got carried away with my thoughts."
Sarah pursed her lips and nodded, still she tugged her hand free of his and wiped it nervously on her pants. She smiled slightly; she seemed to have the luck to appear for her adventures in the appropriate clothing. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had wished Toby away the first time after she had gotten dressed for bed. Jareth would have seen her in her nightgown. Suddenly her mind took a more heated turn and she blushed. Shoving those thoughts away, she looked around her guiltily, only to see Spike staring at her with a funny smirk on his face.
"Something has you hot and bothered love." He winked.
"What are you psychic?" she covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh." She hadn't meant to say that.
"No, just a vampire. You blushed, blood and all, rather tuned into that." Sarah felt her face quickly try and match the '55 cherry red corvette her last boyfriend had driven.
"Oh." Both Spike and Sarah stopped walking as they came to be standing in front of a large stone building. It was about three stories tall, had a tower. No windows, and large wooden doors. I looked older than anything either had ever seen.
Buffy's eyes opened wide. "You wished away your little brother," her gaze flicked over to Jareth, clearly doubting Sarah's sanity, "to him?"
"Yeah." Sarah didn't need Buffy to make her feel any stupider or guiltier for it. "I was younger, and stupider, and he wouldn't stop crying, and Karen was always making me baby-sit him." She defended herself lamely.
"Indeed, you were quite overburdened and neglected as I remember." Jareth mocked Sarah. Spike shook his head sadly, "My sister wished me away to protect me, I wish I had been able to do the same for her." Jareth walked to Spike's side and placed a comforting hand on the vampire's shoulder. Both Buffy and Sarah were thrown by the tender moment between the two men and maybe just a little jealous.
They were walking towards a dense forest that seemed to allow little sunlight through its oppressive foliage.
"We should be able---" Jareth cut himself short, his gaze had drifted to the slayer, her pallor had become pale and wan. Her breathing seemed labored as well.
"Able to what?" Buffy asked, getting impatient with all the secrecy, she just wanted to get out of here and home. Spike looked to her.
"'Cor Slayer, you look awful."
"Shut up Spike" She spun angrily to face the vampire, the momentum too much for her, she pitched forward. The world was a blur to her eyes for a moment, before they closed-- a blackness enveloping her weary mind. Jareth was the closest to Buffy he lunged forward and caught her in his arms. Without thought, Spike was next to Jareth again, his hand resting on Buffy's cheek.
"Buffy." his voice was soft, her appearance lacked all of the strength he associated with her. Sarah looked at them in worry, then she looked behind them, in the distance Jareth's castle could be seen, at the heart of the Labyrinth. It was covered in the black swarm they had seen through the throne room windows. Her observations were cut short as the ground beneath them trembled again.
"Quick, run to the forest." Jareth shouted. Spike grabbed Sarah's hand, running with her to the trees. A hill behind them rose up and started rolling behind them like the ocean in the middle of a huge storm.
They barely made it to the edge of the forest, the rolling grass and dirt stopped, as if an invisible wall were there.
"What's going on Jareth?" Sarah panted, her hand still in Spike's. It took Jareth a moment to respond.
"I am not entirely sure. We are safe here, this is the oldest part of my kingdom, the magic here is the strongest in the kingdom and it will not bend to the Lady Trevlei's will so easily. Here these trees break before they bend. To break the magic here would be devastating." He took a deep breath and started walking again, further into the forest. "Follow me, there is a sanctuary not far away, we should be able to tend to the Slayer there and try to figure out what our next course of action is going to be."
"Do you think she is going to be ok?" Sarah whispered nervously to the vampire. She had only known him less than a day; she was intimidated by him. She had been at first because he had reminded her of Jareth, and with good reason, it seemed, but now, well he was a vampire for heaven's sake!
"I have never seen the Slayer faint. She is never weak." Spike shook his head, trying to figure it all out, but he didn't have all of the facts and thinking about it only frustrated him more. He let out a small growl, startled when he felt Sarah tug at his hand. He had forgotten he was still holding it. He looked over to her with a somewhat sheepish expression. "Sorry luv, I got carried away with my thoughts."
Sarah pursed her lips and nodded, still she tugged her hand free of his and wiped it nervously on her pants. She smiled slightly; she seemed to have the luck to appear for her adventures in the appropriate clothing. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had wished Toby away the first time after she had gotten dressed for bed. Jareth would have seen her in her nightgown. Suddenly her mind took a more heated turn and she blushed. Shoving those thoughts away, she looked around her guiltily, only to see Spike staring at her with a funny smirk on his face.
"Something has you hot and bothered love." He winked.
"What are you psychic?" she covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh." She hadn't meant to say that.
"No, just a vampire. You blushed, blood and all, rather tuned into that." Sarah felt her face quickly try and match the '55 cherry red corvette her last boyfriend had driven.
"Oh." Both Spike and Sarah stopped walking as they came to be standing in front of a large stone building. It was about three stories tall, had a tower. No windows, and large wooden doors. I looked older than anything either had ever seen.