AN: First off, ya'll absolutely rock for reviewing, the good, the bad, I read
each and every one. Here's the next chapter and once again, pardon me for the
shortness but I felt like something was better than nothing. Hope ya'll agree! ;)
************************ Take Me Away: Chapter Three **************************
He returned twelve hours and forty five minutes later, fifteen minutes before she
was his forever. She had moved to the fountain that stood before the Labyrinth's
gates. Sarah had taken off her slippers and was cooling her feet in the water.
The sun was high in the sky.
Jareth's face was dark and forbidding as he materialized next to her with his usual
fanfare of magic and glitter. She shivered but otherwise ignored the Goblin King.
"You're really doing this."
It wasn't a question but Sarah answered anyway, voice tired, weary, and almost bitter.
"Yes, I am."
"Why?!" The question, demand, hung heavy in the air between them. She paused and thought
of telling him, if only for a moment, but shrugged the impulse away. Her secrets were
hers to keep, for now.
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me!" The Goblin King's anger was swift and terrible as he knelt beside
her and glared with eyes so cold they froze. Sarah was no longer entirely in control of
the situation and she hated it.
"Why do you care?" she asked, a demand of her own. "What does it matter? You've won.
Don't you see that? In…" Sarah glanced down at her watch, "In ten minutes you will have
complete and total victory over the only one who has ever, quite literally, bested you at
your own game. Why do my reasons matter?"
Jareth growled, the sound low and savage in the back of his throat. She almost flinched
but caught herself, barely. Sarah couldn't contain the tremble that ran through her when
he reached out with his gloved hand to cup her cheek.
"It matters because this isn't winning Sarah, and you and I both know it. This isn't a
real game- its a forfeit, a dishonorable defeat. This is surrender."
She smiled, despite herself. "And beating the child I was would have been a worthy
victory? Do you truly hold the Labyrinth in such low esteem?"
A smile curled on his lips, though she could tell he was fighting it. "Must you always
twist my words?"
"Merely returning the favor of services rendered so long ago." Sarah winked and drew
away from his hold before reaching into a pocket and showing him her offering. "Peach?"
Jareth stared at the ripe fruit held in her hand and shook his shaggy head ruefully.
"Where in the Bog did you get that pray tell?"
Sarah shrugged and gestured in a direction vaguely opposite of the Labyrinth before
rolling it skillfully down her arms, another trick she had mastered in honor of the
memory of a certain Goblin King. He watched with half bemused, half wary eyes as she
stopped its roll and held the fruit poised to her mouth, eyes intent on his.
"If I eat it, will it show me my dreams Jareth?"
"Sarah…"
"Come now Jareth, you offered them to me once. Can't a girl take a second shot?"
He raised sculptured brows. "I do believe I made the offer several times if memory
serves correctly. You were quite forceful in your refusal. That I do remember."
Her eyes darkened as she looked up at him. "Things change." Sarah took a swift bite of
the peach as an unseen clock chimed thirteen, sealing her fate, and his. He knelt to
steady her as the peach took effect almost instantly. "What will I dream of Jareth?"
Sarah asked unsteadily as she fought sleep.
The Goblin King watched her with grave eyes and sighed deeply. "I wish I knew now Sarah,
I wish I knew." Her dark eyes closed, taking her secrets with her as he gathered her in
his arms. She was light, lighter than he could have imagined for a full grown woman, and
she curled her body towards the warmth of his chest.
Unsettled by the turn of the last thirteen hours he carefully transported them to his
castle to wait for her to wake. Apart from that, he didn't know. It wasn't often
immortals were at a loss but for the first time in millennium, the Goblin King didn't
quite know what to do, either with the woman in his arms or the implications behind her
desperate but heartfelt wish that had sent her out of her world and so permanently into
his.
each and every one. Here's the next chapter and once again, pardon me for the
shortness but I felt like something was better than nothing. Hope ya'll agree! ;)
************************ Take Me Away: Chapter Three **************************
He returned twelve hours and forty five minutes later, fifteen minutes before she
was his forever. She had moved to the fountain that stood before the Labyrinth's
gates. Sarah had taken off her slippers and was cooling her feet in the water.
The sun was high in the sky.
Jareth's face was dark and forbidding as he materialized next to her with his usual
fanfare of magic and glitter. She shivered but otherwise ignored the Goblin King.
"You're really doing this."
It wasn't a question but Sarah answered anyway, voice tired, weary, and almost bitter.
"Yes, I am."
"Why?!" The question, demand, hung heavy in the air between them. She paused and thought
of telling him, if only for a moment, but shrugged the impulse away. Her secrets were
hers to keep, for now.
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me!" The Goblin King's anger was swift and terrible as he knelt beside
her and glared with eyes so cold they froze. Sarah was no longer entirely in control of
the situation and she hated it.
"Why do you care?" she asked, a demand of her own. "What does it matter? You've won.
Don't you see that? In…" Sarah glanced down at her watch, "In ten minutes you will have
complete and total victory over the only one who has ever, quite literally, bested you at
your own game. Why do my reasons matter?"
Jareth growled, the sound low and savage in the back of his throat. She almost flinched
but caught herself, barely. Sarah couldn't contain the tremble that ran through her when
he reached out with his gloved hand to cup her cheek.
"It matters because this isn't winning Sarah, and you and I both know it. This isn't a
real game- its a forfeit, a dishonorable defeat. This is surrender."
She smiled, despite herself. "And beating the child I was would have been a worthy
victory? Do you truly hold the Labyrinth in such low esteem?"
A smile curled on his lips, though she could tell he was fighting it. "Must you always
twist my words?"
"Merely returning the favor of services rendered so long ago." Sarah winked and drew
away from his hold before reaching into a pocket and showing him her offering. "Peach?"
Jareth stared at the ripe fruit held in her hand and shook his shaggy head ruefully.
"Where in the Bog did you get that pray tell?"
Sarah shrugged and gestured in a direction vaguely opposite of the Labyrinth before
rolling it skillfully down her arms, another trick she had mastered in honor of the
memory of a certain Goblin King. He watched with half bemused, half wary eyes as she
stopped its roll and held the fruit poised to her mouth, eyes intent on his.
"If I eat it, will it show me my dreams Jareth?"
"Sarah…"
"Come now Jareth, you offered them to me once. Can't a girl take a second shot?"
He raised sculptured brows. "I do believe I made the offer several times if memory
serves correctly. You were quite forceful in your refusal. That I do remember."
Her eyes darkened as she looked up at him. "Things change." Sarah took a swift bite of
the peach as an unseen clock chimed thirteen, sealing her fate, and his. He knelt to
steady her as the peach took effect almost instantly. "What will I dream of Jareth?"
Sarah asked unsteadily as she fought sleep.
The Goblin King watched her with grave eyes and sighed deeply. "I wish I knew now Sarah,
I wish I knew." Her dark eyes closed, taking her secrets with her as he gathered her in
his arms. She was light, lighter than he could have imagined for a full grown woman, and
she curled her body towards the warmth of his chest.
Unsettled by the turn of the last thirteen hours he carefully transported them to his
castle to wait for her to wake. Apart from that, he didn't know. It wasn't often
immortals were at a loss but for the first time in millennium, the Goblin King didn't
quite know what to do, either with the woman in his arms or the implications behind her
desperate but heartfelt wish that had sent her out of her world and so permanently into
his.