AN: First off, I really want to thank everyone who has been reviewing,
new and old reviewers. Its wonderful to hear from you all. Just a heads
up, some character questions should be cleared up a bit in the last (next)
chapter so, stay tuned. It shouldn't take too long to post hopefully.
As always, I'm absolutely blown away by your responses.
Also, I know I always thank Irene, my beta (letylyf on FF.Net), but she
really helped make this chapter stronger with some good constructive
suggestions. Also, as a result, there's probably more mistakes than
usual because I rewrote things... LOL Any comments would be more than
welcome.
*************** Take Me Away: Chapter Ten *****************
Jareth knew before she did. Watched the subtle changes that Sarah didn't
notice, or wouldn't. His gloved fingers would brush the slender concave
curve of her stomach as he passed her, or as she slept, shivering from the
ghost of his feather light touch. He waited as long as he dared, willing
to give her a measure of ignorance since she seemed to wish it so. Jareth
chose to respect the wishes of others occassionally, because it was in his
power to do so and because it was against his nature. Predictability was
more boring than death. Perhaps that was why Sarah fascinated him so,
with all her contradictions of laughter and despair.
He watched her play with the children in the nursery and found himself
smiling crookedly, expressive lips baring canines in a half wondering
expression of near contentment. The Goblin King waited in silence as he
contemplated the truth of his impending fatherhood with fierce
posessiveness.
He waited until he found Sarah retching one morning when he woke to a cold
and empty bed. Jareth stood, leaning against the wall with bare feet,
carelessly clad in a white silk robe. His glorious hair was tied back,
making his features sharper, more severe than normal as his lips pursed
with marked disapproval.
"How long does this morning sickness last?" came the disdainful question.
The elegant line of Sarah's bared shoulders stiffened at the sound of his
voice, then relaxed with a visible force of will. A silken waterfall of
rich sable hair obscured her face from view as she wiped her mouth with
the back of one hand. She threw her hair back defiantly, refusing the
obscurity it granted.
Her cheeks were flushed against her pale face, dark eyes wide and
unblinking as she held the Goblin King's stare with unwavering
determination.
He sighed, bored, "Will you make me say the words?"
She laughed with a trace of bitterness and faint relief. "No, this
is not… not the first time."
Jareth watched, impassive, as old wounds opened and scarred again before
his eyes. He would not look away, but he would not cause more pain, not
over this. He would not let Sarah be a statistic twice; he had always
abhorred repetition. Sarah took a deep breath and controlled the tears
he had ignored in a rare show of deference.
"No more cleaning," he ordered as an afterthought, "You will restrict
yourself to less strenuous activities for the duration of your
incapacitation." He paused one beat, as if waiting for her arguments,
but she surprised him, as she so often did.
Sarah smiled up at him, the knowledge of their intertwined lives dancing
in her eyes. She looked beautiful suddenly, even sitting on the cold
stone floor in rumpled pajamas. The impossibility of her beauty was
staggering. The fact that he could touch that beauty, taste it, sample
it, own it, made it burn all the brighter for him.
Jareth was unused to controlling fire. Sarah blazed.
"Of course, my King."
He would learn to control the fire though, or at least learn how to avoid
being burned. The Goblin King laughed as she retched again. He knelt by
her side and held her fine hair away from harm over her protestations and
sullen anger, enjoying her discomfort at his presence.
***************************************************************
Months passed and seasons flew by at the Labyrinth's whim. Sarah
continued much as she had before, swelling with a new life she didn't-
couldn't- quite bring herself to trust in. After all, she had been
betrayed before.
She couldn't stop herself from singing some mornings, and placing
disbelieving hands on the rise of her stomach, feeling the strained flesh
that was hers, yet strange and foreign as well. Hoggle and Sir Didymus
treated her much the same, though sometimes she caught Hoggle watching her
with a mixture of fear and awe. Ludo slumbered on. Jareth took her to him
one day, to see for herself, to say hello in his sleep deafened ears and
stroke the thick fur she remembered so well.
Jareth himself treated her exactly as he had before, fighting with her over
tea, strolling with her through gardens that were as deadly as they were
beautiful. They laughed as they taunted each other, sly barbs taking the
place of a normal couple's affections.
She still shared his bed, and he still climbed into hers. There was a sense
of timelessness to their routine that made her feel strangely content, at
peace. She could never forget her demons, or the very bad months that had
lead to her loving the Goblin King, but she was happy despite her memories.
Only the growth of her stomach betrayed the passing of time.
***************************************************************
The happiness unnerved Sarah, especially as it lasted with dogged
determination. Little in her life had been stable, healthy, good. Her
life with Jareth was not easy but it was all of the things she had never
thought possible for herself. Her escape to the Underground had become her
destination. The realization was not a comfortable one.
She slept alone one night, not going to his bedroom and choosing instead to
shiver in the cold room she now called home. He said nothing the next
morning when he joined her for breakfast; like Hoggle and Didymus, there were
some questions the Goblin King would never ask her.
Couldn't.
Breakfast was served with cold tea and roses in glass vases. Sarah snorted
at the delicate threat and touched the briallant petals gently. She grinned
as they shattered with her touch, cutting her fingers with a thousand
sharpened shards.
Amused sable eyes met stormy mismatched green and blue. "Dreams aren't the
only thing that can shatter, Jareth."
His mouth was pinched when she rose from the table and leaned to press a cool
kiss on his brow before walking with slow confidence out of the dining room,
leaving uneaten food behind. She felt fraile under the glare of his steely
gaze though. He made her strong and weak in so many ways. It wasn't that
Sarah was unused to vulnerability; she simply didn't know how to handle feeling
safe despite her weaknesses. Jareth might make her bleed, but she knew, knew
with a certainty that would last a lifetime, that no one could ever hurt her
but him. He would protect her, shelter her, from everything but his own
temper and of all the world, only Sarah had successfully survived the temper
of the Goblin King.
She had asked Jareth to take her away to end her life, not to begin it; the
growth of the child within her womb made her a hypocrite with every blessed
heartbeat. Made her feel trapped in a life she had learned to love and
treasure, because now that she had come, she feared she would never be able to
leave.
He watched as her naked feet mocked him with their passing before cursing
vividly in the silence that followed Sarah's departure.
***************************************************************
He should have expected it when he woke in the middle of the night, alone as
he had been for the last few weeks of Sarah's pregnancy, with knowledge that
made his pale glare glow wither repressed anger. Jareth dressed quickly,
somberly, and stole down the darkened hallways of the Goblin Castle. He could
have transported himself to the room he had spent so much time in, but some
things were better for their delayed knowledge.
It was no time at all anyway before he was standing in front of the open door,
staring silently into an empty room. She was gone, swallowed by the night and
the Labyrinth that used to be her foe. Her scant belongings were arranged
neatly, with the finality of her departure hanging in the air.
He counted to ten, twice, and restrained himself enough to walk to the window,
impatiently brushing away memories of his most troublesome subject. It was
snowing outside and a blanket of growing white made the Labyrinth seem even
more beautiful, the beauty of his roses.
Jareth's breath frosted the thick glass as he whispered, "Very good Sarah,
very good. If you survive I'll be proud of you, surprised though I know
better, but proud."
His shoulders were stiff but unbowed as he returned to his room and slipped
beneath the warmth of the covers. Sleep came easily, despite his many worries,
simply because he had come to know Sarah, as much perhaps as she knew him.
There was an understanding to their lifelong dance that had not been present
during their thirteen hour game. The child who bested him with such wide eyed
arrogance had been replaced by a woman who had nightmares in his arms and who
ran barefoot freely across his realm as she carried his child.
If he let her go, if he let her choose, she would stay. She simply had to
walk out of his world first, to prove she could. Jareth placed implicit trust
in few creatures. He trusted in himself though, trusted in the lessons he had
learned through an eternity of life. He would trust in Sarah because his heart
told him so. He was not so flawed to pick a woman, a future Queen, who did not
know and accept her King. And when she returned willing to his arms, he could
throttle her for her impertinence.
new and old reviewers. Its wonderful to hear from you all. Just a heads
up, some character questions should be cleared up a bit in the last (next)
chapter so, stay tuned. It shouldn't take too long to post hopefully.
As always, I'm absolutely blown away by your responses.
Also, I know I always thank Irene, my beta (letylyf on FF.Net), but she
really helped make this chapter stronger with some good constructive
suggestions. Also, as a result, there's probably more mistakes than
usual because I rewrote things... LOL Any comments would be more than
welcome.
*************** Take Me Away: Chapter Ten *****************
Jareth knew before she did. Watched the subtle changes that Sarah didn't
notice, or wouldn't. His gloved fingers would brush the slender concave
curve of her stomach as he passed her, or as she slept, shivering from the
ghost of his feather light touch. He waited as long as he dared, willing
to give her a measure of ignorance since she seemed to wish it so. Jareth
chose to respect the wishes of others occassionally, because it was in his
power to do so and because it was against his nature. Predictability was
more boring than death. Perhaps that was why Sarah fascinated him so,
with all her contradictions of laughter and despair.
He watched her play with the children in the nursery and found himself
smiling crookedly, expressive lips baring canines in a half wondering
expression of near contentment. The Goblin King waited in silence as he
contemplated the truth of his impending fatherhood with fierce
posessiveness.
He waited until he found Sarah retching one morning when he woke to a cold
and empty bed. Jareth stood, leaning against the wall with bare feet,
carelessly clad in a white silk robe. His glorious hair was tied back,
making his features sharper, more severe than normal as his lips pursed
with marked disapproval.
"How long does this morning sickness last?" came the disdainful question.
The elegant line of Sarah's bared shoulders stiffened at the sound of his
voice, then relaxed with a visible force of will. A silken waterfall of
rich sable hair obscured her face from view as she wiped her mouth with
the back of one hand. She threw her hair back defiantly, refusing the
obscurity it granted.
Her cheeks were flushed against her pale face, dark eyes wide and
unblinking as she held the Goblin King's stare with unwavering
determination.
He sighed, bored, "Will you make me say the words?"
She laughed with a trace of bitterness and faint relief. "No, this
is not… not the first time."
Jareth watched, impassive, as old wounds opened and scarred again before
his eyes. He would not look away, but he would not cause more pain, not
over this. He would not let Sarah be a statistic twice; he had always
abhorred repetition. Sarah took a deep breath and controlled the tears
he had ignored in a rare show of deference.
"No more cleaning," he ordered as an afterthought, "You will restrict
yourself to less strenuous activities for the duration of your
incapacitation." He paused one beat, as if waiting for her arguments,
but she surprised him, as she so often did.
Sarah smiled up at him, the knowledge of their intertwined lives dancing
in her eyes. She looked beautiful suddenly, even sitting on the cold
stone floor in rumpled pajamas. The impossibility of her beauty was
staggering. The fact that he could touch that beauty, taste it, sample
it, own it, made it burn all the brighter for him.
Jareth was unused to controlling fire. Sarah blazed.
"Of course, my King."
He would learn to control the fire though, or at least learn how to avoid
being burned. The Goblin King laughed as she retched again. He knelt by
her side and held her fine hair away from harm over her protestations and
sullen anger, enjoying her discomfort at his presence.
***************************************************************
Months passed and seasons flew by at the Labyrinth's whim. Sarah
continued much as she had before, swelling with a new life she didn't-
couldn't- quite bring herself to trust in. After all, she had been
betrayed before.
She couldn't stop herself from singing some mornings, and placing
disbelieving hands on the rise of her stomach, feeling the strained flesh
that was hers, yet strange and foreign as well. Hoggle and Sir Didymus
treated her much the same, though sometimes she caught Hoggle watching her
with a mixture of fear and awe. Ludo slumbered on. Jareth took her to him
one day, to see for herself, to say hello in his sleep deafened ears and
stroke the thick fur she remembered so well.
Jareth himself treated her exactly as he had before, fighting with her over
tea, strolling with her through gardens that were as deadly as they were
beautiful. They laughed as they taunted each other, sly barbs taking the
place of a normal couple's affections.
She still shared his bed, and he still climbed into hers. There was a sense
of timelessness to their routine that made her feel strangely content, at
peace. She could never forget her demons, or the very bad months that had
lead to her loving the Goblin King, but she was happy despite her memories.
Only the growth of her stomach betrayed the passing of time.
***************************************************************
The happiness unnerved Sarah, especially as it lasted with dogged
determination. Little in her life had been stable, healthy, good. Her
life with Jareth was not easy but it was all of the things she had never
thought possible for herself. Her escape to the Underground had become her
destination. The realization was not a comfortable one.
She slept alone one night, not going to his bedroom and choosing instead to
shiver in the cold room she now called home. He said nothing the next
morning when he joined her for breakfast; like Hoggle and Didymus, there were
some questions the Goblin King would never ask her.
Couldn't.
Breakfast was served with cold tea and roses in glass vases. Sarah snorted
at the delicate threat and touched the briallant petals gently. She grinned
as they shattered with her touch, cutting her fingers with a thousand
sharpened shards.
Amused sable eyes met stormy mismatched green and blue. "Dreams aren't the
only thing that can shatter, Jareth."
His mouth was pinched when she rose from the table and leaned to press a cool
kiss on his brow before walking with slow confidence out of the dining room,
leaving uneaten food behind. She felt fraile under the glare of his steely
gaze though. He made her strong and weak in so many ways. It wasn't that
Sarah was unused to vulnerability; she simply didn't know how to handle feeling
safe despite her weaknesses. Jareth might make her bleed, but she knew, knew
with a certainty that would last a lifetime, that no one could ever hurt her
but him. He would protect her, shelter her, from everything but his own
temper and of all the world, only Sarah had successfully survived the temper
of the Goblin King.
She had asked Jareth to take her away to end her life, not to begin it; the
growth of the child within her womb made her a hypocrite with every blessed
heartbeat. Made her feel trapped in a life she had learned to love and
treasure, because now that she had come, she feared she would never be able to
leave.
He watched as her naked feet mocked him with their passing before cursing
vividly in the silence that followed Sarah's departure.
***************************************************************
He should have expected it when he woke in the middle of the night, alone as
he had been for the last few weeks of Sarah's pregnancy, with knowledge that
made his pale glare glow wither repressed anger. Jareth dressed quickly,
somberly, and stole down the darkened hallways of the Goblin Castle. He could
have transported himself to the room he had spent so much time in, but some
things were better for their delayed knowledge.
It was no time at all anyway before he was standing in front of the open door,
staring silently into an empty room. She was gone, swallowed by the night and
the Labyrinth that used to be her foe. Her scant belongings were arranged
neatly, with the finality of her departure hanging in the air.
He counted to ten, twice, and restrained himself enough to walk to the window,
impatiently brushing away memories of his most troublesome subject. It was
snowing outside and a blanket of growing white made the Labyrinth seem even
more beautiful, the beauty of his roses.
Jareth's breath frosted the thick glass as he whispered, "Very good Sarah,
very good. If you survive I'll be proud of you, surprised though I know
better, but proud."
His shoulders were stiff but unbowed as he returned to his room and slipped
beneath the warmth of the covers. Sleep came easily, despite his many worries,
simply because he had come to know Sarah, as much perhaps as she knew him.
There was an understanding to their lifelong dance that had not been present
during their thirteen hour game. The child who bested him with such wide eyed
arrogance had been replaced by a woman who had nightmares in his arms and who
ran barefoot freely across his realm as she carried his child.
If he let her go, if he let her choose, she would stay. She simply had to
walk out of his world first, to prove she could. Jareth placed implicit trust
in few creatures. He trusted in himself though, trusted in the lessons he had
learned through an eternity of life. He would trust in Sarah because his heart
told him so. He was not so flawed to pick a woman, a future Queen, who did not
know and accept her King. And when she returned willing to his arms, he could
throttle her for her impertinence.