A/N: Okaies. This is the REVISED 1st chappie! I'm going to put it up front
where chappie 11 would be and every thing and go back and delete what I've
fixed. No worries. Things are different. I wont tell you what but there
are. Read it though and don't hate me!
Viola.
~Jukia
Disclaimer: What do you think?
"Sleep well," Sara murmured as she gently stroked her child's face.
The girl's green eyes stayed gently shut. Her long dark hair ruffled slightly with each soothed breath of sleep. Fair, pale skin reflected the moonlight that slid over her bed.
Nine years. Nine hellish years, thought Sara. Her hand went to her eye and traced the bruise.
Her husband. He promised her the stars. He promised love, care and a good life. Not one circled around alcohol or drugs. He would come home late at night, drunk as hell, and it was all Sara could do to keep him beating her so he would forget about the child. They, more she and her daughter because Bobby was always gone, lived in a nice house. Four levels including a basement but nice spiral stair case that went into the front room.
The sound of the front door opening jerked her from her thoughts.
She slipped from her daughters' bedroom and closed the door as quietly as she could. When she turned around she was face to face with her drunken husband.
"Sara." He said coldly
"B-Bobby," Sara replied, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
"Don't back talk me, Bitch!" He snarled as he slapped her across the face. Sara cupped her hurt cheek and glared malevolently at him. He punched her in the stomach, then her side. She gasped and doubled over with pain. He brought his elbow down onto her head and she collapsed.
He opened the door and spat at her, "Now for that good for nothing daughter of yours'."
With her last bit of strength Sara screamed, "No! Stop! Please no! Jareth! HELP HER!"
She closed her eyes and all she could do was breath. Breath. Sleep.
It was still dark when Sara opened her eyes. Bobby was gone. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Rose was sleeping. She had a truly amazing set of bruises on her arms and face. Her hair had a bit of blood caked to it.
"Rose?" Sara asked with a quivering voice, "Rosy, are you alright."
Her daughter stirred and whispered, "I'm ok mama."
"Oh, Rose!" Sara gasped and held her daughter to her. She put her head on Roses small shoulder and cried, "I'm so sorry Rose. I tried to keep him from hurting you. I really tried. I'm so sorry."
"It's ok mama." Rose bared her teeth in a feral grin, "I'm nine years old. I'm ok." "I'm so sorry Rose! I shouldn't be a mother!" Sarah sobbed.
"No mama! I'm really fine. It's not your fault! It's your friends!
It's his fault! All his!" "No, Rose dear. It's not all his fault, darling." "Then why wont he listen to us, Mama!? You said he loved you!" Rose protested, full of childlike innocence. "I thought he did. But he didn't know that I loved him." Rose huffed, wincing when she brushed her arms together. "Why didn't you tell him?" "Because." Sarah stumbled. "I didn't know that I loved him as much as I did. And some one I knew I loved was in danger." "Friends listen to friends, Mama." Rose said firmly. "If he was your friend, and you loved him, and he loved you then he should have listened!" Sarah, caught off guard by her daughter's directness was speechless. "I don't trust him." She stated suddenly. "He doesn't want to help us." "You shouldn't trust him. He's tricksy." Sarah murmured, using the word they had adopted. "I hope he dies!" Rose shouted. "I wish he would! I really do, Mama! I wish that Jareth would d-" "Shh. It's okay. That's enough. Go to sleep Rose." Rose yawned. "Yes mama." Curled up in her mothers arms, Rose drifted into sleep, dreaming of a father she hoped may have still cared, even if she didn't. Even as her breathing was light, Sarah prayed, again and again, hoping that this time they would be answered. That he would hear.
"Get up!" Bobby shouted and grabbed his wife by the arm. He pulled her out of the room and down the first flight of stairs, "Think your so smart, don't you? Trying to comfort her and all?!"
"N-No."
He hit her, "Don't talk back!"
He started pacing for a moment before saying, "Well we can stop that. We can just kill you both." He pulled out a long, cruel looking knife, "And I'll kill her first."
"NO!" Sara screamed and jumped to her feet. He drove the knife into her stomach and twisted. Sara fell to the ground on her side.
"So you can stay here," He explained as Sara clutched at the gaping wound, "So you can stay here and listen to her screaming."
"No!" Sara screamed, as he left, "NO! ROSE GET OUT! RUN ROSE!" "Run! Run! Please get out! Go! Rose run!" She sobbed
Bobby was halfway up the stairs when Sara shouted, "Rose, I wish the goblins would come and take you away, RIGHT NOW!"
The lights flashed off. Bobby tripped and fell down the stairs, unconscious.
"JARETH!" She screamed, "JARETH! HELP ME!"
Nothing happened.
"Jareth! Help me! Help her! I'm dying, Jareth!"
Jareth sat with his hand over his eyes and his feet propped up on a low stool in the middle of his workroom. If only they knew being king isn't always sitting on the throne, he thought wistfully as he read a report on more goblin vandalism from a different kingdom.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. His head ach was getting worse. He knew what that meant. Some one was about to wish their child away again. It didn't happen often, but when it did his head felt like it would spilt in two.
The last time this had happened was ten years ago. His migraine intensified as grief roared through him. Sara had wished her brother away then. She was the first and maybe the last to regret her decision enough to face his domain and all those inside.
"Jareth!"
He snapped to his feet with surprise then shuddered with regret, as the pain became that much worse. No one ever called his name when they wished some one away. No one ever did.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now!"
He knew that voice. Damn it all, he knew her!
"Jareth! Help me! Jareth!"
He could hear so much pain in her voice.
"Jareth! Help me! Help her! I'm dying, Jareth!"
With out a second thought he threw one of his crystals onto the ground and was at the house.
Disclaimer: What do you think?
"Sleep well," Sara murmured as she gently stroked her child's face.
The girl's green eyes stayed gently shut. Her long dark hair ruffled slightly with each soothed breath of sleep. Fair, pale skin reflected the moonlight that slid over her bed.
Nine years. Nine hellish years, thought Sara. Her hand went to her eye and traced the bruise.
Her husband. He promised her the stars. He promised love, care and a good life. Not one circled around alcohol or drugs. He would come home late at night, drunk as hell, and it was all Sara could do to keep him beating her so he would forget about the child. They, more she and her daughter because Bobby was always gone, lived in a nice house. Four levels including a basement but nice spiral stair case that went into the front room.
The sound of the front door opening jerked her from her thoughts.
She slipped from her daughters' bedroom and closed the door as quietly as she could. When she turned around she was face to face with her drunken husband.
"Sara." He said coldly
"B-Bobby," Sara replied, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
"Don't back talk me, Bitch!" He snarled as he slapped her across the face. Sara cupped her hurt cheek and glared malevolently at him. He punched her in the stomach, then her side. She gasped and doubled over with pain. He brought his elbow down onto her head and she collapsed.
He opened the door and spat at her, "Now for that good for nothing daughter of yours'."
With her last bit of strength Sara screamed, "No! Stop! Please no! Jareth! HELP HER!"
She closed her eyes and all she could do was breath. Breath. Sleep.
It was still dark when Sara opened her eyes. Bobby was gone. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Rose was sleeping. She had a truly amazing set of bruises on her arms and face. Her hair had a bit of blood caked to it.
"Rose?" Sara asked with a quivering voice, "Rosy, are you alright."
Her daughter stirred and whispered, "I'm ok mama."
"Oh, Rose!" Sara gasped and held her daughter to her. She put her head on Roses small shoulder and cried, "I'm so sorry Rose. I tried to keep him from hurting you. I really tried. I'm so sorry."
"It's ok mama." Rose bared her teeth in a feral grin, "I'm nine years old. I'm ok." "I'm so sorry Rose! I shouldn't be a mother!" Sarah sobbed.
"No mama! I'm really fine. It's not your fault! It's your friends!
It's his fault! All his!" "No, Rose dear. It's not all his fault, darling." "Then why wont he listen to us, Mama!? You said he loved you!" Rose protested, full of childlike innocence. "I thought he did. But he didn't know that I loved him." Rose huffed, wincing when she brushed her arms together. "Why didn't you tell him?" "Because." Sarah stumbled. "I didn't know that I loved him as much as I did. And some one I knew I loved was in danger." "Friends listen to friends, Mama." Rose said firmly. "If he was your friend, and you loved him, and he loved you then he should have listened!" Sarah, caught off guard by her daughter's directness was speechless. "I don't trust him." She stated suddenly. "He doesn't want to help us." "You shouldn't trust him. He's tricksy." Sarah murmured, using the word they had adopted. "I hope he dies!" Rose shouted. "I wish he would! I really do, Mama! I wish that Jareth would d-" "Shh. It's okay. That's enough. Go to sleep Rose." Rose yawned. "Yes mama." Curled up in her mothers arms, Rose drifted into sleep, dreaming of a father she hoped may have still cared, even if she didn't. Even as her breathing was light, Sarah prayed, again and again, hoping that this time they would be answered. That he would hear.
"Get up!" Bobby shouted and grabbed his wife by the arm. He pulled her out of the room and down the first flight of stairs, "Think your so smart, don't you? Trying to comfort her and all?!"
"N-No."
He hit her, "Don't talk back!"
He started pacing for a moment before saying, "Well we can stop that. We can just kill you both." He pulled out a long, cruel looking knife, "And I'll kill her first."
"NO!" Sara screamed and jumped to her feet. He drove the knife into her stomach and twisted. Sara fell to the ground on her side.
"So you can stay here," He explained as Sara clutched at the gaping wound, "So you can stay here and listen to her screaming."
"No!" Sara screamed, as he left, "NO! ROSE GET OUT! RUN ROSE!" "Run! Run! Please get out! Go! Rose run!" She sobbed
Bobby was halfway up the stairs when Sara shouted, "Rose, I wish the goblins would come and take you away, RIGHT NOW!"
The lights flashed off. Bobby tripped and fell down the stairs, unconscious.
"JARETH!" She screamed, "JARETH! HELP ME!"
Nothing happened.
"Jareth! Help me! Help her! I'm dying, Jareth!"
Jareth sat with his hand over his eyes and his feet propped up on a low stool in the middle of his workroom. If only they knew being king isn't always sitting on the throne, he thought wistfully as he read a report on more goblin vandalism from a different kingdom.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. His head ach was getting worse. He knew what that meant. Some one was about to wish their child away again. It didn't happen often, but when it did his head felt like it would spilt in two.
The last time this had happened was ten years ago. His migraine intensified as grief roared through him. Sara had wished her brother away then. She was the first and maybe the last to regret her decision enough to face his domain and all those inside.
"Jareth!"
He snapped to his feet with surprise then shuddered with regret, as the pain became that much worse. No one ever called his name when they wished some one away. No one ever did.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now!"
He knew that voice. Damn it all, he knew her!
"Jareth! Help me! Jareth!"
He could hear so much pain in her voice.
"Jareth! Help me! Help her! I'm dying, Jareth!"
With out a second thought he threw one of his crystals onto the ground and was at the house.
