*
AN: oooh, another update. How lovely for you all. Disclaimer: I do not own labyrinth and I do not take responsibility for my typos.
*
Strangely Divine: Chapter Twenty Three: Of Dreams, Dresses, and Vampires
*
Sir Gaeton was having a lovely dream about Princess Aislinn and her friend the Duchess of Gretishire, Lavinia. The two blonde women were feeding him strawberries dipped in chocolate while they watched the sun set from a sandy beach.
"Oh, Sir Gaeton" cooed Lavinia, "You were so brave the way you defeated that dragon"
"It was nothing" he shrugged modestly
Princess Aislinn trailed a strawberry around her tongue and giggled "Oh but you're just so brave and sexy Gaeton--- much more so then my brother"
"Oh yes," Lavinia agreed in a rush "I like you ever so much more then Jareth--- in fact--- Gaeton--- you should be King of the Underground"
"Then we fair maidens would never have to fear a dragon again!" Aislinn sighed
"Ladies, ladies, I can not simply become king." Said Gaeton. "Besides, I'm not sure I would want to"
"Oooh, but Sir Gaeton" Lavinia pressed herself up against him. "You're ever so brave"
"And ever so sexy" Aislinn nodded, touching his chest.
"And ever so disgusting to be having dreams about my sister"
Gaeton's head jerked up at the sound of his King's voice. Aislinn and Lavinia melted away in puffs of smoke and the beach turned into a rolling silver and blue clouds. Jareth stood at the edge of one of these clouds, his arms crossed and his head cocked to the side in an amused manner. His hair was shorter then usual but for some reason falling more into his eyes and surely, Gaeton thought, obscuring his vision. But it was rather fetching. However, Gaeton did not like the black slacks and white shirt he was wearing, they were too--- mortal.
"Er--- hello your majesty" Gaeton said, scrambling to his feet. "Sorry about the er--- dream"
"Gaeton that is disgusting" Jareth sighed, amused "My sister is horrible, and her duchess friend is even worse. What on earth would posess you to--"
"Hang on!" Gaeton interrupted, stepping towards Jareth. The dream world shifted and suddenly they were on even footing. "We'll talk about my fantasies later---Where the hell are you? Everyone's going mad because they don't know where you are!"
"I'm in New York" Jareth said simply.
Gaeton's mouth opened and closed. He looked exasperated "Okay, explain yourself" Jareth's lips quirked into a grin. "I am in the Aboveground with Sarah. We are perfectly alright and I am simply taking a holiday from my duties. Prince Dacian found the portal"
"Portal?" Gaeton's eyes went wide "You're serious? That's how you got up there?"
"Yes" Jareth nodded "And I shall return in a few days time to apprehend Prince Dacian because he has, it would seem, been sneaking out of the Underground to drink the blood of mortals each night."
"Oh gods" Gaeton shook his head "That bloody idiot. I knew he was no good"
"Yes, well. Just tell my mother that I'm with Sarah--- just don't tell her where. I should want to tell her myself. You may tell Gwendolyn where we are"
"Alright" Gaeton nodded, a thousand questions stormed through his head but he could only think of one to ask "Er--- what happened to your hair, mate?"
Jareth laughed and ran his fingers through it "Do you like it? Sarah's little friend Emily did it for me."
"Very attractive" Gaeton nodded. "You look a bit like the mad old bloke down at the pub with it al in your eyes like that"
Jareth pulled a face, but was secretly pleased. He tucked it behind his ears. "Better?"
"Er--- now you look like Gwendolyn--- I'm kidding! Bloody Aphrodite, you are vain. No, but what are you wearing. That's hideous, you look like a mortal"
"I am a mortal--- for a few days anyway." Gaeton did not fail to notice how his King's eyes seemed to light up. "Gaeton, you and I should come up here sometime. It's fabulous--- it's just---- I've never seen anything like it."
"Oh come on" Gaeton shrugged "You've been there before, and you weren't ranting about it then"
Jareth shook his head "That was different. That was to some poor wished away child's bedroom. This city is amazing though. There's this thing called ice cream"
"Ice cream?" gaeton's eyes widened
"Yes, it's more or less what the name suggests. Frozen cream, but it's lovely. And there are cars and television and music on little round things called records"
Gaeton laughed "Your Majesty, perhaps you should take a home there if you like it so much"
The idea had occurred to Jareth but he shrugged "I must go know, Gaeton. I shall speak with you later." He raised his arm to disappear but then added "Don't have any more dreams about my sister". Then he vanished.
*
Emily practically fell into the apartment. Her arms were laden down with carrier bags full of fabric and fully formed pieces.
"Christ, Em. Why don't you make two trips next time" Sarah laughed, taking some of the bags from her friend and setting them on the kitchen table.
"Oh well, I made it" Emily sighed and stuffed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Barney's was having a sale. I might have maxed out Dad's credit card again" she put her hand to her mouth and grinned. "Opps"
"I swear, every one I know is spoiled beyond all reason by their parents" Sarah sighed "It isn't fair"
"Um, by the way." Emily said uncomfortably "I did ring Karen about your miraculous return"
Sarah put her hands on her hips "What did you tell her, Em? Same thing you told Fiona?"
"Er--- perhaps" Emily said skittishly, she started digging through one of her bags. "Don't get mad"
"Don't get mad?" Sarah repeated, anguished. "Em! You can't keep telling people I ran off with Jareth!"
"Why not?" Emily pulled out a ball of black ruche silk and let it spill out before Sarah. "Vera Wang--- come on, Sarah Vera Wang on sale, don't get mad"
"You can't distract me with a Vera Wang dress" Sarah moaned "Jareth and I are not ---- together--- we have to think of a better lie then me running off with him"
"Vera Wang cocktail dress, as featured on Naomi Campbell during Fall Fashion week" Emily said in a sing song voice, she waved the dress in front of Sarah's face and Sarah batted it away.
"Seriously, Em, stop. I mean you don't--- you don't think something happened between us, do you?"
"Paris Hilton wore it to a very big party uptown, I hear" Emily continued.
"Emily!"
Emily put her hand on her hip and fixed Sarah with an annoyed look. "I just bought you a very lovely dress and all you can think about is Jareth. What does that tell me?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I am not thinking about Jareth"
"Fine" Emily grinned and held the dress up again. "Don't worry Sarah, we'll figure it out. After all, how horrible could it be to pretend you ran off with Jareth. He's extraordinarily yummy." She peered over Sarah's shoulder. "Where is the magical little guy, anyway"
"He's in my room" Sarah said, and added quickly "Talking to his advisor---- in a dream"
"In a dream--- he's talking to someone in a dream" Emily nodded and sighed "Right, well. I"ll belive anything at this point. Will you look at the bleeding dress, already"
"Fine" Sarah groaned. She was sure whatever Emily had picked up for her would just be stylish and lovely beyond anything she could chose for herself.
Emily displayed the dress on it's hanger again. "Ta da" she said. Sarah was impressed. It was a halter dress and the hemline fell just above the knee and was not all that daring, but the neckline was much much more so.
"Oh my god, I can't wear this" Sarah mumbled, "That neckline must fall to--- your navel"
"Well, you have a long torso so I'm sure your navel will be fine" Emily grinned sneakily
"Emily, it's lovely---" Sarah whined "If Paris Hilton wore it, well. She can wear it, she's Paris Hilton."
"And you're Sarah Williams!" Emily declared "And I'm Emily Cho, designer and spoiled rottton child, and I say you can wear it. Christ, you're tall and emaciated, you may as well show it off"
"Since when has being tall and emaciated been a good thing?" Sarah asked wryly.
"Since you have a lovely size two Vera Wang dress to wear" Emily said simply "And when Brad Pitt returns from the Great Beyond-tell him I bought him some more stuff to wear"
Sarah eyed the other carrier bags and realized the ones that weren't full of lux fabrics for Emily's own creations were full of Men's wear. "Oh god, he's going to be here for a few days, not a few years"
"I know, I know" Emily was beaming "But I took his measurements this morning and I know I went a bit over board but I've never had a reason to shop for a bloke before and look at this Burberry trench I found--- is that not so him?"
"Um. If he lived in Berlin and rode a bicycle maybe" Sarah admitted slowly
Emily shushed her "Okay, so perhaps we don't see him the same way"
Sarah shuffled through the large Barney's sack. "Holy shit, Emily. Perry Ellis, Ralph Loren, Hérmes, Armani--- you have serious gone over the edge. Your father will kill you" Emily had a slight spending problem. Fashion was her passion in every way and when her father got the bill at the end of each month he always called and had a long chat about spending more then she needed to. Of course, Emily had her doctor mother and wallstreet father wrapped around her little finger and they would never cut her off. For a very small period of time, Mrs. Cho had asked Sarah to keep an eye on what Emily bought. It hadn't lasted long. There was no stopping her from shopping.
"He said I should cut back on the Chanel and I didn't buy a thing of Chanel" Emily sniffed "Do you see any Chanel?"
Sarah didn't see any Chanel, but she defiantly saw Louis Vuitton. "Emily- what is this?" She pulled out the purse and gave her friend an accusing stare"
"Om---" Emily rocked back on her heels. "That--- that might be a gift for Fiona and er--- there might be a Kelly bag for you in there as well"
"Okay" Sarah sighed "Besides the Vera Wang dress, the bags, and the ridiculously expensive men's clothes, did you buy anything else I should know about?"
"No" Emily said firmly.
Sarah raised an eyebrow, doing a Jareth impression. "Are you sure"
"Yes---- well--- actually. No. Er--- there might be a watch from Tiffany for Jareth---"
Sarah sighed, giving up. "You are hopeless"
"Well, so are you." Emily giggled "I may be a spend thrift but you refuse to have any fun"
"I do not" Sarah said stiffly "I'll have fun"
Emily laughed "Are your kidding? It used to take everything short of putting E in your coke to get you out of the dorms. And see, once you got there you'd always have a blast. It's not that you're not fun, Sarah. You're just rather lazy"
"Gee, thanks" Sarah said dryly.
"I'm sorry" Emily hugged her around the middle "Take this Kelly bag as a token of my deepest apologies. And prove me wrong by wearing this dress"
Sarah took the dress and bag begrudgingly "Fine."
Emily trailed Sarah back to her bedroom, chattering about who she'd seen at Barney's. Sarah deliberately forgot to tell her about the run in with Fiona and nodded as if very interested in what her friend was saying instead.
Sarah pushed open the bedroom door and was surprised to find Jareth curled up on her bed, fast asleep.
Emily made a loud "Awww! Cute!" Sound and his eyes snapped open. He glared at them for a moment, unsure where he was and then his gaze softened and he sat up.
"I fell asleep, sorry" he said quickly.
Sarah waved him off "I don't mind, that couch can't be comfortable. You can sleep in her for a bit, if you like"
Jareth raised his eyebrows suggestively but did not comment. Sarah blushed anyway. Emily bound over to him and hopped on the bed, he was slightly surprised when she crawled up next to him and grasped his arm.
"I have a present for you" she grinned
"Do you really?" he asked as she produced a blue box with a white ribbon tied around it. "What is it?"
"This, my love, is a Tiffany box" Emily said emphatically. "Word to the wise about mortal chicks, show them a tiffany box and they'll do anything for you" she winked and Jareth laughed, delighted with the little show she put on.
Perhaps he should introduce her to Gaeton----
"Anyway" Emily continued, untying the white bow and sliding the top off the box. "Tiffany is a jewellers and such, they sell loads of stuff. Sarah and I picked out our wedding rings there"
Sarah had busied herself with hanging the dress in her closet. "Oh, that was ages ago, Em. Totally unrealistic"
"Mine was realistic" Emily insisted "It was white gold with a big 1.5 carat marquee cut diamond smacked in the middle"
Sarah sat on the bed and rolled her eyes "Yours was realistic because you'll marry someone incredibly rich, or you'll just buy it yourself when you get impatient"
"Mmm, probably' Emily agreed. She knocked the black velvet box out and popped open the lid. "Jareth, my luv," she said dramatically pulling the watch out and sliding it onto his wrist "This will be the first of many presents if you promise to model for me--- oh bloody hell it doesn't fit"
The watch practically slid down Jareth's forearm to his elbow.
"I tell you, both of you need to eat more. This is just, this can't be healthy to be so thin" Emily stated.
Jareth and Sarah exchanged a knowing look and Sarah said "I thought it was good to be tall and emaciated"
"I take it back, gain twenty pounds immediately you stick insect" Emily grinned "And Jareth, what do you say. Model for me?"
"I'm sorry, luv, but I just can't" He grinned and kissed her cheek "But thank you anyway, it's lovely. I can fix this" he waved his hand and the watch slid perfectly into place and size around his slender wrist.
"Aw, well" Emily sighed. "Maybe I'll just have to bribe you with beautiful women next" she shot Sarah a look and Sarah blushed and threw a pillow at Emily's head.
"Sarah, what did your wedding ring look like?" Jareth asked
"Oh, I don't know" Sarah muttered "Something completely stupid"
"I know Emily nodded "It was this huge Henry Winston diamond, fucking huge, I tell you. Like ten carats"
"There's no such thing as ten carats" Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Fine, but it was big. One big round cut diamond in this gorgeous little--- well, actually thick platinum band." Emily sighed "I may propose to you just so I can buy that ring"
"It cost as much as a house in France" Sarah noted.
"How much is that?" Jareth asked
"Um, like a chateau along the coast of the Sea of Gaultier" Sarah translated.
Jareth looked impressed "Oh, well. That's quite a lot"
Emily nudged Jareth "She wears a size five ring"
"Thanks, luv" he grinned.
Sarah threw another pillow at Emily. "Stop embarrassing me on purpose" she demanded.
"But it's so easy" Jareth laughed.
"And incredibly fun" Emily sighed "And besides---" she was cut off my the phone ringing. She hopped off the bed and grabbed the phone of Sarah's desk.
"Bonjourno! C'est Emily!" She sang "oooh! Griffon, darling, I haven't heard from you in ages--- you must come out with us tonight--- yes---yes--- oh, wear a suit, sweetie, we're going up town---- Fiona, Timothy, Sarah and her lovely new boyfriend, Jareth"
"Emily!" Sarah hissed, Jareth started laughing again and Emily stuck her tongue out.
"What? Oh, don't tell me you don't have a proper suit, you're gay, you have to have a suit. ----What?--- yes. We'll come and get you in a taxi around seven.---- kiss kiss--- bye" She hung up the phone with flourish. "That was Griffon, and stop being immature Sarah, just pretend that Jareth's your boyfriend. We can't think of a better lie and this is the one everyone already believes. You don't have a problem with that, do you Jareth?"
Mild surprise crossed his face "Er--- no, I suppose not"
"There you are" Emily concluded with a smile. "Just pretend, it won't kill you. Now, Jareth, my darling, I bought you a few things"
*
Gaeton stepped into the throne room and bowed before the High King and Queen. He spotter Gwendolyn standing at Cymboline's side and felt slightly guilty for not seeking her out and telling her of Jareth's news earlier but there hadn't been time.
"Your highnesses, I am delighted to tell you I have received word from the High Prince"
The High Queen sighed heavily "Oh, Gaeton, what has he said. When is he returning home? Is he safe?"
"My Queen, he intends to return within a few short days. He is safe and with Lady Sarah, although he did not tell me where" Gaeton winced slightly, as telling a lie to the High King and Queen was strictly forbidden. If they ever found out that Jareth had demanded he not inform them of his whereabouts, Gaeton's head might have been on a stake.
"Bloody hell" Duncan muttered
Mariead's eyebrows raised "He is with Sarah?" she repeated slowly.
"Yes, my lady" Gaeton bowed and stalked out of the room. He was sure the High Queen would make her own assumptions as to what had happened. Most likely she would think them on some island in the Sea of Gaultier, shagging like rabbits. In truth, Gaeton wasn't so sure that wasn't what Jareth and Sarah were doing in the Aboveworld.
Several minutes later Gaeton was accosted by Gwendolyn. "Where is he really?" she demanded. "I saw you lying. You know that's punishable by death, so where is he? Really?"
Gaeton clasped his sister's wrists and vanished them to Jareth's chambers, the one place they would not be disturbed or heard. She looked around at their surroundings for a moment and then turned to glare at her twin. "Well?"
"Long and short of it?" Gaeton nodded "Well, he went of and saved her from Prince Dacian, as we expected. Somehow Dacian found the portal to the Aboveground and Sarah and Jareth went through and now their in--- New York ? I don't know where that is but---"
"It's Sarah's home" Gwendolyn explained, "She has friend's there, she and his majesty will be safe"
"Yes, I just want to know what happened to Dacian" Gaeton sighed "He's probably moaning about the Ciren Forest trying to find cover from the daylight--- " he took in Gwendolyn's horrified face then. "What is it Gwen?"
Gwen put her hands to her mouth. "What if--- oh, what if he goes after them?"
Gaeton's eyes widened at this prospect "He wouldn't do that" he nodded resolutely "He's not foolish enough"
"But Gaeton, I was reading up on this, Nosferatu, they fall in love once and that's the end of it. If Dacian thinks he loves Sarah then--- maybe even he would do something foolish to get to her"
*
He slept in the ground during that day. It had been horrible, burrowing like some kind of animal under the forest's dirty floor to get away from the sun. It had been a very long time since Dacian had had to burrow underground. And he hated it. It was despicable. But with out the cool stone walls of a castle to keep the sun at bay, he had to do it.
He did not sleep, he only thought of her. He was starving too. He hadn't had a drink for nearly two nights. Even the blood of an animal would be relief right now. But no, he would wait for her. Sarah. His dark queen.
The sun set and Dacian exploded out of the ground just as the last rays disappeared over the tops of the trees. He stalked back over to the stones and glanced around for any sign of Fae or Elf that had been sent to collect him. A cruel sneer curled at his lips when he saw that no one, had indeed been sent. Stupid Jareth. He was probably being childish and not even telling his parents where he was.
All the better for Dacian in this case. He would wait until the thirtieth hour. And then he would find her.
*
AN: Weeeeewww.. Cliffy. but that's all right, the updates are coming fast again.
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AN: oooh, another update. How lovely for you all. Disclaimer: I do not own labyrinth and I do not take responsibility for my typos.
*
Strangely Divine: Chapter Twenty Three: Of Dreams, Dresses, and Vampires
*
Sir Gaeton was having a lovely dream about Princess Aislinn and her friend the Duchess of Gretishire, Lavinia. The two blonde women were feeding him strawberries dipped in chocolate while they watched the sun set from a sandy beach.
"Oh, Sir Gaeton" cooed Lavinia, "You were so brave the way you defeated that dragon"
"It was nothing" he shrugged modestly
Princess Aislinn trailed a strawberry around her tongue and giggled "Oh but you're just so brave and sexy Gaeton--- much more so then my brother"
"Oh yes," Lavinia agreed in a rush "I like you ever so much more then Jareth--- in fact--- Gaeton--- you should be King of the Underground"
"Then we fair maidens would never have to fear a dragon again!" Aislinn sighed
"Ladies, ladies, I can not simply become king." Said Gaeton. "Besides, I'm not sure I would want to"
"Oooh, but Sir Gaeton" Lavinia pressed herself up against him. "You're ever so brave"
"And ever so sexy" Aislinn nodded, touching his chest.
"And ever so disgusting to be having dreams about my sister"
Gaeton's head jerked up at the sound of his King's voice. Aislinn and Lavinia melted away in puffs of smoke and the beach turned into a rolling silver and blue clouds. Jareth stood at the edge of one of these clouds, his arms crossed and his head cocked to the side in an amused manner. His hair was shorter then usual but for some reason falling more into his eyes and surely, Gaeton thought, obscuring his vision. But it was rather fetching. However, Gaeton did not like the black slacks and white shirt he was wearing, they were too--- mortal.
"Er--- hello your majesty" Gaeton said, scrambling to his feet. "Sorry about the er--- dream"
"Gaeton that is disgusting" Jareth sighed, amused "My sister is horrible, and her duchess friend is even worse. What on earth would posess you to--"
"Hang on!" Gaeton interrupted, stepping towards Jareth. The dream world shifted and suddenly they were on even footing. "We'll talk about my fantasies later---Where the hell are you? Everyone's going mad because they don't know where you are!"
"I'm in New York" Jareth said simply.
Gaeton's mouth opened and closed. He looked exasperated "Okay, explain yourself" Jareth's lips quirked into a grin. "I am in the Aboveground with Sarah. We are perfectly alright and I am simply taking a holiday from my duties. Prince Dacian found the portal"
"Portal?" Gaeton's eyes went wide "You're serious? That's how you got up there?"
"Yes" Jareth nodded "And I shall return in a few days time to apprehend Prince Dacian because he has, it would seem, been sneaking out of the Underground to drink the blood of mortals each night."
"Oh gods" Gaeton shook his head "That bloody idiot. I knew he was no good"
"Yes, well. Just tell my mother that I'm with Sarah--- just don't tell her where. I should want to tell her myself. You may tell Gwendolyn where we are"
"Alright" Gaeton nodded, a thousand questions stormed through his head but he could only think of one to ask "Er--- what happened to your hair, mate?"
Jareth laughed and ran his fingers through it "Do you like it? Sarah's little friend Emily did it for me."
"Very attractive" Gaeton nodded. "You look a bit like the mad old bloke down at the pub with it al in your eyes like that"
Jareth pulled a face, but was secretly pleased. He tucked it behind his ears. "Better?"
"Er--- now you look like Gwendolyn--- I'm kidding! Bloody Aphrodite, you are vain. No, but what are you wearing. That's hideous, you look like a mortal"
"I am a mortal--- for a few days anyway." Gaeton did not fail to notice how his King's eyes seemed to light up. "Gaeton, you and I should come up here sometime. It's fabulous--- it's just---- I've never seen anything like it."
"Oh come on" Gaeton shrugged "You've been there before, and you weren't ranting about it then"
Jareth shook his head "That was different. That was to some poor wished away child's bedroom. This city is amazing though. There's this thing called ice cream"
"Ice cream?" gaeton's eyes widened
"Yes, it's more or less what the name suggests. Frozen cream, but it's lovely. And there are cars and television and music on little round things called records"
Gaeton laughed "Your Majesty, perhaps you should take a home there if you like it so much"
The idea had occurred to Jareth but he shrugged "I must go know, Gaeton. I shall speak with you later." He raised his arm to disappear but then added "Don't have any more dreams about my sister". Then he vanished.
*
Emily practically fell into the apartment. Her arms were laden down with carrier bags full of fabric and fully formed pieces.
"Christ, Em. Why don't you make two trips next time" Sarah laughed, taking some of the bags from her friend and setting them on the kitchen table.
"Oh well, I made it" Emily sighed and stuffed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Barney's was having a sale. I might have maxed out Dad's credit card again" she put her hand to her mouth and grinned. "Opps"
"I swear, every one I know is spoiled beyond all reason by their parents" Sarah sighed "It isn't fair"
"Um, by the way." Emily said uncomfortably "I did ring Karen about your miraculous return"
Sarah put her hands on her hips "What did you tell her, Em? Same thing you told Fiona?"
"Er--- perhaps" Emily said skittishly, she started digging through one of her bags. "Don't get mad"
"Don't get mad?" Sarah repeated, anguished. "Em! You can't keep telling people I ran off with Jareth!"
"Why not?" Emily pulled out a ball of black ruche silk and let it spill out before Sarah. "Vera Wang--- come on, Sarah Vera Wang on sale, don't get mad"
"You can't distract me with a Vera Wang dress" Sarah moaned "Jareth and I are not ---- together--- we have to think of a better lie then me running off with him"
"Vera Wang cocktail dress, as featured on Naomi Campbell during Fall Fashion week" Emily said in a sing song voice, she waved the dress in front of Sarah's face and Sarah batted it away.
"Seriously, Em, stop. I mean you don't--- you don't think something happened between us, do you?"
"Paris Hilton wore it to a very big party uptown, I hear" Emily continued.
"Emily!"
Emily put her hand on her hip and fixed Sarah with an annoyed look. "I just bought you a very lovely dress and all you can think about is Jareth. What does that tell me?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I am not thinking about Jareth"
"Fine" Emily grinned and held the dress up again. "Don't worry Sarah, we'll figure it out. After all, how horrible could it be to pretend you ran off with Jareth. He's extraordinarily yummy." She peered over Sarah's shoulder. "Where is the magical little guy, anyway"
"He's in my room" Sarah said, and added quickly "Talking to his advisor---- in a dream"
"In a dream--- he's talking to someone in a dream" Emily nodded and sighed "Right, well. I"ll belive anything at this point. Will you look at the bleeding dress, already"
"Fine" Sarah groaned. She was sure whatever Emily had picked up for her would just be stylish and lovely beyond anything she could chose for herself.
Emily displayed the dress on it's hanger again. "Ta da" she said. Sarah was impressed. It was a halter dress and the hemline fell just above the knee and was not all that daring, but the neckline was much much more so.
"Oh my god, I can't wear this" Sarah mumbled, "That neckline must fall to--- your navel"
"Well, you have a long torso so I'm sure your navel will be fine" Emily grinned sneakily
"Emily, it's lovely---" Sarah whined "If Paris Hilton wore it, well. She can wear it, she's Paris Hilton."
"And you're Sarah Williams!" Emily declared "And I'm Emily Cho, designer and spoiled rottton child, and I say you can wear it. Christ, you're tall and emaciated, you may as well show it off"
"Since when has being tall and emaciated been a good thing?" Sarah asked wryly.
"Since you have a lovely size two Vera Wang dress to wear" Emily said simply "And when Brad Pitt returns from the Great Beyond-tell him I bought him some more stuff to wear"
Sarah eyed the other carrier bags and realized the ones that weren't full of lux fabrics for Emily's own creations were full of Men's wear. "Oh god, he's going to be here for a few days, not a few years"
"I know, I know" Emily was beaming "But I took his measurements this morning and I know I went a bit over board but I've never had a reason to shop for a bloke before and look at this Burberry trench I found--- is that not so him?"
"Um. If he lived in Berlin and rode a bicycle maybe" Sarah admitted slowly
Emily shushed her "Okay, so perhaps we don't see him the same way"
Sarah shuffled through the large Barney's sack. "Holy shit, Emily. Perry Ellis, Ralph Loren, Hérmes, Armani--- you have serious gone over the edge. Your father will kill you" Emily had a slight spending problem. Fashion was her passion in every way and when her father got the bill at the end of each month he always called and had a long chat about spending more then she needed to. Of course, Emily had her doctor mother and wallstreet father wrapped around her little finger and they would never cut her off. For a very small period of time, Mrs. Cho had asked Sarah to keep an eye on what Emily bought. It hadn't lasted long. There was no stopping her from shopping.
"He said I should cut back on the Chanel and I didn't buy a thing of Chanel" Emily sniffed "Do you see any Chanel?"
Sarah didn't see any Chanel, but she defiantly saw Louis Vuitton. "Emily- what is this?" She pulled out the purse and gave her friend an accusing stare"
"Om---" Emily rocked back on her heels. "That--- that might be a gift for Fiona and er--- there might be a Kelly bag for you in there as well"
"Okay" Sarah sighed "Besides the Vera Wang dress, the bags, and the ridiculously expensive men's clothes, did you buy anything else I should know about?"
"No" Emily said firmly.
Sarah raised an eyebrow, doing a Jareth impression. "Are you sure"
"Yes---- well--- actually. No. Er--- there might be a watch from Tiffany for Jareth---"
Sarah sighed, giving up. "You are hopeless"
"Well, so are you." Emily giggled "I may be a spend thrift but you refuse to have any fun"
"I do not" Sarah said stiffly "I'll have fun"
Emily laughed "Are your kidding? It used to take everything short of putting E in your coke to get you out of the dorms. And see, once you got there you'd always have a blast. It's not that you're not fun, Sarah. You're just rather lazy"
"Gee, thanks" Sarah said dryly.
"I'm sorry" Emily hugged her around the middle "Take this Kelly bag as a token of my deepest apologies. And prove me wrong by wearing this dress"
Sarah took the dress and bag begrudgingly "Fine."
Emily trailed Sarah back to her bedroom, chattering about who she'd seen at Barney's. Sarah deliberately forgot to tell her about the run in with Fiona and nodded as if very interested in what her friend was saying instead.
Sarah pushed open the bedroom door and was surprised to find Jareth curled up on her bed, fast asleep.
Emily made a loud "Awww! Cute!" Sound and his eyes snapped open. He glared at them for a moment, unsure where he was and then his gaze softened and he sat up.
"I fell asleep, sorry" he said quickly.
Sarah waved him off "I don't mind, that couch can't be comfortable. You can sleep in her for a bit, if you like"
Jareth raised his eyebrows suggestively but did not comment. Sarah blushed anyway. Emily bound over to him and hopped on the bed, he was slightly surprised when she crawled up next to him and grasped his arm.
"I have a present for you" she grinned
"Do you really?" he asked as she produced a blue box with a white ribbon tied around it. "What is it?"
"This, my love, is a Tiffany box" Emily said emphatically. "Word to the wise about mortal chicks, show them a tiffany box and they'll do anything for you" she winked and Jareth laughed, delighted with the little show she put on.
Perhaps he should introduce her to Gaeton----
"Anyway" Emily continued, untying the white bow and sliding the top off the box. "Tiffany is a jewellers and such, they sell loads of stuff. Sarah and I picked out our wedding rings there"
Sarah had busied herself with hanging the dress in her closet. "Oh, that was ages ago, Em. Totally unrealistic"
"Mine was realistic" Emily insisted "It was white gold with a big 1.5 carat marquee cut diamond smacked in the middle"
Sarah sat on the bed and rolled her eyes "Yours was realistic because you'll marry someone incredibly rich, or you'll just buy it yourself when you get impatient"
"Mmm, probably' Emily agreed. She knocked the black velvet box out and popped open the lid. "Jareth, my luv," she said dramatically pulling the watch out and sliding it onto his wrist "This will be the first of many presents if you promise to model for me--- oh bloody hell it doesn't fit"
The watch practically slid down Jareth's forearm to his elbow.
"I tell you, both of you need to eat more. This is just, this can't be healthy to be so thin" Emily stated.
Jareth and Sarah exchanged a knowing look and Sarah said "I thought it was good to be tall and emaciated"
"I take it back, gain twenty pounds immediately you stick insect" Emily grinned "And Jareth, what do you say. Model for me?"
"I'm sorry, luv, but I just can't" He grinned and kissed her cheek "But thank you anyway, it's lovely. I can fix this" he waved his hand and the watch slid perfectly into place and size around his slender wrist.
"Aw, well" Emily sighed. "Maybe I'll just have to bribe you with beautiful women next" she shot Sarah a look and Sarah blushed and threw a pillow at Emily's head.
"Sarah, what did your wedding ring look like?" Jareth asked
"Oh, I don't know" Sarah muttered "Something completely stupid"
"I know Emily nodded "It was this huge Henry Winston diamond, fucking huge, I tell you. Like ten carats"
"There's no such thing as ten carats" Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Fine, but it was big. One big round cut diamond in this gorgeous little--- well, actually thick platinum band." Emily sighed "I may propose to you just so I can buy that ring"
"It cost as much as a house in France" Sarah noted.
"How much is that?" Jareth asked
"Um, like a chateau along the coast of the Sea of Gaultier" Sarah translated.
Jareth looked impressed "Oh, well. That's quite a lot"
Emily nudged Jareth "She wears a size five ring"
"Thanks, luv" he grinned.
Sarah threw another pillow at Emily. "Stop embarrassing me on purpose" she demanded.
"But it's so easy" Jareth laughed.
"And incredibly fun" Emily sighed "And besides---" she was cut off my the phone ringing. She hopped off the bed and grabbed the phone of Sarah's desk.
"Bonjourno! C'est Emily!" She sang "oooh! Griffon, darling, I haven't heard from you in ages--- you must come out with us tonight--- yes---yes--- oh, wear a suit, sweetie, we're going up town---- Fiona, Timothy, Sarah and her lovely new boyfriend, Jareth"
"Emily!" Sarah hissed, Jareth started laughing again and Emily stuck her tongue out.
"What? Oh, don't tell me you don't have a proper suit, you're gay, you have to have a suit. ----What?--- yes. We'll come and get you in a taxi around seven.---- kiss kiss--- bye" She hung up the phone with flourish. "That was Griffon, and stop being immature Sarah, just pretend that Jareth's your boyfriend. We can't think of a better lie and this is the one everyone already believes. You don't have a problem with that, do you Jareth?"
Mild surprise crossed his face "Er--- no, I suppose not"
"There you are" Emily concluded with a smile. "Just pretend, it won't kill you. Now, Jareth, my darling, I bought you a few things"
*
Gaeton stepped into the throne room and bowed before the High King and Queen. He spotter Gwendolyn standing at Cymboline's side and felt slightly guilty for not seeking her out and telling her of Jareth's news earlier but there hadn't been time.
"Your highnesses, I am delighted to tell you I have received word from the High Prince"
The High Queen sighed heavily "Oh, Gaeton, what has he said. When is he returning home? Is he safe?"
"My Queen, he intends to return within a few short days. He is safe and with Lady Sarah, although he did not tell me where" Gaeton winced slightly, as telling a lie to the High King and Queen was strictly forbidden. If they ever found out that Jareth had demanded he not inform them of his whereabouts, Gaeton's head might have been on a stake.
"Bloody hell" Duncan muttered
Mariead's eyebrows raised "He is with Sarah?" she repeated slowly.
"Yes, my lady" Gaeton bowed and stalked out of the room. He was sure the High Queen would make her own assumptions as to what had happened. Most likely she would think them on some island in the Sea of Gaultier, shagging like rabbits. In truth, Gaeton wasn't so sure that wasn't what Jareth and Sarah were doing in the Aboveworld.
Several minutes later Gaeton was accosted by Gwendolyn. "Where is he really?" she demanded. "I saw you lying. You know that's punishable by death, so where is he? Really?"
Gaeton clasped his sister's wrists and vanished them to Jareth's chambers, the one place they would not be disturbed or heard. She looked around at their surroundings for a moment and then turned to glare at her twin. "Well?"
"Long and short of it?" Gaeton nodded "Well, he went of and saved her from Prince Dacian, as we expected. Somehow Dacian found the portal to the Aboveground and Sarah and Jareth went through and now their in--- New York ? I don't know where that is but---"
"It's Sarah's home" Gwendolyn explained, "She has friend's there, she and his majesty will be safe"
"Yes, I just want to know what happened to Dacian" Gaeton sighed "He's probably moaning about the Ciren Forest trying to find cover from the daylight--- " he took in Gwendolyn's horrified face then. "What is it Gwen?"
Gwen put her hands to her mouth. "What if--- oh, what if he goes after them?"
Gaeton's eyes widened at this prospect "He wouldn't do that" he nodded resolutely "He's not foolish enough"
"But Gaeton, I was reading up on this, Nosferatu, they fall in love once and that's the end of it. If Dacian thinks he loves Sarah then--- maybe even he would do something foolish to get to her"
*
He slept in the ground during that day. It had been horrible, burrowing like some kind of animal under the forest's dirty floor to get away from the sun. It had been a very long time since Dacian had had to burrow underground. And he hated it. It was despicable. But with out the cool stone walls of a castle to keep the sun at bay, he had to do it.
He did not sleep, he only thought of her. He was starving too. He hadn't had a drink for nearly two nights. Even the blood of an animal would be relief right now. But no, he would wait for her. Sarah. His dark queen.
The sun set and Dacian exploded out of the ground just as the last rays disappeared over the tops of the trees. He stalked back over to the stones and glanced around for any sign of Fae or Elf that had been sent to collect him. A cruel sneer curled at his lips when he saw that no one, had indeed been sent. Stupid Jareth. He was probably being childish and not even telling his parents where he was.
All the better for Dacian in this case. He would wait until the thirtieth hour. And then he would find her.
*
AN: Weeeeewww.. Cliffy. but that's all right, the updates are coming fast again.
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