*
AN: Oh god, have accidentally developed two sub plots and tricked people into thinking they're the point of the fic. No. No. The point is Jareth and Sarah. Stop telling me I'm getting side tracked from Dacian. He isn't the point. Uh. But thank you to the rest of you who have e mailed me or reviewed with lovely things to say or helpful criticism. It's all been lovely. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth
*
Strangely Divine: Chapter Twenty-Four:
*
Sarah spent the rest of the day watching Emily dress Jareth up like he was her paper doll. She dressed him in grey and black suits with expensive labels that he couldn't care less about and soft black leather shoes. There was a myriad of button down shirts and tee-shirts. Sarah was glad Emily had passed by Urban Outfitters 'Jesus is my Homeboy' tee, as that would have made it incredibly hard to look Jareth in the eye. Jimmy Choos Jeans and Ralph Loren sweaters transformed him into one of Emily's prep school friends from up north and black three-piece suits with Cuban heel boots turned him into a Mediterranean culturist.
While at the beginning it had been fun to have a new premise for checking Jareth out, it was increasingly becoming boring watching Emily pull out yet another outfit. Sarah could see he was becoming a bit tired of it as well.
"I'm going to take a shower" she announced.
"But it's only four-thirty" Emily sighed "You have two hours ye--- oh what am I saying, you take forever in the bathroom"
Sarah laughed and tripped off to the bathroom to indulge in a long hot shower, undoubtedly using all the warm water. She washed her hair and thought about the Underground. If she was ever to live at the castle permanently they would have to have plumbing installed somehow. Sarah didn't see why they couldn't just magic the water through like---magical faucets. And toilets were also a must. The facilities were absolute crap (no pun intended) at Calais.
Medieval castles had enough charm to block out most of the bad, though. Like the gardens. Sarah loved the Garden's at Calais. The gardens alone were a good enough reason to go back and stay. She would miss Gwendolyn after all. And perhaps Emily could come. She could base her spring line off of what she saw there.
Sarah stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a big warm fluffy towel. She found herself comparing her warm fluffy towel to the Underground's warm fluffy towels. It couldn't be healthy to think about a place so much, but reallyl she loved it there. So long as she could come back.
Sarah wiped steam of the mirror as she passed and paused before stepping out into the hallway. Emily had turned on the stereo and The Cars were blasting from the old turn table while Emily and Jareth talked over the music on the couch. Sarah felt compelled to just watch them for a minute, but then she realized she was just watching Jareth as he talked to her best friend.
Things that she'd noticed before came into glaring focus. The way his mouth crinkled up at the sides and his pointed teeth showed when he laughed. How he wrinkled his nose when he really liked something or really hated something. The fact that instead of talking with his hands, he talked with his fingers, spinning or twitching them along to what he was saying. Even that every time he paused in a sentence he would lick his lips and chew on them thoughtfully.
Aware that her heart was pounding loudly now, Sarah also began to wonder if she really could love him. Could she? Was it possible? If she never had to see him again, what would that mean?
"Sarah?" Emily asked.
Sarah jerked herself out of her reverie and looked at her best friend. "What?"
"Are you done in the shower?" Emily asked. "and have you used up all the hot water?"
"Yes and yes" Sarah chuckled, clutching her towel closer. Jareth raised his eyebrows at her suggestively and she ignored him
Emily pretended to scowl "Damn you, now I've got to take a cold shower" she leapt off the couch. "Oh, I've left some earrings on the counter for you to wear." She said as she passed by on the way to the bathroom.
Sarah sighed and ignored the way Jareth's eyes followed her into the kitchen. She picked up a black velvet box off the kitchen counter and was not surprised to find chandelier-like diamond earrings. Living with Emily was like living with Coco Chanel, Sarah surmised. There would always be something infinitely nicer and better then what she owned to borrow.
"There's no way" she muttered, shutting the box. Perhaps if she asked to borrow a pair of shoes, Emily would let it go this time.
"I thought they were nice" Jareth said.
Sarah jerked and nearly dropped her towel in surprise, and she was sure that had been hi intent. She clutched in closer and glared at him. "Stop sneaking up on me"
"I didn't" he protested, grinning and tugging at the sleeves of his jacket.
"You did, I can tell when you're lying now, you know" she poked him in the chest.
Jareth feigned shock "Did Gwen tell you, then?"
"No" Sarah said, eyeing him slowly. Did this mean there was a sure-fire way to tell when the Goblin King was lying? "You mean you fidget with your sleeves? That's just a nervous habit" she shrugged
"Mm hmm" he nodded and leaned closer to her. "And guess what luv, I don't have nervous habits"
Sarah found the words. "Please back away from my personal space were caught in her throat and all she could say was. "Right-so any nervous habits, you're lying. I know"
"How do you know?" he rocked dangerously closer to her and Sarah got the impression that he was toying with her again.
"Because you're a bloody obvious liar--- " she said, and gripping her towel close to her chest with once arm, she shoved him away and stomped out of the kitchen. To her great annoyance, Jareth appeared just in front of her, arms crossed and looking a bit put out.
"I've never lied to you" he said firmly
Sarah's eyes softened. "I know" she said "But if you're stretching the truth---"
He held up his hands, grinning crookedly. "Fair enough"
"May I go get dressed now?" she asked patiently. Jareth stepped out of her way and she disappeared down the hallway.
*
The world began to spin crazily for Dacian but it was a feeling he was quite used to by now. The glow of the stones encased him an in the next second he was in the Aboveground. He felt light headed and stumbled for a moment before taking off through the field like he usually did. He ran with all the speed that a Nosferatu possesses until he came to a place some kilometres away from Stonehenge.
There were no mortal roads in sight and only the moon shone above Dacian's head. He dug around in the pockets of his velvet jacket until he produced a small leather purse containing magic powder. He set about casting the spell that would bring him to his loved one.
*
"Emily you're pulling my hair out" Sarah complained.
She wasn't sure why, but she agreed to let Emily do her hair. Generally, as a rule, Sarah did not much like having the eccentric or otherwise deranged touching her hair, but she made an acceptation in Emily's case. Her short friend was currently wielding a very dangerous looking large barrelled curling iron while Sarah attempted to apply a bit of make up.
"So, you didn't tell me what you did today, Sarah" Emily prodded,
Sarah shot her a look in the mirror "We walked around the Village and I bought him ice cream"
"Oh my goodness" Emily released Sarah's hair from the iron and a fat curl flopped over her shoulder. "That is so incredibly cute."
"Not really" Sarah shrugged. Actually it had been plenty cute. A bit too cute, really.
"Er--- I know this is really cliché but the Goblin King doesn't have any friends you can introduce me to" said Emily, grinning impishly
"Yeah, maybe you'd like to go down there with me some time?" Sarah asked hopefully.
Emily sat the curling iron down on the dressing table "Oooh really? Can I?"
Sarah laughed "Yeah, of course"
"That is so amazing I just---" Emily was cut off by a knock at Sarah's bedroom door and then Jareth stuck his head in.
"Are you done yet?" He asked in a slightly whining voice.
Emily put her hands on her hips. "You couldn't possibly have read the entire C volume of the encyclopaedia"
"Well I got the general idea, I do have magic, you know" he pressed into the room and sat on Sarah's bed as if he belonged there. Sarah pulled her robe tighter around herself, feeling her nerves set on edge.
"It's rather useless when you only have one letter, anyway" Jareth continued.
Emily laughed "So, you Fae have magic powers, you can read really fast and you can bounce about from place to place, right?"
Jareth shot Sarah a look in the mirror and she concentrated on applying her eye shadow instead of looking at him. "Basically, darling"
"Hmm" said Emily, turning around to finish Sarah's hair.
Jareth crossed his arms and watched them, a grin tugging at his lips as he realized Sarah was getting nervous because of his presence again. He wasn't sure why he still made her nervous but it did make him feel a certain amount of control over her.
"Right" Said Emily "That's as symmetrical as I can make your head"
"Oh shut up" Sarah laughed
"Sorry, I'm going to go get dressed. Jareth, are you going like that?"
He looked down at himself and then back up at her. "I suppose"
"Fabulous," Emily tittered, pulling him off the bed and dragging him out of the room "You'll have Fiona and Griffon crawling all over you"
Sarah sighed and struggled into her dress, pantyhose, and shoes. It almost felt a bit weird not to have someone helping her get dressed like Gwendolyn did for her. Oh well, at least she wouldn't have to wear some death trap corset anymore. That was an improvement for sure. Perhaps she could even get away with wearing a mortal dress when she returned to the underground.
She bent over to screw the chandelier like earrings into place and quickly realized that she defiantly should not be doing any bending over that evening. Although she had very little in the way of a chest, any piece that has a neckline to just above ones' belly button is revealing.
Cringing, Sarah made several attempts at sitting down and walking in her three and a half inch heels with out falling out of her dress or her shoes. Once she accomplished this, she slipped out of her bedroom and once again found herself running smack into Jareth.
"Damn it! She grasped the wall to keep from falling over and Jareth grabbed her arm as well.
"Steady on, luv" he said softly, not releasing her arm from his grasp and instead letting his gaze rake over her figure.
Sarah tried to make herself relax but he stepped closer to her and her heart started pounding like crazy in her chest. She attempted to from any string of coherent words that would have him back away but to be honest, she really didn't want him too. All words were stuck in her throat and she only managed a slight "Hmm?"
"Yes?" he brushed a stray curl away from her face.
"No I just--- never mind"
Jareth gave her a knowing smirk and slipped his arm around her waist. "Are you sure?"
"Oh yes" she nodded and placed a hesitant hand on his thin shoulder.
"Good" he smiled "I have something for you"
Sarah's eyes went a bit wide "A gift?" She asked suspiciously "I don't want a gift"
Jareth cocked his head to the side and stared at her intently. She stared back. "Alright, we'll call it a prize"
"A prize?" she repeated "For what?"
Jareth rolled his eyes, tired of the game. "Oh, I don't know. Does it matter? A prize for being the prettiest girl in this hallway"
Sarah laughed "Are you sure about that, luv?" she unconsciously imitated his accent on the last word and he shook his head, amused.
"Don't insult me when I'm about to give you something, darling, it isn't fitting"
"So sorry" she said, raising her chin "What is it?"
Jareth snapped his wrist and a glittery crystal appeared in his palm. Sarah took it reluctantly, although she trusted him more then she was willing to admit, she did not quite trust magic.
The crystal started to turn in her hand and Jareth closed his hand over hers and it began to spin faster. A shower of glitter exploded between their fingers and Sarah was left holding a miniature version of the crystal on a silver chain.
"What is it?" She asked holding the necklace up and peering at it. Even in the dim light of the hallway it glittered and shined like something ethereal and otherworldly.
"Your prize" Jareth smirked, he unclasped the chain and moved behind her to tie it about her neck.
"My prize" she repeated, unbelievingly. "Are you sure that's all it is?"
Jareth brushed her hair to the side and clasped the ends of the necklace together. Sarah stiffened when he slid his arms around her slender waist, his long fingers sliding along the exposed skin there, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Well, there's a bit of magic to it" he admitted.
Sarah wasn't sure if she wanted to know what kind of magic there was to it. Never the less she turned to look at him so that their faces were centimetres apart. "What sort of magic?" she asked softly.
His gaze bounced from her lips to her eyes and back again. "Magic that will protect you, Sarah" he mumbled, lowering his lips to hers.
Sarah melted into him and felt tingles shot up her spine when his lips touched hers. Her eyes opened to stare at him and he opened his as well as he kissed her again. Words caught in Sarah's throat again, words that she didn't even know were the truth yet. So she resolutely pressed her lips to his instead of saying anything.
There was a loud hacking cough that could have only come from Emily at the other end of the hallway. Jareth released Sarah and turned around coolly. Sure enough, Emily's dark head popped round the corner. "Taxi's here" she said cheerfully.
*
"God, I'm starving, took you long enough" Fiona laughed as she poked her head inside the cab. "You lot look like you've just been to a fucking funeral" she moaned, waving her cigarette at them. Jareth sat on once side of Sarah and Emily sat on the other. The silence was so terse and thick you could cut it with a knife.
"Sorry, Fiona, it's lovely to see you" Emily grinned, kissing her friend on the cheek
"I thought so, budge over now, we've got to go to the ghetto to pick up Griffon" Fiona snickered as she pushed between Emily and Sarah and took a long drag off her cigarette.
"Oh, bloody hell I need some of that" Sarah muttered.
"Hey, this is a non smoking cab" the cab driver complained in a thick new jersey accent.
"There all fucking non smoking cabs" Fiona snapped "Are you a bleeding asthmatic?"
"No, but second hand smoke lady, it kills"
Fiona exhaled "You'll die anyway, go on now, drive"
Sarah giggled, despite herself and took the proffered cigarette.
Griffon lived in a studio apartment with about thirty other eccentric mad East village types. He had curling dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He was an extraordinarily gorgeous man, and tended to wear sneakers with suits and dirty shirts. Like Fiona, he was a horrible chain smoker and always looked like he'd been on a week long drinking binge. He was, in fact, the person Sarah lost her virginity too. He was also gay, but in a strangely butch way.
Fiona stumbled out of the cab "Griffon! OY! Griffon!" she screeched up at his window, lighting another cigarette and popping it in her mouth.
"Fuck off junkie!" One of Griffon's roommates yelled down "He's coming!"
"Right" she said resolutely and scrambled back into the car.
"How many more people am I going to pick up? You can't have more then five" the cabby said irritably.
"This is it" Emily told him. "Ow! Get off me" Fiona had decided that Emily's lap was a better place to sit.
Griffon came tumbling out of his building, cigarette burning away between his fingers and a wad of cash in his nicotine stained hands. His excuse for his horrid treatment of his health was that he was an *artiste* an out of work pianist, more or less.
"I'm here, no worries, I'm here" he said, opening the door and looking in. He kissed Emily, Fiona, and Sarah and gave Jareth a long look. "Why hello there"
"This is Jareth, Sarah's new boyfriend" Fiona said
"Oh, what a pity." Griffon said in a bored voice, pushing his hair off his face. "Well if you're ever in need of working out your sexuality, mate. Come to me."
Jareth smiled. "Nice to meet you"
"Ooh, he's English" Griffon moaned, before pulling his head out of the back of the cab and sliding into the front seat. "Where are we off to Emily, my darling? Somewhere delightfully expensive that your father will pay for?"
"But of course" Emily giggled
Sarah looked up at Jareth and gave him a weak smile. "Aren't they great?"
He kissed her lips quickly and smirked arrogantly "They're lovely"
*
It is a funny thing being one of the Nosferatu, in that they posses only a small amount of magical ability. Of course, this small amount is nothing compared to the Fae but it is a bit of magic, indeed.
So in the middle of a mortal field, Dacian performed this small bit of magic that he knew. It was dark black magic that was learned from spending so much time in the Ciren forest all his life. Magic is in the air like an electric current, and Dacian's pores were seeping with this sort of evil magic.
He had been standing there for Zeus knows how long when the crystal finally appeared in his hand. It was uneven and lopsided instead of perfectly round like a Fae crystal. Instead of shining and gleaming from all angles it took on a sort of metallic glow that shimmered and absorbed black light.
Dacian watched it rotate unevenly in his hand for a moment, a smile curling at his lips. Then he tossed it up in the air and wished for Sarah.
*
Timothy was waiting outside the large shiny building they were supposedly having diner at. He had closely cropped ash coloured hair and round glasses that slipped down the end of his long nose. He smiled when he saw the taxi bursting full of people pull up to the curb. His brother Griffon slipped out, cool as ever and cracked at grin at him. Then came Fiona, chain smoking as usual, and Emily, who was pulling out her credit card for the cab driver. Then finally Sarah and her tall thin blonde friend.
Sarah pulled her friend up to Timothy, beaming as she introduced them. "This is Jareth, Timothy"
"Hey," timothy smiled easily "I see Emily's made you her dress up doll"
Jareth grinned crookedly "It's not so bad"
"Ah" Timothy shot Sarah a disapproving look "So you were in England"
Fiona draped her arms around Sarah's neck and pressed a kiss to her ear. "They were looking at art" she said sarcastically before throwing herself at Timothy.
"And you're junked up as usual"
Sarah rolled her eyes "Among other things. Let's go up"
They piled into the elevator and Sarah held Jareth's hand. He seemed to be relatively comfortable with people he didn't know terribly well and found it easy to make conversation with Timothy. Sarah supposed it was all those years of being a diplomat for his parents and their kingdom and such.
Just as the elevator pinged open Sarah felt a strange tingling in her chest. She glanced down at the spherical crystal at her throat and fingered it softly. It seemed to be almost vibrating. What did that mean?
Sarah pressed closer to Jareth and he glanced down at her. "All right?"
"Fine" she mumbled, unable to shake the feeling that she should know something and didn't.
He frowned. "Are you sure?"
Sarah nodded firmly and urged him out of the elevator.
At diner Sarah sat between Griffon and Jareth and found that Griffon was monopolizing her time as usual, she son forgot about the tingling crystal.
"I want to know everything" Griffon said in a low voice, "Because frankly darling, I don't trust the English"
"Why not?" Sarah muttered sipping her water. She decided to go with out intoxication that evening.
"Are you kidding? I'm Irish! Look at me, don't I just scream Irish?"
Sarah snorted "Sorry, no. You don't look that Irish"
"I'm a reforming catholic" he insisted "And I'm writing this new piece, darling. I think I'll call it the Irish something or other" he paused "Or perhaps 'As popes come walking in'--- anyway, that's beside the point. What does your lovely Jareth do?"
Emily was seated on Griffon's other side. "He's like me, he has no job and lives off his parents"
"That's not true" Sarah said quickly.
"Yes it is" said Jareth, sending her an amused look
"What do your parents do?" Timothy wanted to know.
Jareth shrugged again, as if disinterested with the subject. " Banking and Politics and boring things like that"
"Lucky Sarah" Fiona tittered, tapping her cigarette out into an ashtray.
"How did you meet?" Griffon asked "I mean, if she was so willing to run back to England with you"
Emily answered for them again. "Jareth's cousin is Polly Grey, remember her"
"No" everyone chorused, they could not keep up with Emily's childhood prep school country club friends despite the fact that she talked about them nearly as much as she talked about her clothes.
"Well" Emily sighed, exasperated "Polly had this party for her birthday and I took Sarah and Polly introduced us to her lovely British cousin"
Sarah had never met anyone named Polly Grey in her life so she was quite sure Emily had made the whole thing up. She felt slightly bad about lying to all her friends like this but she couldn't very well tell *all* of them about the magic underground goblin king thing.
Emily continued on with her story and Jareth slipped his arm around Sarah's shoulders, listening with an amused look on his pretty face. "So, anyway, Jareth came down to visit us but I had no idea that it was so serious that Sarah would just run off and not tell any of us"
"Yeah, Sarah." Sighed Griffon "I don't care how good looking he is, do something like that again and I'll have to do something crazy" he widened his eyes. "Like date women"
"Never" Timothy said dryly.
Sarah rolled her eyes and fingered the crystal around her neck. "I'm sorry guys, really. It was just so spur of the moment--- I don't know what we were thinking" she shot Jareth a meaningful look.
He raised his eyebrows and gave her another quick kiss. Sarah wished he would stop doing that. It was making her heart feel like a ping pong ball in her chest.
She looked up and caught Fiona staring at her in a wide eyed sort of way. Or rather, she was looking at the necklace around Sarah's neck. She turned her black eyes t Jareth and they glinted with recognition.
"Uh-Sarah I need to see you in the bathroom"
Sarah's eyed narrowed "Why?"
Fiona stepped around the table and pulled Sarah's chair out for her. "come on now"
Sarah followed her reluctantly, mostly because Fiona's bony hand was in a vice like grip around her wrist. Also she wanted to know what was going on with Fiona's reaction to Jareth. It was almost like she knew him----
Sarah paled. It couldn't be that--- could it?
The bathroom was huge and extravagant hanging in crystal and marble and a small Latino woman sat with a hand towel and a jar for tips near the door. Fiona pulled Sarah into a stall and jabbed a thin finger at the crystal.
"What is that?" she demanded in a low voice.
"Jareth gave it to me" Sarah said slowly
"Sarah--- you're going to think I'm crazy" Fiona said in a panicked voice "But you have to believe me, okay, you have to. He's not human"
Sarah felt her heart drop to her feet. "How--- how do you know" she asked in a measured voice.
"You have to believe me" Fiona pleaded, "Sarah, I--- well I was very young and you know what happened to me--- you know what I was like before--- and what I'm like now"
Sarah blinked, understanding flooding her. "The baby" she repeated "You told me once you had a baby and you gave it up for adoption when you were fourteen"
Tears gathered in Fiona's eyes. "Uh huh, but Sarah I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to --- oh god, you'll think I'm crazy-I didn't mean to"
"Wish her away" Sarah asked in a quiet voice.
Fiona stared at her, wide eyed. "How--- how did you know that"
Sarah looked down at her feet. "I accidentally wished away my younger brother to the Goblin King--- but I got him back"
Fiona looked angry for a moment "How did you get him back?!" she shouted.
There was scuffling and the towel woman mumbled something under her breathe in Spanish.
"I ran the Labyrinth and I won" Sarah said lowly
"The labyrinth--- that maze thing? How the hell did you beat that, it was impossible!" Fiona slouched back against the stall wall. "What are you doing kissing the King of the Goblins, Sarah"
Sarah stared at Fiona for a long time, gathering her thoughts. What was she doing kissing the king of the goblins, she had no idea. "I love him," she blurted out.
Fiona stared at her. "How did this happen" she hissed. "How did you fall in love with someone who kidnaps children"
"He doesn't kidnap children!" Sarah shouted, and there was another scuffle and Spanish swearing from the towel woman. "Stupid people like us with away children and he takes them and gives them to people in his world who will want them. And it's not just fools like is, Fiona. There are children starving and dying in developing countries you know, and worse things then that happening to kids all over the world."
"So--- my baby isn't a goblin" Fiona's voice was so small Sarah almost didn't hear her.
"No" Sarah said, sympathy filling her. She'd gotten her brother back. Fiona hadn't been so lucky. "And Fiona, we could probably go see her"
"We could?" her head jerked up suddenly "How?"
Sarah held up her hands. "You have to get off that shit first"
Fiona's eyes narrowed. "This doesn't change the fact that you are sleeping with a goblin king"
Sarah expelled a deep breathe and then explained long and short what had happened with the royal family, the peace talks, Dacian, the stones, and finally "I am not sleeping with him--- Emily just couldn't think of a better lie"
Fiona shot her a look "You were certainly acting like you've been sleeping with him. That or your married to him"
Sarah blushed "Look, stay on track here. We still don't know why I was brought down there but we can go back and forth now"
"OH, isn't it obvious" Fiona sighed "It's because he's in love with you, and you're in love with him, and you're just meant to be together" she pulled a face. "Disgusting"
"I don't think that's quite it" Sarah muttered
"Ugh--- Sarah? Fiona?" Emily's voice echoed through the bathroom. The towel lady muttered something. "You'd better get back to the table before Griffon eats Jareth"
Sarah and Fiona stumbled out of the stall and earned a strange look from Emily.
"Having fun?" she asked
Sarah adjusted her dress in the mirror. "I told her everything, Em"
"Oookaaaay" Emily said slowly, glancing at Fiona who was dumping something suspiciously white down the toilet and flushing it. "Is there a bust I don't know about?"
"Shut up, Emily" Fiona mumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"Hey! No smokey in here!" The towel woman shouted.
Fiona groaned and swept out of the bathroom with Sarah and Emily in close pursuit. "I'll tell you everything later" Sarah mumbled to a very confused Emily.
Back at the table they were talking about football (soccer) and Jareth was explaining quite animatedly about some incredibly goal David Beckham had made for Man United last week while Griffon and Timothy listened and nodded with rapt interest that only men (even gay ones) posses for sports.
Sarah looked at Emily before she sat down "How does he know David Beckham?" she whispered
Emily slid into her seat and mouthed "ESPN--- all day"
Sarah rolled her eyes, she should have known better then to underestimate Jareth when he said the Fae were very clever creatures.
She jerked her hand to her chest when the crystal began to tingle again. It was more violent tingling now, like there was something spinning around her heart and slowly tightening. "Jareth?" she gasped.
He looked down at her "Yes, luv" the happy grin melted off his face.
"Can I talk to you---"
He was already pulling her out of her chair and helping her away from the table. The feeling in her chest loosened. Sarah likened it with hyperventilating, she was having trouble getting a breath and she felt slightly light headed.
They skidded past the hostess onto the black and white marble floor in front of the elevator. Jareth put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her face. "What is it Sarah, tell me"
"I can't" she gestured to her chest. "I can't-I can't--- it's"
"It's Dacian" Jareth said.
"No-it's not" she shook her head, what was he talking about Dacian for? His bloody crystal was causing her to have a heart attack. She grouped for it at her thraot and attempted to snap it off her neck but Jareth stilled her hands
"Sarah listen" his voice was cool and soothing and in her panic, Sarah wanted to do anything but listen. "Listen, sweetheart, if you take it off, you will go to him. Breath, come on, you're all right" he rubbed her arms. "Look at me, you're fine"
Sarah gripped his forearms, still hitching in short ragged breaths and staring at his face. Jareth backed them into the elevator and as soon as the doors closed he put his arms around her in an attempt to vanish them back to her apartment.
But nothing happened.
Jareth swore furiously and Sarah's hitching breaths sped up. "What--- why can't--- you--- what's--- happening"
"You're all right" Jareth told her, "Sarah, calm down" he glanced at the row of buttons and pressed one at random. The elevator started moving down.
"What--- what---" her vision was blurring and her chest was burning.
"Sarah, look at me" she looked back up at him, his mismatched eyes were soft and concerned. "You're going to be alright, luv. I love you, calm down, breath."
"You--- love me?" she sucked in a deep breath and it sounded like a balloon shrieking out air.
Jareth couldn't believe he had said that. But it didn't matter now. He grabbed her upper arms. "Sarah concentrate on breathing, darling. Alright?"
He loved her? He loved her? He loved her? It was ringing through her dizzy head and she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him too but no sound would come out. Now air would come in and she was frozen with Jareth's eyes the only thing she could see.
"Sarah?"
She vanished.
*
AN: Wee--- long one. And a cliffy! I think--- I could be wrong :D
Remember to REVIEW
AN: Oh god, have accidentally developed two sub plots and tricked people into thinking they're the point of the fic. No. No. The point is Jareth and Sarah. Stop telling me I'm getting side tracked from Dacian. He isn't the point. Uh. But thank you to the rest of you who have e mailed me or reviewed with lovely things to say or helpful criticism. It's all been lovely. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth
*
Strangely Divine: Chapter Twenty-Four:
*
Sarah spent the rest of the day watching Emily dress Jareth up like he was her paper doll. She dressed him in grey and black suits with expensive labels that he couldn't care less about and soft black leather shoes. There was a myriad of button down shirts and tee-shirts. Sarah was glad Emily had passed by Urban Outfitters 'Jesus is my Homeboy' tee, as that would have made it incredibly hard to look Jareth in the eye. Jimmy Choos Jeans and Ralph Loren sweaters transformed him into one of Emily's prep school friends from up north and black three-piece suits with Cuban heel boots turned him into a Mediterranean culturist.
While at the beginning it had been fun to have a new premise for checking Jareth out, it was increasingly becoming boring watching Emily pull out yet another outfit. Sarah could see he was becoming a bit tired of it as well.
"I'm going to take a shower" she announced.
"But it's only four-thirty" Emily sighed "You have two hours ye--- oh what am I saying, you take forever in the bathroom"
Sarah laughed and tripped off to the bathroom to indulge in a long hot shower, undoubtedly using all the warm water. She washed her hair and thought about the Underground. If she was ever to live at the castle permanently they would have to have plumbing installed somehow. Sarah didn't see why they couldn't just magic the water through like---magical faucets. And toilets were also a must. The facilities were absolute crap (no pun intended) at Calais.
Medieval castles had enough charm to block out most of the bad, though. Like the gardens. Sarah loved the Garden's at Calais. The gardens alone were a good enough reason to go back and stay. She would miss Gwendolyn after all. And perhaps Emily could come. She could base her spring line off of what she saw there.
Sarah stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a big warm fluffy towel. She found herself comparing her warm fluffy towel to the Underground's warm fluffy towels. It couldn't be healthy to think about a place so much, but reallyl she loved it there. So long as she could come back.
Sarah wiped steam of the mirror as she passed and paused before stepping out into the hallway. Emily had turned on the stereo and The Cars were blasting from the old turn table while Emily and Jareth talked over the music on the couch. Sarah felt compelled to just watch them for a minute, but then she realized she was just watching Jareth as he talked to her best friend.
Things that she'd noticed before came into glaring focus. The way his mouth crinkled up at the sides and his pointed teeth showed when he laughed. How he wrinkled his nose when he really liked something or really hated something. The fact that instead of talking with his hands, he talked with his fingers, spinning or twitching them along to what he was saying. Even that every time he paused in a sentence he would lick his lips and chew on them thoughtfully.
Aware that her heart was pounding loudly now, Sarah also began to wonder if she really could love him. Could she? Was it possible? If she never had to see him again, what would that mean?
"Sarah?" Emily asked.
Sarah jerked herself out of her reverie and looked at her best friend. "What?"
"Are you done in the shower?" Emily asked. "and have you used up all the hot water?"
"Yes and yes" Sarah chuckled, clutching her towel closer. Jareth raised his eyebrows at her suggestively and she ignored him
Emily pretended to scowl "Damn you, now I've got to take a cold shower" she leapt off the couch. "Oh, I've left some earrings on the counter for you to wear." She said as she passed by on the way to the bathroom.
Sarah sighed and ignored the way Jareth's eyes followed her into the kitchen. She picked up a black velvet box off the kitchen counter and was not surprised to find chandelier-like diamond earrings. Living with Emily was like living with Coco Chanel, Sarah surmised. There would always be something infinitely nicer and better then what she owned to borrow.
"There's no way" she muttered, shutting the box. Perhaps if she asked to borrow a pair of shoes, Emily would let it go this time.
"I thought they were nice" Jareth said.
Sarah jerked and nearly dropped her towel in surprise, and she was sure that had been hi intent. She clutched in closer and glared at him. "Stop sneaking up on me"
"I didn't" he protested, grinning and tugging at the sleeves of his jacket.
"You did, I can tell when you're lying now, you know" she poked him in the chest.
Jareth feigned shock "Did Gwen tell you, then?"
"No" Sarah said, eyeing him slowly. Did this mean there was a sure-fire way to tell when the Goblin King was lying? "You mean you fidget with your sleeves? That's just a nervous habit" she shrugged
"Mm hmm" he nodded and leaned closer to her. "And guess what luv, I don't have nervous habits"
Sarah found the words. "Please back away from my personal space were caught in her throat and all she could say was. "Right-so any nervous habits, you're lying. I know"
"How do you know?" he rocked dangerously closer to her and Sarah got the impression that he was toying with her again.
"Because you're a bloody obvious liar--- " she said, and gripping her towel close to her chest with once arm, she shoved him away and stomped out of the kitchen. To her great annoyance, Jareth appeared just in front of her, arms crossed and looking a bit put out.
"I've never lied to you" he said firmly
Sarah's eyes softened. "I know" she said "But if you're stretching the truth---"
He held up his hands, grinning crookedly. "Fair enough"
"May I go get dressed now?" she asked patiently. Jareth stepped out of her way and she disappeared down the hallway.
*
The world began to spin crazily for Dacian but it was a feeling he was quite used to by now. The glow of the stones encased him an in the next second he was in the Aboveground. He felt light headed and stumbled for a moment before taking off through the field like he usually did. He ran with all the speed that a Nosferatu possesses until he came to a place some kilometres away from Stonehenge.
There were no mortal roads in sight and only the moon shone above Dacian's head. He dug around in the pockets of his velvet jacket until he produced a small leather purse containing magic powder. He set about casting the spell that would bring him to his loved one.
*
"Emily you're pulling my hair out" Sarah complained.
She wasn't sure why, but she agreed to let Emily do her hair. Generally, as a rule, Sarah did not much like having the eccentric or otherwise deranged touching her hair, but she made an acceptation in Emily's case. Her short friend was currently wielding a very dangerous looking large barrelled curling iron while Sarah attempted to apply a bit of make up.
"So, you didn't tell me what you did today, Sarah" Emily prodded,
Sarah shot her a look in the mirror "We walked around the Village and I bought him ice cream"
"Oh my goodness" Emily released Sarah's hair from the iron and a fat curl flopped over her shoulder. "That is so incredibly cute."
"Not really" Sarah shrugged. Actually it had been plenty cute. A bit too cute, really.
"Er--- I know this is really cliché but the Goblin King doesn't have any friends you can introduce me to" said Emily, grinning impishly
"Yeah, maybe you'd like to go down there with me some time?" Sarah asked hopefully.
Emily sat the curling iron down on the dressing table "Oooh really? Can I?"
Sarah laughed "Yeah, of course"
"That is so amazing I just---" Emily was cut off by a knock at Sarah's bedroom door and then Jareth stuck his head in.
"Are you done yet?" He asked in a slightly whining voice.
Emily put her hands on her hips. "You couldn't possibly have read the entire C volume of the encyclopaedia"
"Well I got the general idea, I do have magic, you know" he pressed into the room and sat on Sarah's bed as if he belonged there. Sarah pulled her robe tighter around herself, feeling her nerves set on edge.
"It's rather useless when you only have one letter, anyway" Jareth continued.
Emily laughed "So, you Fae have magic powers, you can read really fast and you can bounce about from place to place, right?"
Jareth shot Sarah a look in the mirror and she concentrated on applying her eye shadow instead of looking at him. "Basically, darling"
"Hmm" said Emily, turning around to finish Sarah's hair.
Jareth crossed his arms and watched them, a grin tugging at his lips as he realized Sarah was getting nervous because of his presence again. He wasn't sure why he still made her nervous but it did make him feel a certain amount of control over her.
"Right" Said Emily "That's as symmetrical as I can make your head"
"Oh shut up" Sarah laughed
"Sorry, I'm going to go get dressed. Jareth, are you going like that?"
He looked down at himself and then back up at her. "I suppose"
"Fabulous," Emily tittered, pulling him off the bed and dragging him out of the room "You'll have Fiona and Griffon crawling all over you"
Sarah sighed and struggled into her dress, pantyhose, and shoes. It almost felt a bit weird not to have someone helping her get dressed like Gwendolyn did for her. Oh well, at least she wouldn't have to wear some death trap corset anymore. That was an improvement for sure. Perhaps she could even get away with wearing a mortal dress when she returned to the underground.
She bent over to screw the chandelier like earrings into place and quickly realized that she defiantly should not be doing any bending over that evening. Although she had very little in the way of a chest, any piece that has a neckline to just above ones' belly button is revealing.
Cringing, Sarah made several attempts at sitting down and walking in her three and a half inch heels with out falling out of her dress or her shoes. Once she accomplished this, she slipped out of her bedroom and once again found herself running smack into Jareth.
"Damn it! She grasped the wall to keep from falling over and Jareth grabbed her arm as well.
"Steady on, luv" he said softly, not releasing her arm from his grasp and instead letting his gaze rake over her figure.
Sarah tried to make herself relax but he stepped closer to her and her heart started pounding like crazy in her chest. She attempted to from any string of coherent words that would have him back away but to be honest, she really didn't want him too. All words were stuck in her throat and she only managed a slight "Hmm?"
"Yes?" he brushed a stray curl away from her face.
"No I just--- never mind"
Jareth gave her a knowing smirk and slipped his arm around her waist. "Are you sure?"
"Oh yes" she nodded and placed a hesitant hand on his thin shoulder.
"Good" he smiled "I have something for you"
Sarah's eyes went a bit wide "A gift?" She asked suspiciously "I don't want a gift"
Jareth cocked his head to the side and stared at her intently. She stared back. "Alright, we'll call it a prize"
"A prize?" she repeated "For what?"
Jareth rolled his eyes, tired of the game. "Oh, I don't know. Does it matter? A prize for being the prettiest girl in this hallway"
Sarah laughed "Are you sure about that, luv?" she unconsciously imitated his accent on the last word and he shook his head, amused.
"Don't insult me when I'm about to give you something, darling, it isn't fitting"
"So sorry" she said, raising her chin "What is it?"
Jareth snapped his wrist and a glittery crystal appeared in his palm. Sarah took it reluctantly, although she trusted him more then she was willing to admit, she did not quite trust magic.
The crystal started to turn in her hand and Jareth closed his hand over hers and it began to spin faster. A shower of glitter exploded between their fingers and Sarah was left holding a miniature version of the crystal on a silver chain.
"What is it?" She asked holding the necklace up and peering at it. Even in the dim light of the hallway it glittered and shined like something ethereal and otherworldly.
"Your prize" Jareth smirked, he unclasped the chain and moved behind her to tie it about her neck.
"My prize" she repeated, unbelievingly. "Are you sure that's all it is?"
Jareth brushed her hair to the side and clasped the ends of the necklace together. Sarah stiffened when he slid his arms around her slender waist, his long fingers sliding along the exposed skin there, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Well, there's a bit of magic to it" he admitted.
Sarah wasn't sure if she wanted to know what kind of magic there was to it. Never the less she turned to look at him so that their faces were centimetres apart. "What sort of magic?" she asked softly.
His gaze bounced from her lips to her eyes and back again. "Magic that will protect you, Sarah" he mumbled, lowering his lips to hers.
Sarah melted into him and felt tingles shot up her spine when his lips touched hers. Her eyes opened to stare at him and he opened his as well as he kissed her again. Words caught in Sarah's throat again, words that she didn't even know were the truth yet. So she resolutely pressed her lips to his instead of saying anything.
There was a loud hacking cough that could have only come from Emily at the other end of the hallway. Jareth released Sarah and turned around coolly. Sure enough, Emily's dark head popped round the corner. "Taxi's here" she said cheerfully.
*
"God, I'm starving, took you long enough" Fiona laughed as she poked her head inside the cab. "You lot look like you've just been to a fucking funeral" she moaned, waving her cigarette at them. Jareth sat on once side of Sarah and Emily sat on the other. The silence was so terse and thick you could cut it with a knife.
"Sorry, Fiona, it's lovely to see you" Emily grinned, kissing her friend on the cheek
"I thought so, budge over now, we've got to go to the ghetto to pick up Griffon" Fiona snickered as she pushed between Emily and Sarah and took a long drag off her cigarette.
"Oh, bloody hell I need some of that" Sarah muttered.
"Hey, this is a non smoking cab" the cab driver complained in a thick new jersey accent.
"There all fucking non smoking cabs" Fiona snapped "Are you a bleeding asthmatic?"
"No, but second hand smoke lady, it kills"
Fiona exhaled "You'll die anyway, go on now, drive"
Sarah giggled, despite herself and took the proffered cigarette.
Griffon lived in a studio apartment with about thirty other eccentric mad East village types. He had curling dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He was an extraordinarily gorgeous man, and tended to wear sneakers with suits and dirty shirts. Like Fiona, he was a horrible chain smoker and always looked like he'd been on a week long drinking binge. He was, in fact, the person Sarah lost her virginity too. He was also gay, but in a strangely butch way.
Fiona stumbled out of the cab "Griffon! OY! Griffon!" she screeched up at his window, lighting another cigarette and popping it in her mouth.
"Fuck off junkie!" One of Griffon's roommates yelled down "He's coming!"
"Right" she said resolutely and scrambled back into the car.
"How many more people am I going to pick up? You can't have more then five" the cabby said irritably.
"This is it" Emily told him. "Ow! Get off me" Fiona had decided that Emily's lap was a better place to sit.
Griffon came tumbling out of his building, cigarette burning away between his fingers and a wad of cash in his nicotine stained hands. His excuse for his horrid treatment of his health was that he was an *artiste* an out of work pianist, more or less.
"I'm here, no worries, I'm here" he said, opening the door and looking in. He kissed Emily, Fiona, and Sarah and gave Jareth a long look. "Why hello there"
"This is Jareth, Sarah's new boyfriend" Fiona said
"Oh, what a pity." Griffon said in a bored voice, pushing his hair off his face. "Well if you're ever in need of working out your sexuality, mate. Come to me."
Jareth smiled. "Nice to meet you"
"Ooh, he's English" Griffon moaned, before pulling his head out of the back of the cab and sliding into the front seat. "Where are we off to Emily, my darling? Somewhere delightfully expensive that your father will pay for?"
"But of course" Emily giggled
Sarah looked up at Jareth and gave him a weak smile. "Aren't they great?"
He kissed her lips quickly and smirked arrogantly "They're lovely"
*
It is a funny thing being one of the Nosferatu, in that they posses only a small amount of magical ability. Of course, this small amount is nothing compared to the Fae but it is a bit of magic, indeed.
So in the middle of a mortal field, Dacian performed this small bit of magic that he knew. It was dark black magic that was learned from spending so much time in the Ciren forest all his life. Magic is in the air like an electric current, and Dacian's pores were seeping with this sort of evil magic.
He had been standing there for Zeus knows how long when the crystal finally appeared in his hand. It was uneven and lopsided instead of perfectly round like a Fae crystal. Instead of shining and gleaming from all angles it took on a sort of metallic glow that shimmered and absorbed black light.
Dacian watched it rotate unevenly in his hand for a moment, a smile curling at his lips. Then he tossed it up in the air and wished for Sarah.
*
Timothy was waiting outside the large shiny building they were supposedly having diner at. He had closely cropped ash coloured hair and round glasses that slipped down the end of his long nose. He smiled when he saw the taxi bursting full of people pull up to the curb. His brother Griffon slipped out, cool as ever and cracked at grin at him. Then came Fiona, chain smoking as usual, and Emily, who was pulling out her credit card for the cab driver. Then finally Sarah and her tall thin blonde friend.
Sarah pulled her friend up to Timothy, beaming as she introduced them. "This is Jareth, Timothy"
"Hey," timothy smiled easily "I see Emily's made you her dress up doll"
Jareth grinned crookedly "It's not so bad"
"Ah" Timothy shot Sarah a disapproving look "So you were in England"
Fiona draped her arms around Sarah's neck and pressed a kiss to her ear. "They were looking at art" she said sarcastically before throwing herself at Timothy.
"And you're junked up as usual"
Sarah rolled her eyes "Among other things. Let's go up"
They piled into the elevator and Sarah held Jareth's hand. He seemed to be relatively comfortable with people he didn't know terribly well and found it easy to make conversation with Timothy. Sarah supposed it was all those years of being a diplomat for his parents and their kingdom and such.
Just as the elevator pinged open Sarah felt a strange tingling in her chest. She glanced down at the spherical crystal at her throat and fingered it softly. It seemed to be almost vibrating. What did that mean?
Sarah pressed closer to Jareth and he glanced down at her. "All right?"
"Fine" she mumbled, unable to shake the feeling that she should know something and didn't.
He frowned. "Are you sure?"
Sarah nodded firmly and urged him out of the elevator.
At diner Sarah sat between Griffon and Jareth and found that Griffon was monopolizing her time as usual, she son forgot about the tingling crystal.
"I want to know everything" Griffon said in a low voice, "Because frankly darling, I don't trust the English"
"Why not?" Sarah muttered sipping her water. She decided to go with out intoxication that evening.
"Are you kidding? I'm Irish! Look at me, don't I just scream Irish?"
Sarah snorted "Sorry, no. You don't look that Irish"
"I'm a reforming catholic" he insisted "And I'm writing this new piece, darling. I think I'll call it the Irish something or other" he paused "Or perhaps 'As popes come walking in'--- anyway, that's beside the point. What does your lovely Jareth do?"
Emily was seated on Griffon's other side. "He's like me, he has no job and lives off his parents"
"That's not true" Sarah said quickly.
"Yes it is" said Jareth, sending her an amused look
"What do your parents do?" Timothy wanted to know.
Jareth shrugged again, as if disinterested with the subject. " Banking and Politics and boring things like that"
"Lucky Sarah" Fiona tittered, tapping her cigarette out into an ashtray.
"How did you meet?" Griffon asked "I mean, if she was so willing to run back to England with you"
Emily answered for them again. "Jareth's cousin is Polly Grey, remember her"
"No" everyone chorused, they could not keep up with Emily's childhood prep school country club friends despite the fact that she talked about them nearly as much as she talked about her clothes.
"Well" Emily sighed, exasperated "Polly had this party for her birthday and I took Sarah and Polly introduced us to her lovely British cousin"
Sarah had never met anyone named Polly Grey in her life so she was quite sure Emily had made the whole thing up. She felt slightly bad about lying to all her friends like this but she couldn't very well tell *all* of them about the magic underground goblin king thing.
Emily continued on with her story and Jareth slipped his arm around Sarah's shoulders, listening with an amused look on his pretty face. "So, anyway, Jareth came down to visit us but I had no idea that it was so serious that Sarah would just run off and not tell any of us"
"Yeah, Sarah." Sighed Griffon "I don't care how good looking he is, do something like that again and I'll have to do something crazy" he widened his eyes. "Like date women"
"Never" Timothy said dryly.
Sarah rolled her eyes and fingered the crystal around her neck. "I'm sorry guys, really. It was just so spur of the moment--- I don't know what we were thinking" she shot Jareth a meaningful look.
He raised his eyebrows and gave her another quick kiss. Sarah wished he would stop doing that. It was making her heart feel like a ping pong ball in her chest.
She looked up and caught Fiona staring at her in a wide eyed sort of way. Or rather, she was looking at the necklace around Sarah's neck. She turned her black eyes t Jareth and they glinted with recognition.
"Uh-Sarah I need to see you in the bathroom"
Sarah's eyed narrowed "Why?"
Fiona stepped around the table and pulled Sarah's chair out for her. "come on now"
Sarah followed her reluctantly, mostly because Fiona's bony hand was in a vice like grip around her wrist. Also she wanted to know what was going on with Fiona's reaction to Jareth. It was almost like she knew him----
Sarah paled. It couldn't be that--- could it?
The bathroom was huge and extravagant hanging in crystal and marble and a small Latino woman sat with a hand towel and a jar for tips near the door. Fiona pulled Sarah into a stall and jabbed a thin finger at the crystal.
"What is that?" she demanded in a low voice.
"Jareth gave it to me" Sarah said slowly
"Sarah--- you're going to think I'm crazy" Fiona said in a panicked voice "But you have to believe me, okay, you have to. He's not human"
Sarah felt her heart drop to her feet. "How--- how do you know" she asked in a measured voice.
"You have to believe me" Fiona pleaded, "Sarah, I--- well I was very young and you know what happened to me--- you know what I was like before--- and what I'm like now"
Sarah blinked, understanding flooding her. "The baby" she repeated "You told me once you had a baby and you gave it up for adoption when you were fourteen"
Tears gathered in Fiona's eyes. "Uh huh, but Sarah I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to --- oh god, you'll think I'm crazy-I didn't mean to"
"Wish her away" Sarah asked in a quiet voice.
Fiona stared at her, wide eyed. "How--- how did you know that"
Sarah looked down at her feet. "I accidentally wished away my younger brother to the Goblin King--- but I got him back"
Fiona looked angry for a moment "How did you get him back?!" she shouted.
There was scuffling and the towel woman mumbled something under her breathe in Spanish.
"I ran the Labyrinth and I won" Sarah said lowly
"The labyrinth--- that maze thing? How the hell did you beat that, it was impossible!" Fiona slouched back against the stall wall. "What are you doing kissing the King of the Goblins, Sarah"
Sarah stared at Fiona for a long time, gathering her thoughts. What was she doing kissing the king of the goblins, she had no idea. "I love him," she blurted out.
Fiona stared at her. "How did this happen" she hissed. "How did you fall in love with someone who kidnaps children"
"He doesn't kidnap children!" Sarah shouted, and there was another scuffle and Spanish swearing from the towel woman. "Stupid people like us with away children and he takes them and gives them to people in his world who will want them. And it's not just fools like is, Fiona. There are children starving and dying in developing countries you know, and worse things then that happening to kids all over the world."
"So--- my baby isn't a goblin" Fiona's voice was so small Sarah almost didn't hear her.
"No" Sarah said, sympathy filling her. She'd gotten her brother back. Fiona hadn't been so lucky. "And Fiona, we could probably go see her"
"We could?" her head jerked up suddenly "How?"
Sarah held up her hands. "You have to get off that shit first"
Fiona's eyes narrowed. "This doesn't change the fact that you are sleeping with a goblin king"
Sarah expelled a deep breathe and then explained long and short what had happened with the royal family, the peace talks, Dacian, the stones, and finally "I am not sleeping with him--- Emily just couldn't think of a better lie"
Fiona shot her a look "You were certainly acting like you've been sleeping with him. That or your married to him"
Sarah blushed "Look, stay on track here. We still don't know why I was brought down there but we can go back and forth now"
"OH, isn't it obvious" Fiona sighed "It's because he's in love with you, and you're in love with him, and you're just meant to be together" she pulled a face. "Disgusting"
"I don't think that's quite it" Sarah muttered
"Ugh--- Sarah? Fiona?" Emily's voice echoed through the bathroom. The towel lady muttered something. "You'd better get back to the table before Griffon eats Jareth"
Sarah and Fiona stumbled out of the stall and earned a strange look from Emily.
"Having fun?" she asked
Sarah adjusted her dress in the mirror. "I told her everything, Em"
"Oookaaaay" Emily said slowly, glancing at Fiona who was dumping something suspiciously white down the toilet and flushing it. "Is there a bust I don't know about?"
"Shut up, Emily" Fiona mumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"Hey! No smokey in here!" The towel woman shouted.
Fiona groaned and swept out of the bathroom with Sarah and Emily in close pursuit. "I'll tell you everything later" Sarah mumbled to a very confused Emily.
Back at the table they were talking about football (soccer) and Jareth was explaining quite animatedly about some incredibly goal David Beckham had made for Man United last week while Griffon and Timothy listened and nodded with rapt interest that only men (even gay ones) posses for sports.
Sarah looked at Emily before she sat down "How does he know David Beckham?" she whispered
Emily slid into her seat and mouthed "ESPN--- all day"
Sarah rolled her eyes, she should have known better then to underestimate Jareth when he said the Fae were very clever creatures.
She jerked her hand to her chest when the crystal began to tingle again. It was more violent tingling now, like there was something spinning around her heart and slowly tightening. "Jareth?" she gasped.
He looked down at her "Yes, luv" the happy grin melted off his face.
"Can I talk to you---"
He was already pulling her out of her chair and helping her away from the table. The feeling in her chest loosened. Sarah likened it with hyperventilating, she was having trouble getting a breath and she felt slightly light headed.
They skidded past the hostess onto the black and white marble floor in front of the elevator. Jareth put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her face. "What is it Sarah, tell me"
"I can't" she gestured to her chest. "I can't-I can't--- it's"
"It's Dacian" Jareth said.
"No-it's not" she shook her head, what was he talking about Dacian for? His bloody crystal was causing her to have a heart attack. She grouped for it at her thraot and attempted to snap it off her neck but Jareth stilled her hands
"Sarah listen" his voice was cool and soothing and in her panic, Sarah wanted to do anything but listen. "Listen, sweetheart, if you take it off, you will go to him. Breath, come on, you're all right" he rubbed her arms. "Look at me, you're fine"
Sarah gripped his forearms, still hitching in short ragged breaths and staring at his face. Jareth backed them into the elevator and as soon as the doors closed he put his arms around her in an attempt to vanish them back to her apartment.
But nothing happened.
Jareth swore furiously and Sarah's hitching breaths sped up. "What--- why can't--- you--- what's--- happening"
"You're all right" Jareth told her, "Sarah, calm down" he glanced at the row of buttons and pressed one at random. The elevator started moving down.
"What--- what---" her vision was blurring and her chest was burning.
"Sarah, look at me" she looked back up at him, his mismatched eyes were soft and concerned. "You're going to be alright, luv. I love you, calm down, breath."
"You--- love me?" she sucked in a deep breath and it sounded like a balloon shrieking out air.
Jareth couldn't believe he had said that. But it didn't matter now. He grabbed her upper arms. "Sarah concentrate on breathing, darling. Alright?"
He loved her? He loved her? He loved her? It was ringing through her dizzy head and she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him too but no sound would come out. Now air would come in and she was frozen with Jareth's eyes the only thing she could see.
"Sarah?"
She vanished.
*
AN: Wee--- long one. And a cliffy! I think--- I could be wrong :D
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