Chapter Two
Fits of Compassion
Jareth yawned and sat up, someone was summoning him. He groaned, it was to early to be summoned, didn't people have any regard for him? Apparently not. He magicked on his clothing and appeared in what he could barely call a room. The walls looked as if they may cave in at any moment. A young girl stood before him with burning red hair holding a child with all her might.
"I'm sure you've heard it all so I'll just ask," she said quietly "do you take care of your goblins?" Jareth frowned, this girl, this CHILD spoke to him as if he was nothing but a mere mortal. Normally, most people who summoned him fell to the floor and pleaded with him or showed some sort of courtesy. This girl reminded him a lot of… he quickly pushed the idea out of his mind, he didn't want to think about… her.
"I take care of my subjects," he said blankly "as long as they're respectful." The girl held the child out to him.
"Take him then," she whispered as tears started to roll down her face. Jareth stood there, dumbfounded.
"If you wish you may attempt to win the child-" he started but she shook her head as she sobbed more.
"Just take him," she whispered and turned away. As she did Jareth noticed large dark purple and black markings on her neck. He placed the child on the makeshift mattress and watched the young girl wipe her tears from her eyes. A noise came from the door and Piper's head shot up. "Oh no," she whispered "mom." The girl turned around and gave Jareth a pleading look. "Please," she begged "take the boy and go before he wakes up." Too late.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" her father's drunken voice raged and her mother's cracked and shrill voice pleaded for her children. "Hell no," he yelled "their mine." Piper growled to herself for how shitty her luck was and was vexed over what her could do. She froze as she heard steps come closer and everything seemed to be in slow motion for her. The doorknob slowly turned and with a click, came ajar. Piper held her breath as Joseph entered the room holding his mother by her hair. "What the fuck," he growled dropping her mother to the floor "Piper, grab your brother and get in my room, now." Piper just stood there, she wasn't sure if she was defying him or simply unable to control her body but she didn't move, not an inch.
"No," she whispered and his eyes blared fire.
"No?" he said, rage building up more and more "no? You DARE to disobey me?" Instead of lunging for her he went for the boy laying quietly on the mattress. "When I'm finished your gonna BEG that I order you." He showed a wicked smile to the boy now in his hand "wont she Daniel?" Piper's whole mind shut down, he couldn't hurt her brother, he just couldn't. Her mother watched helplessly from the doorway and Joseph started for his room, completely ignoring Jareth and his wife. His soul desire was to see his daughter suffer.
"No!" Piper screamed at the top of her lungs and grabbed Daniel out of her father's arms and backed away.
"Don't defy me," he ordered and Jareth watched, slowly understanding why the girl had wanted to wish the boy away. She didn't really want to give the boy up, that's why she began weeping, but it was the only way for him to live without being abused. Do you take care of your goblins? Jareth shuddered, of course the boy would get better treatment than this. Hell, anyone would get better treatment that this… this was just… inhumane.
"Stay away from him," Piper screamed and set the now screaming child on her bed "don't you touch him, EVER, again." The man grabbed her, flinging her on the floor she covered her face with her arms but it wasn't much protection from his pounding fists. Piper screamed bloody murder as thick red blood dripped from her nose. "Run!" she screamed to her mother and the woman grabbed the babe and, running over bottles and such, locked her and the child safely in the bathroom. Piper seemed satisfied with her work, she'd gotten her mother and brother to safety for the time being, and now she was the only one left. When Joseph started unbuttoning her jeans she screamed and struggled for him to get off. "GET OFF!" she cried. She pleaded no, not again, not after everything…no. Jareth snapped out of his daze, his shock that anyone could DO such a thing and his face turned red with a heated anger. He stormed across the room and grabbed the man by the throat and slammed his sorry ass against the wall.
"You touch her," Jareth warned "one more time and I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way possible." Piper zipped her jeans back up and wrapped her arms around her knees and cried. Daniel could be heard crying from the bathroom and she assumed that her mother had snuck out of the bathroom window again, leaving Daniel to suffer whatever consequences. Jareth banged the man against the wall once more, knocking him unconscious and turned back to the girl huddled on the floor. Her face, reddened with blood and from crying was still soft, calm, almost collected. This must have been happening to her for a long time. He knelt down by her and touched her shoulder and she flinched, every part of her was in pain.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly and she shook her head no. He wanted to go get the boy but he dare not leave her alone. Gently, he held out his hand to help her up. "I know your in pain," he breathed "but I shall take your brother and you back to my home and I'll make sure your both taken care of." Piper took his hand and he led her to the bathroom and opened the door. Daniel looked up from the floor and smiled. Piper started crying more and Jareth looked at her oddly as he picked the child up.
"He," she said trying to control her sobbing "he hasn't smiled in months." Suddenly they were in a completely different room. The walls were a light gray stone, rigged but not sharply cut. The comforters on the bed was a deep purplish-black as were the curtains that hid the large windows. Jareth set both children on the his bed and stepped into the his bathroom. He came back with three washcloths, a bottle of alcohol and a Band-Aid. He set the washcloths down on the bed and Piper automatically took one and started to work off the blood from Daniel's scratches.
"No," Jareth said firmly "give me that." Piper stopped and handed him the washcloth. Gently he took off all blood from the child's hands and face and the boy smiled. Jareth doused the second washcloth in alcohol and moved onto Piper.
"I can do it," she said but he ignored her and put it on a large cut above her eyebrow. "Ouch."
"Well if you'd hold still," he growled and she promptly moved away.
"I've been taking care of myself AND my brother for eleven years," she snapped "I think I sure as hell can wash my own face."
"What happened to the quiet girl I met moments ago?" he mused and continued taking the blood off of her.
"I'm not that shy," she whispered "its just, normally after… stuff like that happens, I'm always a little…freaked out." They didn't say anything for a long time. "Thank you though."
"Hum?" he looked up "oh, I'm sorry, I thought all you could do was be rude." Piper looked down at the floor and muttered something. "Pardon?"
"I said," she started "I'm sorry, I wasn't meaning to be. I'm just, I'm not used to people doing anything for me… at all."
"It's alright," he sighed and rubbed hard on one spot just to annoy her. He tossed the stuff aside and looked at their figures. The boy looked better fed than the girl, he assumed it was because she took care of him. "Are you hungry?" The boy squealed and clapped his hands wildly and Piper picked him up. As they left the room Jareth eyes the young girl closely. "When's the last time you've eaten anything?"
"Um," she paused for a long time. "Three or four days I think," she admitted and Jareth stopped dead and looked at her. "What?"
"This happens often?" he asked and she nodded.
"I've never gotten to eat much," she thought a moment "oh except last summer when I got a job so I could buy us some food. I almost got to eat everyday then." There was an uncomfortable silence and Jareth cleared his throat.
"You know who I am," he said "but what are your names?"
"Oh," Piper stopped "I'm sorry, how rude of me. This is my brother Daniel, he's two and I'm Piper."
"And how old are you?" he asked glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"How old are you?" she asked and he gave her an odd look. "Isn't asking someone's age like asking them their weight or something?" Jareth laughed, which was a change since he hadn't laughed in years it seemed.
"I suppose," he smirked.
"Well," she said shifting Daniel's weight "I'm sixteen anyways, though I'm almost seventeen, but I'm sure that doesn't matter much since I'm probably going to act five for the rest of my life." Jareth smiled. "What am I supposed to call you?"
"Huh?" he asked.
"I mean," she paused "do I call you Sire, or Your Highness or something or do you have a name? Or should I treat you like someone their name I can't remember and not call you anything at all."
"Call me whatever you wish," he chuckled.
"Alright Whatever You Wish," she shrugged "that's an odd name I think but if that's what you'd like to be called, alright." Jareth turned around and gave an amused glance. "Alright," she said giving up the game "so what's your name?" He looked at her blankly. "What?" she asked "all they called you in the damn book was Goblin King, and personally I don't think you'd want me calling you that. I mean, I know I wouldn't like to be called, Boring Redheaded Girl With No Life or something."
"Jareth," he said shaking his head. She was… different. She had an interesting way of looking at things that's for sure.
"That's a nice name," she smiled "my great aunt named her second son that."
"Oh really," he said, not really paying much attention, more likely daydreaming. "Who's she?"
"Sarah Williams," Piper said giving him a sly glance. His expression completely changed and he quickly shrugged it off. "I know you know her," she said quietly "my grandpa was Toby, he told me the story."
"Oh really," he mumbled, seeming to get more upset with the whole idea of it by the second "so you already know what a cruel evil being I am, right?"
"Actually," Piper breathed and looking off into space as if she was reliving it "he'd always get mad at me."
"Why?" he growled.
"Because you actually made sense," Piper mumbled and Daniel pulled at her hair. "Ouch."
"What do you mean I made sense?" he asked turning around and Piper shrugged.
"You just did," she muttered "Sarah always sounded… bratty to me. And, I always got the impression that, you just did what she asked. And I always thought it odd how she'd always fall, or get trapped in something or whatever and she never hurt herself."
"But it was only a story," Jareth countered.
"Really?" she asked and started walking again "you don't look like just a story to me."
Author's note:
Acantha Mardivey: I'm sorry with the damn cliffs. I'm glad you like it, sorry it's taken me so long to fix.
Rosakara13: no prob.
LadyAniviel: thanks, I know I don't normally do the darker more… yeah, so its kinda hard to keep.
Alorindanya: thank you. And yes, I agree people like that need to be tormented. But, don't worry, he gets his in the end. -
Moonjava: thanx
Amber: First of all, - we have the same name. Secondly, I know its depressing, but lately with everything going on with me, I needed to get it out (and that's what I do with my writing). I know, sometimes I wish I could wish myself away, and I would but I think that maybe if I say the words and nothing happens, well, its kinda l like I won't have anything to hope for, ya know that maybe somehow I can get outta here… but that's just me.
