Nothing Left
By: CreativeImagination
Chapter Ten
Distinguish the Flame
Author's note: You guys should probably thank Conner. I wasn't gonna write this chapter yet, but, someone convinced me. :receives dashing smile from muse: Your gonna love what Sarah saw, it… :laughs: I've got such a sick sense of humor.
"Hey," Jareth grabbed her arm "what happened? What was it?" She shook her head solemnly and he narrowed his gaze. "Sarah."
"No," she muttered "I don't want to talk about it."
"Please?" he gave a pleading look and she closed her eyes. "Oh that's not fair," he smirked "if I'm going to pout you at least have to bear though it and watch." She laughed a little, tears coming down her face. Why was she crying? She didn't love Nick, he didn't love her but that whole fact that he'd… that he'd…
"He's cheating on me," she said quietly.
"Damn," Jareth murmured "your not even married yet and already he's.." he shook his head. "Its his loss Sarah," he said "no woman, not Underground or Aboveground is as wonderful as you."
"That doesn't help," she muttered and he gave a confused look. "He's not cheating on me with a woman, Jareth." Jareth's eyes turned a heated red and he started out of the throne room but Sarah caught his arm. "No," she said firmly but he pulled away.
"I told you I didn't trust myself," he said conjuring a crystal.
"Jareth please don't," she said, he wasn't listening. She forcefully grabbed the crystal from his hand and he glared at her, just conjuring another. "Please," she begged "just leave it."
"No," he snapped "he should know better than to disrespect people that way. I'm going to… to…" Sarah grabbed his hand and he paused. His face softened.
"You can't," she said quietly.
"Why?" he asked "why can't I? Why won't you let me?" She put the crystal firmly in his hands and he looked. Directly on top of Nick, was Robert, her father. Jareth shook his head slowly and banished the crystal. He took a firmer grip on Sarah's hand and he looked at her sadly. "Let me do SOMETHING."
"Even I know you can't," she said quietly "I appreciate the offer though."
"Then you do something," he said "get back at him." Sarah let a smile creep up on her face, but banished the thoughts. She wouldn't lower herself to his level.
"Even if I would lower myself to that extent," she said "I can't exactly go out and grab the first person I see and say, hey, help me cheat on this guy before I marry him, would ya?" Jareth was quiet a moment, she knew what he was thinking too. "I wouldn't use you that way Jareth," she said quietly "as… as tempting as if may be I wouldn't use you."
"Why?" he asked simply.
"What do you mean why?" she asked.
"Well why not?" he asked "what is your reason for not doing such a thing to me? Gods know, I wouldn't care. Perhaps later I would, after you've gone but… you know I'd never get another chance. Is it not better I be first, rather than him? To have it once, with someone…" he paused. "Do you care about me Sarah?" She just looked at him. "I mean," he paused and became very quiet "do you-?"
"I can't answer that," she said quietly "you know better than I if I do what will happen."
"But if you love me Sarah your not using me," he snapped. She didn't say anything. "You know I love you."
"Hush," she said squeezing his hand "let's not talk about it now."
"Then when Sarah?" he snapped "your going to keep holding it off, keep from telling me and then get married to this… this, thing. He couldn't care less about you. And that family, they don't deserve you. Why help them? Bring Toby here and-"
"Jareth stop!" she sobbed. Tears were streaming down her face by now and she looked at him, as best she could. "Listen to what I'm telling you-"
"No," he growled, becoming angry "stop doing this to me. Stop coming back to me and then leaving. Stop it. You can bring Toby here, and we can be together. Isn't that what you want?"
"No," she lied.
"Stop lying to me," he snapped "stop lying to yourself. Your so god damn self-righteous that you don't think about yourself. You don't think about ME. How do you think I feel?"
"I know how you feel," she snapped "very much. So don't start with that, you don't understand, bull shit."
"Then you know how much it hurts," he whispered. Slowly she nodded. "THEN FIX IT!" He threw his hands in the air. "Who are you trying to protect? I've already done all I can do! I've offered to let Toby live here, you live here… Karen and Robert don't love you. Nick doesn't love you. I do." She didn't say anything. "Tell me Sarah."
"I can't," she whispered.
"Yes you can," he moaned "you know it, I know it, nothing is going to happen. Just tell me. Just tell me so I'll know, for sure, for once… please." She shook her head. "Sarah! You need to learn to do something for yourself. I understand you want to help your family, but they don't care, that much is apparent. I know you want to do what's right for them, but you've got to do what's right for you." He gave a long pause. "I love you, Sarah. Do you love me?" She looked at him, in his eyes he already knew she did, but he wanted to hear her. She couldn't. If she told him she'd stay, she'd make herself stay. And then what would Toby do? She couldn't take him away to the Labyrinth, away from his mother… She couldn't be selfish and ruin their lives.
"No," she lied "I don't."
"FINE!" he shouted "go home then. Go home and get married to that, thing, that'll treat you like dirt! Go home to that. To people that couldn't care less about you, and leave me. Leave the one person that is willing to give you everything. Leave and don't ever think about me, or this place again. Because if your so willing to go back to THAT, you don't deserve to think of this place." She was on her bed, crying, alone. She didn't blame him, no one could. She did love him. More than anything. But her pride, the need to protect her family, and her fear kept her from saying so. She'd rejected him once because of 'what she needed to do', now she was doing it again.
"I love you," she said quietly, though she knew he wasn't listening to her anymore. He was probably throwing crystals at the wall or something around those lines. She wished she could throw something, but she was so emotionally tired that she just laid on her bed. She wished she had someone to comfort her. Someone to hold her. Tears rolled down her face. "I love him," she cried quietly "why does it hurt so much?" She paused a long moment. "Hurts like hell."
Author's
note: Yes I know, sad. Nick… Robert… ok, I don't dislike gay
people, do your own thing but do NOT cheat on your woman with a guy,
ok? Especially if it's her dad! ICK. Sicko muse.
Anyways, don't
worry, Jareth's commin' to the rescue. Actually:giggles: if
you wanna be technical, he's not. You'll see. My muse has got a
plan, I just follow it.
