Chapter Four

Those Cruel Eyes

"Where is she!" the muse roared "if she gets ONE single scratch, I swear I'll-" Jareth pushed the muse against the stone wall of his throne room and put his finger in his face.

"You will no nothing," he growled "you will be still and do as I say, do you understand?" Conner wriggled out of Jareth's grip and backed away.

"Don't you hurt her," Conner fumed "I'll rip off every single appendage you have, starting with your shortest." Jareth merely walked back to his throne and let his leg dangle over the side.

"I don't see why you bother," he shrugged "it isn't as if she cares for you." Conner looked outside, the snow had gone up a few inches since they'd been there.

"If she's out there," Conner whispered "she cares."

"She wished you away," Jareth seethed.

"I don't care!" Conner's voice trailed off and he became very quiet.

"She doesn't deserve you," Jareth hissed "ungrateful, isn't she? You work and work to make sure she has everything and she spits in your face, doesn't she?" The muse didn't say a word. "You see," Jareth's smile had risen far beyond the normal stopping point and was lingering up by his ears "I know what trouble young girls can be. How they test your heart, make you suffer…" He shook his head in defeat, he and Sam had grown apart over the years, and though he tried SO hard to mend whatever happened, everything seemed to become more unraveled.

"Don't hurt her," Conner's voice was soft and pleading "she may not love me much but if she's out there she must care for me somewhat. And I care about her…"

"You're so foolish," Jareth laughed "the girl won't return your affection, muse. She wished you away, she doesn't want you anymore." Conner ignored the king and closed his eyes, Sam just HAD to be ok. Jareth glanced over at the grief-stricken muse and felt a pang of compassion. He was so loyal to the girl, even after she thoughtlessly wished him away. He cared for her, and Jareth knew, was a dangerous thing. But Jareth couldn't just send her home, it'd break Conner's heart. But Jareth knew, the girl wouldn't survive the winter in the Labyrinth but what could he do?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Sam coughed deeply now and rubbed her hands together again. Her fingers were turning a nice shade of blue and the snow had clung to her hair and eyelashes. She was afraid she couldn't feel her legs anymore and collapsed in the ground. She'd been walking for three hours and she was half frozen.

Wake up…

The voice was quiet and haunting at first, but grew louder. Sam woke, her body covered in snow and a young boy with platinum blond hair looked over her. He looked concerned, his eyes wavering from her eyes to her snow incased arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Slowly she nodded, it was such a lie but she wasn't going to blurt out her problems to a complete stranger. "Here," he tossed her a jacket and some gloves and she quickly put them on, though she still couldn't feel much. He simply turned to leave and Sam grabbed his shoulder. He spun around and glared at her. Ungrateful, Jareth thought from under his glamour this girl is never satisfied, no wonder she'd friends with Sarah.

"Here," she said fumbling with the clasp of her locket and she handed it to him "for the jacket and gloves." He looked at her, dumbfounded and slipped it into his pocket.

"Where are you going?" he asked finally.

"The castle," she breathed "it seems so far though."

"It's not as far as you think," he murmured and his eyes flashed a different shade. Sam noticed and narrowed her eyes, he wasn't what he appeared to be. "Why are you going to the castle?"

"To save my muse," she said quietly "I wished him away."

"Heartless wasn't it?" he asked coldly, his eyes flicked again. He gave himself away and Sam sighed, it was Jareth. Glamour never worked well with her for some odd reason, maybe it was because she could see Conner, she wasn't sure.

"I didn't think it'd work," she breathed lowering her head "I thought it was just a book. We were having a fight and-"

"Do you need help?" he asked blankly and she raised an eyebrow "do you need help through the Labyrinth?"

"Isn't that cheating?" Sam asked blankly.

"Jareth cheats," he shrugged "why not you?" Sam froze, he was testing her and she started to walk away.

"I'm not Jareth," she called at him. He went after her and followed her around for a while. "If your going to stick around at least take the glamour off." He paused and stared at her. "It doesn't work well with me." Jareth shook his head and the glamour seemed to shake off of him.

"There," he breathed "happy?"

"Why are you here?" she asked ignoring his last statement.

"Because your muse so rudely implied that if something happens to you," he grimaced a smile "I'll never have offspring."

"There's Conner for you," she breathed "always so protective." She paused. "But I suppose when you grow up with someone you'll do anything for them."

"I suppose," he muttered and vanished again. Sam wished she could lay down and sleep, but doing so would be a death sentence. She coughed again, if she got Conner back he'd be forcing cherry cough syrup down her throat until she willingly 'let him cue her'. That didn't involve much, just her cooperation when he told her to eat that chicken soup, or drink all that juice, because normally she'd refuse, unless he threatened her with the cough syrup. She smiled at the thought. He always took such good care of her, she wondered why she treated him so badly all the time. The expression on his face before he disappeared lingered in her mind. He had such cruel eyes when he wanted. The kind that could scare the living shit outta you, or plead so sincerely that you'd be rendered helpless.

Good! I hate you too!

Sam shuddered again. Could Conner really hate her? What if he didn't WANT to be her muse anymore? After everything they'd gone through together? All the doctor visits when she broke her leg, all those girl scout cookies that 'got lost' that one year and some how she magically found the money in her room. All the trees they'd sat in together until four in the morning and talked. All those nights she'd hid under her blankets and he'd always coach her out from under them by saying 'let me see that beautiful face of yours'. All the summer days they'd played on that Slip n' Slid and then she got stung by that wasp (who'd been trying to get a drink) he'd kissed that same spot about a thousand times. All the thunderstorms she'd been held though, all the nightmares he'd chased away.

"What did I ever do for him?" she murmured to herself. Yelled, slammed the door in his face, told him she hated him, didn't need him, didn't love him… she had tears rolling down her face now. Poor Conner, she thought to herself I've been a bad friend to him.

Author's Note: Actually, the Slip n' Slid story is true. I was going down the slide on my knees and got stung by a wasp when I was fourteen I think (bout 2 years ago). Conner probably kissed that same spot a jillion times because I kept trying to push him off me. The doctor visit was actually me twisting my ankle, and the blanket thing is almost true. I developed a habit since I was little that I hid under my blankets at night, even if I was burning hot. Conner got me to stop by coaching me out, and he actually did say that. :blushes: ok, enough stories, I'm getting sappy here. Ah, and Conner caught my cold, poor guy which reminds me, that cough medicine thing is true too. Ok, ok, enough family stories or I'll end up pulling out photo albums.

Acantha Mardivey: Sarah met Jareth again (oh crap) and Sam is going to have an interesting time getting them together. Your welcome for the muse, I'm sure she'll help you a lot.

Conner:coughs: it seems I've caught my authoress' cold. :sneezes: but she's a bit better now since all that rest she got when she came home from school the other day. A truce sounds like a good idea :smiles: I told you she was my authoress.

That story sounds cool, yeah, send it to me. And Jareth isn't talking right now, he just looks annoyed. I am NOT working myself to the bone.

Conner:coughs:lie:coughs: Have fun in class and… :shakes head in amazement: you hugged me:grins: see, I told you that I'd grow on ya. :hides from authoress' death glare: ok, ok, I'll be a good muse and help you write a chapter just for Acantha Mardivey -

ItsACrystalNothingMore: Aw, thank you. I hope you get better too. All that cough syrup made me a lot better. But now Conner's got my cold, poor dear.

Conner: Me afraid? Well, maybe a tiny almost non-existent bit. :blushes: see authoress, I could very well get up and go at any time because I'm wanted :pauses for a long time taking in author's shocked expression: but I'd never do that to you, because you love me so much.

See, I told you I can't say anything around him. He rubs it in!