A/N: This is dedicated to LadyAniviel: You wanted more, I'm happy to oblige. In fact, I had all those loose ends worked out in my head, but I just thought it seemed so nice to end it where I did. I suppose, however, that people hate loose ends, so let's tie them up! Besides, I don't think I could have left them just yet anyway, they've begun to haunt my dreams.
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Sarah lay awake watching Jareth sleep. She supposed she should be asleep as well; the sun was not yet up and her night had been, well, eventful. She just wasn't tired, though. Perhaps it was her new immortal energy, or perhaps it was because technically she had been asleep for days. It didn't matter, because what she really wanted to do was wake Jareth up. She reached out to touch him, ran her fingers gently through his hair, across his cheek, his lips, his neck, his chest… She stopped herself, though it was difficult. He was sleeping so peacefully. She knew he had rested very little lately, so she shouldn't disturb him. If they were to be together forever, he had time to sleep now.
Oh, but it was so hard, and finally she had to get out of the bed or she knew her resolve would melt. She stood up and made her way to the balcony. She was naked, but she didn't care. It was still dark and the night air was pleasantly warm against her skin. The night was dying, and the moon had almost finished its journey across the sky, but she could still see traces of the labyrinth below her by its fading light. She sighed contentedly as her mind wandered back to the night's events.
She still couldn't believe everything that was happening. It seemed like only yesterday she had been living in New York, starting a new job, and generally alone. And now she was a queen, bound to her once great enemy, who she had come to realize she had never hated. In fact, she knew now that a part of her had always known that it was his hands that held hers when she felt that she couldn't go on. That's why she had kept the statuette of him so next to her bed. Part of her knew, and that part of her loved him even then and needed him to be close. It was her soul, she realized, crying out for the one she was meant to spend eternity with. Now her soul was finally happy, and so was she.
Last night, on the balcony, he had held her in his arms beneath the stars. "Sarah," he had said absently, "You should try to shape shift." She had looked up at him and smiled lazily, "You mean turn myself into an owl?" she had asked. "All of my kind can do it, I'm sure you can too." He had answered.
Sarah had been intrigued. "How do I do it?" she asked, and to her amazement Jareth jumped onto the balcony railing. "Like this!" he said and leapt gracefully into the air. He changed in the space of a heartbeat, one second he was a man, the next a beautiful white owl gliding gently on the night breeze. She had clapped her hands in glee. "Do I just think of being an owl when I jump and I turn into one?" she called. Not just an owl, we can shift into any animal we like. This one is just my favorite. he said in her mind. Though I suggest if you're going to jump from the balcony you choose an animal with wings.
She had looked over the balcony railing at the ground far below. "Okay," she said to herself, "no hippopotamus." She had climbed onto the railing, albeit not as gracefully as Jareth had. She supposed that would come with practice. She closed her eyes and let her subconscious decide what form to take, and then she jumped. When she opened her eyes she was soaring high above the ground. She could feel the wind rushing past her and she laughed gleefully. Good choice Jareth thought to her. It suits you.
He had flown in beside her, and they began flying around each other in playful circles. What am I she had thought back to him. She felt him laugh inside her mind. I believe you're a raven. He had answered. She turned around and lit herself on the balcony rail, flapping her wings out so that she could inspect them. Sure enough, she was greeted by feathers that were so black they were almost blue. Jareth flew in beside her, transforming back into his human form as he landed. He held a hand out and she hopped onto it. He had stroked her head lovingly. "Did you enjoy that, my love?" he asked and she trilled happily. In his mind she said I felt so free! He smiled. "Yes, it is a wonderful feeling. But there will be more time for that tomorrow. You're a breathtaking raven, but I'm more interested in your human form tonight." He had said with a wink.
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She smiled at the memory. That had been hours ago, and she longed to feel the wind on her feathers again. She longed to feel a lot of things again. She glanced back over at Jareth's sleeping form wistfully, and sighed. The sun was beginning to come up, and she suddenly realized she was hungry. How long had it been since she had eaten? Well, there was nothing to do about it now, she would just have to wait until Jareth woke up. She made her way back to the bed and climbed back in silently. Jareth stirred slightly and smiled in his sleep, and she snuggled in close beside him, determined to sleep until he woke her.
She had nearly drifted off when there came a loud banging on the door. Her eyes flew open and the first thing she saw were Jareth's eyes opening as well. They stared at each other for a second, wondering if they had imagined the noise when it came again, louder this time. "Jareth!" a small muffled voice called. Jareth's face paled.
"Hide!" he whispered urgently. She looked at him in confusion, when the door was flung open. She hurriedly pulled the bedcovers up over her head. She heard foot steps rush into the room and then a thud as something jumped onto the bed. What in the hell? She thought. Then she heard the sound of someone sobbing.
"Children, whatever is the matter?" she heard Jareth say, and risked a peek from under the sheets. The thump on the bed had been Toby, and he was now next to Jareth, crying into his shoulder. Jareth had sat up and now had his arm around the boy, speaking to him soothingly. Next to the bed Maya stood with tears streaming down her face, though she said nothing. Jareth held his free arm out to her and she ran to his embrace. Sarah felt her heart tighten in her chest at the sight before her. When had they become so close? She supposed they had drawn together after her death. She felt a pang of guilt, suddenly. They had come straight to his room last night; it had occurred to neither of them to let anyone else know what had happened. Now as she watched her brother and sister crying she had the ominous feeling that it had something to do with her.
Her feeling was confirmed when Toby spoke again. "Sarah's gone!" he sobbed. "Maya and me wanted to go see her again, but she's not there!"
"Somebody tooked her, Jareth!" Maya added solemnly. Jareth glanced at her, his face stricken. He didn't know what to say to them, but he too was feeling terribly guilty.
"No, honey," he said soothingly. "Nobody took her. In fact, I have a surprise for you." He glanced at Sarah again, but she was no longer next to him. Sarah had blinked herself behind the children, remembering at the last second to blink some clothes on as well.
"A surprise?" Toby asked, wiping the tears from his eyes. Sarah chuckled softly. Toby never could turn down a surprise. She stood perfectly still as Jareth pointed in her direction. The children turned around to see what he was pointing at, and both of them gasped when they saw her. Toby shrank back a little closer to Jareth, but Maya slowly walked toward her. Sarah knelt down eye level with her sister, who held out her hand and touched her face.
"Are you a ghost?" Maya asked, her eyes wide.
Sarah put her arms around the little girl and lifted her as she stood back up. "No, baby, I'm not a ghost." To Sarah's surprise Maya laughed and hugged her tightly.
"I told Mommy you would wake up, but she said you wouldn't. She said dead people never wake up, but I knew you would!" With that Maya laughed again and wiggled happily in Sarah's arms. Sarah glanced at Jareth, her eyebrows raised. Jareth shrugged and mouthed 'kids' as he smiled in amusement. Sarah put Maya down and reached out to Toby, who was still clinging to Jareth.
"Its okay, Toby." he whispered to the boy. Toby took one slow step toward Sarah, and one more. He stopped and Sarah worried that he would turn and go back to Jareth. But then he closed the ground between them in the space of a heartbeat, and threw his arms around her sobbing.
"I was so sad Sarah!" he moaned. "Why did you die? No one would tell me what happened, but I think Dad killed you. And I was so scared, Sarah!" She lifted him into her arms, ashamed that she had let him go another night like this needlessly. She carried him to the large bed, where Maya had already joined a bemused Jareth and was playing with his hair. Jareth winced as Maya found a tangle and tried to pull it out with her fingers, and Sarah had to stifle a giggle. Maya was obviously over her shock and had moved on to other things. Sarah sat on the bed and held Toby in her lap, rocking him gently.
"I'm sorry, kiddo." She said softly. "I wish I had all the answers for you, but some things are just too complicated. I'm back now, though, and I'm not going anywhere."
"You promise?" the boy asked, sniffling. He looked up at her expectantly and she kissed him lightly on the top of his head.
"I promise." She said, and he smiled at her, obviously comforted.
"Why are you in here, Sarah?" Maya asked, her eyes never leaving the braid she was now making in Jareth's poor abused hair. "Are you married now?" She asked.
Jareth seized his opportunity to free himself from her torture and grabbed the little girl, twisting her around playfully and holding her upside down to face him while she giggled. "How do you know so much, goblin fodder?" he asked, pretending to be mad. Maya just giggled again, seeing right through him. "Are you gonna have babies with Sarah?" she sang and his eyes widened. He looked at Sarah, his eyes silently begging for assistance. She laughed and took the little girl in her arms, tickling her.
"You ask too many questions, munchkin." She said, putting Maya on the floor.
"Why don't the two of you go teach the kitchen servants how to make breakfast?" Jareth said, and the children laughed and ran out the room. As they passed through the doorway, Maya started singing "Sarah and Jareth sittin in a tree." and Toby joined her, "K-i-s-s-i-n-g!" They could be heard laughing and singing all the way down the hall.
Sarah sighed. "That'll raise a few eyebrows, considering everyone else still thinks I'm dead." she said. She was still amazed at how astute her baby sister seemed to be.
"No doubt," Jareth laughed softly, pulling him to her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Like the dead." She lied, and he gaped at her scandalous choice of words.
"Oh that's it," he said, "time to teach you some manners, young lady." With that he flipped her onto her back and began tickling her mercilessly. She squealed in mock horror and pretended to fight back as he tormented her. His tickling became gentler and before long he was kissing her. She stopped fighting and closed her eyes happily. "Where did all these annoying clothes come from?" he breathed and began unlacing the flowing shirt she now wore. She ran her fingers through his hair, gently picking out the knotted braids Maya had put there. His kisses moved lower, down her neck and onto the bare flesh of her chest that he was still hard at work exposing. He looked up at her and smiled triumphantly as he managed to free one breast from its prison. He held her gaze as he teased her nipple with his tongue and she gasped in delight.
"Oh Jareth…" she sighed, "Jareth we have to stop." Her eyes were closed in pleasure, but reluctantly she tried to pull away.
Jareth held her a little tighter and continued his gentle torture. "Why would we want to stop?" he breathed, his voice thick with desire. His whole mouth was on her now, and suddenly she couldn't remember. It must not have been that important. She tried to say as much, but it came out sounding like a muffled moan. "That's what I thought." Jareth chuckled.
Losing his patience with the clothing, he snapped his fingers and they were gone. He pulled the sheets over them and continued where he had left off. They were both so caught up in the moment they almost didn't hear the strangled gasp behind them. They poked their heads up out of the sheets, and were greeted by a very confused Karen staring back at them, her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide with shock. "That's why." Sarah said breathlessly, and pulled the sheet back over her head.
