Like Mother, Like Daughter
By: Kryptonite
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" No. It's not." The man turned to leave when Jamie spoke again. " Take me instead. They don't deserve it." The man looked back with his customary smirk.
" And what makes you think you do?" He asked mockingly.
" You're the Goblin King, Jareth, aren't you? Mom used to tell me stories about you when I was littler. How she called you to take Toby away." Jareth hid his shock at this revelation.
" I could turn you into a goblin." He suggested. Jamie just wiped away the last few tears and stood up straighter, ignoring the throbbing in her skull.
" There is nothing that you could do that would be worse than what they've already done." Jamie promised, trying not to shiver as the cold air from the open window continued to pound at her. In a flash Jareth was beside her, one gloved hand reaching to touch the wound on her head. Jamie did her best to not flinch away at his feather-light touch.
" How could any of Sarah's offspring have turned out so badly?" Jamie froze up, eyes glazing over at his phrasing. Giving nothing away she continued to stand there as he held onto the side of her head. She didn't notice that her head had stopped hurting over the ache in her heart.
" I have to go to sleep now." Just as the words were out of her mouth sounds that no child should hear from her parents drifted in through the closed door. Jareth's nose crinkled in disgust. " If I just…" Jamie slipped from Jareth's comforting touch to turn her stereo on quietly. Turning back around Jareth was gone. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she misinterpreted his actions.
*****
" Jamie hurry up or you'll be late to school!" Sarah called up the stairs before going out the front door herself. Jamie groaned, rolling over to look at her clock.
" Shit!" She exploded struggling out of her bed spread and to the bathroom. Going through her morning routine in less than five minutes Jamie double-checked her backpack before pounding down the stairs. She knew she missed the bus and would have to run to school.
" Need a lift?" A voice asked as she was walking down the sidewalk from her door, a piece of toast in her mouth. Turning around she saw Jareth leaning against the porch railing.
" Depends."
" On?" He asked, one pale blond eyebrow quirking up as he smiled.
" How fast you can get me there." With a toss of a crystal Jareth and Jamie ended up in a Jaguar XKR convertible. " Oh sweet lord do you have any idea what kind of car this is? Better yet, how do you know how to drive?" Jamie stared around her, not believing that she was actually sitting in such an expensive car.
" Who says I'm driving?" He asked sarcastically, letting go of the wheel. Once Jamie calmed down she realized that the car was driving itself.
" Wow. Why a car?"
" Because I thought it would be bad if you just appeared on the lawn in front of your school." Jamie smiled to herself realizing they were only a turn away from her school.
" Jeez at this rate I won't even miss first bell." Just as they turned into the drop off-zone for students Jareth answered.
" That's the point. Want me to pick you up?" Noticing the envious look from her fellow classmates, most of who were rich snobs, Jamie smiled and agreed.
" Three forty-five." Jareth leaned over and pecked her on the cheek.
" See you then." Jamie got out of the car, blushing slightly. Everyone at the front door stared after her as she walked into the building.
" Thanks Jareth, I needed that."
*****
" Want to go straight home?" Jareth asked when Jamie sat back into the car seat later that afternoon.
" If I don't I'll get another bruise." Jamie had been tearing herself down all day about Jareth's reaction to her the night before and only that morning. Jareth just took off, car accelerating out of the drive, swerving around other drivers. Noticing a common gleam from her parents in his eyes, Jamie pressed herself against the door of the car, trying to shrink into the seats.
Jareth noticed her shrink out of the corner of his eye and slowed the car down considerably. " I'll drop you off here, probably don't want your mother to see me." Jamie just got out of the car without saying a word, walking as fast as she could without seeming like she was running. Jareth looked down at the steering wheel before resting his forehead on it.
" I am not like her parents." Jareth muttered before transporting himself to his throne room.
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A/N: To my two reviewers… THANK YOU! I love you so much, have a cookie. *hands a cookie to Krystal and applecrisp* And to Krystal, did this chapter answer your questions? No ones going to the Labyrinth for a little tiny while. And if Jamie did send her father to the Labyrinth, she probably would run it because she'd feel bad despite everything he's done to her. Ya have ta hate a guilty conscious.
Cheers.