VII

Give Me the Child

Chapter 13

Sarah watched him nod, and swallowing her fear she motioned for him to follow her out of the dark room. They walked a few feet down the hall, and Sarah paused at a new door. Tentatively she began to bring her hand out and reach for the knob, but when a firm grasp clutched at her arm she started and stared shocked at Jareth. There was a glint of fear in his eyes, and her stomach dropped. Even without truly showing him, she had her answer.

"What is in the room?" He hissed through tight teeth. Though he didn't remove his hand, he did loosen the grip, but kept her from opening the door.

Her breath caught in her chest, her heart beat rapidly, and all she could do is shake her head. "What…what do you think?"

A slender, gloved hand touched the door, and Sarah watched as Jareth tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "I can feel it, even though there are barriers, I can feel it." With a snap his eyes were upon her and she took a step back. "I will not ask again, Sarah: What is behind that door?"

With her free hand she turned the knob and allowed the door to swing silently open. They both glanced in, not knowing what to expect. Jareth half expected a creature so monstrous the appearance would be terrifying, but instead all he saw was a darkened room, with a large, empty bed, and a small crib. A crib? Fear grabbed him, and his skin turned cold. "Sarah, tell me that isn't your child." The power emanating from the room was so strong it suffocated his senses and he focused his eyes on the crib. All his fears lie in that tiny bed.

She shook her head, but refrained from entering the room. "Her name is Deirdre, she's my godchild." Jareth's eyes darted to and fro, back between the baby and Sarah. He sighed and released her arm, but also didn't enter the room. Sarah was so confused. "It's her, isn't it?" She asked. Jareth was so quiet, so still; she watched his eyes as they searched the room. With disgust evident he closed the door and began pacing the hallway.

"Damn woman," he muttered under his breath. Whether or not she had meant to was not even a question; his mother was the reason for all of this. He strode past Sarah several times, not really noticing her. This complicated things, really complicated things. How was he to destroy a child? He would do it, he had to, but how was he going to justify his actions. He had never killed a child before; despite what his record said. He brushed his fingers through his hair and stopped pacing inches in front of Sarah, who softly gasped at his unpredictable motions. "You know what I must do." He stated simply.

Without though she moved to block his way to the door, "No, you can't!"

He sighed, "Sarah, why did you call me?" He watched as a defiant expression formed on her face. "You can feel it too; you must be able to sense it." He moved close to her, a few inches away from her face. Her eyes flickered and she looked down at the floor. "Don't defy me again, Sarah," he said tiredly.

Her head snapped up and she pushed him away. "You can't have her, Jareth."

"Sarah," he began exasperated, but she cut him off with a curt wave of her hand. He might have found it amusing that a human was commanding him to be silent under any other circumstances; he might even have laughed at the absurdity, but at this moment it angered him, and he slowly squeezed his fists together. She was all that kept him from destroying this ridiculous curse. He growled, and Sarah's eyes widened. "Do you honestly think you can stop me?"

Chewing on her bottom lip, she met his dark gaze and nod. "I didn't wish the child away," she muttered quietly, her voice a mere whisper. "All I asked was that you appear," she watched her words flow to Jareth. "And…"she began feeling more confident, "You swore, you swore you'd do nothing!"

They stared at each other for a few minutes. Jareth's gaze was hard, his face was set, but his shoulders were dropped slightly, a sign of defeat. He shook his head and began to walk away from her, back to the room he had first entered. She hesitantly followed him, not really sure what to expect, but relieved to put some distance between Jareth and Deirdre, but also herself and Deirdre. Suddenly Jareth turned on her and she nearly screamed. "Alright, Sarah," his words were crisp and cruel, and cut her more than she'd like to admit, "we'll play by your rules for now. But, I will have that child." He turned from her again and continued walking to the window, and she blindly followed. Again she was caught off guard as he stopped and spun towards her, his face nearly brushing against her own. "Stop being selfish, Sarah," he whispered quietly. Behind him, snow began to fall, and as if sensing it Jareth sneered, "it's not just my life, Sarah; look at the power she has, and she's just a baby. I cannot allow it to grow."

All she wanted to do was cry and hand over the baby, but she couldn't. Carol's happiness was wrapped in Deirdre. She could not, no, would not, destroy her closest friend's reason for living. She brought her watery eyes to Jareth's, "There has to be another way, Jareth. She's just a baby!"

"More of a monster, really," he responded turning his back on her. He told himself he wished to see the snow falling, but deep down, he did not want to see her cry. His will power seemed to dissolve around this mortal; everything she requested he granted, and this evidently was no different. It made him furious, but at himself, not at her, which infuriated him more. He barely noticed Sarah's soft, white hand cover his arm, but he was forced to look at her as she moved in front of him.

"Find a different way," she was begging him, he realized that, but she was so damned sincere he could not bring himself to mock her.

"Sarah," again she cut him off with a hand movement.

"There has to be another way." Her chin was tilted defiantly towards him.

"Why are you so sure," he asked narrowing his eyes.

She was silent a moment before moving away from him. "Because," she began uncertainly, "because there is always more than one way to do something; there is always a choice."

Jareth nodded in agreement, "Usually," he allowed her that. Her logic may be very human, but it held a thin truth. He sighed, "Sarah, I can't promise you anything," he rested his hands on the window sill, the cold air numbing his skin, "and it is possible at the soonest convenience I will take that child and undo the curse, but," he continued quickly as he saw her begin to protest, "before I do, I shall do as you wish," again, he mentioned to himself, "and search for a different way to end this, for I have no desire to kill a child." Quickly, before he said or did anything rash, he changed his form and fled the apartment; transporting out of the snowy air as the wind pushed the small body in crazy patterns.

Sarah rushed to the window as his owl form flew into the storm. She sucked in her breath as the owl was tossed lightly in the gusts before the small bird blinked out of her world. The night's events replayed in her mind, and she absentmindedly closed the window. As she turned towards her room, her bed suddenly seemed very far away; so she slid down the wall and sat on the floor; bringing both legs under her chin and wrapping her arms around them. She had felt so safe when he was there, the eyes had stopped following her, the sickening feeling had left her senses, but now that he was gone…she suddenly felt very vulnerable. With a shudder, she began to cry. She had planned on calling him as an ally, not an enemy again. He was very formidable as an enemy; she shivered as his cold eyes resurfaced in her memory. But, she had got her answers, at least partly. She knew what was causing the snow, and she knew Deirdre was not a normal baby, but she had known that before. Now, the only thing certain was the man she had meant to ask for help had turned into her enemy again; and once again she was protecting a child…only this time…she wasn't really sure if she wanted to protect this one.

Ok, well, what do you think?

Thank you all very much for reviewing! I'd especially want to thank Alorindanya, who made me, begrudgingly, agree to name Jareth's mother. I don't like her, so I didn't want to name her, but I guess she'll end up getting a chapter soon ;).

Do you guys like Sarah? She should have just given him the baby, huh? Just kidding.

Shavaineth: No, I don't think he's pleased at all.