Disclaimer: I claim only Tabitha, her grandfather, and her parents. The rest is not mine.

Chapter 9: The storm

"Are you enjoying yourself, my dear?"

Tabitha's eyes snapped open. Bright light was pouring down on her from above, outlining a shadowy human-shaped figure that seemed to be bending over her. She was lying on the floor surrounded by a puddle of water.

"Come now, Tabitha," Jareth's voice seemed to be coming from the shadowy figure. "You aren't just going to lie there, are you?" His tone was genial to the point of being mocking. In a rush, Tabitha remembered the doors and all of the dark things that lay behind them, and a surge of hot, sizzling anger flooded over her. She sat up, a bit more slowly than she would have liked, but her muscles were as sore and stiff as if she had just run a marathon. Climbing to her feet was an equally slow process, but she managed it. Stubbornly, she walked past Jareth without sparing him a glance, and made her way toward the source of the bright light.

An ornate silver mirror - twin to the one that sat on top of the pillar in the labyrinth - was catching the late afternoon sunlight that poured in through a high window and shining it down like a spotlight to the floor. Tabitha tilted the mirror toward the ceiling instead, and the room filled with a warm wash of light.

"What's your problem Jareth?" She asked, turning to face him. He stood watching her from the puddle of water, his eyes narrow.

"Problem? What makes you think I might have a problem?" He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled up to her. "Especially with you?" He began to circle her slowly, taking her in as he went.

"Is this how you greet all of your guests? I don't remember getting this special treatment in the past." Tabitha's eyes followed him as he came about to face her.

"No, this greeting was made special for you this time." He said blithely. Her face flushed red and her hands clenched at her sides. He was baiting her and she knew it.

"I came," She began in a tightly controlled voice. "Because some strange things have been happening in my world, and they seem to be coming from here. I thought you might know something about it, or at least point me in the right direction, but I think I'd rather find it on my own, now. So if you'll just let me out-"

"After coming all this way you want to leave? You've become such a quitter, Tabitha. That world of yours isn't healthy, I've always said so. It's made you weak. Perhaps you would be stronger if you stayed here like you were meant to. Did you at least bring the record?"

"No." She said sharply. "Just as I was finishing the record it was destroyed by an intruder."

"An intruder? Hmm. I know a thing or two about intruders." He said coldly, eyeing her. "They are rather troublesome, aren't they."

Tabitha clenched her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. Why was he doing this to her? He had changed quite a bit since the last time she had seen him. He was a bit thinner, and his face was pale. His clothes didn't look nearly as well cared-for, and his eyes held a hardness that frightened her.

"Some intruders are worse than others." She whispered.

"Oh, really?" He asked.

"Yes, really. You and your father benefitted from my intrusion in the end. The thing that came to my house was deadly, and destroyed everything I owned. I haven't been quite the same since then, and my grandfather-"

"Spare me your sob story, madam!" He yelled suddenly. "I have no sympathy for you! For months you ignore my summons, and when you do finally come you bring her with you! And you come to ask for my help! I don't give a damn what your problems are. I have no use for you, so be gone if you like! Just leave me alone!" His roared, spinning away from her and storming out of the room.

Tabitha stood there, feeling like she had just been struck. Her thoughts tumbled about her head, spinning incoherently until one realization broke free and took root. 'He's throwing a tantrum.' She thought. 'All of this is because of Sarah, it has nothing to do with me.'

She battled with indecisiveness for a while before making a decision. She couldn't just walk away in the middle of this fight. It would mean the end of a relationship that had been part of her life for over decade, and she wasn't prepared to deal with that. Stepping away from the mirror, she followed after Jareth.

He hadn't gone very far. In the next room he stood looking out the window, his shoulders hunched.

"I didn't receive any summons." Her voice sounded strained, almost pathetic. He didn't respond. "Honestly, I didn't see or hear anything from the underground. I wasn't ignoring you." Her explanations were falling short, making no impact. Helplessness stirred inside of her as she realized that she was pleading her case to someone who didn't care about her reasons. She stumbled on anyway, trying to make him understand.

"I brought Sarah with me because she insisted that I go and find out about my attacker. She's here for moral support. . . even if she doesn't really want to be. Just knowing that someone who understands is near at hand helps, even if she didn't come all the way up here with me. . . "

She trailed off, thinking that perhaps explaining her feelings wasn't going to get her anywhere. She bit her lip, hating herself for feeling so weak. In an instant she had gone from a stubborn refusal to beg to pleading her case, and it made her feel sick inside. She didn't want to be played with, refused to be tamed, but changed her tune the minute a relationship was threatened.

Why, when he had so callously put her through hell, was she trying to save the frail little relationship that they had? Wouldn't it be better if he turned his back on her? Maybe then she could move on and lead a normal life. Wasn't that what she was always telling herself she wanted?

And yet there she stood, fumbling for words to explain her side. "As far as I knew, I hadn't heard anything from you in years. I was writing Sarah's story to bring here, but then this thing showed up. . . It ruined everything. . ." She felt faint. Her heartbeat was slowing down, and she leaned against the door frame. No more words came as she slid to the floor. As everything around her faded to black she saw him turn sharply towards her, a startled look in his eyes.