Title: Whispers of Magic
Author: Kathea
Pairing: Jareth/Sarah
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Time will tarnish your memory but some things will never go away even if they are only whispers.
AN: Set at least 10 years after the movie with a very grown up Sarah and a Jareth that hasn't changed one bit.
Disclaimer: This story was written for my entertainment, if by some miracle you were also entertained then I am honored. I obviously make no money from this artistic venture.
AN2: I know this installment is short but just wait for the next chapter. Look below for my responses to reviews.
Reviews: Lady of the Labyrinth: There is no need to resort to violence. I'll post if only to save my new carpet from the ravages of your goblins. Jess/Milosgirl: Well, while you are applauding and bowing check out my other two Labyrinth fics in my bio. I love Labyrinth, it gives me so much room to play.
Chapter 2: Nice and Normal
At precisely 7:35 a.m. Sarah was waking up Kara and Kevan. It was the least pleasant activity of the entire day. Kara tended to be grumpy early in the morning, to be kind. There were times when it was a bit like waking a hibernating bear. Despite her pixie-like features, Kara could scowl with the best of them first thing in the morning. Kevan, on the other hand, would just cuddle his way back to sleep. Sarah was never sure if it was a deliberate act or if Kevan was really just that attached to dreamland. After some prodding, both groggy children were padding towards the kitchen with Sarah in tow.
The children followed a very rigid schedule, thanks to two parents who had read far too many parenting books. By 8:15 every morning, breakfast and morning cartoons were to be finished. After morning baths and chores, there were two hours scheduled for educational activities of various sorts in preparation for first grade. After that was an hour of playtime then lunch. The dreaded afternoon nap followed lunch. Two active, imaginative, energetic five year olds did not take well to forced inactivity. Sarah had resorted to telling stories to get the two kids to be still and eventually nap.
Once Kevan and Kara were settled on the daybed in the playroom, Sarah sat in between them and cuddled them close. "So what do you guys want to hear about today?" Sarah asked.
"Goblins." Kevan shouted.
"No, fairies." Kara responded hotly.
"Kings."
"Magic."
"Trolls"
"Princesses."
"Okay, guys, okay. I think I know a story that has all of that in it."
"Really?" The twins said in unison as was their habit.
"Really. Now settle down and listen to the story." Sarah said quickly and lowered her voice to catch their attention. "Many years ago there was a young girl who was taking care of her little brother."
"What was her name?" Kara asked.
"Ummm, it was, uh, Alyssa. Alyssa was a very spoiled girl. She whined about everything and always complained that things weren't fair. One day she was forced to babysit for her little brother again. Tired of always having to take care of the screaming baby, Alyssa wished her brother away to the Goblin King in the Underground."
Sarah was halfway through her own adventure through the Labyrinth when she realized that the kids were asleep. The compulsion to tell the story quickly faded. It was like a mist had invaded her mind, forcing her to tell the story of her trip through the Underground but the haze had just lifted. Sarah shook her head in confusion. She must be really out of it to think that something had forced her to tell what had happened.
Without provocation Sarah's mind drifted back to the somewhat misty memories of her adventure. She no longer tried to deny the truth of her experience. At first, Sarah had desperately tried to convince herself that it had just been a really vivid dream. For what teenager would admit to traveling to a fairy-tale world. But Hoggle kept appearing in her mirror and Ludo kept leaving rocks on her dresser so denial was no longer an option. Her Underground friends kept to a strict visitation schedule. Lord only knew what would happen if they were visiting and Karen had walked into her room. For the four years she was in high school, Sarah managed to keep the meetings a secret.
After her eighteenth birthday, the visits suddenly stopped. For a while, Sarah was hurt that her friends no longer wanted to visit her but after taking classes at the community college, Sarah gave up friends who rode sheepdogs for human friends and slowly Sarah began to forget about the Underground. True, she still dreamt about the places she'd been but the power it had once had on her life slowly faded away. She had taken the lessons of the Labyrinth to heart even though she couldn't remember Hoggle's name. Sarah rarely complained about fairness and no longer took anything for granted.
Which was why at the ripe age of 27, Sarah was a nanny to the only children she would ever be able to have and possessed an unused bachelor's degree in early childhood education. Ten years ago if you had asked her what she would be doing at 27, Sarah first instinct would be to say acting. After the Labyrinth adventures, no play could ever come close to the things she had experienced. So Sarah had turned to other activities and graduated high school near the top of her class. The choice to be a nanny had been a roundabout decision. She had taken the job of babysitting the children in the afternoon to make extra money but after graduation she just couldn't make herself leave the family she had come to love. Not two years later, Sarah's body had begun to betray her and the cancer had ruined any chances for a family of her own. Given her choices, Sarah stayed on with the Hoffman family.
It might not have been her dream but dreams didn't always come true. Sarah woke Kara and Kevan from their nap and the rest of the day proceeded per normal and Sarah soon found herself headed once again for home. After arriving home and a quick shower, Sarah found herself digging through old boxes stuffed in the back of her closet. If asked, Sarah probably couldn't tell you what was forcing her to dig about through her past. Reaching into yet another box full of books, her hand closed about a slim volume and the urge to find whatever it was passed. She pulled the book out and the gold typing on the spine glinted in the light from the hallway.
It took her two hours to read the book from cover to cover. When she finally closed the book and rested her tired eyes the silver tinkling of bells jerked her awake. Looking around frantically, Sarah could find nothing that would account for the noise. Dismissing it as a figment of her very tired mind, Sarah rose and headed for bed. Her eyes stopped on the calendar on the fridge. The next day was circled by a red marker. A phone number and time were written beside it. The weight of reality settled on Sarah's shoulders then. A follow up doctor's appointment was tomorrow. They would tell her nothing new, nothing important. Sarah fell into bed, hoping that she could get at least a good night's sleep. Right before her eyes finally closed a soft tune could be heard but Sarah was too close to sleep and too tired to worry about it or think about why it seemed so familiar.