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.
Reviews: WildPixieChild: Thank you. DavidBowieRules: I'll update as fast as I can. Lady of the Labyrinth: Your review made me think of Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Cracked me up. Wicked Game: Thank you. I like Latin too. Layla Wendel: Indeed, yea for Sarah. Solea: Thanks for always reviewing. As I don't usually misuse words I double checked the definition of negligent and it can mean casual in appearance or attitude (courtesy of the Encarta dictionary), which is exactly what I was going for. I totally know what you mean about other authors, especially younger ones, misusing words. Drives me crazy too. Moon Java: Well I'm glad.
Chapter 9: So Far Gone
Sarah woke the next morning on an adrenaline high. Instead of lazily waking up, as she would on any other vacation day, her eyes popped open and her mind jumped into action.
"But I don't want to get up!" Sarah whined to her empty room. Her body, obviously not as awake as her mind, struggled to get up. Sarah leaned heavily against her dresser and caught her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were tracked with tear stains and her hair was tangled into a mess. Sarah groaned, what Jareth must have thought when he saw me. At least the lights were off, maybe that helped. Wait just a second, Sarah's rational side countered, why am I worried about what the Goblin King thought of me and how I looked?
Because you are attracted tohim.
Your point being?
You want him to be attracted to you.
No I don't!
Oh yes, you do. Don't try and deny it.
Sarah shook her head vigorously to quell her inner debate. Talking to herself had gotten her in trouble in elementary school too.
"Okay, I have eleven hours to kill before Jareth shows up. What am I going to do?" Sarah filled the quite of her house with her question. "Shower and shave are definitely in order and then I must find something to wear." Sarah's face paled. "I have to find something to wear." Sarah strode to her closet pushing past the jeans and skirts to her meager selection of dresses. One by one each dress flew over her head until her closet was empty and her clothes were a scattered mess on the floor. Sarah surveyed the pile she had just created. All her frenzied cleaning the past couple days had been undone in only a matter of minutes. Plopping down in the midst of the mayhem Sarah came to the only possible solution to her problem. She would have to go to the mall. Inwardly groaning, Sarah pushed herself up and towards the bathroom.
It wasn't that she didn't enjoy shopping, just like every other red-blooded American female. It was the mall itself she detested. First, there was the very real chance that some mother would run over your feet with her Hummer-sized stroller and if that wasn't enough her children were probably screaming at the top of their lungs, if she knew where they were. It seemed that the mall attracted the most ill-mannered children. Then, and Sarah had to shake her head at this, the teenyboppers that plagued the place drove her nuts. Honestly, who would let their child out of the house looking like that. Not that the 80's were the height of fashion but at least the clothes covered the majority of a person's body and everyone was more than content to look the same. Some of the kids at the mall are just down right funny looking.
Sufficiently clean, Sarah headed out the door and towards an intrepid shopping adventure.
Four hours later, her feet hurt and she was very tired of carrying her purse, for it had magically gotten heavier as she walked. There was only one store left in the mall and Sarah hoped that there would be something there she could stomach wearing in front of the Goblin King. Despite the abundance of fancy dresses nothing was quite suitable in Sarah's mind for a dat…correction dinner with Jareth. And why any girl would want to wear a lime green dress, in public, still boggled her mind.
Sarah walked purposefully into the store and was pleased to find no dresses in any neon colors. She was fingering a hunter green satin dress when a soft voice at her elbow said, "You wouldn't want that one dearie." Sarah turned, startled to find the store's proprietor at her side. Sarah looked down, trying to hide the surprise on her face; the woman barely came to her hip. She was a little barrel on legs with curly auburn hair and large-framed glasses. Her round face dimpled in a small as she took Sarah by the elbow and pulled her toward the back of the store.
"I have just the dress for you. I wouldn't let the last girl buy it because I just knew it was meant for someone else." The little woman said cheerily as she pushed aside dresses on a rack. "Ah, here it is. Silly dresses like to hide from me." She pulled a black dress from the rack and pushed Sarah towards the nearest dressing room. "Go on, go on. You'll like it, just see." Not used to being manhandled so, Sarah stood staring at the closed door of the dressing room with the dress in her hands. "Well come on, dearie, let's see how it looks." The tiny woman called from outside. Seeing no other course of action, Sarah slipped out of her clothes and into the dress. The cool black chiffon draped softly over body.
The dress was ordinary, plain even if you were just looking at the front. A simple halter neckline with spray of blue crystals at her left hip wouldn't turn any heads. Sarah turned to look at the back of the dress and only saw her back. Sarah looked wide-eyed at her reflection. She had never worn anything this daring. Not that it didn't look good; it was just not something she'd ever think of buying. Sarah placed a tentative on the door knob and slowly pushed the door opened. The little store owner was beaming from ear to ear and fluttering her hands as Sarah turned in a circle before her.
"Oh, it's perfect, just perfect for you!" The woman cooed.
"I don't know. It's a little…bare." Sarah said wincing at her reflection in the big mirror.
"Well, honey, isn't that the point. I'm sure your young man will appreciate it." Sarah could only imagine what Jareth's response was going to be.
"I guess I'll get it then." Sarah said with more enthusiasm than she actually felt. A small ball of dread had started to form in her stomach. This would be her first…evening alone with a man, in a very long time. It would have been hard enough if it was a normal human being but this was the Goblin King. Her cheeks must have paled because the little woman had a concerned look on her face.
"Can I get you a spot of tea? You don't look well."
"No, I'm okay." Sarah replied hurriedly. "I just need to get home." With that final rejoinder Sarah turned and rushed out of the store. She quickly found herself seated in her car, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were white. Her mind was in chaos with thoughts and emotions swirling like water down a drain. What kind of fool am I, Sarah berated herself. You should have never agreed to this, never. "Okay, let's take a deep breath." Sarah said to herself. "There is no reason to be crazy and irrational. I am a grown woman and he is just a man." Yeah right. "I wish I could be calm and rational right now." Sarah said desperately. A piercingly bright while light flashed before her eyes and the tinkling of bells and pipes sounded inside the confines of her car. Between then and the next breath the anxiety that was drowning Sarah had washed away. She opened her eyes, expecting to find either Jareth or someone else from the Labyrinth seated next to her in the car but it was blessedly empty. Sarah whispered a silent thank you to the force that had magically quieted her fretfulness and headed for home.
When the clock in Sarah's kitchen was striking seven o'clock, Sarah was slipping the last earring in her ear. The last chime sounded and Jareth appeared with his usual fanfare. He was every inch the king; from the polished black boots to the sharply cut jacket. Thankfully, Sarah caught herself before her perusal of him turned into outright staring. Jareth extended a black gloved hand towards her with one raised eyebrow. With a confidence that wasn't entirely steady, Sarah placed her hand into his and watched as the light swirled around them until they were no longer in her home.
TBC
AN: I apologize profusely for the amount of time it has taken me to get this chapter out. It is long overdue but in all honesty it just didn't want to be written. I truly consider this to be a filler chapter. I hope that at the least you'll get a giggle out of it. As for the shop owner I was imagining the woman from Teen Witch and 16 Candles (now that's showing my age). If you've seen either movie you'll know who I'm taking about immediately. I will really try to do better for the next chapter. I promise.