Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the movie Labyrinth. You know the rest of the drill.
Your Eyes
Story by Jessica Arbuckle (Jessi, Princess of Impatience)
June to possibly August, 2005
Chapter Ten, The Horrifying News…
The sound pierced through Jareth's soul as it startled Toby awake. Awful images ran through Jareth's head as he fought the urge to transport himself directly to her side. Instead he broke into a run in the direction of the stairs.
"Sarah?" Toby cried out questioningly as the man who carried him reached the top of the stairs, and started down as fast as he could. His eyes never left Sarah once they had located her, crumpled on the floor sobbing as a man knelt next to her, his hand on her back
Fighting the feeling to tear all the limbs from this man's body for daring to touch Sarah, he quickly took note of the man's outfit. He recognized it as the uniform of this world's law enforcement and a feeling of dread crept into his stomach to churn hideously with the panic the cry had produced in him. Placing Toby gently on the closest stair step, he walked forward, quickly reaching Sarah's side. He knelt and gathered her to him as he looked at the man beside her.
"What happened?" he demanded imperiously of the policeman.
The policeman gazed at the strange man holding the young woman to whom he had just given awful news. He wondered at the man's odd appearance, but was more concerned with the small boy inching closer to the man and woman, close to tears as he stared at the crying woman. This really wasn't something he needed to hear.
Jareth's eyes followed his gaze. Toby, seeing Jareth had noticed him, quickly came to his side.
"Sarah?" Toby questioned tremulously.
Sarah looked up from Jareth's chest and fought to regain her composure at the look of fear in Toby's eyes. She said softly to him, "Toby, we have to go for a ride with the police officer, so why don't you go outside with him?"
Toby looked at Jareth, fear bright in his questioning gaze, his eyes shiny from the tears that filled them. "Go with him, as your sister asked," Jareth said softly, "we'll be right out."
Toby then glanced warily at the police officer, reproach in his eyes that clearly stated he thought the man was to blame for his sister's tears.
The police officer looked down, holding out his badge. "Toby, why don't you come with me? I'll let you look at my badge while we wait for your sister."
Toby walked forward and the police officer picked him up, carrying him out the door.
Jareth, growing impatient, barely let the door shut behind them before he brought Sarah's face up to look at him. "What has happened?" he demanded, his gaze searching hers for answers.
"Oh Jareth," she said grief-stricken, "it's awful. My parents were in a horrible accident. The resort they were at… it caught fire while they were sleeping." A sob caught in her throat and her voice cracked. "My mom, Karen – my stepmother actually, my birth mother is… out of the picture permanently," she said in an attempt at clarification at the question in his eyes, "My mom Karen is… she… a rafter fell on her… they were trying to get out and she… she couldn't… Jareth, she's… dead."
Sarah stared at him with shocked eyes full of tears and Jareth gripped her tightly, wanting desperately to have the power to make her world right, even though this was beyond his powers.
"My dad," she continued, sobbing softly, "was injured, but I don't know how badly. Apparently he tried to save her and couldn't. He was rushed to the hospital and that police offer came to tell me where. He offered to take me there."
"Then we must go immediately," Jareth said, drawing her upright as he stood. Sobs continued to coursed through Sarah's body. 'What a cry baby I've turned into,' she thought distractedly.
"Sarah," he continued, "I know it is hard, but you have to put on a brave face for Toby. He is scared and he needs you to be strong."
His eyes, filled with an open compassion she had never witnessed from him before, met her sad eyes and her sobs stilled. She felt a strength she did not believe she would be able to find slowly assert itself under his loving gaze as he squeezed her shoulders gently.
"I know," she said softly. She started for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Jareth asked. "We have to go now, Sarah."
"I know, but I can't go in my pajamas," she said, looking back at him.
Jared closed his eyes and waved his hand. Her tank top, pajama pants and robe were magically replaced with a white shirt and jeans from her closet.
Despite herself, Sarah smiled faintly at his familiar choice. He smiled gently back at her, and reached for her hand. Giving it to him, she glanced at his outfit and said, "Jareth, you can't go like that."
He looked down at his clothes. 'I suppose not,' he thought. He closed his eyes again and Sarah watched his clothing shimmered to a dark blue t-shirt, black jeans and black boots.
She walked to the closet and retrieved her shoes, slipping them on as she reached for her house keys resting on the table next to the door. She jammed them in her pocket and turned.
"Ok, let's go," she said, looking at Jareth.
a/n: Thank you to those who have reviewed - Lady Saffron of the Daggers, DemonicSymphony, alias-allia, Glistening Abyss, Jibiathon, Sparkle E. Slugg, Victoria, kittykat04 - I LOVE you all! Saffy, I'm sorry! Honestly, I hate the cliffy's, but this story just has quite a few of them that work naturally into the story. Also, please don't be mad at me, the angst happened for a reason, or so Jareth tells me. DemonicSymphony, thanks for the hugs, I appreciate them. I'll remember to tell Saffy you are the one who wanted more cliffys! Allia, I promise, I will continue! Really, I swear. Glistening, I'm so glad you like Toby, I just adore him, and he has some good stuff still to come… I think I like having him around just as much as J & S… well, ok, I like him more because he's never mean to me like Jareth! Jibiathon, do not be jealous! I love your work, your POV one is excellent and as soon as FFN lets me review I will! Sparkle, yes I am shameless and I know it, but now you may see what I was talking about, with all Jareth's dictatorial attitudes and orders.
Also – Jareth made me do it! This was supposed to be a long one-shot, but then… well, you know how he is, has to have a long story or else and he thinks the only way to do that is angst! ;)
As always, please R/R, I would just adore it!