AN: Now we return to our regularly scheduled reading program. This immediately begins where chapter 6 left off, give or take. Thanks again to Greenchimes for whipping this into shape. She is quite the blessing for putting up with me. In case you missed my update announcement, new additions have been made to chapters 2, 4 and 5, upping the rating for this story to full on intimate M. To quote Crazy Delicious: GO FORTH AND FORAGE. I hope this doesn't stop readers from continuing with this journey as there is plenty of plot to go around!
Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know if/how you're liking this story. Thank you, VeronaFairy4 for reviewing the last chapter!
Chapter 8: The Eluding Equation
Rage. Impatience. Helplessness. Hurt. These were the constant companions that plagued Jareth's soul for the weeks that dreaming with his wife evaded him. Weeks where he prayed for a wisher to be close enough so he might have the possibility to escape his duty and run away to be with Sarah, even though he knew it would fail. It always failed. But he could hope. He had to keep trying.
Often, Jareth found himself awake in his bed, laying on his side, facing the nursery he'd gifted Sarah. He stared at its door while his mind drifted to thoughts of Sarah and what their future could be. He had designed and created the room with his own magic, and a little help from the Labyrinth itself, as he had to expand the size of the castle to accommodate this addition for, someday, his growing family. He had no guarantee, of course, that Sarah would ever be by his side for them to even conceive children, but he trusted it would happen. Someday. He let his mind wander, thinking about the children that would one day play with the toys and cradle he carved by hand; oh yes, he had not wasted magic on such important trinkets. It would never be said that he was a negligent or lazy parent. To use magic for such things would have been the easy, indolent thing to do. No one but him would ever know he created them without magic, so it really shouldn't have mattered so much to him, yet it did. From what he could tell in his examination of the brief year of life he had before the Labyrinth had claimed him, his only toy as a child had been a measly piece of chalk. His children would have much better things.
It had nearly been a month and a half since he'd held his wife, the last time being a wondrous experience where they mutually worked their hands over their bodies as a means of relieving tension which then led to… He tried to not think about that, because it made him want her all the more. Of course, this wasn't the first time there had been a lull in the frequency of their dreams. It was just that the dreams had been happening quite steadily since they had wed and he had become used to it; had he been taking it for granted? In the past, there had been gaps in their dream encounters even when she had the necklace with her. He had been the culprit of a hiatus to their dreams when he ventured out of the Labyrinth to aid other kingdoms. But now, if a neighboring kingdom were to invite him to a celebration or request his presence for negotiations, he would decline so as to not miss a chance to dream. Some events he couldn't refuse, but he was more discerning on deciding when he would journey away from his kingdom. Never once had he dreamt with Sarah while he was away from the Labyrinth.
When duty and protocol did not get in the way, he spent his waking hours flying to where the magic of Sarah's mirror pulled him Above. He was confused to find himself appearing outside Sarah's childhood home, but time and time again, that's where the magic led him. He knew that she didn't live there anymore, yet each time he tried, he arrived at her father's house. He waited outside the house to glimpse Sarah in case she was actually there, but there was no sign she was. The windows to her bedroom remained dark. If she were there, he also would have expected to see her car parked in front, which day after day, never appeared. While she was away from this house, he had always relied on the magic of her mirror necklace; on his own, he had no way to find the cottage she shared with Cassie. If she did have the necklace with her, it would have connected him with wherever she was. He could only conclude that either something had happened to the necklace or that the necklace and the mirror were together in the same vicinity, sans Sarah.
What he also couldn't determine was if it had been intentionally done by his wife since the magic of the original mirror was obviously still functional. After all, she had been neglecting to take the necklace with her as of late, blaming it on her roommate. Was there something more to it? He worried that Sarah accusing Cassie might be a ruse for something else. If Cassie was the true reason for the necklace being left behind, then why would the only gateway into the Above for him now be Sarahs' childhood home?
For days, Jareth returned in his owl form outside Sarah's father's house, watching for any sign of her. Her father had a regular schedule to maintain his profession; early to bed, early to rise. Each day, Jareth did notice Karen working a few hours in Sarah's childhood room, the only activity to happen in that room on his watch. He wondered if Sarah would be perturbed to find the woman was invading her private space. But for the most part, her step-mother's life was dictated by the needs of her children, which consisted of getting Tobias to school on time and many sleepless nights while soothing her crying infant daughter. Everything about their lives seemed rather routine. Not only were there no signs that Sarah had been there, but also no indication that they were expecting her.
Fortunately, he knew Sarah was fine. Her faithful trio visited her in her new home on their own and while occasionally performing the tasks he'd given them. He couldn't reach Sarah himself, but he wanted her to know she was constantly on his mind, so he sent flowers and gifts through her companions. Their positive report on Sarah's wellbeing was ever a relief.
Upon remembering Cassandra's impending nuptials, he wanted to bestow a gift on Sarah's friend, a way to repay her kindness since he felt indebted to her. The way Sarah spoke of assisting Cassie in all the decisions that were required when planning a ceremony-the manner her eyes sparkled and her smile never ceased as she described the details with him-made Jareth realize that he had unintentionally robbed Sarah. Planning one's wedding was clearly a right of passage that Sarah had not gotten to experience for herself, so he was grateful Cassie allowed Sarah to be so involved. The jeweled parure set he'd gifted Cassandra he'd found in the vault, a trinket from a kingdom long lost to time, the item never reclaimed. He made sure it wasn't cursed or otherwise enchanted before deciding it would be a perfect way to show his gratitude.
But in no way was he going to neglect giving his wife a gift as well. Knowing Sarah's concern in learning how to be queen while not physically being in the kingdom she ruled, Jareth hoped to ease her qualms by bestowing her with the signet ring. It amused him that she gave her first decree straight away, and in such a hilarious manner. The inaugural edict his wife declared as her first act as queen he found quite facetious; he personally ensured it was followed to the letter.
He consulted her companions and other denizens of the Labyrinth on which areas would most benefit from the installation of the demanded chicken coops. Through it all, he strained to maintain his composure, for he found it comical how his citizens were very serious about sharing their opinions on how wonderful and caring their queen was in coming to their aid in their time of need. It made him realize that perhaps he should speak with his citizens more often. Apparently, right under his nose, the chickens he'd received in trade were becoming a menace and were far more destructive than he had realized. The smelly little buggers shit everywhere and destroyed whatever their beaks could touch. He also greatly underestimated the proliferation of the fowl creatures and found thirty one areas which would benefit the installation of the coops in his kingdom. The task of creating and distributing the coops took two days to complete and had been more effort than he anticipated. It was especially annoying when most of the fowl beasts had no idea what a chicken coop was, let alone that they were to use them. But, within a week, most of the chickens had caught on to the idea.
Jareth wanted Sarah to know how her initiative was a success, yet he could not share any of this with her until he saw her. He wasn't one for written correspondence, even though he did respond in kind if she sent a letter to him. But she'd not sent anything since her decree. Even her friends had said Sarah was too busy for them to see her, being so caught up in preparations for her roomates' wedding.
With the seventh anniversary of Sarah's wish being two weeks away, Jareth decided to let himself rest. To let himself stop over-thinking things. Except for their year apart, they had always dreamed together on that day. He had to trust it would happen again. He was prepared with a gift for Sarah either way; dream or no dream, he would task her companions to give it to her on that day.
Everything changed when he felt Sarah's pain three days prior to their anniversary. This was the first time he felt her in the waking world. Her emotions blindsided him, her feelings strange in varying intensity and coming in waves of pain. How he knew the emotions he felt were hers without dreaming or her calling for him, he wasn't exactly sure. But he knew it was her. It felt similar to the times her soul had called to him in the past while within the dreams. The times she was in sorrow for her mother's forgetfulness and when she was in mourning after her dog's passing were nothing compared to the strength of her agony now. Those times, he had let his soul be drawn to her, her feelings guiding him to where she lay hidden within the dream. But now, there was no dream to guide him to search for her. No way to physically find her.
Even Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus sought him out in a panic when they too felt something was wrong with Sarah. He sent them to find her, for they had always been able to reach her when he could not. It shouldn't have surprised him, with how things had been going, that Sarah's companions returned unable to reach her lest they chance exposure of their magical existence. Wherever she was, they could not go.
"Well?" He sat up in his throne and asked abruptly the moment they returned.
"We couldn't reach her, Sire." Sir Didymus said with worry upon his unpatched brow.
"What do you mean? Did you find her or not?" Jareth demanded.
"Well, we knows where abouts she is, but not how she is." Hoggle started.
Jareth growled in his throat. "Explain."
"Many people. Not safe." Ludo gruffly added.
"Not safe for Sarah?" Jareth barked in alarm, needing more context.
"No, for us." Hoggle emphasized. "Wherever Sarah is, there are too many people and no place for us to hide. We didn't find her because it wasn't safe for us to get near her."
"I see." Jareth understood, then, that the pull of magic prevented them from attempting to reach Sarah, lest they were exposed and knowledge of magical beings imploded the balance between the two worlds. He sighed. It wasn't their fault they couldn't do more. "I appreciate your attempt to find her. If anything changes, tell me instantly."
Didymus vowed, bringing his gloved paw to his chest as he bowed slightly, "I shall personally continue to attempt to reach our queen."
Their king barely noticed that they departed. He supposed he should be grateful they too cared so much for Sarah. But this failure, albeit not a fault of their own, was angeringly irksome.
Jareth went above to try to find Sarah on his own, but like before, the magic unwaveringly led him to her childhood home. It was so frustrating not knowing where she was. He had a ray of hope when, on the day of Sarah's pain, he watched as her father raced his automobile to the front of the house, rushed inside, his voice raised in an alarming tone with words Jareth could not hear. Yet his panic was obvious. Within ten minutes, the man had luggage in hand and drove off at great speed. Jareth tried to follow the car, but having no way to magically track it and his avian body not equipped to maintain such speeds, he had no choice but to abandon the chase.
Returning back to his castle, Jareth immediately went to his study and with a spontaneous thought, he paused time. He didn't care that he was already exhausted from worry. He needed to try something to reach Sarah, no matter how much magic was needed. But his creativity for a solution only went as far as sending letters beseeching his allies, again, for their secret methods of breaching the veil between worlds. Once the messages were sent, he released his hold on time, the force of it knocking himself unconscious.
Awaking with a grand headache the next day, Jareth was confused and disoriented. Why was he uncomfortably sitting in his desk chair? Then, he noticed his gloved hand resting over a quill, a blotch of ink bleeding on the parchment beneath it. This jolted his memory: Letters, crystals, and Sarah in pain. He mentally searched for the connection to his wife. He sighed in relief at feeling Sarah and sensing something different. Just as Sarah's immense pain had made Jareth panic, feeling her intense joy and happiness greatly calmed his fears. If she was happy, that had to mean no harm had befallen her. All he could do now was continue to wait until her companions gave their next report, for the next dream to hopefully give him the answers from his wife he coveted, and for the other kingdoms to give him a way of getting to her world. Waiting was torment.
Simply feeling the need to command Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo to remain silent about the birth of her baby didn't mean Sarah wanted to send them away that very minute; quite the opposite, actually. She was relieved to be finally able to talk about her daughter with them and craved their company. She hadn't seen her trio in weeks and wanted to catch up on their lives, just as they would on every visit. This day was her seventh anniversary of meeting them too, after all. But they seemed hesitant to speak about themselves, since they had been sent with a mission; they came bearing an anniversary gift from her husband.
This time, Jareth gave her stud earrings to match the bracelet with his emblem he had given her their last anniversary. Like the bracelet, they were white gold with the infinity symbol accented in yellow gold. Of course, she instantly wanted to put them in her ears. She placed Mari face up on her lap so as to free up her hands and put the earrings on. Mari wiggled and stretched her arms and legs in this new position. Sarah smiled fondly at her daughter while she placed the studs in her ears.
"These are lovely. You'll thank Jareth for me, won't you?" Sarah started.
Sir Didymus cleared his throat, "My lady, you may thank him yourself. His majesty is waiting out yon window."
Sarah's eyes lightened with joy, gathering the baby in her arms. "He is? Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Wincing, she tried to find a comfortable way to rise from the rocking chair while holding Mari, the twinge in her pelvis still prevalent with every movement. She gratefully accepted Ludo's help as he reached out his arm to steady her.
"Sarah hurt?" Ludo asked, concern in his tone.
Sarah grinned sadly, finding it not the time to explain fully the details of lochia rubra. "It's okay. I'm still recovering from having the baby."
She went to look out the window and she couldn't help the smile from gracing her cheeks when she looked outside. There, on a branch of the tree closest to the house, the owl was waiting. Jareth fluttered his wings and hopped closer upon seeing her.
As Sarah reached for the latch, a crack of thunder sounded and rain started to shower against the window pane. With one arm, Sarah balanced her daughter as she moved to use the other to open the window and let Jareth in. However, the rain pelted harder against the window, so much so that she could hardly view Jareth through the drops of water. She was barely able to see his form still there. She couldn't dare open the window safely and knew Jareth wouldn't be able to stay in this severe storm. The wind started blowing the branches of the trees violently, swaying Jareth so intensely, he had no choice but to abandon the branch and fly off.
Even though it had been raining every day since Mari was born and this stormy weather had been forecast by local meteorologists for days, Sarah couldn't have been more disappointed at its ill timing. Angry tears formed in her eyes. The Labyrinth didn't have the power to change the weather to keep them apart, did it?
Vexation triggered an idea as she stared at her own faint reflection in the glass of the window; she couldn't be on the sidelines anymore. She had to start doing more to get where she belonged, to where her daughter belonged. Sarah felt the need to try something, something she was disappointed in herself for not thinking of trying sooner.
Sarah abruptly turned back to her friends. "Hoggle, I need your arms."
"What for?" He hesitated, ever cautious of the unknown.
"Will you hold Mari for me? I need to pack." She said matter-of-factly.
"Pack, my lady?" Sir Didymus asked.
"My suitcase. Maybe now that Mari has been born, I can come home." She couldn't hide the hope in her voice.
Hoggle's eyes went wide in understanding and surprise that Sarah referred to the Labyrinth as her home. He raised his arms out. "Give 'er here."
It was comical and adorable at the same time, watching as the dwarf bounced Mari gently while he walked the length of the room.
"Didymus, give me a hand?" Sarah indicated to her suitcase, now laying open on her bed.
The knight dutifully went into action, placing the items Sarah gave him into the luggage. Ludo, taking up a good portion of the room as it was, stood to the side to observe.
Sarah's mind raced with thinking of what to pack. What would be needed to live Underground? No need to bring too many clothes; she was sure Jareth could provide her with any garment she needed. There was no need to take her breast pump; there was no electricity Underground. The more she contemplated what to gather, the more she focused on things for the baby rather than for herself. As she packed, her heart flip-flopped in the hope that she might finally be with her husband in real life for the first time in seven years.
Yet it was all for naught.
Sarah held her baby with one arm while the fingers of her other hand splayed against the cold glass as she looked into her vanity mirror, tears streaming down her face. She stared at her companions, who were looking at her with pity from the other side. Hoggle moved to hand her back the suitcase but she stopped him, shaking her head.
She was barely able to croak out, "Keep it." Then with a resolute voice, she told them, "Keep your promise. Jareth cannot know of Mari unless I am the one to tell him."
After obtaining their vow of silence, Sarah turned with a sob and walked back to the rocking chair, her eyes ever on her daughter. Once seated, she allowed her sorrow to flow fully. Would she never be able to get to Jareth?
Dreaming on the anniversary of Sarah's run through the Labyrinth had only been missed one year, the year she wasn't near her vanity mirror. Now that she was back to sleeping in her old room, it shouldn't have been a surprise that she would dream with her king again. Maybe it was still the hormones, but the instant she found herself in the ballroom with Jareth standing before her, relieved tears streamed down her face. With what they were wearing, she realized he must be leading this dream. He was in the vest and breeches of their wedding. She glanced down to see that she too was in the gown she wore for their vows. Her body fit the gown in her prenatal state, her secret still being hidden.
Jareth's smile at seeing her was dazzling, that is until he noticed her tears, then worry shone in his eyes. Before he could ask her why they had been apart, she rushed into his arms. She buried her face against his chest, crying into him. He held her tightly, nuzzling his nose into the crown of her head, breathing her in.
"I've missed you, so much." She said as she pulled back to gaze at him. She took a deep breath to compose herself.
"You were without your locket for thirty nine days." There was a question in his disappointed tone.
She averted her eyes, although there was a flair of anger in the corners. "It got damaged. I haven't been able to get it fixed yet. I don't even know if it works." She looked back at him to confess, "I'm dreaming now only because I am staying with my dad again."
"I noticed when I finally found you today." His tone was teasing but it didn't match the glint in his eyes. "If you're living at home, is everything alright between you and Cassandra?"
"Yeah, I just thought I would visit Dad while Cass is on her honeymoon." Her voice was a tad higher as she fibbed.
He placed his gloved hands on her shoulders, his stature stoic and tone serious. "You were in immense pain days ago. Your companions and I were very worried, for we couldn't reach you. But they assured me you were well when they reported back from their visit today."
She nodded and softly smiled to reassure him. "I'm okay. I promise."
He cocked a brow, indicating his skepticism. "I felt it. It was unlike anything I've…"
She cupped his face with both hands to emphasize her words. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened. All is well." She grinned and tried to change the subject, not wanting to chance talking about why she had been in pain. "Thank you for sending my friends to see me today." Sarah raised a hand to her earrings, the reason for the trio's visit. "These are lovely. I wanted to thank you in person. I saw you waiting outside my window today, but that storm was brutal. Did you escape it okay?"
He nodded as he brought his fingers up to caress an earlobe, examining his gift. "I wasn't sure you had seen me. The wind became too strong and I couldn't stay. I glimpsed you briefly." He lowered his hand to cup her neck."What was it you were holding?"
By now, Sarah knew better than to try to directly state any reference to Mari, and her words must have been acceptable, for they came with no obstacle. "Just something I was given a few days ago. Something that I love very much."
Jareth hummed in the back of his throat as he pulled her closer to him. "A gift you love. I must learn what this is so I might also give one to you."
"You already have, actually." Sarah slyly grinned as she teased, "And I'm pretty sure you will again someday. But for now, one is enough." She watched his eyes leave hers a moment, knowing in his head he was trying to figure out what this gift could be. To distract him, she sighed, "I have been so busy lately, I'm sorry I don't have an anniversary gift for you."
He leaned to kiss her forehead. "Every time we are together is a gift. Shall we?"
Sarah placed her hand into his outstretched one, not sure what he had in mind. Then, he pulled her close to him and began to sway, dancing only to the music of their breathing. She wondered why he had chosen the ballroom as the setting and yet had them wear the garments of their nuptials. He caught her appraising their apparel as her free hand played with the patterns on his vest.
"We never did have our first dance as husband and wife." He grinned as he stepped into her, causing her to follow his lead.
"But this isn't our wedding anniversary." She voiced, though seamlessly moving with him.
"Does that matter? I hope you don't mind, but I find this to be the more important occasion." He stated.
Sarah nodded astutely, "Right. It is much more important to celebrate the day we met."
She couldn't help but to smile at him as he began to waltz her around the room. There was no music, so after a moment, Sarah started to hum the tune she frequently sang to her daughter, the song that Jareth had given her seven years ago in this very room.
Jareth let her lead the song, his eyes gleaming with pride that she had remembered it after so many years.
When she finished, he softly kissed her lips, then said, "As the world falls down, Precious. I would do anything for you."
She cupped his cheek. "And I for you. I wish I could come to you."
He removed her hand from him so he could place his lips on her throat. Sarah was conflicted with how good he was making her feel and the warning screaming in the back of her mind. It was their first dream in over a month and she didn't know how to not let Jareth be intimate with her. She couldn't be physical so soon after giving birth. It had only been three days and her doctor said it could be three months before her body would be able to join with her husband again. But Jareth surprised her when after a moment of giving devote attention to her lips, he resumed their waltz. She was relieved that all he seemed to want this dreaming was to dance and hold her close.
A brief, keening sound echoed in the air around them, causing them to still their movements. Jareth abruptly looked to the ceiling in alarm and clutched Sarah to him as if to protect her from this unseen threat.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
A beaming grin graced Sarah's face, and she said eagerly, "You can hear it?"
"How could I not? That was piercing."
Sarah laughed, "When I first heard it, it scared me too. Oh, I can't wait for you to…" The words were stolen from her again, causing her to whisper a sigh, "It will happen someday."
"It sounded like a…" A puzzled expression came over Jareth's face. "Why can I not speak what I desire?"
Sarah chuckled in relief, "So it's not just me. I have been censored a lot lately. It's been rather annoying not to talk to you about what I want."
Jareth raised a hand to squeeze her shoulder. "I'm sorry I have not noticed."
The sound pierced the air again and Sarah clasped a hand to her breast as she gasped out with a surprised giggle. "They warned me this could happen."
"Are you being harmed?" Jareth's tone was very serious.
"No, I'm fine. But I must wake up." She rose on her toes and held his face with gentle hands as she blessed him with a deep, lingering kiss. She then pulled back and gazed into his bewildered eyes, wishing she could explain why she had to leave. "I love you, Jareth Tyton. Happy Anniversary."
Sarah sleepily blinked herself awake as she heard the cry of her newborn daughter and felt wetness on the front of her chest. The nurses had warned her that her breasts could leak milk at the sound of her baby's cry. Luckily, Karen had given her pads to place in her bra for such an instance. Sarah was appreciative of such little things; she didn't have the energy to change clothes or do laundry.
Sarah rose from her bed to take Mari out of the bassinet, all the while unbuttoning the clasps on her bra and maternity shirt to let Mari nurse. She took the child into her arms and grabbed a nursing pillow before she settled into the rocking chair. She made sure to properly position Mari's head, then made sure she properly latched. Sarah was glad she had taken Karen's advice in placing a pillow on her lap for the baby to lay on while nursing. The baby might weigh only eight pounds, but after a few minutes that weight could get very uncomfortable with no support.
While she rocked, Sarah's mind drifted to how handsome her husband looked during their dance, and as she mused, she wondered if she could return to the dream like Jareth had done in the past. Or, if she was able to return, would Jareth even be there or would he have woken already? Sadly, although exhaustion did lull her back to sleep, she never did return to the dream.
An empty stomach woke Sarah as she lay on her bed. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand which showed it was 5:13am. A slight raise of her head to the bassinet confirmed the baby was solidly sleeping. Maybe, just maybe, if she hurried down to the kitchen for a ham and cheese sandwich she could make it back before Mari needed her. Or before Karen intercepted her and started babbling on with advice on how to raise children. The woman thought she was God's gift to Sarah because she herself had given birth just ten months earlier. But as this was Karen's house, Sarah knew she couldn't avoid her. Every time she stepped foot out of her room, Karen was there being overly helpful. It wasn't that Sarah wasn't grateful, but she just wanted some space and time to figure things out on her own.
Luck was on her side, and Sarah thankfully made it back to her room with the sandwich and a full bag of Funion Rings without alerting the household.
It confused Sarah as to why she was more hungry now that the baby had been born, so at 10am Friday morning, while she took Mari for her first wellness check-up on her fifth day of life, Sarah spoke of her concerns with the doctor. Mari was just as she should be, but Sarah was still experiencing pains and bleeding heavily. The doctor assured her it wasn't so uncommon as to cause worry just yet. Also, it turns out her body was producing an ample amount of milk for her baby, so much so that the doctor recommended Sarah use a breast pump to alleviate any excess which could cause discomfort and possible infection. The physician also suggested she could freeze her milk and donate it for mothers less fortunate. The idea both intrigued and disturbed Sarah; it was difficult to envision a child not her own consuming her milk.
The doctor also gave her a list of foods to eat to ensure her milk was as nutritious as possible. Sarah looked at the food list with disgust; again all she craved were salty, fatty things. Sarah confessed that every moment Mari slept, she found herself eating. The doctor assured her she wasn't the only mother experiencing cravings postpartum, but she would have to be mindful about eating healthier options. Of this, Sarah mentally grumbled.
Personal care was something of which Sarah also found she had to be mindful. It was hard to find time to care for herself. Once a day, she let Karen keep an eye on Mari while she made sure to fit in a shower. Of course, she was grateful Karen was there to lend a hand, but Sarah didn't want to rely on the woman's help. She had no intention of staying in her father's house forever.
But if every day was going to be like the first few days of Mari's life, Sarah didn't know how she'd survive on her own. The days blended together in a cycle of eating, sleeping, and changing dirty diapers. She felt so unproductive because all her time not taking care of the baby was spent eating and sleeping. And she didn't even get more than three hours sleep at a time before Mari started fussing from either needing a diaper change or being ready for her next feeding. Sarah joked to herself that all she was good for during the next few months was being a cow. It was her own choice after all; she had read enough articles and talked with her doctor to know breast milk was beneficial for the baby's immune system. She just wished somehow her breasts could be yanked off her body and still work without her.
It seemed like every time Sarah nursed her baby, she found herself falling asleep. It was quite irritating. She had thought that since feedings could take half an hour, she would use that time to read one of the books Jareth gave her to learn about the life of a monarch Underground, but she fell asleep after two paragraphs the first time she tried. And the second, and the eighth. At that rate, it would take her a whole month to finish one chapter. She hated feeling constantly exhausted, which was worse than always being hungry.
But then Sarah would gaze at her daughter and would remember what a treasure she was; her little miracle. Mari's skin was so soft, and her eyes so alert as she gazed up at Sarah while she suckled. Her tiny hand rested on Sarah's breast, her little fingers grabbing at her mommy to keep her close. In these moments, Sarah found all her problems petty trifles; it was all worth it to keep her little princess safe and healthy.
Finding himself dreaming with Sarah a second night in a row was a happy surprise for Jareth. That they dreamed on their anniversary was expectantly anticipated; but having another night with her so soon, this he would not take for granted. Being with her would be a great relief of tension after his long day in the waking world.
It had been another trying day of running the kingdom and appeasing the pestering needs of his allies. That morning, the monarchs of the Elven Kingdom inquired about the security measures he had in place for the items in the vault. It was a chore convincing them that all was well and that every possible defence and precaution were in place to keep the contents of the vault protected. He had to literally show them step-by-step the protocols he had in place, as much as was needed without giving away all the methods. The ordeal took him four grueling hours. Dreaming with Sarah was a welcomed distraction. Except, he found her asleep in his study.
Books surrounded her; specifically the books he had given her of the history of the Underground and etiquette required for those of royal station. He found it slightly odd that something no longer in his possession Underground could be there in the dream. However, finding she was taking time to learn more about her role as queen pleased him. A large volume lay across her torso, her thumb holding her progress in place. Sarah looked rather uncomfortable with her head hanging to the side, so he gathered her into his arms, book included, and carried her to their bed.
The lighting in their bed chambers was dimmed, as if the Labyrinth knew already what Sarah needed. Half of the dreams the last two years had been in this room, on this bed; it was as much hers as his. Having no magic of his own within the dream, Jareth struggled a moment to pull the covers up and over Sarah and nearly pulled the sheet over the book she was holding too, but he noticed it just in time. He placed the book upon the nightstand and finished tucking her in. He sat beside her on the bed and couldn't help but to gaze at his sleeping wife. He placed his gloves on the stand as well, wanting to feel her with his own skin. He brushed his fingers down her arm; it didn't wake her. Then, he placed a kiss on her brow. Nothing. Her lips. Still, she did not stir.
He lowered himself to lay on his side beside her above the sheets, watching her eyes flutter beneath their lids and the occasional furrowing of her brow or twitching of her lips. Was she dreaming within their dream?
He ached to speak with her again. For her to be so exhausted as to not awaken during his moving her, she had to have spent a significant amount of time studying how to rule the kingdom. She looked overly fatigued, dark circles shaded the skin around her eyes and her complexion was flushed. It was agonizing that his magic would not work in this dream facade of his home. With a touch, he could ease her pain. What good was magic if he couldn't wield it?
Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like had his father not wished him away. Because of Sarah's inquiry months earlier about the date of his birth, he had started to visit his mother and the automaton of his father more frequently. Watching his mother's happiness with the forged doppelganger containing the soul of his father made him curious to what their lives could have been had his father not made the wish. He had seen the remnants of the crystal the Owl King had shown his mother. In it, he saw how their lives would have been had Albert Tyton died at sea. He could not imagine doing what the crystals revealed, but they showed him leaving his mother behind in squalor while his paternal grandfather groomed him to be an emotionless, haughty aristocrat.
Unable to accept such a bleak existence, with his magic, he looked into the past to see what life might have been had his parents stayed together and ridden out the tides of war. What appeared was much more favorable. They would have lived in comfort, even if not in the luxury his father would have liked. Albert would have learned that happiness did not come from possessions and parties but in good relationships. Albert and Maria would have had another child, a second son. And Jareth would have married the daughter of a well-off merchant who would have given him many children. He would have been content.
Yet, the life he had now was the one he wanted, the life that Fate had granted him. It was a sad love, his life with Sarah. The dreams weren't enough. The dreams that taunted him: Go ahead, have your wife for a few hours here and there. Never to really hold her. Never to really feel her. Try as he might, he still hadn't found a way to bring her home without her stating the words, "I wish…"
He screamed Sarah's infamous phrase in his mind: It's not fair!
So he gazed upon her as she slept, helpless as to what else to do.
That damnable keening noise that had pulled her from him in their previous dream began to resound again. Thoughts tickled in the back of his mind on what the noise sounded like, but he could never focus enough to grasp it. It felt familiar, like it should be something he should know, but with it ringing in his ears, all ability to concentrate faded. That is, until he saw two green eyes staring at him sleepily. Seeing her looking at him honed his focus into acute attention.
"Sarah." He whispered her name as he moved his body closer to her and raised his hand to cup her cheek. She instinctively nuzzled into his palm.
"Jareth." His name escaped as a sigh from her lips before she whined quietly, a hint of sad resignation in her tone, "I need you. I'm so tired."
"How can I help you?" His voice was more urgent than intended as he stroked his thumb along her cheek.
She exhaled, her eyes taking long blinks as she absently laughed, moving her hand to her chest. "It would be nice to take turns. I'm feeding her often, but I'm still so full. I might have to start using a pump tomorrow."
He stroked his thumb along her skin, "Precious, you're speaking in riddles. I don't understand."
The distorted noise sounded loudly again and Sarah sighed. She cupped her hand over his before closing her eyes again. "I'm sorry. I have to go."
Jareth felt helpless as he watched her fade away. He remained in the dream a bit longer; no need to rush his waking as he was laying in his own bed dreaming or awake, either way. All he could do, as his mind drifted, was wonder what could possibly be going on in Sarah's life that eluded him so thoroughly.
During one of the bonding moments while lazily swaying in the rocking chair the morning of Mari's sixth day of life, Sarah was startled awake by a knock on her bedroom door. Karen opened it before she could give a response.
"Sarah, honey, you have a visitor." Karen said cheerfully as she led the person in.
Instead of being annoyed, Sarah was overjoyed and a sense of relief washed over her. "Oh Cass, you're back!"
When Sarah moved to stop Mari from nursing and tried to rise out of the rocking chair, Cassie indicated for her to sit back down. "Don't get up on my account. I can see her just as well with you being comfortable."
Sarah saw that Karen quietly left the room so they could talk. The lighting in the room was still dim, the sun not yet risen and the early hour was confirmed when Sarah glanced across the room to the alarm clock. "Cassie, it's barely 7am. You drove all the way here this morning?"
"Heck no. We stayed the night at my mom's. There is no way I am doing a three hour drive this early in the morning." Cassie came to stand over Sarah, adding, "I brought your car. Ryan followed me in his pick-up. I put the keys in your purse downstairs. I called yesterday and talked to your dad to make sure it was okay to bring your car over. You were sleeping."
An unavoidable yawn came from Sarah and she lazily said, "I get to sleep?"
Cassie grinned, yet she furrowed her brows in empathy. "Karen said you've had a rough time."
"I'm feeling better. The important thing is this little lady is doing just fine." Sarah said, stroking a gentle finger against Mari's plump cheek.
Cassie got down on her knees to be closer to the baby. "Oh my, look at all that red hair! I think I'm jealous."
Sarah laughed, then asked, "How was the honeymoon?"
"Amazing, and somewhat sad at the same time." Cassie answered, a concerned look clouding her eyes.
"Sad, how?"
"Number one, I missed this girl's entry into the world," She leaned over to place a gentle hand on the crown of Mari's head. "But also sad because Ryan and I went on a tour in Nassau and when it was over, the driver of our van took us down the streets of where he actually lived, away from what the tourists see in the port. They have dirt roads and no running water. It shook me; all the money coming in from tourism doesn't actually reach the people serving them. It is hard to understand. It made me question what is really necessary to live a full, meaningful life."
"That is sad." Sarah agreed, "But there had to have been some good things about your honeymoon."
"Well, yeah...but I don't know much about the cruise ship itself other than the food was good." Cassie's face reddened as she confessed, "We didn't leave our room very much. But Disney World was really neat. Epcot surprisingly makes learning about science and different cultures fun. Plus, it's like drinking around the world without the mileage. Ryan got a little drunk trying all the different wines."
Sarah laughed, "That would have been hilarious to see."
Cassie sat herself on the floor in front of Sarah, then held out a plastic bag with the Disney logo, "I'll trade you."
Sarah smiled and nodded, removing Mari from her breast and snapping her bra back in place, "You're giving me practice on how to make myself presentable. Other than going to the doctor yesterday, I haven't left the house since getting home from the hospital. It's really annoying to have to adjust your boobs all the time. I now know why so many cultural documentaries show women with their boobs hanging out and a child at their hip; Mari seems to be feeding constantly."
Once they exchanged their bundles, Sarah watched as Cassie looked her daughter over. There was something about Mari that brought a glow to all who came into her presence, and Cassie was no exception.
Cassie moved to cradle Mari and smiled softly, "She is beautiful. I thought you were going to name her Maria, after Jareth's mom."
"Maria is on her birth certificate, but Mari just feels right. I felt it the moment I first held her. Could you burp her?" Sarah asked as her fingers worked to open her gift. She glanced up and laughed at the stricken fear that crossed her friend's face. "If you pat her back while holding her head over your shoulder, you'll work the bubbles out."
Almost as soon as Cassie started, a loud belch was released by the baby, causing her to look at Sarah with concern. "She isn't part goblin, is she?"
Sarah chuckled, "Of course not. Jareth is completely human...well, he was born human. Don't know what having magic makes him."
"Well, go on, open it." Cassie raised her eyes to Sarah and indicated the gift bag with a nod of her head. "I know Jareth isn't here and may never even see it...and I don't want it to hurt you since he may never see her...It's just the only thing I could find with 'princess' on it."
Sarah sniffled and eyes brightened as she gazed on the pink onesie with a crown and the words 'Daddy's Little Princess' embroidered on the front. "No, it's perfect. Thank you."
"Well, I had better get going." Cassie said as she lifted Mari up for Sarah to take.
Sarah placed the onesie on her lap and claimed her daughter back with a scowl on her brow. "You're leaving? You've not even been here ten minutes."
"Ryan's waiting. His brother wants us at the booth by 9."
Sarah glanced at her alarm clock, shocked to find it was only 7:26am. Something tickled at the back of her mind, like there was something she had to do….and then the hand not holding her daughter absently went to grasp something at her throat that gave her comfort in moments of uncertainty, yet it wasn't there. It hadn't been there for over a month and now lay broken on the vanity.
"Is this the last weekend of the Faire?" Sarah asked, her voice a pitch higher.
"Yeah, that's why we're going. Last weekend's usually the busiest and they are short handed today."
Sarah moved to stand up and offered Mari to Cassie, "We're coming with you. I need to get to the faire. Give me twenty minutes."
Cassie only took Mari because Sarah gave her no choice. "Sarah, you can't take the baby out in public this young."
Sarah snatched the necklace off the vanity and swung it in Cassie's face. Her voice wavered with emotion, "Karen broke this, Cass. Without it, I can never leave here. I will never be able to dream with Jareth anywhere unless I am in this room, and I can't live here forever. I don't want to live here forever." The desperation in her tone was heartbreaking. "I need to get this fixed. I have to."
Cassie nodded in understanding. "I'll take you, but Mari can stay here with Karen."
"No. Where I go, she goes."
Hearing the resolute nature of Sarah's voice, Cassie didn't argue but just sighed. She knew the importance of the mirror pendant and would not refuse Sarah this. "I can change Mari while you gather your things."
AN2: The title of this chapter came to me because I'm like "Come on Jareth, put 2 and 2 together." The answer to the problem he is wanting to solve is eluding him. Let me just say, the entire beginning of this chapter didn't exist before Valentines Day. Jareth's point of view kind of came out of left field, it was so unexpected. But I'm glad it is here.
