Sarah left the underground,even after the insistence of staying for her to recover from her injuries. Jareth was not happy with her leaving. As soon as she arrived, Sarah began listening to her messages, and decided on whom to call first.
The phone rang twice before he answered. "Hello, pumpkin. Where have you been?" Sarah smiled as she heard her dad's voice. "I have been busy, and just got back into town. I just flew in today." She laughed at her own inside joke. "Well, you might want to get a hold of your mother, she has been trying to get a hold of you. Also, Toby has been trying to get a hold of you. I will tell them you just got in, and will call her tomorrow first thing." Sarah snorted in response. "First thing, young lady, you know how persistent she can be, and I can't hold her off that long." She agreed, and they spoke for a few more minutes.
Even though there were a few calls from Jasmine, she did not leave a message. What was Sarah to do about her? She believed her friend to be innocent in the matter, but couldn't help but feel betrayed. And she didn't even want to get into thinking that Puck of all people, was interested in her romantically. The pervert had the nerve to suggest that even fae royalty could take on a lover, so they chose. As if! He even suggested being her first. She hadn't even slept with the Goblin King, much less was ready for a paramour. Although she even had to admit herself, the man had the guts to ask openly in front of Jareth and his mother. Had it not been for that incident with Lady Leahnor, she would have outright refused.
With a sigh, she made her next phone call. "Hello, stranger." She said bashfully. "Me? Stranger? I have been trying to get a hold of you. You do not know what has been going on do you?" Stephen said. "Karen is working overtime on this Thanksgiving thing. Do you know she has called me everyday, convinced that your little vacation has been spent with me?" Sarah was shocked about that, but not sure if it would work to their advantage or not. "Look, it has been a rough week for me, and trust me when I say Karen will be dealt with. This could work very well to our advantage. Also, I just wanted to say thanks for covering for me. I know I do owe you an explanation, and one day I will give you one. Please don't ask me about it for now." Sarah heard him sigh, but he agreed. "I understand you are a very private person, and I hope one day that I can gain your trust with all your secrets, whatever they may be." With that Sarah smiled. "Thanks. So. Operation Kill Karen. What time does your flight come in tomorrow?"
After talking on the phone with him for more than an hour, who's counting? They finally said their goodbyes. Stephen would be arriving at Casa De Sarah promptly at three thirty p.m.. Thanksgiving would be in two days. Finally she went to bed, having her first night's sleep in ages.
The next morning, Sarah woke to the sound of her alarm blaring, and felt very refreshed. Her body still ached, and bandages needed to be changed. Her shower was quick, but notice using glamour was causing a slight headache. She went to work, only for half a day. Lunch was a catered affair not far from work with her coworkers. After making calls, doing a few background checks, she finally called it a morning. Stephen's plane landed at three thirty, but he would not arrive at her house until a little past five. Sarah stopped off to pick up food for them to eat, not wanting to give him 'magicked' food.. Fake relationship or not, Karen would have a heart attack if she knew Sarah didn't provide food for a house-guest. She had hoped to get to know him, have some kind of normalcy in her life. This past week had left her emotionally and physically drained.
Jareth was one of her biggest obstacles in life, as twistedly beautiful as the labyrinth he surrounded himself with. Queen of the Goblins indeed. She shook her head and began setting the table to have everything ready for her guest. Sarah had always been strict about certain things., a code you could say. One, she never dated co-workers, never dated anyone who was a former fling of a friend or family member, and three she never had a potential suitor know where she lived. It was too much drama on the first, the second was just a no-no, but all in all it boiled down to unwanted drama.
There was a knock at the door, with her waiting for the second round of knocks before she answered. Stephen had a shy nervous smile, and she did as well. They greeted each other with an awkward hug, and peck on the cheek. "Come in," she said. "Make yourself at home." He smiled, following her into a guest room. "Wow! You have a beautiful home.." He said. "House." She replied quietly. He ignored her comment, semi-understanding. "This will be your room, I know we agreed to one: Give this a shot, and 2. Get even with Karen in the process, but I am not ready for a umm ..." Sarah didn't know why she felt nervous. Stephen set down his suitcase, and walked up to her. He took her hands in his, and kissed the palms of them. "Trust me, we are on the same page. I wasn't lying when I said I was interested in you. So, um, I saw food on the table." She smiled, releasing only one of his hands, and went to the dining room.
"I hope you are hungry." She said, "Very much so." He replied. They sat down, and began their meal quietly. "So, tell me again, how is this great plan of yours going to get one over on Karen?" Sarah smiled, very eerily. "Well, you have to understand, Karen and I have had a rough relationship. She married Daddy after we went through a very rough divorce from my mother. I say we, because she didn't just abandon him, but me as well." Stephen looked at her in shock. "Wow. I don't know what to say to that. Your father only mentioned briefly being married before, but never in depth." Sarah just nodded. "Yes. It was very hard on us both. It just seemed so unfair. Both he and I were having a hard time adjusting, and someone advised my dad that maybe we both could benefit from therapy. He was against it for himself, but knew that if he didn't go neither would I. So, he set up an appointment, and low and behold Karen. " He looked up at her in shock.
"Isn't that considered unethical?" He asked. Again, she smiled as she took a bite of food. She nodded. "The secret life of Robert Williams, yes. He prefers to ignore certain things. It didn't happen overnight, you have to understand I was always in my own little world. My mother became a young actress, but when she had me she left the acting world. I remember hearing the stories about her acting days, struggling to get to the top. Well, what she considered the top. She was mostly in theatres and Broadway plays. Never was she a main character, but she held her own." She took a drink and sat quiet for a moment. "She wanted me to follow her footsteps. She would take me with her when I was old enough for her to go back to work. My father wasn't happy about that. From what my grandmother has told me, he got her pregnant on purpose. I went to ballet school, gymnastics...you name it. My mother wanted me to have an edge over anyone else. So, when they divorced, I had immersed myself in acting, practicing for roles in school plays. I even auditioned for a few t.v. commercials."
They both sat, Stephen patiently waiting for Sarah to talk about old wounds. "I took it a bit too far." She smiles weakly. "So my father began talking to Karen outside the office, and they started going out on dates. I remember when he announced they were to get married. My father sprang it on me the day they were heading to the courthouse. You would think a shrink would know how doing something like that would be dangerous to a teenager's mental health." Stephen stood up, and took a seat next to her. He reached for her hand, but remained quiet. "I later found out that Karen was a month and a half pregnant, and that her job caught wind of the whole affair. Her former employer told her to quit quietly or she would be fired, and possibly never practice again. So, she quit work with the pretense that her pregnancy was too much to keep up with the clients."
"I love my brother now, but then it was horrible. Again, later I found out they had discussed the best route of getting me to stop being so hateful towards him, was by having me babysit him." She laughed at the memory. "I am sure that worked." Stephen finally commented, both smiling. "No. Not really. They began to have date nights, leaving me to babysit. Plus at the same time she was trying to be the big sister. She started trying to give me makeup advice, wanted me to dye my hair blonde, and started asking me about boys. She set me up on so many dates in high school. And all throughout college."
"How did I become the lucky one?" She smiled, gently squeezing his hand. "How many dates did she set you up on? I have to hear this." Sarah laughs, patting him on the arm. "Now way! They were horrible. None of them had one ounce of your charm." He smiled. "I've been set up on and off since my wife passed, and it is tiring. I can not imagine being set up for the amount of time you have been. I can see your reason for revenge." She nodded. "Yes, but I really don't want her to know that her plans may have worked with you. She would never let me hear the end of it."
Again he smiled, and began helping her clear the mess. He began washing the dishes they used, and she began to dry. "We eventually came to see eye to eye with each other. Mind you she can be the wicked witch of the west. Daddy is always Team Karen, even when he knows she is wrong. But for Toby's sake, I began to ease up, then I realized that one day I would be out of the house, and would have my own say. That helped some. Now, she is just the mom that I wish my own mother could have been, even with all Karen's faults. She is a great mother, and I am glad Daddy thought with the wrong head for once." She said, now feeling lighter than she ever had before.
After washing and drying the dishes, plus picking up the broken plate Stephen accidentally dropped, they decided to drive around. They both bundled up, the snow had begun to fall lightly at first. They both decided on going to the mall, walking around holding hands. Lucky for Sarah, she went to the mall that was an hour opposite of their usual mall. They talked and laughed, shared stories and stole kisses. It was wonderful to pretend this could all be real.
Later that night, both of them agreed on making dinner, instead of going out. He was a wonderful 'assistant chief'. Stephen might have disagreed, and called Sarah the assistant, since he basically cooked everything. They sat and enjoyed their dinner, laughing quietly. "So, my plan is this. We tell them that we have been living together this past week, neither of them will get the wedding I deserve, and you get to enjoy the roller coaster." Stephen almost choked on a mouthful of wine. "I think I should get better than that. I mean, Robert will forgive his only daughter. I am just one of many partners, and easily disposable." Sarah laughed. "Don't worry, I will defend your honor." She smiled at him.
It was easy for Sarah to be with him, making it seem if she didn't have another secret life that this would have been the path meant for her. They both sat, watching a movie, one of his favorites, Legend. It always made Sarah cry, she didn't know why. "This has to be my all time favorite Tom Cruise movie." She whispered into his ear. "As a man, I know I am supposed to say Top Gun or Mission Impossible, but I agree with you."
It was almost midnight when they decided to call it a night. They stood in the living room, kissing lightly in the dark. Every so often a car would pass by, shining brightly on them. "Maybe we should call it a night." Stephen held her hands close to his chest, kissing them lightly before wishing her a good night. "Good night Stephen." Sarah said before going upstairs to bed. He watched her go up, whispering a good night to her before heading to bed.
Thanksgiving Day
The phone rang and rang. Sarah did not want to answer. She let it ring, trying to sleep in. Finally at 7 am she went through her voicemail.
1st call: Sarah, it's your mother, Karen! You still have not called me. I need you to be here at 2 p.m., we will start dinner at 5 p.m., and I need you here to help me greet the guests. Don't forget to bring your pie. You are not fooling anyone, I know it is store bought. Forget about burning it to make it look authentic. You may have your father fooled, but not me. Call me.
2nd call: Sarah, it's Toby. I haven't heard from you in a while. What's going on? I know something is up, but none of your 'friends' are talking. I hope you are ok. By the way, I can't wait to see what pie you bring this year. You are bringing the pie right? Let's just say, stick to what you know. The freezer aisle." He hung up with laughter.
3rd Call: Sarah! Call your mother! This is your father calling. Yes, I am calling her now, Karen. Yes, I was just about to ask her to pick up Aunt Agnes from the train station. No dear. Yes. Yes. Of course, tell Sarah not to burn the pie, and dress presentable. Well Karen, I am leaving her a message now….Beep!
4th call: I am sure you heard most of that, Aunt Agnes gets off the train station at 1pm, you can bring her straight here, she can rest for a while after her long ride in your old bedroom. Don't burn the pie, dress nice.
5th call: Sarah, it's Carla. Um, Toby invited me to your family's Thanksgiving. My folks were actually cool about it, but I was hoping you could give me a ride instead of Toby picking me up. Um, plus it would be great if I got to talk to you. I really need a little bit of advice. Um…so if you could pick me up early, that would be great. Oh! Also, I don't want to go empty handed, any advice on what I should take? Call me, please. Um…thanks. Bye.
Well, that wasn't suspicious at all. Sarah could already hear her houseguest making noise downstairs. She decided to get up and get ready. She showered and fixed herself up, making sure her glamour was set in place. Before heading downstairs, she made sure her door was locked shut. She walked up to her mirror, and called Hoggle. He answered almost immediately. "Hoggle. How are you?" He was slightly bandaged up, nothing worse for the wear, his arm in a brace to help heal his broken bone. "Oh, well, you know. Nothing your famous pie won't cure." He looked at her bashfully.
She smiled at him. "I will bring you a whole pie, my valiant hero!" Now Hoggle blushed. "Garsh, it was nothing, little lady." They both knew it wasn't nothing. If it wasn't for Hoggle pushing Sarah out of the way, and taking the worst end of the blast, she might not have been here. "Humble as well, Sir Hoggle." She smiled as he blushed harder. "I just wanted to check in. Also, I have a house guest, so if you need me, you must be discreet in calling me." He nodded.
Neither one of them wanted to speak too much, as anyone could be listening, "He is ok. In case you are wondering." Hoggle said, waiting for her response. "That's good. I suppose the spell has worn off by now? Is he stable?" She asked, not elaborating anymore. "Yes, the worst is over, but Loki is keeping his healers at the castle in case there are any relapses." She nodded. "Well, I shall call on you soon." Hoggle faded out of the mirror, leaving Sarah to look at her reflection.
Sarah sat, looking at her reflection, and realized she needed to alter her image a little. She smiled and concentrated on certain areas of her face, adding small lines here and there. Nothing that would look dramatic, but a few smile lines around the mouth and face. She just wanted enough to show that she was indeed aging, rather gracefully and not in a freakish manner.
She began making other calls, "Yes, Toby." She said, making her way down the stairs. She went straight to the kitchen where Stephen stood shirtless, handing her a cup of coffee. Now that was magical! She took the coffee, giving him a good morning peck on the lips. She mouthed a thank you, and took a sip. She moaned into her cup, forgetting who was on the phone. "Geeze! Sarah! If you got company just say so. No need to be vulgar about it." Sarah began choking on the phone, coffee shooting out of her nose in a rather undignified manner.
"Sarah, are you okay?!" Stephen yelled, patting her on her back. "Grody! I was just kidding! Call me back later!" With that Toby hung up, leaving Sarah gasping for any bit of air possible. Stephen grabbed a rag, cleaning her up as much as possible. Once Sarah composed herself, she began cleaning up her mess. "That was Toby." Realization soon hit Stephen. "Don't worry, he doesn't know it's you." Again Sarah could feel herself regretting running the labyrinth. Should have let the rat turn him into a goblin. He would be less of a nuisance, and more helpful. Sarah thought.
"A what? A goblin? What's that?" Stephen asked, handing her a fresh cup of coffee. "Damn Aunt Agnes, she isn't here yet, and I have already started." Stephen smiled at her in confusion. "I'm going to have to meet this Aunt Agnes some day." He said. "Only when you put your shirt on, and get ready. We have errands to run, one of them being picking up dear Aunt Agnes from the train station." She said with a smile, walking away with coffee in hand, with the phone up to her ear.
The phone rang twice before Toby answered again. "UH!" He groaned. "Look you little changeling hobgoblin! First of all you will not repeat anything and I do mean ANYTHING you heard this morning. Second of all when you called, I was taking my first sip of coffee. It was moist and delicious! Third, Third? No, I am not alone. And your comment made the hot steamy coffee shoot up my nostril. It burns Tobias! I have 2nd degree burns in both my nostrils! How am I supposed to find a boyfriend much less a husband when I am shooting coffee from my nose all over him!"
Toby was quiet over the phone. "Sorry. You're right, I got an image in my head on repeat, and it ain't pretty. Either way, did you get the message about Aunt Agnes? Mom wanted me to double check, and I also wanted to double check about Carla. If it is not too much." He asked. "Yes, I was going to call her. Tell Karen and dad I will be there at two, pie in hand, and Aunt Agnes dragging behind." With that they hung up.
Next she called Carla, confirming what she told Toby. She planned on picking her up. She planned to take Carla to the store, telling her that she should just tell Toby that Sarah passed her pie recipe to her. She could make her own. "Just transfer the pie to your own pie pan. Let the edges brown a little, but don't burn it. You can't use my exact recipe. He won't believe you made it."
With that settled, she went back to Stephen to enjoy taking a peek at him putting his shirt on, fresh out of the shower. She loved how he left a little bit of stubble on his face. He took her in his arms, and began to slow dance with her. "This is nice." He said, and she couldn't have agreed more. After eating breakfast, they decided to go pick up Carla.
Carla was very surprised to see Stephen, blushing very badly, not knowing what to say. "Hello!" Was all that was said. She was even more surprised that someone other than Sarah was driving Sarah's baby. Stephen blushed in return, but just waved. Sarah remained silent. "We can talk in a minute. Stephen, do you mind?" She asked as he parked. "Not at all. I'll go ahead and see if there is anything I can pick up to take. It seems like we will be needing alot of wine tonight." He reached over, and gave her a full kiss on the mouth, leaving Sarah and himself breathless. "Hmmm." Sarah said. "Hurry back."
Carla's mouth was wide open, with Sarah laughing in her hand. "Chin up, Carla. You wanted to talk?" Carla seemed at loss for words. "You cannot! CAN NOT drop that bombshell on me…" Carla began, gasping for air like a fish on dry land. "Carla! Focus!" Carla took a deep breath. "Sarah." She said, tears running from her face. "I did something bad!" Tears began streaming from her face. "Sweetie, I am here. Tell me what's wrong, and we will figure something out." Carla sniffled, tears still coming down. "Sarah, I am pregnant. I figure it was the night we went to your party, it was the only time. It was beautiful, but that had been the only chance we had. My parents won't let me be out with him too long." Sarah would kill him!
For now, she will remain calm. Rapid fire questions began, as Sarah became clinical in all her questions. She was a professional after all.
"Are you sure?" Sarah asked. "Yes. I have taken three different tests, and made a trip to a clinic and they also confirmed. I have the ultrasound." She showed Sarah the picture. "Do you know your options?" Sarah asked. "You do have options, and no one ever has to know, if that is what you decide." Carla nodded. "I don't know what to do. I love Toby, but I am too young." Sarah took a deep breath, taking a toll on what was to come out of her mouth next. "First of all, thank you for trusting me. You could have kept this all to yourself, or told someone else." Carla nodded. "Toby always told me, that you always gave the best advice, that you never let him down." Sarah felt a twinge of regret hearing that, knowing that at one point in their sibling relationship, she did let him down.
Now was not the time for that. "Are you going to tell him?" She asked. Carla shook her head no. "Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first. My mother is going to kill me." She began crying harder. "No. She won't. Carla, your mother will be hurt, or upset. She might even shout and call you names, not that I am saying that is ok, but it is rather shocking news. You and Toby are too young, you have your whole lives to have children. I blame myself for covering for you two that night. Of all the nights. Did you use protection?"
"He used a condom, and I recently have been taking the pill to help with my cycle." She slowly stopped crying, trying to recall if she had indeed taken her pill that day, or if she missed any days. "The condom did have a small tear in it, now that I think about it. He said it was no big deal since I was taking the pill." Sarah hadn't been prepared for that answer.
"Carla, if you decide to keep the baby or not, I am here for you. Just be sure that whatever you decide, make sure it is a choice you will be able to live with. If you need help, or information I can help you with that also. If you decide that giving the baby away for adoption is the best option, I can help set you up with a loving family." Carla shook her head no vigorously. "Toby would never let that happen." She said. " Sarah bit her lip, thinking before she spoke. "There are other options, non conventional options." Sarah kept staring at Carla, wondering how far this rabbit hole she would go. "Just think about what you want, your dreams." Sarah felt the pull of the Labyrinth, trying to entice the young girl before her. Offer her her dreams. The voice whispered to her. Sarah could almost taste a wish forming, and the hunger of the Labyrinth humming powerfully in her veins.
Sarah felt ashamed of herself, and quickly turned away from Carla. "Carla, take your time and think. Enjoy today, and we can talk more later." She turned to look at the girl, smiling in hopes to help her. "You don't have to make a decision just yet." Carla gave Sarah a big hug, and thanked her. "So, let's get that pie."
Once inside, they caught up with Stephen, who looked lost in the wine section. He didn't really know which to take, so he grabbed two different bottles. Sarah walked up to him, putting an arm around him. "You girls ok?" He asked, genuinely worried. "Yeah. A lot better actually." Carla said. Sarah stood on the tips of her toes, and gave him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth. Carla shook her head laughing. "This is so weird, it's like watching your parents make out."
Once in the car, Sarah turned to Carla. "Now Carla, we are on our way to pick up Great-Aunt Agnes. She is the best aunt anyone could ever hope for. To be honest, she might not even be blood related. Don't ask, she has been around forever, and she will be 98 this year. She claims to be hard of hearing, but I call it selective hearing." She laughed to herself. "She talks loudly 'to herself' but we just think she doesn't care who she offends anymore. If you don't want the joy and psychological trauma of meeting her yet, I suggest you let me drop you off at home with Toby. But if you want the joy and psychological trauma of meeting her, buckle up kiddo."
"Hey! What about me?" Stephen asked. "Too late." She responded laughing. Aunt Agnes was waiting for them at the station, mumbling about the youth of today having no respect or concept of time. Sarah went up to her practically screaming. "Great Aunt Agnes! Sorry to have kept you waiting!" The elder woman just patted Sarah on the hand, before giving her a hug. "Nonsense. The train arrived early dear. It couldn't be helped. Sarah rolled her eyes at her two companions. "And who is this here, Sarah?"
Stephen walked up to Sarah's aunt and took his hand out to shake hers. "Stephen, ma'am." Sarah smiled. "What did you say, dear. You have to forgive me, I am a little hard of hearing." Sarah sees Carla hide a smile. "This is Stephen! He is my boyfriend! He is going to spend the holiday with the family!" Aunt Agnes smiled with joy. "Here, let me take your bags." Aunt Agnes nodded, allowing him to take her belongings to Sarah's vehicle. "You have better taste than I gave you credit for." She told Sarah in a not so silent voice.
Once Stephen was far away enough, Sarah introduced Carla to Aunt Agnes. "This is Carla. Toby's girlfriend. She made pie for dessert." Great Aunt Agnes smiled. "That is so lovely dear, especially this younger generation that no longer cares to be part of traditional holidays. You know the type, they don't come to family gatherings, don't spend time with loved ones, always on the go business and making money first." Carla smiled and gave a shy thanks. "I hope you didn't go through too much trouble, especially in your condition." Both Sarah and Carla gasp for air. "But how?!" They both began.
"You didn't know?" Great Aunt Agnes asked with confusion written all over her face. "I just found out." Carla said. "Please don't say anything. I haven't even told Toby yet." Tears began forming in her eyes. "How did you know?" Sarah asked. "Dear, when you live as long as I have, you know the signs. Besides, when I found out I was expecting my first time, I had that same deer in headlights as this darling girl right here." She went up to Carla, and gave her a motherly hug. "Your secret is safe with me, and whatever you decide, know that you can always call on me. I might not hear the phone ring of course, so make sure you leave a detailed message."
They all took a deep breath. "I am surprised you are ok with all this." Carla asked. "Dear, I may be old fashioned, but I also know the difficult situation you are in. What's done is done. No need flogging a dead horse." They finally reached Stephen who opened the door for Aunt Agnes, the front door passenger. Because where else would she sit. This was going to be the best Thanksgiving Day ever!
I enjoyed this chapter so much. Especially writing how Karen isn't as innocent as she likes people to believe. Also, it might be why Robert is very team Karen. He was happy with her being pregnant and leaving her career 'for him.' That is the type of man I wanted to write him as, especially since Linda never wanted to give up her dreams. Since Linda is not in the movie, and only shown through photographs and news clippings, she might not be in this story. She might be mentioned, but nothing concrete about a surprise visit. As for Toby being a teen father, that is based on a close friend's brother. Sarah's reaction was for the sake of plot. Aunt Agnes is loosely based on Sophia from the golden girls and an aunt of mine who always talks to herself without even realizing it. Plus, I do know many women from the older generation who can spot a pregnant woman a mile away.
I wanted to post soon, since Thursday was when the last was to go out, so here is my apology post.
Please read and leave a review.
