No warnings are needed for this chapter.
I own nothing. I am writing this for shits 'n giggles.
~A Gaze Into The Metaphysical~
Looking through half a century's worth of newspaper columns is not easy work for only two pairs of eyes. Sarah made a large pot of coffee as she and Jareth started digging through to find answers to the many questions at hand: What are Montgomery and Michelina up to? Are they doing things that they shouldn't be doing? Are they responsible for the influx in human magic in the Fae realm? What exactly is going on?
It seemed like hours before the two decide to take a breather. Sarah sighs as she finishes another column about another successful night in the club. There is little to tell in these pictures and articles about the headlining cabaret club; nothing but record breaking audience numbers and all star casts. It's all squeaky clean. Jareth downs his umpteenth cup of room temperature coffee as he shoves his paper down to the floor in aggravation.
"This is pointless." Jareth's voice is calm, but his body is tense.
"I find it hard to believe that we can't find ANYTHING inside this five foot stack of crap." Sarah says as she drags another paper off the floor, not really reading it anymore.
"We need to go up there and take a look around." Jareth says as he stands to straighten the wrinkles out of his shirt.
"We're closed on Sundays." Sarah continues to stare into the paper at hand.
"Then we can break in." He scoffs.
"You think that's wise?" Sarah asks lowering her reading glasses down the bridge of her nose. "If you're in as much hot water you say that you're in, don't you think you'd like to be a tad more discreet with how often you shove your nose in their business?"
"I don't have the luxury of time like some of us do." His sass shows through his body language. "I need to find this information as soon as I can. I only have a few days."
"I understand, but you don't know how they work-"
"I'm bloody related to them-"
"Ssh-" Sarah pauses their raising voices as they both suddenly hear giggling from behind her chair. Their demeanor's change instantly recognizing child's laughter. They both inspect, peeping behind the chair to see that a fort has been built out of the discarded papers with a little girl alongside her favorite teddy bear.
"Crash!" Ellie can be seen popping out of the top and exploding her hard work. "Time to charge!" The little girl grabs her stuffed animal as she starts to march towards her bedroom.
"I didn't even know she was back there." Sarah says as she slowly turns back around. "She is usually coughing up a storm. Maybe she is finally getting better." Jareth can hear a sense of relief flooding Sarah's voice.
Before Ellie leaves the room, she stops to see a picture on the ground. "Whoa." Ellie's eyes grow wide at the picture that her foot touches. "Mama, mama!" Ellie jumps as she picks up the paper. "I found you!"
"You did, did you?" Sarah's eyes roll at the thought. She always hated being in the paper for this club. She takes the paper out of the child's hands to see which picture it is. She looks closer to the page, and before she knows it, all of her thoughts fall from her brain. She notices the image of a very familiar thin brunette on the star studded image of M's Orchid's stage, but it's not Sarah. Looking even closer, her heart drops a little as she takes the hardest look her eyes will let her. She wants to make sure this is the person she thinks it is.
"What?" Jareth knows she has found something.
"It's..." she faintly speaks, "it's not your mama, my love." She looks to her daughter with sentimental eyes. "It's... my mom." She slumps in her seat as her face changes through several emotions.
Ellie's eyes somehow grow larger with a gasp. "You have a mommy?" The idea completely blows the child's mind.
Sarah chuckles as she pulls the little girl in for a hug. "Everyone has a mommy, Ellie."
This causes some confusion inside of the little, almost, four year old. "Where is she?"
Sarah sighs at the memory of her mother. "My mommy lives in another country. She is an actress; a very famous one where she is." She looks towards Jareth. "My mom-" Sarah sort of smiles at her mother, "she was the reason why I found M's Orchid in the first place. She wrote about them." Her smile falls a bit. "She actually told me not to go there." Sarah lowers the paper down a little.
"And you did anyway." Jareth states.
She shakes her head in disappointment. "I was desperate, and this was where she found her start before moving to India. They do say to always listen to your parents." She starts to become sad. "Learn from me, Ellie. When I tell you not to do something, you need to listen."
"Yes mama," Ellie appeases her mother to wiggle away to play. Sarah loves to watch her play. It brings a sense of peace in her hectic life.
Jareth can see the tears that start to from and leans in to be a little quieter. "How long ago did she die?"
"What?" Sarah chuckles a bit. "No," she grins. "That parent is still alive." She stops herself as she realizes that she is about to open another wound. "She still writes to me, even though it's only once a year- at least I think she does."
"Does she know that you work at a business that she hates?"
"No," Sarah shakes her head, "I don't get to write back." She scratches her head at the thought. "She is only able to write to me. She travels a lot," she says with a shrug, "and she never has the same return address." Sarah doesn't seem happy with the circumstance. "I get a card for my birthday every year, but it's been a while since I have picked up any mail from my-waitaminute-" Sarah says as she leaps up from her chair, fingers gripping the paper at hand. She points to something in a picture behind the M's Orchid building. "Wait- look!" She points the paper towards Jareth's eyes.
"What?" He's having a hard time seeing with how tired his eyes have become.
"This building right here." She points to another establishment. "This is the little shop that sits next to the club."
"Okay..." He waits for her to finish her thought.
"Okay?" Sarah scoffs. "This building," she drops the paper and starts to rummage through the others that flood the living room floor. She finds a older paper and pulls it up, "look," she slaps the paper to show the same business next to the same club, "It's here, too." She points to the year of the paper as it shows the year 1976. "And-" she drops that paper and finds and even older one, "this here." She shows him the year of the paper. No one would have to see the year to notice how old these articles are. "This was in 1914!" Her excitement makes her body jittery. "Both of these buildings have been here for a LONG time. These photographers seem to like to like this angle of the club." She grins in satisfaction. "We can go up there and talk with them. They have GOT to know something about the club."
"What's a... meta... physical shop?" Jareth squints as he tries to read the name of the building.
Sarah tries to explain, "uh-well... It's a place for people who practice witchcraft, or people who believe in the pagan deities, rather than Christianity." Her eyes dart towards him. "It's basically people who believe in creatures like you." She says matter of factly.
He looks to her, not believing her. "There is a place for children next to a very adult club?"
"Children aren't the only ones that believe in beings like you. I mean look at me." Her grin is created out of irritation. "Rather I want to believe it or not, you're standing right in my living room. I don't have much of a choice in choosing to believe you exist or not."
"What do they sell?" Jareth has officially become intrigued.
"Well, let's go and find out." She spins to find her phone.
"Where are we going?" Ellie runs out as she hears them talking.
"Jareth and I are going to run a little errand."
"Can I come?" Ellie's eyes are big and hopeful.
Sarah enters mom mode. "I would love it if I could take you, but you are too sick to be going anywhere. I am calling Lynsey. She is going to come watch over you."
"But I feel good!" Ellie stomps her foot down. "I wanna go." Sarah does see that the color has come back into Ellie's cheeks.
"I know you're feeling better, and I am so glad!" Sarah hugs her child. "And we want to make sure you stay that way." She looks to Ellie with knowing eyes. "So you will not be going. You are going to stay and continue to rest."
"Hmph!" Ellie is close to an angry cry as she clutches Lancelot in her arms and pulls away from her mom. She runs away in anger, not wanting to cry in front of the man in the room.
"Well, she's good and mad at me." Sarah dismisses as she calls up her friend.
+x+x+x+
The two make-shift detectives enter into the lovely metaphysical shop by the name of The Broom Closet. Slowly pushing open the door, the two are overwhelmed by the smell of incense, as well as the sound of chimes hitting the glass door. Immediately upon entering, the space looks small and cramped as this business looks as though they shoved their entire inventory of random stuff in the main area. Jareth and Sarah slowly make their way all the way in as they see something new with every inch that they turn.
In each and every direction they see, jewels, rocks, stones, necklaces, talismans, bracelets, rings, earrings, cauldrons, sage, every color of candle, and statues and symbols for every single religion one can think of. There's a plethora of books lining up each and every wall from end to end, some are about tarot reading, dream interpretation, opening one's third eye, and much, much more. The ceiling is draped with linen cloth drapes that give the lovely gypsy-like feel that makes people want to sit down and soak in the ambiance and meditate to the soft music that can be heard on a speaker or two. There is clothing suited for any occasion, there are bags made of recycled materials, and even ornaments for Christmas trees. Everything looks breakable, and the two feel as though they must keep their hands to themselves to keep from breaking anything.
Jareth starts to feel a tad stronger as he walks closer to the front counter.
"Guests?" Someone suddenly pops out of the back room that is separated by more linen cloths that drape from the ceiling to the floor. This person lacks any indication that they are a specific gender. They are tall, thick around the waste, and very tan, with long black hair wrapped around in a messy bun. Jareth immediately locks eyes with this strange person, and immediately the emotion in the entire store changes.
"Robyn?" Jareth says with a smile as he passes Sarah to get to the main counter.
"Jareth?" The androgynous person asks as a smile forms on their face.
"So this is where you've been hiding-"
"Oh my-" Robyn says as they take a step back before Jareth gets too close. "What is that gods' awful smell?"
"Oh," Jareth sneers as he pauses, "you mean this?" He pulls his arm up to show his friend.
"My goodness, who did this to you?" Robyn asks as they lift Jareth's elbow up to investigate without accidentally touching the horrid iron cuffs.
"A human is holding him for ransom." Sarah says waltzing up behind Jareth. "Sarah," she says holding a hand out to shake. "It's a pleasure."
Robyn looks to the human with an amused look. "Aah. Do I recognize this delightful creature?" They ask as they accept the warm human hand. They pull it up for a light and lovely kiss upon it.
Jareth waves in her general direction. "My captor, Sarah Williams."
"I work next door at M's Orchid. You might have heard of me." Sarah says with slight sarcasm.
Robyn looks straight to Jareth, "In more ways than one, love." They become slightly more feminine. "I see this child has you tight on her leash."
"Don't encourage this behaviour, Robyn." Jareth dismisses.
"It wasn't planned, but we make do." Sarah says with a grin.
"I see," a brow quips on the store owner, "a little tease and domination never hurt anyone, deary." Robyn grins mischievously at Jareth's pain. "Just go easy on the youngling," they say to Sarah as they pull Jareth's chin up like a child, "for he is still quite young for his age." Robyn's smile is wicked.
"So, you are Fae as well?" Sarah can't help but start to become intrigued with how many Fae exist all around her.
"Aye, my dear."
"An old one." Jareth spurts.
"And a smart one." Robyn adds, "you don't see me tied up to my human, do you?" Robyn smiles impishly at their own comment "I like to do the tying up, myself. It's much more fun." Their thick foreign accent is music to Sarah's ears.
"So, how long have you lived here?" Sarah asks as she leans in on the colorful glass casing that make-shifts as a checkout counter.
"Off and on, about three centuries." Robyn takes this moment to pull out an old journal from under the counter. "I have been selling Fae trinkets since the dark ages, but decided to take a more metropolitan route in the late 19th century." They look to the walls of their establishment with satisfaction. "What a delicious time for humanity and their ingenuity."
"So," Sarah looks overhead to the endless amounts of jewelry that hangs low, "these are authentic things from your world?" She touches a specific necklace with delicate fingers; a lovely amethyst stone necklace with a silver chain. Her curiosity starts to flow from her like an odor.
"Gods no." Robyn dismisses, "These are just hand-made plastic pieces with some human-made stones. I say that they're blessed by Fae magic, and sell them for a ridiculous price." Laughter is heard from the old Fae. "Humans are so gullible," they trail off as they dig into the drawer behind them. "This," Robyn continues, "this is authentic." They pull out a lovely black, handmade pouch with golden drawstrings. Robyn pulls out the necklace made of a metal foreign to Sarah's eyes, and a stone that shimmers like diamonds. It makes her entire body grow goosebumps just at looking at it.
"Wow..." Sarah reaches out to touch it.
Robyn drops it back in the pouch. "$3000 and you can touch it."
Sarah frowns, "I don't have that."
"Come back when you do." Robyn smiles. "Now, why does a smart little girl like you work in that pathetic excuse of a business, anyway?"
"Actually, that's why we're here." Jareth takes the lead with a new topic.
"We're trying to dig up some dirt on the twins." Sarah adds.
"Ooh," Robyn hums at the thought, "I remember those days," they reminisce on their memories, "getting into trouble, getting fellow Fey out of trouble, romancing a human," Robyn emphasizes as they look to Jareth and Sarah with knowing eyes. "I still like to do that sometimes."
"Well, you're the only one." Jareth comments.
Robyn chuckles, poking at Jareth iron cuffs with a pen. "Sure I am."
Sarah scoffs in disgust of such a thought. "Your business has been here for a long time, yes?" She tries to change the subject.
"Aye, my dear. Longer than those tiresome adolescent buffoons next door." Robyn retorts, regarding the twins and their establishment. "When they arrived, I have constantly had to turn people away who kept asking if I sold contraceptives." Robyn's disgust shines through their words, "I sell magical items, not condoms." They slam their fist down to the counter with a sign that says 'This is not a convenience store'.
"Ugh. Humans are disgusting." Sarah says with loathing at her own species.
"Hear, hear!" Robyn exclaims.
"What can you tell us about them? What all do you know?" Jareth tries to keep the group on the topic at hand, here.
"I know that they are still very childlike, and very powerful. They just don't know how to hone in on those powers just yet." Robyn's nose twitches. "Whatever they are doing next door leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately, the magic is too foreign for me to pinpoint. Didn't you recognize the dark magic at play when you entered, young Jareth?"
"It's a wonder I lasted as long as I did." Jareth admits. "It's disgusting, even without the scent of human inebriation and arousal."
"It's bad enough as a human," Sarah comments, "that place smells too weird. And I have been working there for almost five years."
"So you can imagine how difficult it would be for someone like myself and young Jareth to be able to pinpoint anything specific." Robyn responds. "I rarely pass judgement on any workings of dark magic, but even ancient ones like myself know of it's dangers. I sense a great deal of trouble for those poor fools."
"There must be a way of finding out." Jareth says as his patience starts to wear thin.
"Well, what is it that you are looking for, exactly?" Robyn asks.
"There is something going on at home, and it is tarnishing my name." Jareth responds.
Robyn tries for Jareth to continue. "And that would be?"
"Humans are entering our world at an alarming rate, and it is not my doing." Jareth looks to his friend. "I am here to clear my name."
"I see." Robyn responds, looking wildly to the young Fae. "And who gave you this information?"
"There was a council meeting. I was told by my superiors."
"What did your superiors tell you to do?" Robyn asks with an insinuating question.
"They gently guided me to this area. They mentioned my lovely cousins. That was enough information for me to go on. And after my experience there, I have no doubt that they are doing something dark."
"I see." Robyn sits, baffled by this news of info. "I am not too sure if I have any information for you. But it is good to know that there are dark rumors about humans. I will have to keep my senses heightened."
"Is there anything that you can possibly tell us that might give us an edge?" Sarah asks in almost a plea. "I'm a human. Am I in danger?"
"You are a famous human." Robyn adds motioning towards Jareth. "I'm not too sure if that helps or hurts you, but I recommend keeping that little piece of information in your little human mind." They look to Jareth. "It is smart to keep a human contact within the business, but I am not sure if using this particular human is most wise. But that is just an objective view from an outside source."
"So, we don't have anything to go on." Sarah's aggravation shows through her body language.
"I told you that we have to go in and investigate." Jareth responds.
With all of this information, Sarah is starting to doubt any abilities she may or may not have. "And how do you suppose we do that?"
Again Jareth jingles the cuffs in her face. "I can think of one thing."
"We can't go in guns blazing, Jareth." Sarah shoves his arm away from her face.
"Aye, I'm afraid the human is correct." Robyn replies, "Use patience and keep a low profile. You will find what you need. And if they are indeed after humans, bait can always work." Robyn can sense some doubt within the small circle. "You can also buy something to make you feel better." They add a shameless plug in the conversation.
"Actually, that is not a bad idea." Jareth says as he pulls down a lovely amethyst pendant with a silver chain that hangs over Sarah's head; the same one she had been found admiring at the beginning of their visit. "I'll take this," He says, carefully placing it on the counter.
Sarah looks to her cuffed comrade with different eyes. "You're... buying this?"
"I would like to, yes. It's all rubbish, but the soul that it is intended for doesn't have to know that." Jareth dismisses.
Sarah grins a little. "Unless the soul can hear you talking..."
He looks to her confused, "Pardon?"
"How did you know that purple was my favorite color?"
He looks around, "I... didn't," still confused.
"Wait- is... is it not...?" Sarah's color drains from her cheeks. She just stops talking to avoid further humiliation.
"Oh. Did you think this was for you?" He asks in surprise. "Come now. I can't possibly out number the lovely piece of jewelry that you have gifted me." He looks to her and jingles again. "This is for someone else."
Her tone turns dark. "I get it." She crosses her arms.
Robyn can see the smallest smirk on the young Goblin King as he starts to reach for some cash. "On the house." Robyn's hands go up to refuse payment. "Good luck, dearies. I am anxious to see how this turns out. Do keep me updated." Robyn finally says before Jareth and Sarah exit the store.
This causes a pause within Sarah's mind. Of course he got it for someone else. Why on earth would he get a gift for her? It's not like she was staring at it the entire time they were in the store. And even if she was, why would he pay any attention to that? Can she blame him, though? What has she done for him? She reminds herself of the predicament she has put him in. Seeing the smug look of his face tells Sarah that he knew she liked that pendant, and he got it out of spite. And just who the hell is he giving this gift to, anyway? Is he in a relationship?
Of course he's gotta be in a relationship; he's probably married, or something. There must be a Goblin Queen out there somewhere, though Sarah doesn't remember anyone like that during her run. In fact, Sarah remembers different scenarios. She vaguely remembers themes of her past that are filled with ball gowns, close contact, and confusion. She doesn't remember a whole lot about her time in that Labyrinth hell hole. But she does remember how she felt, and utter sexual confusion was one of the many emotions that she will never forget. Sarah starts to rummage through her mind to figure out who the hell he is giving a gift like that to? Not that it matters to Sarah, of course.
There is a strange amount of silence through the few minute walk home. Sarah, no matter how hard she tries to dismiss the idea, can't shake the fact that Jareth has someone else. This just rubs her the wrong way. What would anyone see in him? How did they meet? What the hell could they have in common with him? He is a plucky, arrogant asshole, and... and...
"So what is she," Sarah suddenly asks to break the silence, as well as the merry-go-round in her mind.
"What?" He asks honestly.
"The... person or thing you got the necklace for?"
Jareth becomes intrigued upon hearing the her crass tone. "What does it matter to you?" He grins.
Sarah scoffs, "I bet she's some boorish creature in your world with the body of a crocodile and the head of a pig." The jealousy is ripping from her heart in a manner that she just cannot contain.
"Hm," he hums as he looks at her with the most inquisitive look on his face. For a moment, he thinks of a response, but dismisses it and continues to walk back to her home without a retort.
"What?" Sarah asks as her attitude oozes from her.
"Nothing." He continues to walk.
"No, what? You had something to say?" He keeps walking. "You don't have any witty one-liner, or some stupid reply to come at me with?" She looks to him in expectancy.
"That comment was not witty, it was barbarous and cheap." He continues walking, avoiding the desire to see the look on her face.
"Ooh... Did I hit too close to home or something?" She says as irritation buzzes in her brain.
"It makes me wonder... never mind." He shakes the thought away.
"No, what?" She walks up to him and physically turns him around. "You got something to say? Say it. Makes you wonder what?"
Jareth looks right into her eyes with a sympathetic look. He can see the pain in her eyes. He can see a long past and heartache. The more she speaks, the angrier she becomes. He isn't sure how to describe the inner turmoil he feels within himself when he sees all of this within her. Is she speaking to him, or could she be directing her anger out on him? "It makes me wonder what happened to you." He motions to her as he watches her eyes change in an instant. "It makes me wonder what turned you into this."
Her demeanor turns from defensive and rigid to sad and foolish. Her lips gently part in surprise at his comment. She doesn't know how to respond. This catches her completely off guard. He gives her a moment for a rebuttal, but no there is no response. She looks away from his eyes as she starts to feel him trying to dig. This sensation makes her extremely uncomfortable as she hugs her arms. She doesn't try to hide the redness in her cheeks as her head kneels down. He takes her uncomfortable silence as a sign to walk on. Sarah, mentally picks up the pitfall of her stomach and slowly follows behind, staying equally as silent.
"Mama-" Ellie comes out to greet her mother with smiles, but stops in her tracks to cough endlessly.
"Ellie wait-" The sitter named Lynsey comes out after. She slows when she sees Sarah.
"Ellie!" Sarah's mind switches completely. She smiles wide upon seeing her daughter. "What are you doing out here? It's too chilly out!" She sprints to the sickly child that continues to cough.
"She had been waiting at the window. She slipped away from me." Lynsey adds. Ellie continues to cough.
"Ellie, are you causing trouble with Miss Lynsey?"
"Oh yeah. Absolutely horrible." Lynsey jokes with a smile.
"In you go. I don't want you getting more sick." Sarah's mother mode immediately kicks in as Ellie's coughing worsens. This is a Sarah that Jareth prefers watching, rather than the Sarah he had seen a few moments ago.
Sarah picks up Ellie as Jareth slowly enters behind the small party. Ellie's cough subsides a little as she sees the familiar man. She points to him "You!"
"Me." He tilts his head in a slight bow of welcome.
"What's yo'wr name again?" Ellie tilts her head in the same direction. She coughs again.
"My name is Jareth."
"Jaweth." Ellie smiles almost instantly. Her voice starts to sound a little hoarse. "That's hard-" She starts to cough long and hard. A few peeps of pain escapes the little girl's lips. Jareth had not seen her in such a sickly way.
Sarah sighs, "Your fever is starting to pick up again." She turns to the sitter. "How was she?"
"She was good. She was very energetic as you left so we had some tea and played a mean game of chutes and ladders."
"I got..." Ellie pauses to cough. "the last ladder-"
"But so did I." Lynsey says with a playfully whiny voice. "It was a draw since she started this coughing business halfway through. It hasn't stopped."
"Thanks, Lynsey." Sarah gives her a hefty $20 for being there for such a short time. "See you in the morning?" They try to talk through the coughing.
"Well, I'm not so sure," Lynsey smiles. "The evil M's asked to have a business lunch with me today." Lynsey's eyebrows wiggle at the thought.
"A promotion?" Sarah asks with a hopeful smile.
"That's what Michelle said." Lynsey shrugs in happiness. "I am so excited."
"Good luck. Apparently Constance is not too far behind."
"Whoa. That makes a total of three!" Lynsey says with joy. "We have never had that many being promoted before."
"Well, spring break is coming up, and the summer means new graduates to hire." Sarah responds as Ellie's cough turns slightly more severe. The sound causes Sarah's heart to drop.
"I'm gonna go. You need your rest, little lady." Lynsey points to Ellie with a smile.
"Bye Lynsey." Ellie has become emotional and droopy due to her incessant coughing. Her whole body spazzes with each cough. It sounds deep. "I don't feel good, mama."
"Come on, baby. We'll get you in to bed," Sarah sprints to the bedroom to lay her daughter down.
"I like her." Ellie refers to the babysitter. Her coughing starts to die down a little.
"I do to." Sarah says as she covers up her little girl.
"Is she leaving?"
"Well, she's going home."
"No. She's leaving for good. With a new job." Ellie spurts a couple of quiet coughs. The small one's just make Sarah's heart sink even more.
"It is good that she might have a new job. That means that the people she works for like her and want to reward her for doing good work."
"I'm not gonna see her again."
"Be happy that she is getting a new job. That means that she is doing cool things."
"Yeah but not with me." Ellie looks down.
Sarah grins, "You like everyone from my work."
"I like her most." Ellie continues to cough.
Sarah tucks her in and feels her head again. "You feeling okay?"
"My throat hurts. And my tummy."
"I am going to get a thermometer and some cough medicine." Sarah gets up to leave. She leaves Ellie and passes by Jareth, completely avoiding eye contact with with the watchful Fae. His eyes follow Sarah's movements until she can no longer be seen. Standing guard in the doorway, he continues to see a sickly Ellie as her cough becomes weaker. Even with a soft cough, it is enough to cause tears to form in the sickly child's eyes.
"That is a mighty cough you have there." Jareth says slowly entering the room.
Ellie sniffs to keep her tears away. "I don't like it," her voice drops to a whisper. "It hurts." She pats her throat.
Jareth's demeanor softens for the child. "It sounds like it hurts."
"Yeah..." this doesn't make Ellie feel better. She sniffs as she wipes a tear away. "I don't wanna be sick anymore."
"You know what that cough needs?" Jareth kneels beside her bed.
Her cough finally comes to an end. "Medicine?" Ellie looks to see her mother back in the doorway with a dark brown bottle in her hands. Sarah pauses upon seeing Jareth speaking to her child.
"Medicine, and..." Jareth pulls up a necklace from his pocket, "a little magic."
Ellie instantly gasps at the beautiful silver chain with a purple stone connected to the center. Her eyes glisten in awe. A smile grows that has never grown on her face before. She sheepishly reaches to touch the crystal to feel its rigid edges and see it's earthly sparkle.
"...wow..." she whispers as she studies it. Her smile grows even bigger. "It's..." she doesn't really know how to explain her feelings upon seeing this.
Jareth, takes the silence as permission to gently hover it over her head and lay it around her neck. The chain is plenty long enough for the crystal to land in her lap. This gives her the opportunity to pick it up and look at even closer. "So pwetty..."
Sarah's eyes, too, glisten at such a sight. She stands statue-like, almost dropping the bottle of cough medicine in her hands. She tries to mentally re-enact what she had just witnessed. With lips gently parted, her heart swells, as does her tear ducts. She sees utter joy within Ellie, and the same emotion seeps through Sarah, as well. The single mother is overwhelmed by an emotion erecting within in her that feels completely foreign. She doesn't quite know how to react. She feels frightened, yet at the same time, she feels so safe, and almost at peace. Oh, how she curses herself for the cheap shot she had made to Jareth's intentions. She rebuked and judged him when he was just trying to help a hopeful little girl smile through her sickness. Sarah is at a complete loss for words.
Jareth, then senses a change in atmosphere and turns to see Sarah in the doorway. For a split second they happen to lock eyes with one another before Sarah rips away her gaze and continues to enter with a weak and jaded smile. Jareth sees the weakness in her eyes. He sees how that moment made her feel.
"Mama mama! Look!" Ellie can't contain her happiness. "It's yo'wr favowite color!" Sarah's smile looks grateful, regardless of her tears. "Yo'wr crying mama..."
Sarah sniffs, "It's..." She smiles as she looks to her child. "It's just a lovely necklace." Sarah smiles wide and childlike.
"It was a pwesent!" Ellie looks back to Jareth with glee.
"It's almost as beautiful as you." She says as she cups the child's face in adoration. "Did you say thank you?"
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you than-"
"Okay..." Sarah slowly nods as her daughter's well earned excitement. "Now, let's take your medicine, my love." Sarah's motherly voice is strong and trained. "This will help you sleep."
"Okay mommy." Ellie does what she is told as she takes her cough medicine. She mentions that Lancelot need's some, too and shares her spoon with her imaginary friend. Both Jareth and Sarah stay with Ellie until she drifts off. Glances are shared between the mother and the Fae. They do not need words to understand one another. They both leave the quiet room and end back up in the living area.
Sarah tries to speak. "That was-um..." She struggles to find words.
"No worries." He dismisses. "I know how to work with children. She is very sick." He can't help the concern in his voice.
"Yes." She nods in response. "She was born with this sickness." She looks back to the room with the sleeping child. "They... still don't know what is wrong with her." She holds onto her arms as she feels a chill invade her body.
He moves closer to her. "It must have been a tough journey for the both of you." Jareth looks to her with sympathy. "I can't imagine it being very easy watching a child grow up this way." His words do not make Sarah feel better. "You must have tremendous strength as a mother." His last comment causes a small smile to grow on her face.
She finally looks to him. "I'm sorry for... earlier." She motions to the front door. "I could blame it on stress, or fear for my kid. But we both know that I was just acting stupid."
"If I didn't know any better," he starts inching closer to her, "I would say you acted out of jealousy." His grin causes her smile to frown.
She crosses her arms. "Well, then it's a good thing that you know better."
"Mmhm," He grows even closer to her. "So if that wasn't jealousy, then what was it?"
"Hot air." Her answer is short.
He chuckles. "We all have our own personal demons." Again he draws nearer towards her. "Better to face them head on, instead of being overwhelmed by them later on."
Sarah leans up against the hallway. "Ain't that the truth."
"So, if there is anything else you want to get off your mind..." He looks to her with an impish look.
She looks around in confusion. "Uhh... nope. Can't think of anything."
"Not quite up to bearing souls, just yet?" He asks as he leaves the hall to rest his legs on the small love seat he had previously been trapped to.
"I think we can both agree that there are more important matters to tend to." Sarah follows with her smile never fading.
"There's nothing to do until tomorrow, what do you propose we do until then?" His gaze is mischievous, as if he were hinting at something a little more... intimate.
"How about nourishment?" Sarah says dismissing whatever game he is trying to play. "Half a pop-tart and room temp coffee is hardly enough for a human to stay functional."
"Food." He dismisses the thought. "The Fae do not eat as often as humans do. I'd be fine if I still had my powers." His sigh is overzealous, promptly reminding her what she has done to him.
"Well, if you're gonna play the part of a human, you might as well eat like one, too." She says heading towards the kitchen.