Disclaimer: [Standard fanfiction disclaimer goes here]
Chapter 4
Purple haze, all in my brain
Lately things they don't seem the same
Dreams.
To Jareth, his mind seemed to be trapped in an endless cycle of dreams. Odd, his subconscious thought as he walked among the void of his mind. Whenever he was able to dream, he never was able to control them. However, he reminded himself to not complain. He hadn't slept-hadn't dreamed- since his imprisonment.
The dark void slowly gave way to a stone walkway. Jareth looked down at his hands to see white gloves.
No. No. No, he mentally protested. He hated this dream. In all his years of being, this was the only dream that kept recurring. Jareth tried to back away, tried to escape, as he always did- yet he never could. He cursed under his breath as he saw a teenage Sarah searching around the room. The only way he could end this story was to play his part. Only then would Jareth be free from this delusion.
Jareth stepped out of the shadows to confront Sarah, to be rejected one more time. The way it had to be. The way it always was. As he walked toward her, he saw her determined stare, knowing nothing he could say would change her mind.
"Give me the child," she softly demanded. Jareth tried to walk away, retreat into the shadows. He didn't want to do this; he simply wanted to leave- to wake up. However, as though his body was not his own, he couldn't back away and instead took another step forward and continue this tortuous charade.
"Sarah, beware. Everything that you wanted I have done," he vehemently stated. Jareth began circling around her; the pain and frustration he felt was just as acute as the day he first did this. "You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me; I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?" Nothing had changed. This dream was always the same; she always had that same resolute look on her face. Sarah always ignored his plea.
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," she recited as she moved toward him, causing him to retreat. "I have fought my way here to the Castle beyond the Goblin City for my will is as strong as yours and my-"
"Stop. Wait!" he demanded. Jareth nearly laughed at himself. At the time, he truly thought this tactic would work. Now, all he could think of while speaking was that this agony was almost over.
"I ask for so little. Just fear me. Love me. Do as I say, and I shall be your slave," he beseeched her. Suddenly, Jareth felt that something was wrong. Something was different with him. He felt something wet slowly roll down his cheek.
Crying, he thought with incredulity. I have never. It wasn't so much pride as he was sure he was purely incapable of such an act. Regardless, there was no reason to harp on such things. The end to his nightmare was approaching.
Holding out the offered crystal a little further, Jareth awaited the rejection that always came. Inwardly, he sighed and briefly closed his eyes as the lonely tear dropped to the floor. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see, not the Sarah of years past, but the one he saw when he was trapped, the one who rescued him. Jareth stared at her in stunned silence as she sauntered towards him, her eyes curiously searching his. He attempted to move but found himself frozen in place. Standing right in front of him, she reached up to caress his cheek as she gazed into eyes. He leaned into her hand, briefly relishing her touch.
"Oh, Jareth," she said softly, showing him a sad smile. "What are you going to do?"
His eyes widened before his brows furrowed, considering her words. "About what?" he asked.
Jareth startled awake- yet another experience that was new to him. He sat up in a bed that was not his own but was also not that damned stoned dais. The blankets that were laid across him were dense yet soft; the mattress firm yet plush. Jareth took note of his lack of shirt and quickly pulled down the blankets to discover that his trousers were missing as well. One mischievous brow rose as he briefly considered how he got to this situation. His face soon fell as he questioned whether or not he arrived at his intended destination. On the night he was freed, he wasn't sure if his magic would take him to where he wanted to go or not. Jareth shook his head, dispelling his mind of such useless worries. He was certainly in no state to fight whoever's home this was, but from what he could tell, he might not have to. He was well aware how a hostile actor treats him.
Curtains blocked most of the sun that attempted to shine through the windowed double doors; nevertheless, he could still tell it was early daylight. He narrowed his eyes, trying to minimize the harsh effects of the sun. His lack of access to natural light for so long made itself apparent. Across the room from his bed was a cold fireplace with one chair next to it. Two nightstands were situated on either side of the headboard and a second chair was situated next to his side of the bed.
The sound of a door knob moving caught his attention, causing him to sit up straight, body filed with tension. The door opened to reveal Sarah carrying a tea set on a tray. She stopped before entering the room when she noticed that he was conscious, eyes wide with shock. His shoulder slumped as he felt as though someone took the wind out of him. Jareth gawked at her, not saying a word. She is still so beautiful, he thought. Her long hair was piled on top of her head into a messy bun. The wonders of her wearing tight black trousers were obscured by a large grey sweater. But that didn't matter; he could gaze at her for days.
"You're awake," Sarah said carefully as though she didn't want to startle him with her words. She shifted the tray in her hands but didn't move further into the room. "I wondered if- when - you would wake up."
"As you-" Jareth said before clearing his throat. His words came out hoarser than he expected. "As you can see, I am awake."
Sarah's eyes seemed to grow wider. Evidently, she felt some sort of distress, yet she still stayed, holding the tray firmly in her hands.
"Well. Don't just stand there," he said, trying to make her realize that he wasn't a threat. "It would be a shame to spill tea in such a nice room." Sarah regarded the tray in her hands as though for the first time.
"Yes. Right," she mumbled as she walked over to the closest nightstand to place the tray on the table. Jareth noticed the set only had one cup and saucer to go with the tea pot.
"Am I to drink alone?" he asked. At Sarah's confused face, he pointed to the one cup.
"Oh," Sarah said as she turned to leave to grab another cup. "Honestly, I expected you to be asleep. It was becoming a habit."
"Then why did you decide to bring this?" Jareth asked before she left the room.
"I've been bringing you tea every day since you've been here," she answered. "If you woke up, you'd have tea. If not, I would simply drink it."
Sarah left the room and rushed to the kitchen, the surprise of the finding him awake fueling her adrenaline. She tried not to think too much about what was occurring as she rummaged through the cupboard. Nothing but confusion would come from trying to predict the actions of a mysterious being. She snatched a cup and saucer before returning to where her guest was staying.
When she opened the door, she found him in the same spot she left him- although she wasn't sure if she should have expected anything different.
"I brought a cup," she said, not knowing what else to say. Sarah took one step further into the room but didn't move further.
"Are we doing this again?" Jareth asked, tilting his head to the side.
"No… sorry," Sarah said as she quickly rubber her forehead.
With a nervous hand, she placed the cup and saucer with the set on the night stand. Sarah then turned to grab a wing backed chair and moved it to the bed side. She sat with her legs crossed in the chair, an action belying her age.
"Hello," Jareth softly said, sensing her anxiety.
"Hi," she responded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "So tea- that's why I came in here." Sarah reached over to pour them both some tea.
"You seem quite calm," he noted.
"Honestly, I don't know how to feel," Sarah muttered, holding the tea cup and saucer in her hand. "Do you take sugar?"
"No," Jareth answered simply as he took the offered drink. The fact that Sarah was not making eye contact with him, preferring to stare at the floor, was not lost on him. "I have no intentions of bringing you harm." He moved to sit up straighter, forcing her to look at him. "I'm a guest in your house. I assume this is your home. I do wish you would feel more at ease around me. If it gives you comfort, feel free to ask me anything."
Sarah's head snapped up to glare at him. "How do you know my name?" she asked, pointedly.
"That question has a long and complicated answer," he cautioned before taking a sip of his beverage. "I suggest we put that aside for the time being. May I suggest asking another one?"
"Okay," Sarah acquiesced hesitantly. "So, what's your name?"
"My name?" Jareth raise an eyebrow. "My name?"
"You know my name," she countered. "It's only fair that I know yours."
"You're right; that is fair," he smirked. His face fell slightly as he was remembered that she lacked any memory of him, any memory of her run of the Labyrinth. Jareth placed his tea on the tray next to his bed. "A proper introduction for us both." He held out a hand toward her. Sarah looked down at the outstretched hand. After a moment of consideration, she took it. "My name is Jareth. Son of Janus. Keeper of the Labyrinth."
Sarah snorted. "Anything else?"
"Yes, but I do not wish to bore you. Yours? Your full name."
"Sarah," she stated, giving his hand a small shake. "Sarah Monroe."
Jareth pulled his hand away from her. "Monroe," he repeated as though the word itself left a horrible taste in his mouth. He felt his heart sank. She actually married him, he sneered internally. That tepid excuse for a human never deserves her. "Monroe."
"I take it that you don't think it rolls off the tongue. Yeah, it's a long story. I'm in the process of getting it changed," she groused, rubbing her arms in a poor attempt to calm her anxiety. Jareth's eyebrows rose in interest when she said the word changed. "So, how did you get here? From the Society, I mean. How did you find me?"
"Magic," he simply replied.
"That's it?" Sarah responded.
"After seeing what you witnessed that night, did you expect more?" Jareth chuckled. However, he noticed she wasn't laughing. "I didn't…" He looked down at his naked hands. "And I still don't have much magic. Honestly, I had no real promise that I would arrive at your home."
"And what if you didn't find me?"
"I was trapped for years in a bloody cellar," he grumbled. "I was willing to take my chances."
Confusion marred Sarah's face. "Just to find me?"
Jareth said nothing as he reached for his drink. A gentle nod of his head was his only response.
"But-but I'm one of the people who helped with your entrapment," she admitted.
"Yes. About that…"
The ringing of the doorbell echoed throughout the house, catching them both off guard.
"Um, someone's at the door," she stated as she rose to her feet.
"I'm aware of how that works," he teased. Sarah walked toward the door and exited the room without a word. She then reopened the door to stick her head into the room, her eyes not quiet making contact with his.
"Um- I'll be right back," she reassured him before closing the door again. Thankfully, Sarah left the door opened, allowing him the opportunity to possibly hear what was occurring. He heard her rush down some stairs before hearing the front door open. He struggled to decipher her conversation, cursing his current state. There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't have trouble hearing Sarah's conversation years ago. But now- there was nothing to do but wait for her return.
"Ah, so I'm in the air," he mused as he struggled to get out of the bed as his eyes briefly focused on the shadows from the crowns of several trees. When he finally stood on both feet, Jareth felt his knees become unstable. Leaning against the bed, he saved himself from an embarrassing fall. He knew he was alone yet falling on the ground would still be a humiliation for him, and Jareth had suffered enough of those moments to last a few lifetimes. Clutching the edges of the bed, he laboriously made his way over to the glass doors. He teetered over to the doors, grasping the knobs once he reached his destination. Using his hand to push the curtain away, he noticed the tall buildings in the not-so-far distance. Jareth released a sigh as he gazed upon the skyline. It has been a long time since he's seen any clear sky, even if it was cluttered with modern human structures. Feeling the little strength he had in his legs start to flee, he shuffled back to his temporary bed, nearly falling on the mattress.
"How undignified," he complained as he made his way under the blanket.
A gentle knock on the door caught his attention as he fought to sit up properly against the headboard. However, no one entered.
"Are you going to come in?" Jareth asked.
"Are you going to tell me it is okay to enter?" Sarah asked from the other side of the door.
"Is this not your home?" he countered. There was a brief pause before the door slowly opened. She took a step inside the room, holding a wicker basket.
"That was a weird game we just played," she said, giving him a tentative smiled. "It is my home, but you're entitled to your privacy." She placed the basket on the chair that she was previously sitting in. "I washed your clothes. They were covered in dirt and soaked from the rain when you got here. And if you want me to change the sheets, I can. I'm guessing you don't know how to do that."
"You are quite correct," he said as his mouth turned into a small, contemplative frown. "How long have I been here?"
"Three weeks," Sarah answered. "Almost four. You've just been lying there, sleeping I guess, since you showed up. I didn't know what to do except to just let you sleep."
"Damn," Jareth hissed as he rubbed his brow.
"Look, this is a lot for you and for me- although for very different reasons," she said, releasing a heavy sigh. She had been doing her best to keep her emotions under control for weeks now, preparing for this moment when she would have to talk to this other being. Sarah thought she would do well, but she felt herself failing. "But mostly me since I had no idea that you really existed until now."
Jareth dropped his hand as he turned his head slowly to give her an oddly blank stare.
"So, let's make an agreement, yeah?" she offered. Biting her lower lip, she crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll do my best not to freak out and have some sort of break down, and you'll do your best to answer my questions and not kill me." He raised his head, giving her a puzzled look. Despite any confusion, he gave her a quick nod.
"It seems we have a deal," he said.
Sarah quickly turned around to move toward the door. Turning to the side to look at the floor, she asked, "Do you… do you eat?"
Jareth grabbing his trousers from the basket next to him "Are you offering me food?"
"Obviously," she answered. Although he couldn't see, he was certain that she rolled her eyes at him. It seemed that time had not changed her much.
"Then, yes."
"Okay. So… just stay here. I'll bring some food back," Sarah said.
"Am I to be restricted to this room all day?" he asked.
"There's a balcony outside those double doors," she stated, gesturing toward the doors. "If you get dressed, we can eat out there if you'd like."
"Fresh air after a long confinement would be in order," he said with a small nod.
Sarah gave him a smile before she left the room, closing the door behind her. Walking several feet to the kitchen, Sarah leaned over kitchen sink and let out a sharp yet brief sob as her breathing became erratic. She covered her mouth quickly, surprised by her reaction. It was then that she noticed her body shaking. Slumping to the ground, Sarah attempted to steady her breathing.
"Everything is not normal, but it's going to be okay," she whispered repeatedly to herself, hoping that if she stated that enough times it would come true. Her life was chaotic enough, the last thing she needed was the addition of some sort of supernatural element. However, on the day he appeared on her doorstep, Sarah promised that she would help the creature she surely helped imprisoned if he ever managed to gain consciousness. Funny enough, she thought, everything seemed to be going much better with a creature she didn't even knew existed than the humans she'd known for years. Matters weren't helped by the unannounced visit she recently had to endure.
Sarah opened the door to see the last person she wished to see on Earth. Well, actually the second to last person.
"Oh," Sarah muttered as she leaned against the door frame, slowly feeling her anxiety rising. She started to curse at herself for not checking the peephole. "I'm surprised to see you here, Mrs. Monroe."
"We have discussed this," the older woman said. She was dressed in a sharp deep blue dress suit. Her dark grey hair cut into a smart bob. Her makeup was noticeable yet conservative. A small square purse hung from her wrist. "Family calls me Frances."
"We're not-"
"We are until those papers are si-"
"Which they are not because your son won't sign them," Sarah said, her words short and to the point.
Frances sighed as she adjusted her light jacket. "That is why I am here. May I come in?" she asked as she attempted to make her way into the door. However, Sarah still blocked the way, not allowing her mother-in-law entry. Frances was taller than Sarah, always having the ability to look down on her and most people she came across.
"I can't do this, Mrs- Frances," Sarah said, trying to stop her voice from cracking. "Not again. I'm done. I simply want this to be over."
"Judging from the news, you seem to have more time on your hands," Frances said, clasping her hand together. "Let's go for a late lunch. Please, let's talk this through."
"We have discussed this for years. And even though you have decided to conveniently forget all of the extremely important things in my life," Sarah muttered. "That doesn't mean I don't have to deal with them."
"Oh, that tea store?" Frances scoffed as she waved away. "It basically runs itself. Is that not why Patrick bought it for you? As a hobby?"
Sarah's face fell to a grim stare. Trying her best to hold her tongue, she simply said, "Have a great day, Frances." Shutting the door and turning the lock, she left the older woman outside and made her way upstairs.
Sarah dropped her hands in her lap as she gazed up at her ceiling. Her eyes closed as she attempted to clear her mind of her soon-to-be former in-law.
Breathe in; breathe out, she thought as she swallowed hard while resting a hand on her forehead. She never thought that those weekly meditation classes would come in handy considering she mocked the idea before joining. "All right," Sarah said to herself. "I wonder what he eats. Hm… I wonder what he is." She got to her feet and opened the fridge. "Eggs." She moved some items out of the way. "And… pancakes. Yeah. That should work."
After several failed attempts to use magic to put on his clothes, Jareth tried his best to put his trousers on conventionally. He cursed under his breath as he draped his shirt over his shoulders. The moment he woke up he knew his magic was weak. However, not being able to do simple tasks was starting to cause him to be alarmed. Jareth let out a groan of pain as he put one arm and then the next through the long sleeves of his shirt. He shouldn't be in this much pain. Then again, he considered, he also shouldn't have been confined to this world.
"Buttoning my shirt by hand," Jareth sneered. "Like a common mortal." He left his shirt untucked, not bothering with such a comportment. He caught his reflection in an ornate mirror that hung on the wall, noticing his unadorned face. Taking stock of how long his hair had grown, he grasped the end of his tresses that sat at the end of his torso. "It's been a long time."
Jareth looked at the door that led to the balcony and then turned to see the door Sarah had exited through. Although being outside sounded like a marvelous idea at the time, his desire to be near Sarah prevailed.
"Oh, hello," Sarah's voice rang out as he opened the door and leaned against the side of it. The sleeves of her sweater were rolled up to her elbows as the smell of delicious food filled the air. "Didn't want to wait for food?"
"I'm not too keen on being alone," he admitted. Jareth contained his mirthless laugh. He used to love nothing more than to be left alone. His years of seclusion in that cellar, in addition to having Sarah near him, made his desire for isolation nearly nonexistent.
Sarah's eyes darted to the floor before returning to him, sadness and regret apparent in her eyes. Jareth inwardly cursed his choice of words. He truly didn't mean to cause her any pain with his words.
"That's perfectly understandable. Well, since you are here, you might as well take a seat," she said, point to a stool at the counter before turning to attend to the stove. "I'm almost done."
"Who was that at the door?" he asked as he ambled over to sit in the offered chair.
Sarah turned to the side and scrunched her brows. "Why does that concern you?"
Jareth gave her a lopsided grin. "I guess it doesn't at all."
"Trust me, I can say with absolute confidence that you really don't want to be bothered with the things in my life," she said, shaking her head.
"Hmm," he hummed, attempting to give no indication as to whether he agreed with her statement or not.
Sarah moved the eggs and pancakes onto a plate before turning around to present them to Jareth. She took a few steps back to grab the syrup and placed it next to his plate. "I realized earlier that I didn't ask what you eat," she shrugged with an apologetic look on her face. She returned to the pans on the stove to finish cooking. "I figured this is simple enough that you would be okay with it."
"I'm not known for my picky eating," he mused. A few minutes of silence passed between them, only the sound of Jareth's cutlery filling the void. "I-I thank you for your generosity. I have no intentions of taking advantage of it." Sarah turned around to see him looking down at his plate, moving the half-eaten food around. Jareth sighed as he looked up to see Sarah staring at him. "My powers are nearly nonexistent, and I need to find my necklace. I'll admit that I'm not quite sure where to start, but-"
"I'm going to help you," she stated.
"You don't-"
"But I do," Sarah insisted. Jareth was taken aback, seeing the remorseful yet eager look in her eyes. Such emotion he had never seen from her. Such compassion she had never held for him.
Mistaking his silence for a form of resentment, Sarah attempted to explain herself.
"I don't know what is going on or why you are so calm about everything that happened to you, but I… caused this. This predicament that you are in now, I helped cause it. So, it's only fair that I help you."
"Fair, hm? You seem attached to that word."
"Is that not the right thing to say?" she asked. Jareth smirked as he returned to his meal.
"What you said was suitable," he stated, as he concealed his smirk with chewing. "Do you have any sort of idea where we should start?"
"I have books," Sarah proclaimed as she darted out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs.
"Impetuous as ever," Jareth mused as his mouth turned up into a full' smile. A few minutes passed before Sarah's hurried footsteps signaled her return. She placed several old, large books on the counter next to him.
"I-um- acquired these books on the night I found you," Sarah said as she sat on the stool next to him. "Okay. I stole them. Anyway…while you were out, I tried to see if there was something that could help. But I soon realized I didn't even know what I was looking for, and I was just frustrating myself." Jareth dropped his fork on the plate before reaching into the pile to pull out one of the thicker tomes.
He flipped the book open before slowly turning his head to regard Sarah. "Where did you find this?"
"I honestly don't know where these books came from," she admitted. "I only sat in an office and was told to translate them. I always assumed they were bought at a fancy auction. I'm guessing it's important. Everything I worked with was old as hell."
"I haven't seen something like this in so long," he mused. His hands carefully turned a page before moving on to the next.
Sarah moved closer to Jareth, her head next to his. "What is it?"
Jareth jumped as he was startled by her proximity, not realizing that she got so close to him.
"Sorry," Sarah squeaked, returning back to her stool. He let out chuckle, amused how at ease she was around him once a book was involved. Turning around to show the book to her, he gestured to the tome.
"This was to be destroyed a very long time ago," Jareth grimaced.
"So, whatever was translated from this book is what entrapped you?" she asked. "How do you know it's not from the others?"
"Those contain just superstitions and folklores," he explained, still frowning at the book while flipping through the pages. "Nothing more than fairytales."
"So… do you think that this particular book has any answers?" Sarah asked.
Without warning, Jareth slammed the book shut. "No." Jareth answered. "This book was never intended to help me." His hand stayed on the leather covering before he slowly raised his hand straight up. Although he struggled to keep his hand steadfast, his hand still remained shaky. Sarah stared at the book in amazement as the leather began to decompose from the middle of the covering that Jareth previously touched. As soon as the spot began to spread, she saw him move his hand away as he yelled a frustrated cry.
"Damn!" he exclaimed. Jareth swiftly moved from his chair, walked over to his room, and slammed the door shut.
Stunned, Sarah looked over at the book to see that the cover was back to normal, the magic he performed on it was gone.
"I guess that didn't go well," she said to herself. Grabbing the book, she made her way to the shut door.
"Enter," Sarah heard before she was able to knock. Opening the door, Sarah scanned the room before finding her unusual guest slumped in a chair near the fireplace. "Apologies for my reaction," Jareth muttered as his hand massaged his forehead.
"That's all right," she said before sitting on the bench at the end of the bed, situating herself across from him. Sarah said nothing, allowing the silence to stretch between them as she glanced around the room, her eyes avoiding her houseguest. Jareth rest his chin on his fist as he gazed at the woman who once tormented his dreams, the woman who was now determined to help him. As agitated as he was with where he found himself, Jareth found some solace in the idea that he has been granted a second chance with Sarah- even if she was unaware of their prior engagement.
"How old are you?" he asked. Sarah's head popped up, giving him an incredulous glare.
"Well, that's a change of subject," she joked. "How old are you?" A playful smirk crossed his face.
"I stopped counting a long time ago," Jareth answered. "But if I knew, I would tell you. Are you not going to answer my question?"
"Why do you need to know?" She had no issue with her age. However, of all the questions that she expected him to ask her, this was not what she expected.
"Reasons," he replied.
Sarah's face turned skeptical as she studied his face.
"Thirty-five," she slowly stated.
Thirteen years, Jareth thought. He had hoped that he counted incorrectly during his confinement, that time felt longer than it actually was. He cursed under his breath as he struggled to grasp where he should start in finding out the problems regarding his powers and his necklace.
Sarah fiddled with the hem of sweater. A certain question had been floating through her mind since he woke up. She pushed her curiosity aside in the kitchen, but now she couldn't ignore it.
"Why do you look at me like that?"
"Like what?" Jareth asked, raising one brow.
"As though you…" Sarah paused to consider whether she should actually bring this issue up to him. "It's as though you see something in me, like you know something I don't."
Jareth rubbed his forehead, hating these questions. She was never supposed to know about her time in the Underground. However, she was also never supposed to know anything about him, and, yet, here they are.
"Sarah-"
"Are you able to see the future or something?" she blurted out.
Jareth released an amused chuckle. "No, that's not my purview."
"What does that mean?"
Jareth turned his attention away from her to look out the glass double doors. "How much do you know about the lore surrounding those books you translated?"
"Um, not much," she confessed. "I mostly ignored all of that because I just thought it was fairy tales. I remember reading passages about Leprechauns." Sarah gasped and her eyes widened with glee. "Are you a Lepr-"
"Don't you dare finish that insulting sentence," Jareth ordered. Conveying outright annoyance, he glared at her as his entire body became visibly stiff. Much to his surprise, Sarah let out a large laugh, doubling over in mirth.
"I was about to say," she said while trying to control her amusement. "You are very tall Leprechaun."
Jareth's irritated façade cracked at Sarah's easy ability to make herself laugh. His shoulders slumped as he reveled in being her presence when she was relaxed and at ease. He used to love seeing her laugh. After all these years, nothing has changed.
"Calm yourself, Sarah," he groused, hiding his amusement behind his hand. "It's not that comical."
"So, are you going to tell me about yourself?" she asked, finally ceasing her laughter.
"It's difficult to say," Jareth answered.
"Because you want to keep it a secret?" Sarah wondered. She had fully prepared herself to accept negative reactions to the questions she wanted to ask him. Not telling her anything about himself made sense. Sarah recognized that she had caused him enough suffering without knowing anything about what he was. Keeping her in the dark would be a logical move for him.
"Because humans have tried, and failed, to name what I am," he confessed.
Confused, Sarah attempted to quickly cycle through the creature names that she came across in her work. "Okay. Well… what do you call yourself?"
"Jareth," he said with a smile.
"Is that a joke?"
"No," he simply said.
"But what are you?"
"I am Jareth," he answered with a smirk.
Sarah raked her fingers through her hair. "Well, nice to know that you can be frustrating."
Jareth let out a quick laugh. "I've been known for much worse."
Sarah shook her head. "Forget it. Why were you so upset that you left the kitchen? Does that have to do with you powers?"
After standing up from his chair, Jareth walked over to the doors leading to the balcony.
"You said I could sit out there?" he asked tilting his head toward the door.
"Uh, yeah," she answered, placing the book on the bench so she could stand. She walked past him to fiddle with the lock before opening the doors wide. Taking a few steps outside, Sarah looked over her shoulder. "We can sit out here." He followed behind, keeping a noticeable distance before she sat down at a wrought iron patio set. The balcony was paved with natural stone and was home to several large potted plants which were located in the corners.
Jareth walked over to the edge, resting his elbow on the stone as he gazed down at the street. Cars whizzed by on the street as humans and dogs strolled by on the sidewalk, even though the trees blocked much of the view.
"How much do you know of magic?" he asked turning around to face her as he leaned back against the balcony. His strength was returning, but did not feel capable yet to stand unassisted for long.
The answer to his question could potentially provide him with many answers. In all his years, Jareth barely knew what happened to the people who ran the Labyrinth after they were sent home. Of course, their memories were wiped. But humans had an odd way of circumventing circumstances that they were not meant to.
"I know that you know about magic," she answered.
"Yet over the years," he prompted. "Even when dealing with these books, you never felt magic, never dreamed of other worldly things."
Sarah cocked her head to the side as her face displayed confusion.
"That's an odd question," she replied.
Shifting his weight, Jareth was confused by her confusion. "Which part? The books-"
"No," she said with a tone of disbelief. Sarah turned in her chair to face him fully. "Dreams. Why did you mention those?"
His body became rigid and breathing became labored, yet he struggled to keep his worry from showing as she caused him more alarm.
"Why would I not?" he asked.
"Jareth." She spoke as though she were speaking to a naïve child. "No one dreams anymore."
A/N: Hi! *waves enthusiastically at all of you* I'm back, and I promise that I will do my best to not leave like that again. Thank you for still being interesting in my story after all this time away. You guys are great!
Thank you to LiteraryRhapsody for her editing and putting up with me skills!