"When we say things like "People don't change" it drives the scientists crazy. Because change is literally the only constant in all of science. Energy, matter, it's always changing. Morphing. Merging. Growing. Dying. It's the way people try not to change that's unnatural. The way we cling to what things were instead of letting them be what they are. The way we cling to old memories instead of forming new ones. The way we insist on believing, despite every scientific indication, that anything in this lifetime is permanent. Change is constant. How we experience change, that's up to us. It can feel like death, or it can feel like a second chance at life. If we open our fingers, loosen our grips, go with it, it can feel like pure adrenaline. Like at any moment we can have another chance at life." ~ Eimile Ó Rourke
They ran down the allé of apple trees holding hands and laughing. Suddenly they looked at one another and begin to laugh harder. Then, the laughter quickly faded, but the eye contact did not. They stopped running. She swallowed and licked her bottom lip. Never taking his eyes off her, he gently pushed her back against the trunk of the tallest tree behind her. Playfully, he pinned one of her hands against the tree and begin to kiss her. Her other hand went around his neck and her knees felt weak.
They were not aware of someone watching them from a second story window, hiding just behind the curtains.
Jareth's voice from behind her made her jump. "So what are you spying about now?" He came up from behind her and cupped both breasts as he leaned his chin on her shoulder, trying to see what Sarah had been watching out the window.
He chuckled. "It looks as though Tadgh is certainly a lucky man. I wonder why his king is not so lucky?" He fondled Sarah's breasts, still standing behind her.
She spun round, holding him slightly away from her with her hands both on his chest, looking sassy.
"Why? What have you done for me lately?" She asked in a singsong version of an old 80s tune she remembered.
"You know I never ask for more than I deserve
You know it's the truth
You seem to think you're God's gift to this earth
I'm telling you no way…"
She was dancing now, silkily sliding up and down his body, and all around him. Then she would stand back from him to reveal a bit of herself, twirl around again and rub up against him as she sang the song. She was smiling and almost giggling. Jareth was going out of his mind. Where did she learn to dance like this?
"You ought to be thankful for the little things
but little things are all you seem to give
You're always putting off what we could do today…"
"I'll show you what we can do today," he growled and reached for her, threw her on the bed and landed on top of her. They were both laughing.
Sarah had to have the last word. "Only if you're nasty," she sighed in a seductive, breathy and yes, a nasty little sneer.
"Where did you learn that song?" He asked, playfully pinning her wrists above her head.
"Oh, I think around the time I met you here the first time," she said. "I actually bought the record. My friends and I would dance to it in my room. Janet Jackson. We used to watch MTV and all the videos, and practice the dance moves…"
"Well, I don't know what this MTV was, but I would definitely like to see some more of those dance moves," he smiled.
She looked pointedly first at one wrist then the other, both pinned to the bed. "Well, you're going to need to let go of me first," she said.
He stared at the ceiling, like he was thinking. "Nay," he said. "Let's save the dance moves for another time. I have some other plans…"
~~~Ó~~~
Sarah woke from a light nap, lying on her side with Jareth's arm resting around her hip. Suddenly she sat up. Saoirse was sitting on the floor near the side of the bed. This time she was still a baby, not a preteen or a teenager. Still the baby she had just put down for a nap, and who was capable now of sitting up on her own. Sarah could feel the hematite bracelet designed to find her daughter that Cillian had given her buzzing and warm.
Saoirse had lately taken to transporting herself close to her mother or father when she was bored and alone. She was playing with her toes, but when she looked up and saw Sarah staring at her she laughed and held out both arms.
Sarah couldn't help but grin. She walked over to her little girl and picked her up. "You little páiste dána! What on earth are we going to do with you? I guess we're lucky that you only decided to travel within and around the castle. Hoggle is going to pitch a fit!"
Hoggle had been pulled in on many occasions to help locate the traveling baby. He took his job very seriously, and was completely made up when he was the first one to discover her. He had appointed himself her personal guardian.
Jareth had woken and now stood behind Sarah, his hands on her shoulders. "You know," he said, "if we keep picking her up and cuddling her when she does this, we are only encouraging her."
Sarah turned to him with a smile. "But she's so adorable! And she's still a baby. She's not going to understand discipline or anything!"
He rolled his eyes and sighed. He knew she was right, but both he and Sarah could never get over the worry they had that their little girl might transport herself to an unsafe situation.
There was banging on their bedroom door, and they could hear the frightened voice of Hoggle. He, too, had been given a hematite, charmed bracelet used to help locate the baby when she time traveled or transported herself.
"Sarah! Jareth! Are you in there? Let me in! Open the door! The little miss has gone traveling again, and I can feel that she might be in here! Is she in here!?" His voice was rising in pitch quite quickly.
Jareth looked at Sarah, who was wearing nothing but a slip of a nightgown. He himself had nothing on. He quickly grabbed a robe from the back of the door and tossed one to Sarah as well. She set the baby down on the bed in order to put on the robe, and Jareth, nodding at her, opened the door. Hoggle literally fell into the room, landing on the floor, right on his face. Sarah stifled a laugh.
Hoggle scrambled up as quickly as he could, and when he saw Saoirse, let out a huge sigh of relief. Then he noticed that both Sarah and Jareth were wearing nothing but robes - in the middle of the day. He could feel his face heating up and he quickly looked down at the floor, not wanting to know anything about what they may have been doing.
"So the little miss is safe, then," he said. His eyes remained glued to the carpet as he fumbled with his bracelets.
"Yes she is, Hogwart," said Jareth. "And it's a good thing she showed up when she did, and not half an hour earlier. She may have been traumatized." His eyes twinkled and he winked at Sarah.
Hoggle continued staring at the carpet, as if it could offer him some solace from his current mortification. "Well then," he mumbled, "I can leave now."
"I think that may be best, Hognose," smirked Jareth. "Why don't you take the baby to her nanny, while I violate her mother again?"
This was more than Hoggle could take. His face took on a shade of brightest scarlet, and he reached for the baby as quickly as possible, also leaving the room as quickly as possible, muttering something under his breath.
Jareth shut the door and locked it. He and Sarah were laughing loudly enough for Hoggle to hear them through the door, as he shook his head and waddled quickly awaydown the hallway to the nursery.
"I think you may have permanently traumatized him," giggled Sarah.
"It was worth it for the look on his face," chuckled Jareth.
Sarah approached her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now," she said, "what's this talk about violating anyone?" She was forcing him to walk backwards. Her eyes were locked on his. "Perhaps it's my turn to violate you!" And she pushed him backwards onto the bed, landing with her knees astride him.
"Help! Help! I am being violated!" Jareth called out weakly. Sarah swallowed his words with a kiss.
~~~Ó~~~
Sarah and Eimile were practicing magic out in the garden. It was especially important for Sarah's magic skills to become stronger, with what would most likely be an upcoming war. This time she was working on her crystals again. They weren't turning to rabbits anymore, but some of them were just melting into a gelatinous clear goo that dripped through her fingers. Eimile was smirking.
"You can get that look off your face if you want to continue helping me," Sarah snapped, trying to wipe her hands off on the grass.
Eimile smiled apologetically. "I know. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Both Jareth and I know how difficult these actually are. I'm sorry."
A tall dark-haired man suddenly rounded the corner. When Eimile looked at him, her face broke into a beautiful glow. He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her on the cheek.
"And how is the magic instruction going this morning?" He asked Sarah, brightly.
Eimile turned back to look at him and gave a slight shake of her head. Sarah just wore a glum face.
"Hi, Tadgh. Still difficult, I'm afraid. At least I'm no longer adding to the rabbit population."
He laughed. He had a wonderful, contagious laugh. "Would you like to try some real animal magic?" Part of the reason that Tadgh was Head of Horse was his affinity with animals and his ability to call them when needed, among other things. He also had a strong Scottish brogue, unlike Jareth or Eimile. Tadgh's people were originally from an area a bit north of Scotland.
Sarah brightened. "I would love a break. What can we do?"
"Well," he thought aloud, "I know that you and Jareth both have matching black stallions. What's the name of yours?"
"Heathcliff," she said.
"I want you to picture yourself with him. I know you often choose to curry him yourself instead of the groom. Picture that, picture feeding him, riding him, patting his neck, and any other connections you have with him."
Sarah did this.
"Now call him to you, said Tadgh. "He's a canny horse, so I know he can lift the gate of his own stall if he wants to."
"Do I call him out loud or in my mind?" Sarah asked. When Tadgh assured her she could do either, she chose to call him aloud this first time. Everyone waited. And waited.
Suddenly the ground started to shake beneath their feet. Sarah looked down toward the stables which were out of sight. Then a fine black stallion appeared, Sarah could have sworn he was smiling. He slowed to a trot, approached them and nuzzled Sarah's neck as she laughed.
"See? This could come in very handy in battle. You can call any animal to you for assistance, if needs be. It's easier with the ones you have a direct connection with, but you could also do it with creatures that you're simply aware of, say, any of the cougars or bears, badgers in the woods."
Sarah was thrilled. It was so good to find some magic that she could I actually do! But it was not in her personality to give up on the crystals. Her stubborn streak had its advantages.
"Thank you so much, Tadgh. I'll definitely continue practicing this," she said.
"No worries," he said. "Now tell him to go back, and lock his own stall door. I'm headed there anyway so I can check."
This time Sarah visualized what she wanted Heathcliff to do. He whinnied briefly, then started trotting back toward the stables. Tadgh followed him. Eimile smiled at Sarah. "Tadgh can also summon other forest creatures, such as centaurs, dryads, the like. He was able to do that as a child. But you have to be careful with that, because centaurs and the others are definitely magical beings, not animals, and they're easily offended if you call them in the wrong way."
They spent the better part of an hour continuing to focus on crystals. They may have been more difficult, but they were extremely versatile and deadly if need be. Sarah was getting better and better at them.
Her greatest success with one was somewhat unintentional. She flicked her wrist, created a beautiful crystal and hurled it at a nearby apple tree - which promptly exploded and burst into flames. She covered her mouth and stared at Eimile, half in shock, and half in laughter.
She heard an impressed whistle behind her. Finn and Ixonia had been walking the gardens and they had just seen Sarah's handiwork.
"Aye, that'll do you," said Finn admiringly. "You've never been one to take any guff, that's for certain. I'd not start with you now."
Ixonia's eyes were large. "Nor me. But I feel sorry for the poor tree."
"I do too," agreed Sarah. "But did you see that? I'm feeling positively lethal right now!"
"As you should," smiled Finn, after waving his hand to put out the flaming tree, or what was left of it. "Wait till we get you started on archery instruction. Jareth will give you some swordplay practice, but we've got someone else who will get you started on a recurve bow. It's slightly harder to draw back then a longbow, but it's much more effective while riding or in forest brush, which is where you're most likely to need one. Right. Now why don't we all head back to the castle for a drink?"
Ixonia smiled at him indulgently, and turned around, her hands still on his arm. "Will you join us?" She asked.
Sarah wiped her brow with the back of her hand, looked at Eimile and said, "I am actually a bit warm. Some lemonade would be nice. Eimile?"
Once they reached the cool refuge of the castle, Finn headed straight for the sitting room, where he knew there was a bar set up complete with his favorite whiskey. Eimile joined him, but Sarah and Ixonia wanted lemonade, so Sarah walked down the hall to the kitchen.
Once she got there, she was surprised to find Cillian, sitting on a stool. He was tossing broken bits of cookie into the air and then catching them in his mouth. What surprised her further was the little four-year-old girl at his knee, laughing madly at his antics, with a cookie in her own hand.
Sarah spoke up, loudly. "Cillian!"
She really hadn't meant to use that tone of voice with the former king, but he was promoting something with Saoirse that both she and Jareth felt strongly about.
Cillian, suddenly caught, revealed a hangdog look of shame that Jareth sometimes showed as well. Sarah tried to keep the laughter out of her voice.
"She only wanted a cookie, Sarah," Cillian said, placatingly.
"But she's doing two things she shouldn't be doing right now. Time traveling without permission or observation, and breaking our rules about cookies before dinner." The little girl at her grandfather's knee looked up at her mother with large, innocent seeming eyes.
"And you, young lady. Don't you give me that face, it doesn't work on me. Come here."
Four-year-old Saoirse reluctantly walked up to her mother. Sarah held out her hand. "Give it."
This had happened before, so she knew exactly what to do. She laid the cookie in her mother's hand. "Now," Sarah said sternly, "give Mommy a hug." Sarah smiled and knelt down, giving a big hug with Saoirse hugging her back. Sarah then instructed her daughter to give her grandfather a hug as welL
"Right then," said Sarah briskly. "Are you good to go back to your right time?" The little girl nodded, the air shimmered, and she disappeared.
Sarah looked at her father-in-law. "Seriously Cillian!"
"Seriously what?" He asked, innocently.
"You're spoiling her rotten. I'm thrilled that you want to come over here almost every day to play with her, but all the toys you keep bringing her, and what with the time travel and the cookies and treats you're encouraging…"
"She's my first and only grandchild," he said, using the English word for grandchild instead of the Irish one, hoping to win Sarah over. She wasn't having it. She closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head.
"Several of us are meeting for a drink in the sitting room," she said. "Jareth is meeting with the Elven king this afternoon, but Finn and Ixonia, Eimile and I will be there."
He shook his head regretfully. "No," he said. "I have a meeting myself about the same thing, with some of the forest folk. I should get to that." He rose, kissed Sarah on the cheek, and disappeared.
~~Ó~~
Sarah entered the sitting room with a tray of rose water lemonade, and found that Tadgh had joined them. He and Eimile were sitting next to each other on the sofa, Eimile's legs casually lying over Tadgh's lap. Sarah knew her mother would definitely not approve, but if they were Above, this would not be an issue at all. Saoirse was there as well, at her proper current age, and Spam, Sarah's goblin "lady in waiting" of sorts, was entertaining her. Spam, as well as all of the castle goblins, was completely in love with her. They all spent several hours talking, drinking, laughing, and throwing jibes back-and-forth.
Jareth appeared in the doorway eventually, looking grim. Sarah approached him for a kiss, and to pull him into the conversation. He held off on the kiss, but put his arm around her waist. Everyone was looking at him.
"I've just met with Oisín, the Elven king. They are suffering attacks far worse than ours. I believe it is best now that we go on the offensive as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that means life as we know it is going to change drastically. I will be making an official declaration of war against the Formorians with the council members and the other kings of the Otherworld tomorrow."
~~~Ó~~~
Thanks for waiting for this last chapter. It's been a while getting it out, I know, but the rest should be forthcoming more quickly than this. The only real Irish expressions in this chapter are:
páiste dána = PAW-ish-teh DAY-nah. – naughty child
Oisín = oh-SHEEN - King of the elves, named for a famous character in ancient Celtic history who lived with the Fae for more than 300 years.
Song by Sarah: What Have You Done For Me Lately, Janet Jackson
It's fun writing Sarah empowering herself in different ways, even though it is unfortunate that she has to do so because of the upcoming war. (Story four! I can guarantee it will have blood, suspense, violence, sex, and humor as well, not to mention the warmth that these characters have for one another. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait!) You will see the others start to work on demonstrating and improving their battle skills as well.
Chapter titles stolen from:
Can You Hear Me – David Bowie
The Days We've Yet To Meet – Flogging Molly
Everything In It's Own Time – Indigo Girls
Come As You Are – Nirvana
It Won't Take Long
Learning To Fly – Pink Floyd
If You Could See Me – The Script
Photograph – Ringo Starr/George Harrison
Snow Globe World – lyrics from Erasure, World Be Gone
Green Growith The Holly – Renaissance era folk tune. Supposedly written by Henry Tudor.
Absolute Beginners - David Bowie
Miracle – Coldplay
I'm On Top Of The World - imagine Dragons
A Common Case Of Disappearing- Amber Rubarth
You Gave Me The Answer - Paul McCartney
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses – U2
One More Chance – Madonna
Turn Off The Lights – Teddy Prendergrass
Open Your Eyes – Snow Patrol
The Gift - Johnny Mathis
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
And the title of this story, You'll Be In My Heart, is from a beautiful tune by Phil Collins, written for his daughter.
Feicfidh mé ar ball thú!
See you later!
Maire