Making Friends
Jareth flew back to his castle, transforming to man before entering, not wishing to frighten his little guests. In his mind they had quite enough for one night. He looked at the boy and girl who were sitting on the stairs to his throne watching the goblins gather round them. Like their mother they were full of defiance, like their uncle they were full of fearlessness. Jareth found he liked the pair instantly. He strolled in as if nothing was wrong, and smiled at the pair. "Having an nice visit so far?" he asked.
The little girl was the image of her mother, long dark locks, and big green eyes. Her name was Jenny and she had a sweet voice. "Where is daddy?" she asked holding onto her little brother.
The boy, like his uncle before him, didn't resemble anyone in the family. He was not dark haired like his mother or sister. He didn't resemble his father's side at all. He was blond, and had large eyes the color of storms at sea. The goblins just walking past reduced the child to fits of laughter. Sarah must have named the boy, Jareth thought. He was named for a storybook knight, Gwynn.
Jenny looked at her little brother and smiled. "He thinks these things are funny." She said with easy confidence.
"They are called Goblins, Jenny." Jareth said softly as he took a seat on the stairs with the children. He placed an arm over each and wondered how on earth their father could have sent them away. Still, this was the same man who had allowed Sarah to slip though his fingers.
"Oh, I know." Said the little girl pointing to a pair huddled in a corner with a peashooter. "Mommy draws pictures of them all the time."
Looking down at the girl with a quizzical gaze, Jareth cocked his head to one side. "She does?"
Jenny nodded. "Mommy made a whole book about them."
"Did she indeed." Jareth had wondered what her experiences had given her, now he knew. "What else did, Mommy draw?"
Jenny pointed to the throne. "That." She sighed. "And a funny room full of stairs, and Uncle Toby as a baby."
Jareth pulled the little girl closer. "Would you like to see the room of stairs, little one?" He was feeling very kindly toward the pair. After all in a few hours he was sure to own not only them but their stubborn, foolish, prideful, defiant mother.
The little girl frowned. "Where's daddy?" Wide green eyes the color of dark emeralds glanced about.
"He's not here." Jareth said honestly.
"Is he coming for us?" She asked, already the pout was beginning.
"No, Jenny. I'm sorry, he's not." He patted her back, thinking of comforting the child and murdering her parent. "But your mommy is. Mommy will be with us soon. I promise." He ran his fingers though the long hair at the back of her head. How like her mother she was. "Once, Mommy gets here, we'll be all together. Won't that be nice?"
Jenny giggled. "You sound funny."
"Yes, I imagine I do." He agreed. "Jenny, would you like to see a magic trick?"
Her eyes opened wide as Jareth drew a glowing orb of crystal from the air. "Now, look deep within, and you'll see Mommy."
Jenny looked into the orb. "I see her! She's walking down a hill."
Jareth smiled, waved a hand. Both children were now dressed in red and white striped pajamas, just as Toby had been dressed twenty years ago. "Yes, Mommy is on her way. Let's plan a nice surprise for her when she gets here, shall we?" Gwynn clapped his hands and stomped his feet.