Chapter 23. Valentines Evenings

Jareth waited until the jet was in the air, and then he made it disappear. It vanished from sight and memory. He carried the dying girl in his arms as he appeared in the greenness of the Hill. Ahead, waiting for them was Riha's family, all holding torches and watching as the Goblin King carried the girl toward them. He looked at the eldest male of the Clan. "I bring her back to the sod to die." He said firmly.

The Clan elder nodded, "We thank thee." He motioned the stretcher to be brought forth. He watched as the Fae placed the girl down, gently. "Sire, would thee care to join us?"

Jareth took Riha's hand, "I fear I canna," he looked down into her eyes. "I must return to Sarah."

She nodded. "I'll not see thee again in this life, Goblin King…"

"Safe journey, Riha." He said gently.

The elder motioned for the procession to move forward, and then looked up at the man; "Blessings on thee."

"And on you and yours," Jareth replied, bowing and vanishing.

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Sarah looked out the window of the studio; she had loved this view from the start. Now it meant so little. Shamus and Lou were guarding the entrances to the building and Hog stood guard at her door. She didn't feel protected, she felt like a prisoner. Her mind filled with images, images she couldn't stop. Images from the Labyrinth superimposed over images of events of the past few months. She had banished the memory and yet here it was, back to haunt her.

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Jareth had returned to his throne room, in his hand two crystals. One held the image of a dying girl; the other held the image of his future Queen. He gazed at both, held in one hand side by side. His vanity told him Sarah would of course come to her senses and desire to be his Queen. His recent history with her told him that would not necessary be an easy option for either of them.

He was touched by the bravery shown by the Irish girl. There was peace on her face as the life slowly seeped out of her. He had known that Sarah had made an offer to her, and that it had been rejected. He knew better than to insult the girl with repeating the offer. The Irish girl accepted her fate, with grace and steadfastness. He only hoped his Sarah would be as gracious.

He looked at the orb holding the image of the young woman he was bound to. His Sarah, he thought to himself. His.

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Sarah looked at the little alter, and saw the flame of the candle flicker, and diminish. At first she didn't react, she just stared. Her knees buckled and she felt herself descend to the floor. From deep within her a cry came forth, a mournful wail, a death howl.

Jareth was kneeling beside her, holding her shoulders. "Sarah." He whispered.

She turned and buried her face in his shoulder. "She's gone."

The Goblin King held her, his hands stroked her like one who was trying to sooth a child. "She went in peace."

"I…tired to…" she began to sob.

"I know." He sighed. "You were going to offer her life in the underground."

She nodded. "She refused."

"It was not her fate, my love."He murmured.

Sarah looked at him, "Neither should it be Toby's fate." She sat back on her legs. "Jareth, you had no right to fed him Fae food."

"It's done, and not open to discussion." He stated flatly. He sat back on his own haunches.

"Done is done, said is said?" Sarah asked, but before he could answer she rushed on. "I'll make a bargain with you. You allow Toby to live out his life here… let him grow up, marry and do all the things a mortal should…and I'll go with you willingly."

Jareth stood up, "I will not bargain with what is already mine." He paced angrily. "I will never understand why you insist on playing a heroine and making me the villain." His voice took on a dark edge. "I'm not a villain! I have never done one bloody thing to deserve such a malicious treatment." He pointed to her just as he had in the stair room. "I did everything for you! Everything you asked, I did…You were the one who wished the boy away….if anyone in this sorted tale is a villain it's you, Sarah Williams, it's you!" He crossed his arms and glowered.

Sarah stood up, smoothed her skirts and sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I was a stupid, arrogant, self centered, self-righteous little brat… back then."

Jareth didn't seem impressed with the confession. "OH, just back then?"

"Still," she conceded. "I'm still a bit of a brat…but a little older and a tad wiser….Thanks to you."

"Me?" He cocked his head, "Go on." He pursed his lips.

"You gave me a wonderful opportunity in allowing me to run the Labyrinth." Sarah acknowledged. "You gave me a chance to face my faults, which I think I did."

"Now that's arrogant," he snapped.

"I didn't say I mastered them," Sarah sighed heavily. "Only that I faced them." She walked to the window. "I learned about myself during those hours… two of which were stolen from me."

"Forfeited by you," he corrected; "For arrogance."

Sarah crossed her own arms, "Do you waver between tempting and challenging other runners?" she asked in a voice that showed concern.

Jareth sighed, drew near and leaned to her ear. "Did I tempt you?"

"You know you did." She refused to look at him.

"Do I still?" he growled softly.

"Yes," she licked her dry lips. "Yes, you do."

"Even when you're angry with me?" smiling, he now asked.

"You didn't answer my question." She snapped.

His arms unfolded, he placed his fingertips on her shoulders. "No one who ever ran the Labyrinth was ever quite like you, my Sarah." He felt the shiver under his touch. "No one could ever make me so insanely filled with rage and passion at once." He leaned into her ear. "You could have been nicer to me, say… in the tunnel…"

Turning Sarah looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "I was trying to get to the castle and you were trying to get into my pants."

"Guilty." He said calmly, "Very guilty."

"You know what they call men like you?" She demanded hotly.

"In your world or mine?" He challenged right back.

Sarah turned her back on him again. "Did you tempt others?" she repeated.

"No." He said taking hold of her long hair. "I never bothered to tempt others." He twined the long dark hair over the gloved hand, and then smiled darkly. He closed his eyes, when he opened them again his hand was no longer covered by a glove. "So tell me, Sarah, if we are going to play at 20 honesty questions. Did you want to give in to the temptation?" She went still and stiff. "Come now precious… give me my answer."

"That's not a fair question." She answered.

"Fair or not, it's on the table." He raised her hair to his lips and his nostrils, fighting the urge to bury his face in the richness of her tresses. "Answer me, Sarah."

"No." she said.

"No, you didn't want to give in, or no, you won't answer?" he teased.

The slight tremor had become a noticeable quaking. "Stop it!" she ordered.

Jareth turned her to face him, "I warned you back on Halloween, I'm a man… with a man's needs… now answer me. Did you want to give in?"

She looked at his face, in the growing darkness. "Yes…" she gulped at last.

Jareth moved closer. "You want to give in now, don't you?" He was a breath away.

"Yes." She moaned.

His lips move until he was a fraction of an inch away. "It's your move, Sarah…You're the only one who can make this choice." The sound that came from her was something between a strangled moan and a soft growl. For a moment she seemed to pant, trying to find an escape before she leaned forward. Jareth accepted the capitulation, and kissed her at first tenderly, but it soon grew to more demanding. He raised his head. "There's no going back." He warned. "Not now." He picked her up, looked around the studio and then at the young woman. "Not here…. We finish this where it was meant to be finished." Holding her close to his heart he carried her though space and time.

Sarah opened her eyes and saw the stair room, broken apart. "Not here." She moaned.

"Here," he confirmed. "We finish this nonsense here." He lowered her to her feet and stepped away from her. In a flickering of an eyelash he was transformed, and stood before her in the garments that included the great owl cape. "I ask so little." He said in the same voice as before, in his outstretched hand, a crystal orb. He set it to spinning and it showed his face deep in its depths, "Just your believe… and in return… I offer you your… dreams…"

Sarah sobbed a dry retching sob. "My dreams?" She raised balled fists to her temples. "You have no right to offer me my dreams."

"Who has more right than I?" He snapped savagely.

Sarah tried to shut out the room, the sounds, the scent and most of all his voice. "No! We did this already…I won and it's over!"

Smashing the orb, the enraged Fae took hold of her by one arm, spinning her to face him. "It is never over, do you understand? You can run but you can't hide from me, Sarah. I will be there in your darkest thoughts, and in your happiest moments. I will be there. I am the only constant you have ever known."

"I won." She cried, "I won."

"No, darling," He pulled her within a breath, "You lost. The moment you accepted my challenge, you lost." He released her arm and she collapsed to her knees. "I won." He folded his arms.

"Why?" Sarah looked at the broken room about them. "Why did you let me think I won? Why did you let me take Toby home?"

His eyes were cold, and his voice like ice, "Because you wished it."

Tears fell from green eyes as the girl turned to a broken stair.

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Lilith felt the tremors of time and space; she knew the castle was responding to something Jareth was doing. "Oh no," she cursed softly. "What are you doing?" She held out a hand to Mother Universe. "Gilgamesh!" She cried out.

He was already at her side. "We must stop him."

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Sarah lay on the step, "No." She moaned.

Jareth sighed. "Yes," he drew yet another crystal from the air, and sensed intruders. He set up a shield about the broken room. He would not allow anyone to stop what was happening. Deliberately he moved to where she was now laying. He sat down beside her, lounged on the broken stair and watched her, impassively. "I ask so little." He repeated, and her head shot up. Her eyes were red from tears and fearful. "Believe in me…" He crooned holding out the orb.

Sarah cried out as he moved it toward her, she recoiled and backed away. "Don't come near me with that!"

"We both know you love me, even if you don't want to admit to it, just now." His voice was triumphant. "We both know you fear me…" He smiled ferally. "Now, obey me."

"Stop this!" she begged.

"Come here, Sarah." He invited in a tone that told her he was not going to give up. "Take the offer."

She could hear sounds, voices screaming her name and his. "Please, don't ask that of me."

"I'm not asking," he crooned. "I'm demanding." He spun the orb and held it out. "Take it."

Sarah could see the woman and the man standing at the edge of the room, framed in the archway. "Who are they?" She asked.

"My mother and one of her lovers," He answered still offering her the orb.

Crumpling onto the steps she looked at Jareth. "One of her lovers…"

He stretched out his naked hand. "There will be no other." He promised to the unasked question in her eyes. "There will only be you." Again he offered her the orb. "I ask… so….little."

Sarah heard the din of sounds, took a deep breath, "Promise?"

"Forever," his voice crooned.

She began to reach for the orb, but hesitated; "And Toby?"

Jareth wistfully whispered, "A Valentines present? His future?" He held the orb out. "Take the orb." He commanded, at his ropes end. "Take it now, last offer."

Sarah reached forward and took the smooth sphere into her own hand. "Happy?"

"Deliriously," He growled sarcastically as he rose from the stair. He watched as she rose up and held the orb gently. "Now, woman," He growled dangerously. "I expect payment in full."

Sarah looked beyond him to the arch where his mother stood screaming; "In front of God and everybody?" She sounded embarrassed.

He looked over his shoulder, "Heaven forbid." He opened his cape and winked at her. He waited until she was enclosed in the cape, then looking at the arch warned. "Go home Mother!" he looked down at his captive, "where to do the deed?" He teased as they vanished.

Gilgamesh looked at Lilith. "It's out of our hands." He warned.

Lilith leaned on the arch. "Damn that boy… "