Chapter 12: Questions too Hard to Answer

For the next few weeks Nell was very quiet, which was very odd for Nell. She didn't even make a remark when Jareth showed up in her room holding up a frilly Victorian style dress. She brushed past him flicking off her shoes like he wasn't even there. Jareth's huge staged smile dropped and he lowered the dress slowly. Usually she would have yelled at him, insulted him, or at least glared. Now, he would have seen this as an improvement on her attitude if she hadn't been acting so distant lately. In awe, he watched her pull out her pajamas. That's it! He thought angrily. Gripping her shoulders, he flung her around to face him.

"Alright, what's with you? Why have you been so out of it lately?"

She looked dully back up at him, "What are you going on about now?"

He pursed his lips stubbornly and crossed his arms. It was the careful gaze he gave her, the one that looked like it was analyzing her every move, that made her make the extra effort at her average banter. "Aww, was poor Jerry-poo upset that mean ol' Nelly ignored his gift. I'm sorry…" leaning over the bed and picking it up, she continued, "thank you for the hideous excuse for a creepy porcelain doll's 'way over the top' powder-puff dress." She tossed the dress back on the bed hoping her constructed face looked the same as it normally did when she teased or fought with Jareth (and that no resentment was in her voice).

" That was pathetic. …And the dress isn't hideous OR over the top. There's nothing wrong with a few ruffles and adornments here or there."

Nell glanced at the ruffled shirt on Jareth's chest and looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Of course not…" At least she had distracted him.

"I won't be distracted that easily Nell."

Shoot.

"What's wrong? You haven't been bothered by any of the fighting or…nightmares…have you?" he asked carefully.

She tightened and looked at him icily.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

A scene flashed across her mind briefly: A scene where a clammy shaking girl had woken up screaming from one of her, once common, nightmares; only to find someone had been watching her.

" Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out what's wrong with you."

"There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Right, I can see that." He said with a condescending gaze.

"Oh, just shut up!"

"Language!" he scolded, voice much more commanding.

"I can cuss as much as I FUCKING want to, thank you! If you have a problem with it, go play with your little boy…I bet he's already in bed waiting for you!"

Jareth's eyes narrowed and his muscles clenched.

"Again with that…" He trailed off as his words morphed into a growl. Jareth paused and took a deep breath, "Couldn't you just try to act civil? I don't accuse you of anything like molesting children! Honestly, I take great care of you and all the thanks I get…"

"You take GREAT CARE of me?! HA! Since when does kidnapping someone and forcing them to work for you count as 'taking care' of them?"

"Don't start on that again! The deal was made, YOU BELONG to me! I'll do what ever I damn please with you!" he growled back.

"I do NOT BELONG to you!" She picked up the dress and threw it at him. "And you can have your stupid dress back! Stop dressing me up and stop ordering me around! I'm not here just for your entertainment! I'm not your DOLL!"

"Fine!" He shouted eyes blazing and hands wringing the dress. He turned around roughly and slammed the door behind him.

"…and after I came up there to try and cheer her up!" The Goblin King fumed. He continued to pace the floor of his bedroom. He flicked his palm out and glared at the crystal orb in it. Looks like Nell had just finished attacking the wooden door. She sat down stiffly on the end of her bed with her back straight and her chin set. Jareth glared at the familiar stubborn features. Then she did something he could never have expected. She crumpled over with her head in her hands while her back heaved up and down. She was crying! Jareth's eye's softened and his face slipped out of its tense stance. She had never cried after any of their other fights, not like this anyway. The orb disappeared as he decided to give her privacy. In the morning he checked the orb again, just briefly. She had fallen asleep arched over the vanity table in a chair. Her head rested on her folded arms.

Nell didn't come down for breakfast…or lunch…or dinner. The next day, Jareth went up to check on her only to find her room empty. He stormed through out the castle questioning all the household Goblins. She had apparently gotten her food directly from the kitchen the day before. No one knew where she had wandered off to though.

A crystal orb appeared urgently in Jareth's hand as he stalked down a corridor. She was still just sitting there blankly. He clenched the orb tighter as he stewed on the anger that was slowly building. The damage caused to the room he was in when he had first conjured the crystal orb was quite an interesting sight. After he had spent all that time worrying and wasted almost half a day looking for her, she was just sitting calmly on the edge of a stupid rock. What had really tipped him over the edge was when he caught sight of the mist and trees in the background. Jareth quickly pulled open a door and exited into an eerie forest. He paused and started walking again, only much quieter now. She wasn't too far from the door, which was luckily out of the actual hunting range. He stepped carefully up behind her, his anger adding extra effort on keeping his feet quiet.

"Having fun?" he asked in a chilling whisper.

Nell jumped slightly and turned around. Frowning, she turned away again without another word. Ignoring him again?! He lowered his gaze and spun her shoulders around so she faced him. A sharp pain struck his chest as he stared into the partially glazed eyes with tears dripping down. He gathered her into his arms quickly and swept towards the door. When it had shut behind him, he finally put the struggling girl down. She stood stiffly facing away.

"Naella?" He started timidly.

She didn't make any physical sign that she had heard him or was going to move; but before Jareth had a chance to speak again, she spoke still turned away.

"Why did you really bring me here?"

"…because you were wished…"

"NO! You had no obligation to take me. You took me here because you wanted to…and don't try to say it was to help the fighting because it's quite obvious that was an afterthought. So why did you want me here?"

Jareth stared carefully at Nell's back.

"Why does it matter, you're here now."

"Answer the question."

Sighing, he walked towards her. "What are you getting at Nell? What do you want me to say?"

She spun around sharply her watering eyes glaring. "I want to know why I'm here! Am I just some stupid toy?! Something to amuse you for a while? Or maybe I'm a stand in! Just something to keep you busy, keep you from missing the thing you really want!"

Jareth was taken back in shock. "What?"

"I'm here because she's not! Because she rejected you! And because you still love her!"

His eyes widened and the mighty Goblin King was struck speechless. Nell turned and ran down the corridor, as Jareth stood there frozen.