The next morning Sarah made her way to Jareth's rooms, Toby in hand. She wasn't about to loose him again. Jareth lay on his king size bed with its sapphire silk sheets and black gauzy canopy. Now all the drapes were pulled back, opening all three sides of the bed, revealing Jareth who lay with loosely fitting black drawstring pants on, oblivious to the world.
Sometime during the night a doctor must have visited Jareth, because the bandages she placed on him the nigh before were gone. The bruises that marred his face had also disappeared. There weren't even any marks on his body to show where his wounds were. But Sarah's knowledge of his upper torso let her pinpoint the exact locations where the lacerations had marred his body.
Setting Toby down on the foot of the bed Sarah moved to Jareth's side. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, so rested. Gently, so not to wake him, Sarah sat on the bed by his hand. Now, more than ever, Sarah wanted to be with Jareth, to share his life, the life they could have. But first she had to graduate high school.
Opening his eyes slowly Jareth tried to remember what happened to him. Quickly it all came back to him; once back in the castle his court physician Laermont had given him a strong dose of Weeping Willow bark to lull him into a healing sleep as his body rid the last traces of the poison from his blood. Now Jareth felt fully rested and recovered.
Soft laughter drew his attention to the area in front of the cold fireplace. Beyond the black velvet couch and wing back chairs sat Sarah and Toby. She was rolling the crystal from last night to Toby who, in turn, rolled it back to her. As if sensing his need for rest, they kept their merriment low.
A deep and powerful emotion filled Jareth in that instant, warming him to head to toe. Too easily he could envision Sarah sitting in the same place, only this time playing with a child born of their love. A true smile lit up his face, utterly content and eager for the future.
Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end Sarah tensed. She had two guards posted outside in the sitting room and two more in the hall, but Sarah still felt as if she were being watched. Oh no, not another maniac. But looking up, her eyes met a more pleasant sight.
Jareth was sitting up in bed, complete and utterly whole. He smiled at her and stood, making her keenly aware of his barely clad body. Sensing her cheeks flaming, Sarah tried to look away, but her gaze was glued to his slim, rippling abs and pectorals. His arms were sleek and muscular, and Sarah ached to he wrapped in them, held to his chest.
"Good morning Sarah." He dropped into a nearby wing chair. "Did you sleep good?"
"It was okay." She shrugged, trying to expel the sudden heat in her body. "I was worried about you."
"There was no need to sweetling." Jareth said gently, reaching out to trace the shell of her ear. Sarah trembled violently, the blaze burning hotter. "It was a small matter."
"I can't help but worry." She replied scooting closer, Toby occupied with the crystal.
Seeing how fascinated young Toby was with the crystal Jareth sent his two more that had no magic, like the other one whose magic had been drained. After recording the battle, the information was sent to the Grand Council as proof that Jareth had not been himself all those centuries ago.
"I guess he's eager to learn his magic." Sarah commented softly, her head resting against his knee as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Or he just knows when to give the adults some privacy." Jareth replied, hearing Sarah almost purr in contentment.
"And why would he do that?" She asked lazily, rubbing her cheek against his velvet covered knee.
"Don't know." He smiled down at her. "Maybe he knows how much I love you."
Sarah suddenly pulled away, big eyes solemn. She remained on the floor, face turned up to his in an innocent, almost child-like way. But the emotion in her eyes was far from childish. Love burned bright in her blue-hazel eyes, windows to her soul.
"Do you really mean that Jareth?" She asked. "Because if you do, then you must know that I intend to keep my promise that I'll come to be with you after graduation."
"I sincerely mean it, and you'll probably bite my head off for this, but – Do you love me too?" Jareth braced himself for a tongue lashing that never came.
Sarah's heart felt like bursting in love for the man of magic before her. She could see the vulnerability in Jareth's eyes, and knew he wanted this, but he was afraid of how to go about it.
"I've always lived you Jareth." She replied easily. "Ever since I got the Labyrinth I've loved you. The peach dream just brought those feeling to the surface and gave them a name."
He reached down and pulled Sarah up onto his lap. Sarah curled into a ball as Jareth's arms circled around her to hold her close to his bare chest. Sarah heard Jareth's heart beating rapidly as she laid her head on his chest. I love you Jareth. Lightly she kissed the area over his heart.
"I can't see my life as anything but in your life." Sarah said softly, watching Toby. "But I need to close the Aboveground chapter of my life first."
"I love you so much." Jareth confessed quietly into her hair. "Both you and Toby. I was scared to death when I found out that Alexander had you."
"I knew you'd find us." She looked up at him. "But is what he said true?"
Jareth sighed. Now was as good a time as any to tell her the truth of his past. Let her judge for herself how she feels after she knows what happened. He had the faith that Sarah wouldn't feel any different, but that was for her to decide.
"Let me get dressed and I'll explain it to you." Jareth stood and settled her into the chair, moving behind her to dress.
Soon such modesty wouldn't matter, but that wouldn't come until later. Quickly he dressed in charcoal tights, ruby poets shirt and boots, leaving his gloves off in the privacy of his, soon to be their, rooms. Sarah, on the other hand, wore a light, almost ivory colored shirt with a baby blue pheasant blouse that matched the embroidery around the bottom of her skirt. On her feet were blue thronged flip flops.
Jareth sat on the floor with Toby, but began to address Sarah.
"Four hundred years ago I was as evil as evil could be, and I was corrupting the entire Labyrinth. One day a magician appeared at court calling himself the Green Sage." He and Toby rolled crystals back and forth, light glinting in the spheres.
"Anyways, he was upset with how I was ruling the Labyrinth. This Green Sage somehow expelled the darkest, most evil part of my soul from my body. That evil became Alexander. So, in essence, he is my twin."
Well, that explained quite a bit. Sarah knew Alexander wasn't telling the truth, and that she saw through the crystal didn't help any. So Sarah now knew why she thought they were mirror images, because they were.
"And for four hundred years the two of you have been going head to head." Sarah commented, watching two of the men in her life. One had power untapped and a childlike innocence while the other knew his power and what he wants in life. Jareth was her future in her past, and Toby was her future.
"That's right." Jareth nodded standing and scooping Toby up. "Now that bane is gone from my life, I can look ahead to our future."
"Saturday you'll also escort me to my Senior Prom." Sarah smiled, unable to hide her excitement. She was really looking forward to going.
"As my lady wishes." Jareth bowed, Toby squealing as the Goblin King held him dangling.
"You are so silly." She laughed.
"Breakfast is served." A goblin voice called from the sitting room.
"Shall we?" Jareth offered his hand to Sarah who accepted.
"I had a great time Jareth." Sarah sighed Sunday night as Karen put Toby down to bed. "I can't wait until Saturday."
"I hope I don't disappoint you." Jareth said quietly, nervous about the prom. He wasn't sure he would do so well, but if Sarah had faith in him then he could do no wrong.
"You'll be fine." She laughed. "After all you were the one who created that peach dream."
"Still, I'm a newcomer to your world." He stood holding Sarah in her room, not wanting to let go quite yet.
"Listen to what Karen says and you'll be fine." Sarah slipped from his hold. "Now I have to get ready for bed."
"So? Can I stay?" His evil libido was awake and hungry.
"No!" She shrieked. "Go home."
"Please?" He pleaded, enjoying their banter. Sarah laughed but remained firm.
"No. I'll see you tomorrow."
He could see it now, so Jareth agreed. Transforming into an owl Jareth perched outside her window in the shadows, watching Sarah.
Just a teaser of what's to come; I didn't see much that day Sarah tried on her prom dress.
Confident that Jareth was gone Sarah stripped down to shower, gathering her under things and nightgown. She was floating on cloud nine, utterly happy. The man of her dreams loved her and was going to take her to prom. Afterwards she was going to live with Jareth in the Underground.
After putting Lady Antebellum into her CD player and prepping the water for her shower Sarah stepped under the spray of steaming water, letting it wash away the bad memories of the weekend. She focused on the good ones, relieved to be home and ready to get the rest of her life started. Her mind began to wander.
What would it be like if Jareth slipped into the bathroom, utterly nude and joined her under the water? Sarah's temperature rose dramatically, already high due to the heat of the shower. In her mind's eye Sarah could see the whole episode in detail, Jareth's taste still on her tongue. Taking a deep breath she tried to dispel the vision of a naked Goblin King stepping into the shower with her, impressively aroused. He would press her against the wall, his excitement between them, lips claiming hers.
Unbeknownst to Jareth, he was imagining the same thing, but instead of stopping where Sarah had he continued with the erotic fantasy. He was sweating under his feathers at how explicit it was.
Letting his tongue explore her warm mouth Jareth would wrap his hands around her slick waist, lifting her up. Guiding her long legs around his waist he would maneuver Sarah to where she could easily sink down around him. Moaning each others names Jareth would initiate Sarah into the bodily arts with gentle passion.
Oh my Gods! Jareth gasped, ceasing the alluring dream. Now I need a cold shower. Debating with himself on whether or not to leave he finally decided to leave out of the suspicion that if he saw Sarah freshly wet from her shower he would loose what control he did have.