Disclaimer: See chapter 1, please don't flame.
Chapter 13: Sarah's Last Day in the Labyrinth
When the meal was over, they stood once more looking out onto the Labyrinth. Pulling her into an embrace. The kiss had all the fire and hunger as all the other's they had shared. Time again had no meaning for either of them. She could feel his hands roaming her back as he pulled her closer. Their bodies molding against each other, then the kiss ended.
"Sleep well, my pet," he said as he stepped away from her, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "I will see you at breakfast."
o0o0o0o0o
Sarah awoke to sun shining and a slight breeze flowing through her balcony window. Every morning she had awake in the Labyrinth has been the same. Sunshine and a spring breeze. Couldn't Jareth come up with a better cliche?
After seeing to her needs, Sarah found a small table with breakfast waiting by the open windows. A white rose laid on her plate and under it a note. The table was set for one.
Sarah sighed. She had sort of hoped that Jareth would have been waiting when she opened her eyes. Oh well.
"Sarah, my pet," the note read. Sarah sighed. 'He's got to come up with a better endearment. I'm not a cat.'
"Sarah, my pet,
Although, I would have loved to be the first thing you saw this morning, I'm afraid something urgent came up. Explore my castle with ease. Just remember, my rooms are off limits.
I hope to see you at lunch time, so we can discuss your next set of lessons.
--J"
o0o0o0o0o
The castle was drafty and somewhat dirty. She had thought castles were like those in Disney movies or at least Hollywood's version of clean and pristine.
The second thing she noticed about the goblins was that they were shy creatures. She knew she was being watched. She would catch some movement out of the corner of her eye but when she turned around, there was nothing there.
Chickens cackled as she moved closer to the throne room. A goblin spoke from the shadows, "Best you don't go in there. He's busy."
"Who said that?" Sarah looked around the arched stone hallway. Movement behind a hanging tapestry caught her eye. "Who's there?"
A small green head with big eyes and wild orange popped out. "Skittle did. Skittle says to Girl Who Won Back Her Baby, 'Don't go in there. He's busy. He won't like it. He's in a terrible way."
Sarah looked at the closed doors that she knew lead to the throne room. A child's cry filtered out causing her to shudder. "Oh."
Thoughts, emotions and memories ran through her head. Should she? No. It would break the fragile truce between them. She shuddered for a moment.
"It's alright, Girl Who Won Back Her Baby. The child will be given to a nice couple. Not all children become goblins. Some are adopted," Skittle said. Looking at the door, the little goblin said, "You should go. He won't like you spying on him. No no." With that the goblin disappeared back behind the tapestry.
o0o0o0o0o
The sun was shining down on the page she was reading. She had given up her exploring of the castle when she found his study library. She was in heaven. After browsing through several shelves, she had found a very interesting book.
Settled on the window box seat overlooking the Labyrinth, she lost herself in reading. That is until a shadow blocked the sun. She looked up to see a cloud passing over the sun.
So far, Sarah hadn't seen much of Jareth all day. It was like he was avoiding her for some reason. It didn't help that when the goblins brought her lunch, they told her he had 'A Wish Away' .
'I can almost swear he's avoiding me,' she thought as she turned from the view. She was a little disappointed. 'Make that very disappointed,' she thought that he hadn't spent the day with her.
That evening when she had returned to her rooms and dressed for dinner. Something told her it would be special. It was her last night in the Labyrinth. She had to return to her life Above in the morning.
It was then that she noticed a door that hadn't been there before. Puzzled, she examined it by placing a hand on it. It was a simple white and gold door that matched the rest of her room. She touched the door knob, knowing that nothing in the castle would harm her. Jareth wouldn't allow it.
Beyond the door was a small passageway with another door. Curious, she tried the handle. It was unlocked. Giving it a small rap with her knuckles, she opened the door.
"Come in, Sarah."
She stepped into a darken room. She couldn't make out the color schemes as she closed the door behind her. Jareth was by the balcony watching the last rays of the sun disappear over the horizon.
She stood by him for a moment, a bit confused, until he reached over and pulled her into his arms. "Welcome to my private rooms, my love," he purred bringing her hand up as he smiled over it into her eyes.
"You've planned this all along didn't you Jareth?" she accused.
"I just did what you asked. A bit of mystery, a bit of romance," he smiled pulling her back into the darken room.
"You've been avoiding me all day, haven't you?"
"Sarah. Let's not argue. Come. Let us enjoy your last night here."
Sarah was a bit nervous. Candle light dinners were very romantic, however, they weren't done in a man's bedroom.
"How do you like my castle?"
Sarah paused for a moment, then smiled. "What I saw of it, I enjoyed. I sort of got stopped when I found your library," she said, giving him a slight blush.
He chuckled. "You were always a dreamer. There is nothing wrong with that. Which book caught your fancy?"
Echoing his chuckle, she said, "The Care and Feeding of Goblins." He made a face as she went on, "I thought it was quite cute. So not all goblins are wished away children?"
He waved his hand and the table was gone. They were standing only a few feet across from each other. His face was void of emotion. Sarah found she couldn't quite read him. "No, Sarah. Not all children are turned into goblins."
"Toby?"
"I had plans of making him my heir and raising him myself."
Sarah shivered at the tone of his voice. It was so cold and cruel. Slowly she stepped closer to him. She didn't know how to answer that statement. She knew she should be screaming, crying, throwing things at him but for some reason, she couldn't. He only did what she asked of him. It had taken her a year to come to terms with what had happened. Looking back, she was such a spoil brat.
Reaching out a hand, she stepped closer, she didn't say a thing. She didn't know what to say. He looked so inhumanly perfect, that was to say, not something that was entirely human. "Jareth," she said so softly, it could've been a whisper or a sigh.
Closing his eyes, he pulled her to him, crushing her in a very tight embrace. He buried his face in her hair. She could hear his heart beating. A deep shudder ran through his body as her arms went around his waist.
His hands moved on her back to undo her lacings. She stepped slightly away from him to look up into his eyes. He pushed her gown away from her shoulders as her hands move to rest on his chest. Her eyes gaze up at him. 'I should be stopping this. I can't but I want this.' Her mind screamed.
As his hand slipped inside her gown to run up her bare back, a loud knock echoed through the chamber.
"Cousin! I know you are in there! Open! I bring news."
Jareth growled as his fingers dug into Sarah's flesh. She winced slightly from the pain as he let her go. "Stay here!" he ordered as he left her.
Sitting on his bed, clutching her gown to her, Sarah tried to listen to the conversation. Elves do not shout and she didn't have their keen hearing. She did recognize Corindel's voice and from the tones, things weren't good.
Jareth returned. "Go and get dressed, Sarah. I need to return you to your world," he ordered, clearly not pleased.
o0o0o0o0o
Dear Jareth,
I know I learnt my lesson in the Labyrinth. It isn't fair, it's just how it is. However, I can say this and I know you'll agree with me.
Life sucks! And that's the truth!
o0o0o0o0o
-- le sighs -- I'm really surprised that no one's reviewing anymore. Did I do something wrong? --GF