"Keep the Magic Alive"
Chapter 3
By Aiijuin
Disclaimer: All things "Labyrinth" belong to Henson Companies as well as many other wonderful contributors. I own nothing!
This story is dark at times, and therefore is marked M+ for Mature content
Chapter 3: The Book
Three years passed by quickly and Sahara was still causing Jareth and Sarah no end of intensive problems. At fifteen, she had gone from withdrawn, chubby, and nerdy, to gothy, super-thin, and rebellious. She had cut off most of her hair into choppy layers and dyed it pitch-black. She also wore a ton of makeup that made her look like a vampire in Jareth's opinion. Her music was usually cranked up as loud as she could turn it, and although Jareth enjoyed music, he didn't enjoy it at ear-splitting levels.
She was also hospitalized twice for cutting her arms and legs, and had to be placed on medication and therapy for possible bipolar disorder. Most of her evenings she spent on the internet chatting with strange people that Jareth was believed were convincing her to do the bad things to herself.
Jareth himself was getting worn out and desperately sought a vacation. While their finances didn't allow them such luxuries, something just as wonderful had happened….
A career, similar to the one that Sarah had at the Met, had just opened up in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She immediately jumped on the opportunity as she resigned from her job in NYC and began the new one in Philly two weeks later.
The entire family seemed relieved that Sarah had better hours and spent more time at home with them at last. Of course, Sahara pretended that she didn't care, but Sarah could tell that she did.
Jareth was especially ecstatic that Sarah was going to spend more time with the family again. Their communication had been absolutely zero over the last three years, with the exception of a fifteen-minute long-distance phone call everyday. The whole situation with her work schedule, the care for Jaime, and the stress that Sahara was causing him, almost caused Jareth to simply walk out of his marriage with Sarah over a year ago. He kept telling himself that he would wait one more day and things would get better.
He was happy that he had, because Sarah was home again like he had wished and she immediately took control of Sahara and placed her under a tight regiment. Sahara balked, "It's not fair! Why can't I talk to my friends on the net when I want?"
Jareth was about to explain, when Sarah held up her hand and said, "Because we're your parents, Sahara, and there should be no further explanation! Now go get your dirty clothes out of your room, and put them in the hamper. After that, I want you to wash the dishes, dry them, and then put them in their proper places inside of the cabinets. Don't give me that look! And don't think that I haven't heard what you've been putting your father and sisters through."
Sahara yelled, "How would you know? You don't even know anything about my life or my plans! Your job is more important than I am! It always was! I hate you!"
Sarah tried to call to Sahara as the teen clamored up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Jareth patted Sarah on the shoulder and said, "I'll talk to her, Darling."
Sarah nodded and walked into the bathroom with tears in her eyes. She knew that her family was more important that her job, and if she could have stayed home with them for the last three years, then she wouldn't have given it a second thought. She jumped as she thought that she saw monsters looking back at her in the darkened bathroom mirror and tried to turn on the lights.
Sarah called to Jareth, "Honey, I think we blew a fuse in the bathroom. The lights aren't working."
Jareth marched back downstairs with Jaime in his hands. He flicked the light switch a couple of times as the toddler giggled within his arms. "Mmm," he began. "Do you know that's the fourth time this month that I've had to replace the bulbs in this room?"
"Are you sure it's not a fuse?" Sarah asked.
Jareth nodded, "Absolutely."
"Maybe we have the wrong wattage light bulbs in this room," Sarah muttered as she incoherently flicked the switch again and again.
Jareth grabbed her hand and said, "Leave it. I'll check it in the morning."
Jaime interrupted and asked enthusiastically, "Mommy! Will you read me a story tonight?"
Sarah smiled and said in a baby-voice, "Of course I will, Sweetie!"
Jareth smirked and warned her jokingly, "Oh, no… Get ready to read 'the book'."
Sarah blinked and asked, "Which book?"
"Remember the one that you used to read when you were a teenager?" Jareth asked. "At least, that's what your stepmother said that you always read. Apparently, Karen had accidentally shipped the book off to your brother, Toby and his wife, and he promptly forwarded it to us with great delight…. I don't think he likes the story very much, since he was anxious to part with it in a most expedited fashion."
"The cheapskate actually shipped it over-night Fed-Ex?" Sarah laughed.
Jareth nodded as he placed little Jaime on the ground and the child took off towards the living room to grab the book. Even though Jaime couldn't see, he had memorized the house layout and managed to run through the halls at a fantastic speed. Jareth's smile dropped as soon as Jaime had cleared out of earshot and he whispered, "I think Jaime's beginning to suffer from the same condition that I am, Sarah. He's starting to have the dreams at night and he sleepwalks everywhere."
"Jar, you don't have any genetic mental condition," Sarah scolded him. "The psychologists said that it was probably residual past memories that had been distorted from the accident…. Which reminds me, have you started to recall anything yet?"
"No, it's been almost nineteen years, and I've not remembered anything beyond my recovery point," Jareth shook his head. "What about you? Have you recalled anything yet, my Dear?"
Sarah shook her head as Jaime reentered the room with a little red, leather-bound book. After she picked up her son and cradled him within her arms, she answered, "Nothing. I only remember waking up in the hospital a month after it happened."
"After what happened-ed…Mommy?" Jaime asked sweetly.
Sarah smiled at her son as he felt her face to see if she was smiling. When he determined that she was, he let out another giggle. She looked at the book in his hands and read, "'The Labyrinth' Mmm, Karen said I used to read this?"
Jareth shrugged, "You're asking the wrong person, Dearest. How would I recall either way? To be honest, I don't think I knew you when you were fifteen…"