Need You Now Chapter 3: Little Talks, a labyrinth fanfic

I'm back, y'all! Sorry about the excessively long delay in getting this chapter out. I swear I'll try to get the rest of this story out a bit faster. I was just having some really bad writer's block. (And I mean REALLY bad.) But then I heard the song in this chapter, Little Talks, while I was out running around with my sister, and I knew this was the direction I wanted to go.

Sarah sat at the top of the stairs of her childhood home, looking down into the living area. Jareth was with a runner, and she was trying to figure things out. Their new relationship was just a little confusing, she supposed. They were definitely friends, and she suspected that they were more. So what could this be called? Courtship? Jareth had as much as stated that he wanted to marry her.

Weighing heavier on her mind, however, was the fact that she was about to leave this house for the last time. Karen's sister had taken her jewelry, and had taken all of Toby's things for her sister-in-law's new son. Everything else had been auctioned off, including the house, which had brought close to $300,000 dollars. Now it was just an empty shell.

Hey! Hey! Hey!
I don't like walking around this old and empty house
So hold my hand, I'll walk with you, my dear
The stairs creak as you sleep, it's keeping me awake
It's the house telling you to close your eyes

Slowly, she stood, walking through the upstairs area one more time, the stairs creaking a bit beneath her feet. As she entered what had been Toby's bedroom, she could have sworn she could hear his laughter. In the reflection from the window, she could have sworn that she saw his reflection, and she whirled around quickly, only to face the emptiness. Was she going insane?

Some days I can't even trust myself
It's killing me to see you this way

Jareth was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs when she'd finished. He took her hand, and she gave him a small smile. "Hey."

"I apologize for not being here for this, Precious."

"I understand. You had a runner. You couldn't control that."

"I know. I just hate seeing you so sad."

Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry
Our bodies safe to shore

"How did things turn out this time?" Sarah asked, taking Jareth's hand as she continued on into the kitchen and dining room. She had to make sure that she wasn't missing anything.

"It was the usual. I did feel a bit of sympathy for the runner, and she tried her best. At the end, though, she just begged that I make sure her daughter had a better life than she could provide. The babe is barely a day old, and in the hands of a capable wet nurse until I can find a suitable family for her."

In her father's office, Sarah ran her hand over the whisky cabinet. The young family who would be moving in soon had purchased it along with the house. In her head, she could almost hear her father's voice. Between the time Linda had left and the time Karen had entered the picture, Robert had always tried to make time for Sarah, and they would occasionally talk in this room as Robert worked on a case and Sarah did her homework.

Hey! Hey! Hey!
There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back
Well tell her that I miss our little talks
Soon it will all be over, and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love

They stepped out into the yard, still holding hands, and Sarah pointed to the spot where Toby had cracked the wood on the front steps. "He was just learning to ride a bike and got a little over-confident after seeing some of the bigger kids at school doing stunts and sharp turns," she said. "He thought he could make the turn before he hit the porch. Instead, he ran right into the steps and flew over the handle bars. He broke his arm, but when Karen took him to the emergency room, he bragged about it to the nurse, the doctor... anyone who would listen."

"He was a lively chap," Jareth said. "I would have liked to make him my heir, at least until we had children of our own."

"Jareth..."

"I know, Sarah. I haven't forgotten my promise."

Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right.
Your mind is playing tricks on you my dear

Jareth took Sarah into his arms and disappeared with her, taking her to his castle. Even though Sarah was still unsure about their relationship, she had agreed to stay in one of the guest rooms, there, at least until she knew what she wanted. The key to the house was with the auctioneer, who had left just before Sarah had started her final tour to make sure she had forgotten nothing. Jareth left her alone in her room, knowing that she was exhausted.

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry
Our bodies safe to shore

Sarah gave a heavy sigh. Even though she hadn't been in the car, she had nightmares of the crash. She could hear the screams, over and over again, and she always woke up in a sweat, breathing hard.

Hey!
Don't listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry
Our bodies safe to shore

That night, though, Sarah's dreams started a bit more pleasant. She was sharing a picnic with her father, step-mother, and brother. Slowly, though, her family started to fade away, until they were no longer there, and Sarah started screaming until she woke herself up. She slid out of bed and went out onto the small balcony attached to her room. She could see the crystal moon up high in the sky, and she figured it to be in the middle of the night. Whether that was 12 or 13 here, she wasn't sure. She made a note to ask Jareth about how time worked.

Sarah closed her eyes, and again she could hear Toby's voice. It was clear, this time. "Don't cry, sis! I'll be back, soon. You'll see."

"Toby?" Sarah whirled around, but there was nobody there. What cruel trick was this? Who would play with her like that? Toby couldn't come back. He was dead. Not even Jareth, a powerful Fae, could bring him back.

You're gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
All that's left is a ghost of you
Now we're torn, torn, torn apart
There's nothing we can do
Just let me go, we'll meet again soon
Now wait, wait, wait for me
Please hang around
I'll see you when I fall asleep

"Oh, Toby..." Sarah whispered, returning to her bed. There was a soft knock at the door. "Come in!" she called.

Jareth came in and sat on the bed next to her. "Are you okay? I heard you screaming from down the hall."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's not a problem. I was still awake, anyway. It's one of the downsides of being a king. Sometimes, I'm up all night doing paperwork."

"I had a different dream. It wasn't the car wreck. We were having a picnic, and then they just all faded away. That's when I started screaming. And then I heard Toby's voice as clear as day, telling me he'd come back to me."

"That's not possible, Precious. You know that as well as I do."

Hey!
Don't listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!

"I know. I can't help but think that someone must be playing a cruel trick on me, but you wouldn't do that, and I know you wouldn't let anyone else do that."

"No, I wouldn't," Jareth said. "Still, would you like me to put a shield up around your room to make sure?"

"You can do that?"

"Of course I can. It's actually something very common that a Fae learns to do as a child. While sending minor nightmares and hallucinations is usually done between siblings trying to irritate each other, sometimes an enemy will do it during war or simply to drive you mad, sending the worst that they can think of to drive you insane. While I'm certain that this isn't the case, I'm willing to do anything to help you sleep better."

Sarah rested her head on Jareth's chest and let him hold her. "I don't think a shield is needed. But would you stay with me, at least until I fall back asleep?"

"Of course."

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry
Our bodies safe to shore

Jareth was true to his word. He lay next to Sarah, holding her, and Sarah couldn't be more grateful. She felt fortunate to have someone who cared for her so much. He had been there for her every step of the way, since she'd first called for him that night, drunk. Safe in Jareth's arms, she fell asleep again, this time with no more bad dreams.

Don't listen to a word I say
Hey!
The screams all sound the same
Hey!

Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry
Our bodies safe to shore