Chapter 9
"We've checked the hospital and nothing," Jennifer said. "I think we should go back to the park in case they've gone back there."
Sarah sighed. "You're right. Then the only thing left is to check houses, but that would take a very long time and I'm afraid we don't have much time left."
Sarah and Jennifer waited at the park. Time was running out as they were discussing what to do next when, they saw Crystal coming towards them with someone. Both were helping support Reineth. "Crystal!" Sarah cried at the same time Jennifer cried "Reineth!"
"Mom!" Crystal called back, never so happy to see her mother in her life. "Hurry. We have to get Reineth back to the Labyrinth."
Sarah reserved all her questions and reprimands, and produced a crystal to transport them back home. It was a bit more difficult with more people, but she managed to get them to the castle with Jennifer contributing her energy to help.
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Jareth took over, quickly healing Toby's side and head, but realized he needed a special kind of power to bring him back. He took off his necklace and pushed it to Toby's heart. He took the hand of Janine who was crying now, and pressed it on top of the necklace. "You want Toby to live." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, but -"
"Then concentrate on that. Put all your energy and love into it."
She closed her eyes and concentrated. She poured all her newfound feelings into him, including her discovery of a love she had never known before, of her determination not to loose that love, and her love for him.
Suddenly Toby sucked in a deep breath, filling his lungs with oxygen. "Janine?"
"Toby!" she laughed with surprise and relief.
He reached up, stroking her face. She leaned forward and he pulled her to him. They kissed.
Jareth turned his attention to the goblins. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let you fall right now?"
"We didn't mean it, Your Highness."
"Oh, you didn't?"
"We saw they were a threat to you, Your Majesty, and we were trying to stop them," said the leader.
"But, boss that wasn't what happened -"
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Jareth allowed them to drop several more feet before suspending then again. "You know I don't tolerate rule breaking, and you've done more than that, but I'll leave you to wonder what kind of punishment you'll get for now. Jareth turned away from the Bog of Eternal Stench and the goblins dropped the rest of the way into the Bog. Shortly after they each found themselves in their own private oubliette.
Sireth stood waiting, and Jareth looked past him to see that Janine had collapsed on top of Toby from the energy of healing him and Toby was asleep and recovering. Jareth picked up Janine and Sireth took Toby. They made it back to the castle and put Toby and Janine both in Toby's bed. Then they went to see if Sarah and Jennifer had returned yet. And if they hadn't, Jareth made up his mind, he would go Aboveground to find them himself.
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Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo had been searching the Labyrinth for Toby and Janine and those goblins who were after them. "Oh, this is taking too long," Hoggle said. "Either the goblins have killed them or Jareth's got them by now."
"I'm certain His Majesty has them safe," Sir Didymus replied.
"Yeah," Ludo agreed.
"Well, I'm heading back to the castle. There's nothing we can do now, anyway," Hoggle said.
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Sarah, Jennifer, Reineth, and David arrived in the throne room at the same time as Jareth and Sireth strode in. "You found them, I see," Jareth said.
"Reineth!" Sireth took him from them.
"He'll be fine," Jareth commented. "He just needs some rest."
Sireth couldn't be annoyed by his father's coolness, because he knew that was just the way he was. He was always calm. At least that's the way he made it seem to everyone else, but Sireth knew he loved them all. Sireth and Jennifer took Reineth to his room. Crystal walked awkwardly over to her father. "Dad, I'm sorry -"
He cut her off and opened his arms to surround her in a hug. "It's alright. I know why you went, and there was no way of stopping you. It was almost beyond your control. Maybe I told myself the pull wouldn't or couldn't be that strong yet. We should have taken you there when you asked. Still you shouldn't have gone without us or without telling anyone, especially getting Reineth to take you. He's not experienced enough. You were nearly killed," he pointed to the blood on her clothes as Sarah suppressed a gasp. "And you put Reineth in danger too."
"I know and I'm sorry for everything. I wasn't thinking. But why couldn't you find us?"
"I think because by the time we discovered you were gone. Reineth had lost his power, in a way becoming just like everyone else Aboveground, with no special power that we all have that is detectable. He became invisible to us. I could see you faintly, but couldn't tell where you were, because you were fading. But you're alright now?"
"Yes, I healed myself. I'm just tired, that's all."
Sarah came over and hugged her daughter. "Oh, Crystal, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I was being selfish. I didn't want to let you go, but don't you ever do something like that again!"
"Don't worry. I won't."
"So, I assume this is the guy all the trouble is about?"
David was standing awkwardly across the room. "Yep." Crystal beamed, going to stand beside him. Her fingers entwined with his as she brought him forward. "This is David. David this is mom and dad.
"I'm Sarah," her mother introduced herself. "And this is Jareth."
David saw where Crystal got her amazing looks from. Her mother so full of love, it spread over the room even encompassing him, which surprised him for two reasons. First that Crystal's mom could like him at all after all the trouble that seemed to be his fault and second because that felling was foreign to him. He had never felt genuine love from his parents before.
Then there was her father. David had heard he was the Goblin King. Well, he certainly exuded power, there was no question about that. He looked like a man who would not tolerate anything against his rules. His mismatched eyes seemed to stare into your soul and knew your darkest secrets, which made David nervous, but still he could tell how much he cared for his family.
"Now go get some sleep," Jareth said.
Crystal remembered. "What about Janine? Is she alright?"
"She's fine. I still have to deal with the goblins who attacked her, but we can worry about that tomorrow. Now go on."
"We love you Crystal," Sarah said.
"I know. I love you too." She kissed her mom and dad on the cheek, then took David's hand and led him down the hall.
"What was that about goblins?" David asked nervously.
"Don't worry. I'll explain later," Crystal laughed.
Sarah sighed and leaned into Jareth's embrace. "I'm so glad they're back safe."
"So am I." They appeared in their bedchambers, neither one sure who exactly transported them there since it was the destination on both their minds. Jareth picked Sarah up easily and deposited her on the bed. He climbed onto the bed above her and kissed her. His kisses still drove her wild and made her want to give him all that she was, all that she could ever be.
Then he sang as he ran his hands through her hair and over her body. His voice made her body come alive in the same his hands could.
"Love me, love me, love me, love me, say you do
Let me fly away with you
For my love is like the wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Give me more than one caress
Satisfy this hungriness
Let the wind blow through your heart
For wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
You touch me, I hear the sound of mandolins
You kiss me
With your kiss my life begins
You're spring to me, all things to me
Don't you know, you're life itself?
Like the leaf clings to the tree,
Oh, my darling, cling to me
For we're like creatures of the wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
You touch me, I hear the sound of mandolins
You kiss me
With your kiss my life begins
You're spring to me, all things to me
Don't you know, you're life itself?
Like the leaf clings to the tree,
Oh, my darling, cling to me
For we're like creatures in the wind
And wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Wild is the wind!"
The words tore from his throat and echoed around the room. They both had each other undressed by this point. Jareth's mouth travelled down Sarah's neck to her breast. His tongue stroked it to a hard peak and she arched her back for him. Her fingers tangled in his soft blond hair, holding him to her.
This wasn't the time for a slow seduction, Jareth decided. They were both so charged with energy right now. He lifted his head and surged into her. She gasped and clung to him as he rode her on a storm of suppressed emotions. He was relentless until she screamed his name and he spilled into her.
They lay together and Jareth brushed the hair back from her face. He looked into her eyes. "You're exactly who I want to be with . . . Without you, what would I do?"
She smiled. "I don't know, Jareth"
He kissed her. "Woman, I love you."