Not the Only World to Fall

Chapter Two

"Daddy!" Sarah jumped into her Dad's arms the second her opened the door. She did it with such a force that he was almost knocked to the floor. It was mid-afternoon and he was the only one in the warm and inviting house; Toby was in school and her Step-Mother, Julia, was in work.

"Thought you weren't coming round until tomorrow? Oh, it's good to see you my darling." He regained his balance and hugged her back, closing the oak door behind them both. After a moments stifled silence in which Sarah made not attempt to remove herself from her Dad's embrace, he pulled her away to get a good look a her face. "What's wrong? You're so close to getting all you've ever wanted; why such a glum face?" He led her into the huge open planned kitchen and plonked her down on a chair facing him while he began pottering around the kitchen. He lit the stove, grabbed the heavy kettle, filled it with water and placed it on the ring to boil, all the while it could be seen that he was thinking hard. His soft forehead had ruffled into a frown; his blue eyes had dulled over. "You're certainly beginning to look the part of an actress; there's nothing of you." He rested upon the counter, "How about the famous Williams's triple ham and pickle sandwich. We got the bread you like?" Before he got an answer he pulled an uncut loaf from the bread bin.

"Um Ok." She muttered, clearly somewhere else. Her brain felt like mush, and her heart felt like it had stopped completely.

"Don't sound too excited!" Her dad faked his hurt. "Never mind the fact that you haven't had a Williams's special made by my hand in two years." He noticed she was still sad. "It always managed to put a smile on my little Sarah's face." She didn't change. "What is it Sarah?"

"Um, Ok is what I said to Eric this morning; when he asked me to marry him." Sarah explained glumly.

"What did you think he'd said Sarah; Pass the milk?" Her father laughed as he continued making their sandwiches by gathering all he needed from the fridge. "You never say um, ok to a Williams's triple let alone a marriage proposal. You're an actress my darling; how much of a disappointment must that have been for him."

"I know dad, I know." Her head fell into her hands. "I didn't realise what he'd actually said until I'd replied. Daddy, do you think I should call it off?" She finally looked up and into his eyes.

"Do you love him?" He asked as the kettle boiled with an ear-splitting whistle.

"Yes, I think so. I thought I did." She stammered. She did love him, and she'd known she had up until that stupid stupid invader of her dreams. She loved Eric, but deep down she knew she had the potential to love Jareth more; if she didn't already.

"Well you better make sure my little lady, you're my only daughter. You're very special to me and I'm not going to give you away if you're not a hundred percent sure he's the guy for you." He placed a steaming mug of tea and a mouth-watering sandwich of ham, cheese, salad, pickles and mustard in front of her.

"I'm sure he's perfect for me. I'm lucky to have him. I'm just sure he deserves better." She picked at the crumbs from the sandwich.

"Baby, this guy is perfect for you. You know, since I married Toby's mum, this has been the first time I'd seen you truly happy. For years, you were distant and so unhappy. You went round in a permanent daze; you seemed to hate Toby for breathing. You came back to me a little that night the power was cut about ten years ago now, and you seemed fine with Toby after that. After that you seemed to have a little determination about you, but you weren't truly happy; I assumed you had a crush on a boy in school or a teacher who didn't like you back. Then Eric came along and he put that sparkle back in those eyes and made you forget about that guy. He's a great guy Sarah, he's besotted with you. He'd move heaven and earth for you-"

"-He's not the only one." She muttered as she finally bit into her sandwich.

"Sarah, are you cheating on him?" Her dad demanded and she chocked at the comment.

"No, of course not Dad. That's just another story is all, guy who's now firmly in the past. If I split with Eric, it'd be because of me not some other guy."

Her dad mused for a moment before continuing "Maybe you just have jitters hun. After all it's all coming at once; you're career, moving to a city where you don't know anyone and with the only guy you've ever had a serious relationship with. I'm sure it's just all been a little overwhelming for you to say goodbye to your childhood."

"Amen to that." She laughed bitterly, but at least her dad was happy that it was a laugh at all. "I've missed your food daddy, thank you."

"What are you going to do now?" He asked brushing her hair off her face. "I want you to be happy."

"I'm going to marry him. I do love him dad." This time she acted. She still wasn't sure, but any doubt would lead to over-protective dad syndrome. She drained her mug. "When's Toby due home?"

"He should be in any minute now." Her dad gathered the empty plates.

"Ok to wait around until he shows up, I want to go have a look in my room and get a few bits that I want to take with me to New York."

"You rub it in Miss Williams!" Her Dad laughed. "Go on up, I assume you remember where it is?"

Sarah opened the door to her bedroom and stepped back into her childhood. Her teddies were still up on their shelves gathering dust. It had been two years since anything had been moved by her.

She lay down on her bed and sighed. For about three years after she beat Jareth she spent every night crying, coming ridiculously close to wishing that he would take her away. She thought her dreams were unobtainable; she may have won the labyrinth but he'd broken her spirit, but then she'd remembered how to get that spirit back.

She jumped up from the bed and delved into the drawers on her dresser. There it was; the book that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. It never said anything in the book about the girl loving the Goblin King back. She picked up the brush on the table and began brushing her long hair, her hands were shaking and her heart was hammering.

"I wish the Goblin King would take me away; right now." She said clearly, and thoughtfully.

Nothing.

No flicker of lights, no magic tricks, no thunder; not even a hint of an Earthquake like before. She began staring at the ring. It really was beautiful. Light and crisp; she adored it.

Five minutes passed, and still nothing. He wasn't coming; he had been playing with her. Suddenly she was feeling guilty. She'd gotten into their car and driven away as soon as they had left the jewellery shop. Eric hadn't seemed best pleased, but she hadn't really been thinking; she just had to see her dad. She went back to her bed and crawled into a ball, hugging her pillow. She was back to her childhood hoping he was just going to turn up and whisk her away.

Ten minutes, did he want her to say it again just to make sure she meant it? No chance, she scoffed, she wasn't begging. However, she would wait a little longer. Perhaps he was just testing her faith. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears; within a minute she was drifting into a nightmare filled sleep. She dreamt Jareth was in chains and trapped, then her mind remembered that was probably her subconscious telling her that's how he make her feel. She then brushed the thought aside and fell into a deeper dreamless sleep.

The sky was dark when she stirred from her sleep. She felt groggy, for a brief second she had forgotten why she was there. Then it came flooding back, and she remembered what she had done. Her irritation turned to anger as she hastily gathered a few books and her mirror that was mounted on the wall.

"Fine, have it your way Jareth." She roared. "I'm going to go and get an expensive take-away and I'm going to go home and I'm going to re-propose. ME! We're going to get married and live happily ever after in New York, then maybe onto Hollywood. No more of your jealous tantrums." She allowed a tear to fall before she got herself together. "You had your chance." She checked her watch; almost seven. Surly Toby would be home.

She headed downstairs to a solemn kitchen; both her dad and Julie where sitting sipping tea.

"What's going on? Why'd you leave me so long?" Sarah asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes, neither of them made to speak. "Where's Toby?"

"He's been picked up by the police." Sarah's dad explained. "He was caught stealing."

"What?" She hadn't known Toby to steal in his life. Yes, when he was a baby he'd sneak into her room and steal her teddies but that stopped the night Jareth took him and almost turned him into a goblin. Somehow, she knew this had something to do with Jareth, she'd didn't know how but she sure knew why.

"$400 worth of stuff from a department store in town." Julie explained as she wrung her hands. "I don't understand, he didn't need to steal we give him everything he wants."

"I'm sure there's a reason Julie. Want me to go pick him up?" Sarah offered.

"No, hun. It's ok; he's being brought home. You get home to your fiancée." Her dad ushered her out into the hall.

"Yea, congratulations Sarah," Julie gave her a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Yea… See you guys tomorrow." She gave them both a quick hug and a kiss goodbye before getting into her car and driving home.

It had started to rain by the time she reached the apartment. Armed with take-away in one hand and her box full of memories in another she was finding it hard to open the door. She heard scuffling inside but thought nothing of it.

Finally getting inside she found Eric with his old friend Tara, watching a random tv channel, both slightly flustered, but Sarah was already too rattled to notice.

"Hey Tara, wasn't expecting you here." She kissed Eric as she passed him to put the take-away on the kitchen counter. His hair was sticky, that wasn't normal unless he'd been out of a run. "I've got Chinese; you wanting to stay?"

"Actually, no… I think I should get going." She got up from the couch, but Sarah pushed her back down.

"No, don't be silly. You never know when you'll see him again. I'm just going to go get changed and put this junk in the bedroom and I'll be right with you." Sarah had opened the bedroom door before Eric's brain could engage and protest.

"Babe-" Eric began as Sarah dropped the box to the floor with a loud crash, the mirror must have broken but it was the least of Sarah's worries.

"I made that bed this morning." She stammered as she looked further into the room. The bedding was everywhere, strewn all over the floor. There on the pillow, silver gleamed and glistened; laughing at Sarah. "Loose something Tara?" Sarah returned to the living room, armed with her earring. Tara's hand immediately went to the ear that was missing its decoration. "I think you should go Tara."

"I'm s-"

"Don't even. You know where the door is." Sarah stopped her pity. She heard her whisper to Eric that he was to phone her later as she gathered her stuff and left.

"It meant nothing. I'm sorry" Eric was up off the couch, his face grave.

"Don't give me that, you're only sorry you got caught. Next you'll be telling me it's my own fault, that I drove you to it."

"It's not like that-" Eric moved towards her, but she made it clear she wanted him nowhere near him, she stepped back and held the kitchen counter for support.

"How long has this been going on?" Sarah asked starring at Eric who remained stony silent. "HOW LONG!"

"Six months." His colour rose.

"And you call that nothing Eric? I thought you loved me?"

"And I thought that was a two way thing, I thought you loved me back." Eric shouted but he refused to comment further. He sighed before he continued. "I was moving us to get away from her,"

"I thought we were moving to start my career. To make my dreams come true and make me happy!" Her world was falling, just as Jareth had warned. It was his fault; he couldn't have her so no one else could. "How can it truly be over between you two if you're just running away?"

"Today, we were saying goodbye." She could hear the desperation in his voice.

"It's over." Sarah stated. He looked hopeful-

"Yes, I swear to you I won't see her ever again. It's over." He was near to tears.

"No Eric. WE are over."

"You're still in love with him aren't you?" He snapped bitterly, his tactics changing. As she predicted, he was now blaming her. "Whoever he is, you still love him don't you."

"Excuse me?" Sarah roared.

"J, The guy with the strange name, you still love him don't you. You talk in your sleep Sarah. You talk about him sometimes. I could never compete with a guy who promised you the world."

"That would have just been a dream. He doesn't exist." Sarah lied; after all she did love Eric. Up until she'd walked into their bedroom.

"Then why don't you love me?"

"Because Eric, you've just broken my heart." Sarah stifled her tears. "Please get out while I get my things together."