Checked for continuity, grammar, and spelling: May 3, 2011.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Introductions and First Impressions

Sarah's eyes were sparkling with enjoyment. She covered her face with one hand and shook her head. "Oh, I had forgotten all about that!" After explaining who Mr. Darcy was, she had asked a somewhat unconvinced Jareth where he had heard the name without knowing the story. With a slight hesitation, knowing he would be venturing on the same grounds that caused their argument from earlier, he related how he had listened to a conversation between some of her High School Drama friends one night. Her own surprise and subsequent wariness at his answer had quickly melted away into nostalgia as the memories of that night, and that show, flooded back. "You know, Aggie had told me the gist of what was said before I got there after the show that night, but not with word for word precision. That was ages ago! How did you remember the whole thing?" And why? The question arose unbidden, but it remained unspoken.

"Yes, well -"

Whatever he had intended to say was lost as the door flew open once more. Agnes flew into the room, her red hair in a fuzzy ponytail at the top of her head that bounced frenetically as she whipped her head around and sighted on Sarah. "Williams! THERE you are! How long have you been here?"

"Hey Aggie. About twenty minutes, half an hour maybe. This -"

Agnes bounded over and sat down with her back to the arm of Sarah's chair, her head leaning against the arm rest. "Why didn't you come talk to me as soon as you were back? Was it that terrible? I can imagine it was. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Everything's ok. Aggie, this -"

"Oh, Sarah you don't have to pretend to be so brave. Edmund called me and told me what happened, those damn fool boys. I told you you should have let me have him pound Sammuel into the ground. Think of all the trouble it might have saved!"

Sarah tried yet again, a little louder. "Aggie! This -"

"But none of that really matters now, does it. And I would prefer to hear your views on what happened before I go condemning the boys for their stupidity. Though I still think they behaved stupidly no matter what, and that thought will likely only increase after your telling. But, anyway -"

Finally, Sarah just reached over, rolling her eyes, and rapped Agnes on the top of the head. "Ag-nes!"

Agnes tilted her head back and peered at Sarah, slightly surprised at being interrupted. "What?"

"This," she turned Agnes' head in the direction of Jareth, "is Jareth. Jareth, Aggie." As she made yet another introduction, Sarah considered how each one of that day had been the last way she would have hoped things to have gone. Makes it seem as though everyone I know is peculiarly insane, she thought.

There was silence as realization sank in. "Oh." Agnes gave a feeble wave. "Um, hi there."

Jareth rested an elbow on the armrest and leaned his chin on his hand. "Hello," he responded, a slow grin appearing as Agnes shot a glare at Sarah who shrugged and leaned back in her chair in response before the both of them turned back to him. "I must say it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Sarah has told me a great deal about you."

Agnes could not help but grin in response. She could tell from his expression that he found her indiscreet entrance to be rather amusing, and, for some reason, liked him for not trying to hide it. "Really? Nothing too incriminating, I hope."

"Not at all. She has been highly complimentary."

"Well, that's reassuring." Her own grin turned rather evil. Let's see what you are made of, shall we? "Getting her to tell me anything about you has been like pulling teeth."

The way she said it, he concluded that she was trying to provoke either himself or Sarah, possibly both. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah glance down at Agnes, then give the ceiling a look of tried patience as she sighed heavily. However, she made no motion to contradict her friend. He knew Agnes was testing him, and his passing this test was as important to Sarah as it was to her friend. He kept his gaze on Agnes, as he would have done regardless, never faltering as he dryly answered, "Is that so?"

He chooses to acknowledge my bluff, but not call me on it... Interesting. Agnes was slightly impressed. "Oh, yes. My initial guess would be that she actually doesn't want to talk about you."

"Really?" He drew it out to sound suitably shocked at such an idea. "Certainly that couldn't be the case."

As Sarah listened and watched the two interact, she had the sudden worry that the tables were turning. Agnes, don't you dare... This is supposed to be about sizing him up, not encouraging him to join you in getting a rise out of me. That comes later. She sighed again. Unfortunately for me.

"Exactly what I thought!" Agnes was greatly enjoying this. Probably too much... Oh well! "Which led me to rethink the issue."

"Oh, naturally." I wonder where, precisely, she is going with this one. "Dare I ask after the conclusion?"

"Well," she said, turning to sit on her knees in front of Sarah and leaning in conspiratorially, "I figure it's one of two things."

Jareth leaned forward slightly as well. "You have my full attention."

"One," she counted on her fingers, "there is some great conspiracy going on between the two of you."

"And two?"

"Well, two," Agnes shrugged and leaned back, "you really are just such a dull character there's not much to tell."

Sarah groaned at that, hanging her head into her hands at the same time. "Oh, Aggie. Honestly."

They ignored her.

"Hm," Jareth appeared to give this some thought. "I hope it is the first. The second does not sound terribly flattering."

"No, not really," Agnes conceded. Ok, so far he has my approval. But I should probably wait for the next phase, just to save Sarah's nerves. "Well, since I so tactlessly interrupted earlier, I'll just zip on out again." She hopped up and strode to the door. After opening it, she turned back. "Good to meet you, Jareth. Don't be a stranger or anything." She started out the door, before poking her head around the corner again. "And no funny business, kids. Don't want the neighbors complaining." She ducked out before the pillow Sarah threw smacked her in the face.

"Sorry about that last comment," Sarah muttered. "I was hoping she'd stay mild. Which is silly, come to think of it, considering it's Agnes."

Jareth found it fascinating how many different shades of red she could turn, depending on the situation. "It's quite all right. She's very friendly, and rather funny." And if you can take such teasing from your best friend this sedately, can I hope to presume you are becoming more comfortable with such an idea? He tried to prevent falling into full certainty, knowing the possibility to be wrong was still there.

Sarah chuckled. "Yes, she is that."

Agnes shut the door behind her and took two steps before stopping in the middle of the hallway to consider. Well, she thought, he isn't afraid to banter, and is quick and intelligent enough to pull it off successfully. And he takes teasing well, though that could be just because I am Williams' best friend, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Should prove to be quite fun in the future. A small group of people walked by and wondered what she was doing. She did not register their presence. He certainly has a lovely voice, just draws you in.

"And good heavens! He looks so... so..." She spoke aloud without realizing it, causing a lone resident who was reading as she walked to jump. After seeing it was Agnes, however, who was staring off into space, she decided not to ask who 'he' was and what he looked 'so' of.

"No," Agnes continued. "You shouldn't do that. You should just let them be." There was a pause. Another resident turned the corner and ran into the first, who was still standing there. They both watched Agnes to see if she would do anything exciting.

"Oh, just do it. Sarah won't kill you in front of him, and by the time she gets the chance she may have changed her mind." With that, she turned around and marched back into Sarah's room, much to the disappointment of the two onlookers who exchanged shrugs and continued on their ways.

"I've never really known anyone else who can get away with saying so much. It's usually so outrageous that no one can believe she said it, and by the time they figure it out she's gone."

"As she did just now, I suppose?" Jareth smiled as the expected blush gently tinted her cheeks once more.

"Well, yes," Sarah continued. "Or -"

Once again, the door flew open and Agnes bounded in. "Ok, so I just couldn't properly leave without asking. You don't happen to have a brother, do you Jareth?"

"A brother?" His eyebrows furrowed, and he and Sarah exchanged equally bewildered glances.

Agnes did not really notice. "Yeah, you know. Someone who looks sort of like you? Or even remotely like you? Who is preferably single?"

Again out of the corner of his eye, Jareth could see Sarah trying hard not to laugh. "Er, no. No brothers."

"No? None at all?"

"None. No siblings at all, actually."

"Hm. Shame. Well, bye then." Quick as that, Agnes left again.

Once the door shut, Sarah's laughter became audible. "That would be another prime example."

"Yes, I think I could readily agree with you on that one." He did not get a chance to say anything else for the door flew open yet again.

"What about cousins? Nephews? Young uncles?" Agnes asked hopefully.

Sarah laughed even harder and Jareth chuckled as well. I wonder what she means by 'young,' exactly. "Sorry to disappoint, but no."

"Really." She sighed. "Damn, all those lovely genes and they haven't been spread for more people to enjoy. Ok, I'm really going now. Wills, come see me later, yeah?"

Before she could answer, Jareth spoke as he put on his gloves, then rose to put on his coat. "Actually, I think I had best depart. There are some things I must tend to at home before the day is gone completely."

"I'll just let you say goodbye then and wait in my room," Agnes said simultaneously with Sarah's, "I'll just grab my slippers and then walk you out."

Jareth watched as Agnes shook her head at Sarah, as though to say that was not quite what she should have said, while Sarah looked slightly mortified at Agnes. "No, it is quite all right. I can easily find my way out on my own; it is no maze to the door." Gentle pleasure coursed through him at seeing Sarah's smile at that remark. "And there is no need for either of you to inconvenience yourselves; I am sure you wish to talk and if you do not leave this room perhaps you will not be disturbed too frequently by visitors."

Oh, he's good, thought Agnes with a chuckle. She sidled over to sit at the desk and watched as Sarah rose as well and then walked him to the door. Somehow, the gesture managed to appear completely intimate for all that there was a third person in the room, but it did not make Agnes feel uncomfortable either.

"Thank you again for... today," Sarah offered, quietly.

"It was a pleasure, Sarah." Jareth thought, momentarily. "Well, most of it. Agnes," he said as he looked over.

Jareth gave a slight incline that she immediately knew was a casual bow. They make bows casual? Learn something new every day, I guess. "Jareth," she responded, the solemnity of her tone of voice belied by the cheeky grin.

"It was, as I said before, a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Likewise," she told him, touching her fingers to her forehead. I wonder if that qualifies as a casual salute?

"I shall call on you again soon, Sarah." He reached over once more to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering on her cheek so briefly it was almost unnoticeable. "If you wish it."

Agnes could not help noting that the way he said her name was as much of a caress as the physical gesture she may have missed had she not been watching carefully.

Sarah blushed slightly, once again, but smiled at him and nodded. "I would like that."

In the pause that followed, Agnes watched the two regard each other.

Finally, Sarah broke the silence with a quiet. "Bye," and Jareth opened the door. He bowed slightly to Sarah then nodded once more to Agnes before finally going out, shutting the door behind him.

"Well then, Williams." Agnes waited for Sarah to turn around. She did so, leaning up against the door, and looked at Agnes with expectant curiosity written plainly on her face. "I have to say... he certainly is..." she began twisting back and forth on Sarah's desk chair as she searched for the right description, "something else." It was the best she could come up with.

"Well, yes."

"But, my word. They don't make 'em like that very often. It really is a pity he has no relations for your poor, single, best friend."

Sarah laughed outright. "You are the one who is something else. I mean, really. Besides, what about Edmund?"

"Oh, pshaw. Edmund is just a good friend." She didn't notice Sarah's quickly hidden smirk. "But speaking of Edmund, let's get the bad stuff out of the way before we start gushing about how gorgeous this Jareth of yours is, eh?"

"Oh, Aggie," Sarah giggled, flinging herself into her chair. "And what bad stuff would that be?"

"What bad stuff, she asks. Wills," Agnes stopped moving and leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees. "What happened today at the park?"

"Oh that bad stuff." Sarah sighed once more, thinking for a moment. "Well, it all started, I guess, after we had finished eating lunch..."