DISCLAIMER - I don't own Sarah or Jareth or the Labyrinth (unfortunately) they belong to Jim Henson & Co, and I'm definitely not making a profit from this.
All other NPC's are a figment of my own imagination.
Walking away she heaved a sigh of relief and made her way over to the main doors and Martin who was wishing a couple a good evening as they stepped out into the drizzle. Looking out into the street through the glass everything shone in the streetlights, washed clean.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with Ollie and Cassandra, I hope he didn't threaten you." She said as Martin turned and gave her a quick hug.
"I'd like to see him try. Don't you worry yourself Sarah, we'll make sure he can't get back in. I've got a locksmith coming in first thing and I've got extra staff coming in half an hour for night shift. Frankly I think hes far too drunk to do anything but go home and sleep it off."
"I hope so. I can't afford to pay for insurance payouts if he breaks in and destroys any artwork." Sarah sighed biting her lip in anxiety.
"Don't fret." He said again.
"Hopefully the free alcohol has run out so people will start leaving soon." She said smiling as she left him, spying Sebastian by the stairs. She caught his eye as he was getting an older gentleman to sign a sales form and hung around on her own to wait for him. She took a moment to look around the gallery, her beloved pride and joy and felt again the sick thought of Ollie maliciously damaging everything she and her team had worked so hard to create. The crowd had thinned out, revealing glimpses of the beautiful artwork on the walls lit by specialist lighting, and gracing the main floor, head and shoulders above the guests and art critics stood Ambrose's beautiful sculptures. Despite not really associating them with herself she had been constantly told how lifelike they were and how much they reflected how stunning she herself was. She shrugged the compliments off, knowing full well what lay beneath her tailored dress was far from perfect and it was Jareths glamor that they found beauty in.
It always came back to him. No matter how she turned or tried to make her own way, no matter how many years she had spent running away from him, now here she was back staring at him across the room. She flushed as she realised she really was staring at him across the room, and as if she had called his name he stopped talking to Anita and Chris and deliberately turned to look at her right back. He flashed her his characteristic smirk then continued his conversation. Sebastian saved her by walking over waving the sales sheet.
"I can't believe it. Thats my 7th sale tonight. At this rate we'll have to go out and find more art tomorrow."
"Good commission too right!" Sarah joked high fiving him.
"Too right!"
"I have to ask, do you think you could give Chris a hand next week? We're going to be a bit short staffed."
"Sure thing! Anything you need you know that. Just get Chris to call me."
"Sarah, I'm going to share a cab with Ambrose, he's wanting to head home now his friends have gone, is that ok?" Anita asked heading over to them.
"You go girl!" Sarah grinned.
"Wait let me give you this." Sebastian said handing over his paperwork.
"Great let me run this upstairs and grab our coats."
"Pop them all in a pile, I want to take them home with me." Sarah said as Anita nodded and scurried off.
"Sara mia cara, now I take Aneeta 'ome. She ees tired and a leetle drunk no?" Ambrose laughed walking over to them and taking hold of Sarah's hand.
"Ay can not begeen to thank you enough! Eye see you all tomorrow night!" They waved and hugged as Anita helped Ambrose on with his coat and piled out the door into a cab, Sebastian leaving straight after along with a good throng of people. Sarah returned to the main desk happily finishing off the rest of Anita's champagne feeling the almost happy buzz of steadily getting more drunk knowing she would regret it later. As people made their way to the front of the gallery on their way out they said their goodbyes allowing Sarah to steadily work her way through the glass and then as nobody was looking she drained the rest of the bottle from under the desk back into her glass.
"Finally!" Chris sighed slumping down across the desk as Martin closed and locked the front doors. "I feel like tonights lasted 13 damn hours not 4."
"Perhaps it did and you just didn't realise how quickly 13 hours can slip right past you." Sarah responded somewhat philosophically before yawning.
"So what happens now?" Jareth asked from the chair behind her.
"Now?" She repeated confused.
"Now we go home darlings and clean up tomorrow." Chris said firmly standing up again.
"You mean we go home and I stay in bed tomorrow and let my awesome staff clean up." Sarah said laughing.
"You deserve it sweety if you wanted to." Chris said shrugging as he walked up stairs to fetch their coats and bags.
"Sarah, extra security are here, this is Andrew and Ben." Martin said opening the front door again and letting the 2 older men in both wearing the same security badges as Martin.
"Brilliant, I appreciate you coming over at short notice." She said walking over and shaking hands. "Martin will be able to take you over our security procedures." She glanced up as the metal shutters slid down to protect the windows. "Any problems my mobile number is on the list in the top draw of the front desk." She said as Chris helped her into her coat.
"We shouldn't have any problems Ma'am. Have a good evening." Ben said tipping his cap to her as Chris and Jareth followed her to the door where Martin stood with his keys. She took a moment to give his arm a quick squeeze in thanks before dashing out into the rain to one of the waiting cabs calling night to Chris who got into a second cab behind them. Sarah gave her address to the cabby then settled back into the seat, suddenly very aware of Jareth sitting so close to her, his arm thrown casually over the seat behind her. She closed her eyes letting the buzz of alcohol take over for a few moments in the silence.
"Thank you." She said as the cab stopped at a red light, rain on the windows making the neon lights dazzle her eyes. She turned towards him, catching his profile outlined in a haze of green light as the cab moved forwards. "I hope tonight wasn't too much of a nightmare."
"I found the experience, interesting." he replied turning and looking back at her. "Despite the slight issue of;"
"Don't." She sighed stopping him. "Don't even say his name. I'm so tired of everything being made shit because of him."
"Very well." He returned to watching the city slip past them in the rain until they reached her building. He watched her pay the fare before holding the door open for her and helping her out the cab.
The cold air and rain hit her squarely in the face making her gasp and look up frowning as her head spun.
"Oh dear. I think tomorrow is going to be a pre hangover party day." She sighed, glad Jareth still had hold of her good hand. Somewhere, beyond her throbbing head the scar was a spike of pain as she caught it closing the cab door behind her making her swear.
"Sarah."
"I'm fine." She let go of his hand and regretted it as she tottered across the street towards her apartment building wondering why she hadn't changed into her comfortable and less dangerous sneakers before leaving the gallery. Her keys stubbornly refused to unravel themselves properly after she managed to find them at the bottom of her bag and as much as she hated it she didn't complain as he reached around her to take the keys out of her hand. She stood and shivered as his other hand brushed across her exposed back as he let her into the building.
Getting into the lift went without a hitch, but as it started moving it lurched making her grab for the hand rail, her bag dropping from her shoulder. She blushed, hating the feeling of not being 'with it' as Jareth leaned at ease against the other wall, watching her with a smirk on his face.
"Stop laughing at me."
"Would I do that?"
"Yes. You would."
She made it down the corridor without falling over but had to wait for him to stroll up behind her to unlock her front door since he still had hold of her keys.
"Thanks." She murmured before gratefully stepping over the threshold. Walking over to her sofa she sank with unladylike grace into the cushions so she could remove her shoes and dumped her bag on the floor hoping she hadn't mussed up the paperwork she had brought home with her too much. The world quietly continued to mind its own business, spinning away as she clutched her head.
"Here, drink this." Jareth said appearing next to her with a glass of water.
"Thank you again."
"You're welcome." He replied watching her as she sat up and drank before taking the glass off her. Leaving it on the coffee table he walked idly over to the windows to watch the rain, for once at a loss to know what to say to her.
With the onset of hangover regret, the fierce embarrassment and shame of the evening once again reared its head. She tried to remember that she was relieved and glad it was over and that she didn't care but tears began to form regardless, even speaking sharply to her emotions couldn't make them stop.
"Its not fair." She whispered.
"And yet I still find myself wondering what your basis of comparison is. The world has never been fair and never will be. Mine or yours." He said with some regret. The sound of her weeping tugged at long cold heartstrings making him turn almost automatically, picking her up to carry her to her room. Once there he lowered her legs to the floor so she could stand and yet she remained clinging to him as she sobbed, her arms wrapped round his neck and her head on his shoulder. He didn't complain, being this close to her was like a drug as her aura surrounded him. This close he could also smell her new perfume which was particularly intoxicating now the scent had warmed and bloomed on her skin. He wanted to do all the things he knew he shouldn't do, was forbidden to do. That dark voice in the recesses of his head laughed at her torment, rejoicing in the downfall of his enemy glad to know she now felt as he had. He quashed those thoughts, she was somehow no longer his enemy, no longer to blame for what had happened; at least no longer the only one to be blamed. Automatically he ran his hand over her soft hair, soothing her as she continued to weep.
"I am surprised you don't blame me for what happened." He said eventually. His statement made her pause, breaking away slowly before looking up at him questioningly.
"Was it because of you? Did you do this to hurt me?"
"No."
She turned from him to reach for a tissue off her dresser to wipe her tear streaked face and blow her nose.
"It would have been beneath you if you had. There is nobody to blame but myself for this. I trusted him, and I shouldn't have. It seems I have a long history of trusting the wrong people, and not trusting the right people."
"You lied to me."
"What?" She looked over her shoulder at him.
"You told me you did not care that he had betrayed you. Yet here you are." He raised an eyebrow as she shook her head defiantly.
"No. I didn't lie to you. You just didn't understand what I meant." She turned back to him and looked him squarely in the eyes, trying not to get lost in his gaze. "I told you, I... do not love him any more. I am not upset because he hurt me like that, I am ashamed that everyone else had to see it happen, he chose the most public location and the worst possible time for his display. You were lucky Your Majesty. There is only one other person in the world who witnessed what you call your betrayal, and shes standing right in front of you having never told a soul. Tomorrow I will have to face my friends and my colleagues knowing that they know of my shame, and they will pity me, because they think I am an idiot to have let it happen." She sighed and broke their stare looking down at her scarred hand which shook. "I am an idiot."
"I only hope you don't expect me to disagree." Jareth replied folding his arms.
"Of course not. You knew I was an idiot a long time ago."
"There is more to it than that."
"Yes. There always is." She sighed again walking past him to go into her bathroom. She half expected him to be gone by the time she reappeared in an oversize t-shirt and shorts after she had undressed and brushed her teeth, but he was still there, watching the rain by the window.
"I need to show you something." She said breaking the silence, his look of concentration turning into a frown as he looked over at her.
"I hope its nothing to do with that hideous T-shirt you are wearing."
"No, its a painting." She carefully went back out into the lounge and across towards her studio trying not to walk into anything in the dark. She turned a lamp on and shone it at the covered easel before carefully uncovering the painting as he joined her. Together they stood and stared at it in silence.
"This isn't what I painted." She whispered shivering.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I've never, not even my nightmares. When I left it the other morning it was just a painting of the Labyrinth, the way it is now, broken, but it wasn't... this." She shook her head shutting up as she stared at the tormented, twisted shapes that seemed to bulge and grow in the scene which looked rather like somebody had melted both the canvas and paint.
"Is this whats going to happen if I can't fix it? Is this the thing thats killing me too?" She held her hand out to him again to show him the livid scar which seemed to have also grown in size, dark red lines radiating from it, no longer faint traces, but bold like a child had drawn zigzag lightning from it in red felt tip pen all the way up her arm to her elbow. "I'm frightened." The tears fell again, unhindered and unstoppable.
Her fear was something he had never felt before on such a scale, Jareth himself had never been afraid of anything in his existence and found the emotion inexplicably exhausting.
"Precious one, you have nothing to fear, but the fear itself. I will remove this, thing and put an end to it." He said removing his gloves and placing her hand in between his own, removing the pain. She whimpered as the red lines faded again, still there, and worse than before, but fainter. She felt utterly drained, not just frightened by the painting and the scar but frightened for the Labyrinth, and for its King, and it was not a fear that so easily faded.
"What happens if I can't fix it?" She asked again as he clicked his fingers, making the painting disappear.
"I have no answer to that. Not yet anyway. You need to rest."
"I could probably walk you know." She whispered in his ear as he picked her up again to return her to her room.
"Probably, but would you deny a King his small pleasures?"
"Carrying weepy girls to their bed is a common thing for Your Majesty to do?"
"Just this weepy girl." He replied as he placed her on top of her covers, watching as she wriggled and pulled them over her, setting herself. "Good night Sarah."
"You'll wait,.. till I'm asleep?" She queried, hoping he would say yes, her heart thudding heavily before he nodded, walking over to the window again making her sigh in strange relief.
"Sleep." He said again watching her watch him in the windows reflection. She nodded sadly and closed her eyes, waiting for the darkness to claim her, for once not needing the sleeping tablets on her bedside table.
"She really doesn't know does she."
"Know what? Haven't you learnt to knock yet Anyetta?" Jareth sighed, banishing the crystal allowing him to watch over Sarah at the interruption of Anyetta storming into his study.
"What happened after she refused your offer. She doesn't have any idea of what you had to face after. Why haven't you told her?"
"Would it make a difference if I did?"
"It might make her a little more charitable towards you, a little more grateful for what was offered, and a little more ashamed of what she caused, what she destroyed."
"What did, and did not happen here in this realm, is nothing she ever needs to know about. Since you've clearly been eavesdropping on private conversations you should know that telling her that kind of information would be pointless, and would do nothing but bring up.. memories, that I in particular do not wish to relive. Thank you very much."
"Good." Anyetta said smiling in relief.
"Good?" Jareth looked up at her in anger.
"Yes. Good. I had to be sure."
"Sure of what? Damn your word games woman." He said slamming his hand down on the desk and rising to his feet in agitation.
"I had to be sure that you no longer held any hate for her in your heart. If you still wanted revenge Jareth, this moment would have presented a perfect opportunity to, what is that phrase, drive the knife home?" Anyetta watched as he grunted before walking over to the balcony to watch the sun setting over the devastated landscape.
"She will find out eventually."
"I will cross that bridge if it ever happens, when it happens. Do not think to stir up trouble Anyetta, even you are not immune to punishment if you overstep yourself."
"Of course Your Majesty." She said bowing to him, her hand on her heart in a show of compliance.
"You tell them I grow weary of their games Anyetta. Tell them if she ends up dead because of their meddling I will hunt each of them down one by one." He didn't see her look up in alarm at his words.
"I... will, Your Majesty. If I should happen across them. Even I do not see them often." She said wryly. "They will not take kindly to being threatened."
"I no longer care. This is the second time they have placed their hands on my affairs and I will no longer be a puppet performing according to their whims. Nor will I allow them to use her as a pawn in their game. If I must intercede to protect her against them I will not hesitate and I will use whatever force necessary. You tell them that." He stated, trying to contain his anger. Instead he summoned the twisted painting to him, making sure Anyetta saw what was on the canvas, he caught sight of her face, pale in horror at what she saw before he burnt it with magical fire until not even ash remained. The display was only for show, for Anyetta already knew just how powerful the Goblin King truly was but the contents of that painting should not have ever existed, and its existence frightened her into submission far more than his threats. She nodded and backed out of his study closing the door behind her, worried.