Chapter 5: Don't Let This Turn Into Something It's Not

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to read this. I'm having so much fun writing this, and I'm glad that you all are enjoying it.

Sarah woke up with a headache the size of Manhattan. She was never one to call in sick, but today was one of those days. It didn't hurt that Jack insisted she do such a thing. The great thing about her career was that she could work from home if needed, so she didn't feel so guilty about doing her job in bed.

After a while she began to feel restless and decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a walk outside. Sarah kept it simple with jeans and a v neck t-shirt. She wanted a coffee because sometimes paying someone to make one's coffee tasted much better than making one's own.

Without thinking, Sarah began to walk towards the Starbucks she usually frequented. Her headache was diminishing, but it still lingered. Hoping that caffeine would do the trick, Sarah was a woman on a mission until she spotted Apothecary King. She didn't realize that she stopped walking in her tracks until she was standing in front of the door.

Deciding that she should act like an adult, Sarah walked into Apothecary King and was immediately hit with a smell that made her wish every room in her apartment smelled like the shop did.

"It's about time you walked in." Sarah heard a young man say before the healer added, "I've been waiting a long time."

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked.

"It was funny seeing you peek in the window and then run away."

Sarah looked down at her flats, hoping her cheeks weren't getting red.

"Are you here to see Jareth?" The healer asked, a slight grin on his face.

"Oh, well… is he here?" Sarah asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

"He's in the back, tending to the herb garden. Customers aren't normally allowed back there, but I think he'd welcome your company."

The healer directed her towards the back which lead to a small outdoor garden. It was almost out of a fairy tale; it was so whimsical. She could smell the lavender immediately, but looking around, she saw herbs that one would expect for healing, but there were some things that were unfamiliar to her.

There were glass circular jars which almost looked like bubbles around the room. Sarah assumed that was where Jareth kept the ingredients he grew and collected. Looking around in awe, Sarah didn't realize she was standing less than ten feet away from the owner until he spoke.

"Sarah. What are you doing here?" Jareth asked.

He was wearing an apron that was spotted with dirt. Holding onto some clippers, he appeared shocked to see her.

"I was told that I could come back here." Sarah said, worried that the healer got it all wrong.

"Here for that discount?" Jareth asked jokingly.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by."

"No work today?"

"I took a sick day. I had a bad headache this morning. Seriously though, am I allowed to be back here?"

"Is it gone?" Jareth asked, focusing his attention now on an aloe plant.

"Not completely."

"Ah, well, you've come to the right place." Jareth took a few steps towards a cabinet and grabbed a tiny vial. Opening the vial, Jareth approached Sarah.

"Come here." Jareth requested, without a hint of knowledge with just how seductive his words were to Sarah.

Jareth dabbed some of the liquid on the tip of index finger and softly massaged it on Sarah's forehead and temples. She could smell peppermint mixed with lavender. Not realizing she closed her eyes, Sarah inhaled the glorious scent and relaxed into the apothecary's touch. His touch was gentle, and with each inhale, Sarah felt a bliss she couldn't truly describe.

Eyes still closed, Sarah felt Jareth's arms on her shoulders as he turned her around.

"Lift up your hair." Jareth spoke.

Sarah complied as she lifted her head and felt Jareth place some of the oil on her neck. Pressing the oil in certain spots along her neck, Sarah finally realized that Jareth King was touching her. It wasn't intimate, but she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be intimately touched by him.

She imagined him wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her to him. The weight of his head on her shoulder as their breaths aligned was a thing of beauty. It felt as if the world made the two of them just for each other. He slowly turned her to face him and gently brought his lips to hers.

The fantasy was suddenly disrupted by his words.

"You are more than invited to visit me here. Why don't you sit down for a few minutes." Jareth suggested as he pulled a stool towards her.

"Thanks." Sarah said, focusing her attention on the concrete floor. "What you put on me - was that one of your creations?"

"It's one of our bestsellers. I can't make enough of it. Some weeks it's on backorder."

"It smells divine."

"Thank you. It took me a while to find the right formula, but once I did…"

"This little garden of yours is so beautiful." Sarah looked around, still enchanted with it.

"I love it back here. I'm a good businessman, at least, according to the magazines, but I'm much happier back here. Ezra is the more social creature, so I keep him in the front."

"Is Ezra your quote unquote healer?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. He's planning on attending medical school in another year or two. I'm not so happy about losing my resident healer/associate."

Sarah observed Jareth carefully pick and cut the herbs that would be used for his creations. She always admired people who had the talent to do things she knew she couldn't do. Watching in utter fascination, Sarah could still smell the oil that he placed in certain spots on her skin.

She was so lost in her surroundings that she didn't notice Jareth stand in front of her.

"This is for you." Jareth said, handing her a small, dark bottle.

"What is it?" Sarah said.

"It's your very own perfume oil." He said.

"Very own as in it's only for me?"

"Very own as in I will never put it on the shelves."

"Jareth, you didn't have to do this." Sarah said, not knowing what to truly say.

Opening the bottle, she brought it to her nose and immediately noticed the smell of freshly cut grass mixed with water. It was green, but there was a floral smell to it too that wasn't overpowering.

"I wouldn't recommend putting it on now because you've got the headache potion on you, but…"

"I love it." Sarah said. "Truly, no one has ever done something like this for me."

"It's my pleasure. I even gave it a name."

"Really?"

"Composition S."

"That sounds so fancy." Sarah joked.

"No, it's simple. Sometimes the most beautiful things are the simplest."

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I felt like I had to create it if that makes any sense. It's like I couldn't focus on anything else until I figured your composition out."

Jareth paused before adding, "Wow. That makes me sound like a bit of a creeper."

Sarah laughed it off. There was a familiar warmth that enveloped Sarah when she looked in his eyes. She knew that she shouldn't stare, but she couldn't force herself to look away. She heard the lyrics in her mind as if the song was playing in the room: Still you wait for me…

Looking down at the bottle, she gently fingered it, knowing that such a gift was a precious commodity. What should she tell Jack? It would be too weird to admit that it was personally created for her. She would worry about that little white lie later.

Her headache ceased to exist. At least, she didn't notice it anymore. It was now being replaced with another pain in her heart that she was reluctant to admit to.

Later that night as Jack hungrily kissed Sarah, she tried to be enthusiastic as possible given how little she saw of him lately. As Jack ran his hands under her shirt, Sarah tried to savor his touch, but every time she closed her eyes, she imagined Jareth running his finger along the back of her neck. She felt his fingers along her temple. She felt his eyes baring into hers. Still you wait for me… and you fill my heart…

Opening her eyes, she saw Jareth staring back and her and immediately pushed Jack away. Sitting up, she couldn't face him.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked while trying to catch his breath.

"Nothing. It's me. It's all me."

She didn't have to look at Jack to see his frustration.

"You've never done that before. You've never pushed me away. It seems that's all that you've been doing lately." Jack said.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"You know, I don't understand you sometimes." Jack said.

"I don't even understand myself sometimes." Sarah said, hoping that she wouldn't start crying.

"Talk to me. For the last few weeks there has been a wall between us. We can't deny that."

"Well, considering that I only see you about five hours a day…" Sarah said, immediately regretting her words.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's nothing."

"Sarah, that's not fair and you know it! I thought you wanted me to pursue this partnership."

"I do!" Sarah said, turning to face Jack. "I do, but I didn't think it would be so hard not having you around. I don't think this is something I want to get used to if you become partner."

"I've been a shit boyfriend, I know. I feel so guilty seeing you in passing day in and day out, but there's going to be more breathing room once the Jules case is done."

But what about the next big case? Sarah couldn't release the question in the air between them because she already knew the answer.

"It's going to better Sarah, I promise." Jack said reassuringly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sarah allowed Jack to kiss her, and as she placed her head on his chest, she wished she could trust his words. She knew that he believed that things would get easier, but Jack always was more optimistic than she was. It was a quality she loved about him, but now it left a bitter taste on her tongue.

For the next two weeks Sarah wore the composition Jareth King created for her. She received numerous compliments and took a gleeful pride in knowing that it was something that couldn't be purchased by anyone else. Sarah always associated scents with images and people. Coffee and laundry detergent always reminded her of Jack. Roses reminded her of her parents. The perfume oil reminded her of Jareth more than anything else. She stopped counting every time she would lift a wrist to her nose to inhale the concoction. It had the ability to calm her down when she needed it.

Things between Jack and her had gotten better. He was truly making an effort come home at a decent time and spend more time with Sarah. But still, one person always lingered in the back of her mind.

Sarah didn't put much thought into Sarah Williams and looked at her fascination with reincarnation as a temporary distraction to fill the void that was left by Jack working too many hours.

Just when she was beginning to think that things were returning to normal (whatever that was), Sarah bumped into Jareth King one Saturday while she was waiting for her lunch to be prepared at a local food truck.

"Hello stranger." Jareth said. "I thought I recognized that particular fragrance."

"How's it going?" Sarah asked.

"It's as well as it could be considering. Lunch break?"

"I was running a few errands and thought I'd grab something before heading home. You?"

"The perk of having your own business is that you can enjoy a leisurely lunch. As long as I bring something back for Ezra then I can do whatever I please. He loves this particular truck."

"I'm rather fond of their grilled cheese sandwiches."

"That's Ezra's favorite too."

This was the part where she should just wish him well and ask him to tell Penelope hello for her, but she couldn't force herself to just walk away.

"How's Penelope?" Sarah asked after grabbing her order.

"I hope she's well."

"Ah, I take it the workload has effected things."

"You could say that. We decided to end our relationship."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"Yeah, well, what can I say? Self fulfilling prophecy."

Sarah didn't realize she was waiting for Jareth to grab his meals until the two began to walk together towards King Apothecary.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, recalling what Jack said earlier about how he thought they weren't going to make it past the annual social.

"It's actually ended more amicably than I thought it would. She was the one who ended it. I'm sad about it, but I think we were better friends than lovers. I'm still going to accompany her to that dance thing I'm sure Jack told you about."

"So it was a clean break?"

"Cleaner than clean." Jareth added as the two walked on.

"Still, such things are always sad."

"Not really. It's sad when people stay together even though they know they're not right for each other."

The two were quiet as they continued to walk towards Jareth's business. Sarah didn't know why she invited herself to tag along with him. She thought about apologizing for being so presumptuous, but as she sat in the storefront with Jareth and Ezra enjoying the best damned grilled cheese sandwich in New York, she felt like she was more than welcome to impose herself in their world.

"You two have to go to the Olde Curiosity Shoppe three blocks down the road. There is this amazing tarot card reader." Ezra said.

"Oh come on Ezra. That's all a rip off." Jareth said.

"Madame Talulah is very insightful. She told me that it was my mission in life to heal the wounded."

"I've been telling you that for months! Suddenly it makes sense when you hear it from a total stranger? Plus, as I recall, weren't you wearing scrubs that day?" Jareth said before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Sarah snickered at the comment, enjoying the camaraderie between the two of them. These were two men who she could see herself hanging out with.

"What's her name?" Sarah asked.

"Madame Talulah. She doesn't own the shop or anything. I think she just does tarot readings on the weekends. I bet she's some sort of stock analyst that does readings on the side, but then again, she looks the part of some hippy dippy reader." Ezra said.

Sarah didn't think before she spoke, "Let's go check her out. It's purely for entertainment purposes, right?"

"No, it's purely for ripping you off." Jareth said, rolling his eyes before eating the final bite of his sandwich.

"For someone with such a sense for adventure, you sure are shooting this one down pretty quickly." Sarah said.

"Ooo, one point for Sarah." Ezra added.

"I'll go with you, but I'm not throwing money away to hear someone spout out some rubbish about my career or love life."

"It could be a total waste of time." Sarah said.

"Oh no, I'm fully invested now. I want to see if this Madame Tally Tolkien Talulah is the real deal. Let me go wash up my hands first." Jareth said as he walked towards the back of the store.

There was brief awkward moment of silence between Sarah and Ezra before he added, "He lives upstairs."

"Excuse me?" Sarah said, not knowing what to say.

"This shop was first owned by a tailor who lived upstairs. I think the reason this place appealed to him so much was because it reminded him of home."

Sarah still didn't know what to say.

"I really wish you would have introduced yourself earlier, Sarah. You are a joy to behold, and while I thought Penelope was nice, I knew that relationship wouldn't see the end of the year. Jareth was never as laid back with her as he is with you."

Sarah didn't know what to say. Did Jareth talk about her to Ezra?

"I think the reason he's so reluctant to open his mind to Madame Talulah is because he wants to believe so much. Please don't tell him that I told you that." Ezra added.

"I won't." Sarah said reassuringly.

"I like you a lot."

Sarah was thankful when she heard Jareth's approaching footsteps.

"Alright, let's go see that hack." Jareth said before adding, "Ezra, I'm going to pick up stuff along the way. We're in desperate need of some bottles and stoppers. Is there anything else we need?"

"Yeah, ink for the printer. It's getting low."

"Will do. Sarah?"

"I guess we should go then." Sarah said, feeling a bit awkward.

As the two walked towards the Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Sarah hoped to find something, conversation wise, to talk about. Instead, Sarah focused on the way Jareth King carried himself. For a man who owned his own business, he still dressed professionally. The man had a certain style to him, and Sarah felt underdressed compared to him.

A part of her wanted to grab his hand, but how would she explain her actions? A sign of solidarity in tough times? Friends don't hold hands. No legitimate excuse existed. Clutching her purse, Sarah was about to say something about the weather when Jareth stopped walking.

"Here we are!"

Jareth held the door open for her.

"Thanks." Sarah whispered as she walked in.

The shop was filled with all sorts of new age materials. Sarah laughed a little because this was the kind of shop Jack thought Jareth had. Jareth was immediately attracted to the crystals, but in the corner of her eye, Sarah could see a small room in the back. A woman sat alone at a table and appeared to be in a trance like state.

"Can I help you?" A young woman asked Sarah.

"Um, yeah. I heard that you guys do fortune telling." Sarah said.

"Fortune telling is for fairs and music festivals. Madame Talulah has a gift." The saleswoman said.

"I'm sorry. I just heard wonderful things about her."

"She's in the back room. I'm sure she's aware that you're here."

Sarah turned to look for Jareth, and noticed him becoming all too enchanted with the crystals that were on display.

"It'll be $40 for a thirty minute session." The woman said.

"Oh, of course!" Sarah said, reaching for the cash in her wallet. Part of her wanted to just walk out of the shop. $40 was a bit pricey for entertainment, but Sarah felt cornered now. Handing two twenty dollar bills to the woman, she turned around and headed towards the small nook.

Stepping into the room, Sarah hesitated before sitting down at the table where Madame Talulah had a tarot deck spread out.

"Madame Talulah?" Sarah spoke.

The woman's hair was fiery red, and she wore a pair of glasses that appeared to be in style during the 1980s.

"Please sit." Talulah spoke nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry. I really don't put much stock in this kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Talulah spoke, a slight accent making itself known.

"Fortune telling."

"This isn't fortune telling, Sarah."

Sarah didn't recall giving the woman her name. It must have been passed along to her from the cashier in the front, but that was impossible.

"Besides, if you don't put much stock in this kind of stuff, then why are you here?"

"I see I've offended you."

"Darling, I get this every day from people just like you. I only tell you what I see. I don't paint pretty pictures to make you feel better. Some can handle it - some can't."

"No questions?" Sarah asked, a bit confused.

"Please give me your hand." Talulah said.

Sarah placed her hand in Talulah's and watched as the woman closed her eyes and repeatedly took in deep breaths. After two to three minutes of silence Sarah wondered if the woman fell asleep. Sarah was ready to leave the room and ask for a refund when Talulah spoke,

"You doubt me, but that's something I'm used to." Her eyes remained closed as she gripped Sarah's hand and continued talking.

"These past few weeks have been a bit stressful in a personal relationship of yours. You say that things are fine, when really they aren't."

Even though there was some truth to that, it was too general for her taste. Most people she knew of who sought advice from a "psychic" went because of relationship troubles.

"You're questioning your relationship with your fiance."

Sarah rolled her eyes at the absurdity of what the woman was saying, and she now looked at the woman's words as pure entertainment. Now everything was to be taken with a grain of salt.

"You were here before. Same name, but you were lost to the world back then." Talulah said before inhaling and exhaling loudly.

"You've could have been a queen once. An offer was made, but you turned the king down. Now you've both been given another chance to rectify the mistakes of both pasts. You've already found him. He feels it too because you are both meant to be, but he too pretends that nothing is happening. He's repeating his past again by not being completely honest. The gods and goddesses have given you both this opportunity. He feels it too." Talulah stressed the last four words.

Sarah didn't realize that Talulah's eyes opened and were staring at her's when she repeated, "He feels it too."

The woman released Sarah's right hand and acted as if nothing was just revealed to her.

"Hmm, it seems like I'm having trouble connecting today. Would you maybe like to do a tarot spread? I'd hate for you to waste your time or money."

"No thank you." Sarah whispered before exiting the room, clearly shaken by what was revealed.

This had to be some sort of trick. Sarah wasn't engaged, therefore, all of the king and queen stuff had to have been fluff. It had to be. However, Sarah left the nook more confused than ever.

"So, was that Talulah lady a total hack?" Jareth asked after they exited the shop.

Sarah tried to brush off her brief encounter as the two walked through the streets of Brooklyn.

"She said that I was engaged, so that should tell you something right there."

"Ouch! Did you break it to her?"

"No, I didn't have the heart to." Sarah said, hoping her nervousness wouldn't show.

"You weren't in there long. Was it that bad?" Jareth asked.

"It was awkward." Sarah said, hoping that would satiate his curiosity.

"I'm sure it was." Jareth said as they continued walking.

Sarah stopped walking.

"Look, I think I'm going to head back to my place. Thanks for everything. You didn't have to be so nice, and I'm sorry about the whole Penelope thing."

"It's life." Jareth said, shrugging.

Sarah saw a little disappointment in his face, and while she brushed it aside to the end of his relationship, a part of her hoped it was because she was walking away.

"Shall I see you at Toby's Estate soon?" Jareth asked.

"We shall see. Thanks again Jareth." Sarah said before walking away.

She wanted to look back and see if he was still there, but she never did. She somehow knew that he would wait until she could no longer be seen.

A little later Sarah walked through her apartment door, expecting to come home to an empty space. Instead she found Jack getting an early start to dinner.

"What's this?" Sarah asked, genuinely surprised.

"I was able to wrangle away half of the Saturday from the Jules case, and I thought I'd surprise you. I didn't think you'd be back this soon."

"Why the groceries? We don't need to stock up." Sarah asked, pulling Jack in for a hug.

"I'm thinking we can indulge in my specialty, hachis parmentier, and I went by that bakery you love and picked up their specialty carrot cheesecake.

"You don't roll out with this unless it's a special occasion." Sarah said, removing her jacket.

"Well, you'll just have to wait see."

"Wait, did you make partner?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not saying anything." Jack said, gently guiding Sarah out of the kitchen.

"By you not saying anything is basically telling me everything."

"Oh, I like the building suspense!" Jack said.

As Jack cooked their dinner in the kitchen, Sarah went to the bathroom to wash up. She couldn't get Madame Talulah's words out of her head. Opening the medicine cabinet, Sarah reached towards the vial of her personal composition. Sarah dabbed a few drops of it on her wrists and behind her ears. Smelling it, she immediately thought of its creator.

Exiting the bathroom, Sarah gravitated towards the folder she now kept which held all of her information on Sarah Williams. Through her research she found another article about Williams and her mysterious death, but it was the same information as the first article she found.

Going through the clippings, Sarah hoped that Jack didn't walk in the room. She stupidly hoped that looking at the papers would help her piece together a few things, but it was useless. Giving up on the task, Sarah put the folder in her work bag, knowing that Jack wouldn't accidentally discover it.

Jack made partner. Yes, that was a useful distraction to focus on. Sarah wanted to be happy; she knew that she should be happy, but the tension between them the last few weeks was too tangible. Maybe it would get better, but then again, what if it didn't?

Later that night, the two ate dinner and chatted about the usual things. Sarah randomly felt that she should reveal the truth about her time spent with Jareth King, but it wasn't like the two were having some torrid affair. But didn't it count as an emotional affair? What did that even mean? Jack was spending just as much, if not more, time with Penelope Lancaster, so why should she feel guilty about her new friend? She was at war with herself, even though a part of her knew that she shouldn't tear herself up about it. There were no emotional feelings attached to their friendship? At least, they weren't mutual. Sarah didn't know how Jareth felt, and she knew she was better off not knowing.

But there in lie the problem: Sarah knew there was an intense connection, even if she repeatedly tried to deny it to herself.

"Sarah, you with me?" Jack asked.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I zoned out a bit, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Jack said, noticing the strangeness in front of him. "You smell nice by the way. Is that a new perfume?"

"Um, yeah."

Should she tell him the truth?

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"It's actually a perfume oil. I was in the area and stopped by Apothecary King to check it out."

"That's Jareth King's shop, right?" Jack asked before taking a bite of his food.

"Yeah. It's a nice store." Sarah said.

"Penelope mentioned that she and Jareth were no longer together."

"Really?" Sarah asked, knowing full well that things were over.

"Yeah, but she didn't seem too torn up about it."

"Well, you did say that you thought they were going to break up." Sarah added.

"It's sad either way. I still contend that it was an odd match." Jack said.

"Maybe they're better off as friends." Sarah said, recalling what Jareth previously told her.

"Hmm, I don't know." Jack said as he walked off into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, waiting for Jack to return.

Seconds later he placed a piece of the carrot cheesecake in front of her before placing another piece down in front of his chair.

"I don't always buy into that 'we're better off as friends' type thing. To me it would be too awkward, but that's just me. Anyway, I don't want to talk about why their relationship failed. Let's focus on the positives." Jack said.

"You're right. What were we talking about?" Sarah asked.

"Well, I have a feeling that I'm going to be offered the partnership."

"That's great!" Sarah said, hoping that he wouldn't see past her false happiness.

She focused on the cheesecake in front of her, smiling down at the treat she was about to indulge in. She may not have been 110% on board with his partnership, but she was on board for the treat in front of her.

"Yeah, but you see, it'll be nice and all, but I already have a partner… you." Jack said.

Sarah noticed a little black box being slid towards her plate.

"What's that?" Sarah said, slightly apprehensive.

"I know you're not one for cliched tropes, but I want you to be my partner for life."

How did Jack get to the side of her chair? Why was he on bended knee?

"Sarah Davies, will you do the honor and become my wife?"

Sarah was genuinely shocked by the proposal. Her eyes teared up a bit, but she didn't know if it was from joy or something else. She didn't know what to say. This was supposedly one of the most important days of her entire relationship, but she didn't know what to say. Her mind went blank.

"Yes." Sarah whispered, even though every fibre of her blood screamed that she wasn't supposed to accept such a thing.

She kept hearing the words of Madame Talulah over and over in her head, not about her fiance, but instead about supposed missed opportunities. She was supposed to be a queen. She had a chance to fix things in this life.

As Jack slid the ring on her finger, Sarah hoped that silent tears comforted Jack. Pulling him in for a hug, Sarah looked at the ring, knowing full well that whatever childish fantasies she harbored about Sarah Williams and Jareth King simply had to be squashed.

But she couldn't help but feel as if her acceptance of Jack's proposal was somehow dooming her in this, her second chance. No, she would not let herself fall into the trap of questioning every turn her relationship with Jack went in.

As she pulled Jack in for a tighter hug, she kept telling herself that she could still be a friend to Jareth King, but she knew that it was nothing but cold comfort.