Chapter Thirty
Second Week of December...
Jareth transported outside Sarah's door and was about to knock when he heard her voice. He couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but she appeared to be in an intense conversation with someone. After knocking and hearing her call to him to come in, he opened the door to see Sarah on her phone. Her face was a mix of dread, hurt and resignation. Her aura spoke the same.
"Yes… I know… I just…" she was pacing as she spoke. As she paused to let the person on the other side speak, her disappointment seemed to grow. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she frowned. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she pressed an icon and the voice became audible. Her mother.
"Look, Mom… I just thought that since we haven't spent Christmas together in a decade, we might want to…"
"Well, it's not that I don't want to, Sarah. But I made these plans a while ago and quite frankly, giving up a ski trip in Switzerland just to play Santa Claus to an adult woman isn't exactly something I would look forward to."
"I just figured it would be nice to spend some time together, that's all…"
"Which is why I suggested that you come to my little party, Sarah. You need to get out, meet people, maybe live a bit in the grown up world for a little while. Look, if you need a date, I can fix you up with one of the bit players I'm working with…"
"I don't need a date, Mom. I can get that on my own, thanks."
"Then it's settled. I'll book a room for you at the Iroquois so you don't have to worry about getting here and back. Tell your date it's black tie."
"But…"
"I've got to go, Sarah. We'll talk later."
A beeping sound from the phone indicated that her mother had terminated the call. Jareth moved over to the kitchen, retrieving a Guinness, and coming back into the living room. Sarah had sat herself down on the sofa, a somewhat bewildered expression on her face. He sat beside her, placing his bottle on a coaster conveniently located on the coffee table. Reaching over, he threaded his fingers into her hair.
"What's going on, love?"
She seemed to shake herself back into the present and looked at him. "I was trying to make plans for Christmas with my mother. The results were… predictable."
"Christmas? But don't you usually go back home for the Yuletide?" he asked, a bit confused.
Sarah sighed, "Yes… usually. It's just… every year, my dad's firm gives away a trip to Hawaii for Christmas and New Years. This year… he won. He and Karen didn't really get a honeymoon back in the day, so it's the perfect opportunity for them to take one now that Toby is old enough to deal with them being gone."
"Where will Toby be?" he asked.
Sarah's face grew hard. Her aura started showing spikes of dark red… anger? Hate? "He'll be at Irene's house." She looked up at him, possibly realizing he had no idea who she was talking about. "She's Karen's sister. You didn't meet her at Thanksgiving… thankfully she had the flu and couldn't make it."
"I take it you don't like this woman," he suggested.
She snorted, "Whatever gave you that idea?" she said in a snarky tone. "She hates me. Ever since Karen and Dad got married, she's always treated me like I was a troll or something. I mean… I get it, I wasn't nice to her sister. Not for a few years. But Karen forgave me, and now we're better than ever. Irene… she disliked me from the get-go." Sarah rubbed her temple absently. "She's always got something sarcastic to say to me, always putting me down. No way did I want to go to her house for Christmas, not even for Toby. So, I figured maybe it would be a good time to see if Mom wanted to spend Christmas with me."
"And she does not?"
"Oh no… she's got a skiing trip to Switzerland planned with her latest boy toy. She'd never cancel that to spend time with her daughter." The hurt in Sarah's face and aura was pronounced.
"Does your father and Karen know this?"
She shook her head, "No… and I don't want to tell them. They deserve some time alone together. If they knew, they'd cancel so I wouldn't be alone at Christmas. I won't let them do that."
Ah… the selfless heart. One of the many reasons I love you, Sarah.
"Then what is your mother getting you a room for, if not to celebrate Christmas?"
Her expression grew a bit sardonic, "She's throwing some big Hollywood bash… in Manhattan. Go figure. She wants me to come to that and call it a 'holiday visit'."
Jareth let the hand that was playing with her hair drift down to the nape of her neck, squeezing gently, "Well, this is actually quite perfect. It tailors directly with my plans."
"Your plans?" she asked quizzically.
"Well, the reason for my visit was to invite you to spend a day or two with us for the Yuletide celebrations. Since you seem to be free… perhaps you would spend the entire holiday with us? We can go to your mother's party, transport to the Underground and then come back here for New Years."
Sarah looked at him dubiously. "Oh… you really don't want to do that. If you thought Ardalon was bad… my mother's parties are much, much worse."
Jareth laughed, "Well then, I'm already prepared, aren't I?"
Sarah looked at him directly, "Jareth… I'm not kidding. Her parties are a worse pit of vipers than the High Court. I guarantee you're going to want to Bog at least half of the guests."
"Probably. But I promise, I'll resist the urge. Besides, it's at least a way for you to see your mother. You can get that duty out of the way, then come Below to have the best Yuletide you've ever experienced."
She raised a brow, "You seem pretty confident of that…"
"I am. I think you will find it… immensely enjoyable."
"I wouldn't mind going Below. Not sure I want to go to this party, but… I admit the prospect of spending Christmas with you guys…" she drifted off, thoughtfully. He slipped the hand at her nape to her shoulder, pulling her toward him.
"Sarah, I'll give you another blood oath, if it will make you feel better."
She looked at him gravely for a few moments. "No… I don't think I want you to do that," she said softly. "At this point, I can't really see you violating my trust. So… I trust you. I trust your word to me that you'll have me back in time for New Years."
Jareth let the fingers of his other hand tangle into her hair and touched his forehead to hers. "I let you down once," he said quietly. "I will never let you down again, Sarah."
Her only reply was to kiss him.
The room that her mother had booked for her was quite lovely. King sized bed, beautifully carved furnishings, and a view to die for. Not that it mattered… Sarah would be going directly to Jareth's castle after the party, to spend the Yuletide festivities with him and her friends. She had briefly wondered how he was going to dispatch her Othánas security detail here, but quickly found out that the Ughlánas intended to guard her until Jareth himself came for her. They were currently sitting in a bunch on the bed, watching Cartoon Network. She had cringed inwardly when they'd 'popped' in as soon as she'd opened the door with her key card, thinking to herself that her mother would end up paying a hefty bill before the night was over, but they were on their best behavior and mentioned that they'd be returning to the castle when Jareth arrived.
Inside the luxurious bathroom (which didn't hold a candle to the one in her chamber Below), Sarah stood before the full-length mirror and looked herself over critically. Her dress, a gift from her mother, was surprisingly nice. A deep midnight blue with spangles and sequins, it was relatively modest in front but had a deep cut in the back. Usually, the clothes her mother gifted her with were… racier than she was comfortable wearing. This gown was actually in good taste. One would think that Sarah's mother was trying to make up for some of her past offenses, maybe even making a peace offering.
Sarah knew better.
Linda Williams didn't do anything that didn't benefit herself in some way. For years, Sarah had attended these little soirees, all with the same hope. That someday, somehow, Linda would look at her with pride… and with… love. Instead, it was an evening of dodging seduction attempts by the men who wanted to get close to her mother, dancing around the solicitations by producers and directors who all saw her as a younger (and to be honest, prettier) version of her mother. To even look like she was contemplating accepting these solicitations would send Linda into a fury, so Sarah had to learn how to turn their attention to her mother and off herself. The starlets all hated her, seeing her as competition, never realizing that being an actress was the last thing Sarah would ever want to do. They contented themselves with whispering behind her back, scandalous tales that had so little basis in reality that she had to wonder if they'd read them in a script somewhere.
She hadn't been kidding when she'd told Jareth that these parties were worse than Ardalon. They were. And it was at these parties that she'd learned the skills that he so admired when he'd taken her for Samhain. And if she was in for a bumpy night… Jareth's night was going to be even bumpier. His glamor being as gorgeous as it was, he was going to get the attention of absolutely everyone at the party, no doubt. The starlets would be trying to detach him from her side. No few male actors would be attempting the same. Producers and directors would all be looking at him… calculating which of their projects they could use him in. Agents would be sizing him up, pitching him on their services. It was a good thing that he'd had so much experience with the Fae… it would serve him well here tonight. She had no doubt that he could navigate the pitfalls of the movie business quite deftly.
It was her mother she was worried about. Linda had always viewed Sarah as an annoyance while she was growing up. Once she'd turned sixteen (and coincidentally, after she'd returned from her Run), Linda started viewing Sarah more like… a rival. She'd never held back her snide comments about Sarah's interests, her personality, or her appearance in the past, but in the last few years, those comments became more and more venomous. She'd start out the evening quite pleasant and charming, but as soon as she saw Sarah attracting the attention of the crowd away from her, Linda would start slinging her little arrows. Some of them could bite deep.
And… what would she make of Jareth? Easily more attractive than Linda's latest boy toy, Sarah had the sinking feeling that Linda was going to take one look at Jareth and make a blatant (if embarrassing) move on him. While Sarah had no doubt whatsoever that Jareth would resist such an invitation, it still hurt to think that her mother would just blithely try to pull him away from her… her own daughter. And while Jareth had promised not to 'bog' anyone at the party, she was well aware that he could (and would) use his magic to make an agony out of the life of anyone who offended her. She wouldn't put it past the Ughlánas to visit some mayhem on her mother, either.
Glancing at the clock, she realized that she couldn't put it off any longer. She walked out of the bathroom, grabbing her clutch purse and a wrap, before calling out softly, "Jareth? Are you ready?"
Instantly, he appeared before her, dressed in a tuxedo that (as her dad once said) didn't come from Kohl's. He was impeccably tailored, and so very handsome that he took her breath away. The feeling was apparently mutual, as he let his eyes roam over her in warm appreciation. After bidding the Ughlánas farewell, they exited the room and made their way to the elevator. Upon arriving at the rooftop cocktail lounge, Sarah settled her expression into a polite, but distant smile. They had taken no more than a few steps before she'd heard her mother call her name.
Linda was resplendent in a red sequined dress that was slit up to the hip and so low cut that it was a miracle her breasts hadn't tumbled out of it. She swept Sarah into an awkward embrace, pulling back to look at her with an almost friendly smile. At least… until she'd looked over at Jareth. It was almost comical, watching the 'famous Linda Williams' gape at a man. At least… it was comical until Linda's gaze narrowed in on Sarah.
"My goodness, Sarah. Wherever did you find this one? Does he charge by the hour?"
She could feel Jareth's arm tense under her hand. She squeezed his arm, then replied in a light, laughing voice, "Oh no, Mom. But if he did… I wonder if even you could afford him."
Linda almost choked at that, her eyes glaring daggers at Sarah. Jareth's composure was smooth, but she saw the amusement ripple through his aura at her retort. Smiling thinly, Linda led them over to their table, chattering at Jareth the entire way. For his part, he responded to her coolly, in between giving Sarah his admiring attention. She saw immediately what he was doing… making it clear to Linda and everyone around her that he was with Sarah and not in the least tempted by her mother. Sarah wanted to laugh.
Linda's attention was soon diverted to one of her other guests, a casting director, from the gist of their conversation. Sarah took the opportunity to tug Jareth toward the dance floor. As they walked, she could feel the eyes on them both. The same mix of curiosity and hostility that the Fae displayed. She noted with amusement the open-mouthed stares Jareth got as he steered her through the room, his hand firmly on the small of her back. As he swept her into a dance, he grinned down at her.
"I have to admit love… I didn't really believe you when you said it was worse than Ardalon. Now I know exactly what you meant."
Sarah laughed, "You'll have to keep a tally of how many propositions you get tonight. I'm betting at least ten."
Jareth snorted in derision, "Well, since I don't intend to leave your side, I'm not quite sure how they'll proposition me."
She leaned in to whisper, "They'll do it right in front of me." At his look of horror, she continued "Oh, yes. They will. Just watch." Sarah wanted to lose herself in their dance and was starting to experience the hazy languor she always did when in his arms, when the song ended and Linda appeared.
"Jareth, I'd love to get to know my… daughter's date a little better. I'm sure you can spare a dance for your hostess." She turned to Sarah with a smug smile, "You don't mind, do you dear?" With that, she took Jareth's hand and slipped into a dancing posture as the next song began. Jareth looked at Sarah, clearly flummoxed and unsure of what he should do.
Sarah smiled at her mother, "Why no, Mom. I'll just go see if Donny is available for a dance." Winking at Jareth, she spun on her heel and marched right up to her mother's boyfriend. In no time flat, she'd finagled a dance out of him, spinning on the floor with a flirty expression that she knew Jareth would see was a complete act. As she laughed and chatted during the dance, she'd wondered where this new antagonism inside her had come from. Usually, she just absorbed her mother's barbs, but this time… she was actively fighting back. It felt liberating. She could only pray it didn't come back later to bite her in the ass.
Jareth walked Sarah back to their table, convinced that he had just suffered the most wanton assault on his person that he'd ever experienced in his life. During their dance, Linda pressed her breasts up against him whenever the dance allowed, even going so far as to move so close that her hips caressed his loins. A bit shocked, when his eyes lowered to her, she put on a pouting expression, her eyes sultry, as if she expected him to proposition her. He had no doubt that if he didn't find a way to disentangle himself from her, he would end up fighting off her effort to drag him to her bedchamber.
He steered her over to where Sarah was dancing with a young man (Donny, she called him), so that when the song ended, he was able to smoothly detach his arms from her and slip them around Sarah, nimbly sweeping her away. After that, he'd made the effort to stay on the other side of the dance floor from Sarah's mother. Sarah, for her part, looked up at him in puzzlement. She could see his discomfort through his aura, no doubt, and he really didn't want to tell her what Linda had been up to. She'd warned him that he'd get propositioned, and likely right in front of her, but he hadn't expected that her own mother would do such a thing. It disconcerted him.
Thankfully, the meal was being served, so he was saved from further attempts by Sarah's mother to whisk him off to a dark corner. As the entrees were placed before them, he noted with amusement that their dinner included roasted chicken. Sarah's amused gaze met his own after she'd looked at her plate. It was absurd, really, but it just struck him as funny that they both regarded chicken as a delicacy, given their relationship to the Ughlánas. It was a silly thing, but he was glad it was something that they shared.
Dinner passed in relatively pleasant conversation. He and Sarah had already agreed to tell Linda the same story they had given Robert and Karen, thus he presented himself as the CEO of Underground Enterprises. This time, however, he wasn't trying to make a good impression on Sarah's assorted family members and restrained himself from pouring out his usual charm. If anything, he was polite, but chilly.
Linda wasn't put off by his attitude. If anything, she seemed to be even more intrigued. She divided her time equally between flirting with him and tormenting Sarah with her vitriol. Sarah could tell that he was getting angrier by the moment, as he felt her gently place her hand on his thigh as a signal to stay calm. He was trying… he really was, but he was rapidly losing his patience. This woman didn't just have issues with her daughter… she wanted to hurt her. Linda Williams was going to get her comeuppance. Maybe not tonight, he didn't want to break his promise to Sarah. But that woman was going to be tipped headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench, if he had to hold her by the ankles himself.
Sarah could tell that Jareth was coming to the end of his rope. She had anticipated that her mother would flirt with him. It was almost a concrete part of her personality, so it wasn't a surprise. What did surprise her was just how… blatant she was being. What was really odd was that Jareth's aura was showing odd flashes of color, flashes she'd never seen before. She was getting the feeling that he wasn't just annoyed with her mother… he was angry. She didn't really understand why he would be angry. Her mother was a piece of work, that was true, but she wasn't worth being angry with. It was just the way she was.
Sarah didn't have much time to ponder this before her mother was at it again. "Wherever did you find such a handsome gentleman, Sarah? I can't imagine someone like him would be lurking at a university, just waiting for a sweet, innocent young girl to snap him up."
Sarah smiled thinly, "I didn't meet him at college."
Linda laughed, "Oh, don't tell me you actually went out among the barbarians." She looked around the table, "Sarah here is quite the homebody. I never knew a young girl that had to be forcibly removed from her room just to go outside and touch grass, but there she is." Linda looked at Jareth with a measuring glance, "You know, Sarah… I suppose I should be flattered. You're growing up to look so much like me… you even got yourself a British boyfriend like I did. One that looks so much like Jeremy that they might as well be related."
Sarah felt what could only be described as a violent collision of her emotions… literally almost a physical impact as they crashed together. She looked straight ahead of her, her expression blank but her eyes flitting in panic.
Jeremy.
Jareth.
He'd said he wasn't in love with her mother… but he had to give her the Labyrinth book somehow… did he do it by dating her?
He told me that he'd checked in on me during my childhood from time to time… was he really Jeremy? Is that how he did it?
Oh, God… did he screw my mother?
Sarah felt a wave of disgust and despair wash over her, but Linda wasn't finished.
"You know, Jareth… young girls like Sarah are overrated. The amount of breaking in you have to do isn't really worth it. You might want to try someone who can give you a good time."
Sarah rose from the table and ran, tears blinding her with every step.
Jareth looked over at Sarah with mounting alarm. Her aura… her scent… it was gone. Then she got up and ran from the table. He didn't understand how her mother had provoked this reaction, but it was as if Sarah had stripped every last molecule of her love and desire away from him. In a rising panic, he rose, following her as she pushed her way to the outdoor patio.
Heedless of the fact that she was clad only in her cocktail dress, she plunged outside in the freezing air. Jareth was only a few steps behind her. She gripped the stone railing, staring out over the city, hyperventilating and crying at the same time. Jareth conjured a coat and draped it over Sarah's shoulders, then gripped her arm, turning her to face him.
"Sarah? What's going on? Who is Jeremy?"
When Jareth turned her to face him, she didn't want to look. She focused on his medallion and refused to meet his gaze. She could still see his aura, though. A roiling green with black swirls… fear? She forced herself to take a breath and really look at the aura… yes, there was fear. There was also… confusion. He might have been a consummate actor, but his aura told the truth… he really had no idea who Jeremy was. And if he didn't know who Jeremy was… then he couldn't be Jeremy, could he?
Sarah raised her head and looked at him through her tears, both directly at his face and indirectly at his glamor. One basic difference popped up… Jeremy wasn't much taller than Linda. Sarah was the same height as her mother and Jareth towered over her.
That led to another difference… their voices. Jareth had a silky baritone, while Jeremy's voice was much higher pitched. Both had British accents, but Jeremy didn't have that Celtic lilt that Jareth had. This gave her the determination to really study Jareth, both in his natural form and glamored. The solution to this mess suddenly hit her in the face. And it was pretty funny, if she thought about it.
It all came down to David Bowie.
There was a strong resemblance between Jareth and the singer, at least in his younger Glam Rock days. This wasn't surprising really, since the Goblins were originally from Britain and shared many of the ethnic traits of early inhabitants of the British Isles. There were differences, to be sure. Jareth wasn't quite as slender as Bowie, as well as being taller. His eyes were a darker blue. She wasn't sure if the singer's light blonde hair was his natural color, but Jareth's was. Their singing and speaking voices were, however, very similar.
Jeremy on the other hand, resembled David Bowie in his older years. He had darker hair. He did share Bowie's physical build but not his voice. To the best of Sarah's knowledge, Jeremy couldn't carry a tune if his life depended upon it.
A funny thought bubbled up in Sarah's mind… if Jareth wanted to glamor himself and live a life Aboveground, which would he pick? A washed-up, second-rate theater director or a glamorous rock star? Wasn't it far more likely that Jareth had been moonlighting as David Bowie and not Jeremy McAllister?
She finally let her gaze focus on his.
It didn't take long for Jareth to understand what was going on.
Linda Williams was the type that couldn't stand to be outshone by anyone… especially her own daughter. Seeing Sarah in all her glory, Linda knew that she'd never hold a candle to her offspring, and it irritated her. Instead of finding ways to build herself up, it was more expedient to tear her opponents down. And there was no doubt that she saw her own daughter as an opponent.
This reference to 'Jeremy' was puzzling at first, but after pondering the look of satisfaction on Linda's face (and the utter horror on Sarah's), he quickly pieced together that this 'Jeremy' was a paramour of Linda's. Perhaps even the reason that Sarah's parents had severed their marriage. And Linda had just pointed out a resemblance between him and this mystery man. Sarah's almost violent emotional recoil now took on a new meaning.
She thinks you dallied with her mother as this 'Jeremy', Jareth thought.
The whole idea was revolting. Finally, she looked directly at him… through him… as if trying to sense the truth.
"Sarah… I swear to you, on everything that I hold dear, that I have never interacted with your mother before this night, not even briefly." She kept her eyes on his, tears still running down her face. "When I gave her the book, I didn't put it directly into her hands. I left it on top of the box she had packed food in for your day at the park." He took her hands in his, rubbing them briskly to ward off the cold. "Every other time I observed you was in my owl form. The first and only words I ever exchanged with her were when she welcomed us tonight."
She seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "I will offer you a blood oath on it, Sarah. I have never so much as exchanged greetings with your mother before this evening."
At that, her expression crumbled. He could see her aura return, flaring with despair, hurt and relief. Her scent also returned, drifting around him with its honeyed notes. Conversely, she wept even harder than before. Jareth gathered her in his arms and was relieved when he felt her return his embrace, clutching him to her as if she couldn't bear to let go.
Without raising her head from his chest, she whispered, "Please… get me out of here." With a wave of his hand, he obliged, transporting them (and her belongings) back home. Her true home.
The Goblin Kingdom.
Author's Notes:
This chapter was inspired by "A True Love for Christmas" by AngelGlass. While my story elements are different, I did get the idea of Jareth going to Linda's party with Sarah and the utter disaster it turned out to be directly from this story.
In this world, the Labyrinth movie never came out. At the same time, I wanted to do honor to the man who did such a good job portraying Jareth, all while explaining the strong resemblance between the two.