Exchange Fic #4: Someone True (1/6)
Mod note: This fic is so large that I'm going to spread out the postings over three days.
The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.
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Title: Someone True, Part One
Author: faeries_midwife
Recipient: jinx1764
Prompts: 1) A story about how J/S develop their relationship before or after their Labyrinth adventure. Can have time altering elements. Doesn't have to be romantic, can be friendship focus.
2) Fish out of water element story: Sarah's moving into the castle (married or about to be married) and needs to have internet access. Jareth doesn't understand what it is, nor does he care to. Can the Underground even get wifi?
3) One of the major characters tries a new food (doesn't have to be Aboveground food) and either loves it or hates it.
Rating: PG-13
Plot Summary: Jareth makes a rash decision after Sarah defeats him and uses a spell to erase her memories of her time Underground, upsetting everything the Labyrinth had set in motion. Author's Notes: This story has been a challenge! I first thought I'd be able to incorporate all three prompts, but as it progressed, I realized that wasn't going to work. I may, however, keep hold of the second prompt for future use, hehehe. At any rate, I really hope you like the way this turned out, jinx!
Author's Notes II: Thanks to my uber-wonderful beta reader for helping make this story as good as it could be and for all the helpful suggestions as to additions, deletions and changes! Thanks also to jinx1764 for the prompts, which led me in all sorts of amusing directions until I found the one that would work best for both of us (I hope!).
Prologue
Sarah stood in the middle of her bedroom after the last of her party guests departed. How her father and Karen had failed to hear all the cheering, singing and dancing was beyond her. They were just down the hallway, after all. Toby hadn't even awoken crying, which in itself was very strange. But then again, nothing about this night had not been strange!
Toby... What if while she and her friends were celebrating her victory, the Goblin King had decided to come back for him? It was possible her parents had slept through the party, but Toby? He was a light sleeper, for a baby. If he had been taken again, what would Sarah do?
Heart pounding, Sarah hurried over to her bedroom door and opened it, peering down toward her parents' room. Surprisingly, there was a faint light shining from underneath the door. Why were they up so late? Slowly moving closer, she stood listening for a moment. Hearing her father's voice and Toby's cooing, she sighed with relief. Before she could tiptoe away, the door swung open.
"Sarah!" Karen said in surprise, opening the door wider. "Is something the matter?"
"No, um..." Sarah mentally flailed for something to say. "I was wondering the same thing. It's really late, so I was surprised to see your light on. Is Toby okay?"
Karen nodded. "He's fine. He was a little fussy, so I got up to check on him, and he had a messy diaper, that's all."
"Oh, good," Sarah said in relief.
Her stepmother smiled at her concern. "Are you feeling okay, Sarah? You're up awfully late."
"I'm okay. But I... I just wanted to... apologize for my attitude earlier." Surprised, she realized that she actually meant it. Her cheeks flushed with the shame she felt. "I was a real brat, and I realize that I've given you a lot of grief... and not just tonight. You don't deserve that, and I'm really sorry."
Karen's surprise turned to a watery smile and the thought crossed Sarah's mind that no evil stepmother would be reduced to tears by an apology. "Oh, Sarah," she replied, a tremor in her voice. "You're not the only one that feels the need to apologize. You were right, I really should check with you and not just assume you're able to babysit."
Sarah sniffed back her own tears. "Well, that would be nice, but I really don't mind watching Toby all that much."
Tentatively, the two embraced. Pulling back, Sarah smiled over at Toby. "We have fun together, right Toby?" In answer, he bounced excitedly and grinned at her, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Sure, that's right," her dad answered for his little son, bouncing him lightly.
"Night Toby," Sarah said, smiling. "Night Dad, Karen."
"Goodnight, Honey," her dad said, beaming at her. Sarah's heart gave her a tug. He seemed so happy that she'd finally made an effort with Karen. It made Sarah feel guilty that she hadn't done it before now. That was something she would have to give some serious thought to.
As the door closed softly, Sarah caught a glimpse of Karen's happy tears. She felt on the verge of a good cry herself. In the last little while, Sarah had fought her way through a challenging Labyrinth to the Goblin City where she engaged in battle, faced down a powerful King, and won her brother back. It had been a wild, incredible night, the kind of adventure she had previously only day-dreamed about. Fairies, Fieries, a talking worm, a cranky dwarf, a gallant fox, a gentle beast... and one very good-looking, smooth-talking king. It had been the experience of a lifetime, one she knew she would never forget. She was certain it would fuel her dreams for some time to come. It would hardly be surprising if she felt her life was turned upside-down, but remarkably instead, she felt as if her world had suddenly righted itself.
She had learned so many lessons in such a short amount of time... life wasn't always fair; things weren't always what they seemed; sometimes your friends let you down but they were still your friends; sometimes your enemies weren't so much enemies as... what? Not friends exactly, but... hmmm.
It was a shame the reality had ended so very different than her imagined adventures, in which there was always romance. After all, what girl didn't dream of being swept off her feet by the attractive hero of the story? But was the Goblin King really a hero? Regardless, she had been intrigued by him. The King she had faced far exceeded her expectations in every way; he had looked more like a rock star than a Goblin King. She'd had to force herself to focus on the task at hand many times, lest she got distracted by his otherworldly appeal.
Sarah wondered exactly what and who the Goblin King was. At times he had truly seemed to be her enemy. But then, at others, he had seemed as if he... she shook her head, unable to finish the absolutely ridiculous thought. He was handsome, of course, and apparently an excellent actor, but sympathetic? Someone who might have actually been in anyway interested in her as a person? Thank goodness she'd remembered her right words in time! She'd nearly blown it in the end and given into his pretty lies.
He... had been lying, hadn't he? There was no way his plea had been sincere -- it was all just another ploy to distract her, right? What would a powerful, magical, handsome... sexy... king want with a young brat of a girl like herself? She cringed, recalling how she had told him his Labyrinth was ‘a piece of cake'. Still, she was haunted by the desperate longing she'd seen in his eyes, the utterly hopeless sadness.
It didn't bear thinking about. If he'd been trying to fool her, then she had been wise to do as she'd done. If his offer was genuine, there was nothing she could do about it now, anyway. She was way too young for him, and yet, he hadn't seemed like a weird pervert. Maybe things were different in the Underground, or maybe he was just extremely lonely. She could relate to that, sadly. Either way, she had done what she had set out to do, which was save Toby.
And what about Sarah herself? Back in her own room, she glanced around. It occurred to her that she suddenly felt too old for all the toys and games. This was the room of a young girl -- and she felt like she had suddenly become a young woman. Something about the responsibility and lessons of the evening had irrevocably aged her. She would be sixteen in just a few months... maybe she should do some redecorating. Maybe tomorrow she would start by putting some of these things away, save them to give to Toby when he got a little older. The stuffed animals, like Lancelot, he could have now.
But tonight... Even though it was late, she wanted to ensure that she wouldn't forget her adventure or begin to think of it as a dream. Sitting at her vanity, she pulled out her journal. Writing her thoughts about her time in the Underground and emphasizing that had it really happened would help her to recall things more clearly when she read the entry later. Maybe she would fill it in with more detail later, but for now she was exhausted so just a short entry would have to suffice.
Feeling the hair on the back of her neck prickle, she closed the journal and put it inside its drawer. She picked up the Goblin King statue and stared at it, marvelling at how many of the items in her bedroom were near-exact replicas of the places, creatures and things she had encountered in the Labyrinth.
Thinking about it, Sarah realized that she had acquired all of those items after reading the book. How was it that she had chosen them so accurately? Of course, some of them had also been gifts, yet even those were too similar to the actual thing to be coincidental. It was almost as though the Labyrinth had come to her before she had gone to it. Shaking her head, she wondered why she was being so fanciful... she must need sleep!
Her eyelids growing heavy, she turned from her desk to face the window and saw a white blur out of the corner of her eye, by the tree branch outside her window. For a second she was sure it had been an owl... but, it couldn't have been, could it? She'd never seen an owl near their house before, so if it was an owl, then it had to be him---the Goblin King. But, why would he be peering in her window?
Could he be jealous he'd not been called to come to her party with her Labyrinth friends? She shook her head. That was just silly. He could easily have ‘poofed' himself in if he'd wanted to be part of the merriment. Besides, they had all just shown up; he could have, too. It wasn't as if invitations had gone out. Sarah yawned. She was tired and she must have been imagining things -- it was that simple. All the more reason to go to bed.
Sarah closed the shade and curtain and quickly changed into her nightgown. Moments later, she lay beneath the covers, having brushed her teeth and washed her face. She really was worn out, and suddenly she felt every moment of her adventure in every muscle and bone. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
She was not happy.
In fact, she was well and truly livid. What in the world was her King thinking? Clearly, he was not thinking at all. As soon as the girl stepped foot on the soil of the Labyrinth, it had been clear that a Queen had at long last been found. The fact that she was human was quite fitting. The fact that she was young was no deterrent; there was time aplenty here.
And besides that, she had been chosen!
Sarah Williams was beautiful, feisty, and more courageous than the average Runner. Smarter, too, at least once she was shown the way in by Nigel, the blue worm who resided with his wife Georgette in the wall outside the Opening. But then, everyone had trouble finding an entrance, so that could hardly be held against her.
Not to mention the fact that Jareth actually liked her... just as was expected. Never before had he interfered for the sake of interfering. It had been obvious that he was smitten with her, even though he respected the boundaries; he would never have acted on his attraction while she was so tender of age. Still, had the girl accepted his offer, she would have been given sufficient time to grow up, even if she wanted to do so in her own world.
Right away, communication had been made with the Council, who had all eagerly agreed that it was high time their King found a Queen. The fact that Jareth actually appeared to like a young woman had been more than enough for them. He had been encouraged to find a bride for a very long time now, and while he enjoyed the company of certain females for a short period of time, he always found them lacking and insisted none of them would do as a wife and Queen.
She had heartily agreed with her King in all of those cases -- most had simply been rather flighty Underground females with a desire for a crown and title, but without the personality or compassion needed to rule. The few that had no ulterior motive seemed to care only for Jareth's looks and his romantic solitary demeanor; they had not loved him for himself. The Labyrinth wanted Jareth to have a Queen who adored him, he deserved that much.
Based on all those whom he had rejected for one reason or another, it had been easy to determine what about them he did like, and so the Labyrinth decided to launch a search find a young lady in either realm who would be the sum total of Jareth's desires in every aspect. From an early age, Sarah Williams had clearly been that young woman.
And so she had, by the Labyrinth's own hand, acquired the book and fallen in love with the story, going so far as to dress up and act the part of the plucky heroine. Slowly, her bedroom became filled with replicas of the very creatures and place that she would one day come into close contact with... it was all so perfectly set up!
Sarah seemed to have been made for Jareth; she was his match in every way. Her defiance was admirable. Despite her initial cowering before him, she had thereafter stood her own against the intimidating King. And he had fallen for her, just as the Labyrinth had known he would.
Had Jareth really seen her age and refusal of him as insurmountable obstacles? He must have done, because just moments before he was informed that she was chosen to be his bride, he had put his magic to a use that was now being bemoaned as the most unwise of moves. He had nearly ruined everything!
In a move unanticipated by either the Labyrinth or the Council, King Jareth had made the girl forget everything. And why? Because his foolish pride had taken a hit! A hit by a young girl, no less. It was inconceivable, it was not to be borne! Yes, The Labyrinth was quite livid, completely put out by her wayward King's impetuous action. But she would remain firm, as would the Council -- Jareth would marry Sarah Williams; the Labyrinth and its denizens would have the Queen they desired and deserved.
It would take a little time, but it would have anyway. She had not invested so much in the girl for nothing... the book, the toys, statues and trinkets... she refused to concede defeat! Of course, Jareth would not be happy at first, but that was too bad. It was his own folly that had pitched him headlong into this reality. As the Aboveground saying went, ‘Pride goeth before a fall,' Jareth's pride had precipitated his world falling down... down to the Above.
The Labyrinth snickered in ladylike fashion and settled in to watch. This ought to be good...
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Blinking against the light spilling into her room, Sarah sat up in bed on Sunday morning. Recalling the previous night's conversation with Karen, she smiled to herself. It was a good feeling to be on the path to a better relationship with her stepmother. What else had happened last night? She had baby-sat Toby, but for some reason her memory was a bit vague. Had they watched a movie together? Baked cookies? Odd that she couldn't remember.
Moving over to her desk, she pulled open her drawer and withdrew her journal, feeling that it might hold the answer, as it was her habit to write a little something each night. She did remember writing in it last night, but not what she had written. Opening to the most recent entry, she read her words. Her slight frown turned into a smile and then a grin. Laughing, she shook her head. She must have been totally out of it last night... Or maybe she had gotten up in the middle of the night to write down this dream, not that she'd ever done such a thing before.
Reading, she remembered vaguely what her dream must have been about. She had wished away Toby to the goblins and they had obliged. She had encountered a number of characters, many of whom she'd listed by name... She knew that the tale had come from her imagination, no matter how vehemently she had assured herself in the journal that it was real. She wouldn't have forgotten something like that, but it sure sounded like a great book!
Hurriedly, Sarah dressed and brushed through her hair. As she headed downstairs, she heard the sounds of breakfast going on in the kitchen. She smelled eggs, bacon and toast, and her stomach grumbled noisily. When had she last eaten? Hadn't she had dinner last night? Strange that she couldn't remember!
"Come on, Toby, try the eggs, you'll like them," Karen's voice coaxed. "Yummy."
"No, no, no, no, NO!" Toby said, grinning at Sarah as she entered the kitchen. He had a Cheerio plastered to his forehead. The rest of the cereal, usually his favorite, was scattered on his high chair tray and the floor -- apparently they weren't his favorite today.
Sarah's father sat at the table, his oatmeal only half-eaten. He was reading the business section - Sarah didn't know how he could stomach the boring articles. She had once read the entire section herself and about put herself to sleep.
Smiling, she said, "Morning, everyone!"
"Good morning Sarah," Karen greeted her warmly. "Hungry?"
"Famished!"
Karen managed to get a spoonful of eggs into Toby's mouth, but the expression on his face told everyone he was not impressed. Shaking his head dramatically, he spat the eggs out, making a further mess of his tray, the floor, and his striped pajamas.
"See, Toby?" their dad said from behind his paper. "Eggs are yummy. Didn't Mommy tell you?"
Sarah's eyes locked with Karen and both of them giggled.
As she ate her breakfast, Sarah tried again to remember what had happened last night. She knew she had apologized to Karen and her father about her behavior, because she'd been such a brat to them both. But she couldn't remember the rest of the evening before that. Had she read a book? Listened to music? She simply couldn't remember, which was bizarre. From the time her parents had left for the evening, leaving her to mind Toby, to the time they'd returned -- and she remembered approaching Karen and speaking to her -- everything was a hazy blur.
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
Jareth woke up and grimaced as he recalled his unceremonious arrival in the Aboveground. With a deep sigh, he sat up in bed and looked around the room through bleary eyes. The full memory of why he was here along with the previous evening's events returned to him in a rush. He suppressed a flare of frustration, anger and humiliation as he remembered her flashing green eyes glinting at him as she declared, "You have no power over me!"
Watching her celebrate her victory with his subjects had made him incredibly angry and improbably jealous. It was not an experience he fancied that he'd enjoy repeating. He drew in a breath and forced himself to put the situation out of his mind. It was over, and would stay over -- he'd impulsively made certain of that the previous evening. There was nothing to be done for it now. He had to start from scratch, which might, in the end, be better. He hadn't exactly made a terrific first impression on the girl.
As he showered and dressed, he pondered whether his decision to remove Sarah's memory of the Labyrinth had been a wise one or simply a rash move out of pride and anger, as the Labyrinth had accused. He knew himself well enough to admit that he'd been greatly humiliated, and the very idea of the girl swanning about, communicating with his subjects at will and him being compelled to watch her gloat... had caused him to desire above all else that she not remember her victory over him. Nor would she remember denying him when he had offered to make her his Queen -- an offer he'd never before made to anyone -- only to have it thrown back into his face.
It still stung badly. Rejection was not something that he was accustomed to, either as a king or as a man. In his experience, all women, be they young or old, human or otherwise, tended to find him incredibly attractive. Not only had his prideful ego taken a hit, but his heart had also taken a bit of a beating. He had been so sure that he would have grown to love the fascinating girl over time.
It was only now that he allowed himself to realize that he had also removed all chance that Sarah would ever call upon him again -- for she simply had no idea he existed. And now he was trapped in her world.
Jareth sighed. For good or ill, the deed was done.
He had let the girl's co-conspirators off easily, he supposed -- once he'd frightened them just a bit for show. He knew all too well how easily the girl could get under one's skin, after all... How could he blame them for a susceptibility he himself was guilty of? As he was fond of telling others, what was done, was done.
Had he lost his mind, interfering with her so much? Taking away hours from her allotted time? Never had he put so much time and effort into a Runner. Why had he flirted with her, fed her food of his world, danced with her, sung to her? He had virtually proposed to her, there at the end! What was it about her? She was far too young, obviously, but time was nothing to Jareth. He would have gladly waited for her to grow up.
He had learned that he had to guard his heart, and his caution had served him well. It had always been very clear to him that he was meant to have one great love, and that once he gave his heart there would be no going back. Despite his best intentions, however, he had felt safe due to the tender age of his challenger... oh, how wrong he had been. How could he have known that a girl on the cusp of womanhood could challenge him so? Defy him? That she would have a light of adventure in her eyes unlike any he'd ever seen?
Though he would never go so far as to say he was in love with a teenager, he was well and truly caught by her spirit, defiance, pluckiness, and bravery -- not to mention her flowing dark hair and unfathomable green eyes. He could see himself falling in love with the woman she was going to become. And, dash it all, though she had the capacity to be cruel, she was also true. In her, he had met his match, though he would never confess it to anyone but himself.
For some time now, Jareth had been under a great deal of pressure to choose a bride. It was quite unusual for a king of his age not to have married and fathered an heir. Now that he had shown a flicker of interest in a female, well... the Labyrinth and the Council had immediately agreed that a queen had been found. No arguments about Sarah's age, her human status, or whether he might prefer to make his own decision regarding marriage prevailed. It was decreed, and there was no use fighting it. They took his attraction to Sarah more seriously than even Jareth had. There was no choice; he had been sent Aboveground and would remain there until he brought back the Champion as his Queen. Jareth wondered what exactly he'd ever done to piss the Labyrinth off so very much... she could have at least given him a bit of time before sending him here. The girl was... well, a girl!
The Council and the Labyrinth had agreed; he had been sent Aboveground and here he would remain until he convinced Sarah to love him, and then he was to bring her back with him Underground. They had left him no loophole, even though he had promised to select a bride from among his own people post haste. He'd had his chance, and now his bride had been chosen for him. He had to admit feeling a huge relief at not having to select one of the unappealing fawning aristocrats of the Underground to marry. If he'd been inclined to marry a waif-like creature that hated Goblins, he'd have done it long before now.
Frowning, he glanced into the mirror hanging above the bureau. His hair... what had they done to his hair? It was short and choppy, spiked haphazardly. After he got over the initial shock, he comforted himself that for this world, at least, it was quite fashionable. And his face! He looked... he looked ordinary! No distinctive markings remained. It had been a very long time since Jareth had been completely human, and he wasn't happy to be such again.
With a scowl, he closed his wardrobe doors -- all of the clothing was of current Aboveground styles and therefore inferior, but at least there were copious amounts of leather -- and went to check out what would be his home for the foreseeable future. It was a nice enough house, large and spacious and tastefully, expensively furnished. On the upside, at least he didn't have to worry about getting a job; everything had been provided for him. In addition to spending time getting to know Sarah and allowing her to know him, he could take the first real holiday since he'd been crowned King of the Goblins.
He wondered how his brother, Markus, was faring in his place. With a smirk, he recalled how much Markus hated goblins and he hoped his denizens would give the spoiled, ungrateful, grudge-holding poppycock a good deal of trouble. It would be no more than he deserved; his brother had been a spoiled, mean-spirited brat as a child and as an adult he was far worse. Jareth knew that the Labyrinth wouldn't allow him to do anything too cruel to any of the creatures.
Yes, the Council had thought of everything, and the Labyrinth had pulsed its eager approval, nearly panting like a huge, invisible puppy. Of course, she hadn't been thrilled with the idea of Markus taking over as Goblin King, but she was in accord with everything else. Despite the obvious lack of any indication of gender, the Labyrinth had made it clear to him quite early in his reign her feminine nature. As Jareth had gotten to know her, he'd found her identification as female quite accurate.
Jareth concluded that she had tired of being ruled solely by a male, and since he'd not taken action... well, the Labyrinth was a particularly headstrong female. He chuckled. Women were sociable creatures and always seemed to invariably gather in groups to chat and gossip; he wondered idly if the Labyrinth was lonely. He knew she wouldn't do this if she felt it would harm him in any way... but he'd never really wondered before if the Labyrinth had missed having a strong female leader to commune with. It made him feel a bit guilty to realize that the Labyrinth was so concerned for his loneliness and yet he hadn't reciprocated by comprehending hers.
If he were honest with himself, Jareth could admit that he wouldn't mind some companionship if it were to come in the form of a stubborn, beautiful, infuriating brunette with green eyes. Still, she was very young, too young at the moment. He might end up being here for quite a while, waiting for her to grow up... Not that the Labyrinth cared about any of that.
The biggest problem he could foresee at the moment was how to introduce himself into Sarah's life and to stay there without arousing the suspicion of her father and stepmother. That could be tricky. Since, as Goblin King, he'd often been called for or by abused children, he was familiar with the laws here and knew he would be perceived as a predator if he were to pursue her before she was of age... perhaps a bit beyond ‘of age' would be better. Wondering how old he was meant to be, he strode to a table by the door where car keys and a wallet waited.
Opening the wallet, he studied the driver's license inside -- he had learned to drive a car many years prior -- it was a very good photograph, and proclaimed him to be twenty-seven years old. So... more than a decade older than Sarah. Well, he could work with that. And his name... his name was Jarrett Arthur. He smirked. Clever, giving him the last name of another, more well-known king.
Jareth headed for the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of black tea. Sitting down at the table, he looked out into his garden. His thoughts were fixed on how to strike up an acquaintance with Sarah that would seem natural and unforced. He had several talents to share, living for hundreds of years had provided ample opportunity to learn many things. The question was, what was Sarah interested in? Could he perhaps pose as a tutor or mentor of sorts? No, that wouldn't work. It would require either spending time with her in her parents' house, under their watchful eyes, or expecting them to allow her to come here, alone. Not to mention it was rather... creepy.
Hmmm. Maybe it would be best to simply arrange to meet her by ‘accident', as it were, and see where things led him. He might get a better idea of how to handle this upon talking with her. She wouldn't remember him, after all. Satisfied with his plan, he fixed himself a waffle and sat back down to enjoy it with another cup of tea.
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.
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Title: Someone True, Part One
Author: faeries_midwife
Recipient: jinx1764
Prompts: 1) A story about how J/S develop their relationship before or after their Labyrinth adventure. Can have time altering elements. Doesn't have to be romantic, can be friendship focus.
2) Fish out of water element story: Sarah's moving into the castle (married or about to be married) and needs to have internet access. Jareth doesn't understand what it is, nor does he care to. Can the Underground even get wifi?
3) One of the major characters tries a new food (doesn't have to be Aboveground food) and either loves it or hates it.
Rating: PG-13
Plot Summary: Jareth makes a rash decision after Sarah defeats him and uses a spell to erase her memories of her time Underground, upsetting everything the Labyrinth had set in motion. Author's Notes: This story has been a challenge! I first thought I'd be able to incorporate all three prompts, but as it progressed, I realized that wasn't going to work. I may, however, keep hold of the second prompt for future use, hehehe. At any rate, I really hope you like the way this turned out, jinx!
Author's Notes II: Thanks to my uber-wonderful beta reader for helping make this story as good as it could be and for all the helpful suggestions as to additions, deletions and changes! Thanks also to jinx1764 for the prompts, which led me in all sorts of amusing directions until I found the one that would work best for both of us (I hope!).
Prologue
Sarah stood in the middle of her bedroom after the last of her party guests departed. How her father and Karen had failed to hear all the cheering, singing and dancing was beyond her. They were just down the hallway, after all. Toby hadn't even awoken crying, which in itself was very strange. But then again, nothing about this night had not been strange!
Toby... What if while she and her friends were celebrating her victory, the Goblin King had decided to come back for him? It was possible her parents had slept through the party, but Toby? He was a light sleeper, for a baby. If he had been taken again, what would Sarah do?
Heart pounding, Sarah hurried over to her bedroom door and opened it, peering down toward her parents' room. Surprisingly, there was a faint light shining from underneath the door. Why were they up so late? Slowly moving closer, she stood listening for a moment. Hearing her father's voice and Toby's cooing, she sighed with relief. Before she could tiptoe away, the door swung open.
"Sarah!" Karen said in surprise, opening the door wider. "Is something the matter?"
"No, um..." Sarah mentally flailed for something to say. "I was wondering the same thing. It's really late, so I was surprised to see your light on. Is Toby okay?"
Karen nodded. "He's fine. He was a little fussy, so I got up to check on him, and he had a messy diaper, that's all."
"Oh, good," Sarah said in relief.
Her stepmother smiled at her concern. "Are you feeling okay, Sarah? You're up awfully late."
"I'm okay. But I... I just wanted to... apologize for my attitude earlier." Surprised, she realized that she actually meant it. Her cheeks flushed with the shame she felt. "I was a real brat, and I realize that I've given you a lot of grief... and not just tonight. You don't deserve that, and I'm really sorry."
Karen's surprise turned to a watery smile and the thought crossed Sarah's mind that no evil stepmother would be reduced to tears by an apology. "Oh, Sarah," she replied, a tremor in her voice. "You're not the only one that feels the need to apologize. You were right, I really should check with you and not just assume you're able to babysit."
Sarah sniffed back her own tears. "Well, that would be nice, but I really don't mind watching Toby all that much."
Tentatively, the two embraced. Pulling back, Sarah smiled over at Toby. "We have fun together, right Toby?" In answer, he bounced excitedly and grinned at her, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Sure, that's right," her dad answered for his little son, bouncing him lightly.
"Night Toby," Sarah said, smiling. "Night Dad, Karen."
"Goodnight, Honey," her dad said, beaming at her. Sarah's heart gave her a tug. He seemed so happy that she'd finally made an effort with Karen. It made Sarah feel guilty that she hadn't done it before now. That was something she would have to give some serious thought to.
As the door closed softly, Sarah caught a glimpse of Karen's happy tears. She felt on the verge of a good cry herself. In the last little while, Sarah had fought her way through a challenging Labyrinth to the Goblin City where she engaged in battle, faced down a powerful King, and won her brother back. It had been a wild, incredible night, the kind of adventure she had previously only day-dreamed about. Fairies, Fieries, a talking worm, a cranky dwarf, a gallant fox, a gentle beast... and one very good-looking, smooth-talking king. It had been the experience of a lifetime, one she knew she would never forget. She was certain it would fuel her dreams for some time to come. It would hardly be surprising if she felt her life was turned upside-down, but remarkably instead, she felt as if her world had suddenly righted itself.
She had learned so many lessons in such a short amount of time... life wasn't always fair; things weren't always what they seemed; sometimes your friends let you down but they were still your friends; sometimes your enemies weren't so much enemies as... what? Not friends exactly, but... hmmm.
It was a shame the reality had ended so very different than her imagined adventures, in which there was always romance. After all, what girl didn't dream of being swept off her feet by the attractive hero of the story? But was the Goblin King really a hero? Regardless, she had been intrigued by him. The King she had faced far exceeded her expectations in every way; he had looked more like a rock star than a Goblin King. She'd had to force herself to focus on the task at hand many times, lest she got distracted by his otherworldly appeal.
Sarah wondered exactly what and who the Goblin King was. At times he had truly seemed to be her enemy. But then, at others, he had seemed as if he... she shook her head, unable to finish the absolutely ridiculous thought. He was handsome, of course, and apparently an excellent actor, but sympathetic? Someone who might have actually been in anyway interested in her as a person? Thank goodness she'd remembered her right words in time! She'd nearly blown it in the end and given into his pretty lies.
He... had been lying, hadn't he? There was no way his plea had been sincere -- it was all just another ploy to distract her, right? What would a powerful, magical, handsome... sexy... king want with a young brat of a girl like herself? She cringed, recalling how she had told him his Labyrinth was ‘a piece of cake'. Still, she was haunted by the desperate longing she'd seen in his eyes, the utterly hopeless sadness.
It didn't bear thinking about. If he'd been trying to fool her, then she had been wise to do as she'd done. If his offer was genuine, there was nothing she could do about it now, anyway. She was way too young for him, and yet, he hadn't seemed like a weird pervert. Maybe things were different in the Underground, or maybe he was just extremely lonely. She could relate to that, sadly. Either way, she had done what she had set out to do, which was save Toby.
And what about Sarah herself? Back in her own room, she glanced around. It occurred to her that she suddenly felt too old for all the toys and games. This was the room of a young girl -- and she felt like she had suddenly become a young woman. Something about the responsibility and lessons of the evening had irrevocably aged her. She would be sixteen in just a few months... maybe she should do some redecorating. Maybe tomorrow she would start by putting some of these things away, save them to give to Toby when he got a little older. The stuffed animals, like Lancelot, he could have now.
But tonight... Even though it was late, she wanted to ensure that she wouldn't forget her adventure or begin to think of it as a dream. Sitting at her vanity, she pulled out her journal. Writing her thoughts about her time in the Underground and emphasizing that had it really happened would help her to recall things more clearly when she read the entry later. Maybe she would fill it in with more detail later, but for now she was exhausted so just a short entry would have to suffice.
Feeling the hair on the back of her neck prickle, she closed the journal and put it inside its drawer. She picked up the Goblin King statue and stared at it, marvelling at how many of the items in her bedroom were near-exact replicas of the places, creatures and things she had encountered in the Labyrinth.
Thinking about it, Sarah realized that she had acquired all of those items after reading the book. How was it that she had chosen them so accurately? Of course, some of them had also been gifts, yet even those were too similar to the actual thing to be coincidental. It was almost as though the Labyrinth had come to her before she had gone to it. Shaking her head, she wondered why she was being so fanciful... she must need sleep!
Her eyelids growing heavy, she turned from her desk to face the window and saw a white blur out of the corner of her eye, by the tree branch outside her window. For a second she was sure it had been an owl... but, it couldn't have been, could it? She'd never seen an owl near their house before, so if it was an owl, then it had to be him---the Goblin King. But, why would he be peering in her window?
Could he be jealous he'd not been called to come to her party with her Labyrinth friends? She shook her head. That was just silly. He could easily have ‘poofed' himself in if he'd wanted to be part of the merriment. Besides, they had all just shown up; he could have, too. It wasn't as if invitations had gone out. Sarah yawned. She was tired and she must have been imagining things -- it was that simple. All the more reason to go to bed.
Sarah closed the shade and curtain and quickly changed into her nightgown. Moments later, she lay beneath the covers, having brushed her teeth and washed her face. She really was worn out, and suddenly she felt every moment of her adventure in every muscle and bone. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
She was not happy.
In fact, she was well and truly livid. What in the world was her King thinking? Clearly, he was not thinking at all. As soon as the girl stepped foot on the soil of the Labyrinth, it had been clear that a Queen had at long last been found. The fact that she was human was quite fitting. The fact that she was young was no deterrent; there was time aplenty here.
And besides that, she had been chosen!
Sarah Williams was beautiful, feisty, and more courageous than the average Runner. Smarter, too, at least once she was shown the way in by Nigel, the blue worm who resided with his wife Georgette in the wall outside the Opening. But then, everyone had trouble finding an entrance, so that could hardly be held against her.
Not to mention the fact that Jareth actually liked her... just as was expected. Never before had he interfered for the sake of interfering. It had been obvious that he was smitten with her, even though he respected the boundaries; he would never have acted on his attraction while she was so tender of age. Still, had the girl accepted his offer, she would have been given sufficient time to grow up, even if she wanted to do so in her own world.
Right away, communication had been made with the Council, who had all eagerly agreed that it was high time their King found a Queen. The fact that Jareth actually appeared to like a young woman had been more than enough for them. He had been encouraged to find a bride for a very long time now, and while he enjoyed the company of certain females for a short period of time, he always found them lacking and insisted none of them would do as a wife and Queen.
She had heartily agreed with her King in all of those cases -- most had simply been rather flighty Underground females with a desire for a crown and title, but without the personality or compassion needed to rule. The few that had no ulterior motive seemed to care only for Jareth's looks and his romantic solitary demeanor; they had not loved him for himself. The Labyrinth wanted Jareth to have a Queen who adored him, he deserved that much.
Based on all those whom he had rejected for one reason or another, it had been easy to determine what about them he did like, and so the Labyrinth decided to launch a search find a young lady in either realm who would be the sum total of Jareth's desires in every aspect. From an early age, Sarah Williams had clearly been that young woman.
And so she had, by the Labyrinth's own hand, acquired the book and fallen in love with the story, going so far as to dress up and act the part of the plucky heroine. Slowly, her bedroom became filled with replicas of the very creatures and place that she would one day come into close contact with... it was all so perfectly set up!
Sarah seemed to have been made for Jareth; she was his match in every way. Her defiance was admirable. Despite her initial cowering before him, she had thereafter stood her own against the intimidating King. And he had fallen for her, just as the Labyrinth had known he would.
Had Jareth really seen her age and refusal of him as insurmountable obstacles? He must have done, because just moments before he was informed that she was chosen to be his bride, he had put his magic to a use that was now being bemoaned as the most unwise of moves. He had nearly ruined everything!
In a move unanticipated by either the Labyrinth or the Council, King Jareth had made the girl forget everything. And why? Because his foolish pride had taken a hit! A hit by a young girl, no less. It was inconceivable, it was not to be borne! Yes, The Labyrinth was quite livid, completely put out by her wayward King's impetuous action. But she would remain firm, as would the Council -- Jareth would marry Sarah Williams; the Labyrinth and its denizens would have the Queen they desired and deserved.
It would take a little time, but it would have anyway. She had not invested so much in the girl for nothing... the book, the toys, statues and trinkets... she refused to concede defeat! Of course, Jareth would not be happy at first, but that was too bad. It was his own folly that had pitched him headlong into this reality. As the Aboveground saying went, ‘Pride goeth before a fall,' Jareth's pride had precipitated his world falling down... down to the Above.
The Labyrinth snickered in ladylike fashion and settled in to watch. This ought to be good...
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Blinking against the light spilling into her room, Sarah sat up in bed on Sunday morning. Recalling the previous night's conversation with Karen, she smiled to herself. It was a good feeling to be on the path to a better relationship with her stepmother. What else had happened last night? She had baby-sat Toby, but for some reason her memory was a bit vague. Had they watched a movie together? Baked cookies? Odd that she couldn't remember.
Moving over to her desk, she pulled open her drawer and withdrew her journal, feeling that it might hold the answer, as it was her habit to write a little something each night. She did remember writing in it last night, but not what she had written. Opening to the most recent entry, she read her words. Her slight frown turned into a smile and then a grin. Laughing, she shook her head. She must have been totally out of it last night... Or maybe she had gotten up in the middle of the night to write down this dream, not that she'd ever done such a thing before.
Reading, she remembered vaguely what her dream must have been about. She had wished away Toby to the goblins and they had obliged. She had encountered a number of characters, many of whom she'd listed by name... She knew that the tale had come from her imagination, no matter how vehemently she had assured herself in the journal that it was real. She wouldn't have forgotten something like that, but it sure sounded like a great book!
Hurriedly, Sarah dressed and brushed through her hair. As she headed downstairs, she heard the sounds of breakfast going on in the kitchen. She smelled eggs, bacon and toast, and her stomach grumbled noisily. When had she last eaten? Hadn't she had dinner last night? Strange that she couldn't remember!
"Come on, Toby, try the eggs, you'll like them," Karen's voice coaxed. "Yummy."
"No, no, no, no, NO!" Toby said, grinning at Sarah as she entered the kitchen. He had a Cheerio plastered to his forehead. The rest of the cereal, usually his favorite, was scattered on his high chair tray and the floor -- apparently they weren't his favorite today.
Sarah's father sat at the table, his oatmeal only half-eaten. He was reading the business section - Sarah didn't know how he could stomach the boring articles. She had once read the entire section herself and about put herself to sleep.
Smiling, she said, "Morning, everyone!"
"Good morning Sarah," Karen greeted her warmly. "Hungry?"
"Famished!"
Karen managed to get a spoonful of eggs into Toby's mouth, but the expression on his face told everyone he was not impressed. Shaking his head dramatically, he spat the eggs out, making a further mess of his tray, the floor, and his striped pajamas.
"See, Toby?" their dad said from behind his paper. "Eggs are yummy. Didn't Mommy tell you?"
Sarah's eyes locked with Karen and both of them giggled.
As she ate her breakfast, Sarah tried again to remember what had happened last night. She knew she had apologized to Karen and her father about her behavior, because she'd been such a brat to them both. But she couldn't remember the rest of the evening before that. Had she read a book? Listened to music? She simply couldn't remember, which was bizarre. From the time her parents had left for the evening, leaving her to mind Toby, to the time they'd returned -- and she remembered approaching Karen and speaking to her -- everything was a hazy blur.
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
Jareth woke up and grimaced as he recalled his unceremonious arrival in the Aboveground. With a deep sigh, he sat up in bed and looked around the room through bleary eyes. The full memory of why he was here along with the previous evening's events returned to him in a rush. He suppressed a flare of frustration, anger and humiliation as he remembered her flashing green eyes glinting at him as she declared, "You have no power over me!"
Watching her celebrate her victory with his subjects had made him incredibly angry and improbably jealous. It was not an experience he fancied that he'd enjoy repeating. He drew in a breath and forced himself to put the situation out of his mind. It was over, and would stay over -- he'd impulsively made certain of that the previous evening. There was nothing to be done for it now. He had to start from scratch, which might, in the end, be better. He hadn't exactly made a terrific first impression on the girl.
As he showered and dressed, he pondered whether his decision to remove Sarah's memory of the Labyrinth had been a wise one or simply a rash move out of pride and anger, as the Labyrinth had accused. He knew himself well enough to admit that he'd been greatly humiliated, and the very idea of the girl swanning about, communicating with his subjects at will and him being compelled to watch her gloat... had caused him to desire above all else that she not remember her victory over him. Nor would she remember denying him when he had offered to make her his Queen -- an offer he'd never before made to anyone -- only to have it thrown back into his face.
It still stung badly. Rejection was not something that he was accustomed to, either as a king or as a man. In his experience, all women, be they young or old, human or otherwise, tended to find him incredibly attractive. Not only had his prideful ego taken a hit, but his heart had also taken a bit of a beating. He had been so sure that he would have grown to love the fascinating girl over time.
It was only now that he allowed himself to realize that he had also removed all chance that Sarah would ever call upon him again -- for she simply had no idea he existed. And now he was trapped in her world.
Jareth sighed. For good or ill, the deed was done.
He had let the girl's co-conspirators off easily, he supposed -- once he'd frightened them just a bit for show. He knew all too well how easily the girl could get under one's skin, after all... How could he blame them for a susceptibility he himself was guilty of? As he was fond of telling others, what was done, was done.
Had he lost his mind, interfering with her so much? Taking away hours from her allotted time? Never had he put so much time and effort into a Runner. Why had he flirted with her, fed her food of his world, danced with her, sung to her? He had virtually proposed to her, there at the end! What was it about her? She was far too young, obviously, but time was nothing to Jareth. He would have gladly waited for her to grow up.
He had learned that he had to guard his heart, and his caution had served him well. It had always been very clear to him that he was meant to have one great love, and that once he gave his heart there would be no going back. Despite his best intentions, however, he had felt safe due to the tender age of his challenger... oh, how wrong he had been. How could he have known that a girl on the cusp of womanhood could challenge him so? Defy him? That she would have a light of adventure in her eyes unlike any he'd ever seen?
Though he would never go so far as to say he was in love with a teenager, he was well and truly caught by her spirit, defiance, pluckiness, and bravery -- not to mention her flowing dark hair and unfathomable green eyes. He could see himself falling in love with the woman she was going to become. And, dash it all, though she had the capacity to be cruel, she was also true. In her, he had met his match, though he would never confess it to anyone but himself.
For some time now, Jareth had been under a great deal of pressure to choose a bride. It was quite unusual for a king of his age not to have married and fathered an heir. Now that he had shown a flicker of interest in a female, well... the Labyrinth and the Council had immediately agreed that a queen had been found. No arguments about Sarah's age, her human status, or whether he might prefer to make his own decision regarding marriage prevailed. It was decreed, and there was no use fighting it. They took his attraction to Sarah more seriously than even Jareth had. There was no choice; he had been sent Aboveground and would remain there until he brought back the Champion as his Queen. Jareth wondered what exactly he'd ever done to piss the Labyrinth off so very much... she could have at least given him a bit of time before sending him here. The girl was... well, a girl!
The Council and the Labyrinth had agreed; he had been sent Aboveground and here he would remain until he convinced Sarah to love him, and then he was to bring her back with him Underground. They had left him no loophole, even though he had promised to select a bride from among his own people post haste. He'd had his chance, and now his bride had been chosen for him. He had to admit feeling a huge relief at not having to select one of the unappealing fawning aristocrats of the Underground to marry. If he'd been inclined to marry a waif-like creature that hated Goblins, he'd have done it long before now.
Frowning, he glanced into the mirror hanging above the bureau. His hair... what had they done to his hair? It was short and choppy, spiked haphazardly. After he got over the initial shock, he comforted himself that for this world, at least, it was quite fashionable. And his face! He looked... he looked ordinary! No distinctive markings remained. It had been a very long time since Jareth had been completely human, and he wasn't happy to be such again.
With a scowl, he closed his wardrobe doors -- all of the clothing was of current Aboveground styles and therefore inferior, but at least there were copious amounts of leather -- and went to check out what would be his home for the foreseeable future. It was a nice enough house, large and spacious and tastefully, expensively furnished. On the upside, at least he didn't have to worry about getting a job; everything had been provided for him. In addition to spending time getting to know Sarah and allowing her to know him, he could take the first real holiday since he'd been crowned King of the Goblins.
He wondered how his brother, Markus, was faring in his place. With a smirk, he recalled how much Markus hated goblins and he hoped his denizens would give the spoiled, ungrateful, grudge-holding poppycock a good deal of trouble. It would be no more than he deserved; his brother had been a spoiled, mean-spirited brat as a child and as an adult he was far worse. Jareth knew that the Labyrinth wouldn't allow him to do anything too cruel to any of the creatures.
Yes, the Council had thought of everything, and the Labyrinth had pulsed its eager approval, nearly panting like a huge, invisible puppy. Of course, she hadn't been thrilled with the idea of Markus taking over as Goblin King, but she was in accord with everything else. Despite the obvious lack of any indication of gender, the Labyrinth had made it clear to him quite early in his reign her feminine nature. As Jareth had gotten to know her, he'd found her identification as female quite accurate.
Jareth concluded that she had tired of being ruled solely by a male, and since he'd not taken action... well, the Labyrinth was a particularly headstrong female. He chuckled. Women were sociable creatures and always seemed to invariably gather in groups to chat and gossip; he wondered idly if the Labyrinth was lonely. He knew she wouldn't do this if she felt it would harm him in any way... but he'd never really wondered before if the Labyrinth had missed having a strong female leader to commune with. It made him feel a bit guilty to realize that the Labyrinth was so concerned for his loneliness and yet he hadn't reciprocated by comprehending hers.
If he were honest with himself, Jareth could admit that he wouldn't mind some companionship if it were to come in the form of a stubborn, beautiful, infuriating brunette with green eyes. Still, she was very young, too young at the moment. He might end up being here for quite a while, waiting for her to grow up... Not that the Labyrinth cared about any of that.
The biggest problem he could foresee at the moment was how to introduce himself into Sarah's life and to stay there without arousing the suspicion of her father and stepmother. That could be tricky. Since, as Goblin King, he'd often been called for or by abused children, he was familiar with the laws here and knew he would be perceived as a predator if he were to pursue her before she was of age... perhaps a bit beyond ‘of age' would be better. Wondering how old he was meant to be, he strode to a table by the door where car keys and a wallet waited.
Opening the wallet, he studied the driver's license inside -- he had learned to drive a car many years prior -- it was a very good photograph, and proclaimed him to be twenty-seven years old. So... more than a decade older than Sarah. Well, he could work with that. And his name... his name was Jarrett Arthur. He smirked. Clever, giving him the last name of another, more well-known king.
Jareth headed for the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of black tea. Sitting down at the table, he looked out into his garden. His thoughts were fixed on how to strike up an acquaintance with Sarah that would seem natural and unforced. He had several talents to share, living for hundreds of years had provided ample opportunity to learn many things. The question was, what was Sarah interested in? Could he perhaps pose as a tutor or mentor of sorts? No, that wouldn't work. It would require either spending time with her in her parents' house, under their watchful eyes, or expecting them to allow her to come here, alone. Not to mention it was rather... creepy.
Hmmm. Maybe it would be best to simply arrange to meet her by ‘accident', as it were, and see where things led him. He might get a better idea of how to handle this upon talking with her. She wouldn't remember him, after all. Satisfied with his plan, he fixed himself a waffle and sat back down to enjoy it with another cup of tea.
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six