Chapter 3
Sarah stared out the cabin window in complete silence. It was snowing outside, just three weeks away from Christmas. She had told her parents she would stay up here to think things through on what her next move would be. Toby had begged to come, but he still had school. She had told him he could come up as soon as Christmas break started.
Her eyes wondered to the fire crackling softly in the fire place. The last week she had felt so hollow, so out of it. This place felt hollow without her brother's laughter. She sat up and walked to the kitchen to put her mug away. Just as she set the mug down a loud thump was heard from the front porch, "What the hell?" she asked herself turning and heading toward the front door, "It hasn't started snowing that much has it?"
She sighed and pulled the door open. The sight that she met at her feet wasn't what she was expecting. Jareth lay on the freezing porch, as pale as the snow, with a knife embedded into his gut. His eyes opened and looked up at the woman who was staring at him in shock, "Sarah," he whispered, "help me…please…"
She instantly grabbed him where ever she could and dragged him as close as she could to the fire. Sarah's eyes looked to the wound in his gut then up at him, "Jareth…I… I don't know what to do…I…"
"Get some bandages…" he whispered.
The young woman nodded her head and grabbed as many as she could find before returning to his side, "Now what?"
"Jerk the dagger out…"
"What?" her eyes widened, "No, Jareth…I can't…"
"I can heal myself…if you can just take the iron out…"
Slowly, her hand gripped over the hilt of the dagger and she gripped onto it, "I'm sorry," she whispered before jerking it out as quickly as she could. Jareth let out a sudden scream of pain and his eyes widened.
"Hold the bandages over the wound," he told her as soon as the first shock of pain left him.
Sarah did so, slowly putting pressure on it, but hopefully not enough to terribly hurt him, "What if something vital is cut? I can't…"
"I can heal it…if we can stop me from losing too much blood…you'll need to get some needle and thread," his eyes were fixed on her sternly.
She frowned at the thought of having to stow him up, "I don't have sterile anything like that… Jareth…"
"Please…Sarah…just do it…I just need to stop the bleeding… I can feel my magic working, but I grow weaker…please," he begged touching her hand.
"Hold this while I find some," she insisted placing both his hands on the bandages. She came back and as quick as she could manage without gagging she sowed up the wound the best she could before she began to wrap it in lots of bandages, "Do you think you can move?"
He grunted.
"Just to the couch," she reasoned. "You shouldn't stay on the floor." Slowly, with her help, he managed to get onto the couch. She had handed him three pinkish pills, "It's a pain killer," she sighed. "Just swallow it down with water and it'll help with the pain…"
He nodded his head and did what he told her. Sarah got up and he reached out for her hand, "Now we are even," he whispered before his eyes completely shut.
She looked back at him and just stood there for what seemed forever. Finally she turned to grab him a blanket while one thought consumed her, no…we're not…I still owe you…for everything…
She was jerked from her dreams when the phone next to her head began to ring. Groaning into her pillow she snatched the phone and held it to her ear, "Hello?"
"Hi honey its me," a male voice answered on the other line.
"Hi dad," she muttered.
A great sigh heaved she felt her muscles tighten, preparing for bad news, "Apparently there is a horrible storm heading your way. If you can, you might want to drive into town and get some supplies for the next week, and some dry fire wood. You probably haven't gotten out and chopped any fresh wood yet, have you?"
"You know me," she answered letting her body relax.
Her father chuckled, "Well, there is some money hidden under the mattress for emergencies such as this. Go ahead and take it. I'll give you a call in a week and see how you're holding up. Have a good one honey."
"Bye dad," she set the phone down and frowned. "Means Toby is going to have to deal with a baby sitter this Christmas…crap…"
She shook the left over sleep from her eyes and slipped out of the bed before pattering down stairs. There Jareth lay, still fast asleep. Sarah sighed and turned to go back up stairs, "You leaving?" a voice asked. She looked back to find Jareth, his eyes slightly cracked open.
"There's going to be a horrible storm, according to my father," she explained. "I need to drive into town and get supplies and lots of extra bandages for you…and maybe some warmer clothes… I'm gonna change and then leave…can you survive an hour here without me?"
"I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't," he told her, the same arrogance she remembered from before.
Sarah rolled her eyes, "Fine…I'll be back in a bit."
When she had finally left Jareth found himself searching the room for something to do. His pain was not as bad as before, but he knew it would take some time for him to regain his strength. He sat up slowly and jumped when a small plastic device fell switching on what he thought earlier was a funny black mirror. His eyes widened at what appeared on it. It was like a moving picture…with sound.
On it a little man with brown curly hair was placing a small golden ring on a platform. Slowly, Jareth reached for the small device that had turned on the TV and hit the up button on the volume, "I will take it!" the small man cried making all the other taller men arguing around them pause. "I will take it!"
And then he was hooked.
When Sarah finally returned to the cabin she had a car load of stuff to get in. So she spent the next hour moving stuff in through the back door where the kitchen was. She didn't even bother to check on Jareth, "I do not understand this," Jareth spoke when Sarah finally entered the living room. "How can so many people be tempted by such a small thing? It is merely a piece of gold made by something with a large eye…what is your world coming to? Is that all it cares about is small pieces of fine rock?"
Sarah paused and stared at the Goblin King. The night before he had been near the brink of death and now he was sitting up, no shirt on, bandage still on, and arguing with the TV over a movie, "Do you not have books down below?"
"Of course we do," he answered, his eyes were still glued to the TV. Apparently there was a marathon on for Lord of the Rings. "What has moving talking pictures got to do with that?"
She gave a sigh, "This is going to be impossible to explain… It's just a story from a bunch of books this guy wrote… They're good books."
"Did you bring me different clothes?" he asked finally looking away from the TV.
The young woman had to force herself not to glare at him, "Of course I did," she snapped. "Look… here," she set the box at his feet. "I guessed your sizes…I hope I was right…umm… I'm gonna make some breakfast so…I'll be back," then left the room.
"Odd," he muttered before turning to the box. It was just basic sweaters and sweats. Nothing fancy, just clothes he could lay about in and move in easily. He chose a white sweater and a black pair of sweat pants. Slowly he changed, made sure to avoid his stomach.
Sarah was in the kitchen running around trying to keep her mind busy, "Why did he come here?" she asked putting a skillet onto the oven. "Why couldn't he go to someone else…someone who could heal him? He could have died and it would have been my fault…is that what he wanted?" she glared and began to make scrambled eggs. It was one of the only breakfast things she was good at; other then pouring cereal. She shook her head and sighed, "What is going on?"
"That is a good question indeed," a deep sultry voice spoke making her turn suddenly. A man with mismatched eyes, much like Jareth's but they were black and brown. His black hair fell to his waist and he had an essence about him that did remind her of Jareth. "I always wondered what could capture Jareth's heart so easily…you are a good choice."
She took a step back, being careful to avoid the hot stove, "Who are you?" she asked gripping onto the free cool skillet on the counter.
"Oh, our Jareth hasn't told you about me yet?" he gave her a wicked smile. "How…protective of him."
"Get out," she told him, wary of his motions.
"That is no way to treat a new friend," he chuckled suddenly grabbing the wrist that was gripped onto the skillet.
She let out a startled scream.
Jareth suddenly looked up from the TV when he heard a startled scream from the kitchen. With in a moment, or as fast as his body would allow, he was up on his feet and moving toward the kitchen, "Let go," he heard Sarah hiss.
"But Sarah," a deep voice answered, "I want to know what is so amazing about you? Something…fascinating had to have caught the ex-Goblin King's eyes."
"Let go of her," Jareth growled looking at the young Fae who was too close to comfort to Sarah.
"Jareth?" Sarik asked turning to him. "You're still alive? How…disappointing."
Sarah then took the moment she had and brought around the hot skillet with her other hand, hitting Sarik hard on the face. He let out a sudden scream and grabbed his face as his skin began to burn from the sudden iron contact. Then he vanished.
"Are you all right?" Jareth asked.
Sarah looked at him, "I'm fine, you had better…Jareth?" Jareth wavered slightly, his face becoming paler. He suddenly collapsed onto the floor, "Jareth!" she dropped the skillet and quickly ran to his side. "Jareth, wake up…"
He moved slightly and looked up at her, "Sarah I…"
"Come on, I'll get you upstairs into a real bed," she told him putting his right around her shoulder. Slowly they made it upstairs into the bedroom that Toby and she would share during their visits there. "I'll make you something to eat…something that'll build your strength just…just stay here," she told him while he slipped into the bed and she put the covers over him. "Rest…I'll wake you when I get back."
Jareth watched her leave, his thoughts wondering why she was so caring. It had been so obvious long ago that she did not return the affection that he had begun to feel her for…but now… The Goblin King didn't know what to think. Slowly he slipped into deep slumber, his thoughts wondering…and wandering.
He was standing in the middle of a ballroom looking for her. The reason he had come in the first place. The woman who had stolen what he needed most to control the Labyrinth and keep his throne. He need it back…he needed her back. It was the only way to keep his reign true.
Then there she was, almost like the peach dream, but even more beautiful. Her green eyes shifted over the crowd of dancers with a pale blue dress on that clung to curves comfortably. Her hair was curled and had different assorted silver accessories placed about it. Jareth smiled and made his way toward her slowly. Her eyes locked with his and she froze as if unsure what to do, "You came," he whispered when he finally reached her.
"For some reason I just…I couldn't stay away," she answered as she led her out into the dance floor for the next dance.
He put one hand on her waist on the other hand in her hand, "You look beautiful," he whispered as they began to waltz about the room. "How is your brother?"
"Toby is Toby," she answered with a shrug, her face had reddened at his compliment. "He says he misses you…he does wish you would visit more often…"
"Do you wish I would visit more often?"
She looked up at him slightly shocked, "Of course," she whispered for only his ears to hear.
His heart warmed at her answer, "Your getting better."
"At what?"
"At hiding your glow," he answered as he twirled her out and pulled her back into his embrace. "I can still see it in your eyes," not that he looked closer one eye seemed bluer, almost turquoise, compared to the other.
"Toby says he is jealous," she admitted. "He doesn't see how it had to come from my mother, says it should have come from my father, the Fae blood…"
His eyes snapped open, "What?"
Note: Doopy doo! Yeah…that's all I have to say cause…I'm trying to…not…say anything. P
Scorpian: Stop panicking! Here it is!
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