Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story, everything else is borrow.

Awaken My Love

She turned in her sleep, moaning aloud in distress. A thin sheen of sweat glazed her forehead, her hair damp at her scalp.

The owl watched her toss in bed, her limbs kicking and shoving, and pulling on her blankets.

Another whimper escaped her throat, her face filled with torment then all of a sudden she was half upright screaming his name in frightful terror.

The owl flew into the night on silent wings.

Sarah panted for a few minutes to get her heart to slow down. For the past three nights she'd been having horrible dreams like she's never experienced before. They all revolved around the labyrinth, starting out pleasant with the sun shining and meeting with friends.

Then the scenes would change, the skies would grow dark with ominous clouds, rumbles of thunder, and then the rain would pelt down on her unmercifully. Running into the castle for cover, Sarah would hear Jareth calling her name, his voice full of torment and agony.

No matter how quickly she tried to find him, it was always too late. Ending the dream with Sarah screaming his name at finding his prone cold figure on the stone cold floor.

After two weeks of having her nightmares, Sarah's parents started to worry about her. She'd grown listless, refused to eat most meals, and was worn to the bone with dark circles under her eyes.

When they approached her about what was wrong she simply told them, 'Something I have to work out myself'.

By that point, even the goblin king had become concerned. He had, at first, felt vindicated at how Sarah's dreams had turned dark, her guilt from the way she'd treated him to manifest to such horror that his death would shake her to the core.

She was thinner and drawn in appearance, her eyes no longer sparkled, her grades were falling – or so he had heard from her parents' discussions, and all her pleasant fantasies died a quick death.

She was scared to death of going to sleep and forced herself to stay awake as much as possible, resorting to pills and tons of coffee to assist her.

But as the nights progressed she had no choice but to close her eyes, and her night terrors filled her sleep with more intensity than ever before.

The goblin king stayed close to her, waiting, but instead of calling to him for solace she opted to suffer in her own self torment, and without her acceptance there was nothing he could do.

Then one night she finally gave in. Her terrifying dream ended as always with her finding Jareth dead in his own castle, Sarah screaming his name in anguish.

Only this night, as she lay panting, shivering and terrified, she whispered for him.

"Jareth, please help me." Her voice was barely audible, her tone sounded lost.

He instantly appeared in her room silently. "All you had to do was ask," he told her quietly.

"Please make them stop," she whispered very softly, crying into her blankets. "I can't take it anymore. You win. Just... please… no more nightmares."

Jareth was taken aback by her words.

'Was this why she hadn't called to me sooner?' Jareth thought. 'She thought I was punishing her? She'd been fighting me this whole while and I hadn't even been an active part of it.'

"Sarah, I've done nothing but wait for your call," he informed her quietly.

She simply laid there at first, still breathing irregularly, and waited for him to start laughing at her with his warped sense of humor.

When he remained quiet she rolled the upper half of her body and turned her head to look back at him. His face was mostly in shadow but it didn't look like he was amused.

"What do you want from me?" she pleaded in a whispered voice, unconvinced of his innocence. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I thought they were just words, a part of the story, rules to the game…" she sniffled and swallowed hard.

"Please, just make them stop…" she whispered in despair. "I get it now, you loved me, just please…. No more nightmares."

"My love hasn't changed for you," he explained simply in an even tone. "I still offer you everything as I had before. But I'm not the one bringing you your night terrors. You're doing that all on your own."

"You lie," she whispered defiantly.

She scooted from the bed not caring whether she looked graceful or clumsy as she scooted off her bed on her knees to stand before him with every nerve of her being trembling in his presence.

"Just take me, then," she said in a stronger voice. "Make me run the labyrinth again," she waved a hand as though gesturing toward said place. "Make me fear you all over, just stop making me have these nightmares!"

He reached a hand out to her face, caressing her cheek with the back of his knuckles, his gaze impartial.

"You're paying the price for refusing a Fae king, Sarah. For refusing my love and all I offer. Only you can make the dreams stop."

His touch was warm and gentle. Much more gentle than she'd ever thought possible of him. She closed her eyes to imprint his warm touch to memory.

He made to remove his hand and she grabbed his wrist, holding his hand in place for just a moment longer.

"Release me, Sarah." His tone was flat and commanding.

She let go without hesitation, only then did she wonder how she could've dared to do such a thing.

She opened her eyes to find him gone. She searched the dark room with her eyes, hoping he had only moved to another spot but she didn't see him.

Her heart constricted at being alone once more. She climbed back into bed and cried herself dry, too afraid to go back to sleep for fear of finding him, yet again, prone and lifeless on the cold castle floor.

He watched her from the darkest shadow of her room. He'd almost lost control at her plea for him to take her, only he knew full well that her intention of that statement did not match his own.

That she was so distraught at the thought of his demise gave him some assurance that she didn't hate him as much as he had first thought. That she had grabbed his hand to keep his touch on her skin convinced him that she simply didn't understand her own feelings.

He was more than capable of altering her dreams for her, but he figured why do that when she would call to him for comfort. He wanted her to call upon him, to want his touch and feel his warmth, to need him.

He watched as she simply lay there staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes.

With a graceful wave of his hand and a simple thought, she closed her suddenly heavy lids and fell into a dreamless sleep.

XxXxX

Jareth appeared in her room as she bolted upright with a scream in her throat. She trembled and started to cry, burying her face in her hands.

"How can you be so cruel? I said I was sorry," she said between sobs not knowing he watched from the shadows of her room.

He resigned that she wasn't going to call him this night and was about to leave when she suddenly lifted her head, her sobs paused, and searched the darkness around her.

"Jareth?" she held her breath for a moment, waiting. "I can smell your scent, Jareth. I know you're here."

He stepped forward to let the dim light from outside her window silhouette him.

"That wasn't a proper invite, Sarah."

"You curse me to nightmares of blood and death then talk to me of propriety?" she asked incredulously. "You really are priceless, Jareth."

"I've done nothing to you," he affirmed coldly. "I will not allow you to continue to accuse me falsely."

"Then help me," she pleaded, pulling the blankets around her to have something to hug, more so than to be modest.

"All you have to do is make one of your crystals and I won't have these horrible dreams anymore."

"It's not a crystal you need," he informed her in a surprisingly gentle tone. "It's me."

Before she could respond he was sitting behind her on the bed with his arms around her shoulders.

She jumped at the suddenness of him being behind her in her bed, but the warmth that emanated from him as he encircled his arms around her was so comforting, she relaxed against him, and rested her head back on his chest.

His warmth relaxed her, his arms made her feel safe, his breath felt like caresses on her cheek. With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and sunk into his embrace. She was just so tired.

She felt the possessive way his arms tightened around her and she sighed again, knowing he wouldn't let anything hurt her. Her breathing slowed to deep even breaths as she quickly fell asleep.

After a few minutes he slowly eased them both back to lay upon her pillow, his coat magically left his body to drape over the chair by her vanity, his boots on the floor.

She shifted in his arms as he straightened his body to the mattress, and curled herself against him with an arm firmly over his chest, her head near his shoulder.

He held her close, idly running a few strands of her long hair between his fingers.

He remained with her until morning, planning how he could use her vulnerability to his advantage, then her alarm beeped annoyingly.

He caressed her cheek one last time when her hand on his arm tightened in a restraining grip.

"Will you come back if I dream again?"

He ran his fingers leisurely through her long tresses.

"All you had to do was ask," he told her, then disappeared from her room, taking his coat and boots with him.

Sarah hit the snooze button and snuggled deep in the warm spot he had made on her bed. She breathed his scent on her pillow and for the first time since her return from the labyrinth wasn't so scared at the thought of closing her eyes for some sleep.

She reassured her dad that she was starting to feel better but wanted to stay home to catch up on some sleep, he finally conceded to let her skip school for the day.

After they had both left for work, Karen taking Toby to daycare first, Sarah made herself a light breakfast of toast and eggs then went back to her room and closed the door.

Shrugging off her robe, she laid it at the foot of her bed and slipped between the sheets. With her head on her pillow she sighed deeply, catching Jareth's scent that still lingered in the air, and closed her eyes.

At first her sleep was restful, letting her mind catch up with some well needed rest. But soon the dream started it's sequence of events in the same manner as before.

She fought to wake up but it held her fast. She tried to change things in her nightmare but it didn't matter as the ending still had her screaming to wakefulness.

She panted heavily, clutching her nightshirt over her palpitating heart with shaking hands.

"I thought you helped!" she accused, tears escaping her eyes.

He was suddenly there with her, holding her with a firm embrace from behind with his back pressed against the headboard.

"Get off of me!" she cried out with annoyance, and struggled to get away from him.

With her body placed between his knees he wrapped his arms around her chest, holding her arms fast, and pinned her legs with his to keep her struggles futile.

He waited patiently for her to cease her idle threats and arousing squirming.

Finally she gave in with a small whimper of defeat and rested back against his chest.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked in an easy tone.

"Yes." She grumbled.

"Then let me remind you that I am not making you have your nightmares. I am helping. And you asked me to return."

"How is holding me captive helping?" she asked sourly, though inwardly she liked the way it felt being in his embrace.

She felt secure and safe knowing he would protect her, protect her from everything except himself that is.

"Because I can't be dead while holding you in my arms," he answered simply. "You can feel my warmth against your body, hear my heart beating as you rest your head over it."

"Are you saying that for me to not have those nightmares, you have to sleep with me?"

"Yes," he affirmed, then lowered his lips to her ear. "I find it a very pleasing solution, don't you?"

"No!" she quipped, trying to turn in his arms but he wouldn't allow it.

"You can't! What if my dad sees you or Karen?" she continued, craning her head back and to the side to look up at him.

"And what if you…" her face suddenly flushed scarlet. "…I mean you'll… you're going to… want…things."

She dropped her head to face forward, the uncomfortable direction her thoughts went caused him to chuckled. Hearing his amusement made her even redder with embarrassment.

"I already want those things, Sarah," he whispered in her ear, tightening his hold on her in anticipation of her renewing her struggles.

He was pleasantly surprised when she merely sunk back against him, dropping her head backwards to his chest with closed eyes.

"No struggle, Imp?" he asked with mild surprise. "I'm almost disappointed."

She started to tremble from deep within as he held her, her breathes became short and uneven, and her chest heaved with anxiety.

"I can't…" she whispered in a trembling voice.

"I'm not an ogre, Sarah," he growled, suddenly angered by her reaction. "When I decide to have you, you will not only be of age but more than willing, I assure you. Until then…"

"I'm yours, Jareth." She cut in with a whisper, silent tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm more afraid of those nightmares than I am of anything you'd want to do to me."

"Then we have an understanding," he stated with finality.

He caressed her cheek with his, moving her hair from over her shoulder to place delicate kisses along her neck.

He smiled when she shivered, her breathing uneven for a different reason now.

She was so young and innocent. Everything a woman needed to learn about being with a man she would learn from him, he would be her first for everything, and he amazed himself at how patient he found himself willing to be with her.

He wanted her open and willing, and if he played the game correctly, he would have everything he wanted soon enough.

His hand glided from around her waist to her mid-thigh, his fingers caressed the inner side of her bared skin under her nightshirt.

She tensed and held her breath with uncertainty, only relaxing slightly when he moved his hand back to her waist.

'Very innocent,' he thought to himself.

"Are you going to take me back to your castle?" she asked with apprehension.

"Not just yet." He replied in a casual tone. "I'll let you live with your family, gain your education, and make friends for a while yet."

"Really?" she asked hopefully. She shifted in his arms to look up into his face.

He allowed her to half turn this time. His expression was regal, arrogant, and confident as he gazed back at her.

Her eyes flitted from his light to darker hued eyes searching for any deception and found none. Her gaze then lazily roamed over his face, taking in each and every detail of his elegant yet masculine features.

He watched her as she absorbed his appearance, seemingly for the first time. Her eyes traced his face as though following an invisible line.

Her lips parted when she focused on his lips, her breathing increased ever so slightly as her gaze slid down his neck then increased even more as she stared at his chest through the open necked shirt.

Ever so slowly her eyes worked their way back to his, her breath caught in her throat at the eye contact and he witnessed the spark that turned her eyes dark with arousal.

He smirked pleasingly, knowing that at that moment, Sarah Williams truly belonged to him and him alone.

"Yes, Sarah, really," he finally replied gently, wiping the wetness from her cheeks with his thumb. "I'd rather you learn to trust me where you are most comfortable before taking you back to my kingdom."

"How do you plan to do that?" she asked quietly. "Make me trust you, that is. You haven't exactly been prince charming."

"One night at a time." He smiled pleasantly at the uncertainty in her eyes then chuckled as her face flushed at his smile.

"I'm not such the monster you first thought me to be, am I? Perhaps, not so grotesque either?"

He chuckled harder when she turned her face away in embarrassment. He took her chin in his fingertips and turned her head to face him.

"I have but one demand that I must make you aware of."

She raised her eyes to meet his questioningly, and swallowed hard with nervousness.

"You've willingly handed yourself to me, Sarah. I expect you to remember to whom you belong while socializing." He moved his face closer to hers. "Remember that I 'can' be very cruel."

She thought he was going to kiss her as he tilted her face upwards towards his mouth.

Her eyes slid closed, lips parted slightly, only to feel his lips at the underside of her jaw to trail light kisses down her neck.

"Do you wish me to kiss you, Sarah?" he asked for her benefit, he knew full well that she did.

"Yes." It was more of a breath than an answer, but he heard it clearly and kissed her lips so tenderly that she moaned. "Is this magic?"

"Definitely," he answered with a smile. "But not mine."

Taking in her flushed face and erratic breathing, he wondered if she realized that she clung to him with a hand at his back, the other grasping his shoulder.

Throwing caution to the wind, he lowered his lips to hers once more and wasn't disappointed when she tentatively returned his kisses.

XxXxXx

She stood by the side of her bed staring at it unseeingly with her full length terry-cloth robe pulled tightly around her, wearing her nightshirt and panties underneath.

All she had to do was turn off the lamp and he'd be there, he told her himself just before disappearing earlier that day.

The trouble was, as much as she wanted him with her so she didn't have her nightmare, she was leery and uncomfortable having him in her bed.

His kisses made her stomach do somersaults while his embrace made her feel safe. All in all it was very confusing to say the least.

"You couldn't just make a crystal, could you?" she whispered whimsically.

With a deep sigh she climbed into bed, robe and all, and scooted under her blankets. Reaching over to the night table she turned off the light.

Her hand wasn't even off the extinguished lamp when he was at her back on the bed. Wrapping his arms around her waist possessively, he pulled her back to the pillows.

"I wouldn't procrastinate like that again, Sarah," he told her firmly. "Even young women need their restful sleep. I expect you to turn off that lamp before midnight from now on."

"You're giving me a bedtime?" she asked, slightly outraged.

"I'm giving you 'my' time." He said in a heavy tone by her ear. "And I won't have you wasting it by denying yourself sleep and me the pleasure of having you in my arms."

She felt a pleasant chill at the way he said the word 'pleasure' and tried not to let him see the blush she knew was on her face.

Little did she know that his eyesight was excellent in both daylight and darkness, and he saw her rise in color perfectly.

"Are you that cold to wear your robe to bed?" he asked in a light tone, barley containing his amusement. "Or are you that modest so I may not see what I hold in my arms?"

She laid her head down on her pillow, facing away from him, too embarrassed to even answer his question.

Of course she was being modest. She was only fifteen and had never even been to a sleepover party!

She felt subconscious of her body, thinking herself too fat in the middle to be attractive. Her butt was too big, and her thighs were disgusting.

Her eyes, in her own opinion, were droopy looking and uneven. Her face was nothing but a blob of flesh, her nose was too fat and her top lip pinched in the middle like some freak result of bad surgery.

There was no way to explain that to a king, a man, an immortal being from another world.

She heard and felt him chuckle pleasantly at her silence.

"Fine. Keep your robe for now. But when my patience runs through, I want it gone when you get in bed. Is that agreeable to you?"

He gently moved her hair from her neck and pulled the collar of the robe down to her shoulder to place soft kisses on her sensitive skin.

"Sarah, answer me."

"Yes, Jareth," she whispered in a resigned tone.

His lips on her neck made her feel things that she knew were normal. Every romance movie she'd ever watched, the man always went for the woman's neck, now she knew why.

It was an erogenous zone that made all thought go out the window when a man kissed it as Jareth was doing to her now.

She gasped within a shuddering breath when he licked the spot just behind her ear with the tip of his tongue.

He returned to simply placing light kisses along her neck, expecting her to tell him to stop.

After another couple of moments he lifted his head to gaze down at her. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing heavier than normal, and her eyes half closed with rapture at the feelings he was awakening within her.

She was, quite simply, wholly enjoying his attentions.

He leaned his chest over her, pushing her shoulder down to the mattress and took her inviting lips into his mouth.

She moaned in response and stretched her hand up to weave her fingers into his hair. She hesitantly returned his kiss, mimicking what he was doing to her mouth with his tongue.

It damn near drove him over the edge.

He hadn't expected her to give in to him so willingly, so easily, so passionately, and he had to break from her to keep control of himself.

She wasn't ready, despite what her body was saying, and he knew that if he took her now she'd hate him forever.

He nuzzled the skin under her jaw, nipping it ever so gently with his uneven teeth.

She gasped and threw her head back to give him more room.

He placed tender nips along her throat, waving his hand over her face as he neared her collar bone.

With one last ragged breath at his attentions she slipped into a restful dream full of passion and exploration with her goblin king.

As her breathing returned to normal, slowing more so in her sleep state, Jareth closed his eyes with ragged breaths of his own to gain control of himself.

Once he had his will in place he fixed the collar of her robe over her neck, suddenly grateful for her innocent barrier.

This wasn't going to be as easy as he had first anticipated.

XxXxX

Sarah had been in the best of moods all day. She hadn't felt this free and light at heart since before her trials in the labyrinth.

Not only that but all of a sudden her peers wanted to be near her, talk to her, and be friendly towards her.

She had been extremely wary at first, waiting for the big joke to come to a head. By lunch period she realized there was no joke when three tables invited her to sit with them. She accepted an invite and sat down at the closest one.

She was amazed at how they included her in their conversations, asked her opinions about fashion and makeup, and everyone wanted to know if she had a crush on anyone in particular at school.

She was completely overwhelmed and still felt the sting of her flushed cheeks that she had had throughout the day. Even the teachers had smiled at her politely, some of them she didn't even have classes with.

"Did you enjoy your popularity today?" Jareth asked as soon as the lamp went dark, his arms snaking around her to pull her against his chest, their heads falling to the pillows.

Her heart sunk with a feeling of dread. It had been a joke after all. Jareth's joke.

She fought the tears as her throat constricted with hurt. 'How could he be so cruel?'

"Sarah?" he voiced, his tone bearing a hint of confusion as he leaned over her to see her face.

She turned away from him, burying her face deep into her pillow.

"Leave me alone," she cried, her voice muffled in the downy fluff.

"Tell me they are not tears you weep at the gift I've awakened within you," he told her, his tone hinting of disappointment and anger at the same time.

"A gift?" she asked, rolling over to look up at him as he hovered over her shoulder.

His elegant brow raised higher at seeing the tear roll down her temple when she turned her head.

"Yes, a gift," he replied with annoyed sarcasm. "You know very well I've given you gifts. You know the words, you've read it thousands of times. Don't criticize me because you've never thought to ask 'what' the gifts were."

He was fully annoyed now and rolled onto his back on the mattress, tucking his hands under his head as he glared at the ceiling.

"You… you mean it wasn't a joke?" she asked choppily, rolling over to face him. "They were really being nice to me?"

He shifted his eyes to look at her and felt his ire subside at the hopeful expression on her face. How lonely she must be when such a small amount of attention had meant so much to her.

"It was not a joke," he answered a little curtly. "But be careful of how you use the enchantment," he told her in a softer tone. "Those who truly dislike you will come after you with vengeance and jealousy at your being liked by so many."

A small smile tickled the corners of her mouth, her eyes staring unseeingly at his chest. 'It wasn't a joke!'

Then her mouth turned up into a grin, she chuckled, smiled and then laughed, meeting his eyes with green orbs that sparkled with joy.

"It wasn't a joke!" She repeated cheerfully.

"It's magic, Sarah," he warned in a light tone, tilting his head slightly to look at her better.

He was amused at the changes in her expression as he watched her process what he told her.

"And you projected your magic in a very large radius today. I would advise learning to tone it down a bit. A lot, actually."

She looked at him pointedly as realization came to her mind.

"That's why the labyrinth helped me, isn't it?" she asked, her voice hinted of disappointment. "Why Hoggle and Sir Didymus and Ludo wanted to be my friends. It was all a magic spell?"

"Not quite," he replied with a perturbed frown, and turned his gaze back to the ceiling. "Those three actually befriended you against my orders to stay away."

He smoothed the expression on his face and spoke in a softer tone. "You didn't have the enchantment at your disposal in my labyrinth. I've only just awakened it in you last evening."

"What did you do to them?" she demanded to know, her voice strong with protectiveness.

She could tell he punished those who had befriended her just by his tone and the hard look in his mystical eyes.

He laughed, grabbed her bodily and rolled her across his chest to land her on her back on the suddenly larger mattress with him settling himself atop of her.

"Defiant little one," he smiled down at her. "I've done nothing to your friends. The poor beast is too loyal to be punished, the knight I assigned to the front gates where he is happily defending the garden from the pesky fairies, and your beloved Hoogle is grudgingly cleaning up the mess you made in my castle."

He watched the sadness wash over her eyes.

"His name's Hoggle. And all they wanted to do was help," she said in a low voice, not even mindful that he weighed her down with his body over hers, something Jareth was very mindful of.

"And help you they did." He quipped. "Which brings us back to our current situation."

She was suddenly made aware of her position under him and blushed, his knowing smirk only brought more color to her cheeks.

He leaned his upper body weight on one arm and tenderly brushed her lips with the thumb of his free hand.

"Do you wish me to kiss you, Sarah?" he whispered, though it really wasn't a question.

She felt the butterflies in her stomach as he touched her lips, her eyes automatically went to his mouth at his suggestion of a kiss.

Despite everything, she really liked how he kissed her, how her blood raced when he covered her with his body, the feelings that ran through her when he sucked and gently nipped at her neck. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers and nodded.

"Say the words, Sarah," he whispered very softly, bringing his lips so close to hers without touching them.

Not realizing that it wasn't Jareth that leaned closer, she raised her head from the pillow to fill the space between them.

She closed her eyes as her lips made contact with his and breathed deeply as he took over with demanding force.

Her hand mindlessly went to the back of his head, her other hand slid along his shoulder, down his back, and grabbed his ass.

He groaned into her mouth when her fingers grabbed the rounded flesh in tight breeches. He pulled back from her, grabbing her arms one at a time to pin them at the sides of her head.

"With forwardness such as that, Imp, you no longer need your robe."

Her robe vanished as he reclaimed her mouth hungrily.

She whimpered under him, the sudden intensity of his kiss frightened her and she feared she had went too far with such a simple gesture of wanting to touch him.

He broke his kiss suddenly, realizing he was using too much on her too fast. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, releasing his grip on her wrists while breathing heavily to regain control.

"I scared you, haven't I?" He closed his eyes already knowing the answer. "Answer me," he demanded at her silence.

He had to make her tell him, make her say it so it wasn't harbored within her as a fear to never be vanquished.

"You… you never said I wasn't allowed to touch you."

He remained unmoving, not wanting her to see the regret on his face. Then realized that that just may be what she needed to see.

He raised his head from her shoulder and met her fearful and uncertain eyes with his own passion dark ones.

"I wasn't expecting you to want to and lost control. My apologies, my Lady."

He watched as so many emotions flit in her eyes that he was hardly able to label them all.

Sarah couldn't believe her ears. Her eyes. He had just apologized to her, a formal apology at that, and the look in his striking eyes told her that he more than meant those words.

He held her gaze with bated breath and she knew it. He was being so gentle with her, but he was capable of so much more than what she was ready for, and that thought sent a thrill for the unknown throughout her being.

They were at an impasse and she knew it. She held the high card but he could change the rules any time he wanted to.

She reached out and placed her hand at the side of his face. She caressed his cheek with a thumb, then along his strong jaw, his straight nose, and finally his chiseled lips.

"And my will as strong," she whispered, barely audibly.

She had no idea why those words came out of her mouth at that precise moment, but they seemed to be the right words as he smirked at her, and his eyes hardened with challenge.

Her hand slid down his back and grabbed his ass, her eyes matching his challenging gaze.

"Defiant Little One." He grinned appraisingly and touched her lips gently with his.

Just as she wound her fingers into his hair he waved his hand over her closed eyes, ending the kiss as she contentedly fell asleep.