Not Now

'She was tired, God she was tired. And so bloody sick of taking orders, of never being in control.'

"Shoot," Sarah muttered as the light changed to red, forcing her to brake. "What? No, Karen I wasn't talking to you," she said into her mobile, taking a hand off the wheel to hold it more securely against her ear. "No, there's no one else here. I was talking to myself...Yes, I'm listening...You were talking about Daddy's birthday...No, I haven't got him a present yet. I've been busy...I hadn't forgotten! I'm going shopping this weekend...No, that's fine. I can pick up a few things if you want. What do you need?"

"Sarah."

Sarah yelped and spun around in her seat, dropping her phone as she did so.

"Christ, Jareth! she cried, pressing a hand against her chest to try and calm her heart. "Don't do that!" She scowled at him fiercely, barely noticing the inevitable exasperation she felt at having the inside of her car smothered in glitter, again. "What are you doing here?"

Jareth opened his mouth.

"Wait," Sarah interrupted, holding up a hand. "Hold that thought," she said, reaching blindly down the side of her car seat in search of her phone. "Aha! Hello? Karen? You still there?...No, I wasn't trying to get rid of you. I dropped my phone...No, it isn't broken, it's fine. What did you say you wanted?...No, I'm not writing it down, I'm driving...Yes, I know that...You phoned me, remember?...No, I'm not blaming you."

"Sarah," Jareth said once more, temporarily drawing her away from the never ending complaints of her stepmother.

"Hold on one second Karen. What is it Jareth?" she asked, putting her hand over the speaker.

Just then a horn blared and Sarah jumped before peering round to look out through her windscreen. The light was green.

"Shoot," she muttered again as she shifted the car into drive. "Now's really not a good time Jareth. Come back later."

The Goblin King looked like he was about to protest but Sarah promptly blocked him out, slamming her foot down on the gas pedal while pinching her mobile between her right shoulder and ear once more.

"Hey Karen, sorry about that. What were you saying?...No, I won't be busy... Of course I can pick your dry cleaning up during my lunch break..."

"Sarah."

Sarah started and almost tripped over Karen's dry cleaning as she hurried along the street. It was a close call and she very nearly spilled her boss's coffee in the process, the consequences of which didn't bear thinking about.

"Jareth," she panted, slightly out of breath; she had three minutes to get back to the office and she was running behind.

"I need to speak with you," Jareth said, easily keeping pace with his longer legs.

Sarah shook her head, glancing at her watch and putting on an extra burst of speed, abandoning all attempts to look dignified in her high heeled shoes.

"Not now," she managed to gasp out, making a mad dash for the pedestrian crossing and leaving the Goblin King standing alone on the side walk.

"Sarah, I think I've left my laptop in my office, could you go down and fetch it for me?"

Sarah sprang to her and immediately started towards the door. "Sure thing Jason," she said.

Her boss smiled at her in an indulgent manner, although the expression didn't quite meet his eyes. "Try and be quick. The meeting starts in about two minutes."

Sarah took the stairs, hurtling down five floors before barging her way into her boss's office. The man didn't know the meaning of the word organisation but she found the laptop and was on her way back out the door when...

"Sarah."

Sarah blinked in the face of suddenly finding her nose less than an inch away from the Goblin King's chest. She glanced up in surprise but just as quickly looked away again as she neatly stepped around him, heading for the stairs at a brisk shuffle.

"Not now Jareth."

"And stretch. Reach all the way up, feel your muscles rejoicing. Now, inhale. Hold it, 3, 2, 1 and exhale. Good. Now, lean to the side."

Sarah leant to the side, trying to focus on her breathing rather than all the other tiresome things she still had to do today.

"And now the other side. Good. Now, lean forward and just flop. Let your arms hang loose and take a deep breath."

Sarah leant forward, her hair trailing along the floor as she relaxed her arms.

"Sarah."

Only just managing to stop herself tumbling ass over tit Sarah opened her eyes and craned her head to look up through her splayed legs.

"Not now Jareth," she ground out.

"Shhhh," one of the other women hissed.

Sarah shhhed.

"There you are," Karen greeted as she opened the front door. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Hey Karen," Sarah said with a false smile. "I got held up at the grocers. I got everything on your list though. Your dry cleaning is on the back seat."

"Well don't just stand there. Take those things into the kitchen and put them away. You can start peeling the potatoes while I finish helping Toby with his homework."

Sarah opened her mouth to say that she hadn't been planning on staying for dinner but Karen was already gone. Sighing, she traipsed into the kitchen and unpacked the bags. The potatoes were already on the counter, waiting for her.

She was halfway through the peeling when...

"Sarah."

Sarah looked up a sighed. "Jareth, what-". She stopped abruptly when Karen walked in and started rummaging through the fridge.

Sarah kept on peeling, studiously ignoring the Fae King standing in the corner of the room until Karen said: "Sarah, where are the mushrooms? You did remember the mushrooms, didn't you?"

She didn't even have to say it. She and Jareth shared a look and in the next instant he was gone.

Not now.

It was late by the time Sarah got home. She dropped her things as soon as she walked through the door, kicked off her shoes and headed straight for her bedroom. Flicking the light switch as she passed she flopped down onto the bed and threw an arm over her eyes with a groan.

She was tired, God she was tired. And so bloody sick of taking orders, of never being in control.

"Sarah."

"Oh, for Pity's sake!" Sarah cried, flinging her arm to one side and glaring up at her uninvited guest. "What? What do you what Jareth? You've been bugging me all day. What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you Sarah, you know that." Jareth said, only the barest trace of a reprimand in his voice.

Sarah sighed. "You're right. Sorry. What's wrong then?"

"Nothing is wrong, I've merely mislaid my riding crop. I wondered if perhaps you had seen it."

There was a beat of silence when nothing could be heard except the distant sounds of the outside world and Sarah's suddenly steady breaths. Then, not moving from her prone position she reached up and slipped a hand beneath one of her pillows.

"You mean this?" she asked, slowing drawing out the worn stretch of leather. "Is this what you're looking for Jareth?"

There was a faint gleam in the Goblin King's mismatched eyes but his face was severely schooled as he answered. "Yes, it is."

"You'd better come over here and get then," Sarah suggested, a smile stretching the corners of her of mouth.

Jareth didn't hesitate; he knew better. He took an immediate step towards the bed and dropped down onto to his knees. He crawled his way over to her body and then stilled, remaining above her with his hands and knees on either side to support him.

"So this is what you've been bothering me about all day?" Sarah readjusted her grip on the handle and positioned the crop so that she could run the very tip up the outside of Jareth's left thigh.

"Yes," the Goblin King replied.

"Why did you want it?" she asked.

"I wished to go riding, for which I needed a crop."

A sharp snap announced the quick smack Sarah inflicted on the back of Jareth's leg. "Don't be impertinent," she instructed but gave him a soothing stroke when he didn't so much as flinch under the minor punishment. "You must have other riding crops. Why did you want this one?"

"I do have others but this one is my favourite."

"Why?"

"You know why," Jareth groaned as Sarah tapped him lightly between his tight clad legs.

Sarah's smile was almost predatory. "Yes, I know why. Still," she said as if deliberating something very hard. "You said I could have this one. You gave it to me," she emphasised, both of them knowing that the crop wasn't the only thing he'd given her. "Do you want it back?"

"No," Jareth assured her. "It's still yours. It will always be yours," he added. "For as long as you want it."

"Good," she proclaimed, trying to ignore the warm, fluttering sensation that had sparked to life at his announcement. "But then why...?"

"I wanted to borrow it."

"Borrow it?" Sarah echoed, her raised eyebrow asking an unspoken question.

"Yes, just for a short while. I thought it might be...enjoyable."

"Hmmmm," Sarah murmured, stretching out beneath him while she considered this idea. It certainly had potential but did she really want to give up her control? Considering everything else that was going on in her life at the moment...

"I would not suggest we do such a thing now," Jareth amended. "Another time perhaps?"

Sarah relaxed. "Perhaps," she agreed with a small smile. "Now...are you going to greet me properly? I want you to be on your best behaviour tonight, no funny business. I don't want to have to punish you."

"Of course, Mistress," Jareth whispered reverently, neither one of them believing her words as he bent down to kiss her lips.

Ok, so I wrote this a while back with the intention of posting it here but apparently I never got around to it. I think I wanted to make some changes but it's been so long I can't remember.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this story. Feel free to tell me what you think. I don't have a Beta so if you see any mistakes then let me know.

Many thanks.

Nightzchild

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Labyrinth or any of the characters/themes associated with it.