Chasing Dreams

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Authors Note:

So, this is a continuation of a little snippet I wrote, 67%. I never actually planned to continue it, and it wasn't one I was asked to continue, but I was at work yesterday, mindlessly shifting data around, and the story came to me, whole and complete in a pretty red bow. So I went home and wrote the first chapter. When the muse strikes…

Given that it's one that wasn't of any particular interest to people in general, I'm curious what you all think of it. So, please let me know?

The first chapter, 67%, was originally posted in the 100 themes story, so if you've read it already, you can skip right over it. Chapter 2 picks up almost immediately after it, which is why I'm posting it here so that the story is all together.

Not beta-ed yet, but I did edit it for readability, so please let me know if you find any errors or have any suggestions for improvement. Thought I'd go ahead and post it, 'cause I really am very curious what you think under the circumstances.

Standard disclaimer applies (to this and all chapters).

Anywho, enough rambling. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: 67%

The early afternoon sun streamed softly through her window, peaceful and warm, making her feel sleepy and nostalgic as she sat at her desk. The hazy glow made the spreadsheets on her computer seem farther away and less urgent as she stirred her tea, opting for daydreams over accounting. Sarah sighed happily as she leaned back in her chair admiring the view of her courtyard.

It was a little slice of fairy tale – a botanist's dream. Scattered about the courtyard were containers of every shape and size, home to an abundance of herbs: chamomile for sleep and meditation, hibiscus for love and protection, jasmine for prophetic dreams, among others. They were a marketing ploy, for the most part. The real magic stood regally in the center, its roots extending deep into the soil, spreading radially outward underneath the house that surrounded it, its leaves glittering in the sunlight. Prunus persica - a peach tree.

It had started out innocently enough. Well, innocent probably wasn't the most appropriate word. The morning following her trip through the Labyrinth, she had woken to find a crystal sitting conspicuously on her nightstand. She was hesitant to touch it at first. When she finally caved to her curiosity and picked it up – who could resist their dreams, really? – the hard crystalline surface had turned soft and fuzzy in her hand – a peach. Arrogant prat. Being prone to melodrama in her tender years, she wasted no time in hurling the offending piece of fruit into the stretch of woods behind her house.

But by a twist of fate and a little help from Mother Nature, the peach decayed and the seeds germinated and took root. She watched it grow over the years, set back a few feet from her yard, intrigued, but not overly concerned. It wasn't until it flowered and began to bear fruit that she realized the true potential.

She remembered the moment of discovery vividly. She had been home for summer break after her first year of college when she saw the first blooms. Sitting at the kitchen table, she had been staring sleepy-eyed out the window at the tree, willing reality to take hold with a mug of coffee-flavored sugar and cream. The house was quiet; her dad and stepmom having gone to work, and Toby away at camp. Merlin was flopped contentedly at her feet. It wasn't until the caffeine hit her bloodstream in full force that she noticed them – balls of feather and fur strewn about the base of the tree.

"Merlin! How could you?" Fearing the worst, she rushed outside to the scene of the crime. Birds, and squirrels, and even one little bunny, lay haphazardly under the shade of the tree, seemingly still and quiet. No blood, no sign of a struggle anywhere. Baffled, she kneeled down for a closer look. Little feet ran feebly, noses twitched. They weren't dead – they were dreaming!

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Sufficiently intrigued, she had settled into the grass to watch. As the morning wore on, each of the little creatures had woken up in their own time, and soon the tree was surrounded by happy, bouncing wildlife – squirrels playing tag up and down the trunk and through the branches, birds singing their tiny hearts out, the lone baby bunny dancing around in an aerial conniption fit of bunny-aerobics. It was like a warped Disney princess movie had come to life in her backyard.

So, being the red-blooded American girl that she was, she capitalized on it. She started small, selling teas to her sleep-deprived, stress-laden peers though college while filling out her business course load with electives in botany. She made a small fortune by graduation, using the money to build a house, uprooting herself and her tree to Georgia (it gave her a satisfying sense of authenticity), and to make her business official:

Sweet Dreams Herbal Supplements

Magical rejuvenation just a dream away.

(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.)

Smiling at the memories, Sarah finished the last of her tea and turned her attention back to her computer. She had orders to fill and accounts to balance. She had made quite a bit of money over the years – the limited supply and rabid customer base driving the prices up to exorbitant levels. She didn't feel the least bit bad about it. Given that the tree was the only one of its kind this side of the Underground, she paid a hefty sum for a security system that would put a Cuban drug lord to shame.

But it did have its limitations. Sighing, she continued tallying last month's sales figures, choosing to ignore the shift in the atmosphere and the glitter sparkling among the floating dust.

"Sarah…" Annoyance radiated throughout the room.

"Shh, shh, shh!" She waved a hand distractedly, not bothering to look at him. "I'm adding."

Her attention was suddenly and forcefully arrested from her work as Jareth spun her chair around, caging her with one hand on each side of the desk. "I will not be ignored, Sarah."

He was close, leaning down to look her in the eye. Too close and too…Jareth-y. "Oh, it's you." She batted her eyelashes at him innocently. "Can I help you with something?"

"You know very well why I'm here, Sarah. I have hordes of people running willy-nilly around my Labyrinth uninvited. It took me a while to find the source. Resourceful of you, Sarah, really, but enough is enough."

"Too much on top of your baby-snatching duties?"

"Still refusing to accept responsibility?" He tsked at her and it rankled. "You offered and I took, as was my right."

Her ire ignited, she glared at him. "Be that as it may, you stole three hours of my time, set the cleaners on me, almost dumped me in the Bog of Eternal Stench, drugged me, and waged a goblin war - excuse me for holding a grudge. I could have died. Don't blame me for accepting your gift." She whirled back to face her computer.

"I wouldn't have let any harm come to you, Sarah," he said softly, his hands sliding from her desk.

She huffed and returned to her work, mashing the keys slightly harder than was necessary. After a few minutes had passed and the heaviness in the air hadn't abated, she stole a quick glance over her shoulder. He was lounging in her favorite cushy chair, one leg dangling over the arm, watching her. She turned back to her work. "Still here? What do you want, Jareth?"

His answer was quiet, but direct. "67%."

She whirled to face him. "What? You're out of your glitter-addled mind."

"Seeing as I do most of the work, I think 60% is more than fair."

She stared at him open-mouthed and incredulous. "And the extra 7%?"

"1% for each my subjects that you have under your employ."

"Psh." She turned back to her computer. "It was my idea and it's my customer base, let alone that I make all of the products and handle all of the business. You're just miffed that you didn't think of it first." She was quiet for a moment, exhaling loudly before facing him and reluctantly adding, "Fine. 33% - 30% for the dreams and an extra 3% because I'm feeling generous."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You do drive a hard bargain, Sarah." He rose from the chair, stalking towards her. "But I accept." A feral smile crept slowly across his lips. "Perhaps we should seal our deal – a handshake…or kiss, maybe?"

She whirled back to her computer again. "Stuff it, your majesty." All this whirling was making her dizzy. It was not Jareth, not at all – at least she was determined to keep telling herself that. "Haven't you ever heard of not mixing business with pleasure?"

"Well that does rather take the fun out of things, don't you think?" He was behind her now, his voice belying his arrogant amusement as he placed one hand on each arm of her chair, leaning over her shoulder.

She typed away at her keyboard, determined not to take the bait. "Don't you have dreams to weave, lies to sell…"

He chuckled lightly as he straightened, moving to lean against her desk. "So I do. I suppose we can discuss the details of our little…arrangement…later. Over dinner, perhaps?"

Ugh. He could make anything sound pervy. She slid him a sideways glance before turning her attention back to her spreadsheets. "Whatever. Bye, Jareth."

He chuckled again and she gritted her teeth, refusing to acknowledge the shivers it sent down her spine. "Until later, precious thing." And he was gone.

She sighed in relief as the air lightened and the glitter settled. That had gone better than expected. Then again, she had not expected to make a career out of dealing distilled goblin fruit to the masses, so she was pretty game for anything. She clicked save and lowered the screen of her laptop. Leaning back in her chair, she gazed again at her tree, literally glittering with magic. She knew she wouldn't have gone undetected forever and had been waiting for the day he'd show his face.

Yes, it had gone much better than she had expected. Sarah allowed a small smile to sneak past her defenses. It could turn out very interesting, indeed.

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Author's Note:

Thanks for reading! Please, leave a contribution in the little box. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.