AN: Okay well here it is folks the Epilogue. *sob* I've nearly given up on
this story loads of times, but each time I've been tempted I've looked at
the reviews and they've helped me carry on. So thank you to everyone who
reviewed. I'm working on another story now that will be posted as soon as I
think it's ready. Again thanks everybody.
Special thanks to Scattered Logic and Cormack who both helped me loads with
this last chapter, your advice was extremely helpful. Also thank you to The
Hooded Crow who also gave loads of moral support. Thank you guys.
Lady J
Mine
Together
Sarah stood looking at her sleeping son.
Tucking the blanket more firmly about him, she turned from the crib and paced her chambers reasoning with herself.
'Why should I be nervous? I should just go to his chambers and say, "Jareth, you've been avoiding me for the past four months, why?" There, that's not so hard, is it?'
Sarah steeled herself and headed, determined, for the door. Just as she reached it, she turned back and resumed her pacing.
'God damn it Sarah, you can do this. Stop being such a coward, it's the middle of the night. Now either put up or shut up.' Resolved now, she shook her hair back, put her chin in the air and walked to the door.
"Right," she whispered. "Now or never." Opening the door, she was surprised to find Jareth standing there, equally shocked.
Both of them stood in the doorway, neither of them knew what to say. Jareth found his voice first. "Sarah, why aren't you in bed?"
"Me? What are you doing creeping around? You almost gave me a heart attack." Sarah glanced back at the crib. "And would you please keep your voice down, he's only just gone off to sleep."
"I just came to check on you both. To make sure everything was alright." Jareth raised his eyebrows, "Now it's your turn."
"Oh, I was just going to-um-to get a drink of water." Sarah could have kicked herself for losing her nerve.
"A drink of water?" Jareth frowned, looking behind her.
Sarah followed his gaze and was embarrassed to see a pitcher of water with a cup beside it on her dresser.
"Oh, what I mean is." Steeling herself, she said in a rush. "I was coming to find you. I need to talk to you."
Jareth nodded.
They were still standing in the doorway. Noticing this, Sarah said. "Is there somewhere else we can talk? Somewhere close by, I don't want to wake Nathaniel."
Jareth nodded again, and inclined his head, indicating for her to follow him. Entering the chamber next to her own, she looked around at the dusty furniture, her mind scrambling for a way to start.
Finally she settled with, "How have you been?" Lame she knew, but he wasn't helping just standing there looking at her.
"Fine," was all he said.
Irritated, Sarah started pacing. This was what he'd been like for the past four months. When she did see him, talking was no use. His one-word answers left nothing to build a conversation on. This time it was going to be different, she was determined to get everything out in the open. Questions need to be answered, apologies to be given.
In a small voice she asked the question that had been troubling her most. "Jareth, why won't you talk to me?" She held her breath.
Jareth turned from her. Walking to the window, he was silent.
About to give up and return to her own room, she almost missed his answer. "I didn't realize you wanted to talk to me." His voice was low, unsure.
Sarah was surprised. Jareth always seemed so confident, so in control. It was, in a way, frightening to see him this way. She was more scared now than she had been when Taren had her tied in a chair.
Sarah swallowed a lump in her throat and walked toward him on legs that felt as though they might give out at any second.
Putting her hand on his shoulder, she pulled him round to face her. "Of course I want to talk to you." She raised her hand to touch his cheek. "I need to talk to you. I need you, if you still want me?"
Jareth looked down at her, her eyes were sincere and she took him by complete surprise when she stood on tiptoes and kissed him, her lips warm on his cheek.
Talking her by the shoulders, he kissed her properly, pouring all his love for her into the kiss. By the time he drew away, they were both shaking. Pulling her more firmly into his arms, he rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes.
He'd been waiting for her to make the first move for four incredibly long months.
Forcing himself to stay away from her in the last few months had been hell. The day she'd given birth to Nathaniel was branded in his memory as the best day he'd ever known. Not the actual labour, that had been horrific, well, what he'd seen of it anyway.
The loss of control he'd felt while watching Sarah silently suffer had set his temper on edge, and he'd started shouting at Thea to find some way to help Sarah. Thea tried to tell him that what Sarah was going through was quite natural and would be over soon. But he wouldn't listen. In the end Thea had asked him to leave. She'd said all his shouting was upsetting Sarah.
So he'd stood outside the room, listening to the silence, straining to hear his son's first cry. Nothing in his life had prepared him for that moment, and the wait had been endless. When he'd finally heard the babe's cries, he'd barged in, only to be halted in mid stride just inside the door. The sight of Sarah holding their son had been too beautiful for words. She'd beckoned him over and handed him the child. Nathaniel. The name had appeared in his mind the moment the child had opened his eyes. He said the name aloud, and Sarah had nodded, tears shining in her eyes, a huge smile lighting up her face.
They'd sat through the night, not talking, just being together. In the morning, the spell he'd not been able to break, the spell that held Sarah voice, had broken and she'd spoken.
"Nathaniel's the perfect name." Her eyes had closed then and she fell into an exhausted sleep.
Jareth had sat there for hours, looking at her and thinking of where they would go from there.
He was hurt that she had been so willing to believe Taren -without coming to him to ask if what Taren was telling her was the truth. Jareth thought of the best way to deal with this, and he had made a decision. Sarah would have to give up her mistrust of him before they could proceed. She would need time to do so.
Sarah had to discover for herself what she wanted. She had to make the first move.
He already knew what he wanted; his dream was of her and Nathaniel, his family.
Every night since Nathaniel's birth, the need to be near Sarah won out and he would go to her room when she fell asleep. He never touched her. To see her and his son had to be enough.
Opening his eyes, he bent his head and kissed her again, a kiss that showed her just how much he wanted her. Pulling away, he traced her cheek with his finger and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.
"I need you too, you and Nathaniel. I want us to be a family. I want to see you next to me every night, to wake up with you every morning." Jareth took a deep breath and said what had been in his heart ever since the day he'd seen her run over a bridge in a park, reciting words from a red leather bound book.
"I love you, Sarah"
Sarah put her arms around his neck, her heart doing somersaults. In his ear she whispered. "I love you too, Jareth. I never stopped. I'm so sorry I believed."
Jareth stopped her with another kiss. Breaking away, he whispered, "Tomorrow, we'll talk tomorrow. Tonight is for us." He trailed kisses down her jaw line.
Breathlessly, Sarah tilted her head to give him better access. "I wanted to ask what you did to." She was cut off again as Jareth slid his mouth back to hers. He picked her up and laid her on the dusty bed. Rising over her, he said again. "Tomorrow."
Nodding back to him, Sarah curled her hand around his neck and pulled him closer.
Not very far away, the Bog of Eternal Stench bubbled and steam pockets erupted emitting the foulest odour. Creatures of underground gave the bog a wide berth. The smell kept every one away.
High above the bog, a statue was set in the stone of the cliff face overlooking the bog.
A head and a leg were visible, the rest looked as if it had sunk into the cliff face. The expression of fear and horror on the statue would've frightened all if they could've got near enough to see it.
Inside the statue, Taren was aware of the disgusting smell that drifted up to her, but she could neither talk nor move. A fitting punishment, Jareth had said. Taren wondered, 'How long is forever, anyway?'
AN: See you all soon!
Mine
Together
Sarah stood looking at her sleeping son.
Tucking the blanket more firmly about him, she turned from the crib and paced her chambers reasoning with herself.
'Why should I be nervous? I should just go to his chambers and say, "Jareth, you've been avoiding me for the past four months, why?" There, that's not so hard, is it?'
Sarah steeled herself and headed, determined, for the door. Just as she reached it, she turned back and resumed her pacing.
'God damn it Sarah, you can do this. Stop being such a coward, it's the middle of the night. Now either put up or shut up.' Resolved now, she shook her hair back, put her chin in the air and walked to the door.
"Right," she whispered. "Now or never." Opening the door, she was surprised to find Jareth standing there, equally shocked.
Both of them stood in the doorway, neither of them knew what to say. Jareth found his voice first. "Sarah, why aren't you in bed?"
"Me? What are you doing creeping around? You almost gave me a heart attack." Sarah glanced back at the crib. "And would you please keep your voice down, he's only just gone off to sleep."
"I just came to check on you both. To make sure everything was alright." Jareth raised his eyebrows, "Now it's your turn."
"Oh, I was just going to-um-to get a drink of water." Sarah could have kicked herself for losing her nerve.
"A drink of water?" Jareth frowned, looking behind her.
Sarah followed his gaze and was embarrassed to see a pitcher of water with a cup beside it on her dresser.
"Oh, what I mean is." Steeling herself, she said in a rush. "I was coming to find you. I need to talk to you."
Jareth nodded.
They were still standing in the doorway. Noticing this, Sarah said. "Is there somewhere else we can talk? Somewhere close by, I don't want to wake Nathaniel."
Jareth nodded again, and inclined his head, indicating for her to follow him. Entering the chamber next to her own, she looked around at the dusty furniture, her mind scrambling for a way to start.
Finally she settled with, "How have you been?" Lame she knew, but he wasn't helping just standing there looking at her.
"Fine," was all he said.
Irritated, Sarah started pacing. This was what he'd been like for the past four months. When she did see him, talking was no use. His one-word answers left nothing to build a conversation on. This time it was going to be different, she was determined to get everything out in the open. Questions need to be answered, apologies to be given.
In a small voice she asked the question that had been troubling her most. "Jareth, why won't you talk to me?" She held her breath.
Jareth turned from her. Walking to the window, he was silent.
About to give up and return to her own room, she almost missed his answer. "I didn't realize you wanted to talk to me." His voice was low, unsure.
Sarah was surprised. Jareth always seemed so confident, so in control. It was, in a way, frightening to see him this way. She was more scared now than she had been when Taren had her tied in a chair.
Sarah swallowed a lump in her throat and walked toward him on legs that felt as though they might give out at any second.
Putting her hand on his shoulder, she pulled him round to face her. "Of course I want to talk to you." She raised her hand to touch his cheek. "I need to talk to you. I need you, if you still want me?"
Jareth looked down at her, her eyes were sincere and she took him by complete surprise when she stood on tiptoes and kissed him, her lips warm on his cheek.
Talking her by the shoulders, he kissed her properly, pouring all his love for her into the kiss. By the time he drew away, they were both shaking. Pulling her more firmly into his arms, he rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes.
He'd been waiting for her to make the first move for four incredibly long months.
Forcing himself to stay away from her in the last few months had been hell. The day she'd given birth to Nathaniel was branded in his memory as the best day he'd ever known. Not the actual labour, that had been horrific, well, what he'd seen of it anyway.
The loss of control he'd felt while watching Sarah silently suffer had set his temper on edge, and he'd started shouting at Thea to find some way to help Sarah. Thea tried to tell him that what Sarah was going through was quite natural and would be over soon. But he wouldn't listen. In the end Thea had asked him to leave. She'd said all his shouting was upsetting Sarah.
So he'd stood outside the room, listening to the silence, straining to hear his son's first cry. Nothing in his life had prepared him for that moment, and the wait had been endless. When he'd finally heard the babe's cries, he'd barged in, only to be halted in mid stride just inside the door. The sight of Sarah holding their son had been too beautiful for words. She'd beckoned him over and handed him the child. Nathaniel. The name had appeared in his mind the moment the child had opened his eyes. He said the name aloud, and Sarah had nodded, tears shining in her eyes, a huge smile lighting up her face.
They'd sat through the night, not talking, just being together. In the morning, the spell he'd not been able to break, the spell that held Sarah voice, had broken and she'd spoken.
"Nathaniel's the perfect name." Her eyes had closed then and she fell into an exhausted sleep.
Jareth had sat there for hours, looking at her and thinking of where they would go from there.
He was hurt that she had been so willing to believe Taren -without coming to him to ask if what Taren was telling her was the truth. Jareth thought of the best way to deal with this, and he had made a decision. Sarah would have to give up her mistrust of him before they could proceed. She would need time to do so.
Sarah had to discover for herself what she wanted. She had to make the first move.
He already knew what he wanted; his dream was of her and Nathaniel, his family.
Every night since Nathaniel's birth, the need to be near Sarah won out and he would go to her room when she fell asleep. He never touched her. To see her and his son had to be enough.
Opening his eyes, he bent his head and kissed her again, a kiss that showed her just how much he wanted her. Pulling away, he traced her cheek with his finger and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.
"I need you too, you and Nathaniel. I want us to be a family. I want to see you next to me every night, to wake up with you every morning." Jareth took a deep breath and said what had been in his heart ever since the day he'd seen her run over a bridge in a park, reciting words from a red leather bound book.
"I love you, Sarah"
Sarah put her arms around his neck, her heart doing somersaults. In his ear she whispered. "I love you too, Jareth. I never stopped. I'm so sorry I believed."
Jareth stopped her with another kiss. Breaking away, he whispered, "Tomorrow, we'll talk tomorrow. Tonight is for us." He trailed kisses down her jaw line.
Breathlessly, Sarah tilted her head to give him better access. "I wanted to ask what you did to." She was cut off again as Jareth slid his mouth back to hers. He picked her up and laid her on the dusty bed. Rising over her, he said again. "Tomorrow."
Nodding back to him, Sarah curled her hand around his neck and pulled him closer.
Not very far away, the Bog of Eternal Stench bubbled and steam pockets erupted emitting the foulest odour. Creatures of underground gave the bog a wide berth. The smell kept every one away.
High above the bog, a statue was set in the stone of the cliff face overlooking the bog.
A head and a leg were visible, the rest looked as if it had sunk into the cliff face. The expression of fear and horror on the statue would've frightened all if they could've got near enough to see it.
Inside the statue, Taren was aware of the disgusting smell that drifted up to her, but she could neither talk nor move. A fitting punishment, Jareth had said. Taren wondered, 'How long is forever, anyway?'
AN: See you all soon!