Falling --COMPLETED

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Chapter 24

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"You want what?" Sarah said on the heels of the Vulture's declaration. "Why?"

"Sa-rah," Jareth said, giving her a look of exasperated warning. "Is that germane to our current problem?" He discreetly darted his eyes towards Toby.

"Your boyfriend has a point." The Vulture, the least grimy and best dressed one so far, tightened his arm around Toby's neck until her brother whimpered and clawed. This man eyes gleamed with a feral power, and his fingers twitched on the grip of his sawed-off shotgun. More Vultures, ragged pieces of human shaped creatures, had backed him up, circling around from the rear. More than they'd seen already.

"Don't hurt him!" Sarah lunged, one hand out. Jareth grabbed her shoulders, restraining her.

"So, Sam was right. You're terribly attached to your brother. That makes things easier."

Sarah and Jareth lowered their centers of gravity, their stances becoming more stable as they stood close. "Whatever your plan, you will not succeed," Jareth said.

The Vulture scoffed, tossing his head back. "When I have the upper hand?"

"Do you?" Jareth asked.

"Of course I do. She'll do whatever I want to keep her brother safe." The Vulture glared at Sarah. "Won't you?"

"How dare y—!"

Jareth stepped in front of Sarah, blocking her. "And how long do you think to maintain that power?"

"As you've discovered, I have a talent for coercion."

"You sick bastard!" Sarah said and tried to shove past Jareth as she pointed to the rows of destroyed humanity. His arms slid around her waist, hardly able to hold her. "You did all this!"

"I did, and I'll do that to Toby if you don't cooperate."

"Fucker!"

Only Jareth's restraint held her back, though his anger equaled hers. "I'll never allow it! She'll never be one of your victims!" he said.

"I'll destroy you!" Sarah pulled at Jareth's arms across her waist. Toby struggled harder, growling and kicking his legs backwards at the taller man and thrashing his head. "Toby!" Sarah raised her weapon, frenzied.

Jareth released one arm from her and grabbed the muzzle of her M-16, pushing it down. "Sarah, wait!"

The Vultures' laughter overwhelmed them, making them pause.

"Now that's the Fixer I'm interested in!"

"No." Sarah shook her head as she felt her power buzzing awake. Jareth's remaining arm tightened at her waist, and his panting was harsh in her ear as she clenched her weapon and stared at her brother.

"Sam was short-sighted, using your impressive talents for home repairs. How pointless! When I heard of you, I knew you could be used to create a new order. A new power to rule this pathetic world."

"You're insane if you think I'll hurt people for you!"

"Not for me." The Vulture glanced inward as he choked Toby, who released a strangled groan, then began to flush reddish-purple. "For him."

"Just how long do you think you'll maintain control?" Jareth asked in a clipped voice.

The Vulture squeezed Toby until he squeaked and Sarah lunged again, unable to free herself from Jareth's grip. "As long as I need to," the Vulture said, smirking.

"You can't, you can't!" she said, shaking with rage, her power bubbling up and zapping through her skin. Could she control it? Center it from this far without harming Toby?

"Sarah," Jareth whispered in her ear. "Do not risk Toby as well." She slumped against him, shivering as her power roiled, unreleased.

Time stretched and swelled as Sarah and Jareth glared the few feet separating them from Toby and his captor. His thick, muscular arm a shackle banded around her brother's throat, slowly strangling his air. Sarah counted heartbeats as she stared at her brother, watching his skin flush darker. He wouldn't kill him now, not without her agreement, would he?

Toby… She mouthed his name just as his eyes seemed to catch hers and for a second—and understand. He blinked and Sarah's power moved like baby snakes under skin; Jareth's arm shifted against her stomach. Everything slowed until all she sensed was her heartbeat, Jareth's breath puffing in her hair, her power stirring and mixing with Jareth's presence, and then Toby doing something he hadn't done since he was a toddler.

"Sa-rah?" Toby gasped out, and she saw a window of clarity open in his eyes, the fog of his Emptiness lifting away.

"Toby?" she said, awed and uncertain.

The Vulture holding Toby tried to move fast enough, but he no one had ever come back from becoming an Empty, so he hadn't anticipated this variable. Toby's mindless scuffles focused, and simultaneously he bit the Vulture's forearm and his feet found vulnerabilities at the man's knees and groin. It wasn't much, but it was enough to loosen his grip and allow Toby to slip down and away.

The balance of power shifted and the hounds were set loose…

Sarah screamed for her brother, watching him fall to his knees at the Vulture's feet. Jareth released her waist as they both raised their weapons in time with the Vultures. Jareth grabbed her arm and Sarah felt her power race toward him, coalescing, as he muttered some arcane language and threw up hand, fingers spread.

A pulse of power sprang from Sarah, extracting her energy so that her rifle sank and her eyelids drooped at the shock of weariness. Toby scrambled, attempting to jump clear as gunfire was exchanged; his arms flew wide, falling. Sarah and Jareth dodged in one direction, running for Toby, while the Vultures leapt in the opposite. The power wave struck the Vultures, tossing them into the cave wall.

They disintegrated upon contact, becoming dust which drifted and settled.

A sucking silence descended…

"My god … what'd you do?" she asked, panting as she crouched in extreme exhaustion.

"Merely a concentrated blast of magic." Jareth grinned, one brow cocked. "Your magic is wild but not unwieldy once tasted."

"Tasted? Wait," she held up a hand, blushing, "I don't want to know." Sarah stood and took a deep breath. "Where's Toby?" They turned, searching the now dimmer room and found him lying face down several feet away. "Toby!" Sarah rushed to his side, sliding to her knees in the scree and dirt as her weapon clattered from her hands. Jareth quickly followed and helped her roll him to his back.

"No, no, Toby!" Sarah pressed her hands to her brother's upper right chest and shoulder area, covering the ragged hole in his plaid shirt. Fresh blood oozed between her fingers, and Toby groaned, eyes fluttering open.

"Sarah?" Toby said, sounding like a little boy. "What…?" His eyes closed and his head went lax to one side.

"You're going to be okay, Tobes. I won't let anything else happen to you, I swear," she said in a harsh whisper as tears collected on her cheeks.

"Sarah," Jareth said, dragging her attention to him. "We should leave here in case more arrive." Jareth stood, tense, and pivoted, weapon sweeping in arcs.

Sarah nodded as she spoke, "Let me just bandage this first."

"Quickly."

Jareth remained on guard while Sarah stripped off Toby's filthy, crusted shirt and checked his back. The wound went all the way through, a large exit hole just below his shoulder blade, but at least they wouldn't have to worry about a bullet festering. Sarah shed her gear and dug through her backpack for the limited first aid supplies. Toby's ragged breathing caught in his chest like a wet cloth. He certainly had a hole in his lung.

"Sorry, kiddo, I'll fix it up better later," Sarah said before dousing Toby's wound with rubbing alcohol. Toby hissed, groaned and wiggled. "I know, but it'll help clean it." She then sealed but sides with plastic wrap and snuggly wrapped a long sterile bandage over his shoulder and under his arm several times. Blood seeped through, but slowed.

"Okay, Jareth, done for now. Help me lift him."

Jareth slung his M-16 on his shoulder and squatted. "I'll carry him. You keep the way clear."

Sarah frowned for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Be careful with him."

"Oh, Sarah," he said, grunting as he lifted the semi-conscious Toby up, bridal-style. "Have you forgotten that I much preferred Tobias' company to yours years ago?"

Sarah scowled, then chuckled as she took point to lead them somewhere that wasn't here. "If that's your way of reassuring me…"

Jareth laughed quietly and winked. "I should think you'd be more than reassured by now." His chinned jutted towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Shaking her head, Sarah led them out, looking back regretfully at the victims remaining that they were helpless to aid. "I just hope we can avoid any more Vultures and find a way out."

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They encountered more Vultures, but in smaller groups, which they were able to either avoid or eliminate as they moved through the caverns. After some time, fewer and fewer Vultures crossed them, traces of living conditions grew sparser and the caves became darker. Sarah finally used her small flashlight, which she had been hesitant to use for fear of any Vultures spying it and following them.

But now…

"I have no idea where we are," Sarah said with a huff, her voice lightly echoing.

Jareth sighed and shifted his stance, causing the loose gravel under his boot to crunch. "In that case, locate a place where we might rest." He hiked Toby, now fully unconscious, higher in his arms.

She turned the narrow column of light onto his face, making him squint. "Tired, Goblin King?"

"Beyond exhausted. We've been walking for hours it seems."

"Mmm…"

"And would you mind calling me by my proper name, not Goblin King."

She shrugged; the light bobbed. "Sure, was just teasing."

"Well, I'd hope we've moved past that, Sarah."

They stared at each other in the reflected light, then Sarah dropped her gaze. "I suppose we have." A few more seconds eased between them. "Wait here; let me see what I can find for a safe spot." Sarah turned and wandered farther off into the barren caverns, taking the light.

Jareth grunted an affirmative and adjusted his stance again to release his aching, cramping muscles. The weakness pervaded every cell, expanding a bit farther every hour. He wondered how much longer his strength might hold out before permanent weakness set in, leading to the end. He wondered if he would ever solve the problem of Sarah being the Nexus before then. With tragic events overtaking them, he'd nearly forgotten his original reason for accidentally finding Sarah Williams.

Can't lose sight of the prize now, his da said, cutting through his thoughts.

"I'm not, Da, just been a bit distracted for a bit," he said aloud. Distracted by so many things he had little or no control of. Too bad he was too tired…

Sarah's light swept over his face and he flinched. "Jareth, over here." The light beam moved, directing him forward and left. "I found a sort of niche with a small spring." Jareth hefted Toby again and made his way to Sarah.

They walked, Jareth's boots twisting and slipping over the uneven ground. A muscle pulled in his thigh and his hamstring spasmed. He ground his teeth on the gasp of pain, and Sarah spun in time to help hold Toby as Jareth went to one knee. The flashlight tumbled to the ground, its beam slicing a crazy pattern through the dark.

"Jareth!" she said over Toby as they held her brother between them.

"It's okay, I'm okay…"

"I've got Toby. We're almost there." Sarah eased Toby from Jareth, his arms reluctantly releasing him. Their forearms brushed as their eyes met in the gloom. Sarah smiled half-heartedly. "I've got him, Jareth," she said softly.

He nodded, his hair shimmering for a moment as it floated forward over Toby's torso; his lack of burden left him oddly bereft. What was it about this boy?

"Jareth, you okay?" she asked after she'd stood.

Rubbing his thigh through his leather pants, he looked up at her and his heart lurched at her hovering image haloed by the abandoned flashlight behind her. His avenging angel exuding mingled concern and pain with her never-ending strength. Inhaling carefully, he stood, favoring his stronger leg with on hand splayed over the cramp.

"Lead on," he said brusquely, uncertain emotions swirling in his chest.

"Follow me," she said with a wry smile and furrowing of her brow, then turned and cautiously picked her path while Jareth scooped up the light. Several minutes passed, their heavy breathing echoing in the cramped area, before Sarah announced their arrival to the faint sounds of running water.

He couldn't see the spring, but he could smell the fresh water bubbling up from the rocks. There must be numerous such springs throughout the caves. What were the odds of them find one?

Astronomical.

So why now? What does that mean?

You tell me, Jareth.

There are too many variables. How can I…? Gods…

Exactly…