AC VI- Days of Independence

Diamond Wishes

 

Sarah fidgeted and tugged at her dress skirt, the material surprising itchy and uncomfortable. She had, afterall, selected this outfit for its wearability as much as its professional and flattering cut. Her appearance merited approval whatever restaurant her dad picked...well, unless he made reservations at a hot dog stand.



'Shee-ya...can you imagine your father eating at a hot dog stand...in public?' Tutu asked.



'Ah...no, not since he was a kid, and that's only because grandma has photographic evidence.'



'Exactly, so no worries!'



'Right, deep breath...'



"You alright, Sarah?" Jareth asked placing a comforting hand to the small of her back at her obvious inhalation.



"Yeah," she nodded," no, I don't know..." her stomach knotted and she picked at her skirt again. Why it have to be so itchy? Ugh...She stared up the stoop steps at her parents' front door. At some point they painted it red. She didn't remember it being red the last visit, but then she rarely drove the relatively short distance from Philly to Boston. She always hated the downtown Boston townhouse. Once her father made partner years ago he decided to abandon the gauche suburbs of Boston and sold their lovely Victorian style home. Did she mention how much she hated downtown Boston?



'It's the memories rather than the city, Sarah.'



'Whatever...and the red door is soo 'Liz Taylor', but not the young Liz, the older, bloated, bedazzled Liz.'



'Yeah, he couldn't tone down the 'I'm a successful lawyer aren't you envious banner'. Hey, wasn't 'Red Door' by Elizabeth Arden not Taylor?' Tutu agreed with a 'tsk'.



'Stuff it, Tutu...'



"Sarah," Jareth said close to her ear, weaving his right hand fingers through her left, "You don't have to do this." She felt him touch her ring...her engagement ring...it shifted slightly on her finger. Sarah glanced down, the soft light from the setting sun glinted off the dazzling stone.



"Yes," she smiled tightly and squeezed his hand, "I kinda do."



'Damn right you do! Let's get this over with already!'



Raising their clasped hands, Jareth kissed their joined fingers, "Well then, onward and upward." His mortal glamoured eyes sparkled mischievously as they peeked at her over their handfast. Handsome barely began to describe him, but admiring him now her thoughts drifted back to their first Christmas together. How otherworldly he looked even when faking mortality. No one flattered Armani like Jareth and...Damn did he look good tonight.



'Oh, ho! Did you see the look she just gave you, old boy?'



'Yes, I wonder what she's thinking?'



'Well...whatever it is you should bloody well take advantage of it after dinner!'



'Hmm...that all depends on the success of this evening.'



"Guess so," she said with little enthusiasm. She needed a push, just the teensiest shove to move her up the four concrete steps leading to her future and past. Seeming to understand her hesitation, Jareth took the first two steps allowing his arm to stretch between them, urging her forward.



"Just a tiny step, my love," he said with the faintest pull on her hand, "it'll be alright. I'm here."



"Right," Deep breath, you can do this. Sarah gritted her teeth and followed him up the stoop to her parents' front door. Standing next to him, she watched him knock firmly with his bare fist on the annoying bright red door.



'Holy crap, Tutu, he even put a giant lion's-head brass knocker on the door! I mean, come on!'



"Damn, I hate Boston..." Sarah muttered to Jareth's surprised, arched brows a few seconds before the door opened. An unfamiliar woman dressed as maid stood in the doorway. What the hell? They got a maid? When did that happen? Geez, her dad liked to live the life.



'Sarah's not dealing very well, Jareth. I wonder what keeps setting her off?'



'I suppose we'll find out soon enough.'



"Oh! You must be Sarah and Jareth. Mrs. Williams informed me of your arrival this evening." The youngish, brunette said as she stepped aside.



"Yes, we are, thank you," Sarah replied stepping into the townhome she hadn't entered for years. Jareth trailed behind her nodding a greeting to the woman. They hovered in the marble floored entryway.



"I'll get Mrs. Williams for you." The maid said and rushed off into the classically overdone beauty of a house. Looked like a cut and paste job direct from 'Home and Gardens' elite edition, and it made her skin creep to be surrounded by such insane perfection. Real people couldn't live here; survive here, at least not with their sanity or morality intact. It had gotten worse since she left.



'Bloody hell, this place looks more like a palace then your castle!' said Voice.



'What a flattering observation, thank you.'



"Sarah, relax," Jareth said, his voice urgent. He needn't be supernatural or theistic to sense her extreme unease. Her fingers clenched until they strangled the blood from his fingers.



"I'm trying!" She whispered back in near hiss, her body leaning toward him.



"Try harder, bloody hell woman, you're about to take orbit." He wrapped his other arm around her proceeding to rub calming circles between her shoulder blades, and murmured soothing nonsense in her ear. Sarah slowly uncoiled in his arms then...



"Sarah!" Karen's voice pierced her serenity and she jumped back from Jareth's embrace.



"Karen! Hey..." Her stepmother's beauty remained in her middle-age, but in a glance Sarah read the stress around her eyes, the pinched and pallid skin. Living with her father did that to a person.



'So does stressing about your father.'



'Yeah, yeah...'



"I'm so glad you're here. Toby will be down in a minute." Karen rolled her eyes apologetically, "Teenagers...can't ever be on time. Sometimes I think he lives in his own time zone."



"That's okay, Karen." The two women stood awkwardly for a moment until Karen broke the impasse, stepped forward, and pulled Sarah into a hug.



"It really is so good to see you, dear. We've missed you." Sarah returned the hug eagerly, losing herself in the feel of her stepmother's satin shirt, strong arms, and expensive perform. Easy to forget how much she missed this. Tears prickled her eyes.



"Me, too," Sarah said with a faint sniff. Reluctantly, Karen ended the hug and composed herself with an obvious facial shift.



"So, introduced us."



"Of course," turning, Sarah reached for Jareth, "Karen, this is Jareth Noble. My...uh, my fiancé," She ended a bit shaky, still getting used to the idea of a fiancé in general. And Karen was the first person to receive the honor of an introduction with the joyful news. She shouldn't have worried; Karen flipped.



"Fiancé! Oh, Sarah, that's wonderful! Now we have two reasons to celebrate!" Karen hugged her again then faced Jareth. "And Mr. Jareth Noble," she smiled, "I'm so pleased to meet you." Jareth extended his right hand.



"As I am to meet you, Mrs. Williams, but please, call me Jareth," he replied adding a grin bordering on devilish and faint wink.



'Nice! You've got her step-mum already!'



'As if you doubted my abilities,' Jareth answered smugly.



"Why, Sarah," Karen said shaking Jareth's hand, "you didn't say he was such a charmer!"



"Ah, well, I sort of let that speak for itself..."



"I see." Karen's face scrunched up shedding years off her face, "So, the ring," she rubbed her hands together nearly bouncing on her toes, "let me see it!"



Sarah and Jareth exchanged an amused glance then she showed Karen her left hand and the three carat emerald cut solitaire stone residing there in its platinum band.



"Oh...OH...that's stunning!" Her stepmother grasped her hand pulling it closer, "Exactly what sort of stone is this? I've never seen such amazing colors before."



"It's very rare," Jareth explained, "it's an Iridescent diamond."



"Really? I've never heard of such a diamond. The entire stone changes color..." Karen ogled the stone and Sarah adjusted her hand to catch different levels of light creating a scintillating range of colors.



Jareth chuckled, "hence the rarity, only the best for my Sarah."



"It's unbelievable! Tell me, Jareth, what do you do for a living to afford such a gemstone?"



Having anticipated mundane parental questions of financial worth he said, "I'm owner and CEO of a large multi-national company which..." he added quickly at Karen's indrawn breath, "I prefer not to name for the present."



She smiled politely. "I understand. I wouldn't dream of prying." Heavy thumps increasing in volume heralded her brother's approach. As soon as he came into sight Sarah exclaimed:



"Toby!" Sarah's hand slipped from Karen's and she met Toby's excited launch propelling him into her arms which became a mutual embrace, her face nuzzling the crown of his head. "I've missed you, Toby-bear."



"I've missed you, too, Sarah. I hate that you hardly come home."



"Toby..." his mother chastised softly.



"It's okay, Karen," Sarah responded keeping her brother close. "He's right."



Witnessing the siblings' reunion with a curious eye, Jareth approved of Tobias's growth since he last saw him since Sarah wished him away. The boy matured well, still not quite a man, but hardly a child as noted by his adolescent muscles filling out his suit.



"Toby," Jareth stepped forward offering a hand, "Sarah's told me much of you." Her brother's eyes narrowed suspiciously for a second then his face lightened with a smile and he accepted Jareth's hand.



'Interesting,' Jareth wondered, 'might the boy remember something of him?'



"Good to meet you, Jareth."



"Tell him the other good news, Sarah." Karen urged with a wink.



"What other good news?"



Sarah grinned, released Toby, and sidled up to Jareth taking his offered arm while wiggling her left fingers. "We're engaged! See!"



"Oh wow...WOW! Damn, Sis!"



"Tobias Williams, language!"



"Sorry, Mom..." he ducked his head and blushed. "Congratulations, you guys, that's awesome!" He eyed Jareth a bit closer. "So we're going to be brothers, huh?"



"That's usually the way of it. I can think of nothing better."



"Yeah...it'll be cool to finally have a brother."



"Well...on that note...I'd better call the car service. We don't want to be late for our reservations."



"Yeah, Sis, Mom set us up at the Stanhope Grille!"



"Indeed?" Jareth commented, "I'm not familiar with it."



Toby scoffed. "It's only the best restaurant in Boston, duh!"



"And I'm glad to so do," her step-mother said, "not only does Sarah deserve it, but it's a double celebration to welcome a new member to our family."



"Karen," Sarah stopped her leaving for the phone with a shoulder touch, "why a car service? Where's Dad?"



With a sigh and an avoidance of her eyes, Karen answered, "Robert's been held over at the office..."



"What?" Jareth's head swiveled sharply at Sarah's tone: hurt, anger, shock.



"But his secretary called and said he'd meet us at the restaurant."



"You're kidding!"



"Sarah, he still doesn't know why you're here..."



"Oh, Mom, don't make excuses for him. He always works late and would've done it even if he knew."



Sarah met Jareth's concerned ones, felt a spark of magic flow from his hand to her lower back as he attempted to surreptitiously comfort her. A faint questioning smile curled one corner of his mouth. She understood. Did she still wish to continue this evening hoping her father might attend? Sarah returned his smile then turned to Karen.



"Doesn't matter; call the car service, Karen. Either he'll show or he won't.



.



.



jsjsjsjsjsjsj



.



.



EARLIER



"Exactly where are you taking me?"



"I told you, it's a surprise, my love. You must learn to be more patient."



"I'll be more patient when your surprises don't involve me following you into the bowels of your rustic castle. And by rustic I mean cold, dark and dank." She stepped over another puddle wishing for her hiking boots instead of her canvas KEDS.



"Ah, Sarah, so cliché...I expect better of you when insulting me."



'Cliché! Whatever...his castle is the cliché!' Tutu said, offended for Sarah.



'Exactly!'



"Sorry, I guess it's the impending flu you're exposing me to that's messing with my wit."



Jareth glared over his white, silken clad shoulder at her, "It's not that bad down here, don't be melodramatic."



"You're right, that's usually your role."



He scowled harder at her through the dimness. "Keep up the poor attitude, Precious, and you'll not receive your surprise."



Snorting as she stepped in a shallow puddle she retorted, "Can't you just zap us there or it to us while in the toasty warm safety of your room?"



'You sure did pick a spoiled one, Jareth.'



"No."



"No? Just no?"



He looked over his shoulder again, "No, it doesn't work that way. Besides we're almost there."



"Fine, whatever but this better be worth it or else..." Slap, pluck of her sneakers again.



Jareth spun and pinned her to the wall with his body, "Or else what?" Shivers sped over her skin at the sudden contrast of his heat and the cool of the air and wall. Damn he felt good.



'I don't think I care about this surprise. Tell him to zap us back to the room, Sarah.'



"Um...or else..." she mumbled. His nose rubbed over her neck and behind her ear.



"I do believe you're bluffing."



Indignant, she arched her back, thrusting her torso at his which made her predicament worse, "I'm not bluffing! Let me off of this wall!"



Jareth chuckled, "Sarah, it's not a wall." The solid presence at her back vanished and only Jareth's snug hold kept her from falling backward into a dark chamber.



"Whoa! What the?" Sarah clutched him.



'Why the sneaky bastard!' Tutu said with a hint of admiration.



"We're here...why Sarah, so eager..." he said with a purr to his voice as he walked her back into the room. Without paying attention, he conjured a glow crystal and tossed it to hover at the center of the ceiling illuminating the small room filled with a pile of black rocks, each approximately the size of scoop of cookie dough but rough.



'Rocks. he keeps rocks?'



"Rocks? You keep rocks locked up?" Sarah disentangled from him, "You're even stranger than I thought."



With a head cocked to one side, Jareth grinned showing his teeth. "Ah, Sarah, yes, they're rocks, but not just any rocks."



"Oh, wait," she acted excited, "let me guess. Magic rocks!"



"Very good! But no, pick one." He waved a hand at the large pile in the otherwise bare room.



"Oookay..." Sarah arched a brow, leaned down and chose one rough stone.



"It's yours."



"Mine? Oh...I thought we were waiting for Christmas to exchange chunks of coal." She tossed the rock from hand to hand, "Sorry, I didn't get yours yet."



"Quite funny, my love. I'd be more cautious with that; it's your engagement ring."



The stone stopped in one fist, "My what?"



'Your what? Grrr...'



"Oh," he mocked, "didn't I tell you? It's an Iridescent Diamond or it will be as soon as you focus your desire upon it." Sarah glared at the black rock in her palm...why the cocky bastard!



'Ha! You got her! You see her face!'



"And how do I go about doing that?" She asked sarcastically. He drew up directly in front of her, enclosed her hand around the stone with his hands and kept her hand cocooned by his. Speaking gently he said:



"Close your eyes, Sarah, and imagine the gemstone of your dreams." After a skeptical moment she obeyed and her eyes fell shut. "Focus, Sarah, magic is driven by will. What do you want?" Her hands grew warm from the inside out; she felt the rock shift, shrink, and change size. "Good, excellent...do you prefer gold or platinum, Sarah?"



"Wh—ah...platinum." Now her hands grew warm from Jareth's hands and she felt another change occur then Jareth's hands released her.



"Open your eyes," she did and resting on her palm: a large, emerald cut stone of iridescent colors set in platinum filigree band.



"Oh, Jareth..." he plucked it from her hand and went to one knee, the ring poised at her finger.



"Sarah, my love, you've agreed to marry me, to become my queen. But I ask you formally," he smiled up at her; his eyes shone with his love and Sarah couldn't help the tears collecting, ready to fall, "Sarah Williams, I love you, have loved you for years, will you fulfill my dreams and become my wife?"



"Yes, of course!" She thrust her finger through the ring before he moved it forward then flung herself down into his arms, "I love you, Jareth! I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." She said between rapid kisses.



"No matter, we're together now." They clung to one another for several minutes, kneeling on the stone floor, until Sarah remembered her family.



"Do you think they'll notice if we skip dinner tonight?"



"Mmm... Yes, my love, I do believe they will..."