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Chapter Six
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Lady Fena bowed her great head at the Goblin Queen's display of anger. The King and Queen returned from the Council meeting a short time ago discovering Lizzie and Alia missing and both of their appointed guardians in house. The Queen's wrath was exceeded only by her fear for her child and the gryphon watched with a truly penitent heart as the Queen paced the living area; already she had offered numerous apologies and her personal services at their future command her guilt was so great. Jareth, meanwhile, put his frustrations to better use by conjuring a scrying crystal in which to locate Lizzie through her Bond with The Labyrinth. A feat which he succeeded in just as the very object of his search burst through the main door to their chambers.
Lizzie froze mid step into the large room, an expression of surprise quickly degenerating to panic as she realized every adult stared at her with varying degrees of concern, shock, anger, and the ever distasteful disappointment. 'Oh, Gods,' she thought suddenly and acutely aware of the yawning chasm of true punishment lying before her. She wished her new friend Awen had been able to accompany her but she'd separated from Lizzie at the entrance to the private quarters stating that she was not allowed passage; Lizzie thought it seemed odd but didn't question it.
"Elizabeth Morton! Where have you been?" Her mother's enraged voiced pierced her eardrums and Lizzie's hand dropped from the door handle. No sympathy appeared on anyone's face; well, at least none that she could read since gryphon's expressions were still mysterious to Lizzie but Lady Fena's pupils were pinned and her fur and golden white feathers ruffled which sent chills down her neck. She heard Alia twitter in her ear and felt her wings brush her neck.
"Umm...I was just exploring for a bit. I didn't go far." The door slammed shut behind her, the bang causing her to jump and she watched as her mother's hand twitched back to a neutral position. Jareth stood next to Sarah with his arms crossed, his face a disapproving mask. Hanging his head in shame behind them stood Sir Didymus.
"The distance you traveled is irrelevant." Jareth put forth, "You lied to your guardians, those whom we entrusted your well being and you proved yourself untrustworthy to us." His condemnation cut her to the quick as she knew he spoke the truth but Lizzie's pride refused to allow her to admit her wrongdoing.
"I'm fine! It's no big deal, nothing happened!" She lied, throwing her arms up and huffing.
"No big deal?" Sarah repeated back to her daughter in a scathing tone and finally approached her face to face. "
Lizzie, how many times have we told you about the dangers? And the first time,
the first time we trust you with a modicum of freedom you abuse it while causing myself, Jareth and your guardians a great deal of fear!" As Sarah drew closer to her daughter she felt a change in the magic surrounding her, something altered in the magical aura Lizzie emitted.
"Lizzie, what have you been doing? Who've met? There's something strange to your magic." Jareth heard the wavering note of consternation in Sarah's voice and approached Lizzie focusing on her magic. He quickly felt the change; a subtle change, almost inconsequential but definitely altered.
"I sense it as well. It's not a magic I recognize, Lizzie whom did you meet?" He asked seriously and Lizzie was torn as to which truth to expose. Tell them about the attack or her new friend...she chose the lesser offense.
"I made a new friend. Her name is Awen. We talked."
Sarah glared at Lizzie then switched to her pixie friend, "This is true, Alia?"
Alia hesitated for a very small moment, "Yes, Your Majesty, Awen was very nice and kind to your daughter."
"I would expect you stay out of trouble, Alia and keep the Princess out of trouble." Jareth stated, "That you're obvious a compatriot will not go unnoticed."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Alia replied and hung her head sadly. The princess's friend she may be but she remained a subject of the Crown.
Shaking her and tapping her foot Sarah said, "You greatly disappoint me, Lizzie. We'll need to think of a suitable punishment."
"What? But nothing happened! "
"It could have. Don't you understand? Until you do I'll obviously need to be stricter with you." Sarah threatened.
Tears flowed freely and Lizzie cried out, "I hate the Underground! I hate being the stupid Goblin Princess! Everyone hates us! I don't have any friends like me! I never get to go anywhere or do anything! I hate this place and hate you!" The spell Fiana attached to Lizzie worked its way into her immature emotions and heightened them.
"Lizzie, you don't mean that!" Sarah gasped at her daughter's emotional display while Jareth cringed as he watched mother and daughter battle. Lady Fena and Sir Didymus quietly retreated from the living area to their private quarters seeing the discussion turn private.
Lizzie's hands balled into fists, her face flushed and tears flowed. "I do mean it! I hate you and I hate living here! I'll never be normal; I'll never have a normal life!"
"Lizzie, it'll get better, you just have to give it time." Sarah tried to explain but Lizzie's emotions were too far gone. Jareth tried to intervene by placing a calming hand on Lizzie's shoulder but she pushed him away, knocking Alia off in the process. The distraught pixie buzzing about her friend's head, agitated.
"I don't care! I don't want to wait anymore. I want to live with Dad Aboveground; I'm done with this awful place!"
Both Sarah and Jareth gasped, shocked at Lizzie's words. She couldn't possibly mean such a thing. A bolt of fear shot through Sarah startling Jareth, but Lizzie as too emotional to feel the effect she had on her mother. She tried to grasp her daughter's upper arms gently but Lizzie jerked away.
"Lizzie, you're upset. This is something we'll discuss when you're calmer."
"You think I'll change my mind? You think just because I'm young I don't know what I want?" Lizzie accused between her sobs.
"That's not what I'm saying."
"I'm going, Mom. I'm going and you can't stop me!" She set her chin, her eyes flashing defiantly setting off Sarah.
"You believe so? You won't be going anywhere without Jareth's or my help; you don't know the proper teleportation spell to the Above as yet." Sarah stated her tone almost smug, her eyebrow quirked and Jareth saw the air charge between the two people he loved the most. Belatedly, he understood that which Lizzie hid from them for so long. These two ladies were so similar in temperament on occasion he should've taken better precautions against this very risk.
"Lizzie, no!" He shouted as he saw her hand twist and sensed the spell forming.
"You think so, Mother?" Lizzie said triumphantly as the crystal appeared in her hand and before Jareth could reach her to vanish it from her grasp she smashed it upon the floor and winked from the room. Alia trilled and buzzed in alarm at her disappearance.
"Oh, God, Jareth! She didn't just do what I think she did?" Sarah's voice filled with fear as she turned to him, her eyes wide. He hugged her close her emotions crashed over her.
"We have to find her!" Her voice was muffled into his waistcoat as he embraced her tightly.
"We will, Precious, likely she went directly to her father's." He said into her hair as his hand clasped her head to his chest.
"Assuming she conjured the spell correctly." She countered.
"Sarah, Lizzie may be as impulsive as you ever were but she's just as intelligent. I'm sure she wouldn't risk such an advanced spell if she weren't quite positive of being able to complete it properly." He reassured her, his tone soothing while his thoughts churned. "We'll go to her father's directly, I'm sure she'll be there. I'll inform Lady Fena and Sir Didymus of this situation while you calm yourself. I'll be back shortly." Jareth kissed her forehead before he left for the other's rooms.
"And you, pixie, you stay with the Queen else I will personally pluck your wings, understood?" He growled at Alia, her answering squeak assured him that she understood quite clearly.
"Jareth!" He spun around hearing Sarah's voice peak and felt another Summoning begin.
"Bloody hell, of all the atrocious timing!" He cursed racing back to her side while snapping his fingers bringing forth his Regalia.
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Lizzie knew that traversing the Void should take only moments, as she'd traveled with Jareth and her mother many times to the Above visiting family, however this particular trip seemed to last longer than she expected. Or perhaps her own anxiety regarding the expertise of her spell made it appear to last longer; either way by the time Lizzie finally materialized in her father's living room she breathed a deep sigh of relief. She'd spent many hours reading and practicing the spell but this conjuring was her first real attempt.
"Lizzie?" Her father's voice sounded behind her. "What are you doing here? I thought your visit wasn't for another month and why are you alone?" Lizzie spun about facing her father who stood several feet away near the kitchen entrance, a mug in one hand.
"Hey, Dad, can I live with you for awhile?" She asked bluntly, tears in her eyes. Eric Morton heard his daughter's voice tremble, saw how puffy and red her face appeared and knew something traumatic occurred.
"Uh—sure, Honey. Of course you can live with me," he said then nearly dropped his mug as his teenage daughter barreled into him for a bear hug, "I assume your mother knows?" He added pragmatically.
"Oh, Dad, does she ever!" Lizzie cried into his shirt and Eric closed his eyes and frowned with dread, expecting his otherworldly ex-wife and her eerie new husband? Lover? King? To zap into his home any second.
"Lizzie, what happened?" He smoothed his daughter's hair with one hand as she burrowed into his chest and mumbled a disjointed story about a fight, imprisonment, and a dearth of friends. Not really understanding what she spoke of, he nevertheless embraced her snug to him and gave her as much encouragement as possible. Since she only visited every other month for a week or two at a time depending upon current events, Eric cherished each minute spent with his daughter.
More or less, Eric Morton's life continued normally after Sarah and Jareth corrected the previous damage created by them all. He went back to work, he tried to forget, occasionally he dated but his life was irrevocably changed. He struggled with the tortuous memories haunting him and never quite forgave Sarah for leaving him damaged. Eric Morton became a haunted person since they restored his mind and his life and whatever gratitude he tried to feel fell short when the nightmares robbed his sleep.
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Sal Silvari, now a paramedic field supervisor, slung a 30 pound medical bag over his shoulder and briskly walked up to the house with the original responding ambulance. Responding to psychiatric calls really curled under Sal's skin, ever since his experience with Sarah Williams. He just never viewed psychiatric patients quite the same way again although he realized mental disease existed in the Mortal realm, understanding that a parallel magical realm existed which could mimic certain aspects of his own reality gave him an entirely new perspective. Which was why he make it a personal mission to respond to as many psychiatric and unusual calls with the paramedics he supervised as he was able; he felt strongly about being involved with these patients.
He and the two male paramedics entered the home; police were already on location with the patient who had yet to be physically restrained. Neighbors called 911 after hearing screaming and crashing inside the house and police entered first to find a deranged man destroying his home, ranting and raving nonsense. Being obviously mentally unstable, the police cleared the paramedics to make the scene and sedate the patient before transporting him to the hospital for an emergency psychiatric hold and evaluation.
Sal entered the small townhouse behind the other two paramedics and heard a deep, male voice further inside yelling obscenities at the police. He expressed a verbal warning to his co-workers to be cautious about approaching the patient and their medical judgment; to which they both silently nodded.
Upon entering the kitchen Sal saw half dozen police officers surrounding a single male of about 30 years of age; his eyes bulged wildly and his mouth grimaced as he shouted as his stance bespoke fight or flight. What horrors raced through this man's mind? Sal pushed passed his co-workers and approached the tense group of officers.
"I've got this." He stated firmly to both the police and his co-workers.
"You sure?" An officer asked, hesitant.
"Just let me talk to him a minute, see if I can calm him down. What's his name?"
"Aaron Blalock." Another officer answered and Sal nodded as he brushed passed the circle of officers and stood a few feet from the man, Aaron; his held his hands outwards and open his stance non-threatening.
"Sir, can you tell me your name?" Sal asked in a calm, friendly voice while he focused directly on the man's face.
Aaron's eye flitted to and fro for several seconds before settled on Sal's. "W—what?"
"What's your name?" Sal asked slowly again
"My name...my name...it's...Aaron," the man said stumbling over the answer.
"Good, that's good Aaron. Where are you right now, Aaron?"
Aaron blinked several times, his face blanked before he answered, "I think...I'm at home."
"Great, that's right; this is your home, Aaron." Sal gave Aaron a sincere smile which caused Aaron to relax his physical stance a bit. "I'd like you to tell me what upset you, Aaron. Can you do that?"
Aaron's eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed as he looked at the floor suddenly becoming more agitated. He clenched his hands, his body shaking.
"He took her...he took her...he made me do it...the other said I had to or else...die...die...die!"
"What did he make you do? Who took whom, Aaron?" Sal questioned slowly trying to keep Aaron calm and focused.
"The maze...he made me run the maze but he took her and she's gone forever! Oh, God!" Aaron fisted his hands in his dirty, blond hair pulling hanks out by the roots and fell to his knees sobbing and rocking. "She's gone...gone, gone, gone, tra la la..." Aaron laughed hysterically between his wails. Sal tried to get him to talk further but Aaron was too far gone into his madness to communicate so Sal turned to the officers.
"Is anyone else in the house?"
Several of the officers shrugged and shook their heads, "We haven't found anyone else but there's a bedroom for a young girl and there's pictures around the house with him and a young girl that looks like his daughter, but she's not here. And we haven't found any evidence of a body. We're not sure about any further evidence of a struggle yet since he's trashed the house so badly...that'll have to wait 'til we get him out of here."
Sal looked back and forth between the officers and Aaron, a disturbing sensation starting in his gut. "Help us secure him and we'll get him to the hospital." He knelt a few feet in front of Aaron who's wailing persisted over Sal's voice. "Aaron, Aaron, we're going to get you some help. Would you like that? Aaron?" The man's utter disregard for Sal's voice outside of his own mind twisted Sal's stomach but his relative catatonia allowed Sal and his crew to secure Aaron without difficult and danger to anyone. Soon the ambulance transported Aaron to the hospital still moaning and crying for his lost child while Sal remained at the scene to investigate further. He had an idea which was quickly morphing into something very horrifying.
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Nearly a full day later Sarah and Jareth completed the poorly time Summoning, the beautiful, little girl newly Transformed and settled with her new Fae family. Exhausted, frustrated, and extremely worried for Lizzie as they heard no word from her, they immediately traveled the Void to her father's home to check on her status.
They found Lizzie enjoying evening television munching popcorn and soda with her father, both sprawled on the couch. Normally, their instantaneous arrival in someone's living inspired surprised reactions and occasionally screams or worse when they really pumped up the show but Eric and Lizzie had been expecting them and merely glanced over.
"Hey, Mom." Lizzie said with a mouth full of popcorn returning to her television program. Television was unknown in the Underground and her only dose was during her Above visits. Lizzie especially loved action and adventure shows, which happened to be her dad's favorite, too.
"Sarah, I've been wondering when you'd get here." Eric said unfolding himself from the couch to greet them. Initially, relief filled her once she saw her daughter alive and unharmed, rapidly followed by anger at Lizzie's rash and disrespectful behavior causing her and Jareth to worry. Jareth sighed shallowly as he noted Lizzie's safe location but he felt and echoed Sarah's anger, barely keeping from striding over to grab the young girl by her ear and dragging her through the Void back home to face her punishment.
"Lizzie! You're safe! I swear by all the Gods of the Underground if you ever do anything like that again I'll..."
Lizzie stood from the couch, "You'll what, Mom? You can't ground me; I'll just teleport here whenever I want." Lizzie snapped back earning a fiery look from Sarah and she raised her hand ready to flick her wrist to teleport Lizzie home.
"Perhaps you've forgotten I can place wards around your magic, young lady!" Sarah's temper boiled and Jareth placed and calming hand on her back just as Eric tried to intervene with Lizzie. True either he or Sarah could ward Lizzie from her magic; however Jareth feared what that might do to Lizzie's Fae transformation and their relationship.
"Sarah...perhaps talking would be better than magic for the present." Jareth suggested softly. Sarah forcefully restrained her hands from the teleportation spell she itched to conjure. Eric whispered something to his daughter before turning to Sarah and Jareth.
"Lizzie told me some of what happened...you want to tell me the rest?" He suggested. The last thing Sarah desired was to discuss the upsetting confrontation with her ex-husband. The resolute look to her daughter's face gave her pause and made her realize that Jareth was right. Zapping Lizzie back to the Underground and warding her might fix the immediate problem but Sarah would lose the war, as they say. Not a pleasing prospect as Sarah still had no relationship with her own mother and feared repeating such a mistake with Lizzie.
"Very well, let's all be civilized about this. Eric, I'm sorry to surprise you like this. Things have been a bit difficult recently." Sarah addressed him rigidly, her face a mask of formality. She preferred to deal with Eric a little as possible as their relationship was highly strained. For Lizzie's sake they maintained positive interactions but often Jareth was required to mediate; a position he did not relish and avoided whenever possible. The man did technically kill him; after all, one doesn't just forget these types of things even if it wasn't entirely Eric's fault.
"Well, come in, have a seat." Eric motioned towards the small living room of his apartment and he gently pushed Lizzie back to the couch. Jareth and Sarah walked deeper into Eric's home and attempted to relax in the charged atmosphere. Jareth nodded to Lizzie's father, greeting him in a neutral tone which Eric returned.
"Eric."
"Jareth." Both men eyed each other, their unspoken truce hanging between them. The four sat staring at one another and Jareth casually waved his hand turning the television off at which Lizzie scowled.
"I was watching that."
"And now you are not. We have much to discuss. I prefer there be no distractions; I'm sure Sarah and your father would agree." Eric and Sarah both nodded and Lizzie huffed in irritation.
"Fine, talk away."
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Two very frustrating hours later the situation leading up to Lizzie's running away was clarified to Eric and he was just as upset with his daughter for her blatant disregard for her safety and her dishonesty. They'd also reached a tentative and very temporary agreement assuaging Lizzie. She would live with her father in the Aboveground on a trial period of six months. Jareth made it quite clear to all parties that after six months the decision required finalization due to Lizzie's Fae transformation status. If she remained away from the Underground for longer than six months her transformation would cease and begin to reverse causing her magic and immortality to vanish forever as one may transform only once in the Underground. If she returned after the six months she would remain Mortal.
Lizzie considered this information and decided she still wanted to try living Aboveground with her father for the trial period. She wanted to be a normal teenager with normal friends and a normal parent for a change. No argument came to Sarah to oppose her daughter other than 'because I said so' and she didn't think Lizzie would accept that. Truth was Lizzie would be legally an adult in the Aboveground in a few more years which would complicate things in the Underground since she was still many years away from majority there. Perhaps allowing her to explore her opinions would be a good idea regardless of how much Sarah detested the thought of her little girl so far away.
"You're sure this is what you want?" Sarah asked her daughter as they sat apart from the men. Calmer now, Lizzie sounded more rational and it was difficult for Sarah to feel as uneasy about her choice.
"Yes, Mom, I have to try this. Maybe being the Goblin Princess isn't really who I am. I just want to try being normal for awhile." The earnest look in Lizzie's eyes finally convinced Sarah to give in for the present. Sarah sighed in resignation and hugged Lizzie close to her.
"I just worry about you, Honey. I'm going to place some wards on you to give you additional security and if there's anything you need, ever, just call me and I'll be there." Sarah snapped her fingers a few times and Lizzie felt the air thicken around her momentarily before returning to normal and she sensed her mother's security wards stabilize.
"Thanks, Mom. I promise I'll be careful and I'll call right away if I need anything." Mother and daughter hugged tightly, a few tears sneaking out as they said their final goodbyes. Sarah stood and rejoined Jareth unsure of how she should feel walking away from her only child.
"I guess that it for the present. But I'm going to check in with you often and you do the same, promise?" Sarah insisted and Lizzie nodded at her mother from several feet away.
"Promise." Lizzie answered sincerely feeling in her heart how much she would miss her mother and Jareth, too but she knew this choice was correct for her. She needed something...something normal in her life. Her mother assured her that her favorite items and any needed documentation would be transported to her father's house so Lizzie could settle into his home in the spare bedroom and make it her own.
"I love you, Lizzie." Sarah blew her a kiss and Jareth smiled. Lizzie wanted to rush into his arms giving him a hug goodbye but she always felt odd showing affection to Jareth in front of her father. She could tell it strained the already tense relationship. Jareth seemed to understand her indecision and added a nod to his smile.
"Take care, Princess, we'll be close by if you have need of us." And then they were gone and Lizzie was alone with her father and if felt...strange and exhilarating. Eric turned to his daughter and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Well, I guess we'd better get you enrolled in school." He smiled and touched the side of his head to hers; they both laughed after a moment of stunned silence, it felt great to Lizzie.
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"You requested my presence, Milady?" Cashel's retainer, Gethin stated and bowed shallowly before his master's lady.
"Yes, your spell worked perfectly, Gethin. I've tracked the Princess Aboveground and she's residing with a man I presume to be her father for the present." Fiana informed him and he heard the faint gratitude in her voice, a rare sound.
"I'm pleased to have been of service, Milady." He bowed again slightly lower, thrilled to have pleased his man's lady. Gethin long watched Lady Fiana observing her inner sorrow without understanding the cause. Her eyes of melancholy silvery gray ghosted over his tall, muscular frame and the vaguest smile bent one corner of her lips as she focused on his face.
"Gethin, I have another greater task in mind for you. It bares on your Master's plans, would you assist me?" Fiana rose from her seat approaching the younger, handsome brunette Fae.
"My Master bade me fulfill Milady's needs. Whatever Milady's desires of me I will strive to accomplish." Mesmerized by Fiana, Gethin stood frozen as she ran a hand over his chest and shoulder as circling him; her blond braid swaying with her hips.
"Yes, your Master is
so accommodating to my needs." She answered sarcastically. "Gethin, I need you to travel Aboveground, glamour yourself, befriend the Princess," She paused circling back to face him, her voice hardened. "And seduce her. Take her Heart Song and leave her a pathetic husk of a Fae." Gethin's eyes widened at Fiana's demand, the venom giving him chills but the consideration of refusal never occurred to him.
"As you wish, Milady." He bowed very low and left after being excused from her presence. Fiana watched her pet project leave and smiled as her greater plan's motion began. Gethin didn't realize she would be joining him Above befriending the little Princess. It would be lovely watching her downfall knowing how it would eventually pain Jareth.
A/N: THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS REVIEWED SO FAR! THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG FIC, SO MORE FEEDBACK IS MORE MOTIVATION FOR ME AS I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING WHAT PEOPLE OPINIONS ARE.
