Labyrinth Pt. II

6. Together

I snuck us out of the theater through the back and we ran to my car. Jareth kept quite the whole drive home. He was thinking. What about, I had no clue. I was to focused on the traffic to decipher his eyes. By the time we reached my apartment, I was practically jumping out of my skin with nerves. I grabbed the bags and shoe box that Jareth couldn't carry and we rushed to the elevator.

"So what's the plan?" I figure the elevator ride is a good time to start this conversation. We had a good two minutes before we reach my floor.

"I head back and confront that faery so-and-so who took my bloody crown." His face was boarder line evil. It almost distracted me from his so-called plan.

"You wanna run that by me again?" I think I heard him say "I" instead of "we".

"I'm not taking any chances with you getting hurt. You can go stay with friends that can hide you can keep you out of harms way. On a get-a-way-"

"If you think for one bloody second that I am leaving you to face the labyrinth and the Faery Prince by yourself, you must have lost more than just your magic." I was irked. I wasn't screaming at him but I think my voice packed enough emotion that it had the same effect. He had the decency to wince at my words.

"You need help. Specifically, you need my help. The labyrinth might not be the same since you left, since I left, but you have never made it out without your magic. I have. You need me."

He grunted. Before he could argue the validity of my remarks, the elevator dinged.

"Let's go."

I hastened out of the metal box and worked my way to the entrance to my apartment. The shoe box I was carrying started to slip from my grasp as I tried to unlock my door. Before it came out of my grasp completely, Jareth came up behind me and pushed it back in to place with his knee.

"I get that two is better than one. Working as a team, you and I, would be best. But I'm not sure what I would do if something happened to you while we were on a quest for my benefit."

"You won't have to find out because nothing is going to happen to me." I unlocked the door and threw the bags on the floor as I walked inside. Now my pride was coming out. "I'm not the little girl you remember wandering your maze. I can take care of myself, and, this time, can prepare for what to expect." I grabbed his arm. "You came to me for a reason. So we can do this and we do it together."

He didn't say anything for what felt like an eternity. Jareth just stared at my hand wrapped on his arm. When he finally met my gaze, he looked emotionless.

"I can't protect you. I know I need you, but I can't guarantee your safety. That should terrify you."

I didn't know what to say. His voice was betraying the fact that he cared. His royal highness was worried. Words couldn't help ease those emotions, so I responded the with the only way I could think of. I dropped his hand and wrapped my arms hesitantly around his torso. I could feel his body tense in response to my surprising actions. Heck, I was surprised. He dropped the bags and quickly embraced me, like I would run away. He tightened his grip and I did the same. I knew I could get hurt. Believe me, I knew the risks, but somewhere in my mind I knew I needed to help. He cut the hug short and released me while stepping away.

"Okay, umm, let's not get caught up in the negative," I said somewhat taken aback by this roller coaster like conversation.

He slowly shook his head at me.

"It's not negative, it's realistic thinking."

"It's negative. If it's not positive, then I don't wanna hear it." I bent down to pick up the bags he dropped. "Now let's pack up."

He silently followed suit and collected the remaining items that spilled out of two of the bags and placed them on the sofa next to the bags I just set down. I was thinking of the things I should take. I knew I had a backpack in the second bedroom closet. Where was my Swiss Army knife?

"Sarah! Attention Sarah!"

"Huh?!" The sudden yelling startled the stars out of me. "Why are you yelling?!"

"I've been speaking to you and you haven't heard a single thing I've said."

"Oops. I was thinking of what we should take. What were you saying?"

"I was saying, we should pack up then rest. It would be beneficial if we were at our best."

"That makes some sense. Wouldn't it be better if we just took naps and then went, rather than waiting a whole 12 hours?"

"Probably, but this is what we're going to do."

"Ah-"

"Hush! I've decided. We will pack, then we will rest as much as we can." He plopped on the couch and crossed his arms. "Now turn on this 'television' contraption."

There was no point in arguing with him. He seemed to set in his decision and no amount of reasoning would change his stubborn mind. So I shook my head and turned the tv on. I taught him how to change the channels and left him be. He really didn't have anything to pack. So I occupied myself by packing and putting away his new items and finding the backpack we would soon need.

He hardly said a word to me as I shuffled around the apartment looking for the needed items. I only had two things left to pack, my pepper spray and taser. Living in a city as a single woman, I always had some sort of protection against creeps. Now that protection might come in handy against a certain fae creep. I place the pepper spray in the netted side pouch on the backpack, it was a pretty decent sized bottle so I was confident it wasn't going to fall out at any random moment. The taser had a link and a belt hook attached to it, so I was going to have that on my hip. Since it had the link, I could fasten it to my pants and it wouldn't disappear on me. I was taking my safety seriously. I didn't want Jareth to worry to much, but I was scared. I don't know a single thing about this new king. I don't know what he's capable of, or what his limits are. The Labyrinth reflects the ruler. Who knows what the Labyrinth will look like now. I doubt the False Alarms will be there. Will the Bog still exist? I'm really hoping the Cleaner still isn't running, it was annoying and very unhelpful. I walk in to the living room to join in the T.V. watching. It's about 6 o'clock now and the sun was setting. I click on a couple of lamps in the living room and look over to the couch. The goblin fell asleep and took over the whole sofa. I can fit quite nicely on that couch, but Jareth is so tall that the poor creature looks cramped and uncomfortable. It definitely isn't the accommodations he's used to. He must've been tired from a day of all things earthly and unfamiliar. I snag a blanket from the linens closet to throw over him, then make myself comfy on the recliner with a blanket of my own. The sound of the news lulls me to sleep.