* * *
And the Thunder Rolled
by Edmondia Dantes* * *
-Chapter Ten-He could not look. Not at his daughter, not at his wife, not at that wild-eyed stranger.
Not at anything.
And yet, somehow, he was staring. And his daughter met his gaze, her eyes narrowed and chillingly cold. She looked disconcertingly like her mother, so much so that his breath caught jaggedly in his throat.
He managed to force the usual words past his trembling lips just the same. "You have to do what you think is right." Like get the hell out of here.
A rich chuckle, deep and velvet. He didn't like the sound. "I agree," the dark one purred, sliding his arms around Sarah's waist.
His daughter giggled, but it sounded less girlish than it should. He guessed she was growing up too fast - or something like that. A pity that he hadn't bothered to find out, wasn't it?
"I don't fucking want to agree with you!" he snapped, fighting the sudden urge to strangle the infuriating man.
Crystalline quiet, before his wife... his -wife-, spoke up. "Sarah?"
Even without looking, he knew her chin would rise proudly, her eyes would take on a dangerous gleam, and the room would still as if in patient expectation for the storm.
"Whatever I do, it doesn't have anything to do with *you*, Karen!" she spat.
He winced at the words. "Sarah!" How stupid for him to finally take up the role of parent-in-charge. She needed no parents now.
"She is in the right," the stranger countered coolly. Robert's stomach churned. -Bastard,- he hissed mentally, and got the strange impression that the weirdo had heard him.
"And who are you to speak for her?" he snapped, feeling trapped.
A small, half-hysterical laugh bubbled from his daughter's rubied lips. "You mean I didn't tell you?"
He couldn't think. So his wife spoke in his stead. "Tell us what, Sarah?"
She cast a soft, predatory look up at that... thing beside her. And an equally soft, sly smile curved her face as she said softer than a sigh, "I'm engaged, daddy."
His vision went crimson.
* * *
Her father was trying to kill her fiancee. Her father was being silly.
Her fiancee... was being a jerk.
Sad, really. Her father had no absolutely no chance whatsoever.
Jareth seemed highly amused by the fact that his future father-in-law was swearing him upside down and inside out. He looked ridiculous, banging his fists helplessly against an invisible shield, face turning scarlet, eyes flashing dangerously.
"Excitable, isn't he?" Cool distaste shadowed the words.
She shrugged and dug her elbow into his ribs. "He's my father," she scolded gently, not truly meaning the words.
Leather cupped her chin, and she found herself staring up into his so-strange eyes. Platinum tumbled down at the edges of her vision as he leaned close enough to steal her breath or soul away. "Is he truly?" Jareth questioned solemnly, seemingly forgetting about the man not ten feet away, trapped behind a shield of dazzling nothingness.
The moment froze.
Decide.
And Jareth parted his lips and sang, soft and tender and meant for her ears alone.
And I'm the only one who'll walk across a fire for you
and I'm the only one who'll drown in my desire for you
It's only me that makes you run
from feelings that you're hiding from
when all your promises are gone...
I'm the only one...And he was, wasn't he?
Family was family, but... but... Jareth.
In the end, the decision wasn't so hard.
Or maybe it was.
"...all right."
Was that her voice?
"Sarah?"
* * *
She looked up, and her eyes were sad yet sparkling with calm resolve.
"Get out," she hissed.
And they were gone.
Sarah handed her brother to her lover, crumpled to the ground, and sobbed miserably for hours.
* * *
Their children were missing.
Their daughter was sleeping with the Goblin King.
They would never see their firstborn son again.
And it was all their fault.
They stood in the wreckage of their ruined home and wept for their lost lives.
* * *
"I hate you," she whispered brokenly, tears streaming down her exquisite face.
"I know," he replied just as gently, and kissed her again.
* * *
Toby Williams slept peacefully on, and dreamt of milk and honey.
* * *
-Fin.-