Jareth awoke the next morning with the most frightful headache.  He sat up in the bed and looked around, trying to dredge from his mind the remnants of a very disturbing dream.  Head couched in the large pillow of Marlena’s design, he sleepily surveyed his surroundings.  Everything within the room had the handmade look of gypsy, dyed fabrics, beadwork, and elegant hand-woven tapestry.  It made him homesick in a strange sort of way.  He longed for the gentle touch of a woman to all affairs of his life, and often fantasized about he and Sarah in a simple home, him chopping wood outside whilst she wove indoors.  He could see her face, gentle in the mote-filled air and sunshine, engaged in her task.  He knew Sarah was not a traditional woman, nor he a traditional man, and he truly did not wish them to be anything other than they were.  But a dream of a happy domestic life calmed his soul at times.  Times like this, when horrible nightmares haunted his mind in the depths of uneasy sleep.

Toby lay on a makeshift bed on the floor, still comfortably snoozing.  One would assume that current events would make the boy too restless for a full night’s sleep, but it was equally likely that he was exhausted by events and more than ready to drown his weariness in slumber.  Jareth pulled the covers off gently and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the boy with a heartfelt smile.  “I once wanted you to be my own son,” he whispered.  “You’re such a good lad.  I’d be your uncle any day.”  Toby was still asleep, but a slight smile tugged at his lips with these words, as if he had subconsciously heard Jareth’s compliment.  The man smiled widely at this, gently tucked the boy in and kissed his forehead before leaving the room.

Once he arrived downstairs, he was greeted by a relatively busy room.  Five customers were browsing about Marlena’s store, and she was chatting warmly with one of them, a brunette with wildly moused hair.  “Ah, Jareth!” Marlena cried as she saw the man gingerly stepping down the stairs. Her face flushed at the site of him, as if she was secretly entranced by him and unable to hide her affection.  She had had dreams too, of a much more pleasant nature.  “Come over here, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

He sauntered over, his white button-up tunic crinkled up and hanging over his loose pants.  He was still a little sleepy-eyed, and it made him look more boyish.  He yawned fitfully on his way to the counter, politely saying “excuse me” as he accidentally brushed another customer on the way over.  She looked up at him with slyly seductive eyes, as if thankful for the contact.  “Don’t mention it,” she whispered from scarlet-red lips.  He held her green eyes for a few moments before gradually pulling away and continuing towards his strangely lengthening journey towards the barely far counter.  For a second he thought she looked like Sarah.  It was at this point that he finally became cognizant of the fact that all the customers in the store were women, and that they were all giving him appreciative glances from the corner of their eyes.  They all possessed an element of the mysterious, yet they seemed to be worshiping his greater sense of the unknown.  As he looked away, their image flashed again in his mind, and they all became Sarah. Once he finally made it to the counter, he noticed that Marlena was chuckling at his obvious slavery to the captivating glances of the women in the store.  He was a little shaken by the images of Sarah in his imagination, but he brushed it off quickly.

Marlena introduced him to the girl between chuckles.  “Jareth, I’d like you to meet Ashley.  She’s a good friend.”  Jareth began to shake her hand as he took her in.  She had short hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, willfully mutated into a branchy beast through the help of mousse and pomade.  She had small eyes that were carefully outlined with brown eyeliner and lids that were softly dusted in shades of gold and brown.  Even her dress was a ragtag conglomeration of various items that somehow came together into an aesthetic look.  Her voice was raspy and boyish, accentuating her wild rabbit attractiveness.  He was taken aback when, instead of shaking her hand, she began to examine his manicure.  “Nice nails.  Never see guys who take care of their hands like this.  You’re not gay, are you?”

He cleared his throat in surprise, and looked a bit uncomfortably at Marlena for a second before returning his gaze to Ashley.  “Er, I am fairly happy, but, no, I don’t…”

Marlena interrupted him with a laugh.  “Of course not, Ashley, what kind of question is that?  I’m surprised he even knows what that means.”

“Well, I, um, keep in touch with current affairs of the, erm, area.  I’m not a total country bumpkin.”  He smiled despite his unease, and turned back to Ashely.  “It’s nice to meet you, Ashley.”

“Nice to meet ya too,” she said buoyantly, releasing grasp of his hand.  “Especially since Marly’s done nothin’ but talk ‘bout you all mornin’.  Like New York so far?  Lotsa Brits round here, can’t say I’ve seen one quite like you, though.”  She turned to look at Marlena and said, “Even his hair is perfect.  Damn, you were right, he is sexy.”  She bent over to whisper, just so Jareth could still hear, “And you say he spent the night… Did you, -- you know… do it?”

“Ashley!”  Marlena blushed red and playfully shoved her friend.  “Quit embarrassing me!”

“Ah, you know I’m just playin’ with ya,” the girl said with a mischievous smile.   “Jareth’s a cool guy, he’s ok with it.  I’m sure he’s lovin’ the attention.  He looks like the kinda guy who would.”  She winked at him.  “Here, I’ll be right back, gotta find some Valerian root real quick.”  She walked to the other side of the store and started whispering with one of the other women.  They occasionally glanced at Jareth and suppressed laughs.

“Sorry about that,” Marlena said.  “She’s really funny, but sometimes I think she’s lacking in social skills.” 

“No trouble, really.  She does seem like a fine girl,” Jareth answered. 

Suddenly a furry head popped up from behind the counter.  It was Sir Didymus.  “Sir, I understand our agreement of last eve, but may I please refrain from hiding?  I cannot do my Knightly duty if I must obscure myself from potential enemies.”

“Didymus!” Jareth exclaimed in a loud whisper.  “Please, return to the kitchen.  I cannot possibly convince you of how important it is that you stay hidden, can I?”

Didymus worked his jaw about a bit and finally said, “Um, no.”

Jareth sighed in exasperation.

Marlena smiled and said, “Didymus, you may roam about the store if you like.”

“What?” Jareth said.  “I don’t understand why he could.  Won’t it frighten your customers away?”

“No,” Marlena replied with a wry smile.  “They’re all witches.  From the same coven.  Every one of them has a familiar.  They’re used to talking animals.”

“Are you sure that I am Aboveground?” Jareth asked.

“Certain.  You just found a more magical corner of the globe.  Welcome to Marlena’s Shop.”

“How enchanting,” Jareth said with sincere amazement.  Didymus hopped from behind the counter with excitement and began encircling the shop in a soldier-like fashion. 

The women stopped their perusal of the store, and one of them shouted, “Marlena!  Where on earth did you get him?  He’s fantastic!”

“He doesn’t belong to me,” Marlena replied.  “He is the property of Jareth, my guest.”

Didymus stopped immediately and cleared his throat noisily before countering, “I belong to no one, dear ladies.  I am a knight of the highest order, and I live a life of danger and solitude, protect the weak and innocent, and am quite an expert at guarding bridges.  I answer to no one!”

The women all chuckled warmly and another said, “Sir Didymus, you are a fine specimen, you are.  Thanks for protecting us.”  Didymus saluted her and answered, “It is my pleasure, fair maiden.”  He then went back to his patrol.

Ashley came over to the counter and said in a low whisper, “He looks like a muppet!”

“Be nice, Ashley,” Marlena said.  “Don’t let him hear you say things like that.”

“No, no, he’s really cute.”  She looked up to Jareth.  “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?  I’ve never seen a familiar quite like him.”

“Trust me, he’s a creature of his own making.  I suppose, since you are of the sort who understand and appreciate magic, that it won’t surprise you that I come from another land.  There are many creatures there who are as unique as the animals on your world, and as proud of their individuality as any human.”

“Wow.”  Ashley looked stunned.  “Can I marry him, Marlena?  He’s cute, he’s into magic, and he’s so totally British.  You brought him here just for me, didn’t you?”

“You can’t marry Jareth, I’m afraid,” Marlena answered.  “He’s on a mission to save his true love from an evil sorcerer.”

Ashley propped her head up on the counter and stared at Jareth dreamily.  “How romantic.”

“Trust me, it’s not as pleasant an experience as stories make it out to be,” Jareth replied.

“Well, we’re gonna do whatever we can to help,” Marlena answered.  “Come on, let me get some breakfast in you, and then Ashley will take you and Toby out on the town.”

“Thank you very kindly,” Jareth answered.  “I am at your mercy.”

As he followed her into the kitchen, Ashley followed from the rear and gave his toosh a firm squeeze.  “You bet your bottom you are!”    

Instead of jumping at her goosing, Jareth kept walking calmly, a smirk on his face.  “Careful at how familiar you get with me, you might live to regret it.”

Ashley laughed and said, “I knew you were the kind of guy who liked attention!”

*        *        *

Soon Jareth had finished his breakfast, and pushed away from the table with a satisfied sigh.  Ashley had left to finish her own duties in preparation for their day out, and Marlena had just stepped in from her maintenance of the shop.  “Was it good?” she asked as she picked up his empty plate.

“It was fantastic.  Thank you for conjuring it up for me.”

She chuckled at his choice of words.  “You’re a comedian, too.  Guess that means you’re loosening up a bit.”  She walked to the sink to wash the plate and glass.  Jareth leaned back in the chair, and was suddenly awash with the negative feelings his dreams had brought forth in him earlier that morning.  When Marlena finished her task of washing the dishes, she turned back around to see Jareth looking rather disturbed.

“You okay?” she asked as she sat down.

He furrowed his brow and let out a long sigh.  “Not really.  I had a terrible nightmare last night.  It seemed so real, almost prophetic.  I’m only remembering it in bits and pieces, but I think I’ve finally reconstructed it entirely.”

“If it feels prophetic, it probably is.  What was the dream about?”

He scratched his chin a bit and looked about the room, as if it would help him piece things together.  “It’s a bit random, as dreams can be, but I can reconstruct it a bit more like a story, or at least, the story I think it was trying to tell me.  Am I making any sense?”

“Yes, I know what you mean.  How dreams don’t always have a logical pattern, but they do have an innate meaning that gives them logic.”

“Yes, yes, that is what I mean.”  He paused a moment to gather his thoughts.  “It was about Sarah.  She was standing before me in a clearing that I had once met her in, through a dream.  She was both like a tree and was a tree.  On her arms, or limbs, or whatever they were, sat two birds, one on each.  One was a white dove, and the other a black raven.  They were both singing music, intermingled and beautiful in their opposing natures, and the notes were floating toward her roots, feeding her and giving her life.  Then she was suddenly ripped in two…  The birds flew away from each other, toward each half of the tree, each flying about its half, help to regrow the tree of Sarah.  One side grew into an apple tree, with white blossoms, frail, floating to the ground.  The dove perched atop this tree.  Then, the raven changed the other half, where it grew into something gnarled and beautiful, bereft of foliage.  It perched upon this tree.  The trees were smaller, and were somehow both still Sarah, but not as large as when she had been one tree.”

“Wow, that is a very strange dream.  Maybe she is having a moral dilemma, and you are picking up on her emotions,” Marlena offered.

“I don’t know, it was a very strong sense of separation.  There have been few times I have known Sarah to have any difficulty over a moral choice, she does have an innate sense of personal morality.  But there’s more.” 

“Wait,” Marlena said, pulling a handcarved box out of her pocket.  She opened it, and out drifted the smell of clove cigarettes.  “Join me for a cigarette?”

“Yes, I think I will,” he said, taking the cigarette from her and settling it on his lip.  Marlena pulled out a thin lighter and lit it for him. 

“You’ve smoked before?” she said, when he did not appear to have any trouble sucking in the fragrant fumes of the cigarettes. 

“No, but this is lovely,” he said, looking appreciatively at the cigarette as he pulled it from his mouth.  “I’ve seen Aboveworlders smoke in the past, and it looks like such an elegant pastime.  I’ve always wanted to try it.”

“It’s horrible for your health, but it does give one a sense of inner peace and elegance.”  She caught herself suddenly staring at how sexy he looked while smoking, and forced herself out of her stupor.  “So, finish what you were saying about your dream?”

“Yes, well, there is a second part to the story.  The apple tree seems to disappear into a haze, and the focus of the dream becomes the other half of Sarah, the twisted tree.  Suddenly I can see Aboveground and Underground as if they are two layers on a cake, from the side.  Underground is beneath, of course, and there is a silhouette of Sarah’s kindom in the distance.  I can see the silhouette of New York above.  The tree is in the foreground of the layer that is my world.  The raven flies from the branch and comes to the top layer, to New York, and sits atop a tall building, as tall as a mountain, and begins to sing.  Soon it is glowing purple, casting a spell.  And the two layers that are Aboveground and Underground begin to mesh together.  And I get a strong sense of chaos and… I don’t know, a fear of no control.  It becomes a muddled mass of colors, colors that don’t go together, very jarring in nature.  I don’t know what it all means, but it feels like something dangerous is coming my way.” 

“Damn, that is some dream,” Marlena said, contemplating Jareth’s words.

Jareth became even more morose.  “I shouldn’t have come here.  I made a mistake by coming to Sarah in the first place, and endangering her.  Now I have endangered another world, and you.”  He looked up at her, the dread in his eyes very real.

“Now, you need to stop worrying so much about everyone else.  You don’t have any control over this, or whatever is going to happen.  I’m sure your dream is symbolic somehow, perhaps that you are bringing elements of your world here by coming.  I can’t see how that would be such a bad thing.  If anything, I bet that being here is a bit frightening, whether or not you want to admit that to yourself.  Maybe you have some frightening perceptions of New York, and that is affecting you on a deep level.”

“That all sounds very logical, and you have no idea how much I want to go along with your interpretation…  But I know something is going to happen, and soon.”

“Well, we’ll just deal with it when it gets here.  Why don’t you go get Toby and get ready for a day out with Ashley?  I’ve put together a couple of outfits for you boys, so you can grab a quick shower and freshen up.  I’ll get Ashley to take you guys to some fun places, to loosen you up, maybe she could get you a beer or something.  Have a little fun.  Might as well, especially if you’re in store for an unpleasant time, right?”

“Ah, you have no idea what a breath of fresh air you are, Marlena,” he said as he rose from his chair and grasped her hand gratefully.  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the kitchen.

She rubbed her hand against her face gently, as if to preserve the sensation.  Smiling, she said to herself, “Can’t remember how long ago it was I was kissed on the cheek by such a gentleman…”

Jareth entered the storefront again in order to get to the staircase, and found Toby in the middle of a coven of lovely witches.  They were all laughing as the boy took a crystal sphere in his hand and began to make it float.  They clapped at his success.

Jareth was taken aback by the sight.  It was as if he were looking upon a younger version of himself.  He finally found his voice.  “That was… very good Toby.”

“Ah, Jareth!” a blond witch exclaimed.  “He’s doing very well.  This boy has the potential to be a real sorcerer.  He’s a fast learner!”

“Thank goodness for that…  I’m going to need his help in casting a very large spell, that is, if we ever get back to my world.”

One of the women ruffled Toby’s hair, and he lost his concentration and dropped the sphere.  He was beaming.  “Look at what I did!  I can’t believe I did it!”  He looked up at Jareth and smiled, as he would if he were seeking approval from a father.  Jareth smiled warmly in return.  “You are certainly a talented boy.  Are these lovely ladies teaching you some magic?”

“Yes, they’ve taught me lots of tricks, how to make things float, and how to pick things up with my mind.  It’s so cool!”

Jareth laughed warmly.  “Think you can learn some big spells?”

“If they teach me,” he said, looking hopeful.

“We’ll help you any way we can,” the blond-headed witch offered.  “We can come back tomorrow and teach you some more stuff.”

“That would be splendid,” Jareth replied.  “Your help would be very much appreciated.”  He bent down and picked Toby up and said, “Now it’s time to get ready to go out on the town with the arse-pincher, lad.  I think we both need to bathe.  We wouldn’t want to offend her nose.”

The women chuckled at his description of Ashley.  One of them said, “She got ya, huh?”

“Yes, but the laugh will soon be on her,” Jareth said, winking his eye.  With that, he took the boy upstairs in preparation for a long, and probably very amusing, day.

Once he left, the blond-headed woman said, “Damn, he’s so sexy!  Let’s find this Sarah girl ourselves and get rid of her!”

Another answered, “Don’t say things like that, Brenda.  It would be cruel.  Can’t you see how in love with her he is?”

“Yeah,” Brenda answered, blowing a blond strand from her face.  “It’s cute."