Heal and Hurt...

Jareth continued to offer her comfort. She was trembling in his arms. Just when things had started to turn out better for her. Jareth had re-entered her life, she loved him, he loved her and her daughter had grown attached to him. But now things had turned so terribly wrong once again. Toby was lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life.

"Oh god...Jareth...I'm so...scared!" She choked out as she clutched him tightly.

"Sshhh." He buried his face in her hair and continued to run his hands over her back.

"What if I ...lose Toby? I...can't lose..him."

"He's strong Sarah. You said it so yourself. Although there is something...." His words trailed off.

She pulled back, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. "What? What were you going to say?" His mismatched eyes locked with hers for a brief moment. He seemed pained and troubled as she did.

"It's risky, but I have a plan that may save your brother's life."

"What is it?!"

"I would attempt to bring him to the Underground so that Megmora could heal him, but I fear that he would not make the journey in his condition. I would bring Megmora here but she would resist. She is not overly fond of the mortal world." He pulled back from her looking into her eyes. "I could try to heal him.."

"But you said that you don't have any healing powers."

"And I don't. But Megmora does."

"But you just said that she wouldn't come here!" Damn him! He was taking in circles, confusing the hell out of her.

"I could be a channel for Megmora's power. It's a slight risk to me but it would be worth the risk to save your brother. He could remain in the hospital so that he would be well cared for and when we visit him I could give him magical treatments. Megmora's healing power would help him. Her magic could save his life."

Sarah reached up to touch his face with her fingers. "What are the risks for you? You said it was risky."

Jareth was touched by her concern but he didn't allow her to see it. "The risks are not too great. I will be weakened and will need rest after each session, but I should be all right."

"Should?"

"Sarah, I'll be fine. Let me do this to help your brother. We will go in the morning and start the first session."

Sarah didn't say anything, but her gaze was faraway. Jareth gripped her arms tightly, he knew what she was thinking. "He will be there in the morning. He's strong Sarah. He will survive." She nodded and rested against him once more. "You need to eat something. I'll make us some dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"Sarah you need to eat. Or perhaps you want your brother to see you faint after he has awakened? You've eaten nothing all day. Please." She nodded. He lowered his lips to hers in a quick kiss and then began to comb the cabinets for something to eat. He settled on making soup and he was pleased that she finished all of it.

It was late and after eating they both decided that they should try and sleep. Jareth decided it would be better if he stayed with her and he crawled into bed with her as he had done the previous night. She tossed and turned for a while until he started to sing to her. She had never heard the song before, but the sound of his voice, soft and soothing lulled her to sleep. When he saw that she was sleeping he kissed her cheek and lowered his head to the pillow. Sleep claimed him much faster then the previous night.

When he awakened in the morning, Sarah was not in the bed. He found her in Ary's room packing some clothes and a few of her toys. He watched her for a moment and then snapped his fingers disappearing to the kitchen to fix her breakfast and some coffee. She graciously accepted the coffee and drained it in seconds.

"Well no phone calls last night or this morning so that's a good sign." She shrugged trying to sound hopeful.

Jareth walked to her in a few steps and pulled her into his arms. "I will help him today Sarah. I contacted Megmora last night. She is willing to channel some of her magic through me."

"I owe her big time and you...you can have anything you want if my brother survives." She leaned against him and he put his arms around her.

He smiled and pulling back looked into her eyes. "I already have what I want Sarah. I have you in my life again." She smiled sweetly. " Now, I take it that you are going to stop at Mrs. Metrop's to drop off Ary's clothes before we go to the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Well then why don't we leave now. I'm sure Ary will want to see us before she goes to school and before we go to the hospital."

"Good idea. Just let me call work first and tell them that I won't be in for a few days."

Aryanna was very happy to see her mother and Jareth as well. She had been hanging all over him the minute he entered Mrs. Metrop's house. Sarah thanked the older woman for taking care of Ary and that she appreciated it tremendously. Cheryl's mom was glad to do it with the circumstances. Cheryl decided to again take her own car to the hospital and she followed Sarah and Jareth.  Seeing Toby lying in that bed, bandages, on his head and his side, purple bruises forming on his skin made Sarah want to cry. He looked much worse then the previous day, but he was alive. Unconscious but alive.

Cheryl sat on one side of the bed, holding Toby's hand in her own. Her face was buried in the blanket that covered him. Sarah sat on the opposite side and she whispered to Jareth that now would be a good time to use that magic on Toby. Cheryl still didn't know the truth about Jareth. No one had bothered to fill her in and now really wasn't the time.

Jareth gently rested his gloved hands on Toby's arm. He closed his eyes and concentrated, a faint glow surrounded Toby's body. Sarah could see that the magic was working all ready. Toby seemed to be breathing easier and on his own instead of relying so heavily on the oxygen machine. When she turned her eyes back to Jareth she noticed sweat dripping down the sides of his face. His eyes were still closed, his skin looked paler then usual and he was beginning to tremble. Sarah gazed at him, a worried expression on her face. But she didn't say a word. She trusted him, trusted his judgement....

Jareth continued to channel Megmora's magic to the mortal boy who lay in the bed for several more minutes. The magic that filled the Goblin King's body was red hot, foreign, and painful. It felt as if he were burning alive on the inside. It was taking all of his strength to remain in control, to continue to feed the magic that was healing Sarah's brother but was hurting him. His trembling grew worse; the pain searing through him was unbearable. With an anguished cry, he released Toby's arm and went sprawling backwards, landing on the floor in a trembling heap. Sarah gasped, startled by his sudden reaction and she knelt on the floor beside him. He was breathing heavily and he was very pale. His eyes were squeezed shut and he appeared to be in pain.

Cheryl heard the crash on the other side of the room and she lifted her head from the blankets to see what was going on. She didn't see Sarah or Jareth sitting but heard Sarah softly calling Jareth's name. Cheryl was on her feet in an instant and she rushed to the opposite side of the bed. She gasped her jaw hanging open, frozen in place. Sarah looked up at her, fear in her hazel eyes.

"Cheryl help me get him back onto the chair, he...I don't think he's well." Cheryl didn't move. "Cheryl?"

The fact that Jareth was doubled over with spasms wracking his body was one harsh site for Cheryl to see but nothing prepared her for what else she would find. "What...what happened to him? Why is he dressed like that?" She rubbed her eyes with her hands. The image was still in front of her. Jareth was no longer dressed in jeans and a sweater, his hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. He was in strange clothing, most of it black, he wore a cape,his hair was wild and spiky and reminded her of a hairdo from the 80s.

"Cheryl what are you talking about?" She didn't have time for this, something was terribly wrong with Jareth. His head was in Sarah's lap, his breathing erratic, his hands gripping her desperately.

"He...he...he just had on jeans and a sweater and now...now he's got some weird clothes on and his hair is all spiky and..."

Sarah's jaw dropped as the realization hit her. Cheryl could see Jareth as he truly was. His magical illusion must have faded when he collapsed and now Cheryl could see him as the Goblin King. A feeling of dread washed over her. If Cheryl could see him and his illusion was gone, that meant anyone could see him.

Sarah rose to her feet quickly. "We all have a lot of explaining to do Cheryl, but please you have to help me get him out of here. I don't want to even think about what would happen if someone figured out who he is..."

"Who is he?" Cheryl demanded, her hands on her hips as she glared daggers at Sarah. They had been keeping her in the dark. Had Toby done the same? Did Toby know who Jareth really was too?

"I'll explain everything to you later, please help me get him out of here." Sarah pleaded desperately. The spasms that wracked Jareth's body were diminishing and Sarah wanted nothing more then to get him home, away from the people she knew would ridicule him or worse yet discover that he was different then they were. Sarah helped him sit up and she glanced up at Cheryl who was towering over her and the fallen Goblin King.

 Cheryl hesitated as she looked at him, his head rolled backward to fall on Sarah's shoulder. He looked so alien with his wild hair and pale sculptured face, nothing like the handsome man she once thought him to be that night she met him at Eddy's with Sarah.

"Cheryl please." Sarah saw the hesitation in her eyes. "He's the same Jareth that went out to dinner with us, the same one my little girl adores. He just looks different then what you remember."

Cheryl nodded slowly and she helped Sarah pull Jareth to his feet. Despite his slender figure he was dead weight that Sarah would not have been able to deal with alone.

"I need to get him to my car. But they're going to see me bring him out of here. I can't just walk with him down to the lobby. " She began to panic as she thought of the terrible predicament she was in. Someone would surely stop her and try to put Jareth in a bed with his condition. He was incredibly weak and he needed support to walk. And his appearance, that alone might cause some attention.

"I saw some back stairs when I went to use the bathroom yesterday. Maybe if we get him down those you could escape out the back of the hospital."

Sarah nodded. "Ok, Jareth, can you hear me?" He nodded slowly and tried to open his eyes, but the light was too much for him and he closed them quickly, burying his face into Sarah's shoulder. "I know you're weak, but you have to try and walk. I'm not strong enough to bring you all the way to the car."

"I'll help you as far as I can." Cheryl told her. Sarah nodded, her appreciation showing clearly in her eyes.

The hallway was nearly empty except for one old woman in a wheelchair who was waiting by the door to a room

Jareth was extremely weak and every time he tried to take a step he nearly fell. Cheryl and Sarah had to pretty much drag him out of the room and down the hall to the stairs, one arm around each of their necks as they supported him. They brought him slowly down each flight of stairs, holding their breath that no one would see them. It was tedious and each step seemed to be agony for Jareth. They made it to the bottom and had started with him across the parking lot before anyone saw them.

"HEY!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!" It was a security officer who cried out from across the parking lot. Sarah could imagine how this looked. Two women dragging a man across the parking lot. A man who was dressed in strange clothing and who was weak and couldn't walk on his own. The officer might think that they had just smuggled someone out of the hospital without a doctor's permission.

"We're almost to the car. Keep going." Sarah urged. They reached her station wagon and the two women quickly put Jareth on the back seat. He fell over onto the seat, a crumpled mass of black except for his blond hair, his body nearly as lifeless as Toby's.

"I'm going back inside to stay with Toby." Cheryl told her. "Is he going to be all right?"

"I don't know. He told me there would be risks if he tried to save Toby but this...this wasn't what I expected." Sarah was trembling and Cheryl embraced the older woman. Cheryl had no idea what was going on, but she had a funny feeling that Jareth had somehow tried to save Toby.

"You should go before the security guard sees you." Sarah told her, pulling back from her embrace. Fresh tears clouded her eyes. Cheryl nodded and tore off through the parking lot at break neck speed .She rushed around to the side of the building. She could re-enter the hospital through the Surgi Center. Sarah started her car and pulled out of the lot before the security officer was even close enough to get her license plate number.

Jareth was laying on his side in the back seat and he was trembling. Sarah started shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. She stayed within the speed limit, for fear that she might be stopped by a cop. Her brother was in the hospital and now something was wrong with Jareth. Could her life get any worse?

The drive home felt much longer then it should have been. She pulled into the garage quickly and hit the garage door button so that no one would see her try to drag Jareth into the house. She managed to get him in the living room where he suddenly collapsed onto the floor, spasms wracking his body. Sarah let out a cry. This was like the night he came home injured all over again.

The spasms eventually slowed and ceased altogether and Sarah cradled the Goblin King in her arms, sobs wracking her body. She buried her face into his soft hair, rocking him and crying. Her life felt like an endless vicious cycle where anyone who got close to her was hurt emotionally or physically.

"Sarah...." His voice was soft, but she heard it and pulled back. He was staring up at her, his breathing a little heavier then usual.

"Oh god Jareth...what happened? You said it wasn't too risky!" She cried out.

"I...I didn't know....I've never channeled...someone else's....magic. My body rejected...the magic... but I felt it flow...to Toby.  I'm...all right."

"You're not all right." He was still trembling slightly and his face was still pale, much more then it normally was.

"I will be in a short time." His breathing was slowing, the color suddenly returning to his face.

"You scared the shit out of me Jareth! For god sakes! I didn't need this right now! Not when my brother is dying in the hospital!"

"He's not dying any longer....I felt the magic working."

" I saw that he seemed to be breathing on his own, but I didn't notice much else. I couldn't. Not when you went tumbling backwards. Cheryl had to help me drag you out of the hospital and we nearly got caught. Your illusion wasn't working and Cheryl saw what you really look like, which meant that so could anyone else."

"Sarah....I'm sorry. I thought I could handle the magic. It appears that I could not."

Just then the phone rang. She didn't make a move to answer it. Dread coursed her veins.

"Go on Sarah. Answer it. It might be important." She let out a heavy sigh and left his side stepping into the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Hey sis."

"Toby!!!! Oh my god!!" She erupted in laughter. Laughing and crying at the same time.

"Hey calm down..."

"I.. I can't believe I'm talking to you after what just happened! He did it.. he did it!" She kept saying.

"Who did what?" Toby asked her.

"Jareth 's magic worked. He healed you. You're awake!"

"He used magic on me?"

"Yes! I'll explain everything to you later! Oh god Toby, I can't believe it! You're awake!"

"I can't talk Sarah. The doctor is here wanting to give me a check up. He's amazed that I'm awake and even more amazed that my injuries aren't as serious as they were yesterday."

"I'll stop back by the hospital as soon as I can."

"Stay with Jareth. I'm ok. Cheryl said he's not feeling so well. She told me what happened and how you had to drag him out of the hospital."

"It was a nightmare Tobe."

"Stay with him...The doctor will be running tests for a while anyway so you wouldn't be able to see me. I'll call you when they're done, ok?" Sarah nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"I love you Toby."

"I love you too Sarah. I'll see you later." She heard the phone click at his end and she hung up her own back on the kitchen wall.

Sarah sighed feeling some of the weight she had been holding lessen. Toby was awake. Jareth's plan had worked. Jareth was suddenly standing beside her, balancing himself in the doorway. His legs were shaking beneath him. He was still very weak.

"He's ok." She told him, tears started falling from her eyes. Jareth lifted one arm toward her, beckoning her to come to him. She didn't need any coaxing and she rushed into his arms. "I owe you so much..." She told him.

"You owe me nothing."

"But what you did..." She told him, pulling back.

"I did it because I love you Sarah and I can't bear to see you hurt. I did it because you and your family are the closest thing I've got to family and I can't bear to see any of you hurt. Toby loves you Sarah. He protected you when no one else did. I would give my life for him if I had to."

She pulled him to her tightly. "I love you so much."

"I know..." He placed a kiss on her head. "Help me to the couch?" She nodded and slowly they walked to the couch where he collapsed. He leaned back, his head resting against her. "I'm sorry that I frightened you. I never meant to."

"Sshh. I know you didn't. You just saved my brother's life. I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you." He smiled tilting his head back to look up into her face.

"Are we going back to see Toby?"

"Not right now. The doctor is running some tests. It'll be a while. He said he would call back." She gazed up at him. "And you, you're not going anywhere. Not after what just happened."

He nodded. "I'm a little weak but no worse for wear."

"A little weak? You should stay in bed the rest of the day!"

He reached up with one gloved hand and traced her cheek. "If it puts you at ease I will stay in bed."

"It will put me at ease." He lowered his hand and let it fall to his side. He closed his eyes and just rested against her.

She watched him, her eyes full of love as she stared down at him. What he had done for her, putting himself at risk like he had to save her brother.... . "Jareth when you and Toby are feeling better and things are pretty much back to normal...we need to talk. Really sit down and talk."

"We've left certain things go unsaid for far too long." He told her, not moving.

"They won't be left unsaid for too much longer." She told him placing a kiss on his forehead. . He didn't reply but nestled closer to her, burying his face into her chest. Those unsaid words frightened him far more then any that had already been said. She smoothed back his wild, unruly hair from his face and rested her chin against his head.

She realized that he had fallen asleep and she raised her head, gazing down at him. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he took in and let out each breath. He looked so peaceful. It was almost hard for her to picture him as the insolent Goblin King she knew he could be. She knew that part of him was still buried deep within him, but she didn't care. She loved him, everything about him. The darkness, the arrogance, the unexpected sweetness he had shown to her and her daughter. She rested her chin against the softness of his hair and closed her eyes. They had not even talked things out yet and she had already made up her mind...