Those Cruel Eyes Edition 1

Chapter 10

"Seriously? That is so cool!" Emmeline hollered, practically jumping up in her seat from excitement, interrupting Jareth's train of thoughtful wandering. "Why didn't you tell me?" Emmeline asked Sarah, simmering down. Her mother smiled sadly at her. "We'll talk about it later. How about you sleep with me tonight? Get the bed set up with your dolls. Jareth let me lead you to your room." She stood up, not looking at Jareth. As Sarah was getting up, Emmeline said, "Nah, that's okay. I'll sleep in my room tonight." Sarah nodded at her daughter in acknowledgement.
Sarah walked up the stairs and down the hallway to a door. "Here you are," she said, avoiding his gaze. Jareth looked at her with his mismatched eyes. "Sarah-," he tried to say, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"I have some things to say to you first Jareth." She whispered angrily, looking at him for the first time all night. "What are you doing here? At my house? Why did you come to me? You were -are- a spoiled jerk who gets whatever you want by bullying creatures for fun or just for something to do. You deserved this. I didn't like Hoggle, but I respect him and even congratulate him for doing what he did. You needed a reality check, to have your big ego deflated. I'm sorry Isadora's dead, but I cannot let you stay. I just have too many things against you. You abandoned me, now it's my turn. You better be out of here at eight am, or else."
Before Jareth could say a word, she turned on her heel, went downstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom shut, cutting him off from her glowing presence, probably forever. Standing in front of the door, hands hanging uselessly beside him, Jareth went inside his room. Just as he sat down on the bed, a faint and timid rap sounded on the door. Fearing that it was Sarah coming to pour more lemon juice on his paper cuts, Jareth went and opened it cautiously. Standing there was Emmeline, Sarah's daughter. At sixteen, she looked nothing like Sarah. Her hair was long and blonde, with blue streaks and silver tinsel decorating it. She was tall and thin, her clasped fingers as elegant as those of a musician. The strangest thing about her though were her eyes. They were two different colors: brownish green on one and bluish green on the other. "Do, um, May I come in? I need to ask you something."
Bewildered, Jareth let her in. "Yes?" he asked.
Emmeline closed the door, took a deep breath, turned, and looked at him softly. "Do you want me to help get you your crown back and clear your name so you can go home?" Emmeline asked hesitantly. Her strange eyes probed his with curiosity.
Jareth smiled at her.
"I would like that very much." He said softly with a smile. The pair leaned in and Emmeline whispered her plan in his ear. They shook hands, and Emmeline left the room. There was no backing out now.

In the morning, Jareth woke to the sound of shouting. Smiling he rolled over on his back, knowing Emmeline had carried out their plan. He sat up on the bed and pulled on his black coat that was lying on the floor. He stood up, went downstairs into Emmeline's room silently, and waited for the signal.
In the kitchen, unaware that Jareth was awake; Sarah was having a screaming match with her daughter.
"Under no circumstances will Jareth be allowed to stay! That's final!"
"I can't believe you!" Emmeline screamed back at her. "He's a man who needs our help, and because of a thing that happened years ago you're going to cast him off into the streets? It's February for God's sake! He'll freeze to death out there!"
"Then he shouldn't have come here!"
"Are you actually going to toss him out onto the streets? Is this all supposed to be his fault? He didn't come here on purpose! Are you just trying to find a good reason to kick him out and make him suffer for a dumb fight?"
"Of course not! Stop acting like a child!"
"Child? For your information, mother-" Emmeline said snidely, "I am only five years younger than you when you had me! I am just trying to help someone in need, while you are being a bee with an itch because of something that happened years ago! If someone needs to grow up and stop acting like a child, it's you!"
Emmeline ran down the end of the hall into her room where Jareth was waiting and slammed the door. Sarah ran after her daughter, going to calm her down. Sarah grabbed a hold of the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn.
"Emmeline!" Sarah hollered, enraged. "Open the door!"
"I hate you!" Emmeline screamed. "I wish-"
Fear gripped Sarah in an iron vise. The words were so familiar... "No! Emmeline!"
"I wish the goblins would come take me away from you! Right now!"
The lights went out all over the halfway house. Blind panic now consumed Sarah, for Emmeline had become silent. "No! Emmeline!"
Possessed with a strength she did not know she had, Sarah threw her shoulder against the door, opening it forcefully.
Panicking, her eyes wheeled the room, searching for any sign of Emmeline. She was gone and the window was open. A cold breeze came in and hit Sarah full in the face, finalizing that her daughter was gone.
There was suddenly a blinding flash of light in front of the window and Sarah threw her arm to cover her eyes.
When the brightness had died down, Sarah removed her arm and saw Hoggle standing right in front of her. Their eyes met, and Hoggle's expression changed from authority to bewilderment. "Sarah? What-?"
"Hoggle! Oh thank God, I need your help!" Tears were gathering in the corner of Sarah's eyes, hysteria gripping a firm hold on her.
"Sarah," Hoggle said softly "I'm afraid I can't help you."
Sarah started to sob. "Hoggle, you don't understand! My daughter is gone! She was taken to the center of the Labyrinth by the King!" Suddenly, a thought struck her. Her face smoothed out and was replaced from sadness to blankness. The tears that had gathered in her eyes vanished without a trace.
"Hoggle..." she said softly. Her blank expression was suddenly replaced with betrayal and anger. "You sent my daughter to the center! Give her back to me!" Sarah stood up and walked menacingly toward Hoggle as she spoke. Hoggle held up his hands.
"Whoa there! Sarah! Calm down. Let me explain something to you."
Sarah stopped her advance and let Hoggle pull her to the bed. They both sat down. Sarah's hands were balled into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought against the wave of hysteria that threatened to grip her again.
"Sarah, first off, Emmeline was not sent to the center of the Labyrinth. Jareth and Emmeline were sent to the entrance. See, when Jareth was removed, he can no longer appear immediately into the castle.
"Jareth and anyone he's with have to solve the Labyrinth to have any hope of earning courage and humanity to get his throne back. I can't take you to the center, but I can put you at the beginning to go after them.
"I can't help you at all, those are the rules made by thousands of Kings before us, but I can change the Labyrinth's twists and turns to slow them down so you can catch up."
"Jareth? Wait, what does Jareth have to do with this?"
Hoggle looked at her with eyes full of pity. "Sarah, your fight with Emmeline was staged. They planned this so Emmeline could help Jareth become King again. "
"What?!"
"I'm afraid so."
"Do I have a high chance of getting my daughter back?"
"With me helping you? Of course." Hoggle smiled at Sarah, and it reassured her.
"How can I trust you?" Sarah asked, "You betrayed me by telling Isadora of our affair..."
Hoggle shook his head, amused. "Sarah, we have a common enemy. I have no reason to harm your daughter, and we have been friends for years, hm?" he smiled and held out a hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"What deal?"
"I put you in the Labyrinth to rescue your daughter, I help slow them down, then we can have revenge on Jareth."
Sarah hesitated, then shook his hand.