| Time passes strangely in the Underground. An example of this is that Sarah spent thirteen hours there, but when she returned nearly no time had passed. Michelle and Dominic spent a lot longer than that in the castle. Sometimes Jareth would spend whole days with them and sometimes they didn�t see him for ages. Michelle didn�t feel the need to ask where he was. Dominic got everything he wanted. When he wanted something he would ask Michelle for it, and Michelle would invariably say no. He would then go to Jareth looking upset or sulky, complaining that Mummy wouldn�t let him, and suddenly his every wish would come true. Michelle was quite amazed at some of the things the boy got away with. Soon there was grand piano in everyone�s way, a few horses in some of the largest stables you have ever seen, a merry-go-round in the market-square, and a small dog called Muffles. All this worried Michelle; Dominic had never had so much stuff before, and didn�t really ask for much. He had accepted what they had and didn�t have. Michelle thought that he was changing. Though Michelle was scared of Jareth, she found him less and less frightening as time went on. He didn�t really have a clue what to do with Dominic and would be completely lost without her. But he was trying very hard. He didn�t make many moves on her, though he didn�t seem to think that his touching her could be offensive. He would start to stroke her face for no reason, or hold her hand when they were walking. Sometimes they would argue, even though it would usually be Michelle who gave way. She couldn�t talk to him normally; some wall in her mind wouldn�t let her. He had raped her. Time passed. �I want a pet.� �You�ve already got a pet Dominic.� �I want another one.� �You don�t need one. Go play with Muffles, he�s getting lonely.� �I don�t want to, I want a cat.� �Well you can�t have one!� �Why not?� said the boy, �Daddy would let me.� �I�m not Daddy, and I say no.� �I hate you.� �Good.� �I don�t know how I survived all that time with just you. You�re the worst Mummy in the world.� �I know.� �No wonder they all called you a slut!� Michelle was amazed. �Go to your room!� �No!� he said, but his bottom lip was trembling. He was sorry. �Go to your room right now!� He hesitated for a moment. �Now!� she screamed. He ran, even though he was sulking. �You�re spoiling him, Jareth.� �What do you mean by that?� �You�re giving him too much stuff, he thinks he can have everything.� �He can have everything, Michelle.� Jareth looked at her like she was an imbecile. She tried very hard to keep her temper. �It�s not good for him Jareth. He�s asking for stuff he doesn�t need, and you�re giving it to him.� �And I don�t understand the problem,� said Jareth. �Surely you want him to be happy Michelle?� �Of course I do!� �Then what�s the matter?� It had taken a lot of courage on her part to do this; she didn�t expect him to not understand. �Ok,� she sighed. �Have you not noticed a change in his behaviour? The way he asks you for things, he doesn�t even say please any more.� Jareth thought about it, then nodded. �And the more you give way when he sulks, the more he will sulk. He thinks it will get him his own way, and it does. Just ignore him when he sulks and he won�t care. Or he never used to.� Dominic knocked on the door. �Mummy?� he said. �Mmm?� �I�m sorry about what I said. I didn�t meant it.� �It�s OK.� She smiled, relaxed for the first time in ages. �Come here,� she said. He ran forward and gave her a hug, and she kissed him. And Jareth watched. �And the slipper fitted. So the Prince got down on one knee, and asked Cinderella if she would marry him, and of course Cinderella said yes because she was in love with the handsome prince. They kissed, and were married very soon at the princes beautiful castle, and the lived happily ever after.� She looked down at her beautiful son, and kissed him. He was fast asleep. She crept out of the room quietly, and walked straight into Jareth outside. �Sorry,� she said. �No,� he said, �it was my fault. I�ve been waiting for you.� He opened the door of her room, and motioned for her to enter. She did so, very confused, and looked at him. �Look on your bed, Michelle.� She looked. Her face lit up. �My violin,� she said. �O thank you. I�ve really missed it.� �I thought you deserved a treat,� he said. �And I knew that there was something missing with you. I thought this might be it.� �Thank you,� she said again. �Well play it then, my dear.� She smiled. �I�m a bit out of practice,� she said. She got it out, and plucked the strings. It was in tune. She played something she remembered playing in a recital, though it was clumsy, and she couldn�t remember all the notes. She stopped at the first break, and looked at her violin. It was a lovely instrument, late nineteenth century and varnished dark brown. Beautiful. �Thank you,� she said again. �My pleasure,� he said. �Good night, Michelle.� He kissed her on the forehead, and she didn�t hate him for it. He turned to leave, and his gaze caught on the dresser. Michelle looked at where he was looking. �Who�s been sending you roses, Michelle?� �Roses?� There was a vase on the dresser, and in it was a single red rose. Again perfectly formed. Michelle thought about it, having come to the conclusion that the first one had come from Jareth. �I�I suppose it was Dominic trying to say he was sorry for earlier,� she said. She smiled. �I�ll thank him in the morning.� Jareth left, and Michelle glanced around. The curtains were open. She went to them and looked out. She wasn�t sure if she could see a figure or not. |