A Moment in Reflection

Cassandra Bright picked up another stuffed animal and threw it into a large box of odds and ends gathered from the castle's storage room as the Goblin King walked in.

Cassandra smiled and pointed to the other box on the floor. "That's the last one."

Jareth groaned slightly as he picked it up. "Good, I was beginning to wonder how much longer I would have lasted like this."

"Tell that to my back." He walked out of the nursery and began climbing the stairs to Cassandra's rooms.

Cassandra shook her head and smiled, following him up the stairs to the East wing.

"I still don't see why you can't just zap them up there like you always do. If you hadn't stored them when I came to the Labyrinth we wouldn't need to do this."

Jareth didn't answer, he was too busy concentrating on the fine art of breathing.

Finally, they reached Cassandra's room. Putting down the box by her door Jareth sighed. "What's *in* these anyway?"

Cassandra pushed open the door, "I'm not sure, Uncle David just said that Mom would want me to have them." She shrugged. "Mom was a packrat, *anything* could be in there." She felt herself beginning to choke up. Jareth gave her a concerned look.

Cassandra didn't want him to know how much she needed his company, but didn't want him to leave either. "No, stay. I can't unpack all of this myself."

Jareth sighed inwardly, relieved she wasn't going to throw him out. "Ok, where do we start?"

Cassandra walked over to a box already perched on a table. "How about this one?" She pulled the sides open, while Jareth looked on.

Books, tons of books, were packed inside. "This is amazing, she must have every last one in here."

"Books?" Jareth picked one up. It was a children's story book. Opening to a page at random he read:

"I never did I never did, I never *did* like
'Now take care dear!'
I never did, I never did, I never *did* want
'Hold my hand.';
I never did, I never did, I never *did* think much of
'Not up there dear!'
It's no good saying it. They don't understand."

He watched her face, Cassandra must be reliving memories, she looked like such a little girl.

She picked up another book. "I thought we had lost this one." She flipped through a few pages, then stopped when she came to the one she wanted.

"Just around the corner
You just might meet
A happy young dinosaur
Walking in the street.

Just around the corner
You just could sight
Something most unusual
If the times are right."

Jareth tried to come up with his own verse. "Just around the corner, you just might see, um, a goblin? Oh well, the inspiration left me."

Laughing, Cassandra put the book down. "Want something to drink? Talius created a coffee machine for me, I could whip up some cappuccino."

"I sat up last night reading the directions, in goblinesque no less, I sure as anything *better* know how to use it." She disappeared into the sitting room.

Jareth glanced into the box. Picking up another book he flipped through the pages. Some of the stories contained within were familiar to him, others he had never seen before.

"…and your bright and tiny spark
lights the traveler in the dark
though I know not what you are;
twinkle, twinkle, little star."

He smiled. "now *that* he knew about. It was strange, the amount of fairy tales and children's stories on Earth today. He found comfort in the ones of his time.

His gaze turned towards the other room, Cassandra. She had been through a lot lately. Losing her parents to the fire, moving, then coming to the Labyrinth.

*She's strong* he thought *She won't give up.* But she also wouldn't let anyone in. Jareth was worried. It wasn't healthy to hold sorrow in. Especially the amount Cassandra must be carrying.

The sounds of the cappuccino machine roused him form his thoughts. He turned back to the books. Cassandra entered the room carrying two cups of coffee. "Here."

He took the mug with a 'thank you', then turned back to the book. Cassandra picked up one as well. Then laughed. "Hey Jareth."

'Ladies and gentlemen, pray how you do?
If you all happy, me all happy too.
Stop and hear my merry little play,
If me make you laugh, me need not
*make* you pay!"

Jareth thought for a moment. "They're the two puppets that beat each other with sticks, right?"

"What, a Punch and Judy show? No, I didn't. Father didn't quite believe that was quite the thing for noble children."

"My dad took me to see one once. My mother wouldn't go, she couldn't stand the violence."

"I'm amazed seeing the daughter they raised." At her look of fury Jareth smiled, then turned back to his book. Turning a page he came upon a new story. 'The Snow Queen'. *Hmm, probably not a good choice.* Instead, he put the book down and stood up. "I'm going to make another cup. Want one?"

Cassandra looked at her mug. "No, I'm fine." She turned another page, smiling over the memories.

Jareth walked into the sitting room and over to the table, which housed the appliance. He looked at the cappuccino machine for a moment. There were a ton of things hanging off of it. Shrugging, he unscrewed the cap on the top.

Coffee grinds flew everywhere, on his clothes, in his face, all *over* the walls. He wiped his eyes and looked around. Cassandra was standing in the doorway, eyes wide open.

Glancing at it Cassandra shook her head. "Jareth, did you ever take the time to read the cap?"

Jareth looked up. She was beautiful when she laughed. It was a rare occasion that Cassandra would, but when she did, she lit up the room. He couldn't help it. He started to laugh too.

Once they calmed down, they began to clean up the disaster zone. Soon, the walls seemed clean again. Cassandra stepped back and admired their work. "Not bad for no magic." Then she looked at Jareth. "You, on the other hand…"

Jareth hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. Taking of his shirt, he handed it to Cassandra. What was he so nervous about? He had plenty more shirts if her magic messed this one up.

Cassandra took the shirt from him, and walked over to her crystal ball. Although reeking of coffee, it still smelled like *him*. She resisted the urge to hold it up to her face. *Get a hold on yourself Cassandra.*

Returning to the other room she once again found Jareth with a book. He looked up as she entered. "Listen to this one Cassandra."

"Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups
grow---
Up on the hill where the pine trees blow---
Anywhere, anywhere. *I* don't know."

"Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass"

"Fine, but you're not leaving this room with that book. If you read them at all, you read them *here*."

Pouting, Cassandra climbed onto her mother's bed. She began to turn the pages, reading the poems. When she stumbled on a few lines, her mother gently took the book from her and began to read.

"Here, let me." She opened to a page and began to read. "Where am I going?…">>>>

"If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
'Doesn't the sky look green today?'"

Cassandra felt the tears gather in her eyes. *Is the sky green today Mamma, can you see me?* The memories flooded back.

"Ok then, hmm. I guess, well, think of it this way. When you stand on your head, doesn't the floor seem like the ceiling?"

But that didn't satisfy the little Cassandra. She jumped off the bed, and attempted a headstand.

"Where am I going? The high rocks call:
'It's awful fun to be born at all.'
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
'We do have beautiful things to do!'

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by
You'd say to the wind when it too you away:
'*That's* where I wanted to go today!"

A single tear fell down her cheek. Absently, she brushed it away, as Jareth read on. Her mind was far in the past.

She shrugged. "Oh, go ahead, but I want it back *first thing* in the morning.">>>>

Cassandra smiled ruefully. The book didn't get returned for nearly a month. The tears fell freely.

"Where am I going? I don't quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow---
Anywhere, anywhere. *I* don't know."

Jareth looked up from the book. "That was nice, don't you think?" Then he saw Cassandra, leaning against the wall, eyes closed, tears streaming down her face.

She looked up through the tears. "Mom read that poem to me once. It was my favorite book. She…" Breaking into sobs, Cassandra couldn't finish.

As he held her Jareth closed his eyes. He wanted to always be able to do this, to hold her, let her cry on his shoulder. He wondered if it was possible. He and Cassandra. Or would it just end, would she be taken away from him as well? He held her even tighter.

They stood like that for some time, then Cassandra pulled back, wiping her eyes. She glanced up at Jareth. His eyes were full of concern, and…something else. Cassandra couldn't figure out what. She smiled. "Thank you."

She nodded. They walked back over to the box and sat down. Jareth picked the book back up and glanced at the poem he had just read. Frowning slightly, he looked up at Cassandra.