He Will Protect Her, She Will Save Him

Keira's POV
I opened my eyes slowly. What had happened? I remembered feeling Jareth bite me. I remember feeling proud that I'd been able to help him...but had I? I focused on the ceiling. It was cream. I frowned slightly. My ceiling at my parents' house had been cream. I opened my eyes again and looked around properly. This looked like my room in my parents' house. My eyes landed on someone in a chair, watching me. He looked like he didn't believe what he was seeing. "Jareth?" I whispered and he stood and walked over and sat next to me. He looked at me for a long time.
"You're really awake?" he asked. "I'm not imagining it...?" I smiled softly.
"I'm awake," I said softly. He let out his breath and pulled me tightly against his chest. He held me tightly. I was shocked by the sudden action, but then I relaxed into the embrace and wrapped my arms around him and held him back tightly. I realised suddenly that his skin was no longer freezing cold. I snuggled into him. "Am I home?" I whispered into his chest. I felt him nod.
"You're home," he said, his voice cracking slightly. I didn't say anything more, just let him hold me. He didn't say anything more, just held me.

After a long time he pulled away and looked down at me. I saw sudden anger fill his eyes. "How could you do that? I could have killed you! You should have told me he'd already taken some of your blood!" he said. I knew he wasn’t truly angry. He was worried about me, which led to his angry actions.
"I had to save you," I whispered. "I didn't care what happened to me. As long as I saved you."
"You're so stupid," he said but pulled me against him again.
"I love you, too," I whispered, a small smiled on my lips.
"This isn’t funny," he said hotly, but not relinquishing his embrace.
"I know it's not," I said seriously. "Do you see me laughing?" I pulled back and he looked down at me.
"I love you so much," he whispered. I smiled softly.
"I love you," I whispered back and leant forward and kissed him tenderly.

Jareth's POV
I pulled back from this kiss as I heard her parents running up the stairs. They knew she was awake. I knew I should leave, or at least move out of her arms before they got here, but I couldn’t force myself to do it. If they paid enough attention, they'd be able to figure it out. I didn't know if I wanted to be the one to tell her. Or if she'd hate me for it. She leant her head against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. I held her back. I never wanted to let go. I was going to kill that bastard who had touched her. It was a black, powerful urge inside me. Parris was a dead man.

Her parents got to the door and then surprised me by stopping outside the door. "Give them a minute," Ahnah said softly, but not soft enough for me not to hear it. "They love each other, they were scared for each other. Give them a minute." I smiled softly and held Keira to me tighter. Not long enough later there was a gentle knock on the door. I pulled back slightly but Keira took my hand in hers.
"Don't leave me," she whispered. I could hear fear in her voice. I stroked her cheek gently and nodded. I would never leave her. Cain and Ahnah entered the room. Ahnah smiled at us but Cain didn't look happy at all. I knew why. I'd let Keira get kidnapped. I'd failed the job he had given me. I met his gaze but then looked down.
"I'm sorry," I said softly. Keira squeezed my hand. Ahnah touched my shoulder gently. I didn't look up to see what expression Cain had on his face. I wondered if they knew I had bitten her. The wound had disappeared by the time we got back to them but I couldn’t help wondering if they suspected it.
"You protected her in the end, Jareth," Cain said eventually. "You brought her back. We are in your debt. Ahnah and I want to repay you in whatever way we can." I looked up at that, an idea forming in my head. Then it was replaced by another, more important, closer to my heart. I smiled at him and he nodded, understanding I had an idea in mind.

Keira's POV
I watched the silent passing between my father and Jareth, not understanding what was going on. Jareth had tightened his grip on my hand but was still looking at Cain, who nodded. Jareth smiled softly and then stood up, letting go of my hand. I frowned at the loss but then my mother sat next to me and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, knowing how scared she must have been. We'd been gone almost a month. "Keira," father said when my mother had pulled back. "Do you feel up to talking?" He said it so softly that I felt like he was really worried about me, but I knew that he was desperate for some answers. I nodded and Cain and Jareth sat back down on the bed. Jareth one side of me and Cain sat next to my mother. I took a deep breath and then started. Jareth took hold of my hand half way through and I held onto him tightly.
"They...kept me in a room, they didn't lock it but they...told me not to leave it. They said I didn't want to know what would happen to me if I did leave it," I paused as I felt Jareth's hand tighten on mine. He was thinking about how much of a risk I had put myself in when I'd gone to find him. "They took blood from me every day. A lot of blood. I always passed out afterwards. I knew I had to save Jareth, like he had spent the last 20 years saving me. I didn't know how to get myself out, Parris came to me every day and I knew I didn't have much chance, but I had to help Jareth." I looked down. "I didn't realise that he hadn’t healed...I thought...I don’t know what I thought, but I didn't know. After Parris had taken my blood for the day, I went back down to find him. I had to give him my blood so he could escape...I don’t remember much after that..." There was a silence and I realised Jareth had tensed beside me. I turned to him, frowning slightly, but he was looking at my father. I turned to my father as well and saw he was glaring at Jareth.
"You bit her?" he said, his voice low, hard. I spoke before Jareth could.
"I forced him to, I knew he was weak and he couldn’t resist anyway. I offered it to him. I wanted him to have it. I couldn’t leave him there. It was the only thing I could do. It's not Jareth's fault." I watched as my father's anger slowly melted away and he turned to my mother, smiling softly.
"She's very like you," he said and my mother and I smiled.
"Cain-" Jareth started but was cut off.
"What happened after this?" he asked. I knew my father had accepted the fact that Jareth had drunk from me. I smiled softly. But then Jareth started to speak.