I'll Be There for You; As the World Falls Down

The next day after I ate my breakfast I gathered my laundry into a small wicker basket, and asked Brynn where the laundry room was. She insisted that she do it, but I told her I wanted to do it because it would give me something to do. Even though that was true, the main reason I wanted to do it myself was because I had never been comfortable with other people washing my clothes. Plus, I was used to things 'disappearing' when other people washed my things. Granted, I didn't think Brynn would steal my clothes, I had just gotten used to that kind of thing happening. Either my sister would take something, or my mom would throw it out, regardless of how it looked, what it was, or how it fit.

She had always done that kind of thing to me. She wouldn't spend a dime on any of my clothes. It was my dad who paid for everything I had, but she would sale my clothes in yard sales and claim they didn't fit me, when I knew they still fit perfectly. I thought about these things as I walked down to the laundry room, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sitting on top of the basket as I went, and realized that I had another reason to be happy Jareth had brought me here. I washed my clothes, and as they dried I read my book. I finished the book and took my laundry back to my room to put away.

When I was finished I decided to go get a new book from the library. I returned the book to it's shelf and started going through the books trying to decide on something to read. I was trying to decide between "Frankenstein," "Dracula," and "Moby Dick." I decided that I would read all three eventually, but settled for "Frankenstein."

I walked back to my room, and on my way, I heard Jareth's voice through one of the doors. Hoping that he was done with whatever it was he had to do, I knocked on the door. "Yes?" he called.

I opened the door and he smiled at me, "Hello Abigail, how's your day been?"

"Fine," I said with a polite smile. "You're not busy, are you?" I asked before noticing the human child amongst the goblins. She couldn't of been older than two. She had very little hair and was wearing a pink gingham dress with white sandals. "Why do you have a baby?"

"Someone wished her away."

"You have to take her back. She's only a baby."

"What's done is done, Abigail. There's nothing I can do about it."

"You would've taken me home if I had of made it out of the labyrinth. Isn't there something you can do for her."

"She's only two, she can't try to get through the labyrinth."

"Jareth, you have to take her home, I'm sure there's someone that misses her and loves her. Who sent her away anyways?"

"A brother."

"See, someone who shouldn't be able to make a decision like that. You have to take her back to her parents."

Jareth sighed, clearly annoyed. I noticed Brynn run over to him and he kneeled down for her to whisper in his ear. He argued back with her, but in a low enough voice that I couldn't hear. Finally, he stood up straight and as he spoke to me, Brynn brought the child to him. "Abigail, I don't normally do this, but," he sighed again, "you've made a point, so I'm taking her home."

"Thank you." He took the girl from Brynn and disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I got back to my castle, I sat by myself in my throne room. I had never taken a child back without the person who sent it away doing something to get it back first. If it weren't for Abigail, I wouldn't of taken this one home. Of course, if it wasn't for Brynn, I would've continued to argue with Abigail. "Just take her home," Brynn had told me. "She'll like you more if she sees that you're a compassionate person. She might even fall in love with you if she's sees that you have feelings."

I sighed and pulled out a crystal. As I gazed into it I seen Abigail sitting in her room. A book was open in her lap even though she wasn't reading it. Brynn was in her room with her, that explained why she wasn't reading. "Just give him a chance," Brynn said, "You'll see that he really isn't heartless, he's just doing his job."

"Someone with a heart wouldn't take a child that can barely do anything from their home simply because someone wished them away," she spat at her, venom filling her voice. A tear slipped from her eye and Brynn handed her a tissue. As she wiped her face she said, "I'm sorry Brynn, I don't mean to be rude, not to you."

"It's perfectly fine," Brynn said, sitting down next to her.

"Why would he do something like that?"

"It's how things are. You can't change them. Besides, you're forgetting, he took you away when you wished for it."

Abigail paused before replying, "That's different though. I wished myself away, not somebody else. And I choose to stay here when I had the opportunity to go home."

Brynn patted Abigail's arm. "Just give him another chance. I'm sure he'll show you he's not a heartless monster."

Abigail nodded slightly. I wasn't sure if that meant she'd give me another chance, or if she was just doing that to get Brynn to drop the subject. Brynn left the room and Abigail returned to her reading. A few minutes later Brynn walked into the throne room and I dropped the crystal. "You were spying on her!" Brynn accused, picking up the crystal and bringing it back to me.

"She's never going to give me another chance." It wasn't a question. I knew as the answer as I watched Abigail. She hated me. Right when I was starting to win her over. Why couldn't she of just accepted that I take people no one else wants, and I bring them here?

"I think you're wrong sir. You just have to do something for her."

"Like what?"

Brynn shrugged. "I don't know. Something romantic."

I arched an eyebrow at her, "Something romantic?"

She nodded, "Girls love that kind of thing."

"What do you suggest?"

"I have an idea."