Chapter Text
“His blood needs to be cleaned up. His blood doesn’t belong on the ground,” Sarah said.
She kept saying it over and over again. Sarah had not moved since she fell to her knees when Jareth had been taken. She became violent every time someone tried to pull her away.
“Sarah, you need to get out of the rain,” a familiar voice said.
Sarah’s mind was too muddled to place it. The voice was not Jareth’s so she did not really care at this point. Her vision was blurry from hitting her head so she did not see who was speaking to her.
“His blood needs to be cleaned up. His blood doesn’t belong on the ground,” Sarah said.
“No, it doesn’t. Hold my coat, Sarah. I’ll take care of it.”
After a few minutes, the familiar voice said, “There’s no blood left, Sarah.”
“Can I… he…”
Sarah felt someone switch the coat for a wet jacket. She clutched it to her chest.
“You have to go inside.”
“No.”
“Sarah, would Jareth want you out in the rain like this?”
A warm, kind hand placed itself on Sarah’s shoulder. The face was close enough that Sarah could finally see the owner of the voice.
“Greg… why are you here?” Sarah asked. She looked down and realized she was holding Lestrade’s blood stained jacket.
“Because the news came to me and I had to see if it was true. I didn’t realize you were here,” Lestrade said, “I can’t carry you, but I’ll see if we can get you a wheelchair, all right?”
“Mrs.… Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock… Toby…” Sarah began to hyperventilate.
“I’ll take care of that. You need to keep breathing. That’s all you have to do, Sarah. Focus on breathing.”
&%&%&%
There was very little that Sarah remembered of the next twelve hours.
Mrs. Hudson came with Donovan to bring a change of clothes for Sarah. After helping Sarah with the clothes, Mrs. Hudson began to cry. Sarah was too empty to do that.
Sherlock and John came later. She vaguely remembered Sherlock cussing out Lestrade and John having to hold Sherlock back from turning the inspector into a punching bag.
Molly came by crying and little else.
As Sarah entered and left shallow sleep, she could sometimes see Sherlock pacing out in the hall and other times being missing. John was always by Sarah’s side. He turned on the television at some point but it was just noise and light to her.
Sarah found out later that she had a Grade II concussion and that was part of the reason she was having memory issues. The other was acute stress reaction.
It was not until her family arrived that Sarah’s brain finally understood what happened.
“Sarah, it’s me, Toby. I’m… I’m sorry.” Toby began stroking her head like she stroked his when he was a small child. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
She felt someone take her hand. “Princess, it’s Daddy. We’re all here. The twins are with their Mom in the cafeteria.”
“He fell,” Sarah said softly, “It’s… it’s my fault. He died because of me. He was trying… trying to live up to my expectations.”
Toby clung to his sister. “That’s not true and you know it. I don’t even know what happened and I know it’s not true.”
“He died… to be my hero.”
“Then he’s a lousy hero,” Toby said.
“The bastard lied,” Sarah said, “He said he’d be there as the world falls down and he’s not here. The bastard LIED TO ME!”
Thirteen hours after Jareth fell, Sarah cried.
&%&%&%
The body was released after twenty-four hours to Jareth’s family to be buried in the Labyrinth. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Molly Hooper who found the death to be (in simple terms) falling from a great height. It was quickly ruled a suicide by law enforcement.
Sarah was released under the care of her family after twenty-four hours to grieve at 221b Baker Street. She stayed in Jareth’s room twenty-three hours out of twenty-four for a week and wore Jareth’s clothes. There was no point in going out as she was banished from ever visiting the Underground by the High Court for conspiring with Jareth, the former Goblin King. Her friends of the Labyrinth could not visit her and she could not visit them.
&%&%&%
Three days later, Sarah began having nightmares. Eight days after Jareth died, she went out of the apartment to get some milk. Eleven days after Jareth’s death, she tried to go to work but became ill at the sight of the building. On the thirteenth day, Sarah went into St. Bart’s and performed a full shift.
&%&%&%
Three weeks after Jareth’s death, Sarah’s family went back to the United States.
&%&%&%
A month after the Fall, Sarah stopped having nightmares. She dreamed of Jareth and the life they could of had. They kept working on cases. They got married. They had children. (Sometimes their children were blonde and sometimes brunette, but they always smirked like Jareth did.) In some of the dreams, Jareth became the Goblin King again and they ruled together in peace. But always, always the two of them were happy and together.
Sarah much preferred the nightmares. They hurt less.
&%&%&%
Two months after Jareth passed away, Sarah came back to 221b from the night shift to find Christiana sitting in Jareth’s seat.
“I really appreciated you visiting me so quickly,” Sarah said sarcastically as she hung up her coat.
“Civil war has started. Sorry. I’ve been busy destroying entire kingdoms,” Christiana said just as sarcastically.
Sarah put the kettle on. “I am sure destruction has made you thirsty Goblin King.” Sarah sat down in her usual seat. “What do you want?”
“I came to say good-bye. There is a good chance I will not survive this war,” Christiana said.
“Good-bye,” Sarah said.
“Sarah, I also wanted to thank you.”
“For what? Getting Jareth to kill himself in an attempt to rescue me?”
“He didn’t do it just for you. I offered him a way out for the two of you and he said no because it would not protect the friends he has made in the human world. My guess is at least Sherlock and Toby if not Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, and John. They all would be dead along with you if Jareth didn’t jump. Stop making yourself a martyr,” Christiana said.
“I didn’t know that.” Sarah bit her lip.
Christiana covered her mouth with her hand in a way that made Sarah sharply remember Jareth doing the same motion. Christiana dropped her hand. “Did Jareth ever tell you how I came out of my grief for Sean?”
“No,” Sarah said.
“Dante was the one who got me to eat. He begged me to stay alive because he did not want to live in a world without his sister. I wasn’t really living though. Uncle Jareth, however, about three years after Sean’s death dragged me to a play. It was awful. It was so awful we spent the entire time mocking it. I can’t even remember what it was but… it worked. I started coming out of my room. When I would begin to shut down again, Uncle Jareth would drag me to another play or musical and eventually movies. That’s why we were at your mother’s play and that’s why he met you.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Sarah asked.
“I am saying that I have been where you are standing. It will always hurt. Anyone who says otherwise needs to have their foot sawed off and then asked to do a full length ballet. It will, however, become less of an all-consuming presence in your life. Some days, it will devour you. You need to grieve or else you will stop feeling anything at all and you will no longer be alive. Get someone to help you through this. Help someone else. And…”
“And?”
“…live or else the dreams you built together with that person will be meaningless.” Christiana stood up. “I am sorry, but I must leave. Before I do though, I’ve brought you a gift.” A crystal appeared in her hand.
Sarah gave a half-laugh and a half-sob. “What is it?”
“It’s a crystal, nothing more. But when you hold it after I leave, an object will come to you that will both harm and comfort you.” Christiana handed the crystal to Sarah. The Goblin King leaned towards Sarah and said softly, “Live, Champion of the Labyrinth. Farewell.”
Sarah said in good will, “If you should need me, you need only call. Good-bye, Goblin King.”
When the Goblin King left, the crystal popped. Jareth’s green scarf was clean and in Sarah’s hands. It still smelled like him and would continue to carry his scent for the next two years.
&%&%&%
Three days after the Goblin King left, Sarah was in Russell Square sitting on the grass where she and Jareth had picnicked the day Moriarty turned their world upside down. She was wearing her red and white striped hat but otherwise was just a woman in black. Sarah spoke to seemingly no one.
“I can’t come to your grave. This is the best I can do. It was here that Stamford told me about some guy needing a roommate and the last place where we had unfettered joy. This is the closest thing to a memorial I can get.
“I talked with Mrs. Hudson, and we asked Sherlock and John to move into 221. John will have 221C and Sherlock will have his old room/my old room. They are both going to be working in London. Sherlock is going to figure out a way to solve crimes, even if Scotland Yard is no longer taking on consultants. John has a job lined up already. Sherlock is going to keep the bees with him. Apparently, it’s legal to keep bees in London. Who knew?
“I don’t know how your family is doing, but they are currently trying to overthrow Oberon. From what little I hear, the war would be over a lot faster if you were there. Rumor has it that now that you’re gone, the family as a whole is weaker and thus their magic is not as strong. It might make your family lose.
“I’m… I know why you did it. I would do the same but… that doesn’t mean… I am happy or not angry with you. I hurt… so much… all the time and I know… that… everyone feels the same way. The twins still cry sometimes. Toby is becoming more rebellious. Sherlock and John are trying to act tough but they’re lousy about it. Lestrade and Molly seem to be scared to talk to me. Mrs. Hudson… Mrs. Hudson is acting like she has lost a child.
“I do… I still believe you know. I still believe in you. No one can tell me that you were a fake or that you were mad. It’s not possible. Above all, no one can tell me that you weren’t a good man. You were… the best… best… the best man I have ever known. You made me want… want to be better. You were my love, my home, my… bright star.” Sarah wiped away the tears that were now falling down her face.
“I never told anyone… no one but you… how alone I could be. I never had someone who understood me like you did… I was so alone and I owe you so much.”
Sarah stood up and continued trying not to cry. She said, “One more thing: one more miracle, Jareth for me. One more unreasonable expectation. Don’t be... dead. Would you do that? Just for me. Please.”
She touched the cross she wore. “I love you, Jareth. I’ll love you forever, which isn’t long at all. Good-bye.”
&%&%&%
Unknown to Sarah, a man watched her from the trees. He heard everything and understood all her hurts. He did nothing and watched her go, though with every fiber of his being he wanted to chase after her and hold her close and tell her everything would be all right.
Jareth did not move until Sarah had left the park. He left in the opposite direction, making sure that he was never seen by the one he loved most.