THREE

After dinner, Duncan and Sarah retired to their suite on the second floor. While he showered Sarah flipped through the channels to find something suitable for evening viewing, finding nothing she decided on a movie she'd seen a hundred times but never tired of, Pretty Woman. As the tape began to play, she poured coffee from the silver service into two porcelain cups. This was, by far, Sarah's favorite time of the day.

Alone, together, snuggled up in their room. Locked away in their world away from the world. With her headache long gone and forgotten, Sarah settled one cup on each night stand before settling herself into the bed to wait for her husband.

Duncan emerged from the bathroom, steaming still rising from his body, a towel wrapped around his waist. Just as Sarah reached out her slender arms to him the phone began to ring. With a smile which was anything but cheerful, Duncan bent and picked it up.

"Hello."

"Hello," came the decidedly British voice through the receiver. "Is this Duncan MacLeod?"

"Yes, whose calling?"

"Hey mate! This is Jareth, is Sarah around?"

Duncan stopped and looked at the phone in his hand. Was it...really? "Is this Chris Lawless?" Duncan's eyes scanned to Sarah.

Hot fever rushed into her cheeks at the sound of his name, instinctively her hands grabbed for the phone but Duncan kept her away from it for a moment.

"Yes, but my name is Jareth. I'd like it if you'd call me that, all right, mate?"

"All right." He agreed easily as he watched Sarah’s hands grabbing for the phone. “Here she is then.” Duncan covered the receiver as he handed it over. “For you, darling.”

“Jareth!” Sarah was breathless as his name escaped her lips. “Is it really you?”

“In the flesh, little one. How are you?”

“Fine. Oh Gods! Jareth!” Sarah held the phone closer to her cheek. “Where are you? Nothing’s wrong, is it?” The excitement in her voice faded a bit at the thought.

“No, no, no of course not, little one. I’m in New York. I thought I might come up for a visit tomorrow. That all right with you.... and the new husband?”

“It’s more than all right.” Came her instant agreement. “What time?”

“I don’t know, some time after lunch. I can’t stay long I’m afraid, tour rehersals start day after I have to be back here tomorrow night.”

“You’re really going? It’s been a long time since you did a world tour, my friend.” Sarah reached for her cup of coffee and wished desperately for a cigarette. She felt Duncan’s weight put the other side of the mattress down as he sat, she turned with the phone still to her ear to hold onto his hand.

“Yes, I’m really going.” Jareth paused for a moment and dropped his voice low. “And I want you to come with me.”

It took everything Sarah had to hold onto the phone and not drop it to the floor. Her eyes closed tight as the words and the sincerity in his voice. Her heart fell as she thought that his timing couldn’t be worse. It was impossible for her to say yes to his offer but it would be good to see him again. “We’ll talk about that when you get here.” She felt the pressure from Duncan’s hand at her words and glanced up at him.

“Humm...I imagine we will. See you tomorrow, darling.” Came his warm voice.

“Tomorrow, Jareth.”

The line went dead in her hand. Sarah replaced it in the craddle by the bed and turned to cuddle with her husband.

“I take it we’re having company tomorrow.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her small body.

“You’re not angry, are you? He won’t stay long.” Sarah said hurriedly as she nuzzled against the soft mat of hair on his broad chest.

“Why would I be angry?” Duncan asked as he stroked her hair. Why should he be? He didn’t know. But he was. He could feel it way down deep inside of him, he was very angry that the Rock Star was coming to pay a visit. “When did you talk with him last?”

“Oh Gods! The last time I spoke with him was over a year ago.” She grumbled. Sarah tried to keep the excitement and anticipation of seeing Jareth again out of her voice, for she was sure she heard suspicion in his.

“A year? How did he know you were married?”

“I e-mailed him a few weeks ago. I told him you had come for a visit and decided to stay for the rest of your life.” She giggled against his chest. “Could be a long time.”

Duncan breathed deep of her scent. “Yes, I hope it will. You didn’t tell him anything else, did you? Anything I should know about.”

Sarah raised herself to one elbow so she could look him in the eyes. “What are you...Duncan! Of course I didn’t.” One delicate hand reached out to trace the curve of his face. “He wouldn’t believe me anyway.” Sarah smiled wide for him. While the smile stayed firm on her lips, she quickly felt it fade from her heart. Jareth was coming. Here. Tomorrow. There was so much Duncan didn’t know about him. So much he didn’t know about her ti me with him. Should she tell him? Her mind said yes but her heart said no. Duncan would not approve of her life with the Infamous Chris Lawless. She did not want him to know that woman.

“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me about him now. A little advanced warning?” Duncan jeered as he brought her head to rest on his chest once again.

For a moment Sarah gave the matter deep deliberation, she should say something. He needed to be given, as he said, a little advanced warning where Jareth was concerned. “Jareth’s a little...odd, I guess.” She began. “He’s a bit abraisve at times, don’t let it get to you. He isn’t that way to be mean. He does take a little getting used to.” That statement made her smile again. Chris Lawless took a lot of getting used to. Thankfully he wouldn’t be staying long enough to become really irritating. “He’ll want to spend his time here playing more than anything else. It’s what he does.”

“So, there will be music in the house tomorrow.” He wondered out loud.

“Lots of it, I imagine. I wonder if he’ll mind if I invite the kids to come up for a bit. What do you think?”

“I don’t know, he’s your friend.” Duncan took her small hand inside his own larger one and traced her fingers. “Did you tell him you’re playing again?” Sarah was holding something back, he could feel it. Duncan wanted to know what it was. He felt her head nod against his chest. “He ask you to go with him?” Again he felt her nod.

There was silence for a long moment before she raised herself up on one elbow again. “Don’t worry, Duncan. I’m not going anywhere.”

While her words rang true, her eyes betrayed her heart. Sarah wanted to go with Chris Lawless, she wanted to go off and play the stages of the world to packed houses and thunderous applause. He couldn’t blame her. She deserved it, she’d worked for it. Only to have it ruthlessly ripped away from her. On the phone it was easy to say no, come tomorrow, when she had to face him, Duncan didn’t think it wouldn’t be so easy.