Baking in the Underground
Chapter One

“Temptation is all around, Take good care of what you found, that’s why when I turn around, you better keep. You better keep your eyes on me, No matter what you think I need, No matter what you once believed, If you're mine, So you better say

No matter what you think of me, No it doesn't really matter what you once believed, I wanna be the air you breathe, Yeah you better be everything you said you'd be

I'm gonna be your only one, We really can't go on, No matter what you think of me, You better keep your eyes on me, Your eyes on me. Your eyes on me.”

Claps signaled the end of the song. Sarah Williams bowed to the applause then walked off the stage. 18 years old, she was singing in a night club. A popular joint in the center of town, the Underground was very lively, people on the dance floor and a bar on one wall perpendicular to the stage where the usual bands or singers performed. Sarah walked over to the bar where Larry, her friend and boss was bartender. He finished serving a young couple and stood behind the bar across from her, wiping a glass with a rag. He nodded at the stage where a band struck up a lively beat. “Nice song there. Eyes on Me by Celine Dion, right?”
Sarah grinned as she sat on a bar stool. “Yep.” She nodded. Larry was as gay as gay as gay who loved Barbara Streisand and Celine Dion. “How about a coke?”
He grinned at her as he grabbed a bottle and handed it over to her. “Done for the night?” At her nod, he continued. “As its Friday, I’ll give you your pay and your bonus.”

Sarah sighed in relief and grinned. “Thanks a lot. I really need that bonus for Christmas. I’m Christmas shopping this weekend.”

Larry laughed loud. “Christmas is next week. You’re just starting?”

She shrugged. “With Dad’s death and Karen’s accident, I haven’t had much time for anything else recently but caring for Toby and this job.”

Larry smiled thoughtfully. “How is the chap anyway? Haven’t seen him since the last time you brought him. How old is he anyway?”

Sarah smiled wistfully. “He is a five-year-old now. Kindergarten. The Admin’s want him in second or third easily because of his brainpower and knowledge, but Dad and Karen wanted him to get used to school first. Hell, they wanted him in Middle School but that is more trouble in paperwork. Since Dad’s cancer, Karen’s been on the edge, but when she crashed into that oak tree, she’s been practically back to normal. She’s not injured anymore, her mental stability’s increased, and I brought Toby back to her last week. Poor tyke’s happy again.” She sighed. Thinking of her dad’s death took a toll on her. She remembered their strained relationship since his second marriage and how she tried to make up for their lack of communication during the last year of his life. Larry patted her shoulder comforting. He had been like an older brother to her since her friends first took her to the club three months after the Labyrinth, two and a half months after she actually got a friend outside of her mirror. She almost wished…. Oh, she hadn’t made a wish since Toby and she wasn’t planning to anymore. She humphed then realized Larry was looking at her funny. “Sorry, what were we talking about?” She asked apologetically, cursing her short attention span.

He smiled sadly and shook his head. “Wasn’t important. Anyway,” He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out an envelope. He looked at it briefly, nodded, then handed it to Sarah. She gladly accepted it, tucking it into her purse. Larry nodded and turned to serve a customer. Sarah stood with her back on the bar, sipping the Coke.

“Excuse me, are you Sarah?” She heard a very feminine voice to her left, and turned her head to see a woman holding a whiskey shot. Sarah nodded curiously.

The woman downed the shot and put the glass on the bar. She had brown hair that curled at her shoulders and electric blue eyes. There was something mystical about this woman, Sarah though wistfully. The woman stared at Sarah thoughtfully, as if choosing her words carefully.

She seemed to give up after Sarah stared back at her for a few minutes humorously with raised eyebrows. “You’re starting to freak me out now, lady. What do you need?”

She grinned at Sarah’s words and visibly relaxed, downing the other shot glass that was deposited next to her hand. “I am Clarissa, Queen of the Faeries. I am here to issue you, Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, an invitation to a ball celebrating the accomplishments of the champions of the races. You represent the goblins and mortals.”

Sarah’s mouth was ajar as she stared at the woman, then she started snickering. “Lady, those whiskey’s seem to have gone to your head. You’re kidding, right?”

She was still sniggering when the woman rounded on her. “Fae don’t get intoxicated as easily as you mortals. Sarah Linda Jessica Williams, you better take this invitation seriously, because this is a notice that you’ll be coming, willingly or not!”

Sarah’s eyes widened. “How did you know my middle names? Only my mother remembers them!” She put the coke on the bar and ran out of the bar. She ran through alleyways and random streets until she was absolutely sure that no one was following her. She grabbed the envelope with her Christmas bonus out of her pocket when she deemed herself alone. She walked down the street ignoring the local folk to the bank. She cashed the check and tucked the money in her bra, the safest place she knew. She left the bank and walked home. She stood in the hall of her apartment on the third floor, and leaned her forehead against the door, sighing. She took her key from her purse and unlocked the door wanting nothing more than to sip a nice hot cup of tea, curled up in her favorite chair with the newest Christine Feehan romance. As she walked in the door, her keys hit the floor with a clatterer. Clarissa sat in her recliner with one of Sarah’s cup, sipping it as if it were her own. Sarah spluttered in disbelief and rage as she shut the door behind her.

The woman looked up positively baffled. “Are you alright, dear?”

Sarah stood staring at her a moment with her jaw hanging open. It snapped shut as she hissed through her teeth. “All right? How did you get in here?”

Clarissa shrugged as she put Sarah’s empty tea cup down and pulled off her spectacles. “The door was open.”

Sarah spluttered in rage, red in the face as she spun on her foot and looked around her apartment frantically. “It was unlocked? Damn! Those bastard’s’ll get it this time!!” She fumed. She was halted in her search for missing items by a hand on her shoulder.

She looked over it at Clarissa, who shook her head with a wry grin. “I didn’t mean the door was unlocked. I meant the magic door.” At her confused glance she continued, “In order for me to relocate my physical being into your home, the magic door needs to be open. Once you invite a Fae to your home, the invitation stays, even if you move. Jareth’s my son in blood, so I have the invitation as well.” At Sarah’s wince, she stopped.

Sarah hadn’t thought of the Goblin King in a whole month, and she was proud. Before she started getting over him, she was obsessed with the mere thought of him, and she knew it was unhealthy. She didn’t regret saving Toby, but it didn’t stop her from thinking what if. She did love Jareth then, but in her own way. She hadn’t been able to look at any boy twice because of him. She was still haunted by his eyes. She guessed she would only go to see him at least one last time so she go on with her life and close that final door to her childhood. She sighed as she turned to face Clarissa. “I’ll go, just let me get a few things. How long will this last, anyways?” She asked tiredly. Clarissa grinned and clapped her hands.

“We’ll only be gone a few days.” Sarah’s eyes widened then Clarissa retracted her words quickly.

“A few days in the Underground time. Underground time is twice the speed as Aboveground. One week Under is three and a half days here, so three or four days is a day and a half to two. You can probably ask my son to fix time so you were never…” She stopped, seeing Sarah’s stubborn refusal on her face.

“Well, I’ll ask him for you. Get your stuff and bring it in here, I’ll take us all in one trip.

* * * * * *

Sarah opened her eyes and found herself in a huge room, cream themed. She saw her stuff neatly stacked against a huge bureau with a three-angled mirror perched on top. The bureau had owls etched across it. Some in flight, some preying, some staring at her. She gulped. She realized Clarissa was talking.

“…Ball is tomorrow night…you can rest now and explore my castle in the morning…garden is exceptionally beautiful…other guests arriving in the morning…” Sarah yawned, hearing only bits and pieces of her companion’s chatter. Clarissa looked at her immediately. She gave Sarah a small smile.

“Get your rest now, you’ll need it.” She winked and disappeared, making Sarah grumble. She looked in her bag and found her night clothes. She went to the bathroom connected and marveled at it’s brilliance in the moonlight bathing the room from a window that’s bottom reached just above Sarah’s head and went as high as the ceiling. Sarah could see the moon rising. There was a pool-sized bath, she was surprised to see. There were not taps for the water, she realized with a frown. She shrugged and pulled her shirt off, walking towards the bath and realized that she had her Christmas bonus still stuffed in her bra. She shrugged and tucked it in her pant pocket and she slipped out of them also. After she removed her undergarments, she was shocked to find a hot bath beckoning for her. She gratefully slipped in and sighed.