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Description
What Babe?
Nine: Stop Caring

and it's amazing, with the look in your eyes
like you could save me, but you won't even try…
i saw – matt nathanson

She didn't sleep that night.

Or the next.

Or the next.

She didn't sleep for a very long time, save the moments she could no longer fight the call and found herself nodding out regardless.  She couldn't say exactly how long had been exactly, as she had lost count of her days long ago, but it felt like forever.

Not long at all, she'd once been told.

Not long at all, Irene and Dad proved when they came a week later.

She was back in that chair, sitting across from them and barely conscious.  They looked distressed.  Dad always did those days, but it was even showing on Irene.  Strange.

"Sarah, we spoke to Jay," Dad said, and the name plucked at her mind.  Jay?  But wasn't…

"It's your cousin – remember Jay, your cousin?"

But he wasn't.

"You're too late, Sarah mine, and now your precious brother is mine.  Forever."

He wasn't anyone she wanted anywhere near.

Safe.  Wanted.  Loved.  Hold me closer, tighter, don't let me fall…

No, no, no – he stole her brother, and that was the truth.  That was what mattered.  Not the fairytale daydreams of a delusional child who thought a Goblin King could be a romantic hero.

He was the villain.  Always the villain.

"I can't stand playing the villain again…"

"He said he came to see you.  I don't know why – I've told that boy to move on.  It's not like it's healthy wasting his time waiting for you like this.  You obviously have no interest in recovering," Irene said harshly, and Dad hissed her name.  She snorted, an unladylike gesture, and crossed her arms over her chest before looking away.  "Well, look at her, Robert.  It's obviously true.  You need to move on, Sarah – we all have.  He was my son, not yours.  I've never once blamed you for what happened, yet you still walk around like –"

"It is my fault," she whispered, and Irene and Dad froze at the words.  She knew they hadn't heard her speak in…she didn't know how long.  "I wished Toby away.  I failed the Labyrinth.  I lost him to the Goblin King."

"Sarah…" Dad whispered, and his voice was strangled as Irene choked back a scream.  She didn't look up at them.

"Enough of this, Sarah!  You're too old for fairy stories – and look at what you're putting poor Jay through!  That boy was willing to marry you – he probably still is, even after all this!" Irene cried, but still she wouldn't look at her.

"The Goblin King never wanted to marry me," she said.  "It was all a lie."

"Not…Sarah, honey, Jay isn't the Gob…the Goblin King," Dad said, reaching out to place a hand on her knee.  She was too still.  He didn't like it.

"If you moved on, why don't you?" she asked, and it was strange, the way Dad's hand gripped her knee.  Almost as hard as…

Lips, crashing onto hers in a terrified fury.  Don't defy me.  Don't tell me it's not my fault.  Don't leave me…

"Move on already.  I'm eighteen.  You don't need to worry about me anymore," she said, voice dull and monotone.  Robotic.  Lifeless.

"Sarah, honey, don't say that," Dad croaked, and his hand had started shaking.  Her eyes land on the glint of his wedding ring.  The shine wasn't enough to connect her to anything anymore.

"Stop caring already," she whispered.  "She has."

"That's not true, Sarah," Irene tried to argue.

"She wouldn't get so upset if she didn't care, honey," Dad said, but she was already withdrawing into herself.  Away from them, the pain, the peach memories.  Away from it all.

Just stop caring already…

Description
What Babe?
Nine: Stop Caring

and it's amazing, with the look in your eyes
like you could save me, but you won't even try…
i saw – matt nathanson

She didn't sleep that night.

Or the next.

Or the next.

She didn't sleep for a very long time, save the moments she could no longer fight the call and found herself nodding out regardless.  She couldn't say exactly how long had been exactly, as she had lost count of her days long ago, but it felt like forever.

Not long at all, she'd once been told.

Not long at all, Irene and Dad proved when they came a week later.

She was back in that chair, sitting across from them and barely conscious.  They looked distressed.  Dad always did those days, but it was even showing on Irene.  Strange.

"Sarah, we spoke to Jay," Dad said, and the name plucked at her mind.  Jay?  But wasn't…

"It's your cousin – remember Jay, your cousin?"

But he wasn't.

"You're too late, Sarah mine, and now your precious brother is mine.  Forever."

He wasn't anyone she wanted anywhere near.

Safe.  Wanted.  Loved.  Hold me closer, tighter, don't let me fall…

No, no, no – he stole her brother, and that was the truth.  That was what mattered.  Not the fairytale daydreams of a delusional child who thought a Goblin King could be a romantic hero.

He was the villain.  Always the villain.

"I can't stand playing the villain again…"

"He said he came to see you.  I don't know why – I've told that boy to move on.  It's not like it's healthy wasting his time waiting for you like this.  You obviously have no interest in recovering," Irene said harshly, and Dad hissed her name.  She snorted, an unladylike gesture, and crossed her arms over her chest before looking away.  "Well, look at her, Robert.  It's obviously true.  You need to move on, Sarah – we all have.  He was my son, not yours.  I've never once blamed you for what happened, yet you still walk around like –"

"It is my fault," she whispered, and Irene and Dad froze at the words.  She knew they hadn't heard her speak in…she didn't know how long.  "I wished Toby away.  I failed the Labyrinth.  I lost him to the Goblin King."

"Sarah…" Dad whispered, and his voice was strangled as Irene choked back a scream.  She didn't look up at them.

"Enough of this, Sarah!  You're too old for fairy stories – and look at what you're putting poor Jay through!  That boy was willing to marry you – he probably still is, even after all this!" Irene cried, but still she wouldn't look at her.

"The Goblin King never wanted to marry me," she said.  "It was all a lie."

"Not…Sarah, honey, Jay isn't the Gob…the Goblin King," Dad said, reaching out to place a hand on her knee.  She was too still.  He didn't like it.

"If you moved on, why don't you?" she asked, and it was strange, the way Dad's hand gripped her knee.  Almost as hard as…

Lips, crashing onto hers in a terrified fury.  Don't defy me.  Don't tell me it's not my fault.  Don't leave me…

"Move on already.  I'm eighteen.  You don't need to worry about me anymore," she said, voice dull and monotone.  Robotic.  Lifeless.

"Sarah, honey, don't say that," Dad croaked, and his hand had started shaking.  Her eyes land on the glint of his wedding ring.  The shine wasn't enough to connect her to anything anymore.

"Stop caring already," she whispered.  "She has."

"That's not true, Sarah," Irene tried to argue.

"She wouldn't get so upset if she didn't care, honey," Dad said, but she was already withdrawing into herself.  Away from them, the pain, the peach memories.  Away from it all.

Just stop caring already…