"I don’t believe in that many coincidences," Tony said quietly, his forehead against the window of the passenger side in Sarah’s car.
"What?" It was the first time Tony had spoken since he’d told Julie for the last time he was alright. Sarah had forced the awkward situation to a halt, telling Tony she’d give him a ride home, quietly telling Julie that she would take care of him. But from the time she’d put him in her car to right now, almost outside the trailer on the back road where he and Taco lived, he hadn’t made a sound.
"I don’t believe in that many coincidences," he repeated.
"Fate, maybe?"
He shook his head. "I don’t know. I don’t know how it happened."
"You thought you saw someone you knew, didn’t you?"
"Not exactly. I saw someone you know, though."
"Him," she said softly, pulling up into the driveway and turning off the engine.
He was startled but nodded. "Yes. Him. Sarah, what was his name? Why?"
"It was Jareth. My mother…she had a friend named Jeremy she was in a play with…"
"Blonde?"
"Yeah. I guess I had a little crush on him. It wasn’t quite what I thought it was going to be like though. In my…dream…we danced and he sang to me. It was romantic, but I didn’t like it."
Tony smiled faintly. "More grown up than you were ready to be. Now that you’ve…embraced that part of yourself, how do you feel about him?"
"There isn’t any him. He’s just a part of me I didn’t recognize before. I was afraid of it. I mean, I almost hurt Toby with it. It’s like Chris said, it was me all the time." She paused, thinking. "He said you told him human beings need the shade and shadow. We have to be able to tap our desires."
"Spoken like a true prodigy." Tony started to get out, then stopped. "Sarah…"
"What, Tony?"
"If I asked you to do something for me, would you? I mean, as far as saving your life and all, I think you pretty much evened the score back there so you don’t owe me anything. But would you do me a favor?"
She smiled wryly. "Nothing that’s going to jeopardize my good standing with Chris, is it?"
"No. I want you to let me hypnotize you."
Sarah laughed. "Cool."





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