"Thanks," without waiting for his reply, she walked past him and jumped on the nearest tree branch. 

He watched her jump back to where she was before he interrupted and whispered, "Anytime."

********************

Jareth's eyes immediately shot open. His sharp eyes scanned his surroundings, they were like touch lights in the dark and eerie night.

After sometime he calmed down, when his gaze landed on the effortless beauty sleeping close by. 

He had felt something just now and that had troubled his heart, but seeing her peaceful face, his heart calmed. 

He still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Whenever she was around, he felt the strong urge to be close to her, want to hold her, hug her, kiss her... 

Wait kiss her? 

?☺ 

Poor Jareth was having a hard time coming to terms with these new feelings. What could he do when his body only reacted and craved for her. 

Giving way to his urge to touch her, he reached for her hair to caress the strands, but just as his hands got to their destination, all of a sudden, her brows furrowed and kneaded. 

"Hmm, no!"

His brows furrowed as well, what was she saying? His ears twitched as he paid close attention to her mutterings. 

"Please! Stay with me, you can't leave me. No. I don't want to be without you, don't go... "

Something about what she said made him feel bitter, he retracted his hand and clenched it into a fist. 

"Who doesn't she want to let go of? Is if a guy? Did someone hurt her in the past? Who dared to make her suffer?" He thought as his gaze lingered on her beautiful face. 

All of a sudden, he found the need to protect her and s.h.i.+eld her from the battles of life. 

He drew close to her and wrapped his arm protectively on her body. Within a few seconds, she calmed down and stopped muttering. 

"Sleep tight, Astrid."

u003cDreamu003e

In a bright forest, a young girl is seen running to and fro between the trees. The sound of birds chirping could be heard. 

Suddenly, a voice called out. "Astrid!"

Astrid turned her head as she heard that familiar voice calling her name. She smiled at the sound of the familiar voice. 

"ASTRID!!" The voice yelled the second time. 

She jolted up and ran in the direction of the voice, not too far, she saw someone searching for her. Her lips curved into a smile as she tiptoed behind the owner of the voice and rushed to hug her. 

The lady jumped at the sudden contact and quickly turned to look at the child hugging her waist. 

"Goodness me! Astrid, you shouldn't scare your poor aunt like that," she scolded. 

"Hehhe, I love your reaction anytime I do that, aunt. It never gets old," the little girl replied. 

Her aunt flickered her forehead and smiled at the pouting kid. "And I, love you, my darling nice."

"Hehhee," she smiled showing her full 24 baby teeth. "I love you too, aunt."

"Come on, let's head back to the house. You know you shouldn't be wandering the forest alone."

"It could be dangerous, who knows what beasts and wild animals lurks here."

Both of them said together, for Astrid it was more like recitation, her aunt always said those words to her, but she was too stubborn to take it into heart. 

"Aunt Neri, the forest is a beautiful place, you know."

Nerissa brushed her golden hair with her hands in a loving manner. "I know child, but we cannot ignore the possibilities of any impending danger. I simply don't want to see you hurt, okay?"

"Okay aunt. Let's go, I have something I found to show you."

Suddenly everything turned to cloud and disappeared, the next thing that showed, Astrid was with her aunt in her room. 

The little child had something clenched in her hands at her back as she gazed at the older woman. 

"What is it, show me, child."

"You won't get mad at me or scold me?"

"Nope, now let me see."

"Okay," she said as she brought her hands in front and opened them. 

Nerissa's eyes squinted, as she peered deep at the golden necklace in Astrid's small hands. 

It had the symbol of a tree with flowers and a crown sitting a top the tree with wings surrounding it.

"Astrid, what have I told you about picking things that don't belong to you?"

"It's not right and it is considered stealing, but I found it in the forest Aunt Neri, it doesn't belong to anyone," Astrid protested. 

"It does, you must return it. You shouldn't have this with you. It may be dangerous."

Without waiting for Astrid to respond, she grabbed the necklace and ran out towards the forest. After some minutes, she raised her hand and threw it far into the forest. 

Some seconds later, Astrid ran with all her might and got to where she was. "No, don't!!" She screamed. 

Boom!! 

Nerissa was sent flying some distance away by an unknown force, her body hit a tree and she collapsed on the ground. 

Astrid's eyes glowed and changed colours, she walked towards the direction where Nerissa flung the necklace, ignoring her unconscious aunt. 

Minutes later, she found her treasure, picked it up and hid it in her dress carefully. 

After an hour had pa.s.sed, Nerissa finally came to. She felt something warm like droplets of water fall on her face. 

As she opened her eyes, she saw a crying Astrid looking down at her. She quickly got up when she noticed the change in Astrid's eyes. 

Reaching up to touch Astrid's face, she closed her eyes, by the time she opened them, a white light shone on Astrid's face and the child fell on unconscious on her body. 

"Sleep now my Angel, when you wake, you shall forget this ever happened." 

After some two minutes of chanting spells, she rubbed her right hand over Astrid's hair and said, "Let everything return to how it was, let it be sealed."

"Aunt Nerissa!"

u003cDream Endsu003e

Astrid muttered as she slept. Jareth's eyes opened again, his gaze fixated on her. The next second, she furrowed her brows and her eyes opened. She blinked several times, till her vision cleared. 

A tear drop escaped her eyes as she peered into the face of the one she had come to trust. 

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