Labyrinth 1. Not what she'd hoped

**This is my first fanfic. Please be gentle. I do own one Netflix membership that has almost ruined my life, but nothing to do with Labyrinth. **

** I expect this story to be pretty long, I have a good idea where I want it to go. That said, I hate when updates come few and far between in stories, and I will try to update often. I don't have a life so it shouldn't be hard. Please rate and review, I've never posted any of my writing publicly and I want to know what's good and bad about it. Thank you for reading!**

The owl watches from the tree outside the window as his subjects dance and sing in merriment with the girl who has just defeated his Labyrinth and rejected him in one fell strike. He expects to feel fury and spite, and those are most certainly present within him, but mostly the emotion that is twisting his heart is jealousy. Pure and unadulterated jealousy. He wants her, fool that he is, and she prefers the company of these peasants rather than his own. As soon as he got back to the Underground, he would bog them all. His stomach turns to ice as he watches Sarah bend down to plant a kiss on the dwarf's cheek. Maybe that one he would _drown_ in the bog. Perhaps he should storm into the room, he would love to see the dwarf cower in terror and Sarah's shocked face.

No, he would let them have tonight. She will call for him soon, he knows it. Sarah's heart is too entrenched in fantasy to be content in the Aboveground. As she matures, so will her concept of that fantasy. Once she has time to think on her time in the Labyrinth, she will see how generous he was to her. She will remember the feel of his hand in hers, the other on her waist as he sang to her. His breaths slow from furious panting to calm breathing as he thinks of the moment he will feel the pull of her words wishing herself to him. He turns his head from the scene in the window and takes flight again, heading for the Underground. He gathers his magic around him and prepares for the transition from one world to the next. He feels his body shift from owl to man as Jareth encounters cold earth under his feet.

He opens his eyes and sees only darkness.

Sarah Williams lay on the floor of her bedroom, staring intensely at the chessboard. There was no way she was losing twice in a row to Sir Didymus. The little knight sits back on his haunches with a smug smile on his face. He knows she has nowhere to go that wouldn't sacrifice her king. Hoggle lies on his stomach across Sarah's bed, resting his head in his hands and watching the game with Sarah's dog Merlin curled up next to him. Whenever Sarah made a move that Hoggle didn't think was wise, he would make a little panicked noise in his throat and attempt to warn her of the danger she was walking right into. At every one of these episodes, Didymus would say something along the lines of, "To help the lady cheat would be most dishonorable, Brother!" or "Lady Sarah must learn to see these consequences herself, or how will she ever improve her game?" and Hoggle would plop his head back down onto his hands with a huff and watch as Sarah moved her pieces into the war path. Ludo doesn't really understand how the game is played, so he spends his time looking at picture books and Sarah's polished rock collection.

After staring at the board for five minutes and willing it to give up the secret of how to win, Sarah finally accepts that she's been bested once again and reaches out to flick the king over. "You win, Didymus! But know this, I will be practicing until you guys visit again," she says with a mock-sinister expression.

"Does the lady mean that she doesn't want to play another round?"

Sarah laughs and reaches over to pull the fox's feathered cap down over his eyes. "I don't think so, Sir," she says, "I don't know if my pride could take much more." Hoggle guffaws as the knight tries to arrange his hat again, grumbling good-naturedly. Sarah joins Hoggle on the bed, laughing right along. She loves these nights. Every weekend when her father and stepmother would go to a party or a movie, Sarah would sit at her vanity and call to her three best friends in the world. They'd appear behind her in the mirror and smile at her with all the love they could give. Sarah would turn around and hug the beast, the dwarf, and the fox knight who had magically appeared there. Then they would spend hours just talking about what was going on in Sarah's life or playing games. Sarah never asks about the Labyrinth… or its king. Six months have passed since she wished Toby away to the goblins and six months have passed since she was first under the shadow of Jareth the Goblin King.

Ludo, seeing the game is over, makes his way from the bookshelf to the middle of the room next to Didymus and rocks his weight back to boom down onto the floor. The house shakes with the impact and the little knight's hat falls off again. Sarah just laughs harder and Hoggle exclaims, "Ya great beast, you don't have ta go breaking the house!" Ludo droops his head and groans, "Sowwy, Sawah."

Sarah looks at Hoggle in surprise. "Hoggle, it's alright. Ludo doesn't understand that the house isn't made from rocks."

Hoggle just huffs and says, "Well, he shouldn'ta been just falling down. He knows that this place is different from ours."

Sarah starts at his grumpy tone and looks closely at Hoggle for the first time that night, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and… does it look like he's lost a little weight? She peers at Ludo next and sees that under his thick orange fur, his frame has become slimmer. She can't tell if the fox had lost weight because of the stiff blouse he wears, but his eyes do seem a little less alert, his lids drooping slightly. Suddenly Sarah is struck with worry. She steels herself to ask the question that she knows she must ask.

"Hoggle, how are things Underground?"

Hoggle shoots up straight and sits back on his heels, eyes going wide and darting. He looks anywhere but at Sarah as he asks quickly, "Why, what have ya heard? I mean, uh, they're fine. Yup, just like they always was. Good old Underground, heh heh." He tries to play it off like he didn't just let her know that things are far from normal. One thing that made Sarah trust him from the first time she saw him outside of that labyrinth is that Hoggle is a terrible liar, especially to Sarah. She narrows her eyes and looks again from one friend to the other, all of them wearing the same panicked expression covered up by a shaky smile.

She leans forward and puts her hand on Hoggle's shoulder, saying, "Hoggle, I know that something's wrong. I can see that you're all stressed, even Ludo. Please, if you're my friend, you will tell me what's going on. Why are you so tired and thin?"

Hoggle gives another shaky chuckle. "Sarah, honest, I'm only tired cuz the fairies breed like mad. I can't hardly keep up! Ever since Jareth's been gone they've run wild—" Didymus gives a sharp gasp and Hoggle claps his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide.

Sarah's mouth drops open.

"…Gone?!" she gasps.


	2. Gone

**Chapter two! I don't own The Labyrinth, nor its characters, and not its dialogue, not even a little bit.**

"…Gone?!" She gasps. "What do you mean he's gone? Gone where?"

If Hoggle looked panicked before, he's positively terrified now. "Sarah," he says, his tone pleading, "Please, forget I said anything. I didn't mean… that is, uh…"

Sarah gives him a stern look and growls, "Hoggle, if you lie to me I swear I will take all of your jewels and flush them down the toilet. Now, I heard what you said, there's no point trying to take it back."

Sir Didymus steps forward and puts a reassuring hand on Sarah's knee. "My Lady," he says softly, "we did not want to worry you. There's nothing you could do, so we elected to keep the information to ourselves, that is all."

Sarah gives an exasperated sigh and looks up at Ludo, who meets her gaze with a sad one of his own. For some reason, as she looks at Ludo she can't help but think of the first time she saw him, tied upside down and being tortured by goblins. If it weren't for Sarah, he might be there still. Another thought shoots through her mind, but it's not one that she was prepared for; she hopes Jareth is alright. She doesn't know what consequences came of her defeat of the Goblin King; she never asked. What if she injured him? What if he's defenseless? What if he's hanging upside down somewhere, blood dripping down his lithe form, matting down his wild blond hair? Sarah felt sick. She turned her gaze to the little knight.

"Didymus, what happened to the king?" Her voice is trembling.

Before the fox can answer, Hoggle scoots across the bed and takes Sarah's delicate hands in his rough brown ones as he implores, "Sarah, please. Forget about the king." Boy, do those words sound familiar. She can't forget, can't he see that she can't? Whatever happened, it happened because of her.

Sarah sets her jaw. "Hoggle, you had better tell me what is going on in the Underground or I swear I'll… I'll… well you had just better tell me!"

Hoggle knows that when Sarah gets that look on her face, there is no talking her out of anything. "Ok Sarah, we'll tell you what we know, but you have to promise that you won't do nothin' stupid. Promise?" She nods. "Well alright. After you went up in the castle that day, the whole tower collapsed in. Us three barely made it outta there. Then we didn't know what was goin' on, or where you were or if you were ok. Once things stopped fallin' down, we tried to dig through the rubble, thinking you were in there. Ludo called most of the rocks away, but there were so many. Then we heard you callin' our names from far off, and before we knew it, we were in your room." Hoggle shrugs and spreads his hands to encompass her bedroom. Sarah nods at him in encouragement. He sighs and rubs the back of his neck before continuing, "Anyway, when we went back home, things were different. I can't hardly get through the Labyrinth anymore. It just… turned evil. There's ten times as many oubliettes and the walls don't just change, they try to crush you. It's outta control. I thought it'd be safer to go through the tunnels, but they're full of cleaners. And the fairies! You can't walk two feet out your front door without a swarm of the buggers bitin' your nose off! I wasn't lyin' when I said I couldn't keep up, they just keep comin' and comin'—"

"Alright, Hoggle! I get it; the fairies are bad. What about the goblins? Are they okay?"

Hoggle gave an irritated sigh. "I was comin' to that. I only went to the city the once, to see for myself how things were farin'. Sarah… it's bad. At first, the goblins loved their new freedom, but goblins don't do well with freedom. They ain't the brightest, so with Jareth gone, they didn't really know how to take care of themselves. Jareth, even though he was a rat, took care of the food and made sure that the goblins didn't kill each other over stupid things. The city's fallin' apart. The goblins are starvin' and there's a hundred fights every day over what little food is left. From what we hear, there aren't near as many goblins as there were. Only reason us three are still alive is cuz we stay in the bog. Jareth's been gone since you solved the Labyrinth."

Sarah's eyes are brimming with tears. "It's my fault," she whispers, "I was so concerned with being the hero that I didn't think about what it would mean. I took your king away and now his people are dying." Her head drops into her hands as sobs rock through her body. All of her friends move to comfort Sarah, murmuring comforting words and empty denials.

Didymus pats her arm and says, "There, there, fair maiden. There is no way you could have known. There now, there is nothing you can do—"

Sarah's head snaps up. "There_ is_ something I can do, Didymus. I banished the king from the Underground, so I have to do whatever I can to bring him back."

"No, Sarah!" Hoggle exclaims. "This is exactly why we didn't want to say nothin'. The Underground is too dangerous right now. We can't even leave the bog! The only food we get is what we can find in the forest, and that ain't much. No, you are stayin' right here."

"Hoggle, what do you think will happen if we just let things continue like this? This situation will not just work itself out, we have to do something! I mean, it's only been a few months and the Underground is dying! You're taking me back to the Underground tonight."

Hoggle bows his head and studies Sarah's quilt while he fidgets with his bag of jewels. Sarah knows him well enough to know when he's trying to hide something. "Hoggle. What is it now?" she asks.

He sighs, obviously knowing that it wouldn't do any good to lie at this point. Not looking up from his jewels, he mutters, "Sarah, it ain't been a few months in the Underground. S'been about two years."

"_What?_" She shrieks. At her yell, she hears crying from the next room. Now, on top of everything, she has to go comfort Toby. No, she shouldn't think like that. She loves her baby brother more than anything. Of course, a sinister back corner of her mind whispers that if it weren't for Toby, she never would have known the Goblin King was anything other than a dark fantasy. _Fantasy? No. Nightmare, Sarah. Nightmare. _Regardless, she lets loose a frustrated groan and pushes herself off the bed to stomp over to her father's room. The baby is in his crib, and he's screaming as if he just found out that he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of goblins and maybe one Goblin King. God, she left them all to rot for two years. At this thought, Sarah feels that familiar icy sensation in her stomach. _He's not dead. I'm going to find him and he's going to save the goblins. _That is what is going to happen. Sarah gives herself a nod of approval as she bends down to pick up the screaming Toby. As she rocks him and coos to him, she thinks about what she's planning to do. It's not like she hasn't faced the Labyrinth before, and how different will this be, really? Instead of fighting the king to save her brother, she'll be fighting an entire realm to save the king. _Shit._ Maybe he doesn't even want to be saved. Maybe he just got tired of being king? _Yeah and maybe he was so heartbroken over your rejection he curled up and died. _Sarah snorts softly to herself. Whatever that man was, he was not one to give in to sentiment.

But… in the Escher Room, he'd said those things to her. He sang to her and when she ran from him, he offered her her dreams. Why would he do that? Sarah assumed at the time it was some sort of trick, but now she wasn't so sure. After all, he'd never lied to her. _No, but he did kidnap my baby brother. _She can almost hear his deep, smooth voice. She knows exactly what he would say to her: "_Oh, you mean the baby brother you wished away to me?" _Well, he set the cleaners on her. "_Really Sarah, you can't outrun that ancient, rusted thing, driven by simple goblins?" _He dropped her and Hoggle into the Bog of Eternal Stench. "_That's curious. I don't recall you actually _falling _into the bog." _Sarah, tired of her split mind, and a little concerned about her sanity, places a now sleeping Toby back in his crib and makes her way back to her room.

It's only when she nears her door that she realizes she can't hear Ludo's heavy breathing. Her heart feels heavy and she steels herself to look around the corner, even though she knows what she will find.

The room is empty.

**Sorry if this is moving a little slow, I said I wanted this story to be a long one. Don't worry because the next chapter will take us to our favorite setting, it might even give us a glimpse of our favorite king. Reviews are much appreciated.**


	3. Dreams Have Anchors

**I may or may not be blowing off studying for a history exam to write this. Whatever, that's irrelevant. Enjoy!**

Sarah storms back into her room and heads straight for her vanity, locking eyes with her reflection as she drops into the chair. "Hoggle!" she shouts at her image. To her disappointment and further rage, there is a distinct lack of dwarf in her room. She isn't exactly sure how this whole thing worked, only that it always has. Maybe if she tried asking nicely? She softens her voice. "Hoggle? Hoggle, I'm sorry for shouting. Please, could you come back so we can talk? Just talk." Sarah waits and waits, but Hoggle still hasn't appeared. She knows that he wants to protect her, but this is her decision. He doesn't understand that to make her stand by while the Underground and all its citizens perished because of what she did would be torture. Not to mention leaving the king to whatever fate has befallen him. No, if there is anything she can do, she needs to do it.

Sarah chews on her bottom lip, thinking. She knows that Didymus and Ludo are with Hoggle and he won't let them answer her call if he's really being this stubborn. However, Sarah is nearing desperation. She can't get the images her mind had conjured up at Hoggle's description of the city's devastation out of her mind's eye. She sees filthy streets with starving goblins roaming from building to building, the young staying inside while adults fought viciously over scraps of food. The once playful creatures reduced to evil acts of desperation in their drive to survive. Tears fill her eyes again. Suddenly, Sarah jumps up from her chair and clenches her hands into fists at her sides. _No. Stop crying. You don't get to cry anymore. As long as one goblin goes hungry, you don't cry. _She wipes her eyes and focuses. She needs to get to the Underground, and her friends are the only link she has. She leans forward to rest her hands on the tabletop. "Didymus, Hoggle, Ludo. I know you can hear me, so I'm telling you this: I can help. Please, please let me try. I can't just sit here, I don't care how dangerous it is." Again, nothing; she expected it. They're trying to keep her safe, and truthfully, she doesn't know what she can do to help the goblins. She only knows that she has to do _something. _

An idea forms in the back of her mind. Her eyes narrow in thought and she throws open the top drawer on her vanity, grabbing the red book inside. She flips the pages until she comes across the narration of that stormy night. The gold letters on the front cover glint a flash of light across Sarah's green eyes as she shuts the book, takes a deep breath, and whispers, "I wish the goblins would come and take me away, right now." She shuts her eyes and prepares for the feel of grubby little hands on her. That feeling doesn't come. She slowly opens one eye, then the other, looking around her room for rushing shadows and darting figures. They aren't there. Sarah huffs and flops onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. What else could she do? Not expecting anything, she says quickly, "I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away, right now." Nothing. "I wish Jareth would come and take me away." Nope. "I wish the Labyrinth would take me away." Nil. "I wish Hoggle would come and take me away." No. "I wish I was in the Underground." This goes on for a while, but Sarah doesn't realize how long until she hears her father calling her name up the stairs.

"Sarah? We're home." Sarah rolls her eyes, but gets off her bed to greet her father and stepmother. She stands at the top of the stairs as they climb their way toward her.

"Is Toby in bed?" Karen asks.

"Yes, seeing as it's eleven-thirty. He was a little fussy for a while, but he was asleep by nine. How was the play?" she directs the question at her father.

"Fine, just fine. Your mother was crying by the end."

_She's not my mother._ "Glad you liked it," Sarah says. She doesn't have time for this. Her friends need her help, and she's making small talk. "Well, I'm sure you guys are tired. I'm gonna go to bed, too, I think," she fakes a yawn, and before either parent could say anything, she turned and headed for her room. Once inside with the door shut firmly and locked behind her, she resumes wishing herself away. "I wish the goblins would come and take me away." _I tried that one. _Sarah growls in frustration. "Beam me up, Scotty!" "Bippity, boppity, Underground!" "There's no place like the Goblin City. There's no place like the Goblin City. There's no place…" Sarah decides that she needs to try to get some sleep. Quoting movies to get to the Underground is a sure sign of sleep deprivation, she's sure. She brushes her teeth, pulls on an oversized T-shirt and, surprisingly, is dead to the world the moment her head hits the pillow.

" " " "

She's in the ballroom. Her dress is silvery beauty and she looks ethereal as she floats around the room, searching. She's been here before, so why doesn't she know what she's looking for? A lovely male voice cuts through the fog of her mind as her thoughts try to organize. She catches a glimpse of blond hair on blue velvet through the throng of… people? No. They're supposed to be people, but they're not. She remembers mocking faces, masks, a charade of extravagance, but this is different from then. The man next to her pulls off his mask and his face is a void, a white mist clouding his features. He looms over her and Sarah darts away, knowing something bad will happen if that mist were to touch her. The crowd presses in and the music changes from inviting and sensual to sinister, full of clanging notes; the voice is gone. A babble from the crowd rises up and Sarah starts to panic, her breaths come fast, they rake down her throat. Her eyes move from mask to mask, she turns to search for an escape, anything. The figures press closer and Sarah can't breathe. As one, they all remove their masks to reveal the mist beneath. She turns again in desperation and finds refuge in the face that meets her. Sharp features surrounded by a mane of wild blond hair. His made-up eyes stand out in dizzying contrast against the pale white of his face. His gaze meets hers as he takes her left hand and she feels safe. He brings their joined hands up to his shoulder, leaving hers to rest there as his finds its way to her waist. Her other hand is captured in his and they dance, the music is back to that beautiful melody and she sees that he isn't singing to her like he was last time. The voice is the same, but instead of coming from the man in her arms, it rains down from all around her. She feels surrounded by it. No, she feels enveloped as if by a warm blanket on a cold day.

As they twirl, Sarah notices from the corner of her eye that the white mist has gone from the crowd of faces. Not that it's terribly important anymore; Jareth would never let them harm her. He raises the corners of his mouth to smile down at her as he leads her in a slow dance through the mob. She sighs and totally relaxes into the dance and it's like they never left. Like in some corner of the universe, they were always in this room, moving in perfect synchronization together, falling together. Why did she ever let this end? Because she was looking for something… she had to save Toby! Sarah tenses once again, and Jareth smiles an encouraging smile. Wait, her brother is safe at home. What was she searching for? Nothing? No, there was definitely something she needed to do. Jareth leans down to whisper in her ear, "Sarah. You know what has to be done." His low voice sends shivers up her spine; his hair feathers across her bare shoulders, leaving its ghost there as she leans back to look into his mismatched eyes. His expression is intense as he says softly, "Say your right words." He's leaning closer. No, she doesn't want this. He's a snake; he kidnapped Toby! No, Toby is at _home. _She isn't running the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth! She needs to save the goblins and her friends! Jareth. The Goblin King's lips are millimeters from hers. She's not the same girl who spoke those false words so long ago. She can't take her eyes from his. She closes the space between them and brushes her lips against his, soft as snowfall.

Sarah snaps her eyes open with a gasp. _You know what has to be done._ Sarah throws off the blankets and runs to her dresser. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a clean button down, she throws her shoes on and stands in the middle of her room. _The Goblin King had given her certain powers. _It was going to work this time. Her mind is clear as she sees the obviousness of the solution.She always thought she would have to be _taken_ Underground, she never thought she had the power to do it herself. Sarah can feel it within her, the blossoming of magic about to happen. She breathes it in and slowly exhales, letting the words slide out of her mouth.

"I wish I was in the Underground, right now."

**I'm so excited for this story! I can't wait to write the rest of it. Know that I have two exams this week, but I will do my best to keep cranking out these chapters. I know they're pretty short, but that means I can get them out faster. Please review. How did you like the bit of action between Jareth and Sarah? Did it feel believable?**


	4. Blink of an Eye

**I want to remind you guys that this story is rated M for a whole bunch of reasons. There will be some scary images in this chapter and some potentially offensive language. If you're not feeling that, please don't read. It's not too bad but I want to ward off scathing reviews. Viewer discretion and all that.**

Sarah blinks and in the time it takes for her eyes to open again, she's standing on a hilltop. Yes! She did it; she made it Underground! Sarah laughs in triumph. Of course, she knows this hilltop; it's the same that Jareth took her to when she wished Toby away to the goblins. The hilltop is familiar. What is not familiar is the landscape. She blinks rapidly and frowns, trying to make sense of what she's seeing. "This isn't right," she whispers. The Labyrinth is supposed to stretch on towards the castle, and the castle is most certainly supposed to be standing proud and tall over the miles of labyrinth, just like its king… but the king is gone. It's this thought that finally allows her to process what she's seeing. The walls of the Labyrinth are obscured by white, the dark tops just barely visible. Sarah narrows her eyes and realizes why this is so eerie. It's the white mist from her dream, the same cloud that veiled the faces of the dancers. A shudder runs through her and she prepares herself to look back towards the castle. She remembers the first time she stood here and saw it, took in its distant beauty. Now, it's a mockery of itself. The entire right tower, the one where Sarah secured her victory over the Goblin King, has collapsed. It's gone. Sarah couldn't even see the rubble she knew was there from this distance. Then she saw the smoke. She thought it had just been part of the white mist of the Labyrinth, but it's a sick grey instead of white, and it is rising from the Goblin City. She tried to see flames, to see what was on fire, but she was so far away. She can only imagine what she would see when she actually got to the city. She takes a shaky breath and tries to think past the grief. "All my fault," she mumbles.

_Okay, Sarah. You're here. Now what? _She turns her head from the columns of smoke and looks around her. She has to find her friends, they know what's going on much better than she does. Hoggle said they stayed in the Bog of Eternal Stench (_ugh_), so that's where she has to go. All right, that's decided. Now she just has to figure out how to get there. She can't go around the Labyrinth because it stretches on for miles in all directions. There's no way she can retrace her steps through it, especially not with that mist. Maybe she could ask for directions? Who would she ask, though? Hoggle was the first person she met last time and she had no hope of seeing him pissing into a pond right outside the gate again. _Think, Sarah. Who else did you see? _Well, there was the wise guy with a bird on his head, the knockers, the worm, the upside down door guards… the worm! He was right at the beginning of the Labyrinth and he was nice to her. She sincerely hopes he's still there. Sarah gives herself a nod, says, "No turning back now," and sets off toward the open gate. Funny, last time she had to work to just get into the Labyrinth. Now, it seemed to want her to enter. She knows she should be suspicious, but she has to get to the city and this is the only way. The only things that do not want her doing anything except leaving are the fairies. Hoggle was right; there are swarms of them. She tries her best to swat as many as she can as she moves forward.

Sarah's feet kick up pale dust in the red evening air. She wonders if the light ever changes. Surely this place must have nights? Her ponderings are put to an end as she stands before the looming gate. She breathes in to the point of pain and exhales in a huff as she walks quickly into the fog before she can lose her nerve. She stops dead just inside the gate. The mist enters her lungs and she feels… good. She feels better than good, she feels great. Euphoric. A huge smile stretches itself across Sarah's face. She looks around and everything is beautiful. "These stones are so pretty!" she breathes. "They're so old; they look like something straight out of a fairy tale. I like this place, I think I'll take a little walk!" Sarah sighs happily and turns right, bouncing a little as she goes, running her hand across the outer wall as she walks. She can't remember the last time she felt this content. In fact, she can't remember anything. Weird. She just shrugs and keeps enjoying her stroll.

She can't remember how long she's been walking, but it must have been some time. Not that she particularly cares. She just notices how lovely a large branch looks as it lies across the path in front of her when she hears a little voice.

"'Ello?"

Sarah pauses. "Hello?" she asks pleasantly, looking around.

"I'm down 'ere!"

Sarah looks down at the bottom of the wall to her left and sees what looks to be a little worm. She kneels down in front of him and grins. "Hey! Aren't you the cutest thing?"

The worm looks up at her, concern written across his little face. His blue hair stands up in tufts and his red scarf is tied around his… neck? The little guy shakes his head and says, "Girlie, can't you remember me? We've met before."

Sarah raises her eyebrows and shrugs. "I've been here before? Well isn't that something!" she giggles.

"Do you know what you're doing 'ere?"

"I'm taking a walk. Would you like to join me?"

The worm nods, saying, "That'd be wonderful. Let me just tell the Missus and we'll be off." He disappeared into a hole in the wall briefly before appearing again. "Do you want to carry me, dear? 'Fraid I'd 'ave a tough time keeping up on me own." Sarah laughs and agrees. She holds her hand next the ledge he's perched on and lets him inch his way onto her palm.

"Which way should we go, then?" she asks.

"Let's go that way," he nods back the way she came. Sarah sets off in that direction without a second thought; she's already forgotten how she came to find the worm. They walk for quite a ways, exchanging pleasant conversation about the color of the walls or the smell of the air. Suddenly, the worm shouts, "Stop!"

Sarah is a little startled, but quickly smiles at the little guy in her hand. "What is it?" she asks.

"Er, nothing. Just, eh, take a left turn, would you missy?"

Sarah looks to her left. At a solid wall. "Sir, I think you're mistaken. That's just wall." She laughs down at the worm with warmth in her eyes.

"You're gonna 'ave to trust me. You trust me, don't you?"

Sarah nods and shrugs, turning to walk into the wall. Only she doesn't walk into the wall. She blinks and takes in her surrounding. She's back where she started outside the Labyrinth! A fairy lands on her shoulder and starts yanking on her hair. She swats it with her free hand. "Little bitch," she says as it hits the ground hard. She looks down at the worm in her hand and then back at the white mist. "What was that stuff? I've never felt anything like it. I felt…"

The worm shakes his head in thought. "I've never seen what it can do to a human. Doesn't do much to those of us what live here, but I guess we're not what the Labyrinth is trying to trick. I just had to get you out to ask why in the world you're back down 'ere? I 'eard you saved your brother and went back 'ome!"

Sarah sighs heavily. "Everything that's going wrong here is all my fault. I was a stupid girl and I didn't think about what I was doing. I was selfish."

"Nah, you were trying to save your little brother!"

"Yes, but I wished him away in the first… how did you know about that?"

"Well, Sarah, you're something of a legend down 'ere. No one else 'as ever beaten the Goblin King at 'is own game."

"You mean… no one else has beaten the Labyrinth?"

The worm smiles and shakes his head. "Nope. Just you. I knew you were special the second I saw you. But why are you back? Didn't you get your brother?"

"Yes I did, but I know how things have been here. The goblins are dying, and the king is missing and I'm here to do whatever I can to make it right."

The worm hangs his head. His voice is much lower as he answers, "That's true, miss. Things are fairly bad up ahead. I been talking to some of the folk who visit those parts oftener than I do, and they say things 'aven't ever been so bad. Honestly though, I don't know what you can do about it. 'Ow did you even get 'ere?"

"I wished it. I brought myself here."

"So the rumors are true," the worm whispered, too softly for Sarah to hear. He raises his voice to say, "Well, miss. Were you trying to get to the city, then?"

"No, I was actually trying find you. I need to get to the Bog. I have friends who're staying there and I thought maybe you could help me."

"I've been digging my own paths through the Labyrinth for years and I can get anywhere you want to go. The Bog? Sure I can get you there, but it's risky with the Labyrinth making you all fuzzy in the 'ead. There ain't mist down in the tunnels, but things are much more dangerous down there. They've got cleaners that drive themselves and walls that crush ya and poisonous things that'll bite first and ask questions later!"

"So what should we do?"

"Well, if you're set on going, we should go through the tunnels. At least then you'll have your wits about you. Don't worry; with me leading you, we'll get to the Bog in a couple hours."

The worm led Sarah around the outer wall of the Labyrinth with Sarah swatting fairy after fairy. They stopped just next to a huge tree that had what looked like purple icicles hanging from its grey twisted branches. The worm told her to kneel down next to the tree and knock on its trunk four times. The icicles clinked together above Sarah's head and the trunk of the tree opened up to reveal a staircase down into the darkness, curving toward the Labyrinth. Sarah took a deep breath and stepped once again into the unknown.

The walls under the Labyrinth are just how she remembers them. Dark, grey stone angles up and away from her, skylights in the ceiling casting their pale light into the halls. It makes for better visibility, but gives the tunnels an inconceivable appearance of length. From where she stands, it seems like this tunnel could go on forever, but she knows now that she shouldn't take something like that for granted. She begins a steady pace down the hall. The worm said he knew where he was going and that it wouldn't take too long.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sarah asks.

The worm whispers, "Of course, but keep your voice down. You never know what's down 'ere."

Sarah lowers her voice. "Why didn't you help me like this the first time I was here?"

"The king 'ad forbidden any of us to give the runners too much help. You never knew when 'e was watching so I couldn't tell you too much. Sorry bout that."

"It's alright… have you heard anything about the king?"

"Nah, I don't think anyone 'as. 'E's been gone for quite some time now. The goblins started searching once the food started running out, but couldn't find 'im. Plus, it's not safe for them to go in the Labyrinth anymore. Without the king to control it, the Labyrinth 'as gotten brutal."

Sarah remained silent for a long time, letting her feet move forward on autopilot. The goblins have been searching for Jareth, but haven't been able to find him. _Maybe he's dead. _No, he can't be. If he's dead, then there's no point to any of this. The goblins aren't that smart, they probably couldn't find him if he were standing right below their feet. _But he's been gone so long. _Sarah felt the creeping despair rising up in her veins. She needed to trust that there was a reason for all of this. It doesn't make sense for the magic of this place to just die with its king. If the king dies, the subjects die, the realm dies, and the Labyrinth dies or becomes so unrecognizable it might as well be dead. It doesn't add up. From a purely evolutionary standpoint, it would be stupid for a world's entire existence to rest upon one being, and if it did, that world would never let the being perish. No, the Goblin King is out there, and Sarah is going to find him.

_Clank clank. _Sarah's stomach drops into her feet and her head whips toward the noise coming from behind her. In the distance, she sees light glinting off metal and it's thundering toward her. "No," she whispers.

"_Run!_" The worm yells. Sarah doesn't need to be told twice. She bolts away from the terrifying sight behind her and runs for all she's worth. She closes her hand as gently as she can around the worm to prevent him flying out of her grasp as she pumps her arms, driving herself for more speed. The cleaner is faster. The clanging and groaning grows deafening behind her, but she doesn't chance looking back. The leg of her jeans gets caught on one of the sharp objects rotating on the front of the cleaner and Sarah feels it rip, but she doesn't stop or slow, she runs for her life, terror driving her to greater speed than she thought possible. The worm is wriggling madly in her grasp and Sarah loosens her grip, which allows him to scream, "Turn right!" Sarah does what she's told because her panicked brain is desperate for any new information that isn't_ I'm gonna die! _Sarah turns into apparently solid wall and bursts into another tunnel, the cleaner whipping by a fraction of a second after she makes her escape. Her momentum shoves her against the other wall and she slumps to the floor with her eyes closed, thankful to be alive and tries to catch her breath, setting the worm on her lap, where he too sits with his eyes close, fending off the panic.

Once her brain finally starts to believe that she isn't in immediate danger, a terrible smell assaults her nostrils. She keeps her eyes shut tight because she knows that smell. Once when she was walking Merlin along the river, she came across a small deer that had been killed by some kind of predator, Sarah didn't know what. It had been dead for what looked like a long time, with flies devouring the soft exposed parts and its mouth hanging open in an expression of disgust, it's tongue lolling out to taste the dirt of its death site. The smell coming off of it was so strong that when the wind shifted to bring the scent toward her, she had to run the other way, gagging as she went. That is the smell that brings her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose now. She hears the worm sigh and felt his body shudder; he must see what it is. Sarah refuses to open her eyes… what if it's the king. _Nonononono._

"Sarah?" the worm whispers. "We must keep moving. It's suicide to stay in one spot too long. We 'ave to get going that way." Sarah nods and breathes deep through the sleeve that can't quite keep the smell out. She opens her eyes and her gaze glues to the source of the smell. Two goblins, or what could have been goblins at one point, lay face up on the stone floor to her right. Their grotesque faces are in what looks like the early stages of decomposition. Their dark green skin is pulled back from their faces to expose their teeth in a horrifying grin, and their red eyes are pools of jelly in their sockets. They're so small. It looks like something tore their throats out. Sarah is about to cry until she reminds herself that she isn't going to cry anymore. This is what she's done. She took the goblins' protector from them; she might as well have killed these two herself. Her heart hardens a little bit as she realizes that she has to be their protector until she finds Jareth. She vows that she will do everything she can to prevent more goblins dying like this. She raises her head to look forward and steps over the bodies, heading in the direction the worm told her to take.

Sarah and the worm walk for hours through tunnel after tunnel. Sometimes the tunnel is so wide that Sarah's soft footsteps echo like gunshots and sometimes it's so small that Sarah has to crawl, the knees of her jeans become filthy and damp. They take many turns and meet many unsavory things. They run into two more cleaners, but Sarah pays much more attention to the worm this time and is able to avoid them. In one tunnel, there are spikes that rise up from the floor and attempt to stick into your foot. The worm says they're poisoned and tells Sarah that there is a narrow strip on the left where there are no spikes. The worm is right, but Sarah's heart still pounds the entire time. Sarah also sees more bodies: goblins and other creatures in various states of decomposition and apparently dead by a number of reasons. Every time she sees a body of one of these citizens, it only strengthens her resolve to help, to continue on toward finding the king.

The stone floor under her feet turns to earth and Sarah looks upon a familiar sight. _The false alarms! _The corners of her mouth lift a little bit as she remembers Hoggle bantering with the huge faces set into the stone walls. She prepares herself for the ominous warnings, thinking it's nice to know what's coming for once.

The first face opens its mouth and its voice isn't how she remembers. It's still deep, but there's a gravelly roughness to it as it wails, "_Get the fuck out of here! This is all your fault, you wished for this!_" Sarah's mouth drops open.

The voices started to rise up all around her.

"_You wished your bother away and you killed our king!"_

_"It's your fault that the goblins are dying!"_

_"Go home before you can kill anyone else, you poisonous bitch!"_

The worm looks up at Sarah with nothing but concern. "Don't listen to 'em, Girlie! They're trying to discourage you!"

The voices continue, no matter how hard she tries not to hear them.

"_If you move any farther into the Labyrinth, it'll show you what happens to king killers!"_

"_If you weren't such a selfish little slut, all those goblins would still be alive!"_

"Stop!" Sarah screams. She runs toward the end of the room and into another stone tunnel. The voices stop the moment her feet touch the stone. She takes a deep, shaky breath.

"S'alright, honey. They do whatever they can to try and get you to turn back. None of it was true." The worm says softly.

"It _was_ true," Sarah whispers, "but I can't let it get to me. Once the goblins are safe, then I'll concentrate on hating myself." Sarah glances up and down the tunnel, about to ask which way they should go and pauses when she sees a pile of clothes crumpled on the floor. The memory tugs at her consciousness as she moves toward it. Yes, she and Hoggle met Jareth right after the false alarms. He was disguised as some kind of goblin and he set the cleaners on us. She crouches down to run the material through her fingers. God, it felt like a million years ago. She sighs and straightens.

"Okay, which way now?" She asks the worm in her hand.

"Go right, and that should take us right to the Bog."

Sarah shakes her head and barks a hard laugh. If she and Hoggle hadn't run into Jareth, they might have gone straight to the Bog and cut hours off their journey. Jareth is many things, but stupid isn't one of them. He set the cleaners on them to run them in the wrong direction. Sarah squares her shoulders and sets off down the tunnel. After a few minutes of walking, she didn't have to ask how close they were. The stink invading the tunnel was simultaneously the worst stench ever to meet her nose and the thing to put a true smile on her face for the first time since her return to the Underground. As she rounds the final corner and looks down onto the green swamp, she laughs, then presses her sleeve to her face once again. It's the Bog of Eternal Stench, and it's where her friends live.

The worm clears his throat. "Well, miss, this is as far as I can go. I don't know anything about anything outside the Labyrinth walls."

Sarah smiled down at the worm, then brings him up to give him a small kiss on his head. "Thank you for all your help. I would have died in there if you hadn't been with me."

The worm drops his head, embarrassed. "Nah, you'da been alright, smart girl like you. Just be sure to take care of yourself while you're down 'ere."

Sarah thanks him again and sets him on a ledge jutting out from the stone. He disappears into a hole and Sarah is left alone to venture into the Bog. She has to find the bridge, the one Didymus broke when she was here last. That's where the little knight would be. Sarah knows him well enough to know that he would never abandon his post. She tiptoes around the pools of foul liquid and heads toward the castle in the distance, the same vantage point she used last time. She's been walking for a just a couple minutes when she hears a booming voice, followed by a gravelly one.

"SMEEELLLL BAAAAAD."

"I _know _it smells bad. It's smelled bad for the past two years, ya great oaf."

**Whew! Sorry for the long chapter, but it was all important. How do you guys like the Labyrinth like this? Is it feeling dangerous enough?**


	5. The Goblin City

Sarah runs along the edge of the Bog, rounds an enormous tree and smacks straight into a wall of orange fur. Ludo turns and, seeing that it's Sarah who ran into him, cries, "SAWAH!" and gives her a bone-crushing hug. Sarah laughs breathlessly and squeezes him tight. When he finally lets her go, Sarah steps back to see Hoggle and Ludo standing in front of what remains of the bridge, looking flabbergasted. They stare at her with identical expressions of shock, their mouths hanging open. Sarah can't help but laugh.

"Oh don't look so surprised. You don't know me at all if you think I was just going to sit in my room while you all starved," Sarah says, her nose in the air and smugness permeating her stance. She holds her arms out to her sides and shrugs. "Well, are you going to hug me or not? I did just run through the Labyrinth, I think I deserve one."

Didymus recovers first. "My lady! Not that I'm not always glad to see you, but how on earth did you get here?"

"Well, I—"

"Ya ran through the _Labyrinth?_" Hoggle rages at her. Sarah takes a step back and raises her hands in front of her to ward off his anger.

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to, but _you _didn't leave me much of a choice!"

"We was tryin' to protect ya! It's too dangerous down here, Sarah. We'd never forgive ourselves if somethin' happened to ya and we could've stopped it."

"I know that, Hoggle, but I have to help all of you. I have to find the king. Once I do, I promise I'll go back." Sarah leans down so she's on eye level with Hoggle. "Can I have that hug now?"

Hoggle shakes his head but raises his arms to pull Sarah close. Sarah reaches an arm out to Didymus and yanks him into the embrace. Ludo picks up all three of them and Sarah laughs. This is when she's happiest, when they're together. It feels right, even with the stench of the Bog making her a little lightheaded. Ludo sets them down and Sarah claps her hands together. "Okay. We need to figure out what to do now. Is there anywhere we can go that doesn't smell like rotting garbage?"

Didymus speaks up. "I just do not understand what everyone is complaining about, it smells wonderful in here. If you insist, we can go to the forest. Ambrosius!" A sheep dog that looks uncannily like Sarah's dog Merlin trots out from behind a tree. Didymus mounts him and rides off toward the forest, hopping from stone to stone across the Bog. Sarah, Ludo, and Hoggle follow close behind, urging the little knight to move faster because now that fresh air is in sight, they couldn't wait to get out of the Bog.

When they finally reach the edge of the forest, Sarah inhales the fresh air deeply, and turns to see Hoggle and Ludo do the same. They walk a little further into the forest and sit in the first clearing they come to. Sarah sees that it's finally starting to get a little dark. She wonders how time works down here. It must not be very fixed because the light never changed when she ran the Labyrinth the first time.

Hoggle wakes Sarah out of her reverie. "So, miss smarty pants. How did ya get down here then?"

"I wished it." Hoggle and Didymus look at her with eyes wide in disbelief. Ludo is concerned with a glittering butterfly that had just landed on his arm. He's humming quietly to himself, not a bit interested in the conversation. As far as he is concerned, just having his friends with him is all he wants.

Hoggle and Didymus exchange looks before Hoggle asks, "When you wished it… who came and got ya? Did the goblins?"

"No, it was me. I wished for _me_ to take myself to the Underground, pretty much. I wished for hours for someone to take me, but no one did. Then I fell asleep and had this crazy dream… and when I woke up, I knew that I would be able to take myself."

"Er, what kind of a dream, my lady?"

"Well it was uh… a bit like the fantasy Jare—the king tricked me into the first time I was here. I danced with him and he told me that I knew what I needed to do and that I had to use my right words… then I woke up and wished myself here, and it worked." She doesn't mention the fact that she kissed Jareth. Sarah knows how Hoggle feels about him and she wasn't about to start down _that_ road. She notices Hoggle and Didymus share another more intense look. She narrows her eyes, but decides she doesn't have time for twenty questions. "What matters is that I'm here, and we have to get to the Goblin City."

Hoggle waves his hand in front of his face and shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. You are not goin' anywhere near that place. The goblins'd eat ya before ya could breathe in the air to yell for help."

"That's why you guys will be with me. Come on, we've taken on goblins before! Besides, how am I supposed to help them if I can't get to them? Don't tell me it's not my problem because it is. I'm not leaving until I find the king, Hoggle, so you can wipe that scowl off your face right now."

Hoggle growls in frustration. Then he lets his head fall into his hands and mumbles, "Alright. If you're so smart, how do you think we're gonna even get the goblins to listen to us?"

"Easy," Sarah smiles.

""""

They make fairly good time through the forest, what with no magic peaches this time around; they only stop for a couple brief rests and bathroom breaks. Sarah's stomach is growling, but she refuses to ask for food. If her friends and the goblins are starving, it's wrong of her to expect anything more. However, when she steps over a log and her stomach growls with the ferocity of a tiger, Hoggle finally puts a hand on her arm and reaches into his pocket, offering her what looks like walnuts, if walnuts were bright yellow. This was eerily familiar and she couldn't help glancing at Hoggle's face suspiciously. He shakes his head, mumbles something that sounded like "He _made _me" and shoves the walnut things into her hand. Sarah smiles at him, shrugs, and pops some into her mouth. They taste terrible, like sour spinach or something. Sarah coughs and is about to spit them out when she remembers that food is hard to come by now, and Hoggle gave her these. He's starving and he gave her some of the only food he has. Sarah gulps it down and eats another few.

It isn't long until Sarah finds herself looking again at the castle in the distance through the trees. It looms broken but erect against the red sky like something resilient. She thinks about the last time she was inside it, what happened to her there. When Jareth sang to her again, in that room that looked so like the Escher painting. She was so focused on Toby, she couldn't let those words absorb. She thinks about them now. As she, Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo make their way down the steep slope toward the high walls of the city with the castle rising from its center, Sarah wonders about his song. Was it a trick? He didn't want her to win so he was just trying to confuse her. Or maybe… he just didn't want her to leave? He sang of lost love, not defeat. Sarah can't figure it out, can't figure _him _out. He'd said he was generous, he moved the stars for her. What did she really want when she wished Toby away? Yes, she was tired of babysitting, but she didn't blame Toby, she never had. She hated her life and she wanted something to happen. It was mundane, it was boring, she was too special for it. Her time Underground was the hardest she'd ever experienced, but she loved it. That's why she couldn't say goodbye to her friends. That's why she came back. She can't bear to see it crumble because it is _hers. _Confused as her feelings toward him are, Jareth is part of this world; it's not the same one she loves without him in it.

When Sarah looks up at the castle again, she's startled to find that she can't see it. The group is standing right in front of the huge gate, the walls blocking the view of the castle. They are right outside of the city. The giant robot guard that Hoggle defeated on their last journey here stands exactly as they left it, axe stuck into the wall behind it. Sarah looks past the robot, through the gate, and into the street of the city. She smells it before she recognizes what she's seeing. She's been picturing the devastation of the city ever since Hoggle first told her about it, but her mind's images never even compared to the desolation before her. Waste lines the streets, helmets litter the dirty road and spears stick into the wooden doors of the buildings. As the group moves into the street, they have to watch their step to avoid the piles of waste and filth; Sarah couldn't even identify what most of it was. It was like the Bog of Eternal Stench had rained down on the Goblin City. They walk slowly down the street toward the castle, meeting a couple goblins that are too weak to do more than sniff in their direction. As terrible as all of that is, what's even worse is the sight that meets her when they get to the city square. The last time Sarah stood here, she was fighting the goblins to get to the castle, and they were doing everything they could to stop her. These goblins are not like those goblins. She was prepared for fighting, for defending herself before the goblins stopped long enough to let her explain her desire to help them. What meets her is a sight that she could never have anticipated. Hoggle was wrong. He hadn't been to the city for a long time, and the goblins are no longer fighting. They aren't even fighting for their lives, they look like a people waiting to die. And that's what they are. The city is ghostly silent. The only movement Sarah sees are the goblins who drag bodies from houses and streets and toss them weakly onto the huge fire in front of the filthy fountain in the center of the square. This was the smoke she saw, this is the main source of the charred stench invading her very thoughts. This city used to be bursting with bustling goblins, and now they are nothing but fuel for the fire. This time Sarah has to beat back her despair with an iron will.

"Sweet Gods…" Hoggle whispers. Sarah tears her eyes from the fire to look at her friends. Hoggle and Didymus have tears streaming down their faces. Hoggle doesn't even like the goblins, but what has happened to them is simply the worst thing he's ever seen, he would never wish this on anything. Ludo has his paws pressed against his face, a low whine escaping from between them. He's too gentle for his mind to be able to wrap around such destruction and anguish. The fur on Didymus's face is soaked, the tears leaving dark trails from his eyes. Sarah clenches her jaw so tight that she feels the joints crack, but she has to stop it from shaking. She squares her shoulders and walks toward a couple of the goblins who are heading down a side street near her, she assumes to gather more bodies. They don't even glance at her. _You know what has to be done. _

"Stop!" she shouts at them. They start a bit at the loud noise and turn toward her, their eyes widening in exhausted curiosity as they take in this unfamiliar sight. Sarah finally gets a good look at them, and her breath catches in her throat. She's seen pictures of starving people in places like Africa or India, but she's never seen anything so emaciated up close. The goblins' armor was hanging off their bony shoulders, and their faces were almost frightening in their sharp angles and deep shadows. Sarah takes a deep breath. "My name is Sarah Williams. Do you know who I am?" she asks them.

The goblins eyes widen a little more and Sarah convinces herself that she sees a spark of life in them. The taller of the two, with a spiked helmet and glowing orange eyes answers in a raspy voice, "Course we's do. Everyone knows the champion." Sarah thinks if he had more energy, the goblin would be glaring at her. "Sarah Williams is the one who killed the king."

Sarah looks down at the ground to gather herself, then back up at the goblin. She doesn't deserve to try to justify herself. "You're right, this is my fault." Hoggle rushes to her side and is about to deny her words, but Sarah puts a hand on his shoulder. "No, Hoggle, it's alright," she tells him, a sad smile on her face. She turns back to the pair of goblins. "I made the king disappear and left you all here without protection or food, but that changes today. Please, I'm here to help you. Will you let me do that? Would you help me gather the goblins here?"

The goblins look at her with disgust on their grubby faces. They aren't used to being asked what to do, and this girl ruined their lives. The shorter goblin straightens his leather shirt and spits at her feet. "We don't wants any of _your _help, Sarah Williams. We has to get the gobbies out of the streets before they start stinking more." The taller one nods his head and they both turn to go back to their jobs. Sarah is shocked; she didn't think they would just refuse her help, no matter what she'd done. She supposes they've just resigned themselves to death at this point. How did Jareth get them to do anything? She remembers how he acted towards Hoggle, and decides that she would much rather save their lives than be liked by them.

Sarah fixes a look of disdain on her face and shouts at their backs, "I said _STOP!" _The goblins halt and look back at her with a faint flicker of fear in their eyes. She puts her fists on her hips and stalks toward them, her friends faces fixed in shock behind her. "I tried to ask you for your help, but now I am telling you. You _will _gather all the goblins you can find and bring them to me here or I will throw you both on that fire. Do you understand?"

**Everything I've posted so far (including this chapter) is at very MOST only a quarter of the story I have planned. And guys, it's going to get a lot better, I promise you. It's pretty good now, but just wait, haha. I love your reviews and I'm basically writing this because I need to see what happens and because I want to see if there are aspects of my writing I can improve on. This is where you guys come in! If you read the story, please tell me what you do or don't like.**


	6. To Save A Kingdom

A few hours have passed since Sarah stepped foot into the Goblin City for the second time. The two goblins she'd run into had been gathering as many goblins as they could, but as Sarah stands beside the flaming pile of goblin corpses in the darkness, she can't believe her eyes. She'd never known exactly how many goblins were in the city when she first fought her way through it, but even just the guard had numbered far more than the group that stands before her now. As goblins trickle in from the many streets leading to the square, she counts maybe half of the total number she'd seen last time. About two hundred citizens remain in this once great kingdom.

Sarah waits for the last of the goblins to drag themselves forward to join the group in front of her. Then her two messenger goblins come forward. "Sarah Williams, we gots all the goblins we could find. We thinks this is everybody. We done good?" the tall one pants.

Sarah nods at them and gives them a sad smile. "Thank you both. What are your names?"

The short one elbows the other to the side as he shouts, "My names Flig!"

The other goblin pushes Flig back and says, "I'm Gref."

"Were you guards before the king… before?" They nod. "Well Flig, Gref, you've both been great. I might need your help later, so stay by me."

The two goblins, who had been so quick to place blame and hatred on Sarah just an hour ago, look up at her with glee, or what would be glee if they didn't look so exhausted. They move behind her, one to either side, ready to do whatever she commands. The crowd of goblins is standing dejected, the same look of despair on each face. Sarah remembers the creatures being extremely varied in physical appearance, but starvation is nature's great leveler. They all have the same bones shoving out against their skin, the same bellies swollen with hunger. They look filthy, Sarah assumes the water has dwindled down so that there is none to spare for baths. The smell coming off them is such that Sarah has to concentrate on the air going in and out of her lungs to prevent her from gagging. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus stand to her right, facing her. Everyone is waiting to hear what the champion has to say. Sarah closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"You all know who I am. My name is Sarah Williams and I'm the champion of the Labyrinth." A murmur runs through the crowd. "I know what you all think of me, and I understand. I promise you all that I will do everything I can to help put things back the way they were."

A bold goblin near the back, just outside of the light from the fire, shouts out, "We ain't never gonna let _you _help us, king killer!"

Shouts started rising up from all the goblins, cries of king killer saturating the night. Sarah snaps her jaw shut with frustration and pain. As the words sink into her heart, she shuts her eyes and tries to gather herself. She jolts back to reality when she hears Hoggle's voice cutting through the din, much louder than Sarah would have thought him capable. "Shut up, ya idiots! It ain't Sarah's fault that Jareth is gone and it ain't her fault that you're all too stupid to take care of yourselves. Now, she came back to help ya. I don't know why, but she did. For you to not let her take care of ya would be just about the stupidest thing anyone's ever done." The goblins quiet down at the dwarf's outburst. They don't exactly look converted, but at least they're quiet. Sarah gives Hoggle a grateful smile and turns back to the grumbling crowd.

"Please, let me help you. I can get you food and I can help you rebuild this city. What I need from you is your word that you will do as I say," she implores.

"We's already told you, we don't needs help from no king killer!" A goblin shouts from the left. Sarah is tired, hungry, and just trying to help these creatures, and she is at the end of her mental rope. She drops her head into her hands, then remembers what happened with Flig and Gref. Sarah raises her head and all the frustration and anger she has within her is plain on her face for everyone to see. "_SHUT UP!" _she growls. The goblins fall deathly silent, fear on their faces. "I am going to save your lives whether you like it or _not! _You will do as I tell you to, or I will personally dip each and every one of you in the Bog of Eternal Stench. Am I understood?"

The same goblin who'd first shouted "king killer" at Sarah turns to his neighbor at the end of her speech and whispers, "She sounds like the kingsy." With that, he falls to his knees in a deep bow. One by one, the goblins bow to Sarah, who watches them with both pride and complete and utter terror. _God, what if I fail them?_

She takes a shaky breath and her voice booms out across the silence as she says calmly, "I need every goblin who was part of the king's guard to come forward. The rest of you can go back to your homes. Tomorrow morning, you will gather here again and I will tell you how we're going to get this city back to its former glory!" Sarah has always had a taste for the dramatic. She raises her fist in the air and the goblins send up a long cheer, despite their hunger. She lowers her arm and moves to stand next to her three friends, Flig and Gref following close behind her. Immediately, goblins are separating themselves from the group and moving towards her while the majority turns and heads back into the city, talking amongst themselves with hope in their voices. Once the square is empty except for a group of about fifty or so, Sarah says, "Alright. I need you all to do the same things for me that you did for the king. When I ask a question, I expect an answer. When I tell you to do something, I want it done." The goblins nod. "Okay. Now, who can tell me where you got your food from before the king disappeared?"

The goblins all start shouting at once, each one eager to answer Sarah's question. Sarah puts her hands over her ears and Hoggle again steps forward. "Shut up!" he shouts. The goblins fall quiet once again and Sarah sighs.

She points at a horse-faced goblin at random. "You. Tell me your name and tell me where all the goblins got their food when the king was here."

"Ryeck's my name. We gots our food from the fields, yer majesty." Sarah starts at the title.

"I'm not a queen. Where are the fields, Ryeck?"

"Just behind the castle. I can leads you there!" Sarah tells the rest of the guard to wait for her in the square. Their faces fall at not being able to come, but they do as they're told anyway. Sarah thinks it's a little sick that they just follow orders without question from anyone smarter than them, but it is convenient. She tells Ryeck to lead the way and she follows, her three friends in tow. As they make their way around the castle, following a path between the walls of the city and the rough stone of the castle, Sarah takes in the continued devastation. The path they are following is taking them around the right side of the castle, the side she destroyed in her final confrontation with Jareth. An immense pile of rubble spills out of the side of the castle like a wound. Sarah turns her head away before a traitorous tear can escape.

They walk for a long time, but finally round a bend that brings them into a courtyard behind the castle. Sarah looks at the miles of fields before her, and sees from here the dust rising up from them in the breeze. Ryeck looks up at her proudly and she pats his helmet absentmindedly, her attention focused on the parched soil. She makes her way through the castle's courtyard and crouches down in the field. She sees the top of some kind of root crop sticking out of the dry ground and reaches out to touch the dry leaves. Her mouth drops open in incredulity and she turns her head to look back at Ryeck. The goblins didn't water the plants. They just didn't water them. Hundreds of goblins died because they didn't have the sense to put water on their crops. These creatures need a king.

Hoggle stands next to Sarah. "What do we do, Sarah?"

Sarah rubs her hands on the tops of her legs and stands, saying, "All these plants need is water. Once we water them, they'll grow, but I can't make the goblins work in the fields as hungry as they are. They wouldn't last a day and it'll take much longer than that." She turns to Ryeck. "Is this the only place you get food from? Don't you eat meat?"

"Well, we ate all the chickens and pigsies already. So, these fields is all we's got."

Sarah sighs and shakes her head. Even if she could get all the fields replanted and watered, the crops would never grow fast enough to save the goblins from starving. "Hoggle, Sir Didymus, is there anywhere else we could get meat down here?"

The two exchanged looks. Hoggle says, "I spose you could hunt in the forest, but the fireys are pretty territorial about their food. Plus, there's really only boars and they's hard to kill. There's little things like squirrelies and birds, but they don't even make a snack." Sarah sighs again. _Think, Sarah. Where can you get food? _It's not like she can just go to the supermarket in town… right? Sarah's brow furrows in thought. Maybe can go to the supermarket! She brought herself Underground, after all, why wouldn't she be able to bring herself back? A smile spreads across her face as dawn begins to break over the Labyrinth.

""""

Sarah reappears an hour later in the Goblin City Square with four shopping carts full to the brim with meat and bottled water in front of her. All the goblins have made their way back to the square, just like Sarah asked them to. The goblins, along with Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo stare in shock at the sight… until the goblins realize that there is food in front of them. They all make a mad rush towards Sarah, hungry eyes already devouring the meat in front of her. Sarah realizes that this could turn into a bloodbath and shouts, "_STOP!_" The goblins, mad with hunger, don't even hear her. They make it to the carts and start ripping the beef, poultry and pork from its plastic packaging. As the crowd presses closer, the carts topple over and fights are breaking out amongst the goblins over the food. Sarah is shouting, but she can't be heard over the frantic yells of starving goblins. It doesn't stop until Ludo, who is scared and just wants the noise to stop, lets loose an ear-splitting roar. The goblins drop the food and scurry away from him in fear.

"Thank you, Ludo." Sarah says. Then she raises her voice to say to the goblins, "I told you that you had to listen to me! I told you to stop and you didn't listen. I should take all this food back to the Above right now!"

The goblins all wear expressions of terror. There are shouts of "No, majesty!" and "We'll be good, we's sorry!" Sarah stares sternly from face to face.

"I will only let you have this food if you can all line up and take your portion one goblin at a time! I want guards lined up on the left, and everyone else on the right." The goblins meekly separate into two lines, and Sarah takes charge of dispensing the bacon, sirloins, sausages, etc. to the guards and leaves Hoggle and Sir Didymus to hand out the food to the regular citizens. Sarah remembers reading somewhere that if a person is starving, he or she shouldn't be given too much food at once. She tells her friends to give the goblins only a little bit of food, about what they could fit in the palm of their hands. The goblins don't complain, they're just happy to be getting anything after Sarah's threat. After waiting for another couple hours and seeing that the goblins were doing fine with that amount of food, Sarah hands out another round with bigger portions. _It shouldn't surprise me that goblins have stronger stomachs than humans. _This was the end of the meat, but she could get more. She would have to go to a different store, though. She chuckles to herself when she thinks about the look on the employee's face when she disappeared from the meat department with almost every piece of meat they had. She did feel bad for stealing, but this is life or death.

The goblins sit on the ground in the square with their bellies full for the first time in two years. They're chatting happily amongst themselves, chewing on pieces of raw meat. Hoggle likes his meat cooked, so he's built himself a little fire and skewers a piece of turkey with a splinter from a door, cooking it rotisserie style. He offers Sarah a piece, but she declines with a smile. Ludo and Didymus are sitting with the goblins, they don't mind if the meat is raw. She just sits smiling against the empty fountain with her arms resting on her knees and watches the goblins eat, marveling in the sight. Is this how it feels to save a kingdom? One of the goblin guards in front glances over to where Sarah is sitting. With a great sense of importance, the little creature stands up and says to the rest of the goblins, "Everybody! Let's all give a great big ol' cheer for our new queenie!" The goblins all shout and laugh and cheer and bow to Sarah, crying things like, "The queen!" "Hail Queen Sarah Williams!" and many others.

_I never meant to be a queen. _Tears roll down Sarah's face. She's about to scold herself until she remembers that none of the goblins are hungry anymore… but the king is still missing.

""""

Sarah is woken by Hoggle's hand on her shoulder. She was still sitting against the fountain with the red daylight of the Underground upon her, but the goblins were now dancing around a fire in celebration, the pile of bodies now just a black stain on the dirt of the square behind them. Hoggle says, "Sarah, you should get some rest. Ya deserve it." Hoggles voice cracks on the last word. She turns her head to look into his face and sees it overflowing with pride. She smiles at him, then back at the goblins as she rises, nodding. Gref, seeing that his queen is awake, rushes to her side.

"Majesty, is there something you needs?" He sounds eager.

Sarah smiles tiredly down at him and says, "I just need to rest. Is there an empty house I can stay in or something?"

Gref looks horrified. "No, my queen! You can't stay in a goblin house. I'll takes you up to the castle."

Sarah's eyes go wide. "No, no! I can stay here in the city, really."

Sir Didymus speaks up from behind her. "The Goblin City is no place for a lady, let alone a queen, your majesty!"

"Didymus, call me Sarah," she says to the knight. She doesn't want to stay in the castle where she caused all this heartache and death. Besides, she would always associate the castle with Jareth. It wasn't hers. She would just feel like she was invading his space, a space she ripped from him. However, Hoggle convinces her that the goblins wouldn't understand why a queen was staying in a house like theirs and they might lose respect for her.

Sarah never meant to be a queen.

Gref leads Sarah, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo up towards the castle. In the daylight, Sarah is much more able to observe the damage that has been done to it. She averts her eyes instead, unwilling to think about it until she's better rested. As they enter the castle, Sarah is struck with the striking familiarity and terrifying strangeness of the place. She's been here before, but it was full of life then. The walls glowed with magic and torches lines the golden walkways. Now, the halls were dank and grey, dark as a grave and just as silent. The red light streaming in from the windows does nothing to warm the room; it remains cold and unforgiving. Gref doesn't seem perturbed as he walks straight from the entrance down a hall to the right. Sarah can't help but glance at the left stairway that leads to the tower she destroyed.

They walk for a long time, and make their way up many staircases. Dark torches line the walls, along with various paintings and dust-covered tapestries depicting many different things. One has a scene of the forest with the castle in the distance; another shows an intricate picture of the Labyrinth itself. Sarah looks at all of these with interest, but stops dead when she comes to a painting that covers the whole wall from ceiling to floor. Her heart stops as she stares at a larger than life-sized painting of Jareth. He's facing forward, feet braced apart with his hands resting on some sort of black cane in front of him. He has that arrogant smile playing on his handsome face as he stares mockingly at her. A red curtain pulled back from a window rests on a golden chair behind him, revealing the Labyrinth through the window. He's wearing that strange armor she'd seen him in when she first wished Toby away, and he is beautiful. How did Sarah never realize before how beautiful he is? She always knew he was handsome, but she was so young when she last saw him. _I'm barely any older than I was then! Get ahold of yourself Sarah. _She thinks again about the things he said to her in their final confrontation. _I will be your slave, _he'd said. Sarah's heart constricts with something very like grief. Sarah doesn't know how long she's been staring at the painting, but is startled by the sound of Gref's voice from down the hall. "My queen? This is yer room."

Sarah rips her gaze away from the figure on the wall and turns to see Gref and her friends standing in front of a huge black set of double doors. Sarah walks over to them and is surprised to hear Hoggle growl. "She ain't stayin' in there! She can stay in another room."

She looks down at him with her eyebrows raised. "Hoggle, what's wrong?"

Hoggle just glares at Gref, who stammers, "Sorry, sir, but this is the only room there is. We never had guests or nothin'."

Sarah narrows her eyes, a sneaking suspicion forming. "Gref, whose room is this?"

"It's the Royal Chambers, my queen. The king's room."

**Sarah is queen! How do you think a certain Goblin King will react when he finds out? Please review, even if you didn't like this chapter. Tell me what I can do better or if you liked it, tell me what to keep doing. I don't know unless you tell me!**


	7. A Voice In the Dark

Sarah's eyes widen as she stares at the black door. Jareth's room. This is most certainly a gross invasion of privacy, but then he barged into her room once. Well, pretty much. That's all the encouragement her burning curiosity needs. She grips the knobs and is about to throw open the double doors, but she pauses. She doesn't know why, but she doesn't want Hoggle and the others to come in with her. It feels like something private. She turns to them and says, "I'm alright, guys. You can go back to the fire if you want."

Gref knows right away that he's been dismissed and bows before setting off down the hall again. Ludo and Sir Didymus say goodnight to Sarah and follow Gref. Hoggle is the only one who hesitates. "Sarah… ya don't have to stay in there."

Sarah smiles down at him. Queen or not, he would always be her protector. "It's okay, Hoggle. If I need you, I'll call."

Hoggle gives her a little chuckle before grabbing her hand and squeezing it. After a halted goodnight, he, too, leaves. Sarah takes a calming breath, squeezes her eyes shut and swings the doors open before she can lose her nerve. She steps into the room with her eyes still closed.

She inhales deeply. It's faint, but she can smell him. His spicy, masculine scent is still here and she has to swallow another wave of grief. She opens her eyes slowly and takes in her surroundings. To her left, a fire roars in a grand fireplace of black marble with white swirling through it. There's no mantle, just black set into the beige stone of the castle. She's surprised to see the fire in it, and wonders if it ever goes out, if it has been burning for two years. There doesn't seem to be any wood in the fireplace, just the flames. It gives the room a warmth that the rest of the castle sorely lacks. Plush blood red armchairs are placed to the right of the fireplace, with a matching sofa opposite them. There's a dark wood coffee table between them, resting on some kind of black fur on the floor. She would say bear, but it isn't any kind of bear she's ever seen. The ears were like a bear's, but the teeth are far too long, and the eyes too wide. The nose is squashed in like some kind of cat, but its limbs aren't as thin. There are two doors set into the wall next to the fireplace, both made of the same black wood that the bedroom door is made of. Almost the entire back wall is taken up by a huge set of French doors, their glass giving her an uninterrupted view of the Goblin City and the Labyrinth. Not only are the doors glass, but there are two windows lined with red curtains next to them, showing the balcony in its entirety. There are dead plants on the balcony in front of the doors.

Sarah turns her head to the four-poster bed and her jaw drops open. It's enormous, larger than king sized. The spread is blood red with golden and black threads swirling through it, matching pillows arranged at its head; some red, some black. Sarah shakes her head. She isn't ready to deal with that quite yet. She walks quietly over to the closer of the two doors on the left, hoping for a bathroom. She is not disappointed. The floor is the same black marble as the fireplace, as are the counters and the enormous tub. It looks like a modern bathroom, like one her stepmother would look at in a magazine. The walls are white, but the walls surrounding the tub in the right corner are black, like the walls of the square tub just continue to the ceiling. There is no shower, but there is mercifully a toilet, with the appropriate supplies. When Sarah steps inside, her footsteps echo in the huge space. She uses the toilet and is a little disappointed to see that there is regular hand soap sitting in a white dish next to the sink. She was expecting some kind of gold turned to soap or something. She steps over to the raised tub, catching her eye in the mirror behind it. She climbs the steps lined with folded white towels to look down into the marble depths, noticing the bottles lined around the ledges. Ten people could fit easily. She wonders if Jareth has had anyone in it with him. _Whoa! Where did _that _come from? _Sarah shakes her head, blushes, and chuckles at herself in the mirror, but can't quite get the image of a wet, soapy and very naked Jareth out of her mind.

She decides to leave the bathroom. Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that she'll be able to rid her mind of thoughts of the Goblin King when she's in his private suite. As she exits the bathroom, she is confronted again by the huge bed directly across from her. She almost bolts to the second door. She steps into a huge closet with a giant mirror spanning the length of the rear wall behind her, a black seat of some kind right in the middle of the floor. The walls are lined with clothes, some that Sarah recognizes. Rows of boots cover the floor. The right wall is lined with flowing shirts, vests, and the like. The left wall is lined with those tight pants, ones that Sarah remembers all too well. She blushes again when she remembers just how well each one flatters its owner. She clenches her jaw and swallows hard.

_Okay, Sarah. You've seen the room and drooled enough. What now? _She told her friends she was going to sleep, and she needed it, no matter how uncomfortable it would be to sleep in his room. She walks out of the closet and quickly over to the bed, then pauses as she looks at its immaculate state. Two years since anyone had slept in it, and there wasn't a speck of dust on it. In fact, there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. She looks down at her filthy clothes, runs her fingers through her greasy hair, and decides what she really needs is a bath.

Sarah turns the nobs so that scaling hot water is rushing out of the faucet. She strips herself of her clothes and sinks into the deep tub with a sigh, her back resting in a corner. While it fills, she takes the time to open and sniff each of the bottles. The largest one holds a mix that smells exactly like its owner. She blinks at the scent, startled. She places that one in the far corner. The others are scented for women, or so she assumes. Fruits, crèmes, perfumes. Sarah feels an unexpected surge of disappointment and jealousy. _What did you expect, that he was celibate, waiting for the right woman? Get a grip. _No, even standing still and threatening, the Goblin King exuded sexuality. It shouldn't surprise her that he would entertain many women. Sarah laughs without humor at herself.

The tub is full and she hurriedly washes herself with one of the soaps that smells something like strawberries. She places the one that smells like peaches next to the other forbidden bottle. As she washes her hair, the water bleeds brown with dirt.

Standing before the bed, hair dripping and wrapped in a towel, she's faced with another problem. What does she wear to bed? There's no way she's sleeping in Jareth's bed naked. It's just too weird. She goes back to the closet, but can't find any pajamas. Which begs the question, just what does the Goblin King wear to bed? Sarah assumes the answer is nothing, which is almost enough to make her insist on sleeping in a goblin house. _Don't be ridiculous, he's not even here. _As if she could forget.

Sarah finally decides to just sleep in one of his shirts, it's better than nothing and all of them are as long as some of her sleep-shirts at home, anyway. She shrugs on a white frilly shirt with an open neck and ruffles on the sleeves. She looks at herself in the mirror at the rear of the room. How is it he can look so sexy in these things and she looks like a reject from Pirates of the Caribbean? She shrugs at herself and goes back to the bed. She pulls back the covers and slides between the satin, blood red sheets. She drifts off to sleep with Jareth's scent enveloping her like a lover's arms.

When she wakes, she faces another similar conundrum. Jareth's clothes are the only ones here. She wasn't going to put on the filthy clothes she came here in, so she takes a pair of pants off the rack in the closet and puts them on. Rather, she forces them on, her hips complain heartily at the super tight fabric. She throws on her Nike's and makes her twisting way out of the castle for another day of trying to undo the damage she caused.

""""

Sarah has been acting as queen for four months. For the first few weeks she was making regular trips Above for food, but now the harvest is coming in and these trips shouldn't be necessary anymore. Her first order of business was to figure out why they weren't getting water, and that problem was just as blatant as the crops. The fields and the city don't get their water from a well like she'd feared, but from an irrigation system running down from the distant mountains north of the castle. Jareth ordered constant maintenance of the pipes and ditches, but when he disappeared, the goblins fought over who had to do it and eventually decided no one wanted to do the hard work of clearing the blockages and fixing leaks, so they just stopped. It took a solid week of doing nothing but irrigation work, but Sarah finally has the ditches that crisscrossed the fields flowing with water. The fountain in the goblin city is gushing clear.

The goblins used to have specialized jobs like gardeners, guards, cooks, farmers, but now Sarah has to force every one of the goblins to work on one task at a time. There simply aren't enough hands to do all the tasks that need to be done. So it's become a matter of gathering all the goblins in the square for the day's job. Then they would all make their way to the field or the mountain path for the day's labor, Sarah toiling right alongside. When the first crop came in after two months, the goblins lifted Sarah on their shoulders and hailed their queen.

Sarah hasn't forgotten the second reason she came Underground. She had been sending parties of goblins out to search for Jareth in a grid pattern. They've scoured every part of the forest and the Bog. Sarah's hopes weren't high. If he were trapped somewhere like that and couldn't get out on his own, then he didn't deserve to be saved. As time went on, Sarah lost more and more hope that the king was still alive. He was so powerful; she can't imagine where he could be that he wouldn't be able to get out of if he were still alive. When these thoughts invade her mind, she does whatever she can to beat them back. These are usually the days when she sends out more goblins to search.

One night she couldn't sleep. Her mind was full of the Goblin King and she couldn't be in his room anymore, so she wandered the castle. On the ground floor, she came across an ornate door with a shelf of books carved into its wood. She opened the door to find an enormous library. It was five times the size of the throne room and at least three stories high, windows scattered throughout. The light of the moons illuminated the spines of thousands of books lining the walls all the way up to the ceiling, staircases and balconies dotting the rows. If there were a map of the Underground in existence, it would be here. Sarah searched until dawn and finally uncovered a book that was almost as tall as she was, and it was full of maps of the Goblin Kingdom. She studies the maps and searched, but none of her goblins found any trace of the king.

One day, she was in the library with Hoggle and Gref trying to figure out how to go about organizing the search of the forest when Gref said, "Yer majesty, why are we's still looking? That old king's probably dead and we don't needs him anymore. We's gots you!"

Sarah snapped her head up from the map and growled, "Because he is the king! I will not leave him wherever he is. If he's dead, then you will bring me his body!" Her eyes swam with angry tears. She never meant to be queen.

She had been on the throne for only three months when the first child was wished away.

She was discussing plans to clean the city streets when a couple goblins next to her disappeared. Then she heard a voice speak, and it sounded like it was coming from everywhere as a man with an Irish accent said, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now."

Sarah felt a painful pull behind her heart as she was ripped into the Above. She appeared in a tiny apartment in front of a weeping man. He had dark black hair and was on his knees in front of a crib, his hands grasping the bars. Sarah knew right away what was happening and she knew that this man had wished away his child. She kneeled down next to him, forcing him to acknowledge her presence. He turned a tear stained face towards her, his eyes widening. Goblins scurried around the room.

"The goblins… they took her?"

Sarah looked into the empty crib and at the goblins giggling from dark corners and hidden places. She turned her gaze back to the man and nodded. What did she do?

The man sighs, lets a few more tears escape, and smiles. "Good," he says.

Sarah blinked, shocked. "You… you meant to wish the girl away?"

"Yes. I can't take care of her. Her mother passed on a few weeks ago and I can't even take care of myself. Me Gran told me the story of the Goblin King and she said he would take care of her." He looked at Sarah again. "But you don't look much like what I imagined. You look more like a woman."

"I'm filling in. So… you don't want to win the child back?"

The man shook his head and smiled at her. "No, the stories say that goblins love children, and she'll have a much better life." Sarah couldn't help but agree. A man who would just wish away his daughter didn't deserve one. She looked at him in disgust.

"I will keep the child, then. I hope you never have more children." She spat at him. The man bowed his head as she rose to leave. When she stood, she felt something in her hand. She looked down to see a crystal had formed in her fingertips. She looked at it in confusion until she remembered her own encounter with the Goblin King. He'd offered her a crystal in exchange for her brother. Her dreams. She looked into the crystal and saw the man inside it. He had his arms wrapped around a pretty redhead, she supposed his late wife. They were outside of a huge home and a dog was jumping at their feet. She tossed the crystal at the man on the floor without looking at him and wished herself back to the Underground, the goblins following their queen.

It took two weeks for the baby girl to turn into a goblin. She was pretty, as far as goblins go. Her eyes stayed blue instead of turning red and her skin was brown instead of green. Her face faintly resembled a cat and her voice wasn't shrill like most she-goblins. Still, it killed Sarah to watch this beautiful baby turn into a goblin. If she hadn't beaten the Labyrinth, that is what would have happened to Toby.

Sometimes Hoggle or Sir Didymus would ask her why she didn't visit her family. Honestly, they didn't feel like her family anymore. She would always love them, she supposed, but as she looks at her friends and the goblins who depended on her so completely, she couldn't imagine anywhere else being home.

So, she settled into her role as provider and protector. The only thing that troubles her mind is thoughts of the missing Goblin King. She spends every bit of free time pouring over books in the library, hoping to find any shred of precedence for what had happened between them. As far as she can tell, no one had ever beaten the Labyrinth before. There are tales of other Goblin Kings being killed and their throne usurped, but none of them had ever just disappeared. She is shocked to find that there are other kingdoms in the Underground besides the Goblin Kingdom. There isn't a complete list anywhere, but she runs across mentions of the Fae Kingdom and the Elf Kingdom, even the Troll Kingdom. She hopes to never go there, it sounds terrible. She considers the possibility that another kingdom has Jareth, but thinks it unlikely. The only reason she could see for kidnapping or killing a king would be to take his throne. Well, the king had been gone for almost three years and the throne was most decidedly empty, except for Sarah. There was no way someone would let all that time pass if they were trying to take the Goblin Kingdom.

What seems more and more likely is that Jareth is trapped Aboveground somehow. She sincerely hopes this is not the case because she has no idea how she would find him up there. She still has no idea what could have happened to him when she refused him in that magic place. It's entirely possible that she took his ability to travel between worlds. After all, the last place she saw him was in his owl form Above.

She also searches through the books for any clue about what was happening with the Labyrinth. It was still as dangerous as ever, preventing anything from getting through it. The white mist hung over it like a ghost. She doesn't find anything. It has to be related to Jareth's disappearance, but she can't find any instance of a king being absent, or the Labyrinth going completely rogue. There's always been someone to take the throne, usually by force. She comes across this passage:

"_Many Goblin Kings and Queens have attempted to decode the mystery of the Labyrinth, the source of the sovereigns' magic. It is generally agreed that the Labyrinth is its own entity and that it enters into a contract with whichever being is sovereign over the Goblins. It is unclear who built the Labyrinth or how ancient it actually is. What is clear is the fact that the Labyrinth is connected with its King or Queen and allows that sovereign to control it to a degree."_

"…Magic?" Sarah whispers. She remembers the crystal that formed when she gave the man his dreams. She focuses on her hand, willing herself to create a crystal. If she truly is queen, then she should be able to do this. She should have the magic from the Labyrinth. Maybe she has to speak for it to work. "I wish I had a crystal." Nothing. Sarah decides she's way too exhausted for this to work. She rises from her chair, blows out the candle on the desk and heads back to her room.

She bathes and slides into bed, magic and Jareth saturating her mind.

""""

She's in the park and she's fifteen again. Merlin rests on the bench to her left and she's wearing that costume dress, ribbons in her hair. She wants so badly for the words she speaks to be real. "Give me the child," she says.

"Is the child really what you want?" says a smooth voice from behind her.

Sarah whips around and sees a man standing close, his hands clasped behind his back. His hair is blond and spiked, his eyes striking under black markings. He's handsome, like a king. He's dressed in a white poet's shirt, a black vest, and tight grey pants. He cocks his head and smiles at her, waiting for an answer.

Sarah gulps. "Yes."

The man smiles wider and takes a step closer. He was barely a foot away now. "Really? Because it seems to me that what you want," He leans down so that his head is next to hers as he says softly, "is your dreams."

He takes her hand and suddenly they're not in the park. They're in a forest, but not the one in the Goblin Kingdom. Birch trees rise tall around them, their golden leaves littering the ground so that they are standing on a carpet of gold. Sunlight glitters on the trees, making the leaves shimmer. They're completely alone and Sarah remembers everything. She's not the little girl in the park, she's a queen. She's wearing a dress, but it's not a costume. It's green and hugs her slim body like a second skin until the fabric falls off her hips to brush the ground. Jareth moves back slightly to look in her eyes, his hand still grasping hers. A gloved thumb moves over her knuckles. She's frozen. This feels so real. She knows she's dreaming; yet the fact that she does know this isn't real somehow makes it even more so. "I've been searching for you," she hears herself whisper.

"I know. Have you had any luck?"

She shakes her head. "How is this happening?"

"I told you, Sarah. I can give you your dreams." He's kissing her. Not some chaste press of lips in a ballroom, he's kissing her for all he's worth. No one has ever kissed her like this. One hand is gripping the back of her neck, the other one pulls her waist close to his body. Sarah lets herself go and her hands are tangled in his soft blond hair, her tongue working furiously against his. He tears his lips from hers to desperately kiss along her neck. Her breaths come in gasps as he moves to press her body against a tree. She's trapped against him and she's never felt anything like it. She moves her hands down his sides and across his back, exploring; they're pressed too close for her to feel her hands against his chest. He moans against her neck and she decides it's the most beautiful sound she's ever heard. Suddenly his hands are at her hips and he's lifting her. As if she's done it a million times, she wraps her legs around his waist and grasps either side of his face to angle his mouth for another kiss. With her back against the tree, Sarah has no escape when he presses himself against her. She moans into his mouth as he moves.

""""

Sarah wakes panting, her heart racing. She throws the covers from her sweat-covered body and leaps out of bed. She stands next to her bed with her eyes closed, unwilling to relinquish the sensation from her dream. Jareth. She wants him, desperately. She's felt shadows of this before, but she's never felt this aching. She aches for him, for the man she refused. She wants him. "Jareth," she whispers, and it sounds like a plea. She wishes for him with all her heart.

Her eyes are still closed when she feels the air shift around her. Her feet land on soft earth and she opens her eyes, shocked and a little scared. She doesn't know where she is, she can't see through the darkness. She hadn't meant to transport herself; she hadn't even said the words. What had she said? The dream comes back to her. She'd been standing by the bed and she'd whispered…

"Well, hello, Precious," purrs a deep voice behind her.

**Yay! Jareth Jareth Jareth.**

**Guys, I need your reviews. That was the first sexy scene I've ever written, did it sound okay? I know it was just a taste, but I want to know if I should tone it down or amp it up. **


	8. Power

A harsh scratching sound followed by a soft glow fills the tiny room and Sarah whips around. A candle now flickers in the middle of the oubliette. He's there, just as she last saw him. He might have just stepped out of her dream. White poet's shirt, black vest, sinfully tight grey pants tucked into boots, spiky blond hair. She stares him up and down, trying to force her mind to accept the fact that he's standing in front of her. She's searched so long. That's when Sarah realizes that she had been sure he was dead. She could put on a brave face for the goblins, but ever since she first started sending out search parties, her mind had whispered that it was useless. Now, here he was. Not a hair out of place and looking at her like he'd been expecting her. Her mind shuts off and she bounds toward him and throws her arms around his neck. His body goes still with shock as she cries, "Jareth! I thought you were dead. I searched and searched…" She buries her head in his shoulder.

She doesn't realize what she's done until strong arms slither around her waist and Jareth leans his head down to press against the top of hers. It's her turn to go still as she reminds herself that this is no dream. She doesn't really know this man and she's just thrown herself into his arms. She tries to pull back, but his arms tighten, trapping her against him, and she's afraid. "Tired of your party already?" he says into her hair. "I must say, I didn't think you would come to me quite so soon." She can feel the rumble of his voice through his body. His words make her forget her fear and she tilts her head back to look into his eyes, striking blue, the left one nearly all black in the flickering candlelight. His eyes hold nothing but predatory intent. She focuses on the words he's just said.

"… Party? What are you talking about?" Her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

He raises one eyebrow and looks at her like she's being obtuse. "Your little gathering in your room. The one my traitorous subjects were invited to." Bitterness creeps into his words.

Her eyes widen as she remembers dancing with Hoggle and the rest after she'd won Toby back. Three years ago. She brings her hands to his chest and pushes against him, but strength courses through his arms and she knows she can't move him herself. He considers her for a moment before reluctantly letting his arms drop from her body. She takes a step back and crosses her arms against the cold. "Jareth… how long do you think it's been?"

He doesn't hear her, or he ignores her. His gaze is raking down her body and she realizes that she's wearing nothing but what she slept in. Namely, one Goblin King shirt. A large portion of her chest was showing along with her legs from about mid-thigh down. She blushes furiously, but otherwise chooses to ignore the fact that she's wearing practically nothing. She raises her head and slaps an expectant expression on her face. When his burning gaze finally scorches into her eyes, he smiles that superior smile. He cocks his head before saying huskily, "That's quite the attire you have on, Precious." His expression turns serious like the flick of a switch. "As wonderful as you look in it, may I ask how you acquired my shirt?" There was a low warning in his words and Sarah would have to be a true fool to miss it.

She keeps her face frozen, but his suspicious expression tells her that Jareth doesn't miss the quickening of her breath, the flicker of fear in her eyes. She licks her dry lips. His eyes dart to catch the movement, but his face remains stony. Sarah says again, "Jareth, how long do you think you've been here?"

"Sarah, I arrived in this oubliette not ten seconds before you did, what is this foolishness?"

Sarah's wide eyes move from his face to the floor, roving quickly in thought. She shakes her head and says to herself, "The oubliette. God, he was in the Labyrinth the whole time!"

"Sarah, you will tell me what you are blathering about."

She looks back at his angry expression. She has no idea if there is anything but shock on her face as she says numbly, "Jareth… you've been missing for almost three years."

He stands still as a statue and Sarah sees that he's stopped breathing. He stares at her for a long time. Apparently, he reaches an inner conclusion and his face twists with disdain. "Impossible. I told you, I have only just gotten here, you stupid girl."

Sarah does not like to be insulted, estranged Goblin King or not. "Okay, I realize that this is a surprise, but you need to put your pride away and listen to me. You have been gone for three years. No one has seen you since I… left." A thought enters Sarah's mind and she goes back to staring restlessly at the floor while she thinks. Jareth starts to reply, but she puts a hand up to silence him. She doesn't see him clench his jaw at the gesture. If Jareth didn't put himself here, it must have been the Labyrinth. Why would it do that and why wouldn't Jareth be able to stop it, or even know about it? She remembers the goblins chanting her new title as queen. Jareth crosses his arms and heaves an angry sigh, the picture of impatience. She glances at him and starts to pace. Without raising her eyes from the dirt floor, she says, "Do you know how you got down here?"

"I was in the Above and when I passed into this world, I arrived here instead of at the castle."

"Has this ever happened to you before?"

"No, but I was fairly distracted," he spat at her. "Now tell me why you are acting as if you've lost all sanity."

She ignores his tone and asks, "Have you tried to get out?"

"If I have to tell you this one more time I will brand it on your arm: I have only just appeared here."

Sarah is breathing heavily from the weight of her suspicions. She's still pacing and staring at the floor when she says, "Try."

He raises an eyebrow at her command. "Excuse me," he says dangerously.

She's unperturbed by his tone, she needs to test her theory. She stops her relentless pacing and looks up at him with fervor in her eyes. "Try getting out of here. Go to the castle or the city or something," she says quickly.

His gaze turns icy and he violently hurls himself toward her. She holds her ground, but only just. With inches between them he growls down at her panicked expression, "You do not order me about, little girl. Remember with whom you are speaking."

She swallows her pride. "Please," she whispers. She hates to back down from him, but she needs to figure this out.

He rolls his eyes, but steps back from her. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Nothing happens. He opens his eyes and draws his eyebrows together. He shakes his head and repeats his movements, closing his eyes and breathing deep. Nothing. "I… I can't," he growls through clenched teeth.

Sarah's breathing quickens again. "Can you do anything?"

He waves his hand through the air, apparently trying to conjure a crystal. He squeezes his jaw shut even tighter as he concentrates. After a few tries, he's breathing hard and his gloved hands remain empty. "It would appear not!" He yells at her. "What do you know of this?"

"Your magic is gone."

"I can see that, but it is impossible. I am the king!"

Sarah's heart races as she softly says, "No, you're not… I am."

Jareth rockets back to where Sarah is standing and grabs her arms above the elbows. His momentum carries them across the room and into the wall of the oubliette. It happens too fast for Sarah to resist. His face is inches from hers as he screams, "You _dare _say such things? You do not have the power to take my throne!" His fingers were digging into her flesh.

"Ow! Jareth, you're hurting me!" she shrieks.

"Good. Do not forget that I am a being as ancient and powerful as the sun!"

Sarah is terrified. She looks into his rage-filled eyes and sees nothing of the man from her dreams. She was stupid to forget for a second that he is not human. She thought it was impossible, but his grip tightens even more. She screams, and all she wants is to get him off of her. This desire courses through her entire being and suddenly it is Jareth who shrieks in pain. His hands wrench from Sarah's arms and he is shoved back by the force of her magic. He stares down at his hands to see the leather burned through in places, angry red blisters appearing through the holes. He looks up at her with something like fear in his eyes. He shuts his eyes tight and turns from her, his head bowed. His hands fall to his side. She sees him take several deep breaths before he whispered, "Forgive me. I forgot myself."

Sarah, impressed and a little frightened with herself, walks to the center of the room, close but outside of touching-distance to Jareth. Her voice shakes from what just happened as she says, "I know you've just had a shock, and I understand, but you will never put your hands on me like that again."

His back stiffens at the command and his hands clench into fists at his side before he hisses in pain. A couple blisters burst in his palms. He slowly turns to Sarah and says, "It seems I have no choice, my _queen._"

Sarah narrows her eyes at him. "You know, I didn't set out to be queen, but you weren't _there._ You don't have any idea what I've done for your kingdom."

He raises his eyebrows at her. "Please, enlighten me."

Sarah looks around the oubliette before sitting on a small stool next to a pile of bones from what look like some kind of dog. "Take a seat because it's a long story." He rests on the edge of the old table that the candle is resting on, stretching out his long legs to cross them at the angle. He crosses his arms and waits for her to continue.

She starts from the night when Hoggle let it slip that the king had been missing since she won her brother back. She talks about discovering her power and her eventual return to the Underground. She leaves out her dream of the ballroom. When she gets to the part about first seeing the conditions of the goblins, Jareth's face momentarily fills with pain. She keeps going as if she didn't notice. She tells him how she went Above to get food and how she replanted and harvested the crops, how the goblins made her their queen. How she searched for him. She tells him how out of control the Labyrinth has become and about the man who wished away his daughter. She stops when she is unable to phrase why she came to this oubliette. She hopes he just lets it go. She _is_ here, so it doesn't matter why.

So of course, he asks, "Why this oubliette? How did you know I was here after all your searching?"

She averts her eyes. "I… wished for it." _No! Lie, just lie._

"Wished for what?" His voice is soft.

"For… the goblins to have their king back."

Even to her, the lie was obvious and he has not forgotten how she embraced him when she first saw him in this oubliette. "That doesn't follow, Precious," he whispers.

She raises her head to look at him defiantly. "It doesn't matter anyway. I found you, now I can get you out and clear my conscience." His face is serious as he cocks his head and narrows his eyes.

"Why would you do that? You're queen. You obviously have magic, my magic in fact. Why take me out of here at all? What purpose does it serve?"

"I told you, to clear my conscience."

"So you wish to save me? After I took your brother and made you run my… your Labyrinth?" Sarcasm drips from that last sentence.

Sarah sighs and looks down at her hands in her lap. "Well, I've had some time to think over what happened the last time I was here. I know that wishing Toby away was my fault. You didn't have to be so terrible about it, but it was my words that caused the whole thing. Then I… said things to you without any idea of what the consequences would be. The goblins suffered terribly and I didn't even know if you were alive."

Jareth stays silent, digesting her words. After a while, she glances back up at him. He has his back to her, his burned hands clenching the edges of the table as he leans over it. She winces when she imagines how much that must hurt. She rises from her stool and slowly, cautiously, moves to stand next behind him. "Jareth?"

He turns to her and says softly, "I want to see the city."

She nods at him and slowly moves her hand to encircle his wrist. She wishes for them to be in the city square and the air shifts.

**Alright guys, Jareth's back but this story is far from over. This chapter was the hardest for me to write so far because Jareth is such a complex character. The reviews are so helpful; please keep posting them. One of them actually helped me come up with a whole new aspect of the story for later on, so you never know how they might help shift things, or make me realize that something isn't working or needs to work better.**


	9. Consequences

A small hand grips his wrist and he stares down at this beautiful and infuriating woman with the thoughts of millennia in his eyes. It can't be true, it can't be true. His power is absolute, this is a fluke. His mind constructs a defense made of lies and desperate grasps at slim possibilities. His loyalty as king to the Labyrinth is being tested, his resolve being strenuously pounded. This little girl cannot hold the power of the Labyrinth. It is his; he won it. She's lying, this girl who stole his heart with a few recited lines from a book. His magic is as much a part of him as his soul, only death could rip it out of him… she doesn't have that power over him. No, this is a test. If the Labyrinth had truly wanted a new sovereign, it would have killed him.

No kingdom is as great as his, no king as powerful.

He will not let her win again. To stand aside and let her rule would be forsaking his very vows as king… but his ancient heart melts a little as those cruel eyes fill with concern for what she is about to show him. He doesn't break her gaze as the air around them moves, the oubliette dissolving away to allow the goblin houses to rise up in the night sky. She takes him to the empty square, the center of the city, and drops her hand from his wrist when the stone under their feet solidifies. He smells the faint odors of death and filth before he takes his eyes from her face. He turns his head to take in the sight of his great city brought to ruin and his legs can't support his pain. He falls to his knees and stares at the stone underneath him. His hands grip the sides of his head and all the air in his lungs is rushing out, trying to rid his body of the pain of failure. A king should protect his kingdom.

Jareth feels a pressure on his shoulder and a soft voice says, "Jareth, I'm so sorry."

She's sorry. She caused this; her words trapped him in a dirt hole and condemned his people to die, and she says she's sorry. He hadn't even known. He gave her the power to destroy him, but she only did half the job. She only destroyed his legacy as king and left him alive to wallow in the loss of his magic and grief over his people. She told him her story, how she shattered this kingdom and then tried to tape it back together. Does she want his _gratitude_? Does she want him to thank her for rejecting him, robbing his people of their provider, embracing the title which she did not earn, and then propping the kingdom up on the promise of _her _goodness? Hatred rises up in him like a tide. Queen Sarah.

His hate gives him something to hang onto, a handle in the ocean of this grief. He inhales, the pressure of her shaking hand still on his shoulder. He stands slowly, letting her hand fall away. He clenches his own hands into fists and the painful blisters give him something else to focus on. He can feel her concern and the thought makes him sick. If she had been able to look past her stubborn childlike fantasies, she would have been able to see what he was offering her. He would have given her the dreams she clings so fervently to, but she made him the villain instead. The moonlight washes over the burned buildings and filthy streets.

"You're sorry?" He hisses, still facing away from her. He would hear her utter those justifications, those excuses.

"Y-yes. I know what you're feeling—"

"Do you?" He turns to face her, and his face is completely calm.

"Well, I felt like this too. That's why I had to come back, to do what I could to set it right." Her voice is shaking and her green eyes fill with tears. He's never seen her cry before.

"So you thought you would kill off most of my kingdom, throw it into chaos, and then bring me back in time to see you steal my throne, and my subjects' loyalty? You are exceedingly cruel. Please, you precious, precious thing, tell me what you want from me!" He's losing control, his hate slipping in the war with his desire for her. After everything, his idiotic heart still wants her. Her tears are battering at his defenses. He thinks of his magic, the goblins, and the cold hate moves through him again. He uses all of his centuries of practice to harden his heart against her.

He expects her to rant and rage at him. He's geared for a fight and is relishing the thought of destroying her, getting some small revenge against her for what she's done in refusing him. He does not expect her to close her eyes in defeat, to bow her head and say quietly, "You're right. This was my fault and you have every right to blame me. I'm so sorry." And he's disarmed again. All he wants to do is comfort her when ten seconds ago he was anticipating shoving everything she's done in her face. For the first time in his life, he wants to comfort someone, and be comforted in return. Sarah has no idea how close she came to forgiveness when she continues with, "But you can't tell me that you aren't to blame at all for this. If you had been truthful with me from the beginning, this might all have been avoided. Instead, you were focused on playing your game. I take responsibility for what happened to the goblins and to you, but I expect you to be able to do the same."

He's paralyzed by his conflicting emotions. Her words are both knives in his heart and ammunition for his strike. He teeters on the edge of attacking or accepting. The conflict shows in his expressions, emotions exploding behind his eyes and across his face. Sarah watches him with trepidation, preparing herself for the attack. Jareth takes a deep breath and his expression calms.

"I do take responsibility for this," he gestures at the city. "I let you run my Labyrinth and I gave you a choice in the end… Do you know that you're the first human ever to beat the Labyrinth since it was entrusted to me?" She nods. He tilts his head back to look up at the night sky. His mind is in the ballroom. Sarah was in his arms, and he knew everything had changed. He had meant to take her time away from her, make her lose the game. Instead, he lost himself in her. He sang to her and she looked at him like he was the only man she ever wished to dance with again. When she broke away from him, he felt nothing but pain. No bitterness, none of his wounded pride, just the pain of his arms being empty when she should have been in them. It killed him, but even the pain had been better than the void he had been before she appeared in his life.

And now she was killing him again. He lowers his gaze to look down at her. She stares back, confusion coloring her features. He could submit, and he knows she would accept him. They could rebuild this city together and spend the nights in each other's arms. He wants it. But he cannot change who he is. He's a fae, a magical being and one who cannot abide sitting by whilst another uses his magic to rule _his_ people. He can admit that he loves her, but no, she had her chance at happiness with him and she threw it in his face. He can already feel it, the emptiness in his being where the magic used to be. It's a part of him and he can't just let it go.

He's been staring at her for a long time, thinking. She raises her eyebrows. "Jareth?" He tenses slightly every time she says his name as if she were his equal. If a subject had addressed him by his given name, he would have bogged them on the spot. As he watches his name form on those beautiful lips, he decides he likes the sound from her. She wants to be his equal, does she?

"What do you want of me, Sarah?" he asks again, his eyes narrow. "Honestly, how do I fit into this new kingdom?"

Sarah takes a deep breath and exhales in a huff. "I told you, I didn't mean to become queen. I don't want you to not be king." Her eyes widen as she realizes what she's said. Jareth raises his left eyebrow. "I mean, not king to my queen, but like a separate…" she waves her hands back and forth, searching for the right word, "ruler. You know?"

"What, you want to split it?" he mocks.

She rolls her eyes, back to the rebellious Sarah he knows. "No. Honestly, I hadn't thought much further than finding you. I didn't prepare for this."

"Finding me alive, you mean."

She looks away. "Well, yes. And especially finding you without magic," she blurts thoughtlessly. She looks up to find him grinding his teeth and flaring his nostrils in anger. "I'm sorry."

He closes his eyes to gather himself. Gods, she makes him insane. He's starting to get over the shock of seeing his city brought to its knees, but the loss of his magic is not something easily gotten over. "Well, I am here. Without magic. You're the queen, what do you want me to do? Leave? Live as a goblin? What?" he sneers.

Sarah puts a hand to her forehead. "I guess… I don't want you to leave. I'd never wish anyone to live as a goblin." She closes her eyes, thinking. Then she snaps them open wide. "I've got it! Do you want to make the Goblin Kingdom strong again?"

Jareth considers her through narrowed eyes before saying hesitantly, "Of course I do."

Sarah smiles at him and he melts again. He's never seen that smile aimed at him. "Then, why don't you help me? I never meant to be queen, I just couldn't find you. Now I have the magic from the Labyrinth and no idea how to use it. Help me. Help me rebuild the city and learn to protect it, to use my magic to be a good ruler. We can set everything right again and in the meantime, we can try to figure out ways for you to get your magic back!" Sarah finishes excitedly. Jareth turns away from her and paces, deep in thought. She may have grown in the time he'd been gone, but she is still so young. Jareth knows the histories of the Goblin Kingdom and the Fae. Every book, every expert, says the same on the subject of the magic of the Labyrinth. It is won in blood. Never before has a sovereign's magic been taken without his or her death, until now. There is no precedent.

Jareth, for once in his long life, doesn't know what to do. He knows what he should do-he knows it exactly. He should put a knife through Sarah's heart. The magic that fills her is his, and he should take it. He also knows that to do so would destroy him. Yes, he would have his magic and his kingdom back, but he would have to exist in a world without Sarah Williams in it. He would have to watch the life go out of her green eyes and see the betrayal there. Then he would sit on his throne and sink back into the void. He can't live like that.

But what is the alternative? He cannot let himself be merely an advisor to a queen who nearly destroyed the kingdom he once ruled. It would be a betrayal to his kingdom, his race, his training, and his very self. He would watch this girl use his magic to run his kingdom the way she wants to. The goblins would run wild and it would be chaos, she hasn't the discipline for complete sovereignty.

He could… wait. He could wait. He could see if she meant it when she said they could rule together. He could try to figure out a way to take his magic back without taking her life. If he can't… he would kill her. He can't risk his kingdom falling into disarray and death again because of an incompetent ruler. Jareth trained for years in the Fae kingdom before he made his bid for the Goblin throne; there is simply no possible way for her to be a competent queen so quickly. With or without his help, she would make mistakes. If he sees that she is putting his kingdom in unnecessary risk, he will end it. He will condemn himself to the life after because that is what a king must do. But there is no reason it has to be done just yet…

Jareth ceases his pacing and smiles at Sarah. "Alright, Precious. I will help you, but I have conditions. First, this will be a joint rule. I am still king, but I acknowledge that you are queen. We rule together, but you will defer to me as far as politics go. We both agree that I know far more about ruling a kingdom than you do and I expect you to heed my commands when it comes to the wellbeing of our subjects. Secondly, when I train you to control the magic, you will follow my direction _exactly_—"

"Wait, wait." Sarah holds up her hands, palms toward Jareth. "All I'm hearing is that I'll do what you say all the time. That's not how a partnership works."

Jareth gives a frustrated huff. "Sarah, magic is a dangerous thing. If you do not listen to me, you could do serious harm to yourself or others. If you try to use it before you are ready, it will backfire most severely, and in ways you won't expect. Outside of the training sessions, we have the same level of authority, unless I think you are acting in a way that may be detrimental to the kingdom." He looks down his nose at her and says mockingly, "Now can you admit that I know more about being a king than you do?"

Sarah clenches her jaw. "Yes," she growls.

"Good. Remember that I have the best interests of the kingdom at heart and that everything I tell you to do will be the result of hundreds of years of training and thousands of years of rule." Her eyes go wide. "Impressive, is it not? Do you agree to my conditions?" Sarah sighs but nods her head. He smiles at her and holds out his hand. "Shall we shake on it?"

Sarah puts her hand cautiously in his. He sees her hesitation and chuckles, "Come, come, Sarah. If we are to be partners, you must learn to trust me." Sarah rolls her eyes and takes her hand from his blistered one. He hides a wince. "Tomorrow I would like to be taken on a tour of the city to assess the damage in the daylight. Then we will plan what needs to be done to get the kingdom back in order."

"You know, I've done pretty well on that front already. We've already got the harvest in and the water pipes fixed. All the bodies have been taken care of, so really all we need to do is clean the city."

"You're forgetting that the Underground is rooted in magic. It cannot be mended in a matter of months with a few goblin work parties. This kingdom will not thrive until its magic is put into balance again. But we'll talk about that tomorrow after I've seen everything. For now, Precious, I am dreadfully exhausted, as you can imagine."

""""

Sarah feels her own eyelids growing heavy and agrees that the planning and explanations can wait until tomorrow. She reaches out to grasp Jareth's wrist again and without thinking, wishes them back to the castle, right outside her bedroom door. His bedroom door. Theirs? _No, mine. _Jareth yawns and opens the door, stepping inside.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asks quickly, rooted in the doorway.

He turns around to glance over his shoulder at her, eyebrows raised in surprise. "I'm going to bed. Why, care to join me?" He says with a smirk.

"No!" she answers quickly. He smiles wider. "This is my room."

He cocks his head at her, his expression confused. "I assure you, my dear, this is my room. I plan to take a bath and go to bed. I have been awake for three years, after all."

She stomps into the room, saying, "No, this is my room now. You're welcome to take your stuff and stay in one of the other…" _Shit. _His smile is a full-fledged grin now.

"Bedrooms?" He laughs.

Sarah narrows her eyes. "You're the one who made this castle with only one bedroom! Why would you do that?"

Jareth's smile fades slightly. "The castle resets after the death of its king or queen. When I was remaking it, I didn't see the need to add more than one bedroom. It would have been a waste of energy."

"Okay, then, tell me how to make one."

Jareth's face goes deathly serious as he quietly says, "Sarah, without any training you would most likely tear the whole castle down, at the very least. Do not attempt anything like that until I say you are ready, do you understand?"

His intensity makes her take a step back, but she nods. "Okay, I understand." She throws her hands up in exasperation. "But then what do we do about the sleeping arrangements? And don't you dare make some joke."

He throws his head back and laughs. "Oh I would never dream of joking at a time like this." He tries to straighten his face, but only succeeds in smirking at her again. "Sarah, I intend to be asleep in this room within the next twenty minutes. The sun will be rising in just a couple hours and I need to rest. I suggest you do the same."

Sarah looks frantically around the room for an escape. Her eyes land on the sofa next to the lit fireplace. "Okay, you take the sofa and I'll take the bed."

This time, the smile does disappear. "I'm not sleeping on the sofa."

"Well, then you're welcome to the floor or the bathtub. All I know is, neither me or my magic is going to let you in that bed."

**Sorry for the slight delay on this one. Jareth is one tough character to write! I'm hoping to continue to update in quick succession, but as the story gets more complex, it might take some more time because I don't want to rush it and kill it. Please review, they help me so much both in motivation and in general story mechanics. Thanks for continuing to read!**


	10. Risks for Everything

Without taking his eyes from hers, Jareth backs up and sits on the edge of the bed, crossing his arms. "Are we really at another impasse because of so small a thing?" He clicks his tongue at her, shaking his head. "What kind of diplomat are you?"

Sarah crosses her arms, mimicking him. "I can make you sleep on the sofa."

His expression turns to exaggerated confusion and his right hand raises to stroke his lips in thought. "Hmm. How d'you plan on doing that exactly?"

She throws her hands up in the air. "Will you please just sleep on the sofa?"

"No, now that I'm thinking about it, I think the best thing to do would be to share the bed," he smiles, the picture of innocence. From the neck up, at least.

As Sarah looks at him, she realizes he's toying with her. He's loving the fact that he can get a rise out of her, that he can throw her off balance. The thought makes her narrow her eyes. So he thinks he can just waltz in here and make her uncomfortable in her own room, the royal quarters? No. She's not fifteen anymore.

She gives him a smile to match the one he's aiming at her and says sweetly, "Fine, but I get the left side."

He looks genuinely surprised at that and she gives herself a mental high five. Of course, he's been a master manipulator for years and no one does it better. His surprise lasts only a second before a slow smile spreads across his face. So she wants to play this game does she? He cocks his head at her and his eyes once again roam down her body, clad in his shirt. In the glow from the fireplace, her skin looks like it has a life of its own. He rises slowly from the bed, still gazing at her, and moves toward her, his movements catlike. Sarah holds her ground, wondering just what in the hell she's gotten herself into. She takes a deep breath and his eyes move to her chest to take in the movement, noting the interesting things it does to how the fabric lays across her. He stops just in front of her and leans his head down to look in her eyes and whisper, "I prefer the right side anyway."

Sarah swallows. The way he said that, he might have just told her he was going to ravish her then and there. Six seemingly innocent words and she's back in her dream. Lust fills her eyes and she draws in her bottom lip. This does not go unnoticed by Jareth, who hadn't moved an inch. He moves his face closer and she lets her eyes flutter closed, waiting for the moment his lips would meet hers.

He waits until he can feel her breath on his lips before he straightens abruptly and says cheerily, "I think I'll have a bath before bed, Precious. You're welcome to any of my shirts." She opens her eyes to see him looking at her with amused triumph on his face. He laughs at her incredulous expression and struts into the bathroom and shuts the door behind him. She can still hear him chuckling behind the door. _That arrogant prick! _She contemplates barring the door shut somehow and forcing him to stay in the bathroom, but he'd probably just think it was funny.

She gives a frustrated sigh and moves to grab a clean shirt from the closet before she realizes that she's filthy from the oubliette. She thinks about just going to bed like this, but she hates going to bed not feeling clean. Then again, it might keep Jareth away from her. No, he wouldn't be stopped by a little dirt. The thought makes the blood drain from her face. Would he force himself on her? She doesn't know him, after all. He wouldn't try it after what she did to him in the oubliette, though, would he? Would he try it at all? _Okay, what do you know about him?_ Powerful king, thousands of years old. Manipulative, playful, devilishly handsome, loyal. No, if he has any designs on her, she's willing to bet that he considers it a challenge. He's not one to back down from a challenge or take something he hasn't won. He's too proud for that. That's what this is to him, another game. He wants to see how far he can push her until she gives in. Well, she wasn't going to just give him victory. It's not in her nature to back down any more than in his. Even if he is the sexiest thing she's ever seen. Sarah blushes and laughs at herself. She grabs a shirt from the closet and sits in the chair to wait her turn in the bathtub, ever the diplomat.

""""

Jareth takes his time in the bath, reveling in the feeling of getting the red dirt of the oubliette off his skin and out of his hair. He dips his head beneath the water and slicks his hair away from his face before reaching for his soap. Sarah has rearranged the soaps around his tub and he has to search for his bottle with his eyes closed to prevent water from creeping in. Once completely clean and smelling like himself again, he leans against the back of the tub and lets the stress of the past couple hours soak into the water. The episode by the fireplace just a few minutes ago seeps into his mind. He could have had her, this girl who told him he had no power over her. She was completely open, practically begging him. He wanted it just as badly… he can't. He tries to tell himself that it wouldn't have to mean anything; he's had sex with plenty of other women and sent them on their way the next morning. But this is Sarah, and as much as he tells himself that it would just be about dominating her and getting revenge for her refusal, he can't risk himself getting closer to her. Not when he can't bring himself to let go of what she's done. That doesn't mean he can't have some fun at her expense, though. He smirks before realizing that this little game he's playing with her is very much a double-edged sword.

He halfheartedly takes his hand out of the water to wave it through the air, trying to conjure a crystal. Nothing happens, he hadn't expected anything. He can feel that the magic is gone. He presses his palms against his eyes, pushing on them until he sees stars. Everything in him is becoming blurred. Where does his desire for Sarah stop and the loss of his magic begin?

Jareth decides he's had enough of the bathtub and rises to get out. As soon as his foot leaves the water the tub begins to drain. He dries himself off and wraps the towel around his waist before stepping back into the bedroom. His eyebrows knit together when he looks for the bane to his existence and finds her absent from the room. He hears a sigh to his right and sees her foot sticking out from behind the chair. He leans his upper body on the back of the chair and rests his head on his forearms, looking down at her. Sarah is curled up asleep on the chair, her body twisted so that her head is pillowed on the armrest. She's clutching one of his shirts in a hand that's hanging off the chair. She must have been waiting for him to finish in the bathroom before taking a bath herself. Now that she's asleep, all the lines of stress in her face that Jareth hadn't noticed are erased away. He knows the pressures of ruling and they have etched themselves into her face. She looks so much older than she did, only yesterday for him. Her hair is longer, her body leaner. She looks ten times as beautiful. How can he kill her? It seems more and more likely that he won't be able to. He slowly steps around the chair to kneel down in front of it. A lock of dark hair has fallen down to rest on her nose, obstructing his view of her face. He reaches out to brush it away, trying and failing not to notice how soft and warm her skin is. She doesn't wake, she must be more exhausted than he realized. He lets his hand rest lightly against her cheek. He closes his eyes and wonders what fate will make him do. He snaps his eyes open when he feels her start to stir and removes his hand from her face.

""""

Sarah gives groans at the uncomfortable position she finds herself in. Her neck is killing her and her left arm is numb beneath her body. She opens her eyes to find a pair of blue ones staring back at her. She yelps and jerks upright, causing a slight head rush. Jareth chuckles and says, "I thought I'd let you know that the bathroom is available."

He's naked. Well, not completely, but he has nothing on but a towel. His hair is wet and hanging down into his eyes, leaving trails of water on his bare shoulders. Her mouth hangs open a little as she stares at his chest. This isn't fair. _Close your mouth, for God's sake!_ She snaps her mouth shut and blinks at him. He knows the effect he's having on her and with a smirk he stands up slowly and stretches his arms above his head making his muscles ripple and his chest expand. The towel is hanging low on his hips. She keeps her expression frozen, but can't help the blush that creeps across her face. _Just leave, just leave. He wins this round, just leave! _Sarah practically bolts into the bathroom with the sound of his laughter following her.

When she looks around the bathroom, she sees his clothes lying in a pile on the floor by the tub. She rolls her eyes and picks them up to throw them in the bin next to the sink. She would have to set some ground rules with her new roommate about picking up after himself. She bathes quickly, trying to ignore the smell of his soap that permeates the room. She dries off and wraps her hair up in a towel. She briefly considers giving Jareth a taste of his own medicine by walking out in another towel, but decides that course of action could only cause problems. It's bad enough that the only pajamas she has are his shirts. She throws the shirt on and tosses the towels into the bin.

When she reenters the bedroom, she sees another towel lying on the floor next to the bed. She makes a beeline for it, snatching it up and snapping, "You know you can't just leave your stuff lying around everywhere!" She straightens up with the towel in her hand, finally looking up at the bed. He's propped up on his elbow, his wet hair hanging down onto the pillow. The blankets are pushed down to cover his waist, leaving his chest and upper stomach bare. Sarah drops the towel and has to stoop down to pick it up again, immediately turning to throw it into the bathroom bin. With her back to him, Sarah takes a deep breath and gathers herself. She's not going to go through this every time she goes to sleep, so she should start getting used to him. He's just a man. Fae. Whatever. She turns back and, without looking at him, throws the covers back from her side of the bed and climbs in. She starts to construct a barrier between them of pillows, but stops when she hears him snort in amusement. She slides deeper into the bed and turns her back to him, giving him a curt, "Goodnight," and shuts her eyes.

She can hear the smile in his voice when he says, "Goodnight, Precious."

""""

Sarah is in the Labyrinth. The white mist surrounds her, but this time she keeps her mind with her. She's not searching for anything, why is she here? She saved Toby already and Jareth is safe. Why is she in the Labyrinth? She hears the sound of falling rocks behind her and whips around to see the walls of the Labyrinth crumbling, falling in on themselves. The destruction is rushing towards her and she turns to run. Just like when she tried to outrun the cleaner, the walls are falling too fast for Sarah to outrun them. Just as she's about to be crushed, she bursts into the hedge part of the Labyrinth, breathing hard from exertion and terror. The green hedges are swaying as if moved by a breeze, but the air is deathly still. A vine shoots out from behind her to grab her ankle and yanks her leg back, forcing her to fall forward onto her hands. She kicks herself free of the vine and scrambles to her feet. She runs around a corner and stops dead at what she sees. She falls to her knees, tears already blurring her vision.

Hoggle is standing a few feet from her, his wide eyes fixed on her face. A spear taller than he is sticks out from his chest. Sarah crawls over to him to catch him as he falls forward. She turns him so he's resting on her knees with her arms around him, his blood soaking her clothes. Her tears fall onto his face as she slowly takes the spear from his body, hurling it away from them both the second it's free. He hasn't taken his eyes from her. "Hoggle, who did this?" she sobs.

He coughs weakly, trying to speak. His hand reaches into his pocket, but she's too focused on what his mouth is trying to say. He gurgles and blood seeps from the corner of his lips. Sarah leans her head down to catch the words he whispers. "Some… some queen you are." He slides a knife into her side.

""""

Sarah shoots up from the bed with a scream. She brings her legs up to her chest and rocks forward to put her head between her knees; the whole bed shakes with her sobs. Jareth jolts awake next to her and sees Sarah curled up in pain. His mouth drops open and without any thought other than to comfort her he scoots over and puts a hesitant hand on her back. "Sarah," he says softly, "what is it?"

She shakes her head and slides her hands to either side of her head, grabbing handfuls of her hair in her fists. She's terrified. Jareth moves to sit in front of her, keeping the top blanket wrapped around his waist. He puts his hands over hers, trying to coax them to release their iron grip. "Sarah, it's alright. You're safe. Please, Precious, let go." She raises her head and he succeeds in getting her hands to ease open, bringing her arms down so he can hold both of her hands in his right one while the left strokes her tearstained face. She looks into his wide eyes with fear, but doesn't pull away from him. He knows it's not him that she's afraid of.

Tears run down her cheeks as the fear drains from her eyes, leaving an empty sadness. He waits for her to speak, still stroking her face. She lowers her legs so that she's sitting cross-legged and closes her eyes before saying haltingly, "I'm sorry I woke you. I just… had a nightmare."

Gods, he wants to kiss her. Without any kind of conscious decision, he leans toward her. It's not that she looks sexy. In fact, she looks terrible. Her hair is tangled, flat on one side and sticking up on the other. Her eyes are swollen and bloodshot, dark circles enhancing the exhaustion. Her nose is bright red and she's sniffling wetly. She's vulnerable. She's trusting. She trusts him. He pauses in his drive toward her lips. She trusts him. What does he want? He knows what his body wants, but what does _he_ want? First, to know what scared her so that he can take that look out of her eyes. Then, he wants to make sure nothing ever scares her like that again. Because he loves her, and with her sitting in front of him, getting comfort from his hands on her, his magic doesn't seem that important. He's sure that when the morning light streams through the windows it will be different, but for now, all that matters is the beautiful woman who needs him. He leans back.

"Sarah," he says, "Tell me about it?"

She sobs once more, taking her hand out of his to wipe at her face. "I don't think I want to talk about it."

"It'll help. Please, I want to hear." He rests his hand on the side of her face, letting his thumb stroke the tear that falls from her eye.

Now that she's gotten over the initial terror of the dream, she looks at him in confusion. He knows what's going through that mind of hers and he just wants the trust to continue. He doesn't know how, but he knows this is a turning point. Not just for him, but for them both. If she can see him, what he really is and what he wants, he would do anything for her. It's as if he never left that tower, as if he's still standing in front of her with a crystal, waiting for her to save him or crush him. His magic is a distant memory.

She raises her hand to place it over his where it rests on her face. His breathing spikes. She curls her delicate fingers around his and pulls their hands away from her cheek, placing them both in her lap so that his rests palm up. The only sound is the crackling of the fire. She stares down at his hand for a long time, lightly tracing his blistered palm with a finger. Being a fae, even without his magic the hand is already mostly healed. His right hand feels cold where hers used to be. His eyes haven't left her face; she's stopped crying. They sit there for an eternity before she begins to speak, her hand still tracing his. In a calm, quiet voice she tells him about the dream. When she gets to the part about the dwarf, her eyes fill with tears again. Jareth doesn't know what to do. How can he protect her against this? The thought of Sarah being killed by someone she trusts sends a jolt of icy fear into his heart. He turns his head away when he realizes that this is exactly what he planned to do. He told himself that very night that if he couldn't find a way to restore his magic without killing her, that he would do it. He would take his magic back. Is it possible that her subconscious picked up on the threat? That her magic sensed the danger lying next to her? He's disgusted with himself. His face twists in loathing.

Jareth doesn't realize that she's looking at him and she pulls her hands away from his, scooting away from him. His hands shoot out to grab hers where they're pushing against the sheets. She must have thought he was upset with her. "No!" he says quickly. "I'm sorry," he shakes his head before continuing, "Sarah, do you want me to send the dwarf away?"

Her eyebrows knit together. "Just because I had a dream? No, that would be cruel." She looks at him with a hint of disgust.

With indignation in his voice, he says, "Well, I just don't know what to do for you. If he upsets you, then I can take care of it. If not, then tell me what I can do."

She rolls her eyes and sits back into her pillows. "I'm really tired. Could we just go back to sleep, please?"

Jareth is shocked. What does she want? Everything was going so well, he thought she was going to let him in. She told him her dream and accepted his comfort. All he wanted to do was find a solution so she wouldn't be upset any more. He chastises himself for being a sentimental fool. He should have known she was too stubborn to give in. He nods at her and moves back to his side of the bed, turning his back to her. He feels her moving around and assumes she's doing the same. He's just drifting off to sleep when he hears her quiet voice.

"Jareth? Thank you."

His last thought before sleep takes him is _damn her. _

**I planned on jumping right into the main conflict of the story in this chapter (because Jareth and Sarah's love life is not the main conflict, just to let you know), but this is where the story took me. I love to see Jareth and Sarah interact because they're so similar and yet their differences just make a normal relationship impossible. Hope you liked it, tell me either way!**


	11. Focus

"You have to focus, Sarah! You'll never get anywhere if you let your frustrations cloud your concentration."

Sarah grits her teeth and stares at her hand, willing it to create a crystal. Two weeks have gone by and she has yet to accomplish any kind of intentional magic. Of course, it isn't great for her concentration when Jareth flip flops between being outrageously flirty, aggravatingly irritating, and oddly distant. She can never predict which Jareth is going to show up in lessons and it's making it impossible for her to get any kind of grip on her magic. At least, that's what she tells herself. The tiny fear is creeping into her mind that this is taking so long because she's not meant to have this power. She never meant to be queen after all, and it could be that the magic is rejecting her. Jareth never offers much encouragement, just the occasional, "How do you expect to get any better when the slightest noise or bird in the window distracts that simple mind of yours?" Then she would glare at him and put everything she had into concentrating on producing some kind of magic so maybe she could wipe that cruel grin off his face.

Ever since that first night in their bedroom when Jareth had comforted her after her nightmare, he's been uncommonly cold, only speaking to her during their lessons and when some issue arises in the kingdom. Other than their lessons and when they go to sleep, he's conspicuously absent from her company. She never knows where he goes, but for hours when she's out in the city or in the library, Jareth is nowhere to be found. She never expected them to become close companions, but she never thought he would be so distant. Sarah knows she was rude after she told him her dream, but she couldn't forget how inhuman he had been. Just send Hoggle away because she had a bad dream about him? That took her completely off guard because, once again, she'd assumed Jareth would handle the situation like a human. The morning after, he'd begun this whole routine of ignoring her whenever possible and then turning his emotions on overload during the lessons. Sarah can't make sense of it. She never would have thought he'd be one to just back down, so she has to assume that he has some kind of purpose behind his behavior. _Unless he's a spoiled brat who's just out of his element_ said Sarah's bitter half.

Despite their tumultuous relationship, the kingdom is doing better with the two of them working together. Jareth insisted on a weekly census of the goblin population and there's been a steady increase since his return. Hoggle, who has become a sort of personal assistant to the queen, remarked that it's a good thing goblins breed faster than they kill each other. Sarah smiles when she remembers how Hoggle reacted to seeing Jareth emerge from her bedroom that first morning when he came to wake her. Once he got over the shock and fear of seeing his king in the first place, it took a giant amount of convincing to make him understand that they were in the same room out of a twisted necessity and nothing more. Jareth just leaned against the doorframe and smiled at Hoggle with an evil glint in his eye. Hoggle met his glare with one of his own once Sarah told him Jareth did not have the ability to send him to the Bog.

Even with the goblins themselves thriving, however, the kingdom is far from healthy. The Labyrinth is growing worse by the day and goblins are actually reporting sections of walls falling, doing their best to crush whatever poor goblin got too close. Sarah took Jareth to see the Labyrinth that first day like he asked, and once he stood at the entrance and saw the white mist he went deathly still and stared at it for a long time. Sarah asked him if he'd ever seen anything like it before. He slowly shook his head. He told her that before a fae makes a bid for the goblin throne they train for years in magical theory, readying themselves to control the power of the Labyrinth and the ability to travel between worlds, an ability that only the goblin king or queen possesses. He'd never heard of a sovereign being crowned without fae magic already within them. A question nagged at the back of Sarah's mind, but she stomped it out in her panic at hearing how long it would take her to be able to control her magic. She insisted they begin her training immediately, and they did.

They're in a large empty room that was some sort of dining hall at one time. Now, it's a long chamber with windows lining each side and a long table pushed against the west wall with chairs scattered along the walls. Today, like every day since they started, Sarah was trying to conjure a crystal. Jareth says it's the most basic manifestation of the magic, but Sarah hasn't produced one since that day a man wished away his daughter, and that hadn't been intentional. Jareth is hard on her, offering her no encouragement and little direction. He tells her that if she concentrates on feeling a crystal in her hand, that one will appear. She's simply not trying hard enough. Sarah stares at her hands and then squeezes her eyes shut in the drive to concentrate, but no matter what she does, her hand remains stubbornly empty.

She heaves a frustrated sigh and Jareth moves to sit in one of the chairs against the wall. He leans his head to rest against the back of the chair and stretches his legs out to cross at the ankles. "Do you even want this, Sarah?" he asks.

She whips her head towards him. "Of course, I want this! Why the hell else would I stay in this room for hours with you if I didn't want to learn? Maybe if you were a better teacher, I'd be a little further on than when I started!"

She has an outburst like this at least once during their lessons. Jareth would either scream at her, storm out, or chuckle. Luckily, she gets amused Jareth today and he laughs at her. "I've told you everything you need to know. Concentrate, block everything else out of your mind, and you will feel your magic and be able to control it. Don't blame me for your weak mind," he finishes with a smile.

Sarah has had enough. She screams in frustration and storms toward him where he sits relaxed and amused. "You know what? I've had enough _lessons _for today, you arrogant bastard!"

"Careful, Sarah. One might think you're unladylike."

She turns on her heel and transports herself to the Goblin City. She had to get away from him or she might kill him. She has never met anyone in her life who was so damn irritating! Her breaths came in huffs of anger as goblins bustled about in the city. Each one who saw her would bow and offer her a drink or some food or their arm, anything they thought might please the queen. She loves them, but she needs to be alone to cool off. Her feet take her in the direction of the Labyrinth. She could just poof there, but she wanted the walk. She's so frustrated and as much as she wants to blame Jareth for her problems, she's frustrated mainly with herself. Maybe she never meant to be a queen, but she didn't stop the goblins from declaring her one. Now she has to live up to the title, and she isn't doing a good job of it. It isn't like she's not trying, but intentions don't mean a thing if there are no results.

It takes her a long time, but she finally finds herself at the North entrance of the Labyrinth. She stares into it, hoping for answers or some kind of epiphany. She doesn't enter, remembering what happened the last time she came into contact with that white mist. She sighs and turns right, walking along the outer wall. She walks for a long time, until the red sun starts to sink below the horizon. Just as she's about to take herself back to the castle, she spots a rose bush growing right at the edge. They look just like the roses from the Above, and she walks towards them in wonder. They're deep red and all of them are fully bloomed so that the red outweighs the green. _Beautiful. _Sarah reaches out to pick one of the roses, thinking how pretty it would look on the nightstand next to the bed. As her fingers close around the stem, she feels a sharp pain in her finger. She jerks it back, expecting to see blood from the thorn. Instead, she sees a thick purple gel seeping from her thumb. She collapses.

""""

Sarah disappears from the room and Jareth's smile drops from his face. He brings his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. This is becoming harder by the day to keep up. He just has to stall her until he can figure out a way to take his magic back. He can't afford her to have any more of these outbursts, but he can't afford her to think clearly, either. In a fit of rage, she could bring the castle down. However, the alternative is making her too strong to defeat. He's walking a fine line between destroying her and giving her the power to completely destroy him. He tells her to concentrate and control her emotions while doing everything he can to sabotage her. What else can he do?

Jareth rises from his seat to make his way to the dungeons once again. He doubts anyone has been down there in centuries. Sarah never had a need, he doubts she even knows about them, and no goblin would go down there willingly. Jareth hadn't been down in the dark rooms since the last challenge to his throne. He lights a torch before descending into the darkness behind the throne room. At the bottom of the stairs, he turns left down a narrow corridor and walks thirty paces before turning right into a seemingly solid stone wall. He emerges into the scroll room. The dungeons are beneath the part of the castle that collapsed, but thankfully this room survived. It holds the knowledge that each goblin king and queen has collected over the millennia. There is no set system to the scrolls, they seem to be organized by reign, not topic. As a result, Jareth has been painstakingly combing through each shelf of scrolls, spending hours down here. No one but the reigning sovereign knows of this room, and Jareth has been scouring it ever since he returned for any clue of how to regain his magic without killing the current monarch. He hasn't found anything, every time a king or queen had been named to the throne it had been by killing the previous one. The magic went to the victor. His face twists in pain as the truth seeps into him. It's his magic or Sarah. He can't have both. He slams his fist on the table. _No. _He hasn't even been through one tenth of this room, there has to be something. Nothing is absolute when it comes to magic.

It's been hours and Jareth hasn't come across anything of note. He sighs and takes his torch from the wall sconce, turning to make his way upstairs. When he emerges into the throne room, he sees that much more time has passed since he went into the scroll room than he thought. The windows are dark and the hall is filled with the flickering light of torches. He places his into a sconce next to the rear window and walks towards the staircase to the royal quarters. Before he can climb the first stair, a gravelly voice shouts rom his right, "Yer majesty! Sarah won't wake up!" Jareth whips his head towards the castle doors to see Sarah's dwarf standing in the opening, panting and gripping his chest, tears running down his cheeks.

"What?" His heart feels cold.

Hoggle scurries towards him and grabs his arm. Jareth is too caught up in what the dwarf has said to tell him to get his filthy hands off his sleeve. "Majesty, we been lookin' everywhere for ya. Sarah was walking along the Labyrinth today and some goblins saw her collapse by the wall. They drug her to the city and a bunch of em picked her up to get her to the castle," Hoggle starts sobbing. "We… we tried to wake her, but she wouldn't. I think… I think she might be…"

He falls to his knees and Jareth grabs a handful of his shirt, lifting him off the ground so that he's looking straight into his eyes when he growls, "Where is she?"

"The bedroom…"

Jareth drops the dwarf and races up the stairs. _No, no, no. _

He throws open the door to their room to find a horribly pale and still Sarah on their bed surrounded by goblins and one fox dressed as a knight who's crying at the foot of the bed. One goblin is standing on the bed next to her, shaking her arm and whining, "Queenie, queenie, wake up! Come on, ya majesty!"

Another is sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a wet washcloth to her face, tears running down her face. Jareth runs to the bed, scattering goblins as he goes. He shoves the one with the washcloth to the side and reaches out to push the one shaking Sarah's arm clean off the bed. He shrieks and topples out of sight. Jareth looks down at Sarah for a long second, noting the abnormal plum shade of her lips and the harsh darkness under her closed eyelids. He starts to shake. He reaches out to place a hand to her forehead, feeling how cold she is. His jaw clenches as he puts his ear to her chest and hears, very faintly, the beat of her heart. He almost melts with relief. She's alive, but for how much longer he doesn't know. He turns to the goblins and demands, "Which of you knows what happened?"

The goblin that he pushed off the bed popped his head up from the other side of it to shout, "I does! I was just puttin' some gum into the crack on me goblin house when I sees queenie at the wall of the Labyrinth. She was lookin' at a red bush and went to touch a flower thingy and she fells."

"What kind of flower? Tell me exactly."

"Well, it's red with some petals. It bits her or somethin'."

Jareth's stomach drops. He reaches for Sarah's left hand and, seeing it clean, moves to the right. There on her finger, a purple sludge oozes from her skin. He reaches back to her face to pull up her eyelid. Instead of white surrounding the green of her irises, there is a deep purple. Just then, Hoggle bursts into the room. He runs to stand next to Jareth. "Is she… is she…?"

"She's alive, but not for long. I need whoever is fastest to run to the North edge of the Labyrinth and get some of the petals from the red flowers growing there."

Sir Didymus rushes from around the bed to say, "On Ambrosius, it is I who is the fastest. I will do this for Lady Sarah!"

Jareth kneels down to say in a rush, "You must go as quickly as you can and be careful not to touch the thorns. Only the petals. Gather as many as you can."

The knight nods and races form the room, the bark of a dog drifting back to where the queen lay motionless. It's only after the fox leaves and Jareth goes back to stroking Sarah's face that the practical part of his mind speaks up. Is he going to save her? Why? He could let this happen, and it wouldn't be his fault. She would have died by her own hand and the magic would be his… and he would be without her. No, there's another way. There has to be. It won't end like this. He turns to the dwarf.

"I will need a mortar and pestle and warm water."

**Things are getting pretty sketchy in the Underground. I need your reviews, guys! Please?**


	12. Cracks In the Defense

**Okay, guys. I need to warn you again that this story is rated M for a Reason. Some serious lemons ahead, so if that's not your thing, turn back now. **

It's an eternity before the fox returns to the royal quarters. He bursts into the room, his little hat filled with red petals, screaming, "Here, here!" Jareth jumps to his feet and meets him halfway to the bed, yanking the hat from the knight's grasp. Immediately, he's at the nightstand throwing the petals into the mortar, adding some of the water, and crushing them down into a paste. He adds more water until the concoction is more of a soup and tells Hoggle to raise Sarah up so she's sitting against the headboard. Hoggle climbs up onto the bed, just barely dragging his body up the spread. He curses the bed for its height, but shuffles up to Sarah's shoulders, grabbing her below the arms and hoisting her up the bed, holding her upright. The goblins are crowded around the scene, but at a sharp word from Jareth they back up to give their king room to work. He sits on the bed next to Sarah and puts his arm behind her shoulders, brushing Hoggle out of the way. Hoggle lets himself be pushed aside and sits back on his heels. He just wants Sarah back.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Hoggle asks frantically.

"She should be dead already," Jareth answers in a level voice. He tips her head back slightly and puts the small bowl to her lips, opening her mouth slightly. He eases a small amount of the liquid into her mouth then hands the bowl to Hoggle. Jareth adjusts his hold on Sarah so that she's sitting up straighter and he moves his hand down her throat, trying to coax her to swallow. Once she does, he tips her head back again and takes the bowl from Hoggle, repeating the process. He does this until the contents of the bowl are gone and the red liquid has left lines running down from the corner of her mouth. The goblins are sobbing loudly around the bed while Hoggle is silent, staring at his Sarah, waiting for any kind of movement. Her breathing is so shallow that he's not sure if he's imagining it. Jareth holds her against him, feeling her neck for any strengthening of a pulse. The goblins wait for what feels like years for any sign of life from the queen or any reassurance from the king. Finally, Jareth feels a determined thud against his fingers where they rest on her neck. Her heart is fighting the poison and her breathing is deepening. He closes his eyes and moves his hand to the back of her neck, pressing his face into her hair and letting a tense breath seep out of him. He can smell the strawberry shampoo that has become exclusively hers and, faintly, the dust from the Labyrinth. He pulls back to lay her against the pillows again, lifting one eye lid to see that the purple has receded from her eyes, leaving only a trace around the edges. He brings her hand up and the sludge has leaked out of her finger to stain the bedspread. Blood is now seeping from the wound, red and clean. He rips a piece of cloth from his shirt and wraps it around her thumb.

Hoggle waits, watching without breathing. Finally, Jareth looks up at the dwarf. He sees the worry in his eyes and takes mercy on him. "She's going to be alright. The poison is dissolving now, she just needs to rest."

Hoggle cries in relief and falls forward to rest his forehead on Sarah's arm where it lays on the bed, gripping her hand. Jareth's nose wrinkles in distaste at seeing how intimate this dwarf feels with Sarah. The goblins and the fox start cheering and Jareth turns and barks, "Quiet! The queen needs to rest. All of you get out." The goblins all rush out the door and Jareth turns back to Hoggle, who hasn't moved from his position. "I said, all of you."

Hoggle raises his wet face, sniffling. "I ain't leaving her."

Jareth clenches his jaw. "Yes, you are. Don't defy me, dwarf. I am still your king."

"No you ain't, I'm Sarah's. She's my queen and you ain't got no more power so don't tell me you'll send me to the Bog." Hoggle sets his jaw and glares at Jareth, who gives him a cruel smile.

"Perhaps I can't throw you in the Bog, but I can certainly toss you off that balcony."

Hoggle's face fills with fear, but he looks down at Sarah, sighs, and crosses his arms. "I ain't leaving."

Rage courses through Jareth. He knows Sarah would never forgive him if he killed the dwarf, but with everything that's happened today, his tolerance is running dangerously low. His hand shoots out to grab the dwarf by the back of his shirt and he drags Hoggle backwards off the bed, careful to keep his kicking feet away from Sarah. He lifts him straight off the bed and stomps to the door, Hoggle shouting and kicking the entire way. He tosses Hoggle out the door that the goblins had left open and slams it behind him, locking it for good measure. He can hear Hoggle banging his fists on the wood and shouting, but Jareth is already at Sarah's side again. He almost lost her tonight. His life has become nothing but a series of moments in which he decides to kill her or he decides that he can't live without her. Each decision comes so fast on the heels of the one before and his mind is a whirlpool. It's so easy to forget what she's done when she's lying here vulnerable, totally dependent on him. He could kill her right now, but that would be its own defeat. Unless he finds a way to regain his magic without taking her life, to succeed would also mean to fail, no matter what he did. Of course, tonight there is nothing in the world as important as her breathing. Tonight, loving her is the only thing he can do.

He wipes the trails of red from her mouth with the washcloth, but stops when she shivers. Her body is expending a lot of energy to fight the poison and he should have known she'd be cold. He moves down to the foot of the bed and takes her boots off before looking up the line of her body and to see her shiver again. With her boots removed, he ventures back to ease the covers from under her body, being careful not to jostle her too much, and covers her, tucking the blankets close around her, keeping the warmth close. Now that he knows she's going to survive, that she's here with him and safe, he feels the fatigue of the day set in. After leaning down to press his lips to Sarah's forehead, Jareth heads into the bathroom to bathe. Hoggle has finally stopped pounding on the door, but Jareth would wager that when he opened the door in the morning, the dwarf would be sleeping in the doorway.

When he emerges from the bathroom, he sees that Sarah hasn't moved from the position he left her in. She's still disturbingly pale and even from the bathroom doorway he can see her shiver again. There are no more blankets. Maybe he's just using it as an excuse, but he reasons that to keep her warm he'll just have to hold her. Before his mind can think up another option, he moves around the bed so he's on the right side. He pauses with his hand on the spread. He usually sleeps nude, but he doesn't want to upset her in this weak state, even if her reaction to waking up with a naked Jareth beside her would be hilarious. She knows exactly what he wears (or doesn't wear) to bed, but she's always careful about avoiding him when they're both in the bedroom. She lets him bathe first and then waits in the chair with her back to the bathroom for him to finish, then darts inside before he can even make a snide remark. Once she finishes in the bathroom, he's already in bed. It's the same sort of thing in the morning and she's perfected her routine. No, he would be easy on her tonight. He goes to his closet and picks out the loosest pants he has, which isn't to say they are much looser than a second skin. He slips them on and goes to toss the towel in the bathroom, smirking as he remembers Sarah yelling at him for leaving his clothes lying around.

His smile fades and his eyes fill with uncontrollable lust when he looks back to the bed. Even now with her face pale and blank in sleep, she is so incredibly beautiful. She would never be the girl who ran his Labyrinth again. Her face has lost its childlike roundness and her body has become longer, her curves more womanly. Her time here has aged her, and Jareth is undone. His feet take him back to his side of the bed without his permission. He pulls back the covers and Sarah shivers again from the sudden draft. Quickly and smoothly, Jareth slides over to her still form. He glides his arm under the pillow on which her head is resting, causing her to raise slightly, but she doesn't wake. He scoots in close, letting his body rest along the line of hers. He puts an arm across her stomach and lays his head on her pillow. Her scent drifts along him and he falls asleep surrounded by her.

""""

Sarah is uncomfortably warm. That's the first thing her brain registers, followed closely by pain. Her entire body aches as if she's just run a marathon and she's not sure she's ever felt so tired. She groggily tries to roll out of bed, but is stopped by something around her waist. She turns back to see a stirring goblin king snuggled up next to her. If she weren't so exhausted, she would be halfway across the room by now. As it is, her mind is having trouble working out what she's seeing. Everything is hazy and the edges of her vision are blurred. She rolls over to face him, barely able to make out his face in the glow of the firelight. He sleepily opens his eyes and when he sees her looking back at him, they widen and his arm leaves her waist to press his hand against the side of her face. He peers into her eyes with an anxious expression on his face. Seemingly satisfied with what he sees there, he brings her right hand up to unwrap a bloodstained white cloth around her finger. He smiles at it and throws the cloth to the ground, returning his arm to her waist. Sarah blinks a few times, trying to make sense of what's happening.

"Jareth? What happened? I was at the Labyrinth and…"

"Shhh. Do you remember trying to pick a flower?"

Sarah thinks back. She was walking along the wall when she saw… roses? Yes, roses. A thorn pricked her thumb and that's where her memory ends. She nods.

"The flower you touched is called Blanaid's Devotion. It hasn't been seen in the Labyrinth for many years. It's named for the first goblin queen and it's meant to entrance whoever is running the Labyrinth and kill them."

Sarah narrows her eyes, her sluggish mind trying to keep up. "Why am I not dead then?"

Jareth chuckles. "You certainly can turn a phrase. I would guess that your magic kept you alive long enough for me to get the remedy into you. No human has ever survived the poison from Blanaid's Devotion."

"Remedy?"

"While the thorns from the flower are deadly, the petals are known to dissolve the poison in one's veins. I had your little fox knight run to get them and then I made a tea of sorts to give you. You may be the most well loved queen in history, the goblins were quite distraught." He finishes with a smirk.

"Why?"

"They're fickle things and they love best whoever feeds them-"

"No, why did you save me? Seems like this was the answer to your prayers." She would never have voiced this to him normally. Her thoughts are unfiltered, her mind too tired to censor what's coming out of her mouth.

Sarah feels Jareth tense around her. His smirk is gone as he says slowly, "Whatever do you mean, Precious?"

"I mean you can't stand me. You only talk to me during lessons and it's usually just to call me stupid or slow or something. I took your magic and your throne, too. Then you go off for hours and I never know where you are."

Jareth relaxes again. He smiles at her and strokes her side. "Believe it or not, Sarah, I can stand you."

Sarah closes her eyes and sighs, raising her head an inch and then plopping it back into the pillow. "I can stand you, too." Sarah has never been drunk, but she imagines this is what it feels like. She doesn't know if her mind is this fuzzy because of exhaustion or some kind of after effects from the flower, but she is all impulse. Their faces are level on the pillow and she can't see anything that isn't him.

His laughter shakes the bed and he moves to run his fingers down her face again, his right arm still pinned under her. "You're delightful when you've just been poisoned," he says with a smile.

"Well then I know what to get you for your birthday." They laugh together and Jareth feels that familiar melting within him. This is the first time since she threw herself at him in the oubliette that she's been totally open. He's still smiling at her when her face sobers and her eyes fill with intensity.

"Can I ask you something?" she whispers.

_Anything. _"Try, then we'll see."

She exhales in a huff, making his hair move across his forehead, but her eyes lose none of their intensity as she says, "Why the ballroom?"

He'd been expecting any number of questions, but he hadn't expected that one. He goes still and he takes his hand from her face, extending his arm along his body. "What do you mean?" he asks levelly.

Her eyes are glued to his and he can't escape. "I mean you were trying to waste my time in the Labyrinth. Why not throw me into the oubliette? Or send me back to the beginning. Why would you put me in a ballroom with you?"

His mind is reeling. He isn't prepared for this, especially being so disarmed already. Where did this come from? He tries to conjure up a lie, but he hasn't felt quite his cunning self since he discovered his magic was missing. He tries to tell her that he didn't want her remembering her brother, that he didn't want to risk moving her closer to the castle, anything. Anything but what he tells her.

He swallows hard, and the words are ripped out of him. "I wanted to dance with you."

Her face doesn't change. He curses himself for being such a fool and what was he actually expecting? Nothing, because he isn't in control of anything when he's around this woman. He turns his head away, finally relieving himself of her blank stare and starts to pull back, sliding his arm from under her pillow. He's stopped by a delicate hand on his cheek and he lets her turn his head back to face her. He expects her to look disgusted, or scared. After all, what he told her wasn't about lust, which is what she was probably expecting. If it were about lust, he would have taken Sarah to his bedroom all those years ago. No, he had simply wanted her to see him in a different light, to see him as something other than the villainous goblin king. He hadn't wanted a night with her, because he wanted a lifetime.

So, when she turns his head, he prepares himself for that final killing blow to any dream he even now foolishly harbored within him. Instead, he sees in those green eyes a warmth that breaks down every wall he's ever erected between them. There's no cruelty in them, nothing except everything he's ever wanted. Affection, heat, lust, love. He's hoped and feared for this for so long, he can't move. Her mouth is slightly open and he sees white teeth behind naturally red lips. Her hand moves to the back of his neck, hiding itself in his hair. He's frozen in disbelief, his wide eyes locked on hers. She scoots even closer, pressing herself to him when before they'd only touched. She closes her eyes and presses her lips to his, once. She pulls back just enough to look into his eyes again, gauging his reaction. Jareth's lips feel icy and on fire at the same time and the only thing he can think is that he doesn't want to ruin this. How long had he dreamed of kissing her? Now he's frozen and even though he knows his window is closing fast, he can't move, can't bear to burst this moment. Seeing him still and seemingly unresponsive, Sarah's face colors in embarrassment.

Jareth feels her hand start to slide from its place at his neck and he fills with fear. No, he won't let this end. He shoots his hand up from his hip to grab the side of her face as gently as he could in his terror and desire. He slams his mouth onto hers with a fire that's been suppressed for far too long. He curls the arm that's under her to force her body flush against his and holds his arm firmly against her back. She goes stiff with shock for a split second before she gasps and loses herself completely. The hand in his hair tightens so that it's almost painful, but to his lust-filled mind, it's just another sensation. With him supporting her, she's able to sneak her left arm up and around his shoulder so that it can wrap around his neck.

Their tongues curl and dance together and Sarah's mind flashes back to her dream in the woods. This is nothing like that dream. Every sensation, every ache, every touch is magnified tenfold and her mind fills with nothing but Jareth. His hand moves from her waist to travel down her shoulder to trace her back, glide across her waist, down her stomach and then back again. On it's second pass, his hand ventures to her hip and his fingers hook under her shirt, pulling it up to run his hand along the bare skin of her side. Sarah trembles at his touch and presses her body as close to his as she can. Their breaths come in gasps and Jareth rolls over so that Sarah is pressed into the bed. His mouth moves to her neck and he's determined to taste every inch of her beautiful body. He plants his hands on the bed on either side of her body, raising himself up so that he hovers over her and leans his head down to desperately kiss along her neck and collarbone. Sarah's mind is clearing from the flower's haze fast, but she can't think of anything other than what her body is feeling. She wants him with a desire unlike anything she's ever felt. She'd always wondered about the ballroom, and his answer took her completely off guard. She had to take that dejected look out of his eyes. She had to. They both needed this, because they were in love. No matter how hard she fought it, she's known ever since Hoggle told her that Jareth was missing that she would end up here. She'd felt the first stirrings in the ballroom, and now her love and desire for this man is hitting her like a tidal wave. No one had ever made her feel like this and she never wants it to end.

Sarah raises her hands to trace his bare stomach and he moans against her skin. She feels it both on her neck and through her hands and she smiles up at the ceiling with her eyes closed. She loves that she can make him feel that way and wants nothing more than to hear him make that noise again. She trails her hands up his chest and brings them up either side of his neck, letting her fingernails scrape along his skin until her fingers can tangle in his hair again. She pulls gently on his hair to bring his face up to hers again. He's content to let her direct him and obligingly moves up to kiss her. He lowers himself so that his body is just touching hers. He wants so badly to rip her clothes off and take her, but he knows this is her first time. Of course, if he were any kind of gentleman at all, he would accept that she's had a trying day and she needs to rest. He never claimed to be a gentleman, though, and he's already restraining himself. He's prepared to take things slow, to be gentle with her, but he can't stop now.

That's why he's so surprised when Sarah yanks on his hair, making him fall on top of her, and tosses a leg around his waist. He loses his tenuous grip on his self-control and groans low in his throat, moving his hand to grasp her leg where it hooks around him and presses his hardness against her. Sarah makes a surprised sound into his mouth, but it quickly turns to a moan. He pulls his head back in time to see her eyes roll back in pleasure and her mouth open in a silent gasp. He smiles a predatory smile.

"Just wait, Precious," he growls. Jareth quickly sits back on his heels, removing her leg from his body. Her hands fall from his hair and before she can sit up, too, he grips both her legs just above the knee and pulls her down the bed so that her head is off the pillow and her body is level with the bed, her arms on either side of her face. He sits between her thighs with his hands still on her knees and looks down at her for a moment. Her mouth is open, lips swollen from his assault on them. Her hair is fanned out behind her and her shirt is riding high on her hips, purple panties peeking from underneath. She looks up at him with nothing but anticipation and he needs to show her how much he loves her, how beautiful he finds her in this moment. His hands run slowly from her knees up to her hips, roaming across her stomach and brushing against her breasts, finally making their way up her arms and to her hands. He leans down until his mouth is almost touching hers and entwines their fingers together, bringing her arms up to rest on the pillow above her head. He tilts his head and looks into her eyes. "Can you lie still for me, Sarah?" he whispers.

She swallows and her breathing hitches. "I think so," she says shakily. His hair tickles her face and she looks into his eyes like there's nothing else in the world. Jareth's face softens and he closes the tiny space between their lips. He kisses her soft and slow, letting her feel how much he loves her. His tongue runs along her lower lip and she opens her mouth to let him in. He tastes her mouth and strokes her tongue agonizingly slow, letting the heat build even more. She gives him a low moan and he skips a breath, his hands twitching in hers. He untangles his fingers, and moves his hands just as slowly back down her arms, pausing to press lightly against her elbows to remind her to keep her arms there. When he gets to her shoulders, his hands move to rest on her cheeks, holding her face up at an angle so he can deepen the kiss. Sarah squirms underneath him, she feels like she's going to melt out of her skin. Everything he does makes her lose herself even more.

Jareth moves his mouth from hers to kiss both corners of her jaw before he licks and sucks his way down her neck, moving painfully slow. Sarah's chest heaves with her breaths. His hands move from her face to trace down her sides, resting on either side of her waist as he scoots his lower body back so he can rest his chest against her stomach. He takes her breast into his mouth through her shirt and for the first time, she is grateful that she doesn't wear a bra to bed. He licks her through the fabric and she arches against him, gasping. He gives her other breast equal attention and looks up to see a sheen of sweat across her face, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth gaping open. He could make her climax by just doing this. He smiles against her before moving his mouth down her stomach. She makes a noise of protest and he gives a low chuckle.

"Impatient, are we? Don't worry, Precious, better things await." When his tongue feels the edge of her underwear through the shirt, he sits on his knees again, pulling the hem of her shirt slowly up, moving with it so his body trails along hers. She arches to let him slip the shirt off of her completely, keeping her hands above her head. He pushes against the bed so he can look down at the line of skin running uninterrupted from her neck to her hips. He sighs. "You are so beautiful," he whispers, his eyes roaming across her. He's waited for her for centuries.

He kisses his way back down her body, making the same stops as before, but much quicker. He needs to see all of her. When he gets back to the line of her panties, he hooks his fingers into the band and pulls them down her legs and tosses them aside. He looks up the line of her body and he's never seen anything so gorgeous. She's perfect, and she's his.

The cold air hits Sarah's feverish body and she shivers, her eyes still on the ceiling. She can feel Jareth looking at her from the end of the bed and it fills her with excitement. Her breath slows as she waits for his next touch. She feels his fingertips on both of her feet and they leave trails of fire as they move up her legs. This is all so new to her, she has no idea what to expect. Sure, she's seen movies and knows what's supposed to happen, but this is already so much better than anything she imagined. She licks her lips and waits, not sure how much longer she can go without exploding from his slow touch.

Jareth can't take much more. His erection is almost painful as he lies down between her legs. Seeing her naked and willing beneath him is almost enough to make him forget that she's a virgin and he needs to be careful with her, needs to make her first time completely hers. He closes his eyes and turns his head to kiss the inside of her thigh. Sarah squirms under his touch and he smiles, anticipating. He skims his mouth along her thigh, moving steadily closer. When he lays the first kiss against her opening, Sarah jerks and gasps a rough, "Jareth!" That's all he needs to plunge his tongue inside her, his thumb pressing her center.

Sarah screams in ecstasy and would have lifted off the bed if Jareth's other hand hadn't been firmly grasping her hip. Wave after wave of pleasure hits her and her hands grip the pillow above her. That's the end of Jareth's control. He rushes up her body to cover her mouth with his own and she can taste herself on his tongue. To hell with the rules, she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him close to her. All he can think about is how much pleasure he just gave her and he has to be inside of her. He reaches down between them to run his hand down her stomach, reaching lower to feel her wetness. He eases a finger insider her, feeling how tight she is. Sarah gasps against his mouth and a low whine escapes his lips. As he feels her loosen around his finger, he slips a second one in, trying to prepare her for him. His thumb circles her and when her breathing hitches and he feels her start to tense, he removes his hand and slips his pants off, finally freeing himself. He positions himself at her opening and looks into her eyes.

He can't fathom why, but between his panting, he asks, "Are you sure?" He's shaking from the effort of holding himself back.

In answer, Sarah moves her hands to either side of his face and pulls him down for a kiss. This time, she invades his mouth and holds her hips up in invitation. Jareth pushes inside of her. He breaks their kiss with a wild gasp and presses his face into her neck. He stays there for a moment, letting her get used to him. Still inside her, he pulls back to see her reaction. A slight tightening around her eyes tells him that it hurts; he expected that. Then, she squirms around him and Jareth has to close his eyes against the sensation, but he doesn't miss the burst of lust in hers. He starts to move in a slow, steady pace. Her left hand tangles in his hair and the other one is on his shoulder, digging her nails in. She raises her head to kiss him and he can't imagine ever loving anyone more than he loves this woman. He hooks his hips as he quickens his pace and this time she has to break the kiss so she can gasp. His lips lock on her shoulder and she moans, her head thrown back. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he pounds into her and keeps going even after she gives another hoarse cry to signal her orgasm. His movements become frantic and finally he cries out against her hair, giving one final thrust. He holds himself above her and they stare into each other's eyes, silently saying everything they need to say.

Sarah twists in pleasure as Jareth pulls out of her. He moves to lie down on his back beside her and she turns on her side towards him, resting her head on his shoulder and throwing a leg across both of his, an arm around his stomach. His arm slides under her and pulls her close to his side. Sarah's mind is completely clear and she tries to remember just why in the hell she didn't do this earlier.

**Alright you guys. That was my first actual lemon and I need your reviews. How was it? Did it satisfy expectations? If not, what can I do to improve? **

**Also, I was going to start the larger plot in this chapter, but I had to let Jareth and Sarah get it on. They'd been waiting so long. **


	13. Lies and Loves

With Sarah's arms around him and her head on his chest, Jareth can't quite remember why he is supposed to be upset with her. His magic is gone, he knows that, but he's never felt more complete. He's known for years that he is in love with her, and as he traces circles on her back with his fingertips while she sleeps, he realizes that he had never really known this love. A man, fae or not, can't be truly in love until he learns to let go of his needs in favor of his lover's. Her scent envelops him and he knows that he would die for this woman. She gave him everything tonight and it brought him crashing down so that he knows he can't be without her. She can have the magic and she can have the kingdom, as long as he can have her. He would start actually training her tomorrow and she would be the strongest queen this kingdom has ever seen, because he would be at her side. He smiles up at the ceiling and sighs.

All he'd needed was the knowledge that she loves him, too. To him, she could have simply been reveling in the fact that she finally had all the power over him and it killed the proud fae in him to know that she was right. She had his magic and she had his love and he had nothing. Now, he knows that she is as entrenched in love as he is. He has that power over her, but she trusted him not to hurt her with it. That's the gift she gave him. She could have torn him apart with a look, but she opened her heart instead. She let him touch her like no man ever had and she made him something vital to her. He'd never betray that trust. The empty place within him where his magic used to reside is now filled with Sarah. He drifts off to sleep with a smile on his lips.

""""

When Sarah wakes, the red daylight of the Underground is streaming onto her face and she's sprawled out on the sheets on her stomach. Her mouth stretches into a smile before she quite knows why. _Jareth. _The details of the night before flood her mind and she sighs happily into the sheets. Her mind is nothing but bliss until she stretches her body to rid it of lingering sleep and gasps in pain. Every muscle feels like it's been pounded with a hammer. In her… distraction last night, she must not have noticed how sore her body was and now every movement sends lightning up and down her form.

Speaking of distractions, where is her Goblin King? Sarah grits her teeth and rolls over onto her back. She looks around the room and she hears the rush of the bath water from the bathroom. Sarah bites her lip and stares at the bathroom door. It's silly, but she feels shy. She knows he's seen every part of her, and she him, but she still feels awkward interrupting his bath. _Don't be stupid. _She makes her painful way to the bathroom, but she still grabs a shirt along the way.

Sarah pushes the bathroom door open and finds Jareth just lowering himself into the pool. He turns at the sound and gives her a playful smirk before sinking completely into the tub, his back to the opposite wall.

"I expected you to sleep longer, Precious," he says. "Care to join me?"

She takes in the sight. How many times had she imagined him like this when she was in this tub and he was heaven only knew where? The foamy water obscures a perfect chest and the tips of his hair dip just into the froth. His eyebrow lifts in invitation and he cocks his head while raising his arms to stretch along the sides of the tub. Sarah chuckles and shakes her head at him. He thinks he's so seductive. He's right, but he doesn't have to act like he knows it. His smirk grows into a smile as if he can read her thoughts and her shyness melts away. She holds his gaze and has to keep herself from sprinting to the tub. When she approaches the stairs, he moves to the edge and reaches out to grab the front of her shirt, soaking the fabric and pulling her closer. She kneels on the stop stair as he stands in the tub, putting them at eye level. His hand traces the side of her face, wetting a couple strands of hair that stick to her cheek. Her hands rest on his slick shoulders and she wonders if she'll ever be able to resist him again. As he kisses her, she knows the answer.

"Good morning," she gasps when he finally lets her breathe.

His throaty chuckle sends shivers along her skin. "A very good morning, my Sarah." His face sobers slightly as he asks, "Are you feeling alright? Any pain?"

She grimaces and says, "Yeah I feel like I was hit by a train. Is that normal?"

"I would expect you to be sore after your encounter with Blanaid's rose. It attacks the blood. I really should have let you rest last night but I was quite swept away," he whispers against her lips.

"I think it was worth it," she says with a smile. Their lips have just touched when Sarah notices a burning sensation in her chest. She inhales sharply from the pain and jerks away from Jareth, who looks at her, concerned. She puts a hand to her chest and the sensation fades. "That was weird," she tells him. "There was a burning in my chest just now, but it's gone. Is that from the flower?"

Jareth narrows his eyes in confusion. "I've never heard of it. It could be, since you're human. If it isn't happening anymore, I don't think it's too much to worry about."

Sarah rubs her chest absentmindedly. Jareth watches with an anxious expression and runs his hands soothingly along her sides. Sarah waves a hand in the air and shakes her head. She gives him a reassuring smile and leans in to kiss him when the burning returns, tenfold. Sarah shrieks and doubles over in pain. She just hears Jareth shout her name before she's ripped from the room and her knees land on soft dirt.

"Hello, Sarah," says a warm female voice from behind her. Sarah jumps to her feet and whips around, but she can't see anything in the pitch black.

"Who's there?" she calls, her voice shaking slightly.

"Oh, my apologies. I haven't spoken with a human in quite some time."

A bright glow fills the room and Sarah has to shield her eyes from the figure in front of her. A woman, seemingly made of light, stands before her. All Sarah can see is that she's tall, with pronounced curves and long flowing hair. Her features are made indistinguishable by the bright golden light radiating from her. Sarah takes the opportunity to take in their surroundings. _An oubliette? Seriously? _If she gets out of here, she vows to fill every single one of these with cement. Keeping her hand in front of her face, she turns her attention back to the woman.

"Who are you?" she asks.

"The Labyrinth, of course." Her voice is still warm, as if she's smiling at Sarah. Sarah raises her eyebrows and waits for the woman – Labyrinth to continue. The silence grows long so Sarah decides to lead the conversation.

"Did you bring me here?"

The woman laughs, her voice like bells. "Yes, darling, I did. I hope it didn't pain you too much, but it was urgent that I meet with you."

Sarah's eyes are starting to water, even with her eyes shaded by her hand. It's like staring at the sun. "Do you think you can turn the light show down a bit?"

The woman says nothing, but the light gradually dims until Sarah can look at her without shielding her eyes. Her hair is gold and her skin dark like chocolate, and red eyes shine out of her face like rubies. She wears a long dress that seems to float around her like a shower of gold. It shimmers in her glow and looks like a living extension of herself. She is the most beautiful creature Sarah has ever seen, and she somehow knows that something this warm and beautiful doesn't mean her harm. Sarah nods her thanks and can't help giving the woman a shy smile. The woman beams back at her, the light reflecting off her white teeth.

Sarah clears her throat. "So, you took me out of the bathroom?"

"I transported you here, yes. I assume you had no knowledge of that possibility?"

Sarah shakes her head as her eyes narrow. "Should I have?"

The woman sighs and casts her eyes down. "Yes, it should have been part of your training, but then the previous king has always been a jealous sort."

"Jareth? What do you mean?"

"Has he been training you at all?"

"Yes, we've trained every day for two weeks."

The woman shakes her head and lets loose a quiet sigh. "May I ask what transpires in these sessions?"

"Well, so far he's just been trying to teach me to control my emotions—"

"Then it's as I feared. He should have forseen this, but he is as stubborn as the stone," the Labyrinth growls. Even that harsh sound comes out of her like music.

Sarah is trying to keep up, but the Labyrinth seems to be talking to herself more than to Sarah. "What do you mean? What should he have forseen?"

"Dearest, Jareth has stunted your training in favor of regaining his magic. The absolute last thing a goblin monarch wants to do is control her emotions. Magic is rooted in desire, anger, joy, need; all of the things he told you to avoid."

Sarah's breathing quickens. "No, he told me that I would destroy myself or others if I didn't control the magic."

"Nothing as powerful as the Labyrinth's magic can ever be controlled. It can only be directed or completely suppressed, as he tried to do."

Sarah's gaze drops to the floor and traitorous tears fill her eyes. "He lied to me," she whispers.

The woman walks forward and puts a hand on Sarah's shoulder. A trembling rushes from the contact and touches Sarah deep inside her. She feels like an electric current is running through her body. "My dearest Sarah, do not worry. This can be healed." Sarah feels like a fool. From the very beginning, she trusted Jareth to help her with the magic, to teach her.

"Why would he do this?"

"Jareth fought hard for his throne. He would not have willingly given it up, but it was not his decision to make. If he was weak enough to be defeated, undone, then he did not deserve my power."

"But why me? Why did you give me the power?"

"I didn't. The goblins chose you, Sarah. You saved them and gained their loyalty, which also secured mine. The moment they declared you queen and the moment you accepted it, you took the magic for yourself."

Sarah's tears dried as she thought furiously over what the woman was telling her. "Wait… you're saying I didn't have the magic until I became queen?" The woman nods. "So, how did I get down here? I was able to pass between the Above and the Underground before then. Why?"

"I had nothing to do with that, dear. Honestly, you owe that power to Jareth. When I was connected with him, I felt his soul shift towards you. When you refused him, he gave you one last crystal, correct?" She thinks back, remembering a crystal popping in her hand as Jareth fell before her. She nods. "He was certain you would change your mind. He left you with the ability to pass between realms so that you would be able to return to him. Unfortunately, he forgot where his own magic came from and he forgot that the Labyrinth doesn't allow for defeat."

Sarah heaves a heavy sigh. "Then why would he lie to me? If he loves me, why wouldn't he help me?"

"You forget, dearest, that Jareth is not like you. I mentioned emotions being vital to magic? Jareth has mastered his magic, and therefore allows his emotions to rule him. He did love you, but his pride and his selfishness were just as prominent within him, because that is how he was trained to be. To love you completely would mean giving up his magic, and giving up his identity as king. I am no longer connected with him, but I know he would not want to let that go." She squeezes Sarah's shoulder. "I can feel your love for him, Sarah. I don't want to cause you further pain, but I would caution you to be very careful around Jareth. He wants the magic and he wants it desperately. He won his throne in blood, Sarah. Don't ever forget it."

Sarah raises her head to look in the Labyrinth's eyes. "You mean he'd kill me?"

"Frankly, I'm shocked he has not killed you already. I would guess that he's biding his time, trying to figure out a way to take his magic without killing you. There can be no other explanation for keeping you weak but also keeping you alive."

Tears run fresh down her face. She turns away from the woman, letting her hand fall from her shoulder, taking with it the strange electric buzz. Sarah drags her feet to the wall of the oubliette and places both of her hands against the surface. She lets her head hang down between them and watches her tears fall like bombs onto the floor. She's sick to her stomach and she feels like a fool. He was playing her this whole time. The worst part was that she knew it. She knew that there was nothing but selfish trickery within him and she threw herself at him anyway. He held her and called her beautiful and she fell for it. Sure, he loves her, but not nearly as much as he loves himself and his power. He was contemplating killing her while she fantasized about his body. Like a stupid fifteen-year-old.

Hoggle was right. He's a rat and he won't get another ounce of her trust again. She won't let him win. She won't. Sarah clenches her fists against the wall and pushes against it to move back toward the woman, who waits quietly in the center of the room. Sarah's face drains of despair in favor of anger as she meets the woman's concerned gaze.

"Sarah, I'm sorry, but this is not the only reason I called you down here. There is a threat at our Northern border and our kingdom is not strong enough to face it as of now."

"A threat?"

"Yes, I can't see what it is exactly because the magic is so… uncontrolled right now. I only feel hostility and a great number. The magic feels fae and the only possibility I can see is that they have come to retake the Goblin Throne."

"But you're the Labyrinth, can't you do something to help?"

"I am merely the Labyrinth's essence. I gave the power to control it to the goblin monarch. Only you can heal the kingdom and mend the magics before the kingdom falls."

Sarah feels the weight of responsibility settle heavily around her. "What do I do? I don't know what to do!"

"Sarah, you have to learn to release your magic. When you want something to happen, let the desire for it course through you. Magic is letting go, letting a wish come true. Let it fill every part of you and ride your emotions. As long as you trust it, you won't drown and you won't lose control. You need to act quickly, so I won't keep you much longer. Seek help from Jareth, but be extremely cautious. If he sees you growing more powerful, it may force his hand and he may try to take the magic. Keep a guard around you and remember: let your emotions go." The woman places a swift kiss on the top of Sarah's head before Sarah is bathed in darkness once again. She tries to steady her breathing, but terror and anger is running thick through her veins. She transports herself to the throne room and by the time she gets there, rage has won out over her other emotions.

**Oh no! Things are getting serious now. I'm sorry for the delay guys, but with finals and the holidays, I find myself pressed for time. Don't worry, I can't forget about this story. **

**Please review, they help me so much. It kills me when I see that people are reading but aren't telling me what's good and bad about my writing.**


	14. Threats

Jareth is frantic. He's sent every goblin not performing scheduled duties out to search for Sarah. It's been two hours since she disappeared from his sight and he immediately sent out search parties to scour the kingdom. He has even condemned a few to search the Labyrinth. He told all of them that if they returned without the queen, he would bog them and then kill them. He hasn't seen a goblin face since. Now he paces the throne room and casts his gaze frantically out the window and towards the door, his mind a jumble of panic. She was taken. He should have seen the signs but his magic was always too strong for him to be forcibly transported. By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late. There are only two possibilities for what or who could have taken her. It could have been another king or queen in one of the other kingdoms, but they wouldn't dare try to forcibly remove a goblin monarch in such a way. To do so, that king or queen would have to bind his or her magic to the goblin queen's, and that is exceedingly dangerous. The goblin magic is too strong to be bound like that without taking over. The only other possibility is that the Labyrinth took her. Jareth has never been transported by it, but he's read of it happening to others.

If this is the case, Sarah is still in the kingdom. This is hardly a comfort considering how volatile the Labyrinth is of late. He's spoken to the Labyrinth before, but if she was unpredictable enough to take his magic and let the maze itself fall into such disrepair, there was no telling if she would be loyal to Sarah. Jareth turns back toward the throne and drops into it, letting his head fall into his hands. If he'd only trained her properly, it would never have been possible for her magic to be manipulated. Now he has no idea where she is or if she's even alive and there is no way to imagine the fault is anyone's but his.

Footsteps reach his ears in the empty room and his head shoots up to see Sarah walking quickly toward him from the doorway to the entrance hall. In his relief at seeing her, Jareth misses the look of rage on her face. His own breaks out in a smile and he pushes himself off the throne to gather her into his arms. Just as she reaches him, Sarah hauls her hand back and slaps him full in the face. Stunned, Jareth falls back from the force of the blow and collapses back into the throne, his hand on his stinging cheek. Sarah follows his fall, leaning into him with both hands on the arms of the throne, towering over his form and baring her teeth in anger.

"You son of a bitch!" she hisses at him. His face twists in offended surprise at her actions and her words. Before he can line his harried thoughts into coherent words, she continues, " The Labyrinth told me how you tricked me into suppressing my magic. How could you do that? No, nevermind. I knew, I _knew _you didn't do anything without your own agenda. You tricked me with the peach and you tricked me last night. But this isn't some game, Jareth!"

Jareth's lip curls in indignation and his own fury. No one has ever spoken to him with such blatant disrespect. He's always given Sarah latitude, but she has never gone this far and the king in him can't take it. His breathing becomes fast and heavy and he straightens his back, forcing her to lean back slightly to avoid touching him. Her eyes squint in disgust at the proximity and even in his anger, the look cuts him. His face is merely an inch from hers as he growls, "Just what in the hell are you talking about?"

She pushes off the armrests and stands before him with her hands on her hips. She glowers at him for a few seconds before laughing a hard chuckle without humor and shakes her head. "Unbelievable," she says in a soft grumble. Then she bends at the waist, throwing her arm out extravagantly and dipping her head into a deep mocking bow before him. "Congratulations, Jareth," she says before straightening. "You really had me going." Jareth sits frozen on his throne. _No, she can't know… _Sarah notices the spark of knowledge in his eyes and nods at him. In the same mocking tone she says, "Oh yeah, I know all about it. How you kept me from learning magic and that you fantasize about killing me." She has to swallow before continuing, "I just want to tell you how great you did. You really had me believing I could trust you. Bravo."

Jareth doesn't know what to do. Should he deny it? Own it? Fall to his knees and beg for her mercy? That last thought twists his face again and he knows he can't, not anymore. He propels himself from the chair too fast for her to react and looms over her, careful to keep the tiniest distance, remembering what happened the last time he threatened her. He can still smell himself on her from the night before and the realization somehow drives him further into his anger. Everything was perfect and she is ruining it. He growls, "What did you expect me to do, Sarah? Roll over and let you have everything I have ever worked for, everything I had _won_? Of course I wanted the magic back; I deserve it. If I bought myself some time to work out how to get it, it was justified. As for killing you, I notice that you're still frustratingly alive, so why don't you do the math?!" he finishes with a shout. She winces but holds her ground against him. "Besides, what kind of king would allow the safety of his subjects to rest indefinitely in the hands of a spoiled little girl who knows nothing about power or how to respect it?"

Sarah looks him levelly in the eye and asks, "Then why didn't you kill me?"

Jareth huffs in frustration and looks down his nose at her as he says quickly, "Because I love you, you little fool."

Sarah blinks. The Labyrinth had told her as much, but no one has ever said those words to her except her parents. But this man knows nothing about true love, the kind Sarah always read about in fairy tales. As quickly as her guard fell, it slams back up. "How dare you?" she hisses. "I wasn't playing a game last night, Jareth. You tricked me and you used me and I never want you to touch me again." She starts to turn from him, but he grabs her arm and yanks her back to him. She whips her arm out of his grasp but faces him again.

He's desperate. He decided last night that she was his, that he would never allow anything to hurt her. He can see the pain under her anger and even through his indignation it's killing him. He's never felt this way before, never been this attuned to another's emotions. Something had cracked in him last night and he can't take this pain and resentment from her. She's always making him the villain when all he wants is to be her hero. Yes, he did consider killing her, but he knew he couldn't live without her. He did try to stunt her magic, but there was no way she could have learned this quickly anyway. He may have taken villainous routes, but his goal had always been to keep her alive, and with him. He would never hurt her because doing so would only cause him anguish. All of this runs through his mind and he curses himself. _Why can't I just say it?_ Instead, he takes a lightning quick step toward her and grasps the back of her neck, slamming his lips down on hers.

Sarah is stunned into immobility and Jareth lets out a breath against her skin. Once she has a moment to realize what's happening, she pushes against his chest with all her might, but only manages an inch of separation between them. "Get the hell off me, Jareth!" she screams. He prepares himself for the burn of her magic, but feels nothing but the slight pressure of her pushing against his chest.

He glares down at her with a cruel smile. "Do you want your first lesson in magic, Sarah?" he laughs. He moves closer until there's a millimeter of space between their lips and whispers, "You have to _want _it. You don't want me off of you, or I would be." He drives his lips into hers again, just as violently.

She hates him, she wants him, she loves him. Sarah feels like the fool he accused her of being when her arms slide from his chest to wrap around his neck and his snake around her waist to mold her body against his. Her frustration and anger and pain combine and burst out of her and she's kissing him as if she wants him punished. She didn't know kisses could be like this, so full of hate. They challenged each other and were well matched. Hands grope and scratch and cling, tongues stab and teeth bite. Jareth growls low in his throat and it sounds predatory and triumphant, like a wolf over his kill. She answers him with a growl of her own and plunges her hands into the neckline of his shirt. Jareth moves his hands to grip the tops of her thighs and lifts her so that she can wrap her legs around his waist. The momentum of her lower half curling around his drives him backward and his knees buckle against the seat of the throne and they both drop onto the cushion. His mouth breaks from hers to suck at her neck. He bites her where the column of her neck meets her shoulder and she groans, her hands twisting into his hair. Her eyes fly open and she finds herself staring at the back of his throne. Her throne. She looks at the worn material draped from curved ivory as Jareth sucks at her skin and wonders how many goblin kings and queens have sat on this throne, ruled from this spot. She wonders if any of them had ever been betrayed by someone they trusted. Likely, none of them were foolish enough to make love to the biggest threat in their lives. She suddenly feels as if the throne is laughing at her.

Sarah's frantic groping calms. Jareth feels her still and grinds his hips into hers to try to illicit a response. Sarah's face twists in disgust again and she tries to untangle herself from Jareth, but he's unwilling to let her go. His arms become shackles and Sarah says, "Jareth, stop. Let me go!"

He buries his head in her shoulder and says, "No, Sarah. Just let yourself feel. I'd never hurt you."

Those words unlock her fury again. Never hurt her? No, just cripple her. Make it so that she was completely dependent on him. Her hands move to his chest again and she shoves against him. His arms are like steel and she can't move. She feels her emotions bubbling up inside her and before she can become completely conscious of it, her hands pulse and a light bursts out from where her skin meets the cloth of Jareth's shirt. Jareth screams and his arms jerk away from her. Sarah scrambles off of his lap as he brings his hands up to his chest where blood is soaking through the shirt in the shape of two small handprints. Sarah's eyes go wide. She hadn't meant to hurt him so badly; she just wanted him off of her. Jareth stares down at his shirt until the blood ceases its fall over the white material. Then he closes his eyes and leans slowly back into the throne. Sarah stands and watches him, preparing for whatever he might do. She honestly has no idea. How can she be in love with someone who she thinks might kill her or kiss her?

He feels the ivory press into his back and thinks over her words from before. Was he playing a game with her? No, but that's how it must seem. While she has no knowledge of it, he knows exactly how the magic works. He knows that without training it only manifests in the monarch's strongest impulses. Maybe she hadn't meant to slice his chest open, but the thing she wanted more than anything else in that moment was to get him off of her. She wanted him to stop touching her so badly that her magic reacted defensively. He hadn't expected that. It made sense in the oubliette because he was treating her violently, but now he'd been kissing her, trying to show her the things he couldn't say. Every ounce of trust she had in him had been obliterated before he was aware enough of it to mind his actions. If he weren't fae, she would have killed him just now.

He opens his eyes to look at her. She looks much the same as she did when he first saw her in the oubliette, wearing nothing but a shirt with a slight film of dirt on it. Her face is carefully guarded against him and his expression softens. She's so scared of him in this moment and he could never hurt her. They just stare at each other for a long time, long enough that Sarah starts to fidget.

She shifts her weight onto her right foot and crosses her arms as if she's cold, hunching her shoulders in on herself. Still looking into his eyes, she says defiantly, "I won't apologize. I told you to stop."

He looks at her a few moments more before saying, "So you did. How about you give me a chance to explain myself instead of you forming your own ideas based on second hand opinions?"

Sarah sighs and lets her arms fall to her sides again. She's relieved that he's being calm about her attack and a vital piece of information floats to the top of her mind. "I will give you a chance to explain, but there's something else I have to tell you. The Labyrinth called me into an oubliette to tell me that there's a threat in the North."

Jareth's eyebrows shoot together and he launches himself out of the chair to stand before her. "What? What threat, what exactly did she say?"

"She said that the magic was shaky and that she couldn't see exactly what the threat was, only that it felt fae and it was at the Northern border. And there was a great number."

Jareth's fingers pinch the bridge of his nose. "That's it?" Sarah nods. He turns to walk towards the window and presses his hands into the sill. Suddenly, he jerks back to strike the wall with the palm of his right hand, letting out a frustrated growl. "This can't be! They wouldn't be so foolish as to rise against me!" But they weren't rising against him. He isn't the king anymore, not in any way that they would recognize. Sarah is the goblin queen and she's weak. They must know about the magic changing hands and decided that now was the right time to act. Jareth turns his head to look back at Sarah, who stares back with wide eyes. His eyes slide to look out the window as he says, "You know how the goblin magic is acquired, Sarah? Traditionally?"

"Yes, the goblin monarch is killed and the person who killed him or her gets the magic." Sarah's hands start to shake. "Do you mean… they're going to try to kill me?"

With his back to her, Jareth squeezes his eyes shut against the pain. "You need to be trained. Really trained and as fast as possible. We need to send out scouts to the Northern border and we need to contact old allies. I need to know who is leading the force against us and whether the full army of the Fae Kingdom is behind them."

**Ok, so we're getting into it now. I don't know how much longer this story will go, but I would guess we're not too far from the end, which I do have planned out. PLEASE review, they are so helpful!**


	15. Priority

Jareth sits in the scroll room with a heavy mind and a heavier heart. The scouts he sent to the Northern border returned with news of a fae army, confirming Jareth's fear that the Fae Kingdom has indeed mobilized against him. From the scouts' accounts, however, the force isn't nearly as large as he expected. Instead of being a comfort, the fact that only a quarter of the army he expected is stationed beyond the Northern Mountains is just disquieting. Where is the rest? Are they attacking in waves? Are these the only troops they could command? The fact is he needs more information. Before any kind of battle plan can be created, he needs to know motives, commanders, and exact numbers. For that, he needs a meeting with the enemy leaders, and for _that, _he needs allies. There's no way he can move through a political and military situation like this with only Sarah by his side. He needs magic, skilled magic.

Every time he thinks of Sarah's magic, Jareth presses his fingers against his eyes until the darkness swims around him and he clenches his jaw against the regret. He crippled her. He knows in the back of his mind that the extra two weeks wouldn't have made much of a difference in her magic, but it would have been something and he stole it from her. Now she has days when she could have had weeks. The day that she told him of the army, the day he sent the scouts, he started giving her actual lessons. He taught her to clear her mind so that she can feel the magic run through her body like blood itself. He taught her to let her desires loose like breaking a dam and try to focus those desires on one task. It took two days for her to produce a crystal and in her excitement, she threw her arms around him and laughed. The crystal shattered against the floor as he held her. Her anger and hurt had already distanced him so much after two days that the feel of her in his arms felt like a reunion and he closed his eyes against anything else and just held her. He felt it the moment she realized what she'd done, felt her back go rigid and her arms snap away from his neck. He wanted to keep her there, but he knew she had to come to him on her own. And more than he needs her love, he needs her to stay alive.

Sarah is progressing in her magical crash course, but she's nowhere near strong enough. Jareth knew it the moment he learned of the army, but he has to hold it together. He has to try. Once the scouts returned, Jareth set his sights on his old allies. There's always been an old friendship between the Goblin Kingdom and the Elf Kingdom, and that's where Jareth concentrated his efforts, but friendships Underground are not like human friendships. A fae doesn't do anything unless he or she can see the express benefit in it; there are no favors without payment. Since every kingdom is ruled by fae instead of the indigenous race, each alliance is one of competing strengths and uneasy truces. Fortunately, Jareth and the Elf King are as close to friends as two beings such as they can be. Jareth has always given Draec certain freedoms, such as letting him pass between the worlds when the mood struck, or freely trading goblin weapons for Elvin wine. The second crystal Sarah ever made conveyed a desperate message to the elves calling for aid in war.

Another day later, the fae army is nearing the foot of the mountains and the elves are granted passage from the Eastern Sea. It seems that word of the goblin magic changing hands has spread across the Underground; every message to other allies has gone unanswered. Jareth isn't surprised- he wouldn't be too inclined to fight for a lost cause, either. Even with the elves, their army numbers maybe two-thirds of the enemy's and their magic is laughably inadequate. The elves never had the strongest magic of the kingdoms, and there's an army of fae magic at their door. Still, as Jareth and Sarah stand on the shores with a guard of goblins around them to greet the elves, Jareth's face splits into a wide smile and hope sparks within him. Sarah's ecstatic because there are so many ships filled with troops come to fight for her. She's never been in a war and doesn't understand that numbers often trump a fighting spirit, so in her mind, the war is already won.

Sarah likes Draec from the moment he leaps off the side of the ship to land on his toes on the dock with a whooping laugh. He rushes forward to embrace Jareth like a brother, then turns to her and plants a kiss on each of her cheeks. His hair is a soft brown and is cut just above his shoulders in a thick, curly mop. His eyes are exactly the same shade of brown and his skin is a dark tan. Apart from this, his form is almost identical to Jareth's in that he's thin and tall, with a subtle strength in his limbs. All in all, he reminds Sarah somehow of a young oak tree. When Jareth sees Draec kiss Sarah, he moves to stand beside her.

"So this is the lovely new Goblin Queen! Human, eh? I've had a few humans, just wonderful." He gives Sarah an appreciative look that could have been sexual or predatory. She almost asks what exactly "having" a human means, but decides she'd rather not know. He continues with, "How about we get my people settled and then we can talk strategy?"

The harvest has just ended so the elves are led to the crop fields behind the castle to set up camp. While Sarah organizes a feeding schedule with Hoggle and a few ranking elves, Draec pulls Jareth to the edge of the camp.

"Brother, just what are you doing?" he murmurs.

Jareth sighs. He's been prepared for this question. "I know what you're going to say—"

"Then why haven't you done it? She's a pretty thing, but you're putting everything at risk. For what, a few fucks?"

Draec likes to spend a lot of time Aboveground playing with humans, and Jareth always thought that his vocabulary suffers greatly for it. Jareth fixes Draec with a withering stare and says in a low, menacing voice, "I will do whatever it takes to keep this woman alive. Don't think I haven't considered it, but I just can't. It'd be worthless without her."

The Elf King's jaw drops open and he stares at Jareth like he's sprouted a third eye. Then his face takes on a shade of anger. "You would forsake your vows and let your kingdom fall. You don't have any idea what kind of ruin you would leave your subjects in, and you would still give it all up for a human. Why?"

Jareth's breath falls out of his body and he seems to shrink a couple inches as he says, "Because I love her."

Draec shakes his head. "Jareth, she's probably going to die anyway…"

They eat dinner in the dining hall, Sarah and Draec seated opposite each other with Jareth at the head of the table and Jareth tries to tell Draec the whole story. It takes a long time, but he finally gets through everything, with Sarah filling in a couple of holes. No, they don't know how Jareth's magic was taken without his death, and yes Sarah does have the goblin magic, and no she doesn't have the training.

Once they finish, Draec shakes his head and chuckles, spearing another vegetable with his fork. "Well, Jareth, thanks for leading me to my death. I knew this wasn't going to be boring, but I never thought it would be suicidal. Fuck it, I'm in. Seems to me that we need a meeting with those pushy bastards. Will the mountains keep them out?"

Sarah looks to Jareth who says, "The magic should conceal the gates, but not indefinitely. They reached them today and it shouldn't be too long before their magic cracks the charms. Our kingdom's power is not as strong as it should be."

"Who have you tried to ally with besides me?"

"Everyone. Dwarves, Spirits, Trolls, even the Dragonmen. None have answered."

"You haven't tried the Fae?"

Jareth fixes him with an expression that drips contempt. "No, considering it is the Fae who are attacking us."

"No, you said that it wasn't the whole Fae army. Couldn't hurt to just see if the Fae King sanctioned this attack."

"None would attack without the consent of the King."

"Perhaps. But these are strange circumstances, aren't they?"

Jareth regards Draec with narrowed eyes before sliding his gaze to Sarah. "Sarah, make a crystal."

Sarah's raises one brow and her expression becomes one of superiority and offense. "Excuse me?"

Jareth clenches his jaw in anger. Is she really going to do this in front of the Elf King? He takes a deep breath before his anger and frustration can boil over. She should know how pressed for time they are. "Sarah, please form a crystal so that we can ascertain whether or not the entire Fae Kingdom is here to kill us all?"

Sarah flushes slightly with embarrassment and without a word, closes her eyes to make a crystal. It takes her a few minutes and a lot of hand waving, but she finally manages it. Jareth glances over to Draec to see him shaking his head. Sarah's inability to even produce a crystal quickly is hardly encouraging. Jareth leans across the table to take the crystal from Sarah's hand, letting his gloved fingers brush hers. Jareth tosses the crystal to Draec, who whispers a few jumbled spells into it until it glows bright blue. He tosses it back to Jareth who places it on the table and then leans down to say clearly, "Raynus of the Fae."

The light changes from blue to red as the crystal rises to hover a few feet from the tabletop. Sarah's seen this before, but it still amazes her every time she sees what she's capable of now. She still isn't as good at it as Jareth or Draec, but she'll get there. If only she can survive the next few days. She starts when a deep, booming voice radiates from the crystal. "Is that Jareth of the Goblins summoning an audience? No, it cannot be. I heard that Jareth has no more magic."

"Your majesty, thank you for answering our call," Jareth says.

"'Our'?"

Jareth pauses. If the king is responsible for the attack, Jareth doesn't want to tell him that the elves are here and ready to fight. He would rather be underestimated.

"Yes, myself and the new Goblin Queen. Surely, you've heard?"

A chuckle comes from the red light. "Oh yes, I've heard. Lovely night for a chat, no? Can I ask why you're calling?"

Jareth huffs in frustration. "I think you know full well, your majesty, considering the fact that your army is at our Northern gates."

The voice changes from amusement to dark anger as it says, "_That _is not my army. It is a band of traitors and thieves."

Jareth's mouth drops open in shock and he looks at Draec with hope in his eyes. "Then, you didn't sanction the attack?"

"Of course not. I would never wage a war on the most powerful magic in the Underground based on only rumors. You remember Laran, Jareth?"

Jareth's eyes narrow in thought until they suddenly go wide with recognition. "No… she wouldn't be _that_ foolish."

"Apparently she would."

Jareth leans his elbows on the table and presses his fingers against his eyes. Sarah leans over and whispers, "Jareth, who's Laran? What's going on?"

Before Jareth can answer, the voice in the crystal says, "Is that the Goblin Queen I hear?"

Sarah says, "It's nice to meet you, your majesty." Jareth clamps a hand down on Sarah's arm to stop her from talking. She shoots him an indignant look, but he glares at her with an intensity that has fear at its root.

He loosens his grip on her arm, but keeps his hand there as he says, "What have you heard about my magic?"

"Actually, I heard that you were dead. Well, I heard that there was a new Goblin Queen and naturally assumed you had met your demise. I'm glad you're alive, Jareth, I've always liked you."

"I'm glad I'm alive, too. Why would Laran attack without your full army? What did she do?"

"I don't fully understand it. She hadn't even completed her training. All I know is that over the past few centuries she's become increasingly power-hungry. When the first rumors reached us of a weakened Goblin Kingdom, she insisted we attack immediately. There was no way of knowing if you had perished or not, so I would not risk war with you as you were. I refused her, and she called upon my army anyway, telling them I'd grown weak and timid, that now is the time to attack. Most of my army remained loyal, but a few hundred traitors followed her."

Jareth sighs in relief. "So, it's not the entire army, then."

"Not mine, no."

"Not yours?"

"From what I've heard, Laran has secured the Troll Kingdom's allegiance."

Draec shoots a wide-eyed look at Jareth, who stares back at him with a tight jaw. His eyes glance at Sarah before saying, "She must have promised them the mountains. They've wanted them for centuries because of the ore deposits… We can't defeat Laran and the trolls."

"With the elves, you should have a fighting chance," the voice says. Jareth and Draec go stiff with shock. "Don't sound so silently surprised! Even in training, you two were always fast friends. Draec would never leave you to die. You have the magic of the elves and the goblins, I would say you and Laran are well-matched."

Jareth blinks. "You won't send us aid, then?"

The voice laughs a full, booming laugh. "Oh no, Jareth! There's no telling who the victor will be, so I'd rather not align myself with either side. I will wait until the battle is done, then I will throw recovery aid to whoever remains. Good luck, and keep that queen of yours close. I'm not sure why you've kept her alive, but it will be a tough job to keep her that way."

The crystal goes dark and drops to the table where it shatters into thin air. Sarah, Jareth, and Draec stare at the spot where it was, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Without a word, Jareth rises from the table and walks out of the room. Draec's eyes are still fixed in the air, but Sarah's gaze follows Jareth as he leaves the room. Once he disappears through the doorway, Sarah slides from her chair to Jareth's empty one and leans toward Draec.

"What did all that mean?" she asks him.

Draec glances at Sarah before returning to the food on his plate. "It means, my dear Goblin Queen, that you had better start praying to the gods you can learn your magic in the next few days."

Sarah sits silent, biting her lip and watching Draec eat. Finally, she says softly, "If you were Jareth, what would you do?"

Draec swallows the mouthful of food and sets his fork and knife slowly down onto the table. Then he fixes Sarah with a calm stare, putting his right hand over hers where it rests in her lap. "I would have killed you the moment I knew you had my magic." Sarah's eyes widen and she tenses as if she's expecting an attack. Draec laughs at her. "No, no. I won't hurt you. I already have my own kingdom- I can't have another. Besides, I shudder to think what Jareth would do to me if I killed you."

Sarah relaxes in her seat and Draec goes back to eating. Sarah runs her fingers across Jareth's fork, thinking. Every fae they talk to is telling Jareth he should kill her. To be honest, Sarah can understand if he did, not that she wants him to. He isn't human, and it doesn't make sense for him to keep her alive. She's not learning the magic very fast and there's no way any army would attack if Jareth had the magic.

"You know, he loves you." Draec's voice makes her jump. He seemed to be able to tell what she's thinking. "I've never seen anything as stupid as a king falling in love, but there it is. I'm not sure why you treat him as a naughty child, but you should realize what he's giving up for you."

"He lied to me. He thought about killing me. It might be just a weird human thing, but I don't want to fall in love with someone I can't trust."

Draec snorts. "I like you, Sarah, but you don't deserve this magic or Jareth. You're a good queen to the goblins, but you know nothing about keeping a crown. When we were being trained as monarchs, Jareth and I learned what it takes to stay on a throne. You have to be ruthless, selfish and blind to anything but your needs and the needs of your kingdom. What your kingdom needs now more than anything is a strong monarch who can wield the magic like an extension of himself. You have no idea how to do that, and I suspect you never will. Remarkable though you are, you are still human. You can't think in the same way a fae can, and it'll be this kingdom's doom. Jareth knows all of this, and he's willing to keep you alive. Do you have any idea how large a sacrifice that is? He loves you more than he loves the kingdom because he's willing to see it die to save you. And you still shun him."

Sarah's eyes fill with tears and she lets her head drop into her hands. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, at this point. Nothing to save your goblins, anyway. By this time next week, we will all probably be dead. Thanks to your little romance. Probably the most humane thing to do would be to kill Jareth before he has to watch you die."

Sarah can't take any more. She pushes herself away from the table and bolts out of the room, tears soaking her face. Her feet take her away from the dining hall and towards her bedroom. How can he speak to her like that? Make her feel like she's the one leading an army against Jareth and laughing at his pain? Telling her… the truth. Draec has no reason to lie to her, and Sarah could feel the ring of truth in those words, because she's thought them herself. She's not stupid, she knows that the kingdom would be safer if Jareth was the one with the magic, but he's not. He obviously hasn't found a way to get the magic back without her death and he won't before the war comes. As Sarah stands frozen outside the door to their bedroom, she knows she can't face him right now. All her spite and anger at him seems completely silly after her talk with Draec. She doesn't know what she would do if she opened that door and saw him sitting in front of the fire. She loves him, but she doesn't want to. He's done so much to hurt her. She turns on her heel and makes her way back downstairs. She goes out the front door and takes the path around the castle to the courtyard. The moon seems to always be full in the Underground and it makes the castle grounds easy to see. The hedges are trimmed perfectly, the path silver in the moonlight. Every so often there are benches among flowers and bushes, fountains rushing softly in the silence. She perches on one of the stone benches and closes her eyes, taking in the sound and smells of the grounds.

She loves it here. It's funny, she knows she probably won't live past this week, but she's never thought about leaving. Her life Aboveground is a distant memory, one she barely feels part of anymore. She misses Toby sometimes, but he's probably forgotten her by now. This is her home, the Underground. Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus, Jareth; they are her family. For the first time, Sarah wishes with all her heart that she'd accepted Jareth when he'd offered her dreams after she'd run the Labyrinth. A fresh tear rolls down her cheek and a gloved finger catches it before it can fall. He found her, or she found him. Sarah opens her eyes slowly to see Jareth sitting next to her, his expression so sad that it broke Sarah's heart.

He swallows and presses his hand against her cheek. "I swear, Sarah, I will not let anything harm you. We can win."

He thinks she's scared of the war, but really she's scared of him. She's so terrified that she'll give into this love searing through her and forget all he's done to her. Then they'll die and … what? What the hell does it _matter _now? Sarah grabs both sides of Jareth's face and kisses him like she'll never stop. Jareth feels the desperation in her lips and lets his own loose. Their mouths move together like dancers and he pulls her to him in a crushing embrace. Jareth breaks away from her mouth and just holds her to him, her arms around his neck and his around her waist. He burns this moment into his mind. The feel of her against him, clinging to him like a lifeline, letting him see her vulnerable and open. One thing he's learned over the past few days is that nothing is certain. She could push him away in the next second and all he'd have is this memory, so he makes it a part of him. This is what he will die for.

Sarah balls her fists into the material of his shirt and cries into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispers between sobs. He shushes her and rubs her back in circles, letting her cry herself out. They sit there long enough for her tears to stop and Jareth's shirt to dry. He thinks she may have fallen asleep until she whispers against his chest, "I love you."

Everything within him comes alive at her words. He feels fire run through his heart and he leans back so he can look at her face. She stares up at him with wide, sincere eyes, no longer bloodshot. He lets his eyes slide closed and presses his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Jareth."

He smiles with his whole being and presses his lips softly against hers. He kisses her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, and her lips again before whispering against her neck that he loves her, too.

With her arms around him, Sarah transports the two of them straight to the bedroom and they make love until the morning sun rises over the balcony. They lay tangled in each other's arms when a frantic pounding on their door knocks them back into reality.

**So I notice the reviews have dropped some in the past few chapters. Are there aspects of the story you guys aren't liking? I won't change character elements or story lines, but I would like to know what you guys think about the writing itself. Please review so I can keep improving!**


	16. Dread

Dread fills Sarah's heart as Jareth jumps from the bed. The goblins know not to wake the king or queen unless it's an emergency, but it seems now they are always in a state of emergency. Last night was a beautiful reprieve, but Sarah and Jareth both know that before they can become immersed in each other, they have to save a kingdom.

"Sarah!" Hoggle's frantic voice floats across the room and catches Jareth as he rushes to the door. "Sarah, er, yer majesty! The scouts are back and they're at the mountain gate!" No. He thought the magic would hold. He thought he had more time. Jareth's just rounded the foot of the bed before he stops, considers for a moment, then continues around the bed and takes Sarah's face in his hands.

"Precious, I will do anything I have to do in order to keep you alive. Please, for the love of the gods, you have to trust me from this moment on."

Sarah's hands grasp his wrists and she nods. She knows she hasn't treated him as someone worthy of trust until now, but she gave herself to him last night and she'll never shut him out again. She hasn't forgotten the Labyrinth's words, but Sarah needs to trust him, she needs to. He gives her a hard kiss and strides to the door, throwing it open to see Hoggle cowering before the doorway. He's too terrified to do more than widen his eyes even more at the sight of the naked Goblin King before him, until he sees an equally naked Sarah in bed behind him, a sheet covering her chest. His gaze flits from Sarah to the king a few times and anger flickers inside him, but Jareth reminds him why he's here.

"Hoghead, pull yourself together and tell us exactly what's happening."

Hoggle shoots him a dirty look and directs his response at Sarah. "The scouts say the army's got past the mountain magic and they's found the gate."

Jareth's eyes flicker across the floor as he thinks. "They'll be through the gate in a matter of hours, especially with the trolls," he murmurs to himself, but both Sarah and Hoggle hear him. Jareth throws Hoggle a sharp look and barks, "Fetch the Elf King, tell him what's happening and tell him to come to the throne room immediately." Hoggle nods, but gives Sarah a look filled with worry and something very close to pain. Jareth doesn't see it; he's already striding to the closet. "Sarah, come with me," he throws over his shoulder.

Sarah slides off the bed, letting the sheet fall. The fire keeps the bedroom warm, but she shivers slightly when she walks into the cooler closet. Jareth strides right to the back of the small room and to the mirror. Sarah stands next to him and places a hand on his back. He slides his hand along the right side of the huge mirror until they hear a metallic click. The mirror swings forward like a door and Sarah sees familiar armor on display behind it. There are three identical metallic vests, with plaited pants and shirts underneath each of them. Sarah thinks the material looks like snake skin, but instead of scales, the strips of thick material are woven together like a tapestry. Jareth takes one of the sets off its platform and holds the shirt out to Sarah, opening the bottom so she can slip her arms inside. His face doesn't leave any room for argument, so she raises her arms into the shirt and he slides it on, but not without difficulty. Her breaths come fast and shallow as the material stretches over her breasts, squeezing her lungs almost closed. If it's meant to be skin tight on him, there's no way it's ever going to fit her.

"Jareth, I can barely breathe in this."

His jaws clench together. "If that's too small, then the chest plate certainly won't fit. You can't go out there without armor, but we can't go out there without magic." He slams a fist against the wall then stares at his armor as if willing it to conform to Sarah's body. He finally exhales in a huff and yanks a second set of armor onto himself. He's buckling the plate over his chest as he says, "I have to meet with the army's commander."

Sarah's eyes snap open wide. "Why would you do that?"

"It's what's done. We'll meet to discuss any chance of a settlement without battle, and when that fails, she'll expect us to surrender. When we don't, she'll brag about the size of her army and the strength of her magic. I know this woman, and she is a vain thing. I can use it to my advantage. We'll know where we stand, at least."

"I'm coming with you."

Jareth is sitting on the black seat, fastening boots that seem to be made of the same material as the chest plate. He waits until the boots are completely buckled before sighing and turning a patient expression to Sarah. "No, you're not. I wouldn't let you anywhere near her, even if you'd mastered the magic. You're the target, Precious. They kill you, and the war is over."

"But I can help, I won't let you go in there without the magic!"

Jareth pushes himself off the seat and takes Sarah's hands in his. "I will have Draec with me. If anything happens, he'll transport us straight back here. You promised to trust me, remember?"

"Yeah, but if something happens—"

"Then I would expect you to save my kingdom… like you did before."

Sarah's eyes fill with tears. He's telling her that she did the right thing, that she saved the goblins when he vanished. If she hadn't already loved him, she would have fallen in love with him now. Sarah rises up on her toes to give him a soft kiss. His hand disappears in her hair and he kisses her hard and desperate, squeezing his eyes shut. He breaks away from her lips, but keeps their foreheads together as he says, "While we're gone, I want you to focus on creating a crystal and then using it to change my armor into one that will fit you. Think of what might happen if you don't have any armor, then let the desire to _live _direct the crystal's magic."

Sarah snorts and says with a smile, "I can do it."

He chuckles back at her and strokes her face. "Of course you can. I'll be back for lunch, tell the cook I'll want a double serving."

"Careful, or you might not be able to fit these clothes, either."

He raises an eyebrow and smirks at her. As they look at each other in amusement, their faces sober and he gives her another hard kiss, their arms clinging tightly to one another. Then he rips himself away from her, practically sprinting out of the room. He knows if she looks at him like that again, he'll do anything she asks. And he can't let her near Laran.

As he races to the throne room, Jareth thinks about his life. He's been on the goblin throne for centuries and he's never been faced with a threat like this. Typically, the only time the High King orders a monarch be overthrown is when that monarch has lost his or her mind, or has become incompetent in some other way. Jareth hasn't eliminated the possibility that the High King really is involved in this attack. His claim could just be a ploy so that Jareth exhausts his army fighting Laran's, then the entire fae army will descend upon the goblins and elves. However, Jareth can't help but think that the Fae King was telling the truth. The king knows how weak the goblin kingdom is, but he also knows how powerful Jareth is, or was. He has no way of telling if the magic is really weakened enough for a decisive victory without heavy losses. Honestly, each scenario is as likely as the other. Regardless, Jareth doesn't have the numbers for a victory against the whole fae army. No amount of good strategy could overcome a deficit like that, so he has no choice but to assume Laran has rebelled. If he's wrong, there's nothing he can do and at least he'll die along with Sarah.

He snorts at himself. His mind wanders back to that stormy night in the Above, when a childish girl wished away her baby brother. He allows himself to wonder if he would have done things differently, if he knew then what he knows now. That he would fall so in love with her that he would be happy to die if it meant living without her. That his entire being, everything he identified with himself, would change to accommodate her. It's no wonder the fae don't normally form connections. If they all allowed their fates to be so tied with another's, the race would have died off long ago. It's easy to rebuff another fae because they're all essentially selfish, cruel, playful things. One could never be sure that a fae could be trusted, so how could they ever allow themselves to fall in love with another? Sarah had been so raw, so vulnerable. As he watched her in the park, it was her childishness that intrigued him. She was so innocent; there was nothing deceptive within her. She was all dreams. His ancient, cynical mind whirred at her openness to the strange and the fantastic.

His thoughts are interrupted as he bursts into the throne room to find Draec and a few elves standing beside the throne, locked in heated conversation. They fall silent when Jareth enters the room. "Jareth," Draec says, "we need to meet with—"

Jareth holds up a hand. "I know. Take us to the gate." Jareth marches forward and grabs Draec by the wrist, looking at him expectantly.

"Shouldn't we bring a guard?"

Jareth shakes his head. "She won't try anything, there's no point. She's expecting surrender and I don't have the magic. Besides, a few elves wouldn't make a difference except to kill more of us."

Draec shrugs and tells the elves to go back to the camp and start forming ranks between themselves and the goblins. He tells them to form companies and prepare for battle. Then he closes his eyes in concentration, waving his other arm to "stir his magic", as he says, and Jareth feels himself being yanked from the room, his grip on Draec the only anchor as blackness takes over his mind for a moment. When he next blinks, he's surrounded by trolls.

Trolls are huge, disgusting things. They each stand about seven feet tall, with thick appendages and thicker skulls. They're not the most intelligent creatures, and generally don't have thoughts more complex than "smash this thing". Their grey skin smells like rotting fish and, trapped in the Gate's Valley, the smell is enough to make Jareth gag. Gerin, the Troll King, must have lost his sense of smell by now. When the five or so trolls notice two fae pop into existence in front of the gate they're trying to smash open, they let out huge bellowing roars and raise their clubs to crush them. Jareth, his hand still around Draec's arm, runs toward the line of trolls, ducking around thick legs. Once around the initial line of trolls, they both run smack into a small group of fae overlooking the siege on the gate. One, a woman with shocking red hair, grabs Jareth by the front of his chest plate and smiles with a vindictive pleasure.

"Jareth. How wonderful that you've chosen to pay us a visit." She sends a lewd look down his body. "Mmm… shame it has to be under these circumstances."

"Jyra, we've come to see Laran." Jareth knows Jyra from when he was in training. She'd never shown much aptitude for rule, but it didn't stop him from strolling into her room a few nights. He spares a thought for the depth of his disinterest in her now. She's always been easy to manipulate and he expects that's why Laran got to her so easily. Now, she smiles at him and nods. She crooks a finger at a couple fae that Jareth doesn't know and suddenly he and Draec are grasped by their arms and marched into the ranks of fae.

They approach a large white tent lined with gold, the colors of the fae kingdom. Jareth takes a deep breath and prepares himself to face the woman who would try to kill his Sarah. As the curtains are pulled aside, he and Draec are pushed roughly inside. Jareth's eyes are drawn to Laran immediately. She's always been exceptionally beautiful, even for a fae. Her long blond hair falls in loose golden curls down her back, framing her small face perfectly. Her eyes are a deep blue that looks black in the dim light of the tent. Her pale skin is a sea of creamy silk and the white dress drapes over her form like a lover, hugging her slim waist and narrow hips. Her face twists in superior contempt as Jareth and Draec are pushed into the tent.

"Well, isn't this surprising." Her musical voice drips with condescension. "Come to surrender, Goblin King?"

Jareth straightens to stand tall before her. "Come, Laran. We've known each other long enough for you to call me Jareth."

She chuckles. "Of course. Draec, welcome, I see you've come valiantly to your friend's aid. Adorable."

Draec smiles a mocking smile and says, "I don't think we've known each other long enough for you to call me Draec."

Laran throws her head back and laughs. "Oh I've missed that wit of yours. I'll miss it even more once you're dead. Unless, of course…" She looks at Jareth expectantly.

Jareth says, "Laran, we've come to offer a truce. We have the entire goblin and elf kingdoms mobilized against you. Even if you do manage to defeat us, it will not be without extreme losses."

Laran shakes her head, but keeps the smile on her face. "Oh, Jareth. I can't settle for a truce. I want the goblin magic, I always have. You may have beaten me for it during training all those years ago, but I've grown in my skills and my abilities. Besides, from the rumors I've heard, there aren't enough goblins left to clean your castle."

Jareth calls on every deceptive skill within him and cocks his head with a smirk. "Oh, the goblins have bounced back magnificently. Along with their queen."

Laran says with a snort, "I've heard about that. How you've allowed your own magic to be stripped from you. Tell me honestly, why haven't you killed the little queen? She's not fae, and no other being from this realm could have gotten past the kingdom's magic. I have to assume, therefore, she's human. How could you be so foolish as to let her live, then to go so far as to bargain in her place?"

Jareth always knew Laran was no fool. Jareth feigns frustration and clenches his jaw, curling his hands into fists. "I have tried to kill her, but she's taken to the magic surprisingly well."

Confusion flickers across Laran's face and a small spark of fear shines in her eyes before she can hide it. She regards Jareth with narrowed eyes. "Hmm. What to believe? This whole situation is fairly curious. You know, we all thought it was impossible for a monarch's magic to be taken without death. I wonder how this human did it."

Jareth keeps his face cautiously still. He waits for Laran to speak again and she surprises him by saying, "If you truly do wish her dead, stay and fight with us."

Jareth swallows and reaches for a response. "I-I wanted her dead to get my magic back. I doubt you would let me have my throne back when the war is won."

"True, but I would give you your revenge. Once we have her, you may torture her all you like, as long as you leave the fatal blow to me."

Hate rises in him sure and strong and he struggles to keep the black disgust off of his face. Unfortunately, Laran sees the flash of it in his eyes. Before he can blink, she's in front of him and grips him by the throat. Draec lets out a surprised yell and tries to reach for Laran, but strong arms grip him from behind and he's held immobile, unable to move his arms to work a spell.

Laran's hand hisses against Jareth's neck as her magic sears his skin. His face scrunches with pain and he's gripping her arms, trying to get her off of him. Her fae magic is too strong. The fae don't have the level of power that a monarch has, but if they concentrate enough, they can run a small amount of magic from their fingertips to whatever they touch. It must be taking all of her concentration to do this, and it's impressive. She is barely an inch from his face as she hisses, "Don't you dare lie to me anymore. You can go back to your queen and tell her that an army of two thousand is at her gates and she will be dead by nightfall. That is, if you can live long enough to tell her."

Jareth's right side explodes in pain and he feels the material of his armor tear right above his hip, just beneath where his chest plate ends. Laran releases his neck and he sees bits of his skin clinging to her hand. He falls forward onto his knees and looks down at his side to see blood pouring from a long slice from his lower back to the front of his hip. How did she slice through the armor? Jareth glances up to see Laran holding a curved silver knife and its hilt glows with a deep purple light. The Spirit Kingdom.

He holds his hand to his side and shuts his eyes against the pain. He hears Laran chuckle again and say, "Release him, the Elf King won't make a difference." A moment later, Jareth feels Draec grip his left arm. He feels his knees hit stone before he loses consciousness.

**So. Are you guys adequately caught up in suspense?**


	17. Wars Within

It's been an hour since Jareth left Sarah to meet with the enemy commander. After he disappeared from their bedroom, Sarah immediately sat and closed her eyes, focusing on making a crystal. It's hard for a human brought up with no magical training to wrap her mind around what it takes to summon any kind of magic. Even though Jareth told her it isn't concentration that she lacks, she continually tries to clear her mind and bring forth the image of a crystal. In doing so, she's crippling the magic's ability to flow free through her mind and body. Jareth's told her this, but it's near impossible to forget her schoolgirl teachings: that she should concentrate, focus, and control herself. The fae don't learn in this way; they are taught to let their emotions completely free. Only once they know what's inside themselves can they truly work towards controlling it. Sarah knows all of this, but she still can't let go of the subconscious idea that she needs to control herself first, that the magic won't work unless she's completely focused.

Her jaw begins to ache from clenching it in concentration and she feels her focus start to waver. Jareth is walking right into the enemy's camp with barely any protection. She would be with him right now if she had only been strong enough to change the armor. Her breath rushes out of her in anger; she hates herself for what could happen to him. A frustrated tear escapes and Sarah groans, gripping the hair at her temples. What if he doesn't come back? It would be her fault. What the hell kind of queen would let that happen? Faces float in front of her vision and a chill runs through her body. Grubby goblin faces, Hoggle's perpetually grumpy face, Ludo;s trusting one, Didymus's stoic grin, and Jareth, in all his superiority. Each of them trusted her to be their protector, their queen. If any of them comes to harm, it's on her.

Sarah's mind drifts to the nightmare she had that first night after she found Jareth. Hoggle, a spear through his abdomen, his eyes dark with accusation. Sarah feels sick when her mind places Jareth in Hoggle's place. Jareth's white shirt stained red, his striking blue eyes clouded with fear and screaming betrayal. She can't let it happen. The spear rips sideways as he falls forward and Sarah can feel it. Her mind constructs the sensation of wood ripping torn flesh even wider. She can see the stone of the Labyrinth drown in red under his body.

Love, pain, responsibility. These words float across her consciousness and fill her with the desire to save him, all of them. Not only because she has a duty to save them, but because she loves them. A crystal forms in her hand and Sarah, eyes still closed, feels herself smile.

Sarah finishes the last buckle on the perfectly fitted breastplate just as Hoggle walks into the bedroom. She gives him a tense smile and says, "Are they back yet?" even though she knows from the look on his face that they aren't.

Hoggle sighs and shakes his head while making his way over to where she sits in front of the dark fireplace. He jumps up onto the sofa and lets his short legs dangle off of the cushion. Sarah leans her elbows on her knees, not bothering to hide her anxiety from Hoggle. She's getting better with the crystals, and she thinks she's making a lot of progress with the mentality of magic, but Jareth is still not safe.

Hoggle heaves another sigh and says quietly, "Sarah?"

"Yeah, Hoggle?"

He fidgets with a bracelet on his wrist and Sarah recognizes the plastic one she gave him when he helped her get out of the oubliette and she raises the corner of her mouth in a weak smile.

"There's some rumors goin' around," he says, his eyes still on the bracelet. "Folks sayin' none of us are gonna make it outta this."

"Don't talk like that—"

"Ya shouldn't be here," he interrupts.

Sarah blinks. "What?"

He takes another deep breath. "Ya promised me when ya first got here that ya'd leave again when we found Jareth. We found him."

Sarah shakes her head and says, "Yes, but things are—"

"I know ya got feelin's for him, I ain't stupid. But ya should know that you ain't the only one with feelin's. I already had ta watch ya die, and I don't ever wanna do that again." He slides off the sofa and takes a silent Sarah's hands in his own. "Please, Sarah. Please, go back Aboveground. I can't lose ya."

Sarah has to swallow against the lump in her throat and she squeezes Hoggle's rough hands. "Hoggle," she whispers. "I never want to cause you pain, but this isn't about you and me. It isn't even about me and Jareth. Maybe I didn't set out to be queen, but that's what I am. I have to do everything I can to protect my people."

"They's just goblins, Sarah!"

She gives him a stern look. "They depend on me. _Me_, Hoggle. I can't walk away from them. Can't you see that?" She places a hand against his leathery cheek and a tear slides out of his eye.

Just then, the bedroom door flies open, hitting the opposite wall with a bang. A dark elf, short and wispy, leans her torso in and shouts, "Your majesty! Come quickly, it's the king." Sarah notices a red smear across the chest of her shirt. A red smear that, combined with the elf's panicked behavior, could only be one thing. Once again, Sarah feels as if she's been impaled. It's the king. _Oh God, no._

Sarah's about six inches taller than the elf, but she still falls behind the creature as it races toward the throne room. Hoggle's footsteps fade behind her as he tries to keep up. She bursts into the throne room a few steps behind the elf, but her steps falter as she takes in the scene in front of her. A crowd of elves surrounds Draec as he leans over a prone body on the floor next to the throne. Sarah can only see his terrifyingly still legs, but she knew when she saw the elf that it was Jareth. Of course it is. A pool of blood surrounds Draec where he kneels next to Jareth and turns the green of his pants to a sickening brown. He barks orders to the elves around him to get this or that herb; the names don't stick in Sarah's mind. Elves bustle in and out of the entryway with bundles in their arms. The desire to see Jareth and the desire to run from the room and never look back war within her, as she stands frozen in the doorway. Hoggle's words storm through her mind and she knows exactly what he meant. She can't lose Jareth. She rocks back on her heels before striding forward with sure, quick steps.

When she is close enough to see past Draec and her eyes fall on an unconscious and bleeding Jareth, her mind goes curiously blank. She stands at his head and just looks down at him, seeing but not really understanding what's happening. Draec glances up at her while pressing some kind of plant against Jareth's bleeding side. "Sarah?" No answer. "_Sarah!_" Sarah jerks a little and falls to her knees without looking at Draec. She places her shaking hands on either side of his face, stroking him. Tears fall from her eyes without warning.

"What do I do?" she asks, still staring down at Jareth's too-pale face.

Draec's harsh voice makes her jump again. "If you don't have the decency to die, you could try to use a healing spell. If you know how." Sarah sees Draec's hands moving in her peripheral vision. He drops the plant, now dripping in blood, and swaps it for a clean one. He murmurs something that sounds almost musical.

Sarah ignores his jab and loses herself in what she's feeling, just like she did in the bedroom. A crystal forms in her hand and she asks, "What do I do now?"

Draec heaves a quick, angry sigh and says, "No, you can't just make a crystal for something like this. You have to infuse it with a healing spell, which you don't know how to complete. You can pray to whatever gods you like that my magic will be enough to save him." An elf hands Draec a mustard-colored vine with purple flowers dotting along its length. He drapes the vine across Jareth's stomach, placing the ends in the pool of blood, and starts to sing. Only it's not any kind of singing Sarah's heard before. His voice rises and falls, cutting off in strange places and sustaining notes longer than any human would be able to hold them. It's almost hypnotic, but Sarah tunes it out in favor of concentrating on the blood that still drips from Jareth's wound. Is she imagining it, or is the flow of blood slowing? Sarah stares in wonder as the blood slows, then finally stops. She places a hand on Jareth's chest and dares to hope that he'll be okay. Her eyes widen even more as she watches the blood not only stop, but begin to recede from it's journey across the floor of the throne room. The blood finally stops dripping from Jareth's side, then flows back towards the wound as if time were in reverse. It seeps back into his wound and Sarah's heart swells when she sees a little color in his face. Draec is sweating from exertion and his eyes are squeezed so tightly shut that Sarah wonders if he'll ever be able to open them again. When all of the blood is gone from the floor, leaving only a rusty stain behind, Draec finally slumps forward with an exhausted huff. His eyes open and he tiredly examines the wound on Jareth's side again. For a second, the wound gapes at him like it's suspended in time. As Draec and Sarah hold their breath, the cut again starts to drip with blood, though notably slower than before. Draec groans and presses a bloody hand against his face.

He turns to the elf next to him and barks, "Bandages." The elf rummages in a brown sack around his neck and pulls out a few lengths of green cloth. Once Jareth's side is clean and bandaged, Draec says without looking at Sarah, "We were taken straight to Laran's camp. Jareth tried to secure a truce, but we all knew that wouldn't happen. Then he tried to intimidate her by telling her how powerful you were. He lied and told her that he'd tried to kill you but your magic was too strong. I thought we had her then, but she's always been too damn conniving. She told Jareth that if he would leave you and fight with her, she would let him have his revenge by torturing you. She was testing him." A bitter note enters Draec's voice. "Before you, Jareth would have been able to out-lie anybody and anything, but when she told him what she had planned, even I could see what he felt. Couldn't bear the thought of you hurt," he said with disgust.

Sarah's vision blurs with tears again and she leans forward until she can rest her forehead against Jareth's. She feels Draec's hand on her back and he says softly, "Do you believe me now? You're killing him, Sarah." Despair sears through Sarah's body. Draec continues, "Also, I've ordered our troops to the mountains. Laran's almost through the gate. By now, I'd say she's probably minutes from breaking it down completely. We need to get going, it's almost time to die."

Sarah takes a deep breath and gives Draec a hard stare. "No, we can't fight now. Jareth's unconscious. We don't have a plan, we don't—"

"Sarah, we cannot win and Jareth…" Draec's voice fades and he gives Sarah a strange look. He opens his mouth to say something else, but closes it with a snap and hangs his head.

Sarah narrows her eyes at him. "What?"

He shakes his head, but raises his head to look at her with sadness in his eyes. "Jareth…"

"What about him? He's okay now, right?"

He looks at her for a long time before he sighs and says, "Yes, he'll be fine. He was just the better strategist, I never had a great gift for it."

A low moan slides out of Jareth's mouth. Sarah again places her hands on either side of his face and she and Draec lean over him excitedly. "Jareth?" she asks frantically.

He groans and opens his eyes to a sea of green. He chuckles weakly and whispers, "Hello, Precious."

She laughs in her relief and presses her lips against his, leaning over him. "Jareth, I thought I was going to lose you," she sobs.

It takes far more effort than he was expecting, but he raises his arm to press a hand against her face. "Don't be stupid. I told you I would be back for lunch." She laughs again through her tears and kisses him, her hair creating a curtain around them.

Draec's voice sends them back to reality. "I hate to interrupt, but trolls are breaking through the Mountain Gate right this second, so…"

Jareth glances at Draec, then set his mouth in a determined line. He tries to sit up, but it stopped by Sarah's hands on his shoulders. "No!" she says sharply.

"Precious, we have to get to the mountains."

"No, we don't even know what we're going to do!"

He looks up at her levelly. "We're going to fight." His eyes wander over her clothes and he smiles. She changed the armor to fit her. His smile fades as he remembers that it won't do her any good.

"Well, we need to stall!" she says. "We need some way to keep the gate up…" A faraway look passes over her face and then she beams at them. "Ludo," she says, and she runs from the room, leaving Jareth's face cold from the absence of her hands.

"What the hell is a 'Ludo'?" Draec asks.

**How are things going? Are you still enjoying the story? I wanted to make this chapter a little longer, but I think I've made you guys wait too long. **

**Also, thank you so much for reading. Writing is my favorite thing and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. Tell me what you liked, tell me what you hated. Tell me what I can do better.**


	18. The Price

**So… I'm warning you that this chapter may not be a happy one. Don't hate me.**

How many damn times would he have to wait anxiously for Sarah to return to him? Jareth leans his back against the legs of his throne with his legs folded under him and peers at a map of the mountains. When Sarah ran from the room after uttering that giant orange idiot's name, Jareth ordered that she be stopped. All the elves and goblins in the room rushed after her, but they returned with news of the queen's departure. She'd grabbed hold of the beast's hand and disappeared from the city before any of them could even shout her name. When would she ever learn to listen to him, to defer to his wisdom and experience before mindlessly running after baseless ideas? Now he sits alone but for that infuriating dwarf in the room where he's ruled for centuries, unable to even lift himself onto the throne.

As soon as he'd been told she had left, he turned to Draec. Jareth is unaccustomed to asking for favors, especially on behalf of someone he loves, but… desperate times and all that. "Go to the gate," he'd said levelly. "Please, brother. Make sure… make sure she—"

Draec just held his hand up and said, "I know, I know." With a sigh and a shake of his head, he closes his eyes, waves his hand through the air, and disappears.

Jareth stares desperately at the map. He knows of the beast's abilities and he's a bit ashamed that he didn't consider them in his strategizing. On the other hand, pride rises up in him at the thought that Sarah did. If the beast can secure the gate, even for a few hours, they may have a hope of victory. The goblin army is already moving toward the mountains and if they can get there fast enough… Jareth smiles. It's a chance. If his plan works, Sarah won't ever have to get close to Laran.

""""

Sarah's studied the maps of the kingdom in her search for Jareth and she knows where the Mountain Gate is, at least approximately. Sarah raced from the throne room, past a shocked Hoggle and a few gaping elves. As soon as she cleared the doorway, she took herself to the outskirts of the city and to Ludo's newly built rock home. She finds him tending some flowers in a little garden next to his house.

"Ludo!" she says breathlessly.

Ludo looks up with a smile and says, "Sawah. Home!" He waves a huge paw toward his house.

She gives him a fast smile. "Yes, Ludo, it's beautiful. Listen, I need your help with something, will you help me?"

"Sawah friend," he says. He'd do anything for her.

"Okay, Ludo. I'm going to take you to the mountains and I need you to block up a gate with rocks so that the bad people can't get through. Can you do that?"

Ludo nods. "Mhm. Rocks friends."

Sarah grabs one of Ludo's wrists with both hands and says, "Now these are very bad people, understand? Be careful that you don't let any of them near you. They're big and they're mean."

Ludo nods again. "Bad."

"Okay. Here we go." Sarah pictures the location of the Mountain Gate and closes her eyes to focus on it. She sees the map of the mountains, and pictures what the gate might look like and wishes herself there. When she opens her eyes, she is face to face with a huge set of double doors. Or that's what they were once, she's sure. The ground under her feet shakes with the impacts booming out from the other side of the gate, and from Draec's account, she knows what's on the other side. The doors are barely held up by a strong border of stone and steel, but the wood in the middle is little more than splinters. Sarah spares a wondering thought for why in the hell the goblin monarchs before her would ever make their last line of defense a set of doors, but then she remembers that the magic is usually the last line of defense. Her jaw clenches.

"Ludo, I need you to block up the doors!" she shouts up at the beast.

Ludo nods his head and gently but firmly gives Sarah a push so she stands behind him. Trolls can now be seen (and smelled) through the splintered doors. Ludo is drawing in a huge breath when a deafening crash rings out through the pass. Sarah and Ludo both cover their ears on instinct and the sight in front of her makes her stomach drop. The trolls have broken through the doors and are running right for them, clubs raised and roaring in black fury. Sarah, without a thought more than to stay alive, turns and runs, throwing over her shoulder, "Ludo, run!" As she looks back, she sees Ludo plant his feet and give a roar louder than the combined bellows of the trolls. They're right on top of him, and still he roars. She halts, stumbling from the sudden stop, and makes to run back to him. She's stopped by a painful grip on her arm. She doesn't even look back to see who's restraining her, she just fights. Her eyes fill with tears as the trolls descend on her giant friend. A club to his knees, his stomach, his arm. He's still roaring, though the impacts make his voice skip and falter. Sarah's throat feels like it's on fire and she realizes she's screaming. Her cries are ripping out of her throat like knives.

Sarah screams, "_Ludo!" _Her magic bubbles up inside her and bursts out against her captor. She faintly hears a grunt behind her and the grip loosens; her only thought is that she's free and her friend is dying. She sprints back toward Ludo, tears blurring her vision, but when she is almost close enough to feel the breeze coming off the trolls' clubs, a rumble from above her head rises above the din. Vibrations rock the ground and Sarah looks up to see the sun blotted out by a deluge of boulders falling from above. Once again, a hand grips her arm and a voice shouts, "Damn it, run!"

As she's dragged backwards, Sarah can't take her eyes from Ludo, his bright orange fur soaked with red and clouded by expanses of grey skin. He's still roaring, calling his rock friends to save Sarah. She's forty feet from him when the hand on her arm stops dragging her backward. The last sight she makes out before the magic takes her away is Ludo, surrounded by trolls, being crushed by the boulders she asked him to call. His roar cuts off so suddenly it's like someone pushed the mute button.

""""

War has always been a relative term to Sarah. She's read about wars, seen movies about wars, read books with wars in them. She knows that soldiers die. That's just what happens. Two kids with sticks hit each other and the bigger stick wins. Two groups of soldiers go up against each other with guns and the side with the most guns wins. Soldiers die. It never quite clicked that all of those soldiers were people. Personalities, souls, and hearts. They each had families, friends, lovers... Ludo wasn't a soldier. He was the gentlest being she'd ever met. There was nothing malicious within him, nothing but love and a desire for friendship. Her friendship. He was her friend. He wasn't a soldier.

But that's what she made him. She took him to the enemy with no more protection than belief in his power. More than her friend, she was his queen, and she gave him an order. It doesn't matter that he was willing. She lost him. Lost him? No, lost implies there was no fault. It was her fault completely. She knows she's at the root of this. She took him there and he didn't know what to do. All he knew how to do was protect his friend, do what she said. When ugly trolls as big as he was started beating him, killing him, the only thing he could do was what Sarah told him to do. Because he loved her.

She stands in the entrance hall to the castle and the only thing running through her numb mind is that she didn't deserve it. She doesn't deserve that kind of friendship. The pain-_that_ she deserves, but not Ludo's love. Not Hoggle's, not Didymus's, not the goblins'. Not Jareth's. _She_ should have been crushed, not Ludo. She ran for her life when he stood for hers. She glances up at her captor and is unsurprised to see Draec looking at her like she's a bomb that's about to go off, his hand still gripping her arm. Probably afraid she'll try to go back. Sarah blinks. _What kind of an idiot does he think I am? _She knows Ludo is dead and she knows why. Her jaw clenches and she feels the familiar icy practicality run through her veins. _As long as one goblin goes hungry, you don't cry. _Her hands curl into fists._ As long as one troll lives, you don't get to grieve. _

Sarah fixes Draec with a steely stare and growls, "Let go of me. I'm fine." She jerks her arm out of his grasp and strides toward the throne room. She hears Draec follow but doesn't look back.

When she enters the room, she sees Jareth sitting against the throne and Hoggle leaning against the far wall. Hoggle hurries toward her and Jareth's head snaps up. He puts a hand on the seat of the throne to push himself up. It takes him more effort than he expected, but he finally stands, though he does lean against the arm of the throne. He's about to smile at Sarah until he sees the icy expression on her face. She's not looking at him, but her gaze is fixed on the map in front of him. She marches to stand beside it and says, without even a glance at him or Hoggle, "The gate is secure. Half the mountain is piled on top of it." Her voice sends chills across him.

Draec stands on the other side of the map and says, "It's true. The gate should hold for at least another few hours, even with the magic of the pass broken."

Jareth looks at Sarah through narrowed eyes. "And the beast?"

It looks as if all the muscles in her body tense at once before she catches herself. A dark anger flits across her face before becoming like stone again. "Dead," she spits. "What's the plan now?" Hoggle utters a little grunt and he starts sniffling from his place behind the throne. Sarah tries to block it out.

Jareth pauses and looks at her. Something's changed within his Sarah and he can see the growth of it in her eyes. She'll never be a child again. He clears his throat and says, "The pass is split between two paths." He points out the area on the map. "The main path leads directly towards the castle, the other to the mines and then through the forest. Draec, did you know about the second path?"

Draec shakes his head with narrowed eyes. Jareth grins at him. "That's because no one does. No one but the goblin monarch, anyway. It was built as a smuggler's passage back when the kingdom was a hub of illegal trade thousands of years ago. Its entrance in the mountains is hidden and only I know exactly where the forest entrance is. Now, Laran will obviously take the main path, bottlenecking her army. Her plan depended on getting through the gate more quickly than we could move our army, but thanks to Sarah, we now have the time to get there. If we can get to them just as they're exiting the mountains, we have a chance to win."

Sarah's mouth raises in a cold smile. This is it, they can win. Draec coughs and says, "Sure they'll be bottlenecked, but what about the trolls? We have elves and goblins, there's no way the trolls won't slam right through them."

Jareth swallows. "Well, that's where the other half of the plan comes in. The smuggler's path? I plan to send a smaller force of soldiers through the path and up into the mountains, circling behind the army as it fights the main force at the mouth of the pass. As the path is so narrow, Laran won't be able to tell how big the force is. She'll be forced to split her army and the main group will succeed. Once they do, they'll be free to come back through the mountains and give us aid."

Draec chuckles and says, "You're bloody mad, but there's brilliance in there, too."

Jareth grins back at him, but his smile fades when Sarah's quiet voice says, "Us?"

He closes his eyes and resigns himself to a fight. "Someone has to lead them, Precious."

"Someone. You? No, I won't let you go up there as a fucking distraction. No."

Jareth huffs in frustration. "I have to. This is the only way, Sarah. They need an experienced leader, and Draec and I are the only ones. You need his magic with you at the main battle. I'll be fine. Laran will be focused on getting to you and we can use that to our advantage. It'll be mostly fae to the rear of the army and elves and goblins can match any fae that isn't royalty. The magic is so weak it's almost nonexistent." He doesn't tell her that each fae is trained in battle from the very spark of adulthood.

Sarah's face doesn't change. She's as stubborn as he is and she knows that he's sugarcoating. It is exactly what she said-a distraction. He doesn't expect his group to ever make it out of the mountains, he only wants to give the army a fighting chance. Jareth has another moment of pure irony. He knows he's walking into the trap he fashioned himself. Hopefully he catches Laran in the trap, as well, before she can get to Sarah. She's far more important than he is now. Looking at her, her cold practicality and anger, he knows she's becoming a true queen. He just hopes it happens in time. But if he can keep her at the rear of the army and keep the fighting narrowed at the mouth of the pass, there's a chance she won't ever even have to see Laran.

"Sarah," he says softly. "I am not what's important."

**I don't think there's more than a chapter or two left in this story. Quick, you're losing your chance to review before it's over! Please?**


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Labyrinth, Adventure, Romance