A/N: Main author's note below. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any of its characters. I do not profit from this story in any way.

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Chapter Two

'Confessions'

Jareth paused outside the entrance to the kitchens. One of the goblins from the little band he and Sarah had rescued three years ago crouched near the doorway, a colander held fast over his head.

"Azra?" Jareth asked, peering down at the trembling goblin. "What's the matter?"

He looked up at his king, gold eyes glinting. "Yer Majesty," he croaked. "Her grace is…" he swallowed. "I's never seen her like this."

Jareth lifted his gaze to the closed door. He heard some muffled cursing and then a soft crash. Azra flinched at the sound and Jareth had to swallow a smile. "It'll be alright, Azra. Why don't you… go catch a chicken, hm?"

Azra didn't need another excuse. He bolted, holding his makeshift helmet down with both hands. Jareth watched him go, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

A half-peeled carrot soared passed his ear. Jareth raised an eyebrow and followed the trajectory back to his wife. She was breathing heavy, her eyes wide and wild as she slammed down a metal mixing bowl, a puff of flour coming off of it to coat the front of her dark tunic.

"Sarah, my love," Jareth called, stepping further into the room. "We should talk."

Sarah glanced up and her eyes narrowed, "I don't want to talk to you," she spat. "And I don't want to see you. Go away."

He ignored her and crossed to her side, reaching out to cup one elbow. She tried to jerk her arm out of his touch but he curled his fingers around her, preventing the motion. She looked up at him, her blue and green eyes blazing with barely suppressed fury. "Love," Jareth said gently. "It'll be alright. I've already spoken to the Labyrinth. It will make Toby's run as smooth as we can while still following the rules."

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand and scowled, "I hate all these damn rules. Our enemies…" she paused and took a deep breath, glancing around the kitchen. Finding it empty, she continued in a softer voice, "They know we have to follow the rules, and they're exploiting it."

"Yes," Jareth said simply. "But we still hold greater numbers, and they no longer have the element of surprise."

Sarah slipped her arm out of his grasp and scrubbed at her face with her hands. When she looked at him again, her eyes shined with unshed tears. "I miss our son."

Jareth pulled her into an embrace and she sank against him, nuzzling her head against his chest in the way that she often did. She fit perfectly, as though she had always been made for him. And, he supposed, she was. They were two pieces of an age-old prophecy, after all.

"Love," he murmured, running a hand through her silken hair. "Do you want to visit him? I will watch over Toby while you're away."

She shook her head and sighed, "No. I need to be here." She pulled back a little so that she could look up at him again. "How often am I allowed to speak to him while he runs the Labyrinth?"

"A handful of times, no more, and you're not allowed to show him the way." Jareth leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. "He's passed the first trial. He's found his way into the heart of the Labyrinth."

She gave a small smile, "Good. How long does he have?"

"A little over eleven hours. He's quick."

She nodded, "He was always too clever for his own good." She let out a dry laugh, "We used to have a hell of a time keeping him in his crib. He was always escaping, getting into my room…" she trailed off, her gaze distant. She grasped Jareth's hand and laid a kiss on his upturned palm. "I thought my family would be safe," she whispered. "I thought that the Unseelie would be unable to touch them in the Aboveground. I thought—" she shook her head violently. "Damn it. I was an idiot to think that, wasn't I?"

"No," Jareth said as gently as he could. "But they found the book, and the book is the key to the Underground. They knew that your brother was searching for it." He let out a low chuckle, "He thinks I'm keeping you here against your will."

She nodded, "I know. I heard, remember?"

"Ah, yes," he smiled and ran a hand along her cheek and down the side of her neck. "Your owl form was quite annoyed with him."

She gave an unladylike snort, "Oh, yeah. I could barely restrain myself from flying at him."

"You did."

"That was nothing compared to what I wanted to do." Sarah pulled away, trailing a hand down his chest as she did so. He shivered and she smiled at him, gazing up under her dark lashes. "How are my cousins?"

"They're settling in fine. We keep the older ones in one of the private rooms. Otherwise, the goblins tend to frighten them."

"More frightening to a pair of ten-year-olds than that five-year-old from last month?" She raised her eyebrows. "I find that hard to believe."

"Five-year-olds are still heavily steeped in realms of unreality," Jareth said. "They find the fantastic more easily digestible."

"Hm," Sarah said, her face a mask of distraction. "I should visit them, shouldn't I?"

"It might do them some good. If Toby fails—" at her sharp look he hastened to continue, "Only if he fails, my love. But if he does, your cousins will adapt better to life with Titania if they have had time to speak to you, I am sure. If not, they won't remember any of this, but in the meantime, I think they would find you comforting."

She sighed and gave the mixing bowl a half-hearted whisk. "I'm going to finish making the pastries and then go up to them." She glanced around the kitchen again, "Where the hell do they keep the milk?"

"In the cellar, I suppose," Jareth said with a shrug. "I can call Azra back if you would like some assistance."

Sarah shook her head, "No, thank you. I don't think Azra wants much to do with me right now, anyway. I threw a colander at him."

"Ah," Jareth said with a smile. "I had wondered."

"He gets underfoot," Sarah grumbled. She unstoppered a clay jug and sniffed, "Here we are." She looked up at Jareth and smiled, "Are you certain a refrigerator won't work in the Underground?"

"I'm not building one of those stinking coal factories."

"I know," she said, a slight smile curving her lips. "I just miss it, sometimes. And I still can't believe that none of you have developed food poisoning."

"Goblins are a hearty breed." And so are we, my love. "Plus, we have magic."

Sarah flicked a few fingers at him and he stepped back, avoiding a spatter of flour to his front. "Go on," she said. "I'm going to finish up here and then we should go speak to my brother."

"Together?"

Sarah shrugged and glanced at him, her gaze lingering for a moment on his flyaway hair and flamboyant clothes. "Maybe you could hang back a little, but yes, I'd like to go together. I may need you afterward."

Jareth stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I should think," he murmured. "That you need me all the time."

She turned in his arms and rose up on tiptoes, planting a soft, warm kiss on his lips. When he moved to deepen it, she pulled away with a knowing smile. "I do need you all the time," she whispered, her breath fanning out to caress his face. "But unless you're volunteering to peel the vegetables—"

He brushed his lips across her forehead, "I'll leave you to it, my love. Come to me when you're ready."

###

Toby brushed a lock of sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. He was in a vast meadow now, with few distinguishing markers aside from some low, scraggly bushes. Every once in a while, something that seemed akin to a cicada though longer than his outstretched hand would launch itself from the ground with a whistling shriek. The first time it had happened, he had broken into a run, but he had since discovered that they were harmless.

At least, they seem to be, he thought. Maybe they're just waiting for me to let my guard down.

So far, nothing had attacked him outright, but those feathery bastards from the forest had given him a good scare and chased him for what felt like miles.

He crouched down in the tall grass and ran a hand through his hair. The sun was hot on the back of his neck, but the grass smelled sweet and the flowers were pretty enough, he supposed.

"Toby," called a familiar voice.

He looked up, and his breath caught. For a moment, he felt a renewed desire to run. It was his sister, alright, but she looked different. It wasn't just her clothes, which looked like something out of a Renaissance Faire, but her stance, her skin and, most of all, her eyes. One was the same green she had always had, but the other was a bright, penetrating blue. Like a wolf eye. Or like him.

He swept his foot back a little, and the muscles in his legs tensed. "Sarah?"

"Yeah, dummy," she said, her eyes rolling up to the sky. When her gaze caught him again, she scowled, crossing her arms over her stomach. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Toby blinked and stood. He was of a height with her these days. "What are you talking about? And what's wrong with your eyes? They're freaking me out."

Sarah rolled her eyes again and stalked toward him. He felt something, then, something that scared him. He took a few steps back. Sarah stopped once she saw his reaction and a hurt expression flickered over her face. "Jesus, Toby, calm down." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "You remember the book?"

"Yeah," he said hesitantly. "I was looking for it."

"Well, that was stupid," she said. "You should have left it alone, Toby."

He felt a hot flash of anger and took a hard step forward, "Shut up," he snapped. "What did you think would happen? You freaking disappear for days and then show up with this guy who, I'm sorry, doesn't lie worth shit. You're always off traveling, and he's—he's what, Sarah? The fucking Goblin King?"

"Watch your language," Sarah said, though her tone sounded more tired than commanding. She sighed and motioned behind him, "Take a seat. We have a few things to talk about before you get back to your run."

Toby opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about—there's nothing to sit on out here, it's flat as hell—but then he glanced back. He saw, to his amazement, that there were two wooden chairs, a small circular table, and a tray atop it with a jug of ice water and two glasses. Licking dry lips, he practically lunged for the display, pouring a glass of water and downing it in several long, hard gulps before pouring another.

"You're going to give yourself a cramp," Sarah grumbled as she sat in one of the chairs. "Slow down."

Toby gasped and sank into the chair. Another one of those creepy cicada-things launched itself out of the ground near his feet and he flinched back.

Sarah laughed, "Don't worry, they're harmless. They actually eat pests, so we like them."

"What are they?"

Her nose wrinkled, "I can't remember the exact word. Sounds like 'Lily,' I think." She shrugged, "There are a lot of things to learn living in the Underground. I haven't paid much attention to the insect species as of yet." She waved her hand to encompass their surroundings, "For the most part, the things that live here are much like in the Aboveground, but there are some unique creatures."

"The eye stalks?" Toby asked in a hushed voice, "Those things freaked me out."

"They're harmless. A fungus, really, though they tend to help the mortar more than hinder it," she said, leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers together on her lap. Her long daggered sleeves trailed in the grass at her movement, and one of the insects began to crawl up the fabric. She glanced down at it, made a small motion with her pointer finger, and it flew away.

Toby took another long drink of water, watched by his sister the entire time.

She sighed and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "I, well, you don't have the time for me to go into all the details, but I'll give you the rundown. A., you're an idiot for going after that book. B., it appears that the memory spell Jareth and I cast didn't take on you. Perhaps it's because you've been here before, or because you're still underage. Why it happened doesn't matter now, because you're here and you have to finish the run to get Vanessa and Taylor back."

"But why?" Toby asked, "If you're married to the freak, can't you get him to let them go?" His eyes narrowed, "You are married to him, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm married to the freak, thank you very much," Sarah snapped. "And quite happily so. If you're under the impression that I'm here against my will, you're dead wrong, baby bro."

Toby scowled, "You mentioned spells. What if he put you under one, huh? What if he's making you stay here?"

Sarah stood, smoothing down her blouse and turning from Toby to look out over the vast plain. "I'm not under a spell, Toby," she whispered. She turned back to him, "Look, I promise that I'll explain everything once your run is done." She glanced up at the sky, and Toby followed her gaze. There, suspended some ten feet above them in mid-air, hung an ornate golden clock.

"You have ten hours left," she said. "Toby, I can't release our cousins. There are rules here. Ancient ones, older even than human civilization. As I'm reigning monarch, I can't—"

"Wait, what?" Toby blurted. "You're a queen?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Yes. I'm married to the king. Our son is a prince." She sighed and ran a hand over her face, "Jesus, you don't have time for all this, Toby. I'm sorry I distracted you, but I just wanted you to know that everything is… well, everything's not okay, but don't think you have to rescue me, okay? That's not in the cards."

He stood and approached her, "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, voice low. "Like, tap your nose or something if you're not."

She gave him a wry smile, "No nose tapping, Toby. I love him. I've loved him for years."

He suddenly felt very small and closed the distance to pull his sister into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "It'll be okay," she whispered. "You're strong. You can do this."

"I'm scared," he whispered against her hair. "Sarah, I'm real scared."

She gave his back a couple soft pats, "I know." She pulled back, her hands on his shoulders, and took a deep breath. "Toby, I did the run myself when I was fifteen, just like you. I know exactly what you're going through, okay? More than most."

He wiped savagely at his eyes, clearing away the hint of tears. "You did this? Why?"

She blew out a puff of breath, "Well, actually, I wished you away, when you were a year old." At his widened eyes, she hastened, "I'm sorry. It was a stupid mistake. I love you, little bro."

He swallowed hard, "And that's when you met him?"

She gave a shallow nod, "Yeah, that's when I met him."

He sniffed and pulled away from her grasp, "I should get going. Thanks for the water."

"No problem," she said, and her voice sounded small, almost far away. "Toby? Be careful, okay? If… if you don't do it, Vanessa and Taylor will be well cared for, I promise."

He nodded, his throat tight. My sister did the same thing to me, he thought. Dysfunctional, your name is 'Williams family.'

He looked up, mouth open with the intent to ask which way to go next, but Sarah was gone. Just as suddenly as she had appeared, there was no sign of her. He turned in a circle, eyes frantic, but she and the furniture had disappeared.

Sighing, he kicked at the grassy earth and began walking again. Now that he knew the insects weren't dangerous, he didn't flinch each time one of them took off, but the place was still eerie.

His mind buzzed with all the unanswered questions. What was she talking about with Aboveground and Underground? Was she really a queen? Did she have a coronation? Why did her eyes look like that here, but they look normal when she's home? And why did she wish me away when I was one?

With some difficulty, he pushed the thoughts aside and tried to clear his mind.

I have a job to do, he thought, and only ten hours to do it in.

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Sarah watched Toby return to the trail, her heart heavy in her chest. Jareth tightened his grip on her shoulders and she leaned against him, comforted by his solid presence. "That was harder than I thought it'd be," she whispered.

"It often is," he said just as soft.

They stood behind the veil, unseen and unheard by her brother as he continued his run. He looked a little better now with a moments rest, a familiar face, and some water, but there was a strain on his face and a tension to his shoulders she had never seen before. He had his heavy winter coat tied around his waist, and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows.

She wished she had been able to offer him more. To give him a change of clothes, a good meal, and a long conversation in which she could explain everything. But there were rules to be observed, and as Jareth's bonded pair she had to respect his oaths.

More than that, she had felt almost compelled not to talk on certain subjects. She had been very careful not to indicate which way he should travel, which wasn't too difficult as he was currently headed in the right direction, but she had also wanted to offer him advice. Every time she had tried to form the words, it felt like a lump lodged in her throat or her tongue froze to the roof of her mouth, preventing her.

Damned rules, she thought savagely, I was the only one to ever complete the Labyrinth, and I ended up being Fae. How can he stand a chance?

She voiced those thoughts aloud and Jareth's hand moved down her back, stroking it in smooth, soothing motions. "I've never tried to make it easy for them before," he said, brushing his lips against her cheek. "And he's a smart boy. I'm sure he'll make it."

Sarah let out a dry laugh, "Maybe it'll become a Williams family tradition."

"Let's hope not." He pulled away from her a little as Toby's form disappeared along the horizon. He stepped in front of her, and she lifted her gaze to his. He cupped her cheeks with both hands. "My love," he murmured. "It will be okay."

She rose up on tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull his body closer. She nibbled his lip a little before she pulled away, and her voice was a bit breathless though there was still an edge of tension to it that had never been there before. "Is there anything else we can do?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that, unless he finds allies as you did, Toby is on his own."

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A/N: Thank you to MyraVallhala and JatredGirl for your reviews. It was nice to 'see' you both again :)

Myra, I did call Toby's mother 'Judith' in "The Return" and in "Perfect" before it. I don't know why, exactly, but she always struck me as a Judith.

I'm still setting up for the main plot line and discovering what's been happening in the Underground since the end of "The Return". I have about 80% of this figured out by now. Lots of daydreaming. But I am working on other stuff, so I think you all can expect a chapter every two weeks. Hopefully. Feel free to message me if I drop off the face of the earth. Sometimes a good pants-kick will spur me back into action.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and, as always, please review so that I can give you a shout out. Reviews make me smile and inspire me to write more :)