Disclaimer: You folk get the drill. Not mine, wish they were, yadda yadda yadda.

~*~*~*~

Whack!

The steel disappeared into the arm-thick vine. "I cannot believe this." she pulled the blade out and swung again, hacking further and further into the barrier covered by the plant life. As she tugged the blade out again, a small chunk of the vine came with it and smacking against her cheek, leaving a stinging reminder. "I really cannot believe this!"

Whack!

"Are you going to say that all day?" the exasperated voice called from behind her.

Stopping her routine of curse, swing, hit, and tug out, Sarah turned and while she wiped the sweat in her eyes away with the back of her sword hand she sent a scathing glare to the man leaning against the far dirt wall. "I don't see you here working."

"What does that have to with your whining?" Jareth retorted, flicking a speck off his breeches. He had been watching her hack away for the past ten minutes at the meter thick barrier of vines. She had tied her hair back into a pony-tail at the base of her neck and had removed her outer sweatshirt a few minutes earlier.

"I was not whining--" she cut off, preventing herself from creating the third argument of the day. They had only been in the challenge for an hour or so and already Sarah was wishing she had never wished her brother away those many years ago. "Look ,I'm the one working here trying to get us out of this filthy trench back home and back to your stupid kingdom. I think I'm entitled to some complaining about my condition. I didn't even ask to be sent back here!"

"Those swords are pure iron." Jareth mentioned after a beat.

Sarah cast a glance to their gear and at the second sword, similar to the one she held. Three feet long, not including the hilt, with a trailing engraving circling the blade. Runes were carved into the hilt itself and the very bottom was dusted in gold. Underneath were their other meager divisions. A few days supply of food, three water skins and a pair of sleeping mats. Flint and cloaks summed it up. Sarah again cursed whatever fate that had thrown her back into this mix. "So?" she returned to the current conversation. "They won't bite."

Jareth waited another beat before coughing and flicking his gaze between her and the sword in her hand. "Do you recall what I am by any chance? Or did that fade away as your human memories tend to do?"

Sarah growled underneath her breath and mentally calmed down before replying. "Your.Fae, I think. Though how, I don't see."

"Don't see? Well, I'll touch upon that later. But, what, my fair mortal, is one thing that can kill a Fae if left in prolonged contact?"

Sarah felt the heat rise into her cheeks as he spoke and then looked to the sword residing on the ground. "Oh.iron."

"Yes, that. And steel. So I can't touch those things to help you chop, or I would."

"I'm sure." Sarah began to turn back to her task and then spotted a glint of metal at his side. It was his dagger, silver, if she remembered correctly as Raoul gave out supplies and asked for what they had on them already. "Well, then use your dagger."

Jareth glanced to his dagger and smirked before unsheathing it and walking up beside her. "My apologies," he ended up a few inches from her and paused to reflect on how her hair caught the dim light perfectly. "it's not fair that you do all the labor, now is it Sarah?"

"Get away from me." she whispered vehemently, jerking to the side and focusing intently on her work.

Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he stepped back a few paces. "I thought you wanted my help."

"Yes, you can help by chopping those vines that are on the far side."

"As you wish." Jareth went to where she had pointed. The two feel into an uneasy silence that was broken only by an occasional curse or the thunk of a vine portion hitting the ground. Minutes passed into an hour before they could consider themselves half-way through the barrier. "What did Raoul deal with you?"

"What?"

"Why you're here. What did Raoul promise you that made you waltz back into the Underground. Last I recall, you wanted nothing more to do with us."

"Not true, I kept in great contact with Sir Didymus and Ludo and Hoggle."

"Ah yes. I know. I remember them sneaking out of the Underground every so often. But, you never answered my question." He reached out and tugged one of the vines out from its rocky root-placement and then tossed it violently onto the ground next to the growing ankle-deep pile of already severed vines. "Was it another crystal full of endless hopes and dreams?"

"I don't believe I have to answer this."

"It's merely a question. Nothing more, nothing less." Jareth retorted. "I'm just curious on why you're here. Raoul does love his games. Sometimes I wonder why he did not seize the labyrinth for his own."

"Maybe he would understand a harried teenagers plight and forgive a mistake."

"I only did what you requested of me. You wanted your brother to be whisked away to my care, I did that. And what was the gratitude I receive? My kingdom's downfall. It even might be said that I got the unfair share in our little game." Jareth snapped, his unusual eyes flashing with unchecked anger and he swung into the barrier with a renewed force.

Sarah stood there and watched the Goblin King work, her eyes involuntary roaming over the rippling of the muscles barely shown through the poets shirt sleeves. Suddenly the idea of being as annoying as she was while she was there the first time become less appealing. Her head bowed for a moment, then she chopped the barrier. "I didn't ask to come back to the Underground." Jareths ears perked but after a millennia with noble women he had learned a thing or two about that strange species, he remained quiet, allowing her the floor. "He had taken my daughter of his own accord and...he swore he would kill her if I didn't take part. You must believe me when I say I had no part in this whole charade."

"So, you go through this challenge with me and he'll return your daughter?" Jareth summed, his hacking motions slowed as his mind wheeled over the possible reasons of his brother. "But why?" his eyes flashed again, this time in revelation. "Ah yes, of course." he turned their piercing gaze onto her and she froze for a moment, fearing her deal found out. "Amusement. You can hardly survive a simple journey into a labyrinth, how on earth can you survive through an entire realm."

Sarah felt her breath relax at that and she brought herself up to her full height before snapping back. "I'll have you know, I'm not that seventeen year old who wandered into your grasp anymore. I'm older *and* I'm wiser."

"Yes," he gave her a sideways glance, looking her over. "yes, you are older, aren't you."

She shivered under that gaze and quickly went to her sword to shake off the feeling that crawled through her now. "She's the age I was when I first met you."

"Who?" he stared blankly until his mind clicked. "Ah, yes, your daughter. What did you name her?"

"Raven," Sarah spoke in that proud tone only a mother could make. "Thankfully she resembles me more than her father."

"And why isn't he fighting for her life alongside your side. If a child of mine was placed in Raven' predicament, I'd fight to the last drop of blood in my body. Even with an iron blade at my throat."

"Well, I don't think Michael would share your sentiments."

"And why not?" Jareth turned to her, all his attention on this conversation, the dagger hanging idly in his fingers.

"He left us when she was thirteen. The reason? He's an actor on Broadway and well, he took the act with one of his co-stars off-stage. He's had nothing to do with me or Raven since then. Shattered her heart, the poor thing. He was her world at times."

"That's another thing with you humans. You don't understand the meaning of eternal true love." Jareth muttered, setting his dagger aside and tackling the plants bare-handed.

"There's no such thing. It only exists in fairytales."

"That is not true. Once any soul finds their other half, they are complete and hence true love."

"Well, Michael wasn't my other half."

"Then why in the grace of the Gods Above and Below did you marry?" the mood died as those words left his mouth. He fell silent and implored her with his eyes to explain this ridiculous human custom.

"...we're through." Sarah mumbled, her pulse fast from the work and from anger. Without any further comments or sounds she turned and grabbed her portion of the supplies and slipped the packing onto her back, wincing at the weight. She brushed past him and begun to work a manageable hole through which they could pass.

Jareth, knowing he had stepped out of line, repeated her gestures, helping her with the task. They worked in tangent until an opening of four feet by four feet presented itself, barely viewable through the mulch of vines. Jareth thanked his patron Gods that the vines held no thorns and eased his lean body inside.

Once in, he peered into the black and reached blindly for a wall. Before Sarah could work her way in he poked his head out. "We need sticks or something so that we can light torches."

Sarah nodded and disappeared from his view. He heard her outside and after a few minutes she reappeared with two good sized sticks. "Now what?"

"Wet them, use equal amounts from each water skin." he heard the splashing of water. "Now, take the rag that wrapped the second sword and tear it into two pieces."

"Okay."

"Hand the sticks and the rags to me." she did so and with an experienced air, he firmly tied and wrapped the rags onto the sticks. "Now all I need is fire."

"Here," a small packet was thrust at him and he barely prevented it from falling onto the damp floor. "Wait for me before you use it."

She clambered, tossing in her pack before her and soon she righted next to him and held out her hand for the small package. He gave it and she opened it to tear off a small twig with a reddish bulb at one end.

"What is that?"

"This, my Fae friend, is a match. A marvelous human invention...unfortunately I have one pack, but it will do." she lighted the match and with a small exclamation of joy, lighted each of the two rags until they had torches.

Jareth watched as she tucked the matchbox back into her pocket and handed her a torch. "I'd never thought I'd be impressed with a human invention."

"You don't have matches?"

"My dear, with my powers, all I need is to think of a fire and I'll have one." Jareth stated and strode forward, brandishing his torch like a weapon. "Stay close, we have no idea if this is a dead-end, a trap, or a way out. It might even lead deeper into this trench, which is not good for then you have trolls, orcs, Juttils." he stopped when she cut in.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a pessimist?"

"I prefer to consider myself realistic. My brother would not give us this easy of a chance at any given moment. We are lucky that the game did not start us being surrounded by a horde of Dezarians looking for their next meal.."

"Oh." Sarah looked away and took in their underground surroundings. The tunnel was six foot at the opening by the vines and then narrowed slightly as it wound deeper into the hillside. From what she could see, it didn't branch off. The walls shimmered with an eerie quality as the firelight from the torches refracted onto them and deep in the darkness a endless drip was faintly heard.

"You coming? This was your idea after all." he was ahead of her by a few feet and all she saw was his back, half shrouded in shadow. His shoulders were squared and the places where his vest had been resting against the outside wall was dusty and slightly tattered. The once fine material could no longer be associated with nobility and she smiled to herself at this small step downward for Jareth in her mind. "Well?"

"Yeah," Sarah shook herself. Reaching his side, she craned her neck to look beyond him. "I hope this is safe."

"And you say I'm the pessimist."

Shooting his back a dirty look, Sarah decided to keep the sudden growth of dread that was spreading in her stomach to herself and shifted her packs weight. "I kept the other sword out there."

"Good, less chance of it coming into contact with me." he said, taking some more steps. "Stay close, even though my brothers realm doesn't have the goblins that my does, this realm is home to nastier creatures. All that you humans have dreamed up appear here. That's one reason why Raoul's land are considered everchangable."

"Any other information you have of your brother's lands?"

"No, unfortunately, we tend to keep secrets from each-other. It's a rival realm kingdom sort of thing, you wouldn't understand." his torch flickered softly as he made his way into the tunnel. "We don't have all day, I suggest we get moving before nightfall. The Gods know what we might run into."

"Hey, you didn't come up with a better plan, don't pick mine to pieces."

~*~*~*~

"Okay, now you can pick my plan to pieces," clutching her ankle, Sarah winced and tenderly tilted her head to the side to view the injury by better light.

"I told you earlier." he gently pried her hands from her ankle and then prodded the now discolored skin.

"I hope you didn't break it"--Sarah smiled through the searing pain at his caring-- "Because that slows us down a good month or so."

"And you call yourself charming?" biting her lip she shifted to stand. Bracing herself against the wall, she lowered her foot gingerly onto the floor and yelped. "Ow!"

"It's nothing more than a bad sprain, you're lucky the cave in didn't catch more of you." Jareth also rose, brushing the excess dirt off his breeches. Now we will have to go up. I suddenly don't like the look of this trench."

"And when did that thought form in your brain?"

"About the time I spotted those remains on the other side of this new rock wall."

Sarah jerked her head to glare at the boulders and growled under her breath. "Maybe this had happened before--"

"They were charred. Which means in this realm 'Dragon'"

"Dragon?" her heart skipping a beat, Sarah whipped her neck back to eye Jareth.

"Yes, and by the tunnels, I'm thinking a Werkin female, they're the only known tunnelers to breach out onto the surface. Males locate their systems more around goblin colonies and the like, preferring to snatch and grab. Females on the other hand."

"Like to lure in their prey." Sarah groaned, "Damn it. We're in a trap."

"Not precisely. If I'm right in assuming that this is the work of a Werkin female, then she's not noticed us by now."

"Oh?" searching around for a large stick of any kind, Sarah decided to keep the expression she held hidden. "And what makes you so sure."

"The state of the tunnel for one thing. Overgrown at the entrance and now unstable, she's lacked interest in this area for a while." he snuffed his torch and handed her the stick. "Here, it's a good size, you can walk with it."

"Thanks."

"Of course, with that cave-in, she's bound to come around here on her next patrol."

"Oh lovely,"

"So, hurry up." they started for the opening, a good hour walk without injury.

"You could be more gentle with your words, you know." Sarah mentioned after a few minutes of her hobbling and his scoffing.

"And what would be the point? You don't need to be babied, you said it yourself, you're an adult now." he returned, grabbing her arm as she stumbled over a hidden rock. After her balance returned, he let go and side- stepped away.

"Yes, but when I'm in pain I don't enjoy having you talk like that. I know I'm a liability right now, I don't need you reassuring that thought over and over again."

"You believe you're a liability?" he had waited a beat before speaking.

She sighed, pleased that they were heading somewhere away from the bickering. "Yes, I do. With me being injured in a dragon's lair, why wouldn't I?"

"Good then, I won't have to remind you every so often after you complain."

"If you ever wonder why you're single, experience yourself from another's stand point and you'll get the reason." she snapped, stumbling again with her lack on concentration and twisting the ankle even more. The pain blinded her for a moment, she wavered and then fell, expecting the rocky floor with open arms.

But her fall's destination wasn't the floor, it was a pair of arms braced against a chest to support her. As the pain receded from her mind and she could open her eyes again without a firewall behind the lids she blinked up at the closeness of Jareth, his eyes holding relief as their current emotion before he blinked slow and the emotion was lost. When he opened his eyes again, it was the usual amusement and haughtiness she had learned to associate with him.

"I suggest we save the arguments until after we're out of here. I don't wish to become a meal, do you?"

"Right." Sarah twisted and righted herself, a blush tinting her cheeks rose. "Truce?"

"If we must, but only until you're well enough to fight without hurting yourself physically in the process."

"It's a deal then," Sarah held out her right hand, he, his left, and they both grasped as tightly as they could, both wondering how much the other could take. After a beat, they broke off and then he continued to help her limp out into the trench proper.

As they neared the opening, a rhythmic pounding and drone reached their ears. "Oh, wonderful."

Outside, rain poured from the skies, flooding the trench. Water was already seeping into the cavern and the pair exchanged a glance. "Now what?"

"We go up." Jareth stated, striding into the driving rain, pulling her along. "Was there rope in that pack?"

Sarah gave his a once over and then shimmied hers onto the muddy ground to check. There was none. She gave the negative and he blinked, his mind racing like clockwork to figure out their next move. The rain continued to hammer down even as his eyes locked onto the vines slowly being drowned.

"There." he gestured, scooping some up himself and rapidly tying knots, the water level already at his ankles. "Start tying them together."

They worked furiously, groping under the thick layer of mud for the severed vines. Already they had two good ropes, now, all they needed was the harness for Sarah and everything would be complete. Sarah blessed the days her mother had forced Girl Scouts on her.

"Here!" she shouted, tossing him the final pieces.

"Alright." with a grimace, Jareth sunk his hand back into the mud and then, with a mixture of triumph and pain, he pulled out the discarded sword from earlier and wrapped it in the leftover torch rags. He tied the vines to the iron blade's hilt and then, taking a step away from Sarah, swung the weighted anchor and let it loose. It flew high and arced, slamming into the hidden ground above. He gave it one sharp test pull and then nodded, shouldering the other makeshift rope and tossing the harness back to her.

As he rose, he turned to eye her in the rising mud. "I'm going to find a better secured area for me to pull you up with. Get that harness on and wait for me."

"I don't need a harness!" Sarah protested.

"You can hardly walk, how can you climb?" Already halfway up the steep incline, he turned to toss a grin at her. "Trust me, alright? My job is to see you safe, and that's what I'm doing."

Sarah snarled a wordless protest and slipped herself into the harness, the vines scratching the skin they held contact with. Slapping watery strands of hair away from her eyes, she cocked her head upwards to watch his progress. For a king who seemed spoiled when she was younger he certainly knew his way around the wilderness. Her heart dropped for a moment. That conclusion would dampen her hope of getting rid of him by an 'accidental' natural cause.

Of course she didn't *want* to kill Jareth, she never wanted to kill anyone, but her daughter was all she had and her daughter was now on the line. She had known as soon as Raven had peered up at her with her vortex swirling gray eyes after the doctors had cleaned her that Raven would be number one in all aspects of her life. Besides, her mind tried to rationalize, Jareth was a cruel tyrant, his death wouldn't be that much of a disaster.

Thump. The sound tore her out of her thoughts. The second vine rope had fallen on her head and she glared upwards at where she thought Jareth to be standing. She tied it to the harness hooked around her waist and then emitted a sharp gasp as her feet left the ground and her body tugged downwards.

"Do you think you could warn me first?"

"Warn you?" she could have sworn his eyes twinkled with amusement, as she was slowly inched higher and higher. "My dear Sarah, where on earth would the pleasure be in that."

Sarah made to comment but kept her mouth shut, deciding only to toss a glare his way. As she reached the top, she stretched out her arm to seize the branch that held the rope and pulley system together.

"It's muddy here so, watch your step." Jareth warned, leaning out to help her.

He never should have.

As Sarah grabbed the branch, a terrible shudder rocked the canyon and one of the most horrific sounds seemed to have shot out from below. Looking on in terror, she watched as, in the matter of a few seconds, Jareth lost his precarious balance on the slope and tumbled past her into the ravine below and onto that iron sword left coincidentally sticking out of the knee-deep mud.

~*~

(A/N): Yes, I know, it's a terrible cliffhanger. I'm cruel but hey, what can one do? I'm sorry to those who have waited so long for this update. I moved in March and just now got the chance to get online again. So, here's the second chapter up and the third won't take as long, I promise.