Chapter 2

"Let me live my life alone as I was meant to do so Aboveground." Sarah's words echoed off the stone walls of the elegant throne room, vibrating the fragile crystal orb resting in the palm of a gloved hand. The Fae smirked as he let the orb glide smoothly over his hands as he moved it, "You were never meant for the Aboveground, My Dear. You were meant to be here, in the Underground, with my son." The High Fae King sighed, tossing the orb into the air, letting it vanish as the doors opened. A Fae woman dressed in an elegant silver threaded midnight blue dress, walked in frowning slightly.

"Alfonso, dear?" His wife started, "You're not spying on our son again?" she asked walking over to him to take his hand into her own.

Alfonso sighed, caressing the back of his wife's hand with his thumb, "No my dear Sheena, I was looking in on his bride. She seems to think she should fade away, taking our son with her without know it."

The High Queen frowned, "And Jareth is doing…what to stop her?"

He looked down at her, "All he can do, love." He stated tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "He's keeping her alive as much as he can. He refuses to force her anymore."

"But he never forced her to do anything. it's the law of the Underground. Once a mortal enters the gate there is no returning."

"I know, my love, but he feels that he is at fault. There is no way that he will force her to marry him."

Sheena smiled, "I think it's past time you visited with our son. He wont force her, but that doesn't mean we can't help give her a push."

Jareth sat lounging in his throne, watching the one year old child playing happily in the small pit with the few toys that he had around for the children who were wished away. She had been wished away by her mother who had refused to run; glade to be rid of the brat the woman had sneered at him when he had appeared before her as he did to all them. He had wanted to throw the woman into the Bog. Now, he had a child to deal with. Normally he would find a nice Fae family to take them in and raise them as their own, but she had reminded of his Sarah too much for him to give her away.

"What am I to do with you , Kina?" He sighed.

As if understanding him, the little girl raised her green eyes from the blocks she had been playing with to look at him and smiled. "So carefree. Just like Sarah use to be." He stopped himself, "No! I have not lost her yet." He shook his head as the doors to the room opened letting a couple walking.

"Mother? Father?"

Jareth stood from his throne, shocked at seeing his parents at his castle no less. Queen Sheena smiled, pulling her son into a hug. She stepped back to let him shake hands with his father.

"What are you two doing here? I didn't miss anything did I?" He asked looking between the two as they shook their head.

His father placed an arm around his shoulder lending him over to the pit where Kina was watching them with a grin.

"Tell me son, when will I get to meet this bride to be of your's?" the High king asked as he bent to scoop up the giggling child.

Jareth sighed. He should have known. They had come to press him again about marrying Sarah. The first time his father and him had gotten into a huge argument over forcing her. It ended with his father leaving in a cloud of glitter and the both not willing to speak to each other for almost two years.

"I'm working on it, father."

He looked around, noticing that his mother hadn't followed them and was at fact no where to be seen. "Where did she go and what is she up to?" He thought as Kina started coughing and holding her arms out to him.

Sarah wondered if the stars had ever looked so clear in the Aboveground as they did in the Underground. She was standing on the stone path that lead to the small garden behind the cottage. The garden, small it as was, didn't' need to be tend to, it seem to flourish. Sarah believed that HE had something to do with that. Speaking of HIM, she hadn't seen him, nor heard from him since that night. After telling him to let her live her life alone, she had crawled into bed, too tired to fight with him anymore. He had went back to sit before the fireplace. She knew he was still there even as she fell asleep, though finding only a note from him the next morning telling her that she need to eat, and if she refused, that he would moving in with her. Not wanting the Goblin King to move into her already small cottage, she had started eat. Little by little, she started to look and feel better. Her hair started to get the shine and fullness back, her eye, though still dull, weren't hallow anymore and was getting better with each passing day. She closed her eyes and took deep breath.

"You win this time, Goblin King!" She yelled to the open sky.

She sighed and turned to head back inside, only to stop at the sight of a woman standing in her back doorway. She was beautiful with curly, blond hair flowing down her back. Her elegant blue dress could be seen through the midnight cloak that was drape around her shoulder. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled as she smiled.

"You must be Sarah Williams. I'm Sheena MacMastern, Jareth's Mother." Her voice was sweet; angelic like.

"Wait! His mother?"

The woman nodded before turning away and walking back inside the kitchen. Slowly, as if not sure what to suspect to see inside. Sheena was moving around the small kitchen, seeming to be making tea. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself.

"HE sent you, didn't he?"

The woman turned from the counter, smile in place, "No honey, he didn't." The kettle whistled, causing her to turn away to take it off the hook hanging over the fire, pouring the light colored water into two cups sitting out on the counter, "Sugar or cream?" she asked, walking over to the table."

Sarah nodded, "Both, please." She sat down, taking the cup from the Queen. "Then why…" she stopped shutting her mouth. She didn't want to be rude.

Sheena patted her hand, "You have every right to ask, dear. A strange woman shows up and takes over your kitchen. To answer your question, I came to see for myself the only one that has been able to beat my son at his own game. I wanted to hear the tale, but first…Why aren't you staying at the castle? You have every right to do and have anything you please since you beat the Labyrinth."

Sarah looked down at her cup, "You sure Goblin King didn't send you to ask me that?"

Sheena's smile brighten, "Yes dear. I didn't even tell him that I was coming." She waved a hand and a plate of finger sandwiches appeared on the table between them. Now tell me about your journey."

Few hours later and many cups of tea, Sarah finished her tale, "After saying the words, though I still found myself standing before him. He told me then that I wasn't allowed to leave. No mortal who has walked willing through the gates of the Underground can ever leave as a mortal. Of course Toby was sent back, since we was wished away and didn't enter on his own free will, but I was forced to stay."

Sheena watched as the only person, mortal or fae, to solve the Labyrinth without cheating, and was able to save her brother sigh into her cup. "She has not once said his name. She refers to Jareth as HE, HIM, or the Goblin King." She smiled, "Sarah," she started, "I noticed you haven't used my son's name even once since I've been here."

Sarah lifted her head frowning, "I…"

Sheena shook her head, "Come, come, dear. Lie to yourself all you want, but please don't lie to me."

Sarah shook her head, "Your son tricked me. I made a deal to save my brother. I beat his little maze. Sure he sent Toby home, but from the very beginning, he had never meant to return me. I see no reason to HIS name." She stood and walked to the stairs stopping to speak, "I'm sorry, but I don't love your son."

Sheena smiled as Sarah walked up the steps, "I never said you did, Sarah."