The Goblin Kingdom

Chapter 4:

Night had fallen rather quickly once they made it back to the castle. Sarah sat on the banister of the balcony of Jareths rooms, watching the sunset over the Labyrinth. Jareth was resting after his healing of Hoggle. Sarah had been concerned about his power drain. How could it be that he was so drained after healing Hoggle when he did much more when she was running the labyrinth? He'd shrugged and explained that for him destroying things and conjuring trickery had always been much easier than healing for him. Sarah had taken that explanation at face value, but that did not mean that it set her at ease.

She smirked. What did she really expect from someone with the title "Goblin King" anyway? Flowers, balloons and clowns? No. He was haughty, alluring, sexy and terrifying. Everything she needed him to be. She thought back to how he'd exited the rabbit hole, his eyes locking on hers and holding them captive, as if he were burrowing into her very soul. Uncovering her secrets and making them his own.

She shook her head as a momentary flutter in her chest answered her thoughts. Jareths heart. All this time, she had thought that she had a heart murmur. The infirmary had only informed her of it last month. And it would have been brought up as part of her review. An excellent reason to get out of the service. Agents with heart problems rarely made it through the particularly brutal assignments that she was put through. Sarah figured that they had to have known about it when she was young. They had recruited her right out of the hospital after all. The doctors would have shown them the x-rays and her charts and medical records. She must have looked like a medical freak of nature. The girl who spontaneously grew a second heart in her chest! She snorted in derision. Had she known, she would have flung herself off a building. If Jareth had killed her, it might have been a possibility that he would have died too. This thought startled her and she turned around and stared at him through the balcony windows. Jareth, wanted her dead. And his heart was inside her. Either he wanted it taken back and then have her killed. Or, he wanted to die too. Was it a murder/suicide mission? If he couldn't have her he didn't want either of them to go on living?

She shook her head again and slipped inside the bed chamber. He lay there staring at her. Apparently sleep was an allusive creature for the Goblin King. She sat down on the bed beside him, fixing her gaze on his carefully schooled face. "Are you feeling better?" She leaned forward and brushed her fingertips lightly over his cheek.

He gave a mischievous half smile, "Now that you are here, love. I'm feeling almost myself." He caught her hand as she was about to withdraw it and kissed her palm gently. "I can see the wheels turning in your pretty head, Sarah mine. I can only guess that you've figured out why I sent an assassin

for you. Does it please you that I would have died too?" His face was again indifferent, Sarah sighed. She was going to have to call it Jareths poker face.

She thought about what to say next carefully, he seemed content to let the pause in conversation hang between them on the air. The calm before the storm. Then she smiled kindly, an action that was rare for her. For mercy, love, compassion, all these things had been absent from her life for a long time.

"No, Jareth. It does not please me. Although, it is terribly romantic in a Romeo and Juliet sort of way."

Jareths eyes darkened and a look of utter discontent passed over his face as then turned into a scowl, "How you can romanticize the darkest chapter in our lives together, I will never know."

Sarah laughed and crawled up onto the bed with him, settling into the crook of his arm she laid her head on his shoulder, and slipped her hand just under his shirt. She ghosted her fingers lightly over his smooth bare chest. "Maybe, I would have welcomed death at one time, my love. And I think I could have accepted it then, if you were going to be gone too. But if you had died by my hand and I live on, I think that I would have eventually have killed myself too. I have always loved you, more than I hated you. It made me very angry that I felt that way. I'm not sure I would have been able to live with myself afterwards." She nuzzled his neck.

Jareth purred, "My Sarah." He said affectionately and wrapped his arms around her. "So, you do love me." An unmistakable tone of triumph in his voice. He stroked her hair and then wrapped one strand around his finger.

Sarah sighed, he was so like a child. Constantly needing reassurances of his place in her heart. "I believe so. Although, I have yet to determine if my feelings for you are healthy ones." She slid her hand further into his shirt and ran a fingertip lightly over his nipple. She grinned as he sucked in a breath.

"I adhere staunchly to the belief that feelings are not healthy in general, especially ours." He chuckled.

"We are not the most well adjusted people I know, precious." He unwrapped her hair from his finger and then brought it down to caress her cheek.

Sarah closed her eyes as his slender fingers trailed down her neck, her breathed sucked in out of surprise when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her too him in a rough kiss. He plundered her mouth, tasting her, sampling the bitter sweet essence that was his Sarah. No longer too young, no longer pure, but still sweet and now full of all the danger and love he craved. He pulled out of the kiss reluctantly and Sarah opened her eyes to find him staring at her seriously. "What?" She asked her breath coming in quick and leaving hot.

"We need to get married." He said.

Sarah snapped out of her lust filled daze and her mouth fell open, "What?!?!" She said louder than she intended. "Just because I love you, doesn't mean I'm ready for all that. Jareth I would make a horrible wife!" She exclaimed.

Jareth laughed, "I don't need you to be my wife just yet darling. Although we are existing like a married couple, this is not why I am making the suggestion. I have no heir." He said matter of factly.

Sarah pushed away from him angrily. "I am certainly not ready to be a mother, either!" She growled and started to get off the bed. She scowled as he caught her around the waist and pulled her to him. "Let me go!" She struggled.

"Certainly not." Jareth said calmly. "Stop wiggling before I take you here and now. I have things I wish to discuss with you yet." He said.

Sarah immediately stopped struggling and settled back forlornly. "Alright your Majesty. I'm waiting."

Jareth smirked, "Well, I was suggesting we get married because as Toby is gone," A momentary expression of pain flitted over his face and then was gone. "I have no one to take the throne or succeed me should I die or be incapacitated. And that is dangerous, especially now. In forty eight hours and twenty-six minutes. We will be reunited with the Human world. And if I should die, my Kingdom, your friends, you. You will all be subject to harm. If you were Queen, you could rule on in my stead." He finished.

"Jareth, I'm not sure that I am well suited to rule a Kingdom." She protested.

Jareth snorted, "You acquire followers everywhere you go, and you are a ruthless little kitten. Plus you can be effectively intimidating, and you are accustomed to duty." He tapped her nose lightly and smirked when she scowled at him.

Sarah sighed. She could see the danger a Kingdom without an heir posed. She cursed his logic. "And there is no one else? You've no family?" She asked hopefully.

Jareth shook his head. "I am alone. Before you, I had no one." The mask slipped into place again and Sarah screamed at herself for causing it to return.

"You'll have to teach me that one day." She said.

"Teach you what, darling?" His eyebrows lifted in confusion.

"How to appear indifferent even though I'm screaming inside." She said sadly.

Jareths face softened, "Its not a skill I wish to bestow you, love. I delight in your expressive face." he said warmly.

Sarah shook her head, "Expressive, well I suppose thats one way of putting it." Her hand went up to her scar, which she had forgotten about since she had been there. Her fingertips lightly touched the area, expecting the raised mottled skin to greet her. But instead the sensation was that of smoothness, unmarred skin where once was the evidence of her plight in life. She stared up into Jareth's mismatched eyes with something between awe and horror. "What did you do?" She said his name questioningly.

"You did that on your own, love. I had nothing to do with it." He stated simply. His gentle expression quickly turned to one of amusement when she suddenly started stripping off her clothes and raced to the full length mirror that stood in Jareths chambers. She stared at herself long moments.

"They're gone." She murmured. "But?" She turned to face him.

Jareth was admiring her every feature. Her unmarked and smooth porcelain skin, the play of her well formed muscles beneath the surface. Her strong lines and soft swells. How he adored her. "Magic of the heart is a funny thing, love. Often times, when ones internal scars are healed in a world of magic, the ones outside soon follow." He removed himself from the bed as well and crossed the room to her.

Standing behind her, he slipped a gloved hand around her abdomen and pulled her to him. He leaned down and put his lips to the shell of her ear, "Before your life turned to tragedy, how often did you imagine me doing this very thing, mmm?" He purred.

Sarah shivered and closed her eyes, "What makes you think I thought of you at all?" She grumbled defiantly.

"Oh now Sarah." Jareth smiled against the skin of her neck where he'd been assaulting her with butterfly kisses and small nips. Delighting in the way her breathing became rapid and her skin warm to the touch. "You did not honestly expect that I didn't notice all those lovely pheromones pouring off you before I unleashed the cleaners, did you?" He mocked. "You were practically screaming for me to kiss you."

"You're making that up!" She accused and tried to pull out of his grasp. He was right of course. It had been what she wanted. She often fantasized about that moment.

He held her tighter, "Am I? Tell me Sarah, do you really not want me to throw you down on the bed right now and have my way with you? Is there not a delicious pool of heat in your belly, and an aching in your breasts? I can read you, my dear girl. Like an open book, you long for me to turn your pages and unravel your secrets." He purred.

Sarah opened her eyes wide and looked into the mirror that they were standing in front of. Not surprisingly his eyes were the ones she found there. Longing and lustful, and there was need. Need that frightened her and thrilled her at the same time.

"Tell me you will be my wife, Sarah!" He commanded. "Say you will be by my side, even if the only passion I can inspire from you is physical. I want you, forever." His commands took on a note of desperation and he clutched her to him tightly.

Sarah's resolve cracked, she could not deny him. Not when he asked her with that longing and pain in his voice. Truthfully, he was the only one she could ever be with anyway. "I will be your wife, and whatever you need me to be, Jareth." She vowed.

Jareths face broke into a grin of relief and he swung her around to face him, claiming her mouth with his in a soul wrenching kiss. When the kiss broke, Sarah felt simultaneously filled and empty. Cleansed in a way that she had not known before. She blinked in surprise and gazed up into mismatched eyes, "I love you, Jareth." She said and meant it, it was painful to say. Because somehow, she felt as if the admission signed his death warrant. A tear slid down her cheek.

Jareth caught it on a gloved finger and looked at her quizzically, "Sarah, one should not cry before one is made love to. It tends to put your lover off." He grinned as she growled at him. The growl turned into a charming little squeak as he swept her off her feet.

Carrying her over to the bed he threw her into the mound of pillows, and Sarah protested angrily. She kept protesting until Jareth snapped his fingers and his clothing was gone, effectively silencing her as she let her eyes wander over him. He chuckled and then prowled up the bed to where she lay.

"Jareth." She tried to keep the tremble from her voice but was failing. She was frightened, she'd not been truly frightened in a long time. But watching him prowl up her form she felt true danger. Perhaps not physical danger, but the danger of losing herself. Losing control. She'd worked so hard in maintaining control of everything. But hell, she wanted it. To finally give in, to let another take pleasure in her and please her, rather than taking the pleasure herself.

"Its alright love, you can always tell me to stop. I shall pout like a petulant child, but I will stop." He promised. He had paused as he hovered over her calves to regard her with concern. Seeing that this promise did seem to relax her, he took hold of her knee and kissed it tenderly. Sarah felt a pang of guilt, such tenderness for a man without a heart. A heart she had possessed for ten years, he had become her slave after all. She had feared him, she loved him, and now. Now she was doing as he said. Only one last thing remained. Only one more thing unsaid between them, as she realized that her victory over him long ago, was not a victory after all.

"Jareth?" She asked plaintively.

He raised his head from her upper thigh to find her looking at him with fear and love. His eyebrows knitted together, "Something to say before I make you cry for mercy, Precious?" He smiled.

She sat up and pulled him into her arms. Jareth wrapped his own around her and planted a kiss into her hair, he was about to pull away and she clung to him tighter. "What is it, darling?" He was growing worried.

"You have power over me!" She cried out as a bursting within her breast nearly robbed her of conscious thought. It burned through her and she felt as if she were being torn apart from the inside. She screamed.

Jareth in turn felt as though he were being entered through his chest, it was filled with a great rush of emotions and a fullness he had not known since Sarah had left, taking his heart with her. This jarred him and he clung to his dark beauty as though his life depended on holding her to him. Which it did. If he were to let her go now, they would both perish. Oh what was she thinking? His darling girl, his bold lover. She had given him a gift. Not some paltry crystal, but his heart, and in his heart something of herself, imprinted upon it. As if she had engraved her love within it so he would always know.....He was everything to her now.

The burning and pain subsided and Sarah felt almost hollow. Her heart screamed out at its mates loss and yet rejoiced that it no longer had the others burden to bear. Her head fell onto his shoulder and she wept. And Jareth wept also, in joy and in sorrow, for the son and heir he lost, for the tragedy he could not save his sweet Sarah from, and the joy at being whole again. "I love you, Sarah mine. I shall always, thank you." He pushed her back from him and tilted her face upwards so that he could gaze into those glistening emerald orbs that had always held him captive. "Now, let me love you. I will take away your pain, your fears, your grief. Let me." He commanded gently.

Hoggle lay on his cot his eyes closed but he was not asleep. He was thinking. And when he thought about things, especially about things as unnerving as emotions. He usually argued with himself about them. After all, being surly and cantankerous and beating the niceties of life about the head with a misery club, was what Hoggle did best. This thought brought on a memory of Sarah, directly after she defeated Jareths game. Sarah lying on her stomach, playing checkers with Hoggle on her bed. She'd just made a particularly brilliant move and Hoggle had glared at her. Righteously of course. He had wanted to play chess, but noooo. She didn't know how to play chess. Claiming it was an old farts game.

The glare had caused her to launch into riotous peels of laughter, and then he'd indignantly told her to shut up, or tell him what she found so funny.

To which she responded, "You look like Grumpy, from Snow White and the Seven dwarfs." She giggled and then proceeded to win the game ruthlessly. That game ended with Hoggle hurling the checker board across the room and stomping out through a shower of checkers.

He'd been wrong more than once when he'd told her that day in the Labyrinth that he had no pride. He had pride aplenty. Everyday it stopped him from telling her that he cared about her. That he was indeed her friend and he saw her as a niece almost. And once she'd wounded him verbally during that fight ten years ago he had a hard time getting past his massive nonexistent pride. After all. She should be apologizing to ME! He grumbled within himself.

On top of that, she had denied him the dignity of dying honestly, alone and Jareth-less. It had been as he wanted to go. Without Jareth there to torment him. Without his friends there to pity him. And no Sarah to aggravate him right into his grave. But, no. That big bumbling orange behemoth had to crash into his perfect passing and ruin it. Now, he had to wait until Zeus knows when to die, and he'd be tortured for his trouble. Yes, Jareth would make sure he was reminded daily that he owed his wretched life to that rat.

He took a deep breath. "Thank you, Sarah." He whispered into the dark. He rolled over and closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him at last.

Brick's eyes opened slightly, they were slightly crusted with blood. He hurt, everywhere. That woman sure knew what she was doing. Hazily he thought he might die down there, in the darkness. Chained to the wall. A prisoner of war. His tongue flicked out and licked his split lip. He grunted in pain as he tried to breath through his nose, getting only a sharp pain and the copper taste of blood, rather than a sniff of stale air. His stomach growled.

How long had he been there? Hours, days, a week? He really didn't know how long he had been unconscious. He wondered briefly if his finger would become infected where she had ripped out the fingernail. Damn she was cruel. At least, she hadn't harmed the family jewels. Which had been a surprise, given what he'd put her through before he even knew her. No, he knew he'd deserved the torturing. How long had he lain awake their one night together, just staring at her? Obsessing about what she would do to him if she knew the truth. Well. Now he knew. Tortured and left to die in the darkness. He supposed however that the deep dark of the underground was no less dark than the personal hell she'd suffered every day. He'd never been proud of what he did. But it was done. And now they were even. He wasn't even angry with her.

That didn't mean of course that he wouldn't kill her. After the President was done with her, of course.

She'd never allow him to live if she knew he'd made it out of here alive. If she didn't want him here he would have been dumped on the other side of the rabbit hole buck naked with a can of beans, a can opener, pocket knife and a lighter. Let him make it back on his own from the wilderness, busted up, cold, humiliated and hungry. Yes sir, that's how Panther lady taught you the error of your ways. Whether you lived or died, was under your own power. She'd be alleviated of the guilt and in her mind your own sins would be washed clean. He had to admire her for her fucked up brand of justice. Often busted up meant you were missing some body part or other, and your eyes were blacked and swollen to the point that seeing was near impossible.

He chuckled to himself. "Hard woman. Glad God only made one of her."

"So am I, Mr. Brixby." Said a male voice from the darkness.

Brick jumped, considerably frightened. "Where and who the fuck are you?" He choked out hoarsely.

"Oh, pardon me. I must have gave you a start. Let me light the fire so that you can see me better." The owner of the voice shuffled about in the darkness and Brick could see and hear flint being struck against steel. A small spark caught onto some kindling and the kindling caught onto the logs. The hearth and the room sprang to life with light. And then became visible a tall and familiar figure.

Brick looked the man over. "I know you, don't I? Can you come a little closer? Woman fucked up my face. I can seem to focus too well." He said.

"Of course." The man moved into Bricks vision and smiled when the light of recognition dawned on the human man's face.

"You're the Goblin Kings Chancellor." Brick searched mentally for his name, "Bar Moth?" He tried to recall out loud.

"Argoth." The elven man corrected gently. Then he let his bright glittering eyes travel over the man's body. "My, and I thought only my King capable of such cruelty. Its really a thing of art what she's done to you, isn't it?" He said admiringly.

Brick eyed the man cautiously, "Yes well, unfortunately I'm finding it a little hard to appreciate from my position."

Argoth gave him a sympathetic look, "I think we can perhaps do something about that. For a price." Argoth smiled.

Brick was getting a little uncomfortable with the elf in the room, he seemed harmless enough. But his eyes were intense and they reminded him of that character Puck in a Midsummers Nights Dream. "My mission is to take Agent Williams back to the Aboveground with me before all hell breaks loose. Anything I can do that won't interfere with that, I'll gladly do for you if I have time." Brick was hoping whatever it was didn't involve anything disgusting with bodily fluids or weird spells or promising the man his first born child. You never know with magic creatures. They're tricky.

Argoth's face fell comically. "Pity. I was hoping I would be able to let you go. You seem an interesting human. One my Queen could perhaps use in the future.

"Your Queen? She's going to marry that miserable bastard?!" He near shouted and then regretted it as it caused his head to pound and his throat to ache. "Can you get me some water?" He croaked.

Argoth smiled and took a water skin from his belt and held it to Brick's lips. The man drank greedily and when he'd had his fill, Argoth mopped up some of the water from Brick's chin. "Well, yes. However, if you help me, she'll be a widow soon after the wedding night." Argoth said.

"I still don't see how this gets me out of bringing her back with me." Brick straightened his back and rest the back of his head against the cool stone of his prison wall.

"You bring Jareth back with you, get all the information you need straight from the horses mouth and when all hell breaks loose, as you put it. You can dispose of Jareth, Lady Sarah will become Queen. I can make it seem as though a team of Agents came and took you and his Majesty back through the portal. You'll not be implicated in his kidnapping. Sooner or later, once her rule has been established, we will get you back into her Ladyships good graces. You might even someday be her lover again. Mr. Brixby. Or should I say...Lord Brixby?" Argoth smiled a knowing smile at the man chained to the

wall.

"You're right. Bringing Jareth back is better than bringing her. As far as information is concerned. But you are wrong about one thing pal." Brick grinned.

"And what is that, Lord Brixby?" Argoth used the honorific smoothly.

"That woman, will forever hate me until her dying day. If I ever set foot on Goblin soil again, she'll kill me. If I'm lucky." Brixby was getting tired and he fought to keep his focus on the man.

Argoth sniffed, "I'm sure I can reward you with something else you may desire then. But you'll still serve my purpose by kidnapping and killing the King. But you must do it after the marriage is consummated. That way, we will have a strong ruler still. And someone infinitely more kind than our King."

Brixby laughed out loud. Causing Argoth to stare at him dumbly. "Brother, if you think that woman is nicer to work for than Jareth then your one big fool! She kills whole families and villages before breakfast. And once she killed this guy and ate his dog. She killed him after she ate his dog. Made the guy watch, as she roasted up Fido and ate him." Brick laughed and laughed, tears rolling down his face.

When he caught his breath he told Argoth the truth of Sarah Williams between giggles and pained gasps, "She's been trained and conditioned to be a mean bitch, she could kill Jareth without letting her love for him get in the way, if she felt it necessary. Why do you think we chose her? Her will is as strong as his and her Kingdom is as great. Her Kingdom is pain, man. And she knows how to bring it."

Argoths face had went white. "I, didn't know." He said.

"Well sparky. Now you do. If you let me down though, I can at least take Jareth out of your hair and you'll have only one tyrant to deal with." He promised.

Argoth nodded mutely and started to undo the shackles. "I'll need to heal you first and then we'll wait until the right time."

"Whatever you say, Boss." Brick sucked in his breath sharply as his arm came down suddenly the wound on it opening, his damaged fingertip scraped on the stone floor. "Whatever you say."He hissed.

Sarah stared up into Jareths mismatched eyes and found something different in them than she had not seen for a long time, not since.... She swallowed hard. Not since that day that he proposed to her when she was 15. And she found that it made her feel warm and weak and as near bliss as it had back then. He was back to himself again. Jareth, whole and irresistible. She leaned into him, her lips lightly caressing his.

Jareth accepted her kiss in joy and deepened it. He pushed her back slowly until she was lying down on the bed. He hovered over her taking in the wonders of her human beauty. Her skin smooth as silk and flushed a blushing peach color. Healthy and strong. His heart swelled with pride in the beauty he had won himself. He lowered himself to the bed beside her and grabbed her right leg behind the knee and pulled her to him.

Claiming her mouth once more he pressed himself against her, causing her to react. "Jareth!" She gasped as he slid himself between her legs and into the sweet wetness beyond. He stayed still, deeply sheathed within her. Kissing and touching her.

He then slid his hand upwards and over her breast, teasing the nipple lightly with his fingertips. Sarah groaned and arched her back so that she pushed herself further into his grasp. Rather than continue with that sweet torture he lowered his head and tasted the rosy peak, flicking his tongue back and forth lightly. Sarah made more noises of encouragement and he began thrusting slowly into her. There was time. At least tonight. There was time. She was his, heart and soul, and he would make every second count.

The President sat in The Oval Office in the White House looking across his desk at his Vice President and Secretary of Defense. "So what you are telling me is that all hell is about to break loose?" The President asked.

The two men exchanged worried glances and and then nodded in unison. They had just gone over the damage assessment. The complete and total failure of all technology and technological advances.

"And you've no idea the extent to which we'll lose our technology? I mean, of course nuclear energy, but will we lose water power as well? What about those people who use pace makers? Will we lose the ability to perform surgeries, use drugs like heart medications, how far does this go Gentlemen?" The President demanded.

The Vice President shook his head, "We don't know. It could be that we'll be forced right back into the middle ages, Sir."

The President buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath. When he had calmed himself down marginally he eyed the Vice President with annoyance. "So what you're telling me George, is that you don't know jack shit!" He slammed his fist down on the large desk causing the two men to jump.

"I'm afraid we won't know anything until it happens. We don't know much about how the world of magic will overcome the world of science. All we know is that whenever we've brought technology and magic together, magic always cancels out technology. Every test we run comes out conclusively proving that fact. Especially when magical items and spells make lab equipment useless junk." the Vice President sighed heavily.

President Cromwell could be a miserable bastard when he wasn't satisfied that something was done correctly. That's why they spent the last ten years training the Williams woman. To give them an advantage when this happened. Or at least more of one. Being that Jareths Kingdom was going to be the closest one to appear geographically to the United States. If they could cripple the goblin Kingdom before it crippled them. Then they were ahead of the game.

Now that she had defected and was no longer a viable option it was up to the Government to figure out how to minimize the damage. A whole lot of people were going to have a hell of a time surviving without all the marvels of modern day technology.

The President sighed. "Alright, I want the National Guard and the Army Reserves mobilized, outfit them with riot gear and find an alternative to guns. Clubs, swords, whatever. Do whatever you think achievable in the amount of time we have." He ordered.

Taking that as a dismissal both men got up to leave. The President shot a look of warning at the Secretary of Defense, "And Roy. As little American casualties as possible. The media might be set back by the sudden lack of technology, but it won't stop the bastards from making up fliers with paper and red crayon if you fuck it up and massacre thousands of people!"

Secretary of Defense Pomeroy narrowed his eyes and then nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'll be sure to pass that on down the ranks." He turned briskly on his heel and stormed out. Vice President Kershwin following at a slower pace.

Hoggle was awoken by a sound outside his door and the loud declarations of warning from the false alarms in the underground labyrinth.

"This is not the way!" Cried out one.

"Oh shut up. I'm Chancellor Argoth you fool!" Admonished a voice.

Hoggle opened his door a hair and peered out into the tunnel. There was Chancellor Argot alright, and he was half carrying a bloodied human male.

"I'm just doing my job." The stone face pouted and then added. "Must be you need to renew your loyalties to the King. I only go off when someone not loyal comes this way." It said and then was oddly silent.

Hoggle shut the door carefully before the Chancellor dragged the wounded man by his door. He put his ear to the door and listened. When the noise of scuffing feet and and pained moans was significantly far enough away he slipped out of his home and headed in the other direction. He knew lots of shortcuts. And right now he was heading straight to the castle, to Jareth. He may be a rat and Hoggle may be a coward. But he was a loyal coward.

Jareth lounged on his throne, tapping his riding crop against his boot, he intently studied the creature before him. Only 13 hours ago he had healed this wretch, if it wasn't for Sarah he would have been content to let Hoggle die. The Dwarf was older than he looked. At times it amazed Jareth that such an old creature had little common sense and even less bravery. But what he lacked in those areas, he made up for in other more useful ways. "So, tell me Hedgewort, why have you had me roused from the my bed and the arms of my future Queen?"

Hoggle shifted uncomfortably. "Your Majesty, y-your Chancellor...." He paused.

Jareth sighed, this was going to take all night. Sometimes dragging the truth out of Hoggle took skill and trickery, he had patients for neither tonight. "Hobble, I'm tired. If you have something of import then please spit it out. Otherwise, you can take your miserable carcass back to your hovel!" Jareth growled.

"Yes, Sire." Hoggle took a deep breath, "I was just mindin my own business when I heard the Chancellor outside my door. I just peeked, you understand? And the false alarms were going off." He explained. "He was carrying a human."

This got Jareth's attention. He sat up and leaned forward, his gaze penetrating and intent. "Go on." He encouraged.

"Well you see, he was helping this gentleman. He was pretty bad off I'd say. All bloody and unable to walk by himself. The false alarm outside my house went off, and said something about Chancellor Argoth not being entirely loyal to you." Hoggle folded his arms, "Thats all I know. It just seemed fishy to me!" He huffed.

Jareth leaned back with a smile. "You've done well, Higgle." He threw his leg over the side of the throne again in a reclining position. "I've one more thing to discuss with you."

Hoggle jumped. Here it was, Hoggle was about to be thrown into the Bog for upsetting Sarah. He just knew it! "Uh, uh, your Majesty?" He stammered.

Jareth grinned not unpleasantly, "I want you to smooth things over with Sarah." He said.

Hoggles face looked simultaneously relieved and pained at the same time. "I wouldn't know what to say." He said.

Jareth raised an eyebrow at the little dwarf, "I'm not very adept at the art of making amends other than politically. Though I've found there are times with Lady Sarah where I've had to apologize." He pointed the riding crop at the little Dwarf, "If I can say 'sorry' Hippo, then so can you!" He dismissed Hoggle with a flourish of a gloved hand and called for a servant.

Hoggle half bowed and then exited the throne room quickly. He leaned against the wall in the hallway outside the throne room when he was finally out of there. He fought to keep himself from hyperventilating. Jareth scared him. "Rat bastard." He said under his breath. He got himself under control and then started off for home. Tomorrow, he would come back and see Sarah.

Jareth watched Hoggle scurry out of the throne room in satisfaction. It was nice to see the old Dwarf back to his cowardly self. He turned to the little goblin which had scurried up to his side, "Go down and tell Captain Askelon that I want Lord Chancellor Argoth and the members of his household arrested on charges of treason. When I say members of his household, I mean anyone found within the premises of his home." He eyed the Goblin to be certain that the little creature understood his orders and then sent him off to do his duty.

When the creature was gone and there was none save his Goblin guard in the throne room, Jareth conjured a crystal. The figure in the orb sat behind a large desk in an ornate room, an American flag behind him and to the left. "Well Mr. President, I think its time I sent you a present." His lips peeled back in a feral grin.

He got rid of the crystal and then rose from his throne. Going through the balcony window in the throne room he grabbed the edges of his cloak and flung himself over the edge. He changed into owl form in mid-air.

Soon he was in the fiery forest, walking amongst the streams of moonlight that lightly illuminated the forest floor. He breathed in the night air, it was sweet with summer blooms and earthy scents. How he loved the night. After all, owls were night creatures. He smiled when a faint glow ahead indicated he might have found what or whom he was looking for.

When he reached the clearing he was unsurprised when five men stood from where they had been sitting. They had smelled him perhaps as soon as he had landed. But, he had landed far enough away so that they had time to discern that he was their King, and not some intruder.

The one in the middle, directly opposite Jareth bowed deeply, followed by the other four. They were tall men, muscular and powerful. Their skin was the color of bronze and their eyes were a golden yellow. Their long black hair was tied back in leather thongs and thin armbands of the same leather was tied around their biceps.

"Grey wolf." Jareth acknowledged the man that had bowed first. "I see you have taken a respite from the hunt." He observed.

"That we have, My King." He gestured to a place next to him and he sat down.

Jareth accepted the invitation and sat down next to the man. The others sat as well. They watched Jareth expectantly. Knowing that he had come to them for a reason. Ever were they loyal and eager to serve the King and the royal family of the Goblin Realm. So had it been for centuries. So would it be for all eternity.

"As you can guess my old friend, I have need of you." Jareth took off his gloves and held his hands before him to feel the warmth of the fire.

"The great Owl honors us with the chance to serve him." Grey wolf inclined his head.

"In little over a day we shall be again joined to the reality of our birth. There is a man that seeks my demise before this happens. Already he has sent someone into our realm to cause disruption and or the demise of I and my Bride to be. I should like to prevent this from happening in the future. The intruder is being dealt with." Jareth looked around the fire, gazing into each mans face. "I need you to take care of this for me, strike fear into the heart of my enemy."

Grey Wolf nodded. "What is this enemy capable of? Do they have weapons of silver?" He asked.

Jareth shook his head. "No my friend. You are nothing but myth and legend to them. Stories of your kind are kept alive by those of your bloodline, that have intermingled with humans. Every once and awhile the recessive gene is activated by the full moon. Sometimes they succeed in either getting here or hiding. Other times, they are killed." He shrugged. "I assure you though, that no silver bullets or daggers will greet you where you go. They use steel or iron. Far more dangerous to me than to you." He assured them.

"We will not fail you, Sire." Grey Wolf swore.

Jareth clapped the man on the back and rose. The men also rose and bowed deeply to their King. "I have great faith in you and your men. Tomorrow I marry and when you return to us, you will have a new Queen. This deed must be done with haste." He took an amulet from a leather pouch within his cloak and placed it about Grey Wolf's neck. "When you are done, simply call out my name and you and your companions will return to the Goblin Kingdom."

"How do we get there sire?" Grey Wolf asked. "And who is it that we seek?"

"He is a leader of a great nation, he sits in an oval office, his name is President Cromwell. And you get there, with this." Jareth conjured a crystal and threw it into the fire, smoke swirled around the clearing, seemingly devouring the men its gray mass. When it cleared all five of them were gone.

Authors Note: What do you think? As always I thank you for reviewing and offering your insight. Now, click the Review Chapter button. You know you want to.