Chapter 4

The next morning they got ready to look for Jareth's mother again. The next address led them to a rundown part of the city. They walked down the litter filled streets. The walls of the buildings were covered with graffiti. Sarah grabbed Jareth's hand and held it tight. "This place gives me the creeps." They continued down the alley. Suddenly Jareth stumbled. "Are you alright?" Sarah asked concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just tripped that's all."

Sarah eyed him suspiciously. Jareth did not trip. He wasn't capable of it. He looked drawn. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," he replied almost annoyed. Sarah decided not to argue with him. They reached the correct address and knocked on the door. After a moment the door slowly opened a crack and a woman peered cautiously out. She was thin and worn, with greying blond hair messily tied back. Her crystal blue eyes were now dark. "Hi. Um, Mary Jones?" Sarah asked.

"Who wants to know?"

"Please, it's very important."

The woman eyed them for a moment. "Alright, I am." Sarah looked at Jareth in time to see something flicker across his face. Was it surprise, regret, resentment, or something else? She couldn't tell.

"May we please come in? I think there's something we need to discuss."

"Sure," she said without enthusiasm. The place was a mess. The walls had cracks, the ceilings had leaks, and the taps were dripping. The woman removed the articles of clothing that were scattered on the couch so they could sit down.

"Sorry about the mess."

"That's alright. We have to tell you something that might be very painful for you."

"Go ahead."

Sarah took a deep breath. "When you were 16 years old you had a son. You wished him away. Do you remember? And the Goblin King took him," she paused.

The woman had tear-filled eyes. "How do you know about that?" she demanded.

"Well your son also became the new Goblin King. I wished my baby brother away and the King came to me. I told him I didn't mean it so he asked me to solve the Labyrinth to get him back. He had fallen in love with me and I eventually with him. We realized his parents may still be alive and wanted to know what exactly happened. Why did you wish him away?"

"I didn't wish him away."

"You didn't?" Sarah asked surprised.

"No. Where is my son now? Can I see him?"

"This is your son, Jareth." Sarah motioned to him. Mary turned to the mysterious man that Sarah had come with and looked at him for the first time.

She looked into his eyes then gasped. "It is you. Those eyes . . . just like his." Just then Jareth began to change. Soon he was back in his regular cloths, his hair lengthened and lightened, and his appearance was back to normal.

His mother gasped again and shrunk back. She cried onto Sarah's shoulder while Sarah did her best to comfort her.

After Mary had recovered enough Sarah asked her another question. "What did you mean when you said that Jareth's eyes were just like his?"

"Jareth? Is that what he named you?" Jareth just sat completely puzzled. He had no clue what or who she was talking about. "He didn't tell you?" She asked then mumbled to herself. "Of course he didn't. Why would he want you to know?"

"Know what?" Sarah asked. "What happened?"

"Well as you know I was young. I was only sixteen. I also met the Goblin King as you did. I was babysitting the neighbour's son one night. He was driving me crazy so I wished him away. I didn't mean it of course. The King told me that if I came with him back to his castle he might reconsider and give the child back. I agreed to go not realizing what he really had in mind. He was so charming. I just couldn't resist him. We danced together at a ball he held. He had the most beautiful voice.

It was the happiest moment of my life and I thought I was falling in love. I felt as if I were under a spell. Actually I believe that I was. I forgot about everything else. The only thing that seemed to matter to me was him. We whirled out of the ballroom, down a dark hallway and into his bedchambers. I didn't know what I was doing. It was all just a blur. One minute I was dancing at the ball the next I was lying in bed with him . . ." She trailed off then continued. "He did something to speed up the pregnancy. Jareth was born 24 hours later." She turned to Jareth. "Like I said earlier I did not wish you away. Your father, the Goblin King wanted to keep you, to make you his heir. I didn't want him to raise you, to keep you in his castle and teach you the ways of magic. I didn't want you to become like him, but he took you from me and sent me away. I never knew what became of you. He must have told you, you were wished away, so you wouldn't find out what he had done, or try to find me." She sighed. "You look so much like him. You have the same mismatched blue eyes."

"The former Goblin King was Jareth's father?" Sarah repeated still in shock.

"Yes."

"Well Jareth may look like his father but he's not like him."

"Yes I am." Jareth spoke for the first time since they arrived.

"You love me though. There's a difference."

"But I almost did the same thing to you."

"But you didn't and you wouldn't have."

"I put you under a spell as well to try and make you forget everything, to try and get you to fall in love with me."

"Jareth listen. You're not like him. I know you. In the end when it all came down to it you would never make me do anything I didn't want to do. Even if I thought it was what I wanted, you wouldn't until I was absolutely sure."

Just then Jareth doubled over in pain. "Jareth, what's wrong?" Sarah exclaimed.

"I'm . . . not sure," he said then collapsed to the floor.

"Jareth!" Sarah called frantically. She knelt down beside him and turned him onto his back. She placed his head in her lap. His breathing was struggled, his face was twisted in pain, and his teeth were clenched. "Jareth!" she repeated. Then his breathing steadied again and he relaxed. He opened his eyes.

"Jareth?"

He sat up. "I'm okay."

"What happened?" his mother asked.

"I think I know."

"What?" asked Sarah.

"I believe it has something to do with me being outside the Labyrinth for too long. I can't stay here."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"I didn't tell you because I thought it would take a much longer period of time before any effects began. I also didn't know what those effects would be."

"Well, we had better get back to the Labyrinth right away then." Jareth stood up and tried to transport them back to the castle but had no such luck. "What's the matter? Won't your powers work?"

"Apparently not."

"What are we going to do?" They were silent for a time. "Let's go back to my house and try to figure something out. It's not too far from here." She turned to Jareth's mother. "I promise we'll talk to you again if you want."

"I would like that very much." Then she put her arms around Jareth and held him tight. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you," she whispered.

He held her out in front of him and looked into her tear-filled eyes. "I understand. It wasn't your fault." He drew her in and kissed her forehead. After he concentrated really hard and managed to change his appearance once more so as not to draw attention. They said goodbye to Mary and stepped back into the alley. They hadn't gotten far when five punks in leather jackets and slicked hair came up to them.