Jareth was late.

Sarah kept looking at her watch, waiting for him to appear. He was an hour late at this point, and she was thinking that maybe she should just make an excuse and leave. In the meantime, she had sunk three large glasses of wine and was feeling decidedly tipsy. Linda had also had several drinks, and was gesticulating wildly with a glass of vodka in her hand.

"And I told Jeremy that if he thinks he can practice sex scenes with that bimbo in our bed, he has another thing coming.."

Sarah poured another glass of wine and started to drink it. She saw Judith was staring at her. Sarah looked at her with a raised eyebrow, as if to say "yes? Can I help you?"

"Do you think it's appropriate to drink so much? It's not becoming of a young lady."

"If she was your mother, you'd drink too. I think I better be going." She drained the rest of her glass, trying to ignore Judith's distasteful glance.

"Honestly, what would your boyfriend say if he could see you?"

"I'd ask her to pour me a glass." Jareth answered smoothly. Sarah looked up, and was relieved to see Jareth standing behind Judith. "Good evening ladies. Sorry for interrupting you but I thought I'd come and steal Sarah away."

"Jareth! Come here and give me a hug!" Linda stood up, and Sarah winced as her chair fell backwards. Jareth rushed forward to stop her falling, and Sarah tried to contain her laughter.

"Hello Linda darling." She clung onto him and kissed his cheek. "Tactile as ever, I see."

"Gorgeous as ever." Sarah hated the way Jareth and her mother flirted; they had had more than one argument about it. "Oh, Jareth, this is-" Linda gestured to a now empty chair. "Where'd she go?"

Sarah looked over and saw Judith's chair was empty.

"That's weird, I didn't see her leave."

"Won't you stay for a drink Jareth?"

"I'm sorry Linda, I have plans for your daughter. If she can stand up, that is." Sarah giggled and got to her feet. "Let me pay for your bill though. I'm sure this one drank a fair portion of it."

"I did not!" Sarah said in outrage.

Jareth called the waiter over and handed him some folded notes.

"Right, my love. Shall we go? Linda, shall I put you in a cab?"

"Isn't he sweet? Yes please."

"Let's go then."

Jareth shepherded the two drunk women out of the restaurant and onto the street. He looked around him, sure he could feel something. He was too relaxed, he had let his guard down and he could definitely sense a trace of magic. It was too late to see who it belonged to, they had used some kind of cloaking spell and had obviously left using the front door. He hailed Linda a taxi and bundled her inside it, waving her off as quickly as he could. He wanted to get Sarah home, especially as she was now staggering around outside struggling to stay upright.

"Bloody hell love, how much did you have?"

"A bottle." She said, clinging onto him. "A bottle and a bit. You were meant to come and get me in fifteen minutes. That was an hour ago! You know how my mother makes me, it felt like alcohol was the only thing getting me through. There was a twenty minute in depth discussion about Jeremy's penis, Jareth. With hand gestures. If you could sit through to that without turning to drink, you're a better person than me."

"A valid point. You could have left of your own accord though, as I said I'm not your keeper."

"I know. God, that Judith woman was such a bitch. You should have spoken to her properly. She said some really awful things about me and you."

"How long has your mother been friends with this woman?" Jareth asked curiously; he had never heard of Judith before.

"Not long. Maybe a week? She was with her last week when Mom gave me that soup. I need to tell her never to cook me anything again, it made me feel really sick."

"I'll be sure to tell her. Come on, we need to go somewhere private so I can take us home." Sarah let him lead her to an alleyway.

"Y'know, if people see us sneaking in and out of alleys all the time, they're gonna think there's something else going on."

"Oh really?" Jareth smiled, finding her amusing in her intoxicated state. "Such as..?"

"I'm sure you can use your imagination."

"As I recall, we have used alleyways for other purposes before. Tonight, my love, it is simply to get us back to the privacy of our own home so you can drink some water, eat some bread and get some sleep. I have plans for us this weekend and I don't want you to feel wretched."

"Plans? I didn't know we had plans this weekend."

"They are surprise plans."

"I hate surprises."

"I know. But you'll like this one."

"I love you so much." She told him sincerely, and he laughed.

"I love you too, even if you are absolutely smashed. Take my hand. Eyes closed, darling." Sarah screwed her eyes shut and felt the world whizz past. "If you vomit Sarah I swear to God you can get the Tube for the rest of your life."

They made it back to the house, and Sarah managed to steady herself.

"I'm sorry I got drunk." She said mournfully.

"I think it's rather funny. I can give you something in the morning to help with the hangover. What do you want to do? It's still early." It wasn't even 9PM yet.

"Can I ask you questions?" She smiled devilishly. "Remember on our first date? I asked you questions then."

"I remember. I got the sense you were rather restrained with your questions."

"A little. I hardly knew you, what was I supposed to ask you? How big your" she gestured with her hands "is? I mean, I could clearly see that already." Jareth wheezed with laughter; she really was hilarious drunk.

"Fine. But we take it in turns to ask each other questions, I'm not being the only one interrogated."

"Fine." Sarah walked up the stairs, turning into the living room. Jareth was already there. "When do I get my teleporting powers?" Sarah asked, sitting down on the couch. "I'm sick of stairs."

"Firstly, I don't 'teleport', and secondly you'll have to learn how to do it. Small distances at first, then eventually you should be able to take yourself Above and Underground as I do."

"When I'm Underground, do I have to dress like you?" Sarah asked, looking from her pencil skirt to his tight breeches. "I don't think I have the legs for that." She joked.

"Ha ha. The usual style for Fae women is much like the gowns of the Tudor age. I would expect you to dress properly when around others, for your own sense of belonging. But when we are alone, you can wear whatever you want."

"Am I going to meet your parents? I kind of want to get to know them."

"I'm sure they would want to know you too. I don't see them very often, but I suppose if you wanted to meet them I could arrange something."

"Not Juturna though. She sounds like a bitch."

"Yes dear." Jareth laughed. "You're spot on there, love."

"You haven't met my dad. You should probably meet my dad.."

Jareth was careful not to let his face move; he had of course already met Robert Williams, but he was keeping that to himself. At least until tomorrow.

"Of course. When you want, we can go see him. And Toby, of course."

"I miss Toby." Sarah said sadly, and Jareth moved to sit beside her and gave her a hug. "You won't steal him again will you?"

"No, Sarah. I didn't steal him last time, but let's not get into semantics."

"Good 'cos I don't even know what those are."

"What's your favourite colour?" Jareth asked teasingly, and Sarah grabbed a pillow and hit him over the head with it. Well, she tried. She missed and fell off the couch, landing in a heap. "Oh Sarah, I can't take you anywhere."

"Shut up and help me up." Jareth pulled her up and sat her on his lap. She stretched her legs out, leaning into him. "That's better. Thanks."

"I believe it's my turn to ask questions."

"Okay."

"Why does Linda bother you so much?"

"Is it not obvious? We've talked about this before."

"Tell me again."

"Jareth, talking about my issues with my mother is really, really depressing. Can't we just go to bed instead?"

"Humour me Sarah."

"Fine, but I get to ask you a question equally depressing. Yes?"

"Deal."

"Linda bothers me so much because she made a perfectly good life for herself and left me behind. I would sit, filling in that stupid scrapbook and listening to Irene yell at me, wishing she would come and get me. She never did; she was too preoccupied with Jeremy and her career and really anything else that took her fancy. I never really seemed to enter her mind. Even when I lived here for college, she was away the whole year. So now, when she tries to make out like I'm her best buddy and so important to her, it just makes me.."

"Want to drink a whole bottle of wine in an hour?" Jareth asked when she couldn't find the words.

"Exactly. So, my turn."

"Yes, your turn."

"What happened between you and Juturna?" Sarah asked, and Jareth grimaced.

"Sarah, I really don't want to discuss Juturna." He told her, shifting her on his lap so he could look at her face.

"Please, Jareth. There's something you're not telling me about her. All you said is that you hadn't seen her for hundreds of years and that you're 'different people'. Something happened."

"Fine. If I tell you the story, you have to promise me two things. One, that you won't get jealous."

"Jealous?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, jealous. And two, once I've told you it you can ask me one question and then we agree never to speak of anything in the story again."

Sarah thought maybe she should just let him not tell the story, but she was so curious that she merely nodded in agreement.

"Around six hundred years ago, before I was King, I was in love. Her name was Beatrice, and she was mortal, the daughter of a Lord. At this time, I was living in the Plantagenet court. They were dangerous days, there was near constant war and I was closely allied to the Yorks. My father heard that I was involved in Above conflicts, and demanded I return to the Underground. I refused, saying that I wished to stay Above and marry, make a life until I would one day inherit his throne. He was angry, but he had no real power over me to make me return; I was too strong, my magic wild and unruly. Juturna, who was unmarried at the time, wished me to be struck from the line of succession, and the laws to be changed so she could become Queen in her own right. I refused to give way to her, believing that I could have everything I wanted without consequence."

Sarah watched him carefully, not saying a word. Jareth took a deep breath and continued.

"One night, I was dining with Beatrice. I had already asked her father for permission to marry her, though I hadn't told my father yet. I was planning to propose that night, when suddenly, blood began to trickle out of her nose, then her ears, then pour from her mouth. I ran to her, tried every healing spell I knew to try and make her well, but there was a spell so powerful running through her veins that my magic was useless against it. Juturna had tampered with my usual seat, lacing the wood with a poison that would destroy my powers and render me truly mortal. I had given Beatrice my chair that night, because it was closer to the fire and she was cold. It soaked through her clothes, as it was meant to do to me, slowly delivering the potion into the skin, and then the blood stream. But Beatrice had no magic, and the poison merely served to shut down every organ, every blood vessel. She was dead, I was accused of murdering her and I had to disappear Underground. I stayed there for around fifty years, eventually returning to court in the Tudor age to start life all over again.

"I was furious with Juturna. I would have killed her if I'd have gotten away with it. She faced no punishment for what she did to Beatrice, but if I had harmed her I would have been executed. It's not a crime to kill a human. That is why I have kept you so close, so heavily guarded. I don't truly think she would be so stupid as to try it again; I am King now, and you are my marked mate. It would be considered an act of war and I would crush her in battle, she knows that.

"As it was, I told my father what had happened and Juturna was married off to the most odious man we could find, and exiled from the Goblin Kingdom. A small punishment, and it was given to her because she attempted to strip me of my powers, rather than killing Beatrice. Father informed her that if she killed another human in an attempt to harm me, he would have her executed. It seems to be the only threat that works on her. Over the years, her magic has dwindled and become weak from living in the Elvish lands. I believed she was no threat to me, but now she has a son, I'm worried her lust for power will start all over again." He stopped, pausing for breath. He looked at Sarah with a sad smile playing on his lips.

"There. That is the reason I don't like Juturna."

"Pretty good reason." Sarah said quietly, trying to take in everything he had just said. "May I ask my question?"

"Yes."

"Why did you even go to her son's naming ceremony? If she killed your girlfriend and tried to strip you of your powers, wouldn't everyone understand if you were mad at her?"

"The Fae are treacherous people, Sarah. Spying and murder are all par for the course in getting what you want, particularly in royalty. If I was human, I would probably be consumed by rage and exact impulsive revenge. Alas, I was fickle, as are many Fae, and I managed to shrug the whole thing off rather quickly. I should have expected it, but I was young and foolish. It was six hundred years ago, and I have gotten over it somewhat. As times have changed, there are stricter laws in place. I negotiated several of them with my father, and as he is High King, the Low Kings must agree. If these laws were not in place, I would not even consider having a serious relationship with a mortal again."

"But you're with me."

"I am with you because our souls are bound together by fate." He told her sincerely, grabbing her hands. "You will not be mortal for much longer, my love. Now I have told you why I dislike Juturna, may we change the subject?"

"I don't have a question that would be appropriate after that." She said quietly. "I feel so bad. For you, for poor Beatrice."

"Beatrice would be long dead by now. I loved her, certainly, but I knew that I could not mark her or begin the transformation progress. She was not my true mate, but I was too headstrong to see the danger I put her in. I never thought I'd find the woman I was meant to be with, so I merely continued to live the bachelor life. Until you called me that day."

"I'm safe right?" Sarah asked "Juturna won't try and harm me?"

Jareth debated telling her that he had sensed Juturna's magic within her already, but he decided not to.

"I would never let Juturna harm you. You are protected. I would die protecting you."

"Don't die." She said, and Jareth remembered just how drunk she was because she was grinning like a lunatic. "I don't want you to die."

"Then I will try my best to stay alive for many years to come."

"My eyes are itching." Sarah removed the bandages, throwing them aside.

"Don't scratch love. They'll just bleed. Here, let me look. Lie with your head in my lap." She did as she was told, scooting down the couch. He cradled her head, and examined the markings carefully. "They look better. I can see your colours coming through." He ran a thumb along the edge of the marking above her right eye.

"What colours?"

"Like mine. I can see silver already." It made Jareth happy that Sarah would share his markings; a clear sign to anyone that she was his.

"Are your markings unique? What other colours are there?"

"Sadly, as a twin, my markings are not unique. There will be three of us with these. My parents have similar ones, mine are somewhat a mix of both."

"I wish I could see a picture of your family. It's weird not having any idea what they look like."

"If you're really curious, I have a portrait Underground I could bring to show you. It's rather old, but we haven't changed much."

"That'd be cool." Sarah yawned. "My head hurts."

"I'm not surprised." Jareth smirked, bending down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Have you asked all your questions my love?"

"I think so. I love you." She was falling asleep, like she always did when she'd had too much wine. He wrapped his arms around her and took them to their bedroom. She got under the covers, still fully dressed - shoes and all - and fell asleep.

A/N: I know some people will be disappointed that there was no Juturna/Jareth showdown..give it time guys! I've decided not to stick to getting this finished in 10 chapters as I think it would be far too short, I'm just going to write until I've got the story out. All will be solved in good time! Also I know it seems like there are a couple of plot holes, trust me these are all for reasons that will become clear!

I found this chapter really hard, because I want to move the story along at a realistic pace and at the same time I don't want it to get boring for you guys. I was really worried I wouldn't get this done, because this about the third completely new draft I've done. I'm really scared you guys will hate it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, please leave a review!