'Thank you, lovely reviewers, for keeping me going. I just don't seem to be able to stop writing as long as there are people like you guys letting me know you're enjoying it.

I'm so into my Jareth/Sarah interaction at the minute that It's a wrench to do any other POV. But it is important to my plot that I show the situation from other perspectives, so there is some Hoggle POV and some Gretta POV in this chapter. Don't worry though, more J/S towards the end of the chapter and I hope it's worth the wait. Fair warning, I'm starting to earn my M-rating in this chapter, ooh the hormones!

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Chapter Ten, or 'Tiger Baiting'

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Hoggle felt capable of regicide. Here he was, sitting in his least favourite part of the Kingdom, the Bog, with a troll and Sir Didymus, when Jareth had disappeared with his Sarah. Who knew what the Rat King was up to right now? Sir Didymus was driving him up the wall too. The little twit was hopping around like a mad thing, demanding an immediate storming of the city gates.

It wouldn't have been such a bad idea, given Ludo's rock calling abilities, if Hoggle had been completely sure that Sarah needed to be rescued. But, as slimy as King Jareth was, she hadn't seemed scared when he took her. Only resigned. So, as far as Hoggle was concerned, what they needed was to find out the extent of the situation before they got ahead of themselves.

They needed someone on the inside.

'All of my goblin acquaintances live and work within the Goblin city.' the old dog protested. 'I don't know anyone who works in the castle.'

'I do,' Hoggle admitted. 'But no-body who'd wanna help me, of all people.'

'Well you must convince them to lend their aid!' Sir Didymus insisted.

'Trust me, they's not interested in helpin' me.' Hoggle muttered.

'You must send a bird to this goblin immediately!'

'She don't wanna hear from me...' Hoggle protested weakly but he could tell the Knight would not be letting the matter drop any-time soon. 'But, I'll send a bird with the message any-ways, just to shut you up.'

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Gretta fluffed her purple hair, dusted down her leather tunic and took a deep breath. She knocked smartly on the heavy wooden door and waited. After a few seconds she heard the soft 'come in' she had been waiting for and entered the room after picking up her fully loaded picnic basket.

The Lady Sarah stood in the corner of the small room where Gretta was pleased to see she had been looking over the books which lined the wall. Sarah smiled and Gretta smiled back, placing the basket on the low table before poking at the small fireplace to get the flames burning brightly again.

'Did you sleep well?' Gretta asked her kindly.

'Yes, thank you,' the girl answered.

'How do you like your rooms?'

'They're lovely.' the Lady Sarah answered. 'I especially like the bathroom. You have no idea how much better I feel after a bath and access to toothpaste.'

'Well, if you'd stayed with us dearie...' Gretta said. She didn't know why anybody would want to live outside the city, forests and junk-yards which made up the Central Labyrinth. The mazes were far too dangerous and unpredictable.

Sarah nodded absently, moving towards the basket of food as she replied. 'I don't think I'll be imposing on your hospitality for very long...' Gretta opened her mouth to protest but the girl continued. 'I wont be heading back into the maze in a hurry, but I'm sure I can make myself useful in the Goblin City somehow.'

'Doing what dearie?'

'Oh, I don't know... Getting things down from high shelves maybe?'

They both laughed at that. Gretta had always been rather proud of her four feet five inches stature compared to the majority of the other goblins, but Sarah was close to as tall as the King himself.

'You don't really want to be leaving the castle, do you?' Gretta asked.

'I think it would be for the best,' Sarah said. 'I need time away from... things. To decide what I want.'

'And what about the King?'

'Jareth?' There was that far away look again. Gretta recognised it and tried not to smile knowingly as Sarah continued. 'I suppose I'll have to tell him... It would be rude to just leave... Don't you think?'

'Yes.'

'I should go to see him...' Sarah murmured.

'He would like that.' Gretta agreed readily. The King was not going to be pleased that Sarah planned to leave the castle, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the Lady Sarah wanted to leave almost as little as he would want her to go. Going to him first would give the King a chance to change her mind.

'Do you know where he is?'

'He's in the throne room,'

'And where is that?' Sarah asked.

'Eat first,' Gretta said, waving her hand at the basket of food. 'And when you're ready I'll take you there.'

Sarah sighed and sat on the floor cushion beside the low table. She laughed as several small goblins emerged from beneath said table to turn beseeching eyes on her like begging puppies. Gretta began to shoo them away, knowing such an interruption in the Kings chambers would not have been tolerated. However Sarah stopped her with a giggle.

'Don't worry Gretta, they can stay. I don't mind.' The Goblins, mostly youngsters, gave a collective cheer and began to ransack the basket of carefully prepared food. Sarah didn't seem to mind at all. 'You are free to join me too, if you want.' Sarah said and Gretta was touched by the sincerity of the humans generosity.

'Thank you dear,' she said, smiling. 'But I should get back to my duties. I'll trust these imps to lead you to the throne room when you're ready.'

'Count on us Lady!' mumbled a little goblin around a mouth full of chicken leg.

Gretta left the room smiling. The girl would make a fine Goblin Queen one day. She was just about to head off to the Kitchens to make sure everything there was running smoothly when a messenger bird came flapping around the corner and landed on her shoulder with a relieved sigh.

'Blimey!' It said breathlessly. 'If I'd known how 'ard you would be ta find I woulda charged more!'

'You have a message for me birdie?' she asked as he continued to rant about never-ending corridors and angry chickens.

'Yeah that's right.' The bird confirmed, holding out it's leg.

Gretta removed the small, tightly coiled scroll and thanked the bird. 'If you come along with me to the kitchen, we can get you some refreshment before you go.' She offered him.

'Thank ye kindly!' said the bird, settling into her shoulder and fluffing his black feathers.

Gretta read the scroll as she walked. The name on the scroll gave her a start, she hadn't heard from Hoggle in years, though she had been made aware of his part in Sarah's mainly successful Labyrinth run three years ago. She frowned at his message and wasn't sure whether she should be insulted or relieved that he only wanted to know how Sarah was. She settled on insulted since he didn't even ask how she was doing in passing. Well, she thought. If her husband couldn't do better than that after four years apart then she had definitely done the right thing in leaving him to work in the castle. She read the hasty note again and snorted. Men.

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Sarah tickled the little goblin sitting on her lap, making him laugh and fall off to somersault under the table. The six young goblins reminded her painfully of Toby, but she looked on them affectionately as they sang and wrestled and hopped around excitedly. All traces of the food Gretta had brought her was gone, leaving an empty basket and a few crumbs. It was time to confront Jareth. The thought made her nervous.

'Come on you little devils!' She told them. 'Show me to the throne-room please.'

The two smallest goblins clambered into the basket and shrieked with delight when she lifted it and swung it back and forth. The other four, too large for carrying but still not coming to her knees, crowded around her ankles as she opened the heavy door to peer out into the corridor.

'Which way Gilly?' she asked the most talkative of them, who just so happened to be the smallest. Gilly peered over the rim of the basket and pointed to the right.

'That way Queeny!' the she-goblin said, big brown eyes bright.

'I've told you Gilly, It's Sarah, not Queeny.' The little goblins large ears drooped for a moment. 'Don't worry about it though.' She added hastily.

She followed the little troops instructions for several twists and turns, including a brief and disorientating foray into the Escher room. Soon she was striding into the throne room, to find it empty. The goblins were silent for a moment, clinging to her skirts in barely-disguised alarm.

'Where is everyone?' Sarah said quietly.

'The hoards have been advised to remain in the city for the rest of the day.' Jareth said, from where he had materialised a few feet in front of her. 'I thought a goblin-free morning would be less intimidating for you Precious.' He raised an eyebrow in amusement. 'Though I see my efforts were in vain.' Jareth was wearing a cream poet-shirt, belted at the waist over his standard grey leggings. He wore his normal black gloves and the ever present pendant.

Gilly giggled nervously and Sarah put down the basket, allowing her and the other occupant to clamber out and join the others clinging to her long emerald-green dress. Jareth smirked and advanced slowly to look down at the little goblins.

'I do believe the baker has a fresh batch of sugar cookies for sale this morning. Why don't you six take a walk down to the bakery and tell her I sent you?' The goblins eyes went very wide and an instant later six blurry figures were disappearing out of the main doors.

Jareth laughed as he watched them leave and Sarah's heart did a little flip-flop. She had never seen him laugh before. Chuckle menacingly yes, but not laugh. It made him look younger. When he turned back to her she schooled her expression.

'So Sarah,' he said, sobering somewhat. 'I assume you had a reason for seeking me out so soon? I do believe you had plans to sleep for a week?' He smiled, almost making Sarah change her mind about what she had come to say. Almost.

'I wanted to make you aware,' She paused and looked away. 'That I plan on moving into the city as soon as possible.'

Jareth was silent and still as her words hung in the air between them. Sarah continued simply to break the silence.

'I need to be away from here for a while, while I think about what I want. It's just too unnatural for me to be living here with you. I...'

Jareth interrupted her in a novel fashion as she found herself being transported in a whirl of black velvet and white feathers. When she realised she was in his study again she whirled to find him behind her looking defiant and dangerous.

'What the hell do you think you're doing!' she exclaimed, furious.

'We need privacy to discuss this lunacy.' Jareth said coldly.

'There's nothing to discuss.' Sarah replied, her growing anger washing away her guilt pangs. 'I won't be kept here against my will. I owe you a kiss Jareth, not my whole flipping existence!'

'I think I have made it painfully clear that I had hoped your continued presence here would not be against your will.'

'No human man would expect me to move in with him the instant he declared his feelings for me. I need my own space, and time to get my head around the idea that you aren't the arch nemesis I thought you were. Never mind the idea of us having some kind of relationship.'

Jareth closed his eyes and Sarah could sense him counting to ten. 'Sarah,' he said. 'What do you plan to do out there in the city? The goblins are a rough folk. You don't belong among them any more than you belonged in the maze. You belong here, and if you really want time alone I can stay away from you, for a while. It's a large castle.'

Sarah struggled to find the words to express why she had to leave. She was feeling trapped. Cornered. When she was near him, it was like being caught in a strong current. She didn't want to loose her footing. That kind of drowning, all-consuming attraction could only lead to disaster. In the end her words failed her and she only glared at him.

'You can't leave, I will not allow it.' Jareth said with some finality.

'And exactly how do you plan to stop me?' she said scornfully. The sensible little voice insider her head was moaning with dread, but her currently dominant and more immature side was exhilarated.

'You have no idea what I am capable of little girl,' growled the King. The shadows all around the room began to deepen and spread menacingly. 'I could have you bound and gagged in your room before you could blink and there would be nothing you could do about it.'

Sarah clenched her fists and fought the urge to punch him somewhere tender. He glared back at her just as angrily, his chest heaving. The air around him shimmered and his naturally spicy odour strengthened noticeably to engulf her. It was like smelling her favourite food when she was really, really hungry. If his scent could have been bottled, it would have been labelled 'Temptation'.

'You are the most arrogant, insufferable, egotistical man I have ever met!' she spat at him before spinning away to march towards the study door. She wasn't even sure it was the door leading out but she was going for a dramatic exit and if she ended up in a bathroom she would just keep trying until she got the right door, dammit!

However, before she had moved more than three steps an iron hard hand had gripped her wrist and swung her around to face him again. His other arm snaking around her waist to clamp her to his hard body.

'Sarah,' he said, his voice low and harsh. 'I'm not a man.' He bent low to growl into her ear. 'I am your King.' Sarah trembled as a wave of unexpected heat washed through her. She pushed at him, trying to put some distance between her body and his, but he was as immovable as stone. 'I think I have tried things your way for quite long enough,' Jareth continued, moving against her as he spoke. 'I will make you beg for me Sarah.'

Sarah's breathing was becoming ragged and no matter how she tried she couldn't stop the slow burning desire which was working its way through her body. When he began to propel her backwards she didn't resist and when her back hit the wall she gasped and met his eyes.

'Jareth... ' Sarah murmured, eyes fluttering at the sensation of being pinned between the cold stone and his very warm body.

'Sarah?' Jareth asked innocently as he thrust his lower body against her. 'Do you want me to stop?'

Yes! Screamed the frightened little voice inside her mind. 'No...' she admitted grudgingly.

'Say please...'

'Go to hell,'

Jareth moved against her again, forcing a tiny moan from her, before pulling away. Sarah's eyes flew wide as she clenched her fists in the material of his shirt. She ignored her stubborn inner voice which was telling her to take the opportunity to introduce her knee to his privates and instead obeyed the commands of her frantic body.

'Please.'

With a dark chuckle, Jareth swooped in to capture her mouth with his own.

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Mmm, arguing with Jareth is like poking a tiger with a sharp stick.

Edit, 10/06/12. I've removed the next chapter, which described the ensuing scene, in case my story was deleted. The story is unaffected though, so I hope you can use your imaginations, ;-)

Please review! xx