Titania and Isabella made their way to her rooms to get ready for the ball while Jareth and Oberon stayed in the gardens for a few moments longer. Oberon having held him back to talk to him.

"She loves you. She doesn't know it yet, thinking that she hasn't spent enough time with you to know what she wants, but she loves you," Oberon told the Goblin King. "I can see it in her eyes and in the way that she interacts with you."

Jareth's heart soared at the news, and he closed his eyes to control his happiness. He couldn't help it then to imagine Isabella in his arms later that evening. How she would feel as they danced together. Her taste when he kissed her, declaring her his before all of his Fae kind. He opened his eyes once again and looked at Oberon with a small smile on his face.

"And I love her. I never thought it possible, but she occupies every thought I have my every waking moment. I swear that if I hadn't wanted it to begin with, I would have been driven mad. But I found that I don't want to fight it. I would willingly fall at her feet and hand her my throne, and be happy as a lowly servant, so long as she granted me the honor of her company," Jareth confessed, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides as they ached to feel Isabella's skin beneath his fingertips.

"Seems as though Titania and I must prepare to lose her all over again," Oberon mused.

"No. I would never deny either Your Majesties the time you wish for to get to know your daughter. I will not ask for her hand until you deem it so."

"Oh, but Jareth. From the moment she was born, both her mother and I have known that we would never be able to deny her anything. You may ask, but it is completely up to her on whether or not she would accept you. If she accepts you, then both Titania wish you the best. Just know, should you hurt her, you'd no longer have a kingdom, let alone a life," The Fae King warned.

"I would rip out my own heart, and lay it before your heel," Jareth swore with a deep bow, before giving the other king a smirk and disappeared in a cloud of faerie dust.

)O( )O( )O( )O( )O(

With Bella

It was a surreal feeling for Isabella, going through a closet full of clothes and actually feeling excited to try something on for a ball. Isabella knew, though, why she was excited to try on dresses. She may not fully know her feelings towards Jareth, or at this point, just accepting those feelings, but she did want to look good for him. Scratch that, she wanted to look drop dead sexy. She wanted to have that cliché Cinderella moment where the whole room stops and sees her as she enters and are in awe at her beauty. She was a girl after all, and if anyone ever met a girl who didn't like to dress up at least once in a while, then she is flat out lying! It helped also, that Titania wasn't shoving outfits under her nose and demanding she try them on. Rather she would hold a dress up to see if Isabella liked it, and if she didn't it would go back into the closet and if she did, it went onto another hanging rack for her to try on.

They only looked through the massive wardrobe that mysteriously appeared, ah, magic, for fifteen minutes before Isabella found the perfect dress. It was a light blue warrior's dress. It had a tank top like top and was tattered at the bottom, with a brown leather corset type bodice. It had a low decolletage, and the hem came to her mid thigh. It also came with a dark green feathered cloak. Isabella couldn't help but think of Jareth's eyes when she first laid eyes on it, and just knew that that was the dress that she wanted to wear for the ball. Now all she needed were some shoes...Ah ha!Isabella triumphantly held up a pair of roman style sandles that climbed up her calf and ending just before her knee. It was the perfect dress for her to look sexy but not trashy. There was a fine line.

To complete the ensemble, Isabella decided to add a few braids, feathers, and flora into her hair. No make up. Always made her face itch. All in all, it took half an hour to get ready, and she turned to Titania for approval. Her faerie mother smiled.

"You look beautiful, little one. I dare say, you'll have Jareth at your feet the moment you walk into the ballroom," she told Isabella. The young Fae couldn't help it. She had always wanted a mother figure. Renee was as good a mother as she could be, but was too flighty and forgetful to actually give her that feeling a child gets when looking at a loved parent. It wasn't so hard with Titania and Oberon. Isabella even felt an urge to hug her, so that's what she did.

Titania was surprised but elated at Isabella's show of affection. The last time she was able to hold her daughter, she was fighting to do right by her and place her in the mortal realm, instead of holding onto her as tightly as she could and just running until Oberon had quelled the Elvin Rebellion. Placing Isabella in that nursery was the hardest thing she had to do in all the centuries she walked the Underground. Isabella and Titania savored each other's embrace until they heard a knock on the door.

Isabella opened it and found Oberon on the other side. Still brimming with too much affection, she proceeded to barrel into her father as well. Oberon was stunned at action, just as much as Titania was. He just stood there stiff for two heartbeats before he forced his limbs to encircle his baby girl. His eyes were conspicuously glassy as he turned his gaze towards his wife.

"You look stunning, my little Isabella," he told her, happy that his voice didn't betray the well of emotions he was feeling. Isabella looked up at her father, smiled a megawatt smile, looped her arm through his, and looked to Titania.

"Shall we go?"

)O( )O( )O( )O( )O(

With Hoggle

Hoggle followed along, trailing behind the party as they made their way through one of the Labyrinth's many wooded areas. He had been hearing stomachs rumbling from all members of the party for the past hour. It won't be more than a few moments now. He had received the message from the magic within the Labyrinth itself that the king was hosting a ball for his guest. Hoggle would bet the jewels Sarah still toted that that is where his king will finally get his bride. And he could not wait!

Suddenly there was a wet grumble from the front of the line.

"Is that my stomach, or yours, Ambrosius?" Sir Didymus asked his mount.

"Hungry." Ludo exlaimed.

"Yeah," Sarah mumbled. She was getting listless in her own hunger. "Well, we can't stop now. Maybe we can find some berries or something."

"Uh, Sarah," Hoggle said, gaining her attention.

"Yeah," Sarah said turning to him.

"Here," he said, holding the peach Jareth gave him out to her.

"Hoggle. Thank you. You're a lifesaver," she exlaimed. Taking the peach and rolling it in her hands once before taking a very unlady like huge bite. She chewed a few times before noticing a strange flavor in the fruit. One not at all peach like.

"This tastes strange."

Hoggle simply watched Sarah as the effects of the magic in the peach took hold of Sarah.

"Hoggle, what have you done?" she asks him in little more than a whisper.

"As my king bids," he replies. She stumbles and holds onto a nearby tree for support.

"Everything's dancing," she mumbles. As soon as she is in the grips of the hallucination, Hoggle walks up to her and takes back his collection of jewels. Little snob should never have taken what didn't belong to her. He then made his way towards Ludo and Sir Didymus, telling them Sarah was detained by the king, which wasn't a lie, and that they were to continue on to the castle.

Sarah was having a hard time focusing. One moment, she was in the forest, watching as crystals danced in front of her. She saw people dancing inside the crystals and wished she could be dancing in there with them. The next moment, her wish was granted. She was inside a grand ballroom with people in beautiful and grotesque masks dancing. Yards of tulle and ribbon flow as women dance with men in dashingly colorful waistcoats. Sarah herself was wearing a white gown, studded with crystal, with long sleeves and puffy shoulders. Her hair was down and had silver flowers woven into it.

She felt mesmerized as she saw the Goblin King in the crowd. His blond hair feathered and spiked to perfection. He was wearing a blue waistcoat, studded with it's own crystals on the lapels and collar, a white shirt underneath with an ascot tucked perfectly down in the front. He had on gray gloves, and black trousers that hugged his hips and legs, and giving a tempting look at his endowment. (A/N: XD Yeah, I went there.)

He managed to find her on the dance floor and taking her into his arms, he began to spin her around the other guests, as they looked on. Sarah was caught for a time in his eyes. They really were peculiar. And then she tore her gaze from his and looked around at the assembly. All of their faces, and the eyes behind those that wore masks were cold and unfriendly. They laughed and jeered at her as she danced with the Goblin King.

She then caught sight of the clock. The strange clock that had thirteen hours instead of twelve. Twelve. The hands were at twelve o'clock! That means she has just over an hour left to solve the Labyrinth and save Toby. Toby!

Sarah pulled out of the Goblin Kings arms, after seeing the small smirk on his face. That bastard had brought her here on purpose. She backed away from him a few steps before she turned and started running. She felt the hands of the others at the ball tug on her dress and grab at her arms in an attempt to keep her there with them. With those that had cold calculating eyes and horrible taunting cackles that made the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand on end. She reached a wall that curved up and was shiny like a mirror. The wall of a crystal ball.

Sarah looked this way and that, looking for a way out, until she realized she'd have to make her own. She saw a chair on her left hand side, at a table where two other attendees were laughing and eating. Taking the chair by it's back, she hurled the piece of furniture at the glassy wall, and broke through the Goblin King's illusion. Along with the tolling of a clock, she heard screams and wails as she started falling. Falling through space like Alice down the rabbit hole, until she landed on something hard and uncomfortable.

)O( )O( )O( )O( )O(

With Jareth

Finally! Jareth thought she would never break the illusion. He wanted her there, yes, but he figured that her sheer stubbornness would see her leaving sooner than she had. But maybe it was that same stubbornness that saw her stay. She wanted to stay. This whole thing with Sarah was now a chore. A boring bit of house cleaning he had to finish before he got to anything he actually wanted to do. He couldn't wait until he could send both her and Toby back to the mortal realm. Not that he didn't like the little squirt. He had the potential to be the next Goblin King. There was that spark in his soul, even at such a young age.

But he now wanted more than anything, just to be with Isabella. Be in her presence and soaking up the small little light of hope that she had shown into his dark life. That same spark that burned into a raging inferno before her cousin had even finished her ninth hour in the Labyrinth. Has it really been that long?

Jareth went about, greeting guest, and making sure that they were having a good time, now that the obvious mortal was out of the picture. They had all played their parts perfectly. Now it was time for him to turn his full focus to Isabella.

Isabella. That beautiful Fae was now gliding into the room in an outfit that made the love in Jareths eyes turn almost completely to absolute hunger. It took everything in him not to scrap the entire evening, throw this goddess unceremoniously over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and take her to his room and ravish her until they both were too exhausted to continue. Two things were stopping him. One, was the ultimate goal for the night. To have Isabella as his for eternity. The second, was her very intimidating father escorting her into the ballroom. That same father that had equal parts amusement and deadly warning in his eyes.

Swallowing hard, Jareth made his way to Oberon and Isabella, and bowed deeply to them both.

"My Lord," he said first to Oberon. Showing respect to him as not only the king of all Faedom, but also as the father of the woman he was completely taken with. Then he turned to completely to Isabella, took her hand, and left a single feather light kiss on her knuckles.

"Isabella. There are no words in this realm or the mortal one that would do justice to your beauty tonight," he said. And for the first time in a very long while, Isabella blushed. Not the full faced tomato redness one would get when they are completely embarrassed. But the light pretty rose tint one would get when they are flattered.

"Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself, My Lord King," she tells him.

"Jareth. Please. Remember, I want an equal, not a yup yup as I once heard a human phrase it."

Isabella couldn't help but to giggle at hearing Jareth say yup yup. "Jareth then. Although, I don't call you My Lord King just because it is your title. I call you that because I want to. It is equal parts who you are and- well, I just like calling you My Lord," she teased.

"As you wish it, then. Shall we dance?" Jareth asked, offering his hand and going into an exaggerated bow, somewhat to hide his growing need at hearing this remarkable creature say that he was her lord.

"It would be my pleasure, Jareth," she said, taking his hand.

Jareth pulled Isabella in close, wrapping one arm around to the back of her shoulders and the other out to hold her hand in a proper waltz position. Isabella never thought she would one day waltz, thinking that level of skill was beyond her, but on this one point alone she will agree with Edward Cullen. It truly is all about your partner. And Jareth compensated for any of her flaws brilliantly as they fluidly waltzed around the ballroom and the other attendees. Isabella laughed in exhilaration. She was having so much fun.

Jareth on the other hand, while having fun, was having a very difficult time keeping his hands where they were and not sliding them all over Isabella's backside. The young Fae was intoxicating. From her honeysuckle and magnolia scent, the feel of her curvaceous form in his arms, the sight of her smile, to the sound of her laugh. He couldn't help it. All but one of his senses had experienced her, and he needed the complete experience. He needed to taste her.

Gaining her attention by slowing their dance until they were once again standing in one place, and watching as she caught her breath. Her chest heaving deep pulls of oxygen into her lungs, causing her perfect breasts to heave at the effort. Jareth groaned in agony, surged forward, and captured her lips in a deep needy kiss. Isabella quickly found herself in need of more air as Jareth kissed her so skillfully, she moaned into his lips and pulled him closer. She couldn't help the thought, that one of her favorite movies, The Princess Bride, extolled the earth shattering purity of Wesley's and Buttercup's kiss at the end of the movie. Isabella had always dreamed of a kiss like that.

This one was SO much better.

Jareth slowed the kiss when both participants needed oxygen. He had had fears about his plan, but now, he knew that this was both what he wanted, and absolutely the right thing. He watched her, with her eyes still closed and still attempting to gain control over her breathing. Jareth reached up, gently took a braid, and lightly followed it all the way down to it's end.

"Fear me. Fear the power I hold with your heart and know I shall not break your trust," he began.

Isabella's response was automatic. As if her soul were answering for her.

"I'm frightened."

"Love me, and know that I love you. Completely and for eternity," he continued.

"I love you," she said, opening her eyes and looking directly into his, speaking with so much conviction that his answering smile was blinding in it's intensity.

"Do as I say, and know it is not to control you but to protect you. To care and provide for you."

"I will follow, thee, My Lord, through whatever trials we face. In action and in word," she answers.

Jareth kissed her again with another kiss that had her itching to make more.

"I am your slave forever," he finished. The room erupted in a shower of faerie dust and cheers. Isabella looked around.

"Jareth? What's going on?" Isabella asked suspiciously with an eyebrow raised.

Jareth gave her a pantie wetting smirk, placed a hand where her shoulder and neck meet, and brought his lips to her ear. She shivered both at the close contact and at the silky sound of his lightly accented voice.

"We are one, my bride," he whispers to her. Isabella's heart thudded painfully in her chest, hoping to the ends of the earth this was true.

Pulling back ever so slightly, she looked into his beautifully mismatched eyes and searched them for the truth. It's not that she had a problem with wedding Jareth. It was an amalgamation of things. Fear that this might not be what he really wants. Trepidation over the fact they had only known each other for 10 or so hours...days... or months, however the hell time works in the Underground. Hope at the fact that he seems to share her feelings. All with an undercurrent of love. Yes. She'll now admit that it was love. She could see it in his eyes and was sure that it was reflected in hers.

Husband. Her subconscious answered all of Jareth's queries, and she found she couldn't give a fat flying fuck about all of her fears. He was now hers and she his. She couldn't find it in her to be angry. No. She was nothing but elated. A slow soft smile made it's way to her lips, before she leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss.

"My Lord. For that is what you are and always will be. My King. My idol. Mine," she whispered.

Jareth pulled her completely into him and kissed her for all he was worth. He absolutely could not wait until Sarah finished her run. Only then could he and Isabella have the time he so desperately craved.

A/N: Whew. I have had this chapter stuck in my head for the past week. I have been day dreaming every time I'm at work, which is not a good idea, since I work around really big sharp saws, about how this chapter would go. So many variations. It turned out a little different than I had originally dreamed up, but all in all I am very happy with the result. I hope you guys like it! Let me know!