Jareth had lied; he didn't need to speak with his father. As soon as he was within his castle, he summoned the medic he had consulted previously about Sarah.

"Your Highness."

"Hello, Yeg. I wish to speak to you about my human companion again."

Yeg was an elderly Elf who had lived in the Goblin Kingdom for many years. Jareth greatly trusted him, he served not only as a medic but as a valuable advisory, particularly relating to matters involving Juturna. Elf medics were common, though Jareth also had a Fae healer. The Elves could not use magic, but were talented scholars and herbalists.

He was the one person Jareth could trust enough to tell him about his relationship with Sarah. Jareth had told her that he had announced the engagement Underground, but in fact he had only told his Father and Mother. He didn't want her to think he was trying to hide her away. Yeg had known about her for several months, and Jareth had asked him several times for advice.

"Is she well?" Yeg asked. "The process is continuing?"

"She is well, though a little out of sorts this evening." Jareth told the man, and the Elf shrugged.

"Not unusual in women folk." Yeg said stiffly, and Jareth wondered what he knew of women folk. He was unmarried, and the Goblins he saw every day weren't the same as human, Fae or even Elvish women.

"She is tired again, and her markings have fully healed."

"Already?" The old Elf said in surprise. "And they first appeared two Above weeks ago?"

"Yes. I am a little concerned at the sudden speed."

"Has anything changed since the last time I spoke to you?"

"I proposed to her, and gave her an amulet as well as a ring made of Fae gold." Jareth said, and the old man paused to think. Jareth watched him carefully, growing impatient until he finally began to speak.

"It may be that the presence of more magic than usual has alarmed her body and it is moving fast to protect her from death. The whole process is so individual to each person, not to mention poorly documented, that it is impossible to predict how it will happen. Perhaps she is just a faster developer than some. As long as she is relatively well, fatigue aside, I believe she will change at the rate her body is comfortable with. However, I think it would be best if you didn't add any extra magic into her body; I know you were checking her magic with your own rather often. It would be best to refrain from doing so, allow her body to find it's own power."

"If I stop doing that, will she be in no danger?" Jareth asked, desperate for some kind of reassurance.

"She's been changing for almost a year, the most imminent danger was at the start. As long as you keep repeating the, ahem, ritual." The old man shifted uncomfortably; the "ritual" he referred to was having sex regularly. The Elves were rather prudish, practical people, whereas the Fae were driven by pleasure and indulgence. Even the process to become a Fae was almost entirely based around sex.

"But her magic went away and then came back.." The old man held a hand up to interrupt him.

"As I assured you at the time Sire, that is not unheard of. It could have reacted to a Fae being nearby, anything can trigger a sudden surge. You know as well as I do that there are plenty of Fae that she could have passed without realising. Your Highness, forgive me but I think perhaps you are being a little paranoid."

"I suppose." Jareth admitted. "I feel as though something is amiss. Has there been any news of Juturna?" He had not heard anything during his time Underground

"We received a letter from her just after you left, reminding you of her wishes. I have heard from my brother in court that she has taken to her bed, citing the stresses of childbirth and motherhood."

"And the babe?" Jareth asked, curious as to his sister's sudden seclusion. Perhaps something was wrong with the child.

"Is well, though apparently entirely without magic." This was surprising; all babes carrying Fae blood should have magic present from birth. If it wasn't present now, it was unlikely it would ever develop.

"How odd." Jareth mused, suspicious of his sister's motives. "If he is powerless, he could never be Goblin King as he would posses no Fae qualities at all. Why is Juturna still pushing for me to name him? She should have informed me that the babe was all Elf."

"That would be for you to ascertain, Sire. I couldn't speculate."

"Compose a letter for me, ask her to desist this madness before I really get annoyed. Her child has been alive for such a short period of time yet she is obssessed with assuring him a throne. He wouldn't be able to rule for hundreds of years!"

"As you wish, Sire. I shall draw it up for your approval tomorrow. Will that be all?"

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry for calling you to me so late in the night."

"You are the King, Sire. I do as you bid, it is an honour to serve you."

"You are a good friend to me, Yeg. A loyal and trusted friend."

"Thank you, your Highness. I shall see you tomorrow."

"Thank you Yeg. You are dismissed."

Jareth watched as the old man hobbled away. He sighed; Yeg was right, he was being too paranoid. He was like an over protective mother, clucking around Sarah and not allowing her any space. Her magic would develop in it's own time, and if it was doing so a little quicker, was there really any danger? She had proven her strength all those years ago in his Labyrinth, and to doubt her now would be to belittle her.

He went to his office, checking that the treaty he had signed earlier that day had been taken to the right place. He saw that the portrait he had asked for had been placed there, and he picked it up to examine it. It was much smaller than the one he had shown Sarah, around arm width. It was a simple portrait of Jareth and Juturna, side by side (although they had not sat together for the portrait, as Jareth couldn't stand to be near her for the hours it took to complete a portrait). Sarah had wanted to see it, so he would take it above and show her.

He took himself back to London, appearing in their bedroom. She was not in the bed, and Jareth was alarmed to hear her being sick in the bathroom.

"Sarah?"

"Jareth? Is that you?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Can I come in?"

"No." She said quietly, sounding miserable. "I look awful."

"I don't care about how you look, precious. You're ill."

"It's nothing, I probably just have flu or something."

"Sarah, let me come in." He said sternly. He needed to check she was alright, especially after he had just been told he was being paranoid.

There was silence on the other side of the door. "Sarah!" He said in a near-shout.

"Fine." She relented. "But don't look at me."

He opened the door, and found her on the floor. She was pale and sweating profusely, her hair hanging in limp tendrils around her face. He knelt down beside her, brushing her hair from her face.

"Oh darling." He said sadly, pressing a kiss to her damp forehead. "I had no idea you were feeling so wretched."

"I'm okay. I guess this explains why I've been so tired all day." She said, feeling pathetic. "What am I going to tell work? I've already had a week off saying I had flu, now I really do. This is Karma, I know it."

"I could-" Jareth was going to suggest using a crystal and making them forget about her until she was ready to go back.

"No, I need to do it the mortal way." She told him, and he shrugged.

"If you insist. You can call them tomorrow."

"Jareth, can you leave? I think I'm going` to throw up-" It was too late, and Jareth turned away as she was sick into the toilet bowl. He didn't particularly care about seeing her vomit, but he knew she would be embarrassed by it. He went downstairs to get her water, and waited in the bedroom for her to come out.

She stumbled out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, still clutching her stomach.

"Oh love." Jareth said sympathetically, getting up to help her to bed. He helped get her in, pulling the covers up to her chin. She weakly murmured her thanks.

"What would I do without you?" She said, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Here precious, have some water." He held the glass to her lips, and she took a small sip. She immediately started to gag, and Jareth waved his hand and a bowl appeared in her hands. She threw up into it, and Jareth felt awful. He never got sick, and seeing the one he loved be ill and not be able to help her was frustrating. Jareth didn't like feeling powerless.

"Can't you heal me?" Sarah asked croakily, and Jareth shook his head. He could do a little basic healing but he was no doctor.

"Cuts and scrapes and hangovers are about my limit, healing wise. You'll just have to sweat this out."

"What's the use in having a magic fairy boyfriend if he can't cure the flu?" Sarah said irritably, and Jareth laughed.

"Fae. Not fairy." Jareth said, crossing his arms. He sat on the bed besides Sarah, wondering what to do. She hadn't really been ill during their relationship, and he didn't have much experience in nursing the sick.

"What's that?" Sarah asked, pointing at the picture frame. She was slurring her words, and Jareth pressed his hand to her forehead. She had a high fever, and he was concerned. She was still pointing at the picture.

"It's that portrait I was telling you about, of me and Juturna. I'll show you it another time."

"Show me now." She demanded drowsily, putting the bowl down and sinking back into the pillows. Her pupils were dilated and she looked as though she could barely focus on anything. At least she was still speaking, but Jareth was concerned at her sudden descent into illness. "It'll distract me."

"As you wish, my love." He went to pick up the painting and brought it back to the bed. Sarah tried to sit up to look at it, and he pushed her gently back onto the pillows. "Rest, Sarah. There's no use exerting yourself just to look at a picture of my sister."

"You look nice." She said, reaching to touch the picture. "Your eyes are so weird." She sounded as though she was drunk, and Jareth was worried about how high her fever was. "But pretty. You're pretty."

"Thank you sweetheart. You're pretty too." He said appeasingly, and she was promptly sick again.

He walked over to the bathroom and grabbed a wash cloth, running it under cold water. He placed it on Sarah's forehead, and she smiled.

"I love you so much." She said quietly, reaching out to pat him on the head.

"I love you too, precious. Sleep now, darling." He said soothingly, and she nodded.

"It's weird your sister is Judith." Sarah said sleepily, her eyes closing.

"What?" Jareth said, staring at her in alarm. His heart was beating like a drum, her words sending chills through him. "What did you say?"

"Judith. She's there, in that picture." Sarah said, shrugging as she settled into the bed. "I didn't know you knew her."

"You're sure?" Jareth asked. He didn't want to alarm Sarah, especially in her current state. If she thought the woman in the picture was Judith, Jareth had a horrible feeling he knew why.

"Yeah. Judith. I thought her name was Juturna. That's a funny name." Sarah began to laugh hysterically to herself. "When we have kids can we name them normal names? Like Bob."

"Sarah, this is important. You're one hundred percent certain that you've seen this woman before? And that her name is Judith?"

"Uh huh. Oh God I feel.." She leant over the bed and was sick again, and Jareth just hoped she'd aimed into the bowl. "I wish I hadn't eaten that cake." She groaned.

The cake.

Jareth disappeared without a word, going straight to the kitchen. The chocolate cake "Judith" had given Linda sat on the table. Jareth held his hands over it, but could sense no magic within it. He was no expert, but he had spent hundreds of years learning the skills to detect poison after the incident with Beatrice. The cake didn't seem to have any obvious form of poison in, but he held it and took himself Underground to consult someone who would know better.

"Sire?"

"Yeg, I need you to take this cake. Sarah has become very ill, and she ate this cake a few hours ago. I have reason to believe Juturna gave her this."

"Juturna? How would she be able to deliver a cake to your human with all the protection spells in place?"

"I believe she has befriended Sarah's mother. I couldn't find any poison in it, but it might be disguised, I don't know. I don't trust myself anymore, I thought I was protecting Sarah and still Juturna managed to get to her!" Jareth was pacing the floor angrily, twisting his hands in his hair with frustration.

"What are the symptoms of her illness?" Yeg asked, whilst examining the cake.

"Vomiting, fever, she can't keep any liquid down."

"It could be human flu, Sire. I believe I have a draught that may help her. I will take this to my workshop and bring it back to you."

"Be quick about it." Jareth instructed, frustrated that the Elf would have to go there on foot. He hated leaving Sarah alone, and summoned a crystal to make sure she was alright. As it balanced on his finger tips, he tried to calm himself. She seemed to have drifted off to sleep, and he was thankful for that.

If Juturna really had infiltrated Sarah's life, he would have to act carefully. Confronting her now would mean he would have no chance of finding out what her plan was, and he would have no proof to present to their father. If he waited too long, whatever her plan was (and he was sure it would result in another death) may have succeeded already. The worst thing he could do right now was let on to his sister that he knew anything was wrong. He got the feeling he would only have to wait days, and then she would be his.

Juturna had several handicaps; she was impulsive, clumsy and above all predictable. He would play her game, and he would back her into a corner and win.

Almost an hour later, Yeg finally returned, holding a dark bottle. He bowed quickly, and handed the bottle to Jareth.

"Here is the medicine for your human. It is nothing powerful, just something to soothe her nausea."

"And the cake?" Jareth asked, holding the bottle up to the light. "Was it poisoned?"

"I could find no poison, but there was a mixture of herbs within. I recognize the herbs, but I am not certain of their purpose. They are not deadly in any shape or form, most of them are just used for health benefits. I am confused, I must admit Sire. I have sent a sample to my brother, and one to an old friend who practices in the North Elf Lands. They are more knowledgeable about herbal medicine; I have been practicing Fae healing for too long."

"You're sure it is not harmful?" Jareth asked, holding onto his amulet nervously. He always fiddled with it when he was scared, and right now he was more scared than he had ever been in his life. Losing Sarah would be more painful than anything he could possibly imagine. He still had a crystal in his hand, keeping one eye on her at all times. He shouldn't have left her alone.

"It is not deadly." Yeg said hesitantly. "In my experience, people only hide things in food when they intend them to harm. I could examine her." He offered, and Jareth shook his head.

"I don't want to alarm her. If she sees you, she'll know something is really wrong." Jareth said, trying to think how he should handle this situation. "If it is just flu, how long should it take for her to stop vomiting?"

"That should hopefully stop within the next day. Keep an eye on her, give her the medicine I have given you. If you really don't wish me to examine her, then that is all I can do."

"Thank you." Jareth told the main sincerely. The Elf left, and Jareth flopped down into a chair, suddenly feeling exhuasted. He looked at Sarah in the crystal; she was snoring now. He was taking a risk not allowing Yeg to look at her, but he had a plan. If she wasn't dead already, whatever Juturna had given her wasn't meant to kill her. Perhaps it was something to weaken her powers, to make her die. He had a plan to find out what was going on, and it would have to be enacted with the utmost care.

Sarah woke in the morning, still feeling awful. Jareth was still awake, lying next to her. He had been awake all night, just making sure she was still breathing and formulating his plan. He had sent the portrait back Underground, not wishing to look at it a second longer.

"Hey." She said, smiling. "What happened last night?"

"You don't remember?" He asked, frowning.

"I remember throwing up about a hundred times, then it's a bit of a blur."

"You went to bed, you were saying all sorts of things. Apparently our first child should be named Bob." She laughed. Jareth placed a hand on her forehead; her fever had broken.

"A perfectly reasonable name. I need to call work." She got up to go downstairs, and immediately ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She was still sick. Jareth was starting to think he should have allowed Yeg to look at her.

If Sarah couldn't remember their conversation, then she wouldn't remember saying that Judith was Juturna. This was exactly what Jareth had hoped for; he wanted to keep Sarah out of his plan. It would most likely end badly, and he didn't want Sarah to feel any guilt.

"Sarah, just let me do it my way." He told her through the door. He waited until the retching stopped, and she groaned her reply.

"Fine but can you make it so they all think I'm sick rather than non existent? It would save me a trip to the phone."

"Fine." He summoned a crystal, waved his hand over it and it was gone. "Done."

"Thank you." She opened the bathroom door. "I feel so bad."

"Is it flu, do you think?" Jareth asked, trying to act nonchalant.

"I think it might be one of those 24 hour bug things."

"I got you some medicine to take. Human medication won't work on you now." Hhe handed her the bottle and she frowned at it suspsiciously. "Just drink it, Sarah." He told her, feeling more like a stern father than her fiancé.

"Fine." She necked the bottle, and waited a moment. "Woah, that's amazing. I feel better already."

"That's my medic's work. He's the best, let me assure you."

"Tell him I said thank you." She said, getting back into bed. "I'm going back to sleep for a while."

"Yes precious." He watched as she fell asleep. She was beautiful even in sickness, and he felt even more determined to protect her from whatever Juturna had planned.

He would never let her win.

A/N: So there's another chapter down. There probably won't be an update tomorrow as I'm heading out for the day/night. Sunday's might be a little hungover..

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