Hoggle used the shadows of the night to camouflage his movements, knowing that the less they were noticed, the less chance the Goblin King would have of finding out what he, Ludo, Didymus and Ambrosius were planning. And it was necessary that the Goblin King had no idea of what they were doing. That was why he had left the others in his home- they all made far too much noise to risk bringing along.
The dwarf made his way through the Labyrinth in the way only he and a few others knew how to; quickly. He knew that he had to find the one other creature that might care enough about Sarah to help them rescue her. The worm.
Hoggle couldn't quite recall how he and the others had come to the decision to involve the worm, but they had. And that was why he was on his way to find the creature in the midnight gloom.
He stopped in the seemingly endless corridor that he knew the worm kept his home in. The only problem was that he didn't know exactly where the hidden house was as it moved as frequently as the Labyrinth did. After an hour of silent searching, Hoggle finally came across the worm out sitting on a protruding brick, his blue skin looking almost purple in the light of the moon.
"Urgh, finally, there y'ar," Hoggle whispered to the creature.
The tiny creature tilted his head at the dwarf and smiled at him.
"'Allo," he said, his voice far louder than Hoggle would have liked.
"Shhhhh!" Hoggle whispered hastily.
"Ohhh, what's got your knickers in a twist?" he answered, still too loud for the secrecy Hoggle had been hoping for.
Even the walls have ears round here, he thought as he bit back an angry shout.
"Will you jus' shurrup fer a second?" he whispered.
The worm stared up at him with his large eyes, as he replied, "Alright, alright, calm down."
"I'll give you calm down," Hoggle muttered under his breath.
"Pardon?" the worm asked.
"Nothin'. Look, I need yer help. Well, Sarah needs yer help."
"Sarah? Who's that then?"
Hoggle rolled his eyes at the small creature, cursing his memory.
"Y'know, nice girl, ran the Labyrinth a few years back- she actually beat Jareth-"
"Oh yes, yes, now I remember."
"Right, well she needs yer help."
Not bothering to wait for the worm to acknowledge him, Hoggle launched into an explanation of the plan that he and the others had come up with just hours before. It didn't take long to explain. It was just vital that the worm played along and agreed to help them.
Because they knew that only the worm could get past Jareth's defences and make it into the castle without him realising. Only the worm stood a chance of sneaking Sarah out of the castle right under the Goblin King's nose.
But Hoggle didn't know that he needn't have been quiet or secret in his operations that night. Because, not only was Jareth not watching for any sort of escape attempt from either Sarah or her friends; the Goblin King's mind was preoccupied with something else entirely. Something not of their world.
The Goblin King had Sarah pinned. She was virtually sandwiched between the cool glass of the thin window on her back and his warm body pressed against her front. One hand entangled in her hair, the other grasped Sarah's, their fingers laced together.
When he had raped her this had been so different. Everything had been one-sided, in that Jareth wanted it and Sarah didn't. Here, there was no resistance; no hesitation. Only need. An over-whelming need for the others' touch. Here, Sarah found that she was as much a part of this as her partner in it.
Her body moved against his just as much as his against hers. Her lips, her tongue, explored just as much as his did. And she couldn't quite imagine what was making her so bold, save for the connection that had bonded them. Yes, that must be it, she thought as her lips met Jareth's for yet another hurried but passionate kiss.
Before she even knew what she was doing, Sarah's free hand moved to try and pull Jareth's shirt from his body. She wouldn't have been able to do it if not for his help though. And Jareth was quick to help her in her actions, as he pulled back from her for the tiniest of moments to pull the thin material of his white shirt over his head.
That moment was a moment too long for the connection Sarah felt however, as, the moment Jareth was free of his shirt, she crushed her body to his, feeling all the better for his touch. Her hands roamed over his well-built chest, fingers running over the smooth contours of his muscled exterior.
And she felt an overwhelming need to remove what little clothing she was wearing; what little clothing separated their bodies. And it seemed that the Goblin King felt the same as he quickly pushed down the sleeves that held the thin shift up and let it slip from her body.
All she was left wearing was the corset and lace underwear that she had thought to dress herself in to stop Jareth's advances. Yet now, all she wanted to do was help him to remove it. That wasn't until after she'd seen the lust in his eyes though; the want. Her fingers moved to undo the bow that she'd tied so tightly earlier, before Jareth's could. And, soon enough, she had slipped free of the contraption to allow Jareth's hands to roam as freely as hers could.
Her back pressed against the window once more as the Goblin King's body pushed against hers. She met him in a deep kiss, her tongue flicking out to duel with his. But it wasn't his tongue that she was paying attention to, not really. It was the way that his hand had moved to cup her breast, his fingers gently tracing over her newly flesh exposed flesh. It was the way she liked what he- what they were doing. It was the way she wanted more-
Sarah found herself sitting up in bed, wearing that tiny shift of a nightdress that was the thing that covered her the most. Her night had once more proved to be restless, and in the shadow of the moonlight that shone through the window that had featured so heavily in her dream, she looked around, wishing that she wasn't alone.
She blinked. Did I really just think that? Did I really just wish that the Goblin King was here? With me? Sarah ran her fingers through her long hair, pushing it back from her face. This is so wrong, she thought, longing for the moments of mental clarity she had that seemed to be getting fewer and farther between.
Sarah pulled the silk sheet that covered her up to her chest, as a chill ran up her spine. This time, her dreams had taken her much too far into the realms of allowing Jareth to have his way with her. Or was it Jareth's way anymore? The way she was inadvertently being drawn to him seemed enough to suggest that it was as much her way as it was his right now.
But in her brief moments of clarity, Sarah knew that she didn't want this. She also knew that she was powerless to stop it. Letting out a long and heavy sigh, Sarah couldn't help but wonder if there was something she could do to stop herself going to Jareth; if there was some way that she could keep a hold of her right mind when she was around him. If only, she thought sadly.
Remembering part of the dream she'd had, Sarah realised that she was still wearing the corset she'd dressed in earlier. She removed it quickly from under the shift as her mind lingered on the way Jareth had looked at it. And as she placed it at the side of her bed, Sarah couldn't help but sigh again.
Nothing seemed to be going the way she wanted it to. Though that wasn't all that surprising- it was just overwhelming. Especially after she had allowed herself to be so entranced by the Goblin King earlier that day. Sarah shook her head and tried to hold back the tears that she knew were soon to fall; the tears that lately she just couldn't seem to hold back.
She felt them drip down her cheeks, but she did nothing to try and stem their flow. What would be the point? she thought grimly. Is this really what it's come to? I'm either going to be driven mad by dreams and actions that call me to him or I go to him and lose everything that's still me. Neither choice was one that Sarah really wanted to consider; and yet, she couldn't get the thought out of her head.
I hate the Goblin King, she thought truthfully. I hate Jareth. I hate him. I'd rather die than keep feeling like I... want him... I- I don't want him. I hate him. She didn't love him- she didn't even want him. That was just the magic trying to control her thoughts; trying to control her.
Too bad it's winning, she thought sadly. In truth, Sarah understood what was happening, and she understood that if she didn't do something then this situation was going to rip her apart. And she wondered if she dared to take the easy way out. She wondered if she dared to just end her life and be done with all of this twisted suffering that Jareth was putting her through.
But, no sooner had she had that thought, then her mind was distracted by the visitor who had somehow made their way into her room. A friend that she had not seen in years. Though it was hard to make him out in the darkness, Sarah recognised him immediately. The worm.
She blinked, trying to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. To make sure that seeing the worm wasn't some sort of illusion. But as she did, she was half afraid that he would be a figment of her imagination; and that when she opened her eyes, he would have never even been there. And that was why a smile spread across her face when her eyes opened and she caught sight of the still-there worm.
"'Allo," the worm said cheerily.
"What are you doing here?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice quiet but filled with happiness.
"Well, your friend, the short one with the big nose; you know, impatient sort of fellow- can't for the life of me remember 'is name.
"Hoggle?" she guessed.
"That's the one. Well, he said you needed some sort of help, and I'm here because he said that I could get you out of here. And I'd said that that would be-"
But Sarah wasn't listening as the worm continued to ramble on. Her thoughts had already turned to the news that he'd just brought her before the rambling had started. An escape? He was offering her an escape. There might be a way out for me? she thought blankly. That had certainly cleared her mind.
"Wait a second," Sarah said, interrupting the flow of his rambling.
"You're saying that you can get me out of here?"
The worm nodded his tiny little head at her and Sarah couldn't stop the myriad of emotion that flowed through her at that. Happiness was at the head of them. Until, that was, Sarah remembered one little detail that ruined everything. She was bonded to Jareth.
If she tried to leave... She couldn't even think about it. Jareth had already told her that she was to be addicted to him- and she was certainly feeling the effect of that. If she got away- if she made it home- Sarah had no idea what the craving she was already having for Jareth would do to her.
It seemed that distance between them, though it cleared her head somewhat, only seemed to increase the yearning that her body felt for him. That was why, even though she hated that she had to say it, the decision she made was very much set in stone. She would rather live than be driven mad by Jareth's magic.
"I... I can't," Sarah whispered, a lump coming to her throat as soon as she'd uttered those words.
"What d'ya mean? I can get you out of here. I know a way out and I'm s'posed to get you out of here," the worm said confusedly.
"I know, but; I can't. Believe me, you don't know how much I wish that I could leave this place. But it's impossible," she replied gravely, only just keeping her tears from her eyes.
Are you really doing this, Sarah? Turning down your one chance at freedom? Your one chance to get back to your family? she asked herself sadly. Her eyes closed as she fought back those prickling tears.
"If you're sure," the worm said, turning his back on her.
"I'll come back in a few days if you've changed your mind."
I won't have, she thought, finally opening her eyes to let the tears flow freely. She noticed then that the worm had somehow disappeared into the darkness of her room, leaving her, once again, to cry out her sorrows alone.
Jareth returned to his castle in the early hours of the morning. Dark circles were clearly noticeable under his mismatched eyes as he appeared in his own room. The Goblin King was quick to disrobe and lay down on his bed. He was tired. Dead tired. It took an enormous amount of effort for him to go Aboveground without having been called, and he needed to sleep.
The only problem was that that night, sleep was being well and truly evasive to him. So Jareth lay awake, staring the ornate ceiling above him. He couldn't keep his mind off of what he'd seen. Off of what he would have to tell Sarah the moment he next visited her. That conversation is going to be bad enough without a lack of sleep on top of it, he thought, frustrated with himself.
What Tebras had shown him in his crystal was a mere glimpse of what havoc he had wreaked Aboveground. And Jareth had witnessed the horrors in person, simply to confirm them. Though angered at the sight of Tebras' clear influence, Jareth couldn't help but see what this move had done- or would do, rather.
Tebras must have known how well Sarah was responding to him after their being bonded. And he had picked the perfect move to turn Sarah against him once again. He had picked the perfect move to make her blame him for everything that had happened once more.
Jareth closed his eyes and wished for sleep. He just hoped that when he woke and revealed to Sarah what Tebras had done, she would not hate him as much as the King of the Darklands wanted her to.
Sarah saw herself with Jareth that night more than she cared to admit. And her dreams had left her wanting him more than she'd care to admit. This bonding truly was testing her willpower to the extreme- and she just hoped that when Jareth next appeared to her, he wouldn't be encouraging the side of her that Sarah wanted most to resist.
So when Jareth materialised in her room, sparks and all, Sarah was almost relieved to see that the fae's smirk was not on his face. But the absent expression quickly wormed its way into her mind as she wondered at the one that replaced it. He wasn't happy. Not in the slightest. He almost looked... regretful?
Why would Jareth look regretful? After all he's done... And then the thought hit Sarah. What has he done? What more could he do that would leave him with that expression? She didn't have the answers to those questions, and she had the distinct feeling that she wasn't going to like them when she found out. If I find out, Sarah amended.
"What did you do?" Sarah asked, her voice a nervous whisper.
One of Jareth's eyebrows rose and he slowly shook his head. Dishevelled, blond hair shifted with the smooth movement, but soon, Jareth's mismatched eyes were trained on Sarah once more.
"What did you do?" she repeated, her voice even quieter as her discomfort grew.
"Not me," he answered simply.
Not me? Sarah thought. That left only one other person- fae- that could put that expression on Jareth's face. And Sarah was pretty sure that that was worse. Jareth could be cruel, but Tebras... Sarah was well aware that the King of the Darklands seemed to have no boundaries when it came to hurting people- especially when it came to hurting Jareth. Or the women he claims to love, she added.
"What is it?" Sarah asked.
"Sarah..." he started with a sigh; the enormity of what she did not know, weighing him down.
"Tell me. Please," she added before Jareth could get angry with her.
The Goblin King slowly stepped towards where Sarah sat, perched on the edge of her bed. If she wasn't so nervous, so scared; then Sarah might've taken notice of the draw of her body to his. But, as it was, Sarah couldn't ignore her fear, and Jareth keeping her in suspense was doing nothing to help her quell it.
"Please?" she asked again.
Jareth paused at the edge of her bed and gestured to the empty space beside her.
"May I?" Jareth asked.
Since when does Jareth ask to do anything? Sarah wondered, but, mutely, she nodded. He sat down at her side, so close that his leg was almost touching hers. But from so close, Sarah could see the dark circles under Jareth's eyes that only added to his gaunt expression.
"Jareth, what the fuck is going on?" she asked finally, when the silence had echoed between them for too long.
He frowned at her use of language, but did not reprimand her. Too bad to even scold me? Sarah thought, realising that what he was to tell her may actually be something that merited panicking.
"You remember that I told you about Tebras picking at the things we love? Using them for his own ends?" Jareth said, his voice sounding slightly strained.
"Seriously, Jareth, you're scaring me-"
"Do you remember?" he interrupted.
Startled, she nodded slowly. How could I forget what he told me happened to the last two women that he loved, Sarah though ruefully.
"The King of the Darklands has... decided that instead of hurting you directly, it would be better to turn you away from me."
"And... and how has he tried to do that?" Sarah asked quietly, when Jareth did not continue.
"He's done something that he plans for you to blame on me-"
"Jareth, please! Just tell me."
He stared at her for a moment, mismatched eyes filled with hesitancy. And he took hold of her hand in a gesture that was meant to be comforting.
"He killed them."
Sarah blanched. Fear flooded into her and she felt her fingers slip from his palm.
"Who? He killed who?" Sarah asked, with what sense she had still.
Jareth sighed and reluctantly finished, "Your father, stepmother..."
"No... Don't be stupid... They're not... He didn't..."
"I'm not lying, Sarah. I wish I was," Jareth said in a quiet voice.
"But- but what about... T-Toby?" she choked, no quite daring to hear Jareth's answer.
The Goblin King lowered his gaze from her, giving her the only reply that he could. Sarah's wide eyed glare was set on Jareth as he averted his eyes, and she slowly felt the tears begin to slide down her cheeks.
"No... no- they're not... They're not de- they're not..." she stuttered.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," Jareth said, placing a hand on top of hers again.
"I... I don't believe you," Sarah whispered, pushing herself to her feet and away from Jareth.
"Why would I lie about this?" he asked calmly as he, too, stood.
"Show me then. Take me Aboveground."
"You know that I can't and won't do that," he answered.
"They're my family. I need to... I need to see. I need to know."
Jareth stared at her sadly. He could see her growing more and more frustrated. He could see her trying to deny the truth in his words. And he could see that she was about to fall apart.
"Sarah, I went there myself to verify what Tebras did. You don't want to see that. I don't want you to see that," Jareth added, taking hold of Sarah's wrists in an attempt to calm her.
But Sarah quickly stilled under his touch as she asked, "You- you went...? You saw...?"
The Goblin King gave her a single nod and watched as renewed tears fell from her bright, broken-hearted, green eyes.
"So... They're really...?" she struggled slowly.
"I am sorry, Sarah," he said again, trying to meet her gaze.
"Because of me," she whispered through uneven and ragged breaths.
"No, love. Not you," Jareth whispered, cupping her face in his hands and moving closer to her.
"It's Tebras. It's what he does."
Sarah stayed silent for some time; crying. She felt as if her heart had been ripped out and dragged across the floor. At least before, with everything she had suffered, Sarah had known that her family were safe. But now... She was almost certain at this point that the only thing keeping her together- keeping her from falling into nothingness- was Jareth's hands on her face.
But the contact between them was something else entirely. Blinking out of her dazed and bleary-eyed stare, Sarah focussed on the face of the fae before her. She saw concern on his features; pain. It was nothing compared to what she felt at that precise moment. Tears of sadness also became those of anger as she continued to look at the Goblin King.
"It might be what Tebras does, but if you didn't 'love' me then Tebras never would have done it. Never."
Jareth stared at her seriously. She was falling into the trap that Tebras had wanted to force them into. She was going to blame him for what the Dark King had done. If he didn't convince her now that this was not his fault, bond or no, he would stand no chance with Sarah.
"This is exactly what he wants, Sarah. He's counting on you blaming me."
"Maybe he's right that I should."
She tried to pull back from him, but Jareth took hold of her arm.
"Let go of me," she ordered harshly.
And when she pulled back again, Jareth had no choice but to honour his vow and let her slip through his fingers. She walked unsteadily over to her bed again and placed a hand on the corner of the footboard, standing with her back toward the Goblin King.
"You kidnapped me. You beat me. You raped me. I almost drowned. A psycho fae King wants me. You put some spell on me to make me think that I want you. And now... My family are gone," she said, anger and pain lining her tone.
Jareth stayed where he was, his eyes glued to the woman's back as she listed the worst things that she possibly could. And he had no defence for some of them.
"Don't try and tell me this isn't your fault; because if you'd never have brought me here, then none of this would have happened."
Sarah paused, as if she expected Jareth to try and object to her statement. But the Goblin King said nothing. Any objection he made, he knew, would only make the situation worse.
"I'm sorry, Sarah," he repeated simply.
It was not the answer that she had expected, but it still wasn't one that made a difference. Her family were dead. The thought made her feel sick; and Sarah felt the tears threaten once more.
"Just go. Leave," she said without turning back to Jareth.
She heard Jareth let out a deep breath before he said, "Sarah, you need-"
"I don't need you. Please leave... Just... just leave."
And reluctantly, Jareth did leave. No sparks floated to the ground as he went; he just left as she'd asked. But even though Sarah was adamant that she did not need him, the Goblin King knew that she needed someone. So when he left, he went to collect those that she would need. Those that he would need so that she would be alright and Tebras' plan would fail.
Eventually, Sarah turned after she heard no sound behind her for some time. She was grateful to see that Jareth had left; she couldn't face seeing him. Not after this. Not after the fact that the consequences of his actions meant that her family were... Sarah couldn't even think the word.
And, now that she was finally alone, what had happened really started to sink in. She slumped down onto her knees, touching the hard, stone floor with her fingertips to steady herself. She almost felt as if none of this was real. None of it was really happening. The cold floor was helping her keep her stability though, and her stability was stopping her from fading out of consciousness.
Sarah could barely see her tears as they hit the floor through her water-filled eyes. Nothing was normal. And even though she had known for a while that she would never see her family again, at least she had known that they were alive and Aboveground.
Not anymore though. Her father would never get to sit down with his morning paper and coffee as he always did. Karen would never get to be irritatingly self-absorbed as she always was. And Toby... Toby would never get to grow up. Toby would never get to graduate school; he'd never get a job; have a girlfriend.
And it's my fault, she thought, letting her sobs wrack her entire body as she curled into a ball on the floor. As much as she blamed this on Jareth; she couldn't totally blame him. This was as much her fault as it was his.
Because if she had never wished Toby away all those years ago, then she never would have met the Goblin King. She would have remained the spoiled brat that she was- but she'd have been a spoiled brat whose family were still alive.
And in that moment, Sarah was quite certain that she didn't care what happened to her anymore. She didn't care what the almost-warring Kings did to her or each other. Frankly, she just didn't care. Because the only things that she did care about, had just been killed because of her. I might as well have done it myself. It's my fault. I'm just as bad as the fae that murdered them, she thought as she gave voice to her pain in a loud and sorrow-filled wail.
Author's Note: Okay pleeeeeeeeeeease don't kill me for taking so long to update. I have been on holiday for two weeks and I got stuck on writing part of this chapter. *More excuses* So, in short, I'm really sorry it took so long. On the bright side, no cliffhanger this time. :) Hope you guys liked it! :)
Kit xx