A.N. Hello all! Sorry to missing an update last week, I was so ill I couldn't even focus on the screen. All better now though, so no worries. This update was just finished about two minutes ago, so I'm sorry if there's any spelling or grammar mistakes. Can't be helped and I'm always forgetting to check my work properly. Hope you enjoy, chio.

The Book.

Sarah looked about the room with a smile growing - a little evilly - over her lips, watching the fae beings who averted their gaze guiltily before catching sight of the one empty seat behind the table. The two women on either side paid it no mind, deliberately looking over it as if they saw nothing.

Kaiden's chair.

She gave Jareth's arm a squeeze, promptly moving forward into the room from the doorway and sitting in their seats. She looked straight ahead, grinning smugly as Alistair winked to her. He gave Jareth a glance, realising the man's slouched position as one of calm as apposed to the last gathering.

For a few seconds, no one spoke which only caused Sarah to grin more. Eventually, Alistair gave a cough and a great show of tugging on his jacket sleeves. She gave Jareth a glance, receiving nothing but a raised eyebrow in return that somehow gave her the urge to laugh out loud. She repressed the laughter, biting her lip and looking around the table instead.

She made eye contact with only one set of eyes, a woman who Sarah could remember vividly from before; just one of the patronizing crowd as she gave her a smirk. The woman - to her credit - didn't turn away straight away, merely keeping her gaze level and blank before turning away once more.

Sarah realised with a start that she was actually enjoying the room's discomfort, feeling as if she was getting a bit of payback.

"Well," Alistair started with liberal humour, causing the room to turn to him. "This is nice." Sarah snorted, covering her mouth with a hand. "How do you feel now, Sarah?" he asked with a tiny frown, ignoring her laugh and grin that was directed to the table.

"A lot better, thank you," she muttered, shaking back her loose hair as she looked upwards again - he carried on smiling, this time his face taking on a bit more professional an air.

"I think it would be best if we got down to the most pressing matter, being the Mutation; I've heard word that it is in fact, dying off as we speak but slowly," he paused, creasing his brow lightly and turning to Sarah. "I understand the power was a mere ring you left here on your last," he grinned, considering his words. "Visit,"

"Yes, he was disguised as a Wise Man," she spat, feeling the guilt wash over her once more. "Kaiden, that is. I ran into him and paid him with the ring when he gave me information, useless information at that,"

"You weren't to know," she heard Alistair murmur, making her glance to the kind and knowing smile as he continued softly. "And this ring, is lost now?"

"As far as I know." A shrug, her voice sounding more questioning than sure.Alistair gave a nod of the head, turning his eyes to the quiet man beside her before speaking.

"The magic has been restored?"Sarah turned just in time to catch his shrug of the shoulders, his voice mimicking her uncertainly.

"As far as I know," he grinned as she frowned, displaying sharp teeth that sent a little thrill down her spine. She turned away sharply, fighting the urge to blush. She was simply spending too much time with him, every little gesture seemed to be aimed at her and - although it thrilled her - it made her edgy.

"Don't be cocky," Alistair muttered, watching the exchange with a knowing grin spreading. He allowed it to drop a little as Jareth glanced to him with a quirked brow, asking for an explanation. "I'm afraid to say there is still no sign of Kaiden, though I suspect he's exiled himself,"

"There is no way to be sure of that though, is there?" Sarah asked sharply, eager to get down to the problem that plagued her thoughts.

"No yet," A shrug from the High King, Sarah still looked edgy. "Don't worry, we have people looking. If he's still here, we'll find him." The room fell into silence, only broken by the silvery whispers from either end of the table as people broke into quiet conversation. They shot glances at Jareth and Sarah, something the latter lapped up as she flicked her hair behind her shoulder and gave them a look of disgust. She heard Jareth scoff beside her, causing her gaze to return to Alistair with a growing smile.

That smile automatically died as she remembered the pressing question she had been dying to ask, growing distracted by the commotion until now.

"What are the fates?" she asked evenly, back straight as Alistair stopped speaking quietly to a man to his left, he seemed to jump a little before turning a question gaze to her. She felt Jareth shift swiftly in his seat, turning to watch her profile as she glanced once his way. She had expected fury, maybe even a little mockery - she wasn't best pleased with the look of fear she found, eyes shooting from her to the group of faes around them.

"Pardon?" Alistair asked quietly, his tone a little unsure.

"What are the fates?"

"Who told you about them?" Jareth whispered by her side, obviously trying to avoid being overheard by the group that seemed to come to life with her question. The room seemed to be holding a collective breath, all of them leaning forward in their chairs as Sarah turned sharply to the man beside her. She was ready to shout, make him give her information until she realised the expression on his face; the anxious muscle that clenched in his jaw, yet the usual anger towards her was absent. His mismatched eyes flicked over her features, quickly resuming their watch to the room. She calmed a little before she too, whispered her icy reply.

"Stop avoiding the question!"

"You two, please," Alistair said a little loudly over the renewed whispers from around the table, this time urgently passed between them. Sarah drew her gaze away from Jareth's; something in his eyes made her feel guilty, as if she had spoken out of line or given something away… Still, the anger was nowhere to be found, it thrilled her and shocked her in equal measure. "The fates, my dear, are written paths that our world must walk," A frown shared between Sarah and Alistair before he continued. "That's not very helpful, is it?" A pause. "Let me try to explain, think of a story; a beginning, middle and end that must be met with. Every so often, the fates give us guidance through our wiser people of the years, it is unavoidable all the same. Though it helps to know what," A cheeky grin, directed her way with a wave of the hand. "Or whom to expect,"Sarah felt the burn of a blush beginning, dying before it became visible. She turned to Jareth, finally gaining his attention from surveying the room uneasily, raising one sweeping brow before she spoke quietly.

"So, the fates were what told you to give me power?"

A shrug. "Not exactly, the Labyrinth had it's own say in that matter," Sarah smiled, trying to lighten the mood but receiving nothing more than a tight lipped and very brief smile in return. "Though the fates, in turn, gave the order to the Labyrinth,"

"So, what was the order?" she asked, immediately regretting it as the table took on an uneasy hush - hanging on every word as she watched the man before her. He kept breaking eye contact, flicking his gaze around the room before back to her.

"A girl would wish away her brother," he said quietly. Vaguely - somewhere in the back of her head - Sarah caught the plea to be quiet from the man before her, yet she couldn't resist the last question that flew from her mouth without engaging her brain.

"That's it?" she turned to ask Alistair, hearing Jareth groan lowly from her side.

"No, no," A wave of the hand, sharing a knowing glance with Jareth. "She would complete the Labyrinth - something my boy laughed at, at the time - and save her brother, though she wouldn't leave."A pause, followed swiftly by a frown as she watched the older man.

"What, why?"

"Sarah, I'm sorry but we cannot go into depth here," A meaningful glance around the table. "As you can see, the story has only been guessed upon for quite some time," The whispers suddenly died, all of the board finding something extremely interesting either in their laps, on the walls or over their shoulders. Alistair gave a quiet cough, the air suddenly feeling uncomfortable as Jareth shifted restlessly by her side. "Now, I must ask you cooperation with a little test, Sarah,"

"Test?"

"Just on your health, are you willing?"A nod.

"Of course."

"And you Jareth," he added as an afterthought, already glancing at the brief notes he had before him. Looking up once as Jareth scoffed, he gave his son a questioning and somewhat tired expression.

"I do not need a medical, I'm perfectly-"

"And you, Jareth," Alistair interrupted, quietly commanding the room for a moment until Jareth gave in reluctantly with a swift nod. "You must keep out of the Labyrinth for now, it is unsafe when you are bound so tightly to the structure," He turned swift eyes to Sarah, giving her the same stern look as his son. "That goes for you too, Sarah."She merely nodded, glancing to Jareth as she asked her last question.

"When can I go home?" The room fell silent, causing her to glance once again to the man by her side. He wouldn't meet her gaze, instead gazing forward no matter how long she watched him. After a moment, Alistair shifted in his seat and gained her attention once more.

"Truthfully?" A pause. "I'm not sure, I would like to say soon, but that is merely a guess," he said and continuously glanced to his son, Sarah resisting the urge to follow his gaze but only just. Suddenly, she wanted to get out of the room with it's watching eyes that seemed to study her every word. She was quite sure the emotion was coming from Jareth, though how she wasn't sure. The unease seemed to be radiating from him now, laying heavy in the air as Alistair spoke. "When you are returned, you will return barely a few hours after you left."

She nodded stiffly, glad that the meeting seemed to be coming to an end.

She sat silently within a massive library, reading the book before her without taking in a single word. She glanced out of the window once more, catching sight of the evening sun as her only way to discern the hour. She knew one thing, she had been waiting for Jareth to show now for nearly two hours. After the meeting, he had left her with Alexis to deal with something that he had not deemed to fill her in on.

She had been lead to the library, going without a fuss as her mind reeled back to the board before. All of them studying the pair openly, whispers instead of mockery and giggles. How she had enjoyed it, for about five minutes before the feeling of speaking out of line had washed over her.

Something was wrong, she knew that much.

She glanced back to her book once more; consoling herself with the thought that soon enough she would be home again with only a few hours passed. It didn't seem possible - mostly because it wasn't - yet she didn't feel a shred of doubt to Alistair's claim.

The door creaked open behind her, heeled boots beating against the stone floor as Jareth strode over to the fireplace and sat himself within the circle of chairs. She carried on watching her book - forgetting to read the words that she looked at and instead watching Jareth from her peripheral vision. He watched the fire quietly, slumped heavily within the stuffed chair with his legs splayed carelessly before him.

She lowered her book slowly, levelling her gaze with his as he immediately turned to face her. She expected anger, not the blank expression she received in return - though, with Jareth that could be just as dangerous.

"You're angry with me," It wasn't a question, even though Sarah wasn't sure if it was true or not. He merely shook his head evenly, turning back to the fire.

"No." he muttered, his voice sounding more tired that stubborn.

"You are,"

"It's not anger," he sighed, speaking to the flames with glazed over eyes. She could feel his anger; bubbling under the surface and just asking - pleading for her to shut up.

"Well, what is it then?" she asked, regretting it a moment later as she caught sight of his grip on the arm rests tightening a little.

"Why can't you just leave things as they are?" he seethed, voice barely above a whisper as he finally turned to her. "Why is it so important to know exactly every aspect of your stay? Can't you just accept the concept, that the Labyrinth needed you?"

"I was merely curious to the whys," A shrug, something that seemed to anger him even more as he sat straight and turned his attention fully towards her. "You know, most people - in your position - would just accept it and be glad to emerge alive," he grinned, the expression on his face showing the barest hint of anger through his smile. "Not you, of course, not you Sarah," Sarah blushed, watching his gaze flick across her body briefly. With a start, she realised his tone had gone icy once more. "You're going home soon, what difference would this information make?"

"What information?"

"The fates!" Jareth raised his voice - the first time during the whole conversation - as she felt a flood of anger wash over her. It wasn't her anger though, she was sure of that somehow.

"I just wanted to know, Jareth!" she tried to shout back, failing a little as her throat tightened - half with fear. She crossed her arms tightly, trying to look calm as she studied him. "Why are you getting so defensive about this?" she fumed, waiting as he slouched a little before standing.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, already moving towards the doorway as Sarah took a few steps forward. She didn't realise she was blocking the door until she was, arms crossed and face set into a scowl that belied the fear earlier. A moments silence passed, enough time for Jareth to sigh heavily and his head to loll back on his neck. "I think I'll retire early," he said to the ceiling, voice strange against his taut neck.

"No you don't," she commanded, giving his shoulder a shove and effectively turning him a little back to the seating area. He walked slowly back, standing petulantly just by a chair as Sarah pointed sternly to the cushion. "Sit down," For a second, he merely stared at her harshly. That was until Sarah showed no signs of giving in, giving a sigh again as he sat. "I want you to tell me the whole of it," A pause. "And don't tell me I know all I need to because I know you're lying," Jareth merely nodded, looking off into the distance with a far away look in his eyes, listening yet not paying attention. "Why was I not supposed to leave?"

"We don't know, the fates just said that you would stay."

A beat. "You're lying,"

"And if I am?" he tilted his head back a little to grin up at her, a childlike pride written all over his face as Sarah allowed him the moment of victory. She shrugged once, walking to stand in front of him a few feet back.

"Then I'll ask Alistair."She smiled, catching the dry chuckle from Jareth as she did so - he shook his head to her, sending his hair flying before rubbing at his chin with a gloved hand.

"You were destined to take the Goblin throne," A shrug of his own. She gaped for a moment, watching Jareth's growing amusement yet discomfort as the subject wore on. He was silently laughing at her now, yet the look in his eyes - and the odd sensation in her gut - told her that he really didn't want to continue with the conversation.

Sarah tried to digest the information, such a short sentence yet it had left her floored. She was meant to be the next goblin king? That was impossible, it had to be. "What, replacing you?!"

"No, alongside me," he refused to meet her eye contact, instead staring off to the side. With the silence growing, he flipped his head to face her once more. The usual drawl in his voice was back, along with the hateful expression that she recognised from her last visit. "But you were young, you refused and Kaiden took his chance to entwine himself with the mishap,"

"How?"

"Well, the fates had never been wrong before and with your leaving," he gave a moments pause, raising one shoulder. "There seemed to be a magical charge, everything when chaotic for a short period. By the time it had all calmed down, I didn't find anything peculiar in the dying areas of the Labyrinth until it was too late."

Sarah wasn't listening; she tried, just like she tried with her classes, when the lecturer was talking about 1918 - when something interesting happened, yet Sarah never knew what that thing was because she was playing hangman with Rhiannon in the back on her folder. Her mind seemed to slide off of his voice, back to her own musings.

So the whole point of her visit; wishing away Toby, rivalling the great Goblin King… It was to gain a seat upon the throne, already planned out and seen before it had even happened. Somewhere along the way it had gone wrong, but at the age of 15 - Sarah was supposed to become the Goblin Queen.

But… Now that the fates had changed, hadn't gone to plan, another path had been created? Her life aboveground had carried on, she hadn't took on a grand title in a magical world. She could be normal. Sarah ignored the stab of anger that curled within her, this time her own."So, what you said, that was true." she nearly growled, realising a moment too late that her mood had plummeted downwards. With a steadying breath, she calmed herself and tried to keep her expression blank as Jareth carried on watching her. His face showed some form of emotion, one she couldn't even begin to understand before he too blanked his features.

"Yes," A brisk nod. He sat up straighter, clearing his throat in the silence without meeting her eyes. The air felt suffocating, almost heavy as they both stared silently before themselves. "Have you got your answers?" he asked quietly, gesturing towards the exit.

"One more yet," she spoke quickly, watching Jareth's features darken a notch. "The book, it said," A pause, in which Sarah barely stopped herself from staring at her own shoes. "I mean, at the start -"

"I know what it says," he snapped, both of them avoiding the other's eyes. Sarah suddenly had the urge to shut up, feeling her insides cringe with the realisation that she wouldn't - couldn't.

"So, it's true?" A moments silence, followed by Jareth jumping up in his chair and taking two long strides towards the door. He only half turned to her, allowing her a view of his profile as his voice sounded strained. His jaw hardly moved, teeth gritted against his anger.

"Why do you care? It's the past!"

"Is it?" she asked before her brain had a chance to scream at her.

"Sarah, I have been nothing but courteous to you and yet you still continue to push," his voice sounded dangerous; a tone that told her if she carried on, very shortly she'd find herself dangling carelessly over the Bog.

The thing with Sarah Williams was, she never knew when to stop.

"I want to know!" Resisting the urge to stamp her foot, coming around to stand between Jareth and the door in a show of defiance. "Oh really?" A quiet voice, a voice that scared her more than a scream.

"You want to know, which part?"He spoke in a dangerous tone, slightly taunting but with an underlying anger. A step towards her, closing the gap. She suddenly regretted her bold move of blocking the escape. He closed the gap to less than a foot, leaning over her with his hands pressed either side of her head. "The part about a fae King, watching a mere mortal child as she grew up, wishing away her brother and bringing new life to the Labyrinth? Or the part about his defeat, something that had never happened before, and yet he carried on watching the little mortal?" A bitter laugh, Sarah's eyes fluttering with the breath against her forehead. She jumped visibly as he lowered his head, his eyes boring into hers from mere inches away. Most of his weigh resting on his hands, body leaning in to hers as she couldn't find time to panic. "Watching as she grew up and tried to forget the few short hours she spent with the King. Better yet," An inch closer, voice still angry but at a low growl. He moved his mouth to her ear, nose brushing her hair as she fought the urge to shiver. She failed, but he didn't seem to realise. "What about the part where the Labyrinth screamed out for the girl, pleaded with the King to just give in and fetch her from the Aboveground, how the King refused because. It. Hurts?" The last few words, ground out between his teeth as the room felt oddly silent. His little speech kept them both quiet, neither moving from their close positions.

It hurts. Sarah finally found her brain as it switched back to life, pouring nonsense at her for a few seconds until two words registered in her mind. It hurts, it still pained him.

"I," she whispered, hands spread against the cold wall behind her as she breathed in a familiar scent. Jareth's scent of magic, thunder and lightning. He gave a dry laugh, voice turning taunting to her silence.

"It all sounds so wonderful when you watch from a safe distance, doesn't it, Sarah?" Somehow, he moved his mouth even closer to her ear; ever word spoken sending her senses into overdrive. Yet his tone never changed, his voice carried the harsh taunting tones of before. "When the tale is merely a King and a girl, like some pathetic little story in ink,"

"I didn't know," she muttered, feeling pathetic and slightly light headed.

"Of course you didn't," Finally he moved back, pushing away from her so suddenly she felt the loss of heat like a physical blow. When she finally looked to his features, he was studying her with his head cocked to one side. "Mortals are quite known for their stupidity,"

"How could I of know?!" she nearly screeched, feeling desperately embarrassed.

"The book!" he shouted back, somehow keeping his calm and cruel demeanour. "I gave you that blasted book, I made it obvious! And yet, you still didn't get it!" A shake of the head, stopping suddenly as he considered something. "Or maybe you did, maybe I was a means to an end,"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't want your brother, I'm the Goblin King; I take unwanted children, in case you had forgotten,"

"It wasn't like that," Her voice shook uncontrollably, hands balled into fists by her side as the muscles in her jaw ached. Her throat felt raw, not through shouting but from fighting the sudden urge to cry. "You know it wasn't,"

"Doesn't make it any better though, does it?"

Her eyesight was starting to blur, the first signs of tears threatening to spill as she bowed her head from view. In his current mood, tears might have been seen as a victory on his part. "Jareth, I didn't know!"

"But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with her, and given her certain powers." A moments fake thought, voice sarcastic and falsely cheery. "Sounds all to clear to me,"

"It was a story!"

"I wrote it!" Another shout, sounding more desperate than before as she carried on watching the floor. "I left it for your mother, I planned it all!" She looked up sharply at the mention of her mother, a woman who had indeed given her the book after years of reading it to her before bed. She had apparently had it since her youth, locked away in her attic with the rest of her stuff from her old room. "For nothing," he said softly, steering her out of the way with two hands upon her shoulders. She didn't put up a fight, merely standing aside as the information flooded her mind. "Sarah, it's been quite a day, we'll speak in the morning." He did sound extremely tired, almost a whisper as he walked quickly from the room.

For a second, Sarah did nothing; merely watching the wall with a steady - if watery - gaze, realising she was going to follow only as she caught sight of his retreating back a few metres away. With her footfalls behind him, she saw his shoulder slouch. She walked beside him, watching his expression as he merely tilted his eyes a little towards her.

"What about now?" she asked boldly, betraying no surprise as he suddenly halted. She stopped at the exact same moment, both of them silent until Jareth finally straightened his posture and turned to her with forced calm.

"Pardon?" Sarah resisted the urge to grin at his obvious stalling, trying to find thinking time as she pressed on without mercy.

"What do you feel now?" Said slowly, a slight patronizing tone hidden under liberal humour. He didn't seem to realise as his eyes darted up and down the corridor, looking for an escape whilst allowing himself thinking time.

"Sarah, I'm tired and -"

"Do you feel the same way now?" she interrupted, smiling in a hope that she would receive some kind of answer. She didn't, instead receiving a moments silence before Jareth sighed and vanished in a shower of glitter. "Jerk." she muttered to herself, spitting purple glitter from her mouth and brushing at least a pounds worth from her clothes.