Disclaimer: Once again I don't own the labyrinth or any of its characters. I only own Niallan, Hallye, Vortigern, and Cinnia. If ya don't know who the last 2 are this is their début chapter.

Chapter 14 Preparing

Jareth paced his study, Niallan was gone and he was absolutely furious. Niallan had some how blocked his view of the boy so there was no way to tell if he actually had done what he was supposed to do. Jareth tried to calm down but nothing helped; he just wanted Niallan to be back so it would be over and done with. Oh how he wished he didn't have these damn restrictions sometimes, being the Goblin King wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Jareth decided to take a walk around the castle to maybe try and clear his head.

He left his study and walked down a few of the twisted corridors and saw the filth and trash of the goblins. Even if he hated to admit it maybe Niallan was right, maybe he should clean up some. How long had it been since the place got cleaned anyway, he shuddered to think about that. Bottom line, the place was a wreck and if Sarah was soon to be living here it did need to look better. Jareth called the more intelligent of his maids and ordered the small creatures to clean the entire place top to bottom and if it wasn't done by sunset they would all be taking a nice long bath in the bog. The end of that sentence hadn't even come out of his mouth when they all ran to get the job done. They knew that the bog was never an empty threat and none of them wanted to be within 5 miles of the thing. Jareth smiled at seeing the maids so willing to do their job.

He continued down the many twist and turns of his home over to where his bedroom was. His room was the only one on the hall and his door had many spells keeping unwanted people out, like one particular little brother. He waved his hand over the air in front of the wall beside his room and another door appeared. A door much like that of his own only with softer features but made of the same dark wood. The door knob was silver and decorated with elegant vines and roses on it. Jareth open his hand and a small delicate key lay in his palm that resembled the door knob with its beautiful design. He took the key and unlocked the door to reveal the beauty that lay on the other side. Jareth was most pleased with himself on his accomplishment of the room; it was perfect for any Princess or a Queen for that matter. He walked into the room, over to the chifforobe. Opening the doors and seeing it bare, he waved his hands over it. Instantly the chifforobe became filled with gowns for every occasion imaginable, nightgowns galore, and enough shoes to put any other woman's closet to shame. He walked over to the vanity and again with a wave of his hand it was filled with perfumes, makeup, and other trinkets a girl needs. He looked around the room and saw two other doors besides the one that opened into the hallway. The one near the vanity led to an extremely luxurious bathroom. The other, of course led to his room. He checked to make sure the conjoining door was unlocked and then exited the room locking the door behind him.

By the time he made it back to his study the maids had already cleaned it and Niallan was awaiting him.

"What took you so long? I thought you had forgotten the way to your own study." He chuckled.

"I was taking care of a few things for Sarah's arrival. The question is what took you so long to get back? It doesn't take that long to give the boy the gift and tell him what to do." Jareth said as he took a seat at his desk.

"So you took my advice on cleaning up this goblin sty?" Niallan smiled. "You do know I have some good ideas every now and then, and as for the boy it has all been taken care of. Truthfully, I don't see why Sarah's with him anyway. She apparently has a great love of theater, make believe, and fairytales. He, on the other hand hates the theater, and a rock has more imagination than he does. He even had the nerve to call me a "what was it"? Oh, yes a freak from the drama club. I mean how dare him; I think I'm beginning to hate the boy almost as much as you."

"Well at least you can see why I hate the boy." Jareth said.

"I thought you only hated him because he's Sarah's boyfriend."

"I hate him for a lot more than just that. I hate him for touching her, for being near her. I want to gouge his eyes out every time he looks at her!" Jareth roared.

"Calm down already. Soon he will be out of your hair and Sarah's life for good." Niallan said trying to sooth his brother's temper.

Jareth and Niallan began to discuss the next course of action for Sarah. Jareth told Niallan of what he was planning on doing to Sarah today.

"Oh, I can't wait to see her reaction when she finds the dress, it will be priceless!" Jareth laughed.

"But how do you know she will find it?"

"Simple, the dress has an attraction spell on it. She might not want the dress but the spell will bring her to it. I doubt that she will get it but if she did it would be all the sweeter." He smiled evilly.

Niallan chuckled. "You now she won't, after the ball she would rather burn the thing than see it again."

"True, very true all I want her to do is just see it anyway, nothing more, noth--" Without warning the doors of the study were thrown open.

Jareth stood up in a rage and sent his chair flying across the room. "And just what do you think you're doing by disturbing me with out permission while I am in a very important meeting?" He said in a voice that made the room shake.

"Why I never!" A woman with platinum blonde curly hair said. "Vortigern, did you know we had to have permission to visit our eldest son? Dare I say I think you're trying to break your own mother's heart, Jareth?"

Niallan immediately stood up seeing who the visitors were. "Mother, I didn't know you were coming!" He said quickly.

"And you Niallan! You moved out on such a spur of the moment like that. What was I to think? You didn't even come and tell me good-bye. Apparently both of my sons want me in an early grave!" She said as she held her hands over her heart for a dramatic effect.

"Jareth, Niallan, we taught you to treat others better than screaming at them when they walk in the door and nearly giving your mother a heart attack." Vortigern scolded. "You'd think we were one of your goblins or elves the way you hoop and holler."

"Father forgive me, I didn't expect you to be gracing me with your presents." He said sarcastically. "And mother you good and well know that we don't want you anywhere near the grave and your far too young for that anyway." Jareth walked over to his mother and led her over to one of the over stuffed couches. "Please relax." He said with a smile.

"My dear son, you know flattery will get you no where when it comes to me." She smiled sweetly.

"Oh, but it never hurts to try." Jareth said.

"So Mother, Father, what brings you to the Goblin Kingdom?" Niallan asked.

Cinnia sighed. "Do you boys ever listen? I've already told you I wanted to visit my children, seeing as my eldest is being his usual holier than thou self and won't even drop a letter. Then my dear Niallan ups and moves out and all I gets is a letter saying, 'Send my things to the Castle beyond the Goblin City'."

"My love, our boys are grown men, you must remember they do have lives of their own." Vortigern said as he rubbed his thumb over his wife's small hand.

"Oh, yes and that means their just supposed to forget about their dear old mother! I see how it is!" Tears began to glisten in her eyes. "Also you two must also be planning on letting me die with no grandchildren! Is that to much for a mother to ask, for her sons to spend a little time with their own mother, and produce a few grandchildren? I don't think so!" A few small tear began to run down her fair cheeks. She picked up her handkerchief and dabbed at her clear blue eyes.

Jareth and Niallan were at her side. "Mother, I'm far too busy to find a Fae bride right now, this kingdom is a handful in itself. None of these self absorbed, stuck up women have any appeal to me anyway." Jareth said.

"And mother I'm just in no hurry to settle down any time soon." Niallan said.

"If you're trying to comfort your poor old mother then you're doing a terrible job at it." She said.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Mother, you are by no means old. By mortal standards you look younger than I do."

"And by mortal standards how old do you say you look?" she asked.

"Oh, Jareth looks round in the thirties or forties, you easily are early twenties." Niallan smiled and kissed his mothers hand.

"Forties? Are you calling me old?" Jareth stood up.

"No all I'm saying is some of us age faster than others." Niallan said.

"Why you!" he hollered.

"STOP!" Cinnia yelled. "Please for once can you two just be civil?"

"Mother, you're asking of the impossible." Jareth said still glaring at Niallan.

Once again tears began to fill up her eyes. "Oh, by gods where did I go wrong in raising you two?"

Vortigern sat beside his wife and inwardly chuckled. His wife sure did have a way with putting the guilt trip on their sons.

"Mother you did nothing wrong this is just how Jareth and I are. We live to torture each other, I guess you could say it's is how we show our love for each other. If we didn't do it you know there is something direly wrong."

"For once," Jareth cringed. "I do agree with him."

Niallan turned to their father. "So Father, how long do you and Mother intend on staying?"

"We're hardly in the door and you already want us to leave! Vortigern, do you see what I'm talking about?"

"No, no mother I was only wondering." Niallan said.

"Yes, Mother, Father, you are very much welcome to stay as long as you please." Jareth smiled. "Please excuse me while I tell the maids to prepare your room." With that Jareth left the study and quickly ducked into a near by door. A crystal appeared in his hand and he gazed into it.

He smiled. "My dear, it has been far too long since I've checked in on you." The image in the crystal was one of Sarah holding the ball gown looking in the mirror. "Oh, how I long to see you in something similar to that or maybe nothing at all." He saw the look on her face when she saw the image of him disappear from the mirror she was looking at, and he heard her whisper "Damn you." No one else had heard it but of course he did and it made his smile even wider. Jareth was disappointed that he only got to watch a small amount of her day but he would have to make a point tomorrow to go back and watch the entire day.

He made the crystal disappear and then ordered one of the maids to prepare a room for his parents. He left the empty corridor and retreated to his room. He lay on the bed and just enjoyed the peace and quite. He just didn't understand why parents had such bad timing and never gave a moments notice. Right when he's in the middle of planning his revenge his mother comes along and nags him about making her a grandmother. Why she wants to be a grandmother so bad anyway was beyond him. Jareth knew it would only be a short matter of time before Sarah was where she rightfully belonged and that would also solve another problem. Although he didn't know how his parents would take to Sarah's being a mortal. He didn't lie when he told his mother he was too busy to find a Fae bride because he was in the middle of getting Sarah. It was also true that no Fae woman appealed to him, it was a raven haired mortal that did. He couldn't wait for the time that she would be in his castle, under his rule, but he had to be patient. Jareth felt at peace just laying on his bed no one to disturb him, but peace would never last long for the Goblin king because soon someone began to knock on his door.

"AH who is it!" He demanded.

"JARETH is that anyway to speak to your mother!" Cinnia yelled through the door.

Jareth opened the door and smiled at his mother. "I'm sorry mother but it's usually a goblin coming to disturb me, it's just a habit."

"A very bad one. Now are you not going to spend some time with me? I haven't traveled all this way just to be left to my own vices."

"Of course not mother." Jareth said.

"Oh, Jareth do you mind telling me where this door leads." She pointed to the only other door in the hallway. "I can't remember it being here last time I visited."

"Oh, um well it's for a special guest I plan on having very soon. They will require a special room that I had to make." Jareth said. It wasn't a lie he did have to make a special room for Sarah but hell if he would tell his mother that.

"Ah would you mind me taking a look in it?" Before Jareth could even answer she already was turning the knob, only to find it locked.

"See it's a very special room that no one may enter until the guest arrives." He smiled.

"And how long will it be till they are here?" She raised an eyebrow knowing her son was up to no good.

"Well it should be just after All Hallows Eve. They seem to have a few things going on and won't be able to join me till after the holiday."

"Oh, well that's only ten days so you won't have to wait long." Cinnia smiled. "Now how about we see about dinner? I'm absolutely famished!"

"Yes, I'm sure Niallan and Father are too." Jareth led his mother to the dinning room.

Jareth and Niallan suffered the entire way through dinner. At every turn in the conversation Cinnia kept bringing up the subject of marriage and grandchildren. That woman never gives up! He had no clue how long his parents we going to stay, but he knew that they planned to introduce him and Niallan to a few High titled Fae women. When dinner was finally over Jareth and Niallan bid a goodnight to their parents and Jareth told them that they had a few more things to do then they would be off to bed themselves.

Jareth and Niallan went down one corridor while Cinnia and Vortigern went down another one in the opposite direction.

"Vortigern?"

"Yes, darling?" he looked at his wife.

"Did you happen to notice that Jareth placed us on the complete opposite side of the castle?"

"Yes, I did, he wants us very far away from his study I think." Vortigern said.

"No, not his study he has a new room on his corridor." She firmly stated.

"Oh, does he now?" he said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes, he said it is for a guest that will be coming to stay after All Hallows Eve." Cinnia said.

"Did he happen to mention who the guest is?"

"He had the door locked and when I asked him where it leads he just said it was a very special guest."

"Our son is up to something, and it's not a good something either." Vortigern said.

"I know, I think he's having a woman come. By the way the door looked it was very feminine."

"Well no wonder he's keeping it a secret then." Vortigern smiled.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Cinnia placed her hands on her hips.

"Only the way you nag him about getting married I don't blame him for keeping it a secret."

"You know you want them to get married just a bad as I do!" She said.

"Still if he doesn't want to tell us then there is nothing we can do about the matter."

"That's what you think." She stopped in front of the door to their room.

"My dear, what are you planning?" he questioned.

"It's not what I am planning it's what I'm going to do." She smiled.

"Well then what are you going to do?"

"You'll see, I'll be back in just a bit darling. I'm going to take a walk." She kissed him on the cheek.

"If you say so, just don't let Jareth catch you." He said as she walked away.

On the opposite side of the castle in the study Jareth and Niallan were having a discussion.

"Have you checked on Sarah today?" Niallan asked.

"Yes, just a bit after mother and father arrived."

"Well what happened? Did she find the dress?"

"Yes she did, she damned me when she saw it. I'm very pleased with her reaction." Jareth smiled.

"I bet you are. So it seems things are falling into place." Niallan leaned back in the chair.

"Yes, she wants to go to the dance more than anything. Her dresses are ready and the gift is in place, right?" He asked Niallan.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! The boy has the damn thing already and he will give it to her. My hold on his mind is too strong for a mortal to break."

"Good, oh did I tell you mother found Sarah's room today?" He stood in front of the massive fireplace.

"Well she doesn't know it's Sarah's room, now does she?"

"Do you actually think I would tell mother something like that? If she knew we were doing! Well I don't even want to think about that." Jareth yelled.

Unbeknownst to them someone was standing just out side the door during the entire conversation.

"Don't yell! What if they hear you?" Niallan said.

"Why do you think I put them on the other side of the castle? I don't want them anywhere near this room or Sarah's." Jareth said.

"Well have you checked on her again tonight?" Niallan asked.

"No, but by this time she's most likely asleep." A crystal appeared in his hand with an image of Sarah in her bed waking up with something beside her bed.

"Seems you wrong she's getting up."

"Oh, shut up Niallan! What's that beside her?"

They watched as Sarah found Toby standing beside her bed crying.

"So that's her little brother?" Niallan said.

"Yes, that's little Jarethkin, the one she wished away." Jareth said with a sad voice.

"Jarethkin?" He said looking to Jareth with eyebrows raised in question.

"He has my eyes! If she lost I planned on adopting the dear boy and him being the Goblin Prince. I think he looks just like me and I wasn't going to let him be called Toby, there's nothing kingly about it!"

Niallan shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Only you."

"Only me what?" Jareth glared at Niallan.

"Only you would think that. Sometimes I believe you've gone insane from living with all these goblins."

"Sorry, but insane just comes with the job description." He smirked.

"Jareth?"

"What! You know I'm trying to watch Sarah here!"

"What did you do to the boy?" Niallan asked.

"I didn't do anything to the boy, why would I?" Jareth said.

"He seems to be a bit mature for a three year old. So you had to do something."

"Ah the magic of the labyrinth did that. It's also why he does have my eyes; the boy and I are connected. I think he grows more and more like me every day." Jareth said with a smile and Niallan rolled his eyes.

They turned their attention back to the crystal.

"Did you send him the nightmare Jareth?" Niallan asked.

"That is something I didn't do. He had the dream on his own accord."

"Are you sure that's not another trick for Sarah?"

"I would never send a nightmare to the boy, especially one that would tell him what I'm going to do with Sarah! What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"I wouldn't put it past you." Niallan said.

"I wouldn't do that to him, maybe to Sarah, but not him and that's the end of this discussion!" The crystal disappeared "I shall see you in the morning brother." He said as he opened the door and left. He swore he heard something just out side the study but nothing was there.

Niallan soon left and headed to his own room for the night.

Authors note: Hugs the computer OH my goodness finally I get to post!!!! I'm sorry it took me so long my dear readers but I was well sorta grounded from the computer and my wonderful mother dearest CHANGED THE EVER LOVIN PASSWORD I mean is she trying to KILL ME!!!!!! Ah I wasn't able to write any and do yall know how fast I've gone through books lately!?! tear in eye I missed my computer. Ok sorry bout the rant.

So what do you think of the parents?

Ok well I really hope yall like chapter 14 haha remember that were getting close to the grand Jareth and Sarah chapter I'm so excited!!!!! Again I'm sorry It took me so long to update I'm already working on the next chapters, 15 will be posted soon I promise.

So please review please, please, please review tell me what ya think. Thanks to my wonderful editor LDeetz and to maskedpainter love ya girl and thanks to ya'll that reviewed last chapter I will post soon.

Oh and before I forget I added a character page to my homepage so if ya'll all go to my profile click the homepage then look for a list of pages on the site and click the one that's called The Key I've got all sorts of little Icons and pics on there too enjoy and feel free to leave a comment on the page

Yes and if yall are wondering why Jareth called Toby Jarethkin it's because that's what he called him in the book and I thinks it' funny lol.

Remember to review please

Love ya

Hallye