Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Henson Co. or the Labyrinth

Chapter 21

There's no reason for it

You've gotta go sometime

Lochlan materialized in front of the runner.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Move out of my way," the fae huffed as he moved around Lochlan as the leaden feeling in his legs intensified. "I have to- I have to… keep… going." He dropped to the ground no more than ten feet away from the Unseelie King.

"No need to be so dramatic," Lochlan said, rolling his eyes. He turned his full attention to the fae whose prone body remained unmoved from the ground, his breathing shallow. Lochlan cocked his head to the side as he considered this odd occurrence. "What is all this about?" he wondered aloud as he approached the figure. Lochlan kicked the fae's shoulder, allowing him to roll on his back.

Lochlan inhaled in surprise as he saw the fae in front of him. "What in the bloody hell happened to you?"

Odhran, Odhran, Odhran… Sarah's mind raced as she motioned for Jareth to sit back down. Her eyes widen when she finally recognized the fae.

"Brennus. Eghan," Sarah stated evenly as she sat in her seat. "I apologize that this lovely meal you had planned must be cut short, but I need a moment alone with my commander and his, uh, guest."

"Very much understandable," Brennus said as he and Eghan stood up and walked toward the door, more than willing to not be in the way. "I'll ensure everyone knows to stay away from this area of the castle in order to maintain your privacy."

Brennus and Eghan quickly left the room, leaving the four of them alone in the dining hall.

Garrison snatched Odhran by his collar, pushing him to the side to make way for the Acting Troll King.

"Ow!" Odhran yelled in protested. Garrison gave him a shove in his shoulder in response.

"Been living like an animal for so long that you've forgotten to make way for those above you station," Garrison hissed.

"Saying I lived like an animal is a bit harsh," Odhran replied, defending himself. "I'll have you know that I bathed every day."

"Enough of this petty bullshit," Sarah growled, quieting them both and earning an amused smirked from Jareth. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table as she glared at them. "Something obviously went wrong. What happened here? Where's Brexton?"

Odhran looked down at the floor as he exhaled deeply before turning his attention to the Seelie Queen. "May I sit down?"

"No," Jareth hastily answered as he leaned back in his chair. "Either you tell us your story, or we can have someone escort you to a jail."

"Fair enough," Odhran shrugged. "Where to start?"

"I heard the beginning is always a good place to start," Sarah responded.

"Where did you come from?" Lochlan questioned as he knelt near the prone body.

"I-I ran. C-C-Can't use m-m-magic," he answered as his eyes rolled back in his head before staring straight at the sky. His head lulled to the side, and that's when Lochlan noticed something peculiar slowly crawling up his neck.

Lochlan slapped the ailing fae in the face. "Don't die on me yet," he demanded.

The fae released a volley of wet coughs before turning into heavy wheezy.

"Those marks- I know those marks," Lochlan mused. "Are you able to tell me your name?"

"B-Brexton," he answered before taking a large gulp. "R-R-Royal G-G-Guard for H-Her Majesty the Qu-Queen."

"Even in the amount of pain that you're in, you still have to be proper," Lochlan noted. "I would take you to my healer, but he'll probably be more entertained by your pain than help you. I suppose that means I have to go out of my way to help you."

Brexton said nothing as the wheezing in his breath began to intensify.

"Well, damn," Lochlan muttered.

"Yesterday, or maybe it was two days ago," Odhran said as he rubbed his brows with his hand. "It's easy to lose track of time out of there. Nevertheless, Sawyer became suspicious that he had a traitor within the group. Although, it's unfair to call him suspicious since he was right. It would be wrong to consider him crazy regarding that…"

"Enough with the psychoanalysis," Garrison interjected. "What happened?"

"I'm certain Sawyer didn't figure us out ahead of time," Odhran pondered as he exhaled deeply. "I believe Sawyer was simply lucky. Roux started with Brexton and ended with him as well. As a means of garnering a confession, Sawyer cut the poor fae all over his body and poured some of that poison mixed with iron into his wounds. I remember thinking Roux was a genius for inventing that concoction."

A muscle in Jareth's jaw jumped as he remembered seeing that effects of that substance harmful effect on his brother and the scars he will always carry with him.

"Is he still alive?" Sarah asked with worry in her voice.

"Maybe," Odhran replied as a frown marred his face. "I'm not quite sure where he is?"

"What do you mean by that?" she countered, finding little use of Odhran's obfuscations. "How do you now know?"

"Sawyer didn't know he was the mole; he just started with Brexton because he was the youngest," Odrhan explained, continuing his story. "Even if Brexton didn't tell us he was new to the Palace Guard, any one of us could sniff a newbie out immediately. Sawyer thought that Brexton was weak- that if he knew something that he would tell."

"After all that, he still said nothing?" Jareth said in disbelief.

"No, but I did," Odhran admitted. He could tell that Garrison was about to say something. Before anyone could cut him off, Odhran continued, "He's a bloody kid, Garrison. I didn't know if he could be cured, but I just wanted his pain to stop, for his screaming to stop. He wasn't going to admit to anything; so, I did. But that made Sawyer and everyone else to be furious with him and me. By the way, I'm going to need to get this fixed."

Odhran lifted up his right trouser that previously covered his leg to reveal severe burns along his limb that exposed his muscles and bones. The exposed white bone sat in extreme contrast to the frayed and tattered muscles.

"Shit!" Jareth hissed.

"Sit down immediately!" Sarah ordered. "How have been standing this entire time?"

Garrison quickly grabbed a chair from the dining table for Odhran.

"Through sheer will and my burdensome guilt," Odhran answered. "Also, I was ordered to keep standing."

"Send for a healer," Sarah ordered Garrison. "I don't know where they are."

"I shouldn't leave you alone with him," Garrison responded.

Odhran snorted. "Yes. I'm definitely in the mood to fuck up my life more."

Without warning, the doors to the dining hall banged open causing a tense Sarah to stand up.

"What now?" Jareth snarled before lifting his head to the new distraction. "Lochlan?"

"While my natural reaction would be to allow this creature to die a horrible death and be feasted upon by an Unseelie," Lochlan grunted as he held a sagging figure against him. "This conscious thing got on my nerves, and I decided I should give him to you. Where's Tali?"

"Why do you need Tali?" Sarah asked. "And who is this?" The fae hanging off Lochlan was so battered and disheveled that he was unrecognizable.

"Brexton?" Odhran asked as he tried to see the fae face but was obscured due to his head facing the floor.

"She's the only who we know has done anything like this," Lochlan said. He carefully- according to his standards- dropped the injured fae on the ground.

"She's in the Goblin Kingdom, the castle to be exact," Jareth said to Garrison. "Go find her. Now!"

Without another word, Garrison disappeared from view. Odhran awkwardly tumbled out of his chair to approach the prone figure.

"He's barely breathing," Odhran gulped as he tore Brexton's shirt in order to examine the damage the poison has done to his body. "The iron is close to his heart."

A moment later he was joined by a kneeling Sarah who nearly became sick at the sight. She didn't know whether her reaction was partly due to her pregnancy, but seeing her guard in such a state was hard to take in. Sarah reached out a hand to touch Brexton but was grabbed and dragged away from the ailing fae by an indignant Goblin King.

"Were you about to touch his wounds?" Jareth inquired, anticipating her words of protest. "You don't know if the poison and iron are able to leak out of his body. You might be putting yourself and them at risk."

"I…I wasn't thinking," she said apologetically, as her hands briefly touched her stomach. Sarah turned her attention back to the pair on the ground. "What did you say about his heart?"

"If it reaches his heart, there's no stopping the iron from moving unabated throughout the body," Odhran explained, his eyes not leaving Brexton. "I don't know if anything can save him by then."

"Lochlan, where did you find him?" Jareth asked.

"Running through my lands," he replied with a shrug. "As people do."

"How did you two get separated?" Jareth asked a mourning Odhran."

Garrison appeared in the room with Tali by his side.

Although a tragic event was occurring in front of all of them, Lochlan couldn't help the feeling of a sharp tightness in his heart at the sight of the half-elf. It had been such a long time since he had seen her.

"Move!" Tali ordered as she marched over to Brexton, shoving Odhran away.

"C'mon," Garrison murmured as he helped Odhran up on his feet. "We need to get you to a healer. She's going to be busy."

Before the two left the room, Odhran turned back to see Tali kneeling over Brexton's body.

"I'm sorry," Odhran whispered before he was escorted away.

Tali pulled her hair back to tie it into a ponytail before she began to assess the injuries.

"I don't even know where to start," Tali said mostly to herself.

"Do you need any help?" Lochlan asked as he stood next to Brexton across from her.

Tali lifted her head and gave him a quick smile. "Sorry to ruin everyone's meal, but I need him on the table- and better lighting."

Jareth magically removed all the dinner plates to the floor before levitating Brexton to the table as Sarah created a large orb of light that floated above the prone victim. Tali's hand hovered over his body starting at his head and making their way down to his feet.

Jareth stood next to Sarah and before he could say a word, she said, "Don't even suggest that I leave." Sarah's eyes scanned over every visible wound on his body. "This plan was my idea; I got him into this. All of this is my fault."

"Listen to me," Jareth stated as he turned her toward him. "He knew the potential consequences when he agreed to do this. You didn't make him take this assignment."

"I doubt he anticipated that this would happen," Sarah countered. "This- This seems worse than death."

"Enough with your emoting," Lochlan spat even though his eyes where trained on Tali. "You can deal with your regrets later."

"Thanks," Tali whispered to the Unseelie King. "I was getting distracted." She looked over his torso again. "Whoever did this wanted him dead but wanted to ensure he suffered a long time before he expired. What a sick bastard."

"What makes you say that?" Lochlan inquired.

"You can see where the poison was introduced into his body," she muttered quickly. "There's only two cuts near his neck; the rest are all over his legs."

"Can you save him?" Sarah blurted out.

"I don't know," Tali proclaimed without taking her eyes off of Brexton. "But I can try. I'll do my best to heal him."

"I realize that you want to stay here," Jareth whispered into Sarah's ear. "But staying here is only going to be a distraction. Sawyer is still out there, and now is the time to contemplate a way of catching him."

Sarah was quite for a moment before turning to Jareth. "You have a point. Okay. I need a place to think," she said quietly as she looked over at Tali. "Are you going to be okay in here? Should I send a healer?"

"I'll be fine," Tali answered quickly. "Wait! If there is a free healer, send them here. Another opinion won't hurt."

Before Sarah and Jareth left the room, he turned to Lochlan and asked, "Planning to stay?"

"Yes," Lochlan answered as he kept his eyes on the half-elf.

When the two of them left, Tali placed her hands above Brexton's abdomen as her fingers began to glow bright blue. Lochlan saw her struggling to move her hovering hands over Brexton's chest. "There's a lot more iron in his body than there was in yours." Lochlan saw the black veins in his chest slowly move away toward his lower abdomen. Tali briefly looked at Brexton's face before returning her attention to trying to remove the poison from his chest.

"Who did this to you?"

Roux flinched as witnessed Sawyer destroy what was left of their now deserted camp.

"You accomplish nothing with your fits of rage," Roux muttered as Sawyer threw a large rock at the tipped over cauldron, which still contained a bit of yesterday's soup. "Throwing a fit never did a bit of good."

"I will throw a fit if I damn well please!" Sawyer yelled. He let out a final huff before dropping to the ground with a thud near the only other being in that camp. "How the hell did all this go wrong? And where did everyone go!"

"Away," Roux cheekily answered. "Somewhere that's not here- probably scared the shit out of them when you nearly pumped that traitor's body full of iron."

"Are you finished?" Sawyer dryly asked.

Roux shrugged. "So, what are you planning to do now?"

"I don't know," Sawyer admitted. "Neither one of us has the freedom of anonymity. I'm sure the guards of every kingdom know who I am."

"Seriously considering abandoning your goal?" Roux asked, a bit surprised by the thought.

"No. Of course not," Sawyer replied. "I'm just thinking things through."

"Well," Roux said. "It's just the two of us- hence, we don't have the luxury of an ambush of any kind."

"I believe my main problem is I wanted everyone to feel a part of the cause," Sawyer mused. "The next plan needs to be meaningful- and actually bloody work."

"Especially since it might be our last," Roux added. At Sawyer nasty look, Roux clarified. "The chances of us getting caught are high since it is just us. So what's the plan?"

Sawyer scratched his chin as he mulled over his thoughts. "I remember after Eoran and Odhran brought Sarah back to the Underground how odd they found her insistence that she see those humans again. Now that I think about it: she would frequently bring up the subject to Oberon."

Roux's face contorted in disgust. "Are you suggesting that we go Aboveground?"

Sawyer gave him a small smirk. "Only for a short while."

As they approached the Troll Kingdom's library, Jareth noticed Sarah walking faster to the door.

"I assume you just created a plan," Jareth said as he quickly caught up with her. "Or are you in the mood for late night reading?"

Sarah reached out her hand for the door but turned around to face him before entering.

"I have a plan," she said. "Although the last one I had wasn't very good."

"Sarah…"

"We can discuss whether I'm wrong or not later," Sarah interrupted. "But right now, I need you to go get Toby and Taggert." When he gave her a confused look, she sighed. "Please, go get them. I need a quiet place to write everything down before I forget."

"Tali," Lochlan called her name softly. She didn't respond as she continued to focus her magical energy on trying to transfer the iron poison out of Brexton's chest. Tali decided that she would worry about extracting the substance later since she discovered she couldn't do such a thing at the moment. Her main priority was to simply keep the material away from his heart.

"Tali," Lochlan said again, this time with more force. Still no response from the half-elf. "Tali!"

"What!" she barked back as she lifted her head to see the Unseelie King standing near the door with a very apprehensive elf. "Oh," Tali sighed as she realized that he brought help. "Sorry about that."

"I brought the healer you requested," Lochlan said. "This is Trinket"

The healer shot Lochlan a look. "Tristen, and I don't know how much help I can be," the elf said quickly. "I didn't even know someone could move iron from a fae, let alone remove it."

"I didn't either until a few weeks ago," Tali replied as she continued to ghost her hands over Brexton's chest. Suddenly, the ailing fae's eyes opened wide as he gained consciousness, releasing a blood curdling scream. The sudden outburst caused Tali to fall on the ground in surprise. Tristen rushed over to the now convulsing Brexton while Lochlan helped Tali to her feet.

"What's happening to him?" Tristen asked as he tried to silence Brexton and stop his thrashing. Lochlan calmly walked over the side of the table where Brexton's head was positioned. He pressed his fingers to the sick fae which caused the flaying and screaming to cease.

"Did you put him to sleep?" Tristen asked accusatorily as he glared at the Unseelie King. "He woke up for a reason; you can't simply knock him out without us knowing how he awoke."

"I do as I please, cretin," Lochlan barked, not appreciating the tone of this underling.

"Both of you: stop," Tali exhaled as she rubbed her hands over her face. "He was in too much pain to do anything except scream."

Not caring about how petty he was being, Lochlan gave the healer an overly proud look. Tristen let out a huff as he hid his contempt for the Unseelie King.

Tali held back a sob as she peered over to Brexton's naked chest. The black veins that were previously held at bay by her magic began their ascent back toward his heart.

"Shit."

"You can't make me!" Toby protested.

"Don't resort to such juvenile arguments," Jareth said as he sat next to Sarah on a couch. Toby stood in front of them, visibly upset with what the information he heard.

"Where's Taggert?" Sarah mumbled as she looked at her wrist, for a watch that wasn't there.

"He said he would be here as soon as he could," Jareth replied. "He seemed to be a bit preoccupied when I saw him."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Hello! Back to me," Toby exclaimed. "I object to this plan."

"It's not a plan. Your fun time here is over," Sarah responded. "You're going back Aboveground. No arguments."

Toby tried to protest. "But…"

"What part of 'no arguments' do you not understand?" Sarah sternly interrupted. A hurt look crossed Toby's face. Sarah exhaled deeply as she stood up from the couch. "It's too dangerous down here for you."

"But Jareth said that this place was inherently dangerous a few weeks ago," Toby countered.

"And it's even more so now," Sarah retorted. "If something happened to you here, and I knew I didn't do everything I could to keep you safe, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And Aboveground is where you will be safe."

Toby's scowl deepened, but he didn't try to argue.

"Besides," Jareth chimed in. "Your planning days have now come to an end."

"Just when I was starting to enjoy it," Toby muttered. "Avitus and Tali have the best stories."

"This isn't forever," Sarah reassured him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "But I want you to be safe. At least, allow me to have peace of mind."

"Also, we're no longer interested in having humans around us," Jareth smirked. "You have a peculiar odor. I don't care for it."

"Very funny," Toby said as a small smile formed across his mouth. "So, how does this work? Do I have to go through another portal or something? Can you take me to one where some elf is not trying to kill me?"

Jareth stood up from the couch as he held out his hand. With the twist of his wrist, he formed a crystal in his gloved hand. "No need for such contrivances," Jareth said as he tossed the orb at Toby, causing him to disappear.

"And then there were two," Sarah said quietly.

"You made the correct decision," Jareth reassured her. However, those words didn't change the unhappy expression on her face.

"I know," she concurred. "Thank you for sending him back; I would have changed my mind if I had to tell him goodbye."

Jareth held her close in an embrace. "Like you said," he stated before placing a kiss on her forehead. "As soon as everything calms down, he can return. Now, where's that bloody centaur."

"Toby?" asked the distant sounding voice. Everything around Toby was black, and his head felt like it was filled with water.

"Toby!" The voice sounded sharper and closer in proximity. The fogginess in his brain began to clear as he felt his eyes struggling to open.

"Tobias Robert Williams!"

Suddenly, Toby's eyes opened wide. He noticed immediately that he was lying down on the floor of his bedroom; his mother's voice came through loud and clear.

"Where do I even start?" Karen asked as she walked into his room. "We bought you a bed. Why would you even want to sleep on the floor? And if you wanted to take a nap, why not sleep in your pajamas?"

Toby slowly rolled over on his back, allowing him to face his mother. "Huh?"

Karen shook her head in disappointment. "Do you want to go to this movie or not? I told you that we bought these tickets days ago. You have ten minutes to meet us downstairs," she ordered as she left his room in a huff.

Toby looked around to see that he was in fact on the ground, his bed untouched, and he was definitely back in his jeans and t-shirt. Toby crawled over to his computer and turned it on. His dad was right: he did need a proper clock in his room. When his computer became fully operational, he checked the time stamp in the corner of the screen.

"Wait? What?" he said to himself.

"Five minutes!" Robert's voice cried up from downstairs. Toby scrambled to his feet and quickly left his room. His parents were waiting by the front door. He stood before them with a confused look on his face, which in turn caused his parents to appear confused as well.

"Are you all right Toby?" Robert asked.

"Why am I not at camp? Toby questioned. "I'm supposed to be there until the end of August. It's only the second day of August."

His mother and father both formed a frown as they gave each other a quizzical look.

"Did you fall off the bed and hurt your head?" Karen asked as she placed her hands on his head, gently messaging it for any bumps.

"Are you sure you're okay, Toby?" Robert asked again. "We don't have to go anywhere if you're not feeling well again."

"Again?" Toby asked as he moved away from his mother's ministrations. "And I didn't bump my head. At least, I don't think I did."

"I'm calling the doctor," Karen said as she spun around to walk toward the living room.

"Don't call a doctor!" Toby protested. He turned his attention to his worried father. "I'm fine. I swear. I just don't understand why I'm still not at camp. I have like three weeks left."

"You kept having fainting spells for a few days after a bike ride there," Robert explained. "So, we brought you home. You've spent the last few weeks back sleeping and playing video games." When Toby's face still portrayed confusion, Robert started to become worried. "Do you not remember any of this?"

Toby shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "Uh, yeah. Kinda. Maybe I did bump my head when I fell."

"I'm calling the doctor anyway!" Karen shouted.

"Don't call the doctor!" Toby and Robert both yelled.

"I have no problem with putting your visit of my kingdom on hold," Taggert said.

"I forgot to bring up something else," Sarah said, clearing her throat. "Would you consider a small addition to your plan?"

"Like what?" Taggert asked.

"It's going to involve Lochlan," Sarah answered.

Jareth was unable to hold back his shock. "What the hell for?"

"There's no point in allowing the Court to know that Sawyer is out there, somewhere, without showing that we are serious about catching him," Sarah reasoned.

"So, you want Lochlan's Unseelie to search my kingdom?" Taggert guessed.

"And the Troll Kingdom, yes," she amended. Both Jareth and Taggert gave her a wary look. "That's the last known area he was in, somewhere between the Troll and Centaur forests. So, why not? Lochlan's people like to hunt." Jareth still looked unsure. "I'm not talking about a sluagh. I'm referring to the dark faes and elves. Tell all the Seelies to stay inside during this time and, hopefully, they can find him. This step could also solidify the fact that the Unseelies are not a threat- that they're willing to help us."

Taggert gave a slow nod. "I like this plan."

"Are you being serious?" Jareth countered turning between Sarah and Taggert, not knowing which one was being more absurd. "Do you realize that you are agreeing to allow Unseelies on your land?"

"Of course," Taggert said with a sly smile. "I planned to allow you in my kingdom. Although, I'm not sure you can be trusted. You know, being Unseelie and all. You're a shifty one."

"You roan bastard," Jareth sneered.

"Enough, both of you," Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "Right now, I need Garrison."

"Gah! Dammit!" Odhran seethed as the healer picked up his leg for analysis. "That fucking hurts!"

"It's the least you deserve," Garrison replied as he shoved Odhran's shoulders down so he would fully lie on the bed.

"I know, all right," Odhran muttered. The healer pulled up a stool next to Odhran's leg and sat down and placed his hands above the mangled leg.

"No, it is not all right!" Garrison refuted as he banged his fist again the adjacent table.

"Shh!" The healer hissed. "I can't concentrate. If you can't keep your voice down, then you can leave."

"Sorry," Garrison sheepishly replied before turning a disdainful glare to Odhran. "You of all people should know better."

"We all should have known better," Odhran countered.

"Don't even try to weasel your way out of this," Garrison said as he kept his voice low.

"I'm not!" Odhran yelled.

"Stop yelling," the healer warned.

"I'm not," Odhran said again, this time in hushed tones. "I'm very much aware that I will be thrown in a cell for a millennium or two."

Garrison closed his hand into a fist, shaking it slowly, while releasing a low growl.

"I told you," Garrison began, trying to keep his voice low. "No. I warned you to walk away from Sawyer. Were you just bored? Did you need some sort of raise so you would have more money to spend at the gambling hall?

Odhran refused to respond as the healer continued to work on his leg.

However, Garrison didn't' relent in his admonishment of his former guard. "You've helped bring harm to the very subjects you swore to protect, thereby allowing, not your hate, but your stubbornness to cloud your judgment."

Odhran snorted. "You believe that stubbornness led me to do this rather than hate?" he asked before releasing a loud hiss of pain. Odhran's leg lurched in response to the healer's magic.

"Do you really believe that you, Sawyer, Eoran, Roux, Erick, or the any of the others were the only ones within the Guard, damn, a sizable portion of the Court, who hated the idea of Unseelies walking freely throughout the Palace?"

Odhran's eyes squinted in suspicion. "Are you telling me that you hate them as much as Sawyer did?"

"I don't know what the hell Sawyer is thinking," Garrison hissed. "But you were a fool to think that I and the other guards felt otherwise."

"Then why…"

"Because it's our job to do as ordered," Garrison answered sternly. He rubbed his eyes while releasing a tired sigh. "If you would have just waited, if you would have just allowed the death of Oberon to pass and move on. He wasn't the type of king who deserve this much of your loyalty, especially after he has passed."

"So what are you trying to say? You buddies with the Goblin King now?" Odhran asked ruefully.

"He saved our Queen," Garrison stated. "He and his brother. Like I said: if you would have simply allowed yourself the time to get over your feelings… The Court didn't blindly accept the Goblin King, but what he did proved that he was unworthy of everyone's disdain. And in time, you too would have found your hatred toward them to dissipate into mild annoyance."

"What an odd world we live in," Odhran mused. "Considering the Unseelie King a mild annoyance."

"No, Jareth is mildly annoying," Garrison corrected. "Lochlan is unbelievably annoying, but, at least, Her Majesty agrees as well."

Odhran turned his head to the side as he gazed at the ground. "So, when will you be taking me to prison?"

"As soon as the healer says you should stand on your leg," Garrison replied. "I'll speak on your behalf to Her Majesty to give you a reduced sentence."

"I don't deserve it," Odhran admitted.

"True, but you helped Brexton infiltrate the camp," Garrison pointed out.

"I probably got him killed," Odhran contested.

Garrison walked to the door to leave. "It's less enjoyable to talk to you when you're sulking. You were much more fun to be around when you were in the guard."

"I don't give a shit if you are entertained," Odhran grumbled. "Just let me know if Brexton's makes it."

Garrison's mouth contorted into a scowl as he gave his former guard a somber nod before walking out the door.

"This isn't working," Tali whispered as she watched Lochlan attempt to remove the poison from Brexton's body. "He's not going to make it."

"Probably not," Lochlan murmured as he continued to try to move the poison from the prone fae's body. Beads of sweat formed on his temple as his magic struggled to move any of the poison. Tristen had been dismissed nearly an hour ago because Lochlan found the healer to be useless. In a last-ditch effort, Lochlan tried to help Brexton, theorizing that Unseelie magic might react differently to the poison. However, he soon found out that his magic was not helping.

Tali walked over and gently grabbed his wrist. "Stop," she muttered with defeat. "Just stop. How many hours has it been? Preventing the spread is probably causing him a lot of pain, even though we can't hear him."

Lochlan took his hands away from the fae to gently cup the half-elf's face. "If you wish to continue your attempts to remove…"

"We can't," she admitted as her eyes focused on Brexton's chest- the black veins again crawling to his heart. "There was too much iron in the poison."

Lochlan dropped his hands and took a step back from her. "What do you propose we do now?"

"I don't know, but once it reaches his heart- whether or not he's conscious- he's going to be in incredible pain," Tali said, her eyes unmoving from the prone fae's body. "There's no uncertainty about that. Iron always kills viciously."

"Turn around," he ordered.

"Why?" she asked. Lochlan walked over to the ill fae's head, his hands grabbing the sides of Brexton's face. Tali's large blue eyes grew wide. "What are you doing?"

"I said to turn around," Lochlan stated. "He shouldn't have to suffer anymore." Tali continued to stare at his hands positioned next to Brexton's face. "Tali," Lochlan repeated, this time as a warning. She spun around, allowing her to gaze out the window at the night sky.

Tali tried to calm her breathing but failed as she began to breathe deeply.

The sound of bones breaking filled the air causing Tali to release a loud sob. She brought her hand to her mouth, attempting to hold back the tears. A gentle hand reached around her midsection and pulled her back into the consoling king.

"You did all that you could,"Lochlan murmured into her ear. "Remember that."

Tali turned in his arms, rested her head against his chest, and began to cry. "I- I need to ensure his b-b-body is taken to the Palace. His family-"

"I'll ensure he's taken to the Palace," he stated before placing a small kiss on her cheek. Lochlan tilted her head up and noticed her blood shot eyes. "Get some sleep."

The entrance to the dining hall opened, startling them both. They turned their attention to the doors and saw Sarah staring at the table with Taggert, Jareth, and Garrison behind her.

Sarah felt the air leaving her body as her shoulder slumped in despair. "Oh my god," she gasped. Jareth swiftly walked passed her. Producing a large cloak, he carefully draped the body.

"When did he pass?" Jareth asked.

"A few minutes ago," Tali answered with a sniff.

"I'll escort the body to the Palace," Garrison softly offered as he walked toward Brexton's body. "And inform his family."

"Tell them…" Sarah struggled to say. Tears began to form in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "Tell them- I'll speak with them personally soon."

Garrison gave a swift nod before disappearing with Brexton's body. She stared at the dining table where the deceased fae once lay.

"Sarah, do you need to sit down?" Jareth asked, worry evident in his voice and on his face.

"I'm fine; I'm fine," she responded hastily, reassuring herself more than anyone else. She turned her attention toward the Unseelie King.

One of Lochlan's eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"I need your help," Sarah stated.

"If you think that staring out the window will bring him back," Jareth said as he walked out of the bathroom. "You'll be wasting a lot of time." Jareth watched her for a moment as she stood in front of a large window in their temporary chambers until he heard the sound of muffled sobbing. He marched over to her, and, without warning, he spun Sarah around and noticed her red, wet eyes.

"Just let me cry," Sarah stated as she pulled away from him.

"I'm not going to tell you not to cry," he said as he tucked a strand of her behind her ear. "Though, I would suggest you continue your bereavement on the bed."

Sarah allowed him to escort her to the bed. "I got him killed."

"You are allowed to have these feelings of sorrow," Jareth said as he gently pushed her to sit on the bed. "But what I won't allow you to do is to punish yourself over this." Sarah looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

"But that was my idea; I got him killed-"

"Sawyer killed him," he responded forcefully. Jareth leaned over to stare into her eyes. "So, mourn Brexton because his life here has passed, but never forget who actually caused his death."

"Yeah, but-"

"For years, you thought the Unseelies were nothing but soulless monsters, yes?" Jareth asked as he stood to his full height. Sarah pursed her lips in confusion since she didn't understand why he was bringing this up.

"Yes?" she answered. "What are you saying?"

"You always believed that one day you would rule the Court with a perceived adversary bordering your lands," he said, moving a few steps back from her. "Did you never believe that you would have to go to war against the Unseelies, that there would always be peace?"

"Sometimes I would think about it, but not often," Sarah admitted. "What's your point?"

"To be a sovereign means people are willing to die for you and sometimes they will," Jareth stated. "You've already seen people go to war…"

"That's different," she countered. "I didn't look them all in the face. I didn't speak to them." Sarah felt the teas begin to form again. "I didn't see their handwriting or see their eagerness to follow what I said."

Jareth produced a handkerchief which she willingly accepted as he sat next to her.

"We will find Sawyer," Jareth said, hoping to comfort her. "He will be found, and he will know the familiarity of a jail ce-"

"I want him dead," Sarah coolly stated. Jareth turned his head to see the cruelty in her eyes.

"I thought you believed everyone deserves second chances," he pointed out. "You previously said you were going to place him in prison."

"And you said some people deserve to die," she countered. "If Sawyer treasured Oberon so much, he can suffer the same fate."

Jareth smirked as he released a small chuckle. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about my influence on you."

"Should have thought about that beforehand," Sarah said as she moved back until she hit the bed's headboard. "Too late now." Her hands drifted to her stomach before resting there.

Robert release a loud yawn as he brought up the rear as his family entered the house.

"I'm exhausted," he announced. "It is way past my bedtime."

"You're so lame, dad," Toby teased. "It's like nine or something."

"I stand by my original statement: it's past my bedtime," Robert reiterated, locking the door.

"Too tired for some dessert?" Karen asked as she walked toward the kitchen. "I picked a chocolate cake at the bakery today. I can't remember exactly what kind it is."

"Well, I guess I could stay up a little longer," Robert said. "How big of a slice you want, Toby?"

"Half!" Toby yelled as he made his way upstairs. "I'll be right back."

Robert laughed as he moseyed into the kitchen to see Karen taking the cake out of the fridge. "He said he didn't want any."

Toby hastily walked up the stairs and made a sharp turn toward his room. Walking into his room, he flipped the light on. However, no light appeared.

"What the hell?" Toby muttered as he began to flicker the switch on and off.

"How odd. You don't seem all that important," mused a voice from the corner of his room.

Toby turned around slowly, afraid of what he would find. Before him, stood a creature he certainly knew could be nothing but a fae.

"Who are you? Did my sister send you here?" Toby asked, sounding more like a plea than a question.

"How tragic," the fae in front of Toby said while a sinister smile formed across his lips. "You really believe that you are important to Her Majesty, you irrelevant human."

"What's taking him so long?" Robert wondered as he cut into his slice of cake.

"He's not going to pass up cake," Karen said. "I'll give him one more minute before I start bothering him."

The sound of furniture crashing stunned Karen and Robert.

"What the hell?" Robert asked as fear rose in him. He leapt from his chair and rushed upstairs as Karen following behind.

"Are you all right!" Karen called out as she ran up the stairs.

"AHH!" Toby screamed.

"Toby!" They both yelled as they arrived as his room. The door was shut, and Robert discovered it was locked.

"Toby!" Robert shouted as he pushed his body into the door.

"How can it be locked?" Karen wailed. "These doors don't have locks."

Finally, with one final push, Robert broke the door open. Toby's room was in disarray. Clothes were thrown all over the floor. His bed was upside down, and his computer was smashed against the wall, completely destroyed. They both looked over to the window which was closed and locked, as it always was.

Karen covered her mouth in horror. "Toby?"

Yet, no one answered. They both walked in and discovered that the room was devoid of anyone.

"I'm calling the police," Robert said before leaving the room to find a phone.

Karen clutched her chest. "Toby!"

A/N: Delays are the worst, and I hate when they happen. Won't go into details why, but lets just say I blame my knife cutting skills.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. No matter what happens, just so you know, I'll finish this story. Can't leave you guys hanging :-)