Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to anything you recognize from the movie and/or the book. The characters and places that you recognize from the movie and/or the book belong to their respective owners. Though, I DO own the rights to all my personal locations and personal OC's. I make no monetary profit from this story.

Sorsha cautiously checked around the corner before she dared venture into the vulnerable openness of the hallway. Since her injury two weeks ago, it had become something of a cat and mouse game between herself and Kessy. The girl seemed dedicated to never letting Sorsha from her sight when she was out of her room. If she went to the training field…there was Kessy. If she went to the dining hall…there was Kessy. If she walked through the halls, inevitably, Kessy found her.

She was starting to fear that she'd wake up and Kessy would be there, hovering. Or the sneaky spy would creep in while she was bathing…or something. It was simply impossible to relax anymore. The first week had admittedly been the worst because of being bed ridden thanks to the gouge of flesh Kessy had taken from her. It had been during that week that Sorsha had fallen quite ill after eating a meal a young maid had brought to her.

She'd lived, she was sure mostly due to the fact that Kessy hadn't tried hard enough. Sorsha had wanted to nail the spy fool to the wall right then for the misery she'd put her through, but she'd had no real evidence against her since it was the young maid who had brought up her food and said she'd gotten the food straight from the cook. Both cook and maid had been abashed and had even offered to leave…which had been denied.

But this was when the decision to keep Maesia in the Easternlands had been solidified. Using the excuse of wanting to stay with Sarah and monitor her diet with a mother's eye, Maesia was able to insinuate herself into the inner workings of the maids and kitchens the way she had back in her days of rule in the Goblin Castle. The very first day Maesia had slipped into the kitchens and started asking questions, she discovered that Kessy had taken an interest in the kitchen only recently. That was all the proof Sorsha had needed to renew her suspicions to the others.

They'd been startled for sure and had insisted that Maesia stay. She'd agreed with no argument and had sworn to keep herself as close to the kitchen as possible. During the next week, she'd kept her promise, but that had done little to help Sorsha everywhere else.

Instead of fooling with Sorsha's food, Kessy had decided to take a different route. And that was why Sorsha had to sneak around everywhere she went, because no matter what she was doing, Kessy seemed to be there. Sorsha could only guess that the girl was getting desperate. Something wasn't going the way she wanted and she was becoming far too obvious, but it didn't seem to register that way for Kessy. That was what bothered Sorsha the most.

If something really was going wrong and Kessy was thinking of betraying Kindraa…there could be some problems and her friends could very well be in as much danger as she herself was. Sorsha wasn't sure how much longer she could let Kessy go like this. If she let it go for too long, who was to say that Kessy wouldn't try something against Sarah or Jeaule?

Sorsha slipped into the room she shared with Eireach and sighed in relief as the door clicked shut behind her.

"I see you evaded the enemy yet again," she heard Eireach's smile from his spot in the armchair by the fireplace.

She slumped into the chair next to his and watched the firelight play off his face as dusk streamed through the windows, "I can almost feel her following me at times." She sighed. "It's annoying to know she can walk around without check other than Maesia in the kitchens."

"I know, but we can't tell any of the maids or anyone to watch her because it would let her know we're on to her."

"As much as I know you're right," she said as she rubbed her hands over her face irritably, "I hate it. There has to be a way to keep her in check all the time without being obvious." She rested her head in her hands and listened to the fire crackling, to Eireach turning the page of the book he was reading at the moment and felt a stab of guilt that in the over two months since he'd given her that book, she'd only read half of it.

It wasn't that she didn't like it, quite the contrary…Elizabeth was fascinating…she just never had the time to sit and read. Unfortunately…or fortunately depending on how she looked at it…she didn't have time to pick up the book because a tingling in the back of her mind let her know Morrigan was trying to get a hold of her.

She let her mind open up to the magic of the goddess and heard her voice ring through clear and true, "I didn't want to bother you, so I figured this would be safer all around." Sorsha couldn't help but chuckle, Morrigan had been worried about 'walking in on them'. That was cute. "I'm down on the training field whenever you're available."

Sarah rested herself back in the chair, eyes closed and her fingers linked over the mound her stomach was slowly transforming into. It felt so wonderful, that life growing within her, stretching, kicking and hiccupping as he saw fit. It felt so wonderful…most of the time, she thought miserably as he kicked her bladder and forced his mother to waddle her way awkwardly to the bathroom.

When she was able to waddle her way back from the bathroom, her back hurt and the last thing she wanted to do was sequester herself in the uncomfortable torture chair. Oh wow…those stupid hormones were starting to kick in again. After a quick apology to the chair that had been nothing but kind to her, she resigned herself to a bit of bed rest.

Jareth would approve, she thought with a grin that dipped to a scowl as the baby kicked her again. He seemed to know whenever she thought of his father…and every time she did…he kicked her. It had become an annoying game between father and son called "kick mommy". Sarah didn't know if it amused her or irritated her that their son already listened to his father so intently.

As if his unborn son had magically told him that he'd done his father proud by kicking at her insides, Jareth strolled into their rooms with a pleased smile on his face, "How's my boy doing this evening?"

"Peachy," Sarah snarked, rubbing her stomach in wide circles. The boy simply went mad when his father was near. It felt like he was trying out for a three ring circus any time he heard Jareth's voice. It was sweet, but Sarah just wished that she wasn't the circus tent at the moment. Jareth draped himself on the bed beside her and covered her hand with his own as she rubbed.

"Calm down little one, give your mother a break," he whispered to her belly. The child within her fell still.

Sarah frowned, "Why in the Underground does he listen to YOU and not me!?"

"It's a father's touch."

"Boys are supposed to listen to their mothers," she pouted, her hand resting petulantly above her unborn son.

"You don't want him to be a mother's son...or whatever human's call it," Jareth said waving an absent hand.

"Mama's boy," she muttered. "No," Sarah admitted. "I don't want him to be a whiny mama's boy, but it would be nice if he'd stop playing soccer with my innards." A knock on the door stopped her from further whining that she didn't want to do…damn hormones again.

"I'll get it, stay there." He kissed her stomach and her lips before crossing to the door and letting Eireach in.

"Sorry to bother you two."

"Never a bother Eireach, come in!" Sarah said cheerfully, leaning back against the headboard. She sighed ruefully down at her stomach. "Only seven and a half months and I feel like a whale…this kid's going to be gigantic."

"Seven months and three weeks," Jareth corrected.

Sarah chuckled and shook her head, "Leave it to you to count the days." She beckoned to Eireach and patted the bed beside her. "Get over here, it's easier for you to move than me."

"I just really needed to talk to the two of you."

"Then talk," Jareth said amiably as he sat beside his wife, a protective hand on her stomach as he always did.

"I had an idea on how we could keep a better eye on Kessy." Sarah's attention snapped to Eireach, she'd been pondering that same problem since Sorsha had been poisoned. "Go with me here, Jareth,"

"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good already," Sarah murmured.

Eireach grimaced slightly in agreement, "It's not the best time for this, but I think it would be safer for everyone involved here…not just Sorsha…if we relocated."

"Relocated?" Jareth asked quietly, his hand flexing over her belly.

"To your castle." The silence stretched after those words.

"It would be easier to keep an eye on her with all the goblins there to watch her," Sarah said, breaking the silence.

Jareth nodded, following Eireach's idea, "She wouldn't have the liberties at my castle that she does here."

"Exactly," Eireach sounded relieved that Jareth hadn't been upset at the suggestion of moving an almost 8 month Sarah across the Underground. She was rather surprised herself that he hadn't flat denied it, commenting on her 'fragile state'.

"I'd actually been thinking of the same thing."

"You…you were?" Sarah asked, stunned.

"Blix was here the other night and I spoke with him about it, he says he would be more than happy to have the goblins keep watch on the girl." His uneven gaze passed between Eireach and Sarah. "She'll never have a moment's peace again…though she won't even realize it. Goblins are wickedly good at hiding themselves."

Sarah leaned her head back against the headboard again and thought it over. It would be nice to have the baby at home, but the trip had been so hectic the first time and she hadn't even been that pregnant then. But it would be far safer to be in the Goblin Kingdom, the kingdom that hadn't fallen in millennia.

"We just have to think of a really good excuse for going there when Sarah is in this condition." Eireach seemed dumbfounded in his search for a good reason when Sarah had just thought of one.

"The Goblin Castle is a fortress," she stated simply.

Jareth smiled slowly, "That it is."

"So we go there because of the war, make Damien and Kindraa…and Kessy…think that we're running for somewhere safe before the war treaty of winter is over…" Eireach muttered out quietly to himself. Eyes bright, he looked up at them, "That's perfect. I'll see if Sorsha likes the plan after she's done talking with Morrigan."

"She's with Morrigan?"

Eireach turned to her, "Yes, she went out just a-" His words cut off as a light, bright and brilliant, turned night to day for a flash in time.

"Where the hells did that come from?" Sarah asked on a gasp as she felt Jareth's protective hand on her stomach tense.

Eireach turned to the window, murder in his eyes, "The training field."

Morrigan was waiting for Sorsha on the training field like she had promised, resplendent in a flowing white dress that hugged the goddess's subtle curves. The sun was setting on the mountains behind her, setting her fire gold hair alight. When Morrigan sensed Sorsha moving onto the field, she swept her arm in a wide arc, lighting the torches that circled the ring.

"It's good to see you," Sorsha said on a sigh, finding a measure of peace within the softly glowing circle of light. "Things are falling apart and-"

"And that's why I'm here," Morrigan cut her off with a grin.

Sorsha allowed herself a light laugh and scratched embarrassedly at her brow, "Of course…you always know what to do."

"Which is why I know you needed me."

"Which is creepy and soothing at the same time," Sorsha joked.

Morrigan's brow closed together, not getting the joke, "I'm creepy?"

"NO!" Sorsha laughed. "I just meant that I never really think about you watching over me." She paused awkwardly. "And when I do…."

"Oh," Morrigan said shortly, understanding blossoming over her face in a smirk. "I can guarantee you that I don't watch your private time with Eireach. Ever," she added after a short pause of her own. The two shared a much needed chuckle as the sun set behind the mountains and the fire glow took over the field. "How is he doing by the way," Morrigan asked. "How are you doing together…?" Sorsha knew the unasked question was are you still sure of your choice with him.

"You sound like a mother eager for gossip," Sorsha teased.

"I like to think that way myself."

Sorsha blushed with a happiness that baffled her, "He's good…we're good." There was a quiet crack behind Sorsha and a deep trill of laughter that had Morrigan's eyes narrowing dangerously.

"That can't be all you have to tell your dear mother…goddess…?" Kindraa came into view, frowning at Morrigan and Sorsha in turn. "Which are you playing at this time Morrigan?"

"What in the hells do you think you're doing here Kindraa?" Morrigan's voice was dangerous as a snake ready to strike. Kindraa smile slowly, an unnatural and unsettling act that seemed a chore for her to pull off.

"I'm here to talk to the girl, that's all."

Morrigan stepped between Sorsha and the demon, a fire in her eyes that matched the gleam in the red pair glaring right back at her, "I told you to leave her be."

"Oh calm down Morrigan," Kindraa chided. "I have as much right to talk to her as you do, more if you count the fact that she's part of me…or I'm a part of her." She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Either way…I really think I have more claim here." Kindraa shifted, leaning to catch Sorsha's eye, "She really is a drama queen."

"I'm not an object to be claimed," Sorsha spat. "And Morrigan has valid cause for concern…demon," she finished, stepping from behind Morrigan.

"That's right," Kindraa purred darkly, a tempting hum of sinful promises. "She has to protect poor little you. It's disgusting how she's latched herself to such an inferior being as yourself," she sneered.

Sorsha bristled, "The only thing that makes me inferior is the filthy bit of YOU that's stuck inside of me!" Fire lapped at the ends of Kindraa's dark hair.

"Fae trash," she muttered before turning that unnerving smile Sorsha's way. "If you don't want it, perhaps I should just take it back?" A gleam of startlingly sharp teeth flashed in the light of the torches like the sun off a finely polished sword.

"Bring it on demon scum!" Sorsha shouted, SO tired of running and hiding from the waste of breath standing before her. She conjured her father's swords to her hands as Kindraa snarled, her long, razor sharp nails curling defensively. Sorsha was about to charge when a white scepter appeared in Morrigan's hand. It was tipped with a dazzling ruby surrounded by diamond and was emitting a shimmering, opalescent cage around Kindraa.

The demon looked less than impressed, even arrogant enough to appear irritated by the nuisance. "Oh bravo," she said blandly as she clapped her hands slowly, debasingly. "Can't even let the filth prove herself."

Sorsha's lip curled, "Let her go Morrigan."

"No."

"Let her go," she said a bit more forcefully, her knuckles turning white around the hilts of her swords.

"Yes," Kindraa hissed. "Let me go Morrigan." There was a low fire burning behind the amusement in those red eyes. Sorsha wanted to cut them from the demon's head.

"No," Morrigan insisted. She was starting to emit a low white glow. Sorsha realized how hard Kindraa must be fighting her, though the demon seemed non-pulsed. "You will not touch her."

"Mommy can't be there forever," Kindraa said sarcastically, pressing long fingers to her shimmering cage. Sorsha watched in shock as the color faltered, shifting to a wickedly bright red that she had to turn her eyes from before pulsing willfully back to it's pearly white. "I'm stronger than I used to be."

"If only you could see you own fate," Morrigan said softly.

Her hands still on the transparent wall before her, Kindraa smirked, "I can see it no more than you can, but at least I know I'm in for a step up in this world soon." Her eyes flashed fire, "VERY soon." Sorsha watched on, her swords limp at her sides, as the silent battle raged on in front of her.

She hated feeling useless, but that was exactly what she was at this moment. The battle in front of her was one that she wasn't used to fighting. Magic wasn't natural to her and the swords in her hands would have done little to help her goddess. So, helpless for the first time in her life, Sorsha watched the cage around the demon go from red to white and back again, marbling reds and whites as the women stared each other down.

"I'm not even trying. You can't fight me Kindraa."

"I don't have to beat YOU," Kindraa smirked towards Sorsha.

The light around Morrigan wavered threateningly and then burst from her with such a blinding brilliance and blasting power that it knocked Sorsha from her feet and stung her eyes at once. The flash was gone as quickly as it had come and when Sorsha was able to lever herself up, there was a crater in her training field where Kindraa had been.

Faintly, she heard the sounds of foot steps racing towards her, but her eyes were on her goddess, her mother…Morrigan. "What did you do to her?" she asked, half hoping that Morrigan would say she'd killed her, but knowing better.

"I just sent her home." She seemed so very normal, so unlike she had but a moment ago. The glow and the splendid scepter were gone and she was simply Morrigan once more. She turned a cheeky smile to Sorsha and helped her from the ground, "It just took a little more…force…since she was fighting me."

"Force…?" Sorsha asked, dusting the dirt from her rear as she laughed. "You're fixing this," she said, pointing at the hole in her field. "I won't have my men using it as an excuse not to practice."

"Naturally," she said before motioning behind Sorsha. "But I think someone needs calming down before we worry about that." Sorsha turned to see Eireach just before he pulled her into his arms.

"What the hells was that!?" He looked her up and down, reassuring himself that she was still there in one piece.

"I'm afraid that was my fault and I'm terribly sorry about your field," she added to Cyric who was bringing up the rear.

"I think the field is the least of our worries," Jareth commented as he made his own inspection of the woman he'd come to think of as the little sister he'd never had.

"I see the men-folk ran out here to my rescue," Sorsha teased, though she smiled at them. "Where did you hide your wives and how long did you waste arguing with them when they wanted to come too?"

All three men shared a smirk before Cyric turned to her, "You know them too well."

"Not too well, just…enough."

"So what happened here?" Eireach asked, his hands on her shoulders.

"Kindraa happened, in a big way." His eyes darkened to a deep bottle green at her words. "Relax, I had a goddess here."

"Kindraa had one thing right though, my dear," Morrigan said. "I won't always be here."

"It's okay, I had an idea of how we could remedy that," Eireach stated.

"I thought you might," Morrigan said with a tilted smile.

"What idea?"

"I'll tell you when we get inside," he said, rubbing arms she hadn't realized were chilled.

"You can all get going," Morrigan told them as she laid a hand on Sorsha's. "I'll be back to help in any way I can."

"You can start with the hole you made." Sorsha smiled as Morrigan waved her and fixed the small crater she'd created. "Thanks."

"Any time."

Morrigan teleported herself back to her tower with no little amount of guilt. She hadn't wanted to leave Sorsha yet, but Eireach and the others had indeed come up with the very plan she'd slipped into their minds. It was good to know that they were there with Sorsha and would comfort and protect her, but damned if it didn't sting a little to leave.

She hadn't lied, she thought as she slipped out of the white dress, a silly thing that was mostly for show, and pulled on a comfortable robe that caressed her skin. No, she hadn't lied…she felt mother to Sorsha in a way she'd never felt before, but damn that Kael had taken the chance from her to show it. Now she could only look in from the sidelines and pat her girl on the back now and then…maybe lend a shoulder in times she might need it.

Damn it, where was Dagda? She needed one of his massages to soothe the tensions of the night away. It had been far more difficult to send Kindraa away than she would have admitted to Sorsha. It was true, the stupid demon had gained power by siphoning it from that fool of a king. She was still no true match for Morrigan, but it did mean that she would give the Fae more of a fight than they'd been hoping for.

"Dagda!?" she called out as she entered his study. If she sounded a little irritated…she figured that she'd earned it.

"Over here, love." When Morrigan rounded the bookcases to the source of her husband's voice, her legs locked, shock coursing through her. She'd known that he would fall…of course, but this…she hadn't expected this at all.

Sitting by her fire with clothes hanging from a frame that looked nearly healthy, eyes half crazed, hair matted and shaky hands lifting a tea cup to his lips was Damien. The fire played off his face, showing bone structure that had never been seen before and a face one might even begin to call handsome, but there was nothing handsome about the pitiful creature sitting there.

He jumped when he spotted her, tea sloshing down over the beige…beige!?...jacket he wore, "OH! Morrigan, I had hoped to speak with you." His eyes darted to Dagda. "Not that your company wasn't fine, sir." Sir…? Had Damien showed respect to her husband? Oh truly, the man he'd once been had been fully broken by the demon.

Now if that was a good thing, or bad…they'd find out.

(A/N: Another chapter and a bit of a cliffy. Hope you all don't hate me! I know that I DON'T hate the following people because they read and reviewed the last chapter for me!

BattleofEvermore, darklady26, Kerichi, notwritten, phantome101, roguegambit, The Banshee's Tears and TorieSheDevil

Thanks a million guys, I LOVE reviews! So much love to you and I hope to hear from you again!)