Of Dreams And Broken Things

by FangamerBowiextreme

Something's happened to Sarah. She's in the Underground and this time Jareth has had nothing to do with it. When reality proves to be its own harsh and cruel dream, can Jareth move past the darkness? Or will he be forever dazzled by broken things?

21. The Guile Of Trust

A/N- ok, I realize it has taken me forever to update; but hey, that's not long at all. XD

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Chapter 21, The Guile Of Trust

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"Damn it all to fucking Hell!" The echo of Severin's roar mixed with the boom of his fist hitting the stone wall rumbled through the hall. He snarled and jerked his hand away, leaving a sizable hole in its wake. He turned and started pacing the room. Goblins cowered in the shadows, too afraid to run away.

"That little fucking bitch."

He wobbled in his rant, still feeling the effects of his merrymaking from the ball. He took a deep breath, and paused, pinching the bridge of his nose and then scowled into the floor. Calm the fuck down... He told himself, over and over. The room was spinning around him, he chastised himself for celebrating perhaps a little too soon. But who could blame him? Up until the very end, the night had been something to celebrate. After all, Jareth and Sarah were an item!

The night had progressed as expected, though it surprised him all the same. He knew Sarah would give in. He knew she would tell Jareth what had happened to her. And he was right in his theory that Jareth would rise to become her knight in shinning armor. It didn't take long at all. He was able to sense the removal of his charm the moment it happened, which meant Jareth had to have seen that part of her body. Which meant they were having a most intimate moment. Yes, everything was progressing smoothly; though when he'd said he'd wanted to move things along, he hadn't quite expected the pace of events to escalate so quickly.

"That fucking fool plans to marry the wench?! How ridiculous can he be? Does he have any idea what he's doing?" He snarled aloud. Yes, he knows exactly what he's doing. Fuck.

Of course, Jareth's proclamation of marriage was the perfect confirmation that everything was falling into place. While at the same time, it was a massive hinderance. He let out a hard sigh, and stalked over towards the nearest chair, and practically threw himself in it. He'd expected -hoped- to see Sarah at Geoff's ball, he'd expected to see a spark in Jareth's eye, but the end bit could make his plans go either way. On one hand, Jareth's proposition was a clear indicator that the Fae was foolish enough, and desperate enough to fall right into Severin's hands. In one move he'd blindly let all of the Underground know he'd fallen in love with the girl. Severin brought his fisted hand to his lips and snickered. After a moment, he glanced off to the side and conjured something in his free hand.

He brought the object close to his face and intently flipped through its pages -it was a book. A tiny, red, leather-bound book to be precise. His eyes settled on one page in particular.

"What no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl..." He said, and then laughed. "Heh, no one but me." He then muttered, cryptically, and closed the book before him.

So much time...so much close and calculated planning... it was all coming to an end. All his hard work, it was going to pay off. He'd wondered why there was a portal going directly into a mortal teenager's room. It didn't take much digging to find the single most important thing in bringing about the downfall of the all mighty Goblin King. Who knew such a tiny book could be so powerful? But words held volume, and there was so much more written in this particular book than met the eye. There were things -things only another Fae could pick out. To any mortal, the story was a simple fairy tale; but to him, it was an in-depth layout of Jareth's weaknesses, his mistakes, and his inevitable demise.

"Almost four years I've spent training that creature, and she has done marvels.." His anger started to dissipate. Colorful memories of his time with Sarah came creeping through. Yes...he'd done well with her, though perhaps too well. Jareth was going to marry her after all, which was one step farther than he wished things to go.

The downside to Jareth's proclamation was the fact that Sarah now had an almost impenetrable wall of defense made up of half the Underground standing between her and Severin. And that was a problem, as the next phase of his plans required getting her back. As long as Sarah remained a domestic, reacquiring her would be relatively simple. If she had title, title as the Goblin Queen of all things, any move against her that was less than completely successful would most certainly result in an all out war between him and all of the Underground. Severin knew this, and knew that Jareth knew this as well. What ever rational still remained in Jareth's head gave tell of his own scheming. Severin knew Jareth was well aware of his plotting -he'd made it obvious enough, but he was taking it farther than desired. That was both good and bad. Severin had made sure Jareth was aware and suspicious of his actions. His suspicion would cause him to drift closer to Sarah, and the need to protect her would become the motivation for everything that was now happening.

Yes, Jareth loved the girl, that much was clear, and it was all that mattered. He'd achieved his goal. Sarah's mysterious powers were at their heightened state, he was sure of it. That must be why Jareth's taking so many precautions...he knows, that I know. What a fool. His thoughts murmured. No one but Severin and the Goblin King himself knew what lurked within the sweet and innocent mortal. Jareth had gone through so much trouble to cover up his mistake when it happened, but as the years went by, the Goblin King's anger and pride had snuffed it out, leaving one little hole. But that's all it took. He'd learned a lot from his digging - he'd learned about the past and about how Sarah fit into all of it. He was almost giddy when he stumbled upon the book she kept in her dresser. What no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers... Yes, now that bit was intriguing. What were these powers? Why did Jareth grant them to her? And why did he try to cover it up so feverishly? After much insightful theorizing, things started to fit into place. He had no solid evidence as to what Sarah's powers might be, but he had a solid theory that he was sure would prove to be true. At the same time, he was betting everything against an idea. It was risky, and dangerous, but he'd never been so sure of himself.

After confirming his ideas, he'd dug a little further -into Jareth himself this time. It'd been so long since the incident, and time since then had been rather interesting. As he looked back on the years, Severin started making certain connections. Like the fact that this dark period Jareth was in only started after the girl's run, and that it progressively worsened as time went on. Research and more research led him to make the connection -theory- that Sarah's power was only as strong as Jareth would allow it to be, though how strong he allowed it to be was not his decision. The power of love was a wonderful thing. And so came Severin's steady stream of experiments.

It was a fantastical situation. Severin had remembered the way he'd rejoiced upon hearing the news. Love was strong to all, but it was stronger to a Fae. Love, wasn't just a concept or a feeling, it was a force, a power. It was unstable, and unpredictable, the strongest and most powerful of magics. Any Fae in their right mind knew to stay as far away from it as possible, it was too erratic, too anarchist. But love was a force of its own will, and should you fall prey to its pull, the results of its control were wild and unexpected.

That was what Jareth had fought so adamantly to cover up -his mistake. He'd tried to hide what had happened between him and a mortal girl, because what had happened was something more. Love was a devastating force, tragic and ironic. It affected each individual differently, hence why it was tabooed. And the way love had affected Jareth? Well, Severin had his theories, ones that he was soon to put into motion. And if he was right, the Goblin Kingdom would have a new ruler before this was all over.

Severin looked up from his contemplations. If Sarah became Goblin Queen, there would be no touching her, the repercussions would be too great. Which meant he had to act before then, and knowing Jareth, it wouldn't be more than a week of two. Also, after seeing Sarah at the ball, he was sure Jareth had placed a charm of his own on her in lieu of the one he removed -he needed to go about that detail carefully. It was probably a trigger, some kind of defensive magic that would ignite at the sense of threat or danger. Hmm..

He sat up in his chair and waved a hand out in front of him. A tall mirror appeared in its wake. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. He wasn't particularly happy about jumping ahead of schedule. He would have liked for more time to pass before he executed phase three, but Jareth had backed him into a corner, leaving him no other choice.

"Krougal." Severin snapped. A few seconds passed, and then a small, shadowy silhouette appeared in the reflection of the mirror.

"Yes? Your Majesty." The Goblin replied.

"It's time I put you to use." Severin said, his teeth glinted from behind his smile like razors. Krougal recoiled slightly, and looked off to the side.

"Of course, Your Majesty." He said. His voice was weak and submissive, knowing he was still absent of his King's good graces. The night of Jareth's ball -he was ordered to send Sarah to the wine cellars, somewhere secluded. Though...he wasn't supposed to go looking for her. But a Goblin's mentality only reached so far; he didn't know why he'd been ordered to do so, but surely there would have been no harm in checking up on the poor girl? He hadn't gotten any physical reprimand from Severin yet, as he was still working undercover in Jareth's castle, but the indiscretion was not to be left unpunished. The Goblin knew that much.

"I think it's time our lovely Sarah came home, don't you think?" Severin asked. Krougal fidgeted in his spot.

"Yes, My Lord." He answered. A sickly sneer spread across Severin's face.

"Very good. I want you to bring her here -but not right away. I want you to wait a day or two." He said. He had seen how surprised Sarah was with the announcement this evening. It was likely Jareth hadn't made mention of his decision at all. The aftermath of tonight was sure to bring about some interesting developments, developments that could only further his own cause. He'd give them a day or so, another day in which to spurn their love even further. The stronger Jareth loved her, the stronger the weapon she would be.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Krougal answered with a bow.

"You've failed me once already. I don't recommend doing so again." Severin said, sternly. A slight tremble ran down the Goblin's spine, knowing what tortures awaited if he failed a second time.

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Sarah sat against a cool stone wall, with her knees hugged to her chest and her cheek firmly pressed against them. It was cold. The frosty chill of the air nipped at her lips, but the massive layers of her gown kept her just warm enough. She sighed and squeezed herself tighter.

It was quiet. She was alone, finally able to think. She frowned into the stone floor of the balcony. For hours her mind had been at a nearly catatonic state, but now that she finally had the time and space to think...her mind drew a blank.

"Royally engaged...to Jareth, the Goblin King." She murmured, voicing the echo of thought that had been bombarding her all evening. Why? "Why didn't he tell me before hand? Why not prepare me? Couldn't he see how unsure I was to begin with?" She shook her head and frowned further. She didn't understand. As if I didn't have enough stress trying to deal with Severin... This night had been an emotional roller-coaster to say the least.

She'd had absolutely zero time to process the gravity of her situation once her and the rest of the world found out. She'd been forced to compose herself instantly. She had an image to present, and did her best to smile and look as thrilled as she should have felt.

Deep down, she was ecstatic, truly. Never in a million years did she picture her life in such a way; after everything that had happened...she deserved this. But, for some reason, it just wouldn't surface. For so many years, she'd been living in a false sense of optimism, convincing herself to be happy with anything and everything for the sole sake of her own sanity. But- after her time with Jareth... He'd stripped everything from her, to the very core. She was left bare and raw. There was nothing to hold her back, nothing to hide behind. The happiness she felt from there on out was true, but it was fragile. It was her wall of optimism that kept all her tortures and insecurities at bay, and Jareth had blown it clean away. She was thankful to him. She was free now, free of the chains around her heart and soul; but that meant that whatever was left of her had to be rebuilt from the ground up, and with everything that was going on -the scheming, the secrets, and surprise marriage especially- she was finding it difficult to hold the new pieces together.

She let out a long sigh and looked up. She gazed over the Labyrinth in all its blue and silver hues. This was the closest thing to the outdoors she'd had since being in the Aboveground. The fresh air made her feel revitalized, and calm -something she needed right now. She closed her eyes. Jareth, the Goblin King, my husband -forever. Queen Sarah, The Goblin Queen, wife to Jareth...forever. She murmured these sentiments over and over. How in the world did I go from maid to Queen, exactly? When did this change occur? Is it natural that I don't believe it to be true? Do I have a right to be skeptical? Or do I just put all my trust in Jareth? Like I always have...

Her mind drifted to the ball only a few hours ago. Her and Jareth's moment on the steps hadn't lasted long before the crowd demanded their attention. There were so many faces...so many smiling faces. Everything was moving so fast, everyone was talking so fast. She had no choice but to plaster a big fat smile on her face and go with the flow. There was no time to think. No time to react.

The crowd was eerie. So many smiles...she couldn't tell which were true and which were sneers. Who was an ally? Who amongst the sea of congrats actually meant it? Jareth was as sterile and composed as ever, constantly keeping one hand on her elbow at all times. He smiled, and accepted each and every congratulations with seemingly genuine gratitude. He didn't notice the worrying strain plaguing Sarah's smile.

The night progressed with no room to breathe. Before she knew it, they were in the center of a celebratory dance. She'd tried to speak up then, but her mind was still in shambles and whirled around her with the rest of the crowd. As the night went on, Sarah found herself building a dam between her conscious and the cacophony of thought crashing like tidal waves through her mind. She pushed it aside, and told herself that they would be returning to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City eventually...she would talk to Jareth then. Or...so she thought. By the time they returned, Jareth had abruptly deposited her in his chambers and left. He didn't give so much as a hint as to where or why. She sulked about the room, feeling more alone than ever. The whole night, Jareth had been at her side. He smiled, and held her close -but he never once spoke to her, and there was a level of detachment that left a cold chill on the back of her neck. She didn't like it, his distance. She didn't understand, what was going on, what was happening, why Jareth was acting the way he was, why it had to be a surprise?

She rolled her head and looked to the moon, and played over Jareth's declaration in her mind. He said I'm not a slave anymore...but I didn't even get a choice in my own wedding. Of course he didn't have to ask...but still... There was another pang of melancholy with that thought. As wonderful as tonight was, it was another reminder of the life she could never have, the life that was taken from her. At this point, her frown was so deep it may have hit the floor. Why am I so depressed? I should be thrilled! Exultant! I'm marrying Jareth! The man who creates, inhabits, and offers me my dreams... Why am I not happy?

She looked away from the sky and returned her gaze to the lonely tile she'd been studying for quite some time now.

"I am happy..." She murmured, because it was true. There was just so much shock to her system. She needed to talk, needed to talk things through with Jareth. His strange behavior, his reasoning for having Sarah at the ball in the first place...how could it not be a part of his plan against Severin? That seemed the clearest and most solid explanation. Why else would he marry a slave? He's risking everything for me... A very small part of her echoed that he was doing all of this because he loved her, that it was love that was making him so reckless -just like Severin had warned her of. She scowled this time. She so desperately wanted to believe Jareth loved her, but she was too guarded to let herself be disappointed and utterly crushed if she proved to be wrong. She cared for Jareth like nothing else, and didn't think she would be able to handle it if she let herself believe only to be dead wrong in the end. But what did that say about her? How did she feel about all this? She cared for Jareth, prayed for him, saw him as a savior. But did she love him? Could she even feel love? After all the pain...could she dare subject herself to the risk of a broken heart? Yes.

She felt his presence before she heard him. She didn't look up, and merely lowered her head back to her knees. Jareth stood for a moment, observing, and then hunkered down to join her on the floor of the balcony. He was quiet. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye; he had one leg extended, the other pulled up with one arm resting against his knee. He was staring straight ahead, gazing out at the stars that had so intrigued Sarah only a few minutes ago.

"You look very sad." Jareth said, after an eternal pause. Sarah let out a long breath, but still wouldn't look at him.

"I can't get my dress off..." She mumbled, which was true. After Jareth had left her so hastily, she'd tried removing her gown, but couldn't reach the tight knots of her corset. In a frustrated huff, she resided to simply let it be.

"I can help you, if you like." He offered, his voice was soft, careful, but had that familiarly delectable undertone. He knew that she wasn't very stable at the moment, and yet he let her deteriorate to such a state. Sarah hugged herself tighter.

"I'm fine." She said, and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. Jareth was quiet, and continued to observe. He wasn't quite sure how to go about this. He was still learning how to offer comfort. He'd expected Sarah to be lively and adamant, asking questions and demanding answers, for once he actually wanted to tell her what was going on. "You left rather quickly...is everything ok?" She quirked up. Jareth turned to glance down at her. Why was she so sad?

"Yes...I apologize. There were matters I had to see to." He said. Sarah slumped her shoulders, resting her full weight on him.

"Oh." She said, disappointed that she hadn't actually gotten the answer to what she had meant to ask. Jareth's brow drew on her.

"I had to meet with some of the men who were scouring the ball." He offered, sounding unsure of himself. Sarah quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I had eyes watching things...to make sure we were safe...and to watch over Severin's actions." He said. Sarah's depression lessened slightly, slowly being replaced with intrigue. She liked it when he told her things, knowing he really didn't have to. "I wanted to speak with them right away, hear what they had seen."

"And what did they see?" She asked.

"Nothing too unusual. Though, he left very quickly after Geoff's announcement." He said. Sarah scowled a bit. She'd momentarily forgotten they hadn't discussed the announcement yet.

"So, the night was a fail then?" She asked. Jareth shifted, and looked at her more intently.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You said the purpose of tonight was to gather certain observations..." She muttered.

"I don't believe those were the words I explicitly said."

"You told me you wanted to see the way Severin reacted to us. Did you get the kind of observations you were looking for?" Sarah's voice was small and sterile, and trembled slightly from the chill of the air. Jareth narrowed his eyes on her. He could have sworn it was distaste he heard in her voice.

"Yes." He answered. Sarah waited to see if he would elaborate. He didn't. She wanted to huff at him.

"Can I ask what?" She spoke timidly, and tensed as if expecting reprimand for asking.

"You no longer need my permission to ask questions, Sarah." He answered. His voice was soft, yet strong, as if trying to reinforce his words. The undertone in his statement held volumes.

"What was it that you found?" She reworded. Jareth took in a deep breath.

"He seemed unusually cheery while speaking with us, did he not?" He asked. Sarah tilted her head slightly, contemplating.

"Yes, now that you mention it...he did seem a little happy." She said, and scooted a little closer to him to escape the cold.

"I don't think it was the ale." Jareth said. There was a pause, but Sarah remained quiet, so he carried on. "I think...he was excited. To see you there. To see us together." Sarah's brow drew tight.

"What? Why? That makes no sense." Sarah said, while shaking her head from side to side. Jareth let out a long breath. There was so much she didn't know, so much he couldn't tell her -so much he would never tell her.

"It does." He murmured -distractedly.

Jareth had enlisted the aid of the Azuan Wood Imps to keep track of Severin's actions at the ball. Not much to his surprise, they had reported that he had been trailing circles around he and Sarah the entire evening. After the way their encounter had progressed, Jareth was sure of one thing -Severin knew. He knew about Sarah, and what's more is that he wanted Jareth to know that he knew. What he still wasn't sure of, was the extent of what he knew. It was obvious Severin had somehow found out that Sarah was a runner of the Labyrinth, but what else did he know? The idea of Severin plotting against him was understandable, what made no sense were the tactics he was going about in pushing those plots. Why had he given her to Jareth in the first place? Why was he letting him know so much of his true motives? If this all had something to do with what lay within her... no, the way he was going about it made no sense at all. Why was he so happy to see Sarah at the ball and yet went running for the hills when he found out they were engaged? The most obvious answer to that question would be that Sarah's part in this wasn't yet finished, which meant he was thrown off by this new added line of defense.

What ever was going to happen, it revolved around Sarah -as it always had. As long as he could keep her safe and secluded, all would be well. He needed to arrange their marriage fast, something large and public. An affair the scale of this would usually take months to plan, but Jareth would be damned if he left Severin with a window that large. In the meantime, he would keep her close. She was safe within the castle walls. Nothing could get in that he didn't want there.

"How so?" Sarah asked, her soft voice utterly shredding through his daze.

"He gave you to me, Sarah. He attacked you under my guard. Whatever he's planning, you are the key to it." He said. Sarah looked up at him then, all wide-eyed and curious.

"What? What do you mean, I'm the key?" It was her own voice that brought back the memory of Severin's prophecy you're his greatest weakness, and you'll be his greatest downfall... It was like a new meaning had come to those words. What did he mean? What's really going on? For the first time, Sarah began to think outside the box of her cage. All this time, Jareth had been saying Severin was plotting against him and she needed to be protected. But what else was behind those words? Why did she need to be protected? Why was she taken in the first place? Was there something more? Was it not just a random coincidence? Never had Sarah felt so out of the loop as she did at that moment. What wasn't Jareth telling her? She knew there were things concerning Severin that he kept from her, and up until now she'd been perfectly fine with it.

"He knows I care about you, that I will do whatever I need to to protect you. Any sort of connection is weakness, and weakness is easily exploited." He said. It was strange, the way he was tip toeing around the issue.

"He told me -the night in the cellar- he told me that I was your weakness...I told him that was ridiculous, that you had no weakness and if you did it certainly wasn't me. He'd said that maybe I wasn't, but I would be. Is that what he meant? When he'd warned me about telling you..." Her voice trailed off.

"Yes." Jareth interjected before she could find her tongue. Sarah's head darted up to his.

"You knew all this? He told me not to tell you or you would go to war, and here you are gathering troops. He said I would become a weakness, and here you are telling me I am. You knew all of this, and you let it happen? If he really is plotting something you're walking right into it. Why?" She babbled, confused, concerned, and desperate. There was so much she didn't understand. She'd been forcing herself to make the world and this new life of hers as simple as possible, when in truth it couldn't be more complicated. She'd been blind before, but now her eyes were starting to open and she'd be damned if she closed them again.

Jareth stared straight ahead, as if weighing a number of responses to give her, and then sighed.

"What Severin doesn't know is that even though I plan to walk straight into his clutches, I also plan on walking out with his head. If Severin wants a war, I will be ready." He said.

"I'm still not worth it." She murmured.

"You're worth the world." Jareth snapped, the words completely bi-passing his mental filter. Sarah tensed against him, but said nothing. "I vowed to you I would never let him harm you again. I will never let him get his hands on you again. I can't-" He cut himself off before he could spill anything further. He couldn't let her fall into Severin's hands. His life, his world, -her world, everything would be at stake.

"Jareth-" Sarah asked. Just the sound of his name on her lips was enough to settle his nerves. "How long have I been away?" She asked. He drew his brow on her.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"After...after I won Toby back, how long was I away? How long was it until you found me in Severin's dance hall?" She clarified. Jareth tensed. He hadn't expected such a dramatic shift in direction. Why was she asking that of all things? She still hadn't brought up their engagement.

"You were gone for four years." He answered, monotone.

"How long was it for you?" She specified even further. There was a pause.

"Forty-nine years, seven months, and twenty-three days." He said. There was a heavy silence between them. Sarah blinked at the tile floor. So I was right? That means the story Maab told me about really was me? And...everything Jareth had done...was because of me.

"That's...a long time." She said. Jareth seemed to ease up with her response.

"Yes...Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see you waiting Severin's ball." He said with a small, almost forced laugh.

"I'm surprised you even remembered me." She said. Jareth frowned. For someone so strong, she was so insecure. He blamed Severin. Briefly, he wondered what she would be like had she never been taken, had none of this ever happened to her. He imagined she would be a different kind of beautiful, full of light and empty of pain. He wished he could take away her suffering, take away all that held her back and marred her spirit. And yet, he loved the woman she was now. He loved her broken innocence, and the resilience of her soul. He wondered how she might change if she never went through any of it, and wondered if he ever could have fallen in love with her if she hadn't. He frowned. It was his love for her that had gotten her taken in the first place.

"No one else has beaten my Labyrinth, Sarah. That is a feat worth remembering." He said, putting his wayward thoughts on hold.

"Were you angry?" She asked. Jareth leaned his head back against the wall. Why was she bringing up the past all of the sudden? Surely she should be more concerned with her future?

"Yes...and no. You were gone a very long time, and time has a way of ...changing one's outlook on things." He said.

"You...when I fist came here...you said you wanted to hurt me. I don't blame you." She said, and dipped her head low.

"Theorizing, and committing, are two different things. I don't think I could have ever harmed you like that." He said. His voice was sharp and sterile. He didn't particularly enjoy the path she was leading them down. He could sense the self-loathing she was subjecting herself to. Why? Did she feel undeserving of becoming his Queen? Was that what this was about?

"Why?" There was a pause. Why was she fishing down this road? She was searching for an answer, a very specific answer, would he give it to her?

"Because you deserve better than that. It isn't right that you feel you should be hurt." He answered. Sarah scowled.

"I don't." She responded, sharply.

"Isn't that what you've just said? You don't blame me for wanting to hurt you? You ask me why I didn't? You're searching for a reason, and that's not right. You're stronger than that, I know you are." He said, and turned towards her. She was still staring at the floor, so he brought his hand to her chin and tilted her head up. "I know there is a fire lurking behind the mist in those eyes. Why are you acting this way?" He asked. His eyes scanned hers viciously. He didn't understand why she was being so desolate. Hadn't she been happy and full of smiles only a few hours ago?

Sarah stared into the brilliant blues of his eyes, the first contact she'd made with him since they left the ball. She felt her throat tighten as if to hold back a sob. What was wrong with her?

"Why didn't you warn me about tonight?" She blurted. Jareth froze, and blinked a couple of times.

"Warn you?" He asked, and became even more confounded by the clouds that gathered in her eyes. Why was she so upset?

"Don't act so baffled, Jareth. Why didn't you warn me we were getting married? With everything that was going on..." She called out, exasperated.

"I didn't think that was something that required a warning. And, I didn't want to burden you with the added pressure." He said, completely devout. Ignorance is bliss, was the obvious ideology of the night. Sarah stared at him intently, narrowing her eyes on his seemingly genuine face. He really doesn't understand? She asked herself. He returned her stare, and frowned. "Is that what's bothering you? Are you not happy about our engagement? I thought-" He started, and paused as he tried to find the words. "that would make you happy. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy." Sarah continued to stare, only now her brow sagged with worry.

"Jareth, why are you marrying me? I know it's because of Severin -I mean, giving me title will make me safer, I know that -but. I-I don't-" She cut herself off, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You just said I deserve to be happy, and that you thought this would make me happy. Are you doing this because you think you owe it to me? Because you don't. You don't owe me anything, Jareth. You've done so much for me already. You don't need to marry me. I'm more than happy the way things are. I don't need expensive dresses or prestige, and I most certainly don't need your guilt or pity. I just need you." She said.

There was a strange pause between them then. Jareth tilted his head slightly, and a ghostly smile haunted his face. His hand still held her chin, and began stroking it with his thumb. She was staring up at him with wide beaming eyes and a beautiful pouting frown. It made him smile further. There were times when she said things, things that gave tell as to what a fine Queen she would be. And this was one of them.

"I have never pitied you. And my guilt is my own, I will give you none of it, because I deserve all of it." He said, and tilted her head further so he could stare her straight in the eye. "But you do deserve to be happy. And I want to make you happy, tell me how." His eyes were soft, softer than she'd ever seen them.

"Ask me." She spat without thinking. Jareth blinked at her again, and she blinked back. "You said I'm not a slave anymore. That means I have a choice in my own life, but I really don't have any. You made the decision that I would marry you without even a thought as to my consent. A few hours ago I would have been fine with that. It wasn't my place. But...by your own hand..I'm not anymore. Which means it is my place. Marriage...should be one of the most important steps -decisions- in life, and as fucked up as my life has turned out, I would like it to stay that way -a decision. So, I want you to ask me. Ask me to marry you." She explained, all in one breath, and quickly darted her eyes away from him. She felt embarrassed all of the sudden, having to ask him to ask her.

Jareth narrowed his eyes a bit, and cocked his head to one side like he didn't understand.

"This will make you happy?" He asked, his eyes were significantly sharper. Sarah bit the inside of her lip and nodded as best she could. He was still holding her jaw. "Sarah, will you marry me?" He asked. He sounded both sure and unsure all at once.

Sarah pursed her lips in a sad little smile.

"Yes." She replied, and then a true smile creeped across her lips. The innocence and pure joy in her eyes made him smile as well. Was that all it took? Was it really that easy to make her happy? Then he remembered how grateful she was over the simplest of things -how not to take anything for granted. It was probably a mechanism she used to pull herself through the day. It was a bittersweet trait. It made her humble, and wise, but it was born of pain. He lowered his head and gave her a soft kiss, dismissing the thought.

"Come, let me help you out of that dress." He murmured into her skin and slowly rose them both to their feet.

---

Sarah stood against the railing of the balcony. The stone was cold against her bare feet, but the morning sun cast a warm glow that made it bearable. There was a soft breeze that blew open the slit of the blanket she held around herself, so she pulled it tighter. The Labyrinth looked so different during the night, it was so frozen and pristine, nothing like the lively, animated being it was during the day. She sighed and rested her jaw on the heel of her hand.

As she scanned over the scenery, her eyes caught on the changing walls and paths that moved throughout it. She stared on with awe and appraisal. How in the hell did I manage to solve this? She wondered, and then recalled all the help she'd gotten along the way. -Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo, even Jareth himself. They had all helped her... She frowned as her eyes made trails from one side to the other.

"Where are my friends?" She asked the wind. Maab had said that anyone with knowledge of that day had been taken away. What did that mean? Did Jareth kill them? She thought back to her days Aboveground. She'd continued talking to her friends for quite some time after she left, but after two years or so, they just stopped answering. Where were they? Where they ok? Did Jareth do something with them? She gripped the blanket concealing her otherwise nude body tighter. She didn't have any solid reasoning to think Jareth had hurt them, but then again, she knew he was more than capable of it.

She sighed and leaned further against the railing. She'd always been too afraid to approach the edge, they were so high up. But after last night...after this morning, she felt like the weight of stress and tumult she'd been carrying had started to melt away. It was uplifting. She felt...stronger, like she had some kind of reinforcement behind her shaky soul. This new sense of certainty was undoubtedly the result of Jareth's -endeavors during the late hours of the night and the wee hours of early morning.

A sly smile curled Sarah's lips with still-fresh memories of last night. Jareth could be so vicious and kinky, and then he could be soft and tender, and then he could be both all at once. She was too distracted to notice he had come up behind her.

"You shouldn't be out here wearing so little. You'll catch a draft." Jareth said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him.

"I like being outside." There was an awkward dot dot dot moment hanging on the end of her sentence. Jareth squeezed a little tighter and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I know..." He replied. The prospect of the great outdoors had been plaguing Jareth's mind for quite some time now. He knew how much she desired it, knew how caged she must feel, but it was too dangerous to have her outside the castle walls. Regardless of Severin, Sarah would always be a threat, a weakness to him. If anything -if anyone ever got their hands on her, it would be dealing with one Severin after another. The safest thing to do would be to keep her within the castle walls at all times, but he knew that would not sate her for long. If he was with her she would be safe...but he also wanted to grant her the freedom of being on her own. Needless to say, he was deeply conflicted over the matter. Thankfully, Sarah didn't seem to be pressing the issue.

"Jareth?" She quirked up. He answered by raising an eyebrow down at her. "I want to ask you a question...I'm not sure, I don't want you to get mad or anything." She said. Jareth became more attentive then, and moved to turn her in his arms so he could face her. "Do you know what happened to my friends?" She asked. Jareth's brow rose with her question. Friends? What- Then it clicked, the Dwarf, monster and knight. Truth be told, he hadn't thought of them in ages.

"Yes." He said, ominously. Sarah tensed a bit in his arms.

"What happened?" She noticed that Jareth always answered her questions directly and specifically, in the sense of the words she used. It reminded her of when Hoggle had told her she needed to ask the right questions. She'd never really thought about it until now. Jareth's brow drew on her, it was a look of discomfort, something that put Sarah on edge immediately.

"Well, my first thought was to have them executed." He said, and paused, catching sight of the gasp Sarah tried to hide. "But- you needed them, so I simply put them into -protective custody, you could say." He answered. Yes, he'd wanted to torture and kill each one after Sarah had left, but he couldn't. Sarah wanted them, needed them, and at the time her powers beaconed he oblige. But, they needed to disappear, to be kept safe. So, he locked them away. First in the dungeons beneath his castle...

"What do you mean? Where are they?" She asked, with just a hint of outrage, and hid the flare of relief at the fact that he hadn't killed them.

"In an Oubliette." Jareth answered. It was a fitting place, seeing how he forgot about them.

When Sarah returned to her world, there was nothing Jareth could do about it. He had begged, practically pleaded for her to stay, but she had refused. He was aware of the change that had occurred during her run, she needed to be protected -for his own sake- and that was why he begged her not to go. He needed to keep her under thumb, incase she and her burning will ever thought to use those powers again. But, she had left, which put Jareth in a dangerous position. She was safe enough in the Aboveground, beings from his world could only travel through very specific portals. Jareth was the only exception. his job -obligation- of Goblin King gave him the power to travel freely between the two worlds, this sole ability made him a very powerful King, but also a very prominent target.

With this ability, he was able to watch over the girl, keep her safe and out of harms reach. He even granted her a portal for which her friends could speak with her from their cells. As the years went by, watching Sarah grow and flourish became a chore, one that he grew to resent and detest. His anger fed from this, and turned him dark. He now hated the girl he once begged to stay. The sight of her smiling face made him cringe with disgust. It was like she was mocking him.

It was his anger that pushed him away. He became spiteful of her, and in a fit threw her friends from the comfort of their prison cells into an Oubliette, somewhere they would be safe and yet forgotten. Still, he continued to watch her, writhing in the sadness and discomfort she felt with the absence of her friends. Never once did she mention him, ask about him. From then on out, his visits grew far and few. He hated her. Hated what she had done to him. Hated that she hadn't stayed. After a while, he stopped watching over her completely. Spitefully ignoring her and refusing to admit she had any hold over him. That was the biggest mistake he could have ever made. In his anger, in his carelessness, he'd left the portal unguarded. It was only a matter of time before someone discovered it.

"What!" Sarah exclaimed, practically jumping at and away from him at once. "Why?" She asked. Jareth stiffened into a plank, his demeanor becoming dark with memories of the past.

"It is their punishment." He said. The hard coldness in his voice made Sarah back off immediately.

"I-Uh oh.." She stammered. She wanted to ask to see them, to know they were ok. But, if that was their punishment, then there was no point arguing over it. Jareth was the king, he could have done far worse to them if he wanted. She knew that much, and knew to appreciate it. "For how long?" She asked. Jareth took in a sharp breath. Forever. He wanted to say, but the hurt he could see pooling in her eyes made him hesitant.

"Depends." He answered.

"On what?" She asked, gaping up at him wholeheartedly. Jareth narrowed his eyes.

"Circumstances." He said. Sarah waited a moment. His stone mask wasn't budging on this. She drew her eyes away from him and turned in his arms.

"Oh...I'm just glad they're alive, and safe. Thank you for not having them executed." She said, recoiling into herself. Jareth frowned, he didn't want to displease her, but there was no way he was letting those fools out. Well, there was a way, but Sarah didn't know about it. And if Jareth got his way, she never would. The sooner this whole Severin ordeal was over the better. He could keep Sarah, keep her secret a secret, and all would be well. If there was no suspicion, there would be no digging, and maybe one day he really could let the fools out of their hole. One day.

"It is what you wanted. Them to be safe- to have the reassurance of their company..." He stopped himself. It reminded him too much of their encounter in the Escher room.

Sarah watched him out of the corner of her eye. He seemed -uncomfortable- with the course of their conversation. His eyes were hooded from her, as if he was thinking of something, something far away from her and their conversation. She knew that look, he was hiding something, holding back on her. She frowned. They'd had such a pleasant morning, she wanted it to stay that way.

"When will we be married?" She asked, changing the subject. It worked, as Jareth seemed to snap out of his daze with a blink.

"Soon. Within the next week or two. I would have us married right now if I could, but the scene needs to be public-" Again, he cut himself off, though this time Sarah knew why.

She had turned fully away from him now, and sighed as she sagged against him.

"I never pictured myself -my life- like this while studying for calculus at the MCC..." She murmured. Jareth's brow drew hard and sudden. His eyes snapped down at her profile. Never once had she really brought up her life in the Aboveground. She made brief references every now and then...but they were never direct. He'd wondered if she ever thought about it, how she felt about it. She was taken after all, would she want to go back? Given the chance? A flare of anxiety and anger bubbled through him in a nanosecond. There was no way in hell he was letting her go a second time.

There was a prolonged silence between them, with Sarah staring contently out at the Labyrinth and Jareth staring daggers into Sarah. The ease in her features both worried him and put him at ease. Did she even realize she'd said it out loud?

"Never in a million years did I picture myself marrying you." She said, with a smile. While it was genuine to her, it looked woeful to Jareth. He tried not to tighten his grip on her.

"What did you picture?" He asked, cryptically. His curiosity was only slightly higher than his reluctance.

"Graduation. Picking on Toby when he brought his first girlfriend home. Making just enough of a living to be happy. My parents-" She stopped. Her voice choked suddenly. It was as much of a surprise to her as it was to Jareth. She'd never spoken of these thoughts aloud. She'd contemplated telling Jareth one day, when she thought he would be ready -able to handle it. But the moment just seemed to happen. She gulped down a whimper and focused her eyes hard on the scene in front of her. There was no going back now. "I wonder what they're all doing. I wonder what happened to them after I left..."

The agitation radiating from Jareth was thick and palpable. What ever Sarah said next, it had to be closely maneuvered and manipulated. She'd never come so close to saying those cursed words in all her time with him. And he knew that if she said it, he would not be able to refuse.

"You miss them." Jareth murmured. Sarah's pursed lips quivered as she fought to maintain her composure. He sensed the unease in her, and felt the pull to comfort her, and also felt the pull to take her inside and gag her from speaking any further.

"I do." She said with a weak sob. "It's -it's not fair." She said, and couldn't help the tears pooling in her eyes. Jareth's newfound sense of compassion held her tighter. "Why did all this have to happen? Why? Why did I get taken here? Why couldn't I just live out my life-" She called out, not specifically to Jareth but in general. Jareth's jaw tensed. He knew exactly why.

"Sarah-" He started, and tried to turn her back to face him. He needed to calm her down before she said something drastic.

The sound of Jareth's voice rang through the brief whirl in Sarah's mind. There was a kind of sadness, hurt his voice that brought her back to the here and now. Her brow shot up when she realized how he may have taken what she said. She turned, and darted her eyes to and from his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" She said, and cut herself off when Jareth started shaking his head.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked. She bit her lip and looked away from him, practically bouncing on her toes from all the anxiety she was now feeling.

"I-I- I just..." She started, and failed. She didn't regret or want to take back any of her time with Jareth, but at the same time, she just wanted the life she never had. She wanted the choice to have the life she never had.

She was biting her lip so hard now she was sure she would draw blood, and stared up at him with wide pleading eyes. She wanted him to say something, something to make her feel better, anything.

"I understand your loathing and regret for this life, Sarah." His eyes were both soft and hard on hers. She could tell he was anxious, but she wasn't sure why. She interrupted him before he could speak any further.

"No! No -please. Jareth, I- I don't loath where I am now...I love it. I don't regret what's happened...with me and you. I don't. That's not what I'm saying, I just-" She cut herself off again with a huff. She just couldn't find the right words. Jareth cocked his head to one side, giving her his full attention as she sorted through her thoughts. "I- just -" She started up again. "I never got a choice. I never got to warn them, to save them from suffering or worrying over me. I never got to say good bye..." Her voice shrank as she spoke, and her eyes lowered to the floor. Jareth's hands gripped her upper arms, and tightened. "I just wish-"

"Sarah." Jareth's voice was harsh and sharp. His hands jerked on her, demanding her attention. Sarah's head snapped up to his, surprised with his sudden burst of energy. He sounded angry. Why was he so angry? Her eyes met his and were intimidated by the level of restrained rage he kept behind them. Holy shit. "I may have set you free, but I will never let you go. Do you understand that?" His fingers dug into her arms through the thin material of the blanket, enough so that she could feel the tremble coursing through him.

Sarah gaped. She wanted to cry. His reaction was so unexpected. He was so angry with her, so unbelievably angry. Only once had he really been angry with her, and it had resulted in him losing his head and almost raping her. The memory made her shiver, and frightened her further. She took a deep breath and withdrew from him. She knew it was too soon to bring it up. He wasn't ready for it. He thought she was asking to go home, to leave him. That's not what she was asking.

"Jareth, I- " She pursed her lips and looked away from him, afraid of the cold fire in his gaze. His hands were like vices around her arms, but she tried not to notice. "I'm not asking you to take me back. I know I can never leave. I'm yours, I've told you that, I know that. You own me now just as much as you did before." Jareth scowled. It was the truth, the very basis of their situation. She would only be as free as he allowed her to be, but was that really freedom? Or just another kind of servitude? Her logic, it was what he wanted but not what he wanted to hear.

"Sarah, I-"

"I just wish I could have said goodbye. That's all." She blurted, and slowly, semi-confidently turned her head back up to him. The look on her face said she expected a firm backhand.

Jareth's stare was cold, cold as ice. His eyes were fixated on her in a way that she'd never seen before. It made made her wince and recoil. He was quiet, eerily quiet and unmoving; she didn't understand. Did she say something? What was wrong with him? She furrowed her brow on him, confused. She could see the muscles tense in his face as he took a hard gulp, and sensed the tremor moving through his hands on her as if fighting back some dominating force. What? Was he angry? Or- no. It wasn't anger pouring out of him. It was something else, a conflict, a plague sweeping through trying to claim and destroy him from the inside out. Seriously, what the hell? She was beyond cautious, and wary when he suddenly broke eye contact and ushered her inside.

"Get dressed." He said, and practically pushed her through the doorway. She stumbled away from him, gathering some distance between them before turning back. Her shoulders were hunkered down in a stance that said she might bolt for the door at any moment.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, timidly. Jareth stepped closer to her. He was just as tense, but his eyes drooped in a strange, pained way. Seriously? What the hell? What is going on with you?! She was slowly evolving from being wary to frightened of his actions. Her eyes caught on his hands as they fisted at his sides. He was trying desperately to hold something back. For a moment, she thought he may lash out at her, but a creeping thought in the back of her mind told her this was something different.

"No." He said. The action of speaking seemed to break his tension, and let some mysterious kind of turmoil show through the cracks. He paused to lock eyes with her before quickly strolling over to gather up one of her dresses that had spontaneously appeared over one of the chairs. "Put this on." He said, and threw it at her. He then turned to continue pacing the room. She kept her eyes on him as she quickly shucked the dress over her head.

"Jareth, you're scaring me. Did I say something to make you angry? I'm sorry-" She started to ramble, but stopped when he was all of the sudden before her. His hands wrapped around each shoulder, straightening her up until she stood on the tips of her toes.

"You and your apologies...I'll punish you later." The sternness in his voice betrayed the allure of his statement, making it almost comical. She wanted to smirk at him, but she was too weirded out. He waited until she was fully situated in her clothing before continuing. "Turn around and close your eyes." He ordered. Her gaping mouth closed from any questions she was about to ask and did as she was told.

"Jareth, seriously, what's going on?" She gave in to ask, the tremble in her voice reflected the tremble in Jareth's fists. She almost jumped when she felt his hands gripping her shoulders once again. Only once had he been angry with her, and only once had she feared him. Her paranoia fed her fear until she was practically panting with anxiety. She waited for his next order, for the feeling of his hands against her body to shift, but it didn't. He was quiet, everything was quiet, except for the frantic and erratic pound of her heart. On and on it went -and then something changed. There was a shift in the air. She couldn't quite describe it, but it was definitely there. Her eyes were clenched so tight it pained her, but this small sense of curiosity softened her expression. She waited, and felt him take a few steps to stand in front of her. Her breath hitched in her throat. She knew the feeling of being teleported, but where had he taken her? And why? Did it have to do with punishment?

"Open your eyes." He said.

Rather reluctantly, Sarah did as she was bid and opened her eyes. Jareth was standing in front of her, taking up most of her view. The blue of his eyes burned her with their ferocity. She wondered why he was so close, and then realized they weren't in his bedroom anymore, they weren't even in the castle. She took half a step back and looked all around. They were outside. The sun was bright, and the grass was green. We're outside?... A breath of sweet serenity escaped her lips as she looked from side to side. That's when something else clicked. They weren't just surrounded by sky and grass, there was -a road? No, a sidewalk. What? It took her a minute to bring everything into focus. She felt -disoriented, shocked maybe. She took another half step back to widen her view, when all the air left her lungs.

Jareth quickly stepped in, occupying all of her view and taking her hard by the shoulders. Tears were already pricking her eyes.

"Sarah, I need to know. What is it you want?" His eyes scanned hers viciously, secretly pleading for something. Sarah blinked, fluttering her lashes furiously. She felt like she'd just been hauled off and punched in the face. Her mouth gaped open, and she shook her head in an effort to regain her equilibrium and respond to his question.

"What do I want?" She asked back. Her mind was still trying to wrap around their new surroundings. She heard birds chirping...children laughing...

"What do you want from me?" He specified. Her brow worried once more as she registered the silent dread in his eyes. He wasn't angry...he was upset, why was he so upset?

"I-I don't want anything from you. I told you, I just want you." She answered, and tilted her head as she observed the rampage of thought zoom through his eyes. The absence of anger in his eyes lifted a hundred pound weight off her shoulders, but was replaced by an even heavier weight of worry for both herself and him. Why would he be upset? What could he possibly be worried about? After a moment, he visibly relaxed.

"What else do you want?" She didn't understand. Why was he being like this? What was even going on? Jareth's stare was stone, urging her to respond. He wanted to give this to her, that was his curse, but more than anything he wished he had prevented this situation from ever happening. It was too dangerous. A line had been crossed that for the past 50 years Jareth had pretended didn't even exist. He thought he could manage it, keep it dormant. But it had all happened so suddenly just now. A dark realization plagued Jareth's mind. It was a foolish thought. He was a fool. Sarah scowled in confusion.

"I...I don't know. I want to see my family again. I can't leave you, I won't ask that, but at the very least I want the chance to say goodbye, the chance I never got." She said and shook her head, hoping that was the kind of answer he was looking for. This strange behavior started after she said she wanted to see her family again. Is that it? Why is that such a big deal? It was only a question.. Jareth just stared at her a moment, and then nodded and stepped out of view.

---

"Jareth?" Sarah murmured, just before a cascade of tears streamed down her cheeks. They were standing on the sidewalk, in front of a familiar white-victorian style house. She knew this place, it was like a dream. They were in the Aboveground. He'd brought her home. A huge smile consumed her face, and was instantly replaced with a grimace and even more tears. She brought a hand to her chest and turned her frantic eyes up to his. "What- Where-" She couldn't formulate coherent speech. So much time, so much had happened and in an instant she was home. She was home. Within the blink of an eye, it was like none of it happened. She was home. She was finally home. She felt an urge to bound up the steps and break down the door.

"This is what you want from me." Jareth said. His voice was low, devoid of emotion. Clearly, he wasn't nearly as happy as Sarah was by their new surroundings. She sniffled, and blinked away the awe. She was home, and Jareth was with her. He brought her home. Why?

"Jareth, what's going on? Is this real? Are we really in the Aboveground?" She asked. She'd turned her head away from her house, the image was too painful. Why are we here? Why would he bring me here?

"Yes." He answered.

"But- I- I've been gone for months..." She said and looked to the ground. She spotted her feet against the grey pavement. It was like bring in a twilight zone. She'd completely forgotten about sidewalks. It was then that she realized they were both in their Underground guises. "Wait, what if someone sees us!" She called out and then quickly scanned over her surroundings. There was no one in sight. Jareth remained passive and quiet. She wanted him to take charge of things like he usually did. Surely they should take some kind of cover?

"Sarah-" Jareth's interruption granted her immediate attention. He sighed. "You want to know what happened when you disappeared?" He asked. All her panic and confusion came to a screeching halt with his offer. He knows? He knows what happened to my family? How? For how long? She pursed her lips and nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "When you disappeared ...Your family was distraught -they still are. They blame themselves, but they don't know why. There was a brief investigation, but the lack of evidence suggested you ran away. Your family refused to accept this, they are still looking for you. Incase you were wondering, it's only been four months here." More tears swelled in her eyes, and she bit her lip to hold back any further sobs. She needed to keep calm, to think and absorb all this rationally, but she was finding it rather difficult to focus with the knowledge that her family -her life- was just a short leap and a knock on a door away. Why did he have to bring me here to tell me this? I could do well without the in-situ.

"I can't stay here. I can't see them. I can't. Why would you bring me back?" She asked. There was no way she could face her family if she had to leave them yet again. -Was that why they were here?- The pain and shock would be enough to destroy parties. Jareth's eyes hardened, brief aggravation surfaced and then mellowed out, but she didn't think it was her he was angry with.

"Because it is what you wanted." He said. His voice was clipped, but had an odd softness to it. It made her uncomfortable. This was all happening so fast, though she still wasn't sure what it even was that was happening.

"But- I can't see them, not if I'm going back with you." She said. Jareth took a deep breath.

"You wanted to say goodbye. You asked me to give you that opportunity. I'm giving it to you."

"Why are you so angry?" She asked, recoiling slightly. Her mind was in shambles -slavery, wedding, home. It was all too much.

"I'm not." He said, and even he could hear the disdain in his voice.

Say your right words, the Goblins said... Why did she have to say the words? Why did I think I could resist? That I could control the one thing that is completely out of my control? The moment, the compulsion, it had all happened so fast. And there was nothing he could do about it. He felt the pull, knew he had no choice. And now he was standing on a sidewalk in the Aboveground with Sarah in tow -something he wished to avoid at any cost. And it happened so effortlessly...this isn't good. He could only be glad she wished to say goodbye and not something more. He didn't anticipate it to be so strong, it certainly wasn't before. Everything I have done, I have done for you... That night. That pivotal moment when his whole world took a turn for the worst. The change, the hold she had over him, it wasn't nearly as strong as this. It caught him off guard. It infuriated him. His lack of control, her ignorance over the matter. How did this happen? How could he let this happen? He didn't understand. He'd hoped to keep it at bay, but he actually felt the urge to push it, to compel it into action. Why was that? What was going on? Was he no longer able to fight against it? He was more wary of Sarah and what lay within her now more than ever. A tragic accident. That was what had happened between them four -no fifty years ago. An accident... And most certainly a tragedy. If she only knew... If she only knew? After what had just happened, he found himself wondering if it would be safer if she knew. That way, she would know how to control it. ...But on the other hand, if she knew how to control it, she could use it against him. Love, it was an unstable force. Perhaps ignoring it was not the best course of action after all. Instead of fading out into nothing, it festered into something unknown.

"Do you trust me?" He asked. He could berate himself over the situation for centuries, but he needed to move things along. The sooner they returned to the Underground, the safer they, meaning he, would be.

"Yes." She answered, and looked him straight in the eye. He looked away from her for a moment, thinking, and then took her hand and led her towards the house.

"Come."

The walk up the front steps to Sarah's childhood home was the most surreal experience she'd ever felt. It was strange, seeing her home. Being home again should have been welcoming, but she was afraid, confused, and suspicious. Is this real? How could this be real? What is even going on. Why do I feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment? She felt like she should be frozen in shock and/or disbelief, but she was happy she was thinking clearly enough to walk without her knees buckling. This was really happening. She was home, and Jareth was leading her there. Wait, Jareth is leading me there? Jareth's hand was at the small of her back. He hadn't said a word. She paused before stepping onto the porch. He turned and looked down at her.

"Jareth, I-"

"Trust me." He said, and jerked her up the steps. He seemed irritated again, impatient.

"Jareth, look at us. Shouldn't we be wearing something a little less ridiculous?" She whispered, and watched as his hand rose and paused to knock on the door.

"Ridiculous?" He asked, and rose an eyebrow at her. She had the grace to blush.

"I mean, shouldn't we try to blend in a little more? And what about you? They have no idea who you are. What do I even say? Oh, hey Dad, Karen, I got kidnapped by a faerie Lord and was taken away to a magical world filled with Goblins and Ogres where I was enslaved for four months that was also four years before being bought/rescued by another Faerie who I am now engaged to? Just wanted to drop in and say hi and bye for the rest of eternity?" She rambled sarcastically. Jareth scowled.

"Do you trust me, or not?" He snapped, harshly. Sarah pursed her lips.

"Of course I do.." She said, and looked away from him. Without taking his eyes off her, he continued to raise his hand and knocked on the door.

---

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sarah bounced on her toes, still terribly confused and antsy as hell. With everything going on, she couldn't shake the thought that she was wearing a medieval gown and Jareth was, well...he was Jareth. What was his plan for all his? Did he realize her parents would pop a gasket when they saw her, let alone saw her with a man dressed like the lead from some Broadway rock opera? What would she even say to them? And how in the world could she bring herself to leave? How could she possibly say goodbye? She wanted to run away, to tell Jareth to take them both back to the Underground. And yet, he had graciously given her what she had asked for -an opportunity. How could she refuse when all he had done what she asked?

Something snapped in the dark midst of her thoughts, and she slowly rose her head to gaze at Jareth's profile out of the corner of her eye. Everything I have done, I have done for you...

She didn't have more than a second or two to ponder that thought when an echo of footsteps and laughter rumbled from behind the door. She gasped as all the air left her lungs, though this time it was from excitement rather than shock. Her skin prickled as all the hair on her body stood to attention. She knew that laugh. It was Toby. She looked up to Jareth again, more intentionally this time. He could have passed for a statue easily. Blood surged through her brain causing all her senses to heighten to an almost superhuman strength. She'd never been so excited.

"Sarah! Well it's about time you showed up!"

Everything stopped. It was by a single thread that Sarah's mind was held grounded to her body, and in an instant that thread was snapped. Tension became weightlessness. She felt breathless, like all the air had been stolen from her lungs, and at the same time she was alive in a way she'd never felt before. She was gone, floating in nothing but an echo. She could feel her face frozen in a smile that strained to remain confined to the contours of her face. She wanted to move, to react, anything. But she couldn't. She couldn't even blink. She was too far gone in a weightless mist.

Forever seemed to tick by as she choked on her own daze when a noise suddenly broke through.

"Better late than never."

Sarah blinked, an action that felt so rigid and aching it was like she hadn't moved in eons. She knew that voice. Her eyes, which were focused solely on Toby, were now able to actually process that it was Toby. At first, he had been beaming up at Sarah, but curiously, he turned his gaze to the side and looked up. His smile broadened. He's looking at Jareth? Jareth talked to him? He knows who Jareth is? He's smiling at Jareth? She whipped her head up as if panicked. She didn't notice how hard her heart was beating.

"Well, you're just in time for the cake. So, I'll let it go." Toby said.

Sarah blinked a second time. Her eyes were so wide she could have been mistaken for a frog. Toby - had responded to Jareth. What? Her eyes flashed from Toby to Jareth a hundred times over and she almost fainted when she caught sight of the small smile lighting up Jareth's face.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Jareth said. His gaze had been focused on Toby this whole time, and now turned to peer at Sarah. She looked...appalled. He cracked a smirk and turned his attention back to the boy.

"Toby!" Came a holler from down the hall. The voice became a face when the image of Karen came waltzing around a corner. "Toby! There you are. Come on, we're all waiting for you to blow out the candles! -Oh, Sarah! You're here!" Sarah was as stiff as a plank when her almost forgotten step-mother suddenly bounded up and wrapped her arms around her. "I wasn't sure when you were coming. You're just in time." She said and then pulled away. Sarah openly gaped. Her arms were pinned to her sides and her hands were tensed like claws. Her first instinct was to consume Karen in the kind of hug she'd never thought she'd give the woman, but she was too shocked. Pound after pound were hitting her psyche. Her eyes followed when Karen looked to the side -just as Toby had. "Jareth, it's so good to see you. You're looking well." She said, and moved away form Sarah to give Jareth what she considered to be a very formal "hug" followed by a kiss on the cheek on Jareth's part. Yet another blow.

"Thank you." Jareth said, and gave her a warm grin that Sarah knew was really just a part of his bravado. What in the world? "Toby said something about a cake? I hope we haven't kept everyone waiting." He continued. Karen stepped back and seemed to struggle to take her gaze away from him.

"Oh, no, nonsense. You're just in time. Please, come in, you two. Your father will be happy to see you, Sarah. It's been too long." Karen said and moved away from the door.

The end of Karen's statement brought instant tears to Sarah's eyes. It has been too long. Wait -what? How long? What the- She cut off her own thoughts to search Jareth's face for an answer. Sadly, his attentions were not on her. She wondered if he was purposefully ignoring her. She twitched back to the moment when Toby started speaking again.

"Come on, Sarah! Mom made a chocolate chocolate cake, your favorite!" He called out, and took Sarah firmly by the hand and started pulling her inside.

Sarah stumbled over her own two feet and almost toppled onto Toby. She felt Jareth's hand at her elbow ready to catch her, but she was able to stabilize on her own. She planted both feet into the floor and tightened her grip on Toby's hand and jerked him back. He swung around to face her, with a confused look on his face that soon turned to surprised when Sarah was suddenly on her knees and clutching him to her like there was no tomorrow.

" *cough* Sarah- What- are you ok?" He sputtered. She was squeezing him so tight one might think she'd seen a ghost. To her, that wasn't far off.

"Happy Birthday, Toby." She spat, much louder than intended. Her eyes strained wide in fear that should she blink the tears would be forced out. She sniffled and squeezed even tighter, ignoring his squirming. "I love you so much." She added. She didn't notice her entire body had been trembling until she felt Jareth's hand press against the back of her shoulder, bringing her back to the now. Toby was practically gasping for air by the time she let go.

"Love you too, Sarah. Hey, you ok?" He asked and gave her a raise of the eyebrow. It almost made her smile, it was a very Jareth expression.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Just allergies. Go on, lead the way. I'll be right behind you." She said while wiping her eyes. Toby gave her one final perplexing look before turning his attention to Jareth.

"Make sure she doesn't get lost, ok?" He asked.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Jareth answered, and with that Toby went skipping down the hall.

Once Toby was gone, the pair stood lone and silent in the doorway to Sarah's childhood home for a long moment before Sarah finally garnered to cognition to act. She turned to face Jareth and just -stared. He was staring straight ahead, looking very stoic and determined. It took him a minute to meet her gaze.

That was when Sarah noticed something -different, and was surprised that she hadn't noticed it sooner. Jareth looked...different. Very different, in fact. Why hadn't she noticed before now? His hair was short, vey short. She could see his ears -she made note that they were pointed. His facial markings were gone as well. He looked -remarkably human. It was strange, almost off putting. Her eyes slowly racked down and saw he was no longer wearing his trademark frilly shirt and tight breeches, but a dark blue sweater and jeans. What -the fuck. Was all she could think. She blinked rapidly and stepped back to look over her own self. She was also wearing jeans, and a cream camisole. Wha-whoa, when did that happen?

"Jareth- what the hell is going on." She demanded rather than asked. She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh.

"It's Toby's birthday." Jareth answered. He was still being stale and detached. It made her angry.

"No shit it's Toby's birthday." She spat and then clenched her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd never lashed out at him before, and was weary of doing just that. "Jareth. What's going on? Why were they expecting us? Why do they know you? How long has it been?" She asked, slowly.

"Sarah, I asked you to trust me-"

"And I am." She interrupted. "But how am I supposed to act if I don't know what's going on? Can't you see how much of a shock this is to me?" She tried not to sound too exasperated.

"You wanted a way to say goodbye...I assume that means also having a way of leaving. Those are two different things. I told you what happened with them originally. I knew this would be difficult for you so...I changed some things." He said, hesitantly. Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, to them, you never went missing."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"You never went missing. To them your life carried on like everything else." He spoke slowly. There was slight restraint to his voice, but she couldn't tell why.

"But how- how were you able to do that? Did you reorder time? How could you do that and have it not affect me? I don't-" She didn't understand and she didn't really have the ability to rationally think about it.

"I did more than simply reorder time. I changed it. Time in your world is malleable, whereas time in the Underground is simply naught. The rules are different. I can change the way people perceive time and reality in this world, but I hold no such power in mine. That is why things change in this world and remain constant in mine." He said. Sarah looked at him with a scrunched brow, and thought hard.

"So...they only think I wasn't gone? Is that what you're saying?" She asked.

"More or less."

"What else did you change? How do they know you?" She asked again. This time, Jareth tilted his head and reached out for her hand. Her eyes flickered as he brought it up to eye level.

"They know me because I am the one who married their daughter." He muttered, and kissed the diamond that was now dawning her ring finger. She almost gasped.

"Wait- Toby's only six. How long has-"

"It doesn't matter. The course of time is irrelevant. All they know is that their lives and yours are in every way normal. You went to school and married me. That's that." He said, and lowered her hand.

Sarah took a deep breath and a moment to process. Rational was slowly trickling back into her brain. Ok...I can handle this. I can do this. Just don't freak out. Do not have a mental break down. You can do this, Sarah! She lectured over and over. Jareth watched with seeming indifference. Deep down, she knew she should be wondering why he was acting so closed off, but there was a millennia's worth of other concerns pressing down the matter. She'd come back to it later. The moment ended with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Ok. I can do this." She said, and glanced up to lock eyes with Jareth. "How long are we staying?" She asked. His eyes turned hard, but he tried to hide it.

"Not long." He said. She frowned slightly, but knew she should just appreciate everything he was giving her. She learned from Severin long ago that any kind of greed spelled pain in the end.

"Ok, just the cake then. Thank you, Jareth." She said. Jareth's eyes softened, just a tad. He wanted to make her happy, even more than he wanted to take her far far away from this place. It was a strange war ramming around in his brain. He forced a smile and ushered her forward.

"Better get a move on, I promised I'd see you through." He said and pressed against her lower back. She paused, and turned so their torsos were face to face and wrapped her arms around him in a vice-like hug that caught Jareth off guard almost as much as it had when she'd done it to Toby.

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this. Thank you, so much." She murmured and let out a deep breath. Jareth felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, if only slightly, and brought a hand to thumb the back of her head.

"If you don't hurry along, they may very well start without you." He said. Sarah pushed away, meeting his gaze with a smile. With her new resolve, she was too overjoyed to worry about Jareth. She clasped his hand and pulled him down the hall.

---

"Sarah! There you are!"

The sight of Sarah's father holding Toby's birthday cake brought another tear to her eye. They locked eyes for a moment, but she was easily drawn away by the commotion going on in the rest of the room. There were about ten or so other children piling up around the table. I thought I heard kids laughing... Toby was at the head of the table, bouncing up and down impatiently as their father carried the cake front and center like a ceremonial torch. Karen was off to the side, already scooping ice cream onto tiny paper plates. She noticed that there were indeed six candles on Toby's cake, and couldn't help but recall that Toby's birthday was only a few months away at the time she had been taken. It's only been four months and I'm already married? They're ok with that? She was still wrapping her head around Jareth's explanation of just exactly what it was he did, but didn't dwell on the matter.

With the cake now placed in front of Toby, Sarah's father was free to circle the band of children in an attempt to greet her. Sarah found herself snickering. They reminded her of the Goblins.

"Sarah, I'm so glad you were able to stop by. Jareth." He gave Sarah a warm hug, followed by a firm shake to Jareth. She noticed that her parents "relationship" to Jareth was rather impersonal and wondered if he fabricated it that way on purpose.

"Dad-" Sarah called out and threw her arms around her father, who stumbled back with surprise.

"Well, I missed you too. It hasn't been that long has it?" He asked with a laugh. Sarah tensed her jaw in an attempt not to get emotional again.

"I -it's just. Ahh, I missed you guys." She said, and reluctantly withdrew herself form his embrace. Jareth watched with strict attention.

"And we all miss you." He said and turned to glance at Karen, who gave a them all a smile.

"Sarah!" Toby called out from across the room. "Help me blow out the candles!" Sarah smiled and went to take a step, but paused when Jareth's hand was suddenly around her wrist, keeping her in place. She looked up, confused. He seemed rigid, on edge. Ok, seriously, what's going on with you? She wondered. After a split second, he released her and looked away as if trying to cover up the gesture. She scrunched her brow further and moved away. No time to ponder. They were on a time constraint.

Jareth's indiscretion was soon forgotten somewhere along to walk to Toby's chair. She took a place beside him and leaned down.

"Know what you're going to wish for?" She asked. She didn't see Jareth's demeanor sharpen.

"Yepp. You?" Toby replied. Sarah tilted her head.

"Well..." She started and snapped her eyes up to Jareth. She gave him a flirtatious eye in the darkened light of the kitchen and was almost thrown off by the look of black rage and...something else that she received. It made her frown. She turned her attention back to Toby. "It's not my birthday, I can't make a wish." She said. Again, she failed to catch the sag of relief in Jareth's shoulders.

"Who's ready to sing?" Karen chirped in with a clap of the hands. As if on reflex, Sarah's head darted up to Jareth's. She wasn't sure why, but it wasn't until then that she remembered Jareth could sing. Of course, she could never forget the way he sang to her in the peach dream, but she hadn't ever given thought to it any time recently.

Jareth looked as unaffected as ever. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were locked on Sarah. He looked angry -impatient. She frowned further. Maybe she wouldn't get to hear Jareth sing again after all. She shook away the disappointment when Toby began bouncing up and down again.

"Happy Birthday to you..."

---

The next half hour went by far too quickly for Sarah's liking, but she wasn't about to ask Jareth for an extension. He'd given her what she wanted, more so actually. She didn't think she could ever thank him enough. She still missed her family, and was both sad and reluctant to go, but she had a new kind of security she didn't have before. She couldn't stay, she knew that, but at least she didn't have to leave them in the manner that she had before -without word or trace. They were happy. They wouldn't worry about her, where she was, what was happening. It gave her hope. She wasn't about to press her luck anytime soon, but maybe in time...she could ask to come back again. She didn't know Jareth could mold Aboveground reality like that. Maybe...she would see them again. Hope. It was the first thing she threw away when she was taken. And now, Jareth was giving it back. He really was her savior.

"Goodbye Dad." Sarah said with a bittersweet smile. She clung to him fiercely, never wanting to let go, but there were others waiting. She turned and moved on to Karen. "It was so good seeing you all." She said as she hugged Karen, just as fiercely. She spotted Jareth speaking with her father out of the corner of her eye and wondered what they were saying.

"Feel free to come by as often as you wish." Karen said and pushed away to hold her at arms length. "You look wonderful, Sarah. I'm glad to see this man is taking such good care of you." She said, and roamed her eyes over to Jareth.

"I do my best." He answered, humbly. Sarah wanted to huff at the display, but refrained. It was still so surreal seeing her parents interact with Jareth. She heard an echo of laughter and rough-housing booming from down the hall and wondered where Toby had run off to.

"Toby!" Karen hollered. "Come say goodbye to your sister!" Not a moment later, Toby's cheery face zoomed around the corner.

"Goodbye, Sarah!" He yelled and hauled himself into her arms. He was hyper, and heavy. Sarah stumbled back.

"Oof. Geez, Toby, you're getting to big to be doing that." She said, and nuzzled a kiss into his hair. "Have a happy birthday. I love you." Toby squeezed his arms around her neck.

"I love you too. I miss you. Come by more." He said. Sarah sighed.

"I will..." She murmured, feeling a little guarded by Jareth's attentive ears. "Toby." She said and pulled away from him. "I'm gonna miss you, kiddo. Be smart...stay in school...drugs are bad and girls won't always be icky." She said. It sounded odd, even to her. But she didn't know if she actually would see him again, so she figured she should say something slightly insightful. Toby just raised his eyebrows at her. She smirked and shook her head. "Go. Go have fun with your friends. I'll see you soon." She said, and just from the look in his eye, she thought she really would.

After a few more minutes of inappropriately emotional goodbyes, Sarah moved to take her place beside Jareth at the door, who seemed more relaxed now that they were leaving.

"Ready?" He asked. She noticed the small upturn in his voice. The staleness was fading. She drew her brow.

"Well...no. But, yes. We've had cake and I've said goodbye. That was why we're here...so we can go back now." She said with a faint smile. Jareth seemed to smile and frown all at once. She found it hard to gauge him.

"Come." He said, and ushered her through the door.

---

Sarah knew what to expect upon crossing the threshold this time around and wasn't surprised in the slightest to find that instead of stepping onto the porch, they were now in fact back in Jareth's chambers. She stepped away from him and looked all around like she had been away for years. It was strange, these surroundings seemed more familiar to her now than her own home. It was a sobering realization, and one that she wasn't sure she should be happy about. She stopped her pacing and turned back to Jareth.

"Thank you, so much." She said -again. Jareth stood, stiffly it looked. He hadn't moved yet.

"You've said that already." He said.

"I know...it's just...I can't...I can't tell you how happy you've made me." She said, and paced back to him. It was upon closer inspection that she realized the reason he looked so stiff was because he was fighting himself not to sag. His shoulders were tense, but slumped and there was a downturn in his eyes that made him look exhausted beyond all repair. It was then that something clicked. "Jareth? Are you alright?" She asked, and brought her hands to trace all along him, as if searching for the problem. Jareth straightened immediately and recoiled.

"Yes. I'm fine." He said, and walked away from her. He tried to hide the stagger in his step, but failed. She rushed to his side.

"Jareth. You're clearly not ok. What's wrong? It is the time thing? I know you get worn out from messing with time..." She muttered more to herself, mentally piecing two and two together. "Oh my gosh! Jareth, you did so much just now! You must be exhausted!" She grabbed his arm as if he might fall over at any minute. He came to a jerking halt and turned to face her.

"I am fine." He almost snarled. Sarah was taken back a minute by the snap in his voice, but then realized that he probably wasn't keen on showing weakness. She wanted to put her hands on her hips and lecture him. He could be so damn proud sometimes, when all she wanted to do was help him.

"You're not." She said, sternly. He glared and continued to walk away from her.

"Jareth! Please. You must have used a lot of energy to do whatever you did. Please, lay down, or sit at the very least. Let me take care of you." She called out, and tried jerking him back again. He paused, as if he was mauling over her request, and then looked to her with a quizzical eye.

"Take care of me?" He asked, and sounded vaguely offended by the phrase. She wanted to roll her eyes at his God forsaken pride.

"Yes, take care of you. That's what wives are supposed to do for their husbands. I know you're worn out. You don't need to be so stubborn. Please, just sit down." She was practically pleading with him. Jareth's brow drew slightly, like he didn't understand.

"I'm supposed to take care of you. I can't do that if you're taking care of me." He said. His voice was stern, but she could see the overwhelming exhaustion in his eyes and knew he wouldn't fight for much longer.

"You do take care of me. Let me make up for it." She was giving him full on puppy dog eyes at this point. Disappointingly, his eyes hardened further.

"You have nothing to make up for. You owe me nothing. Do you understand that?" If he wasn't so tired, he would have been snarling. Sarah pursed her lips.

"Ok, and you owe me nothing. We're equal, on a level playing field. And by the way, taking care of one another isn't a contest. No one's keeping score." She said, with her own bit of snarl. Jareth stared at her hard for a moment, testing her, or testing himself. She couldn't tell. After a minute, he exhaled through his nose in a clear sign of defeat.

"If you expect me to lay down, you'll have to join me." He said, with just a hint of deviousness. Sarah narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in an effort to hide her victory smirk. She then took his hand and led him towards the bed.

---

What ever naughty possibilities Sarah was hoping for upon reaching Jareth's bed, she was mildly disappointed. Watching Jareth undress was fun enough, but no more than five minutes after his head touched the pillow was he down for the count. She was cuddled up against him, his arm around her became weighed down with the deadpan of his slumber. She giggled inwardly, and gave herself a satisfied smirk. He was a statue beneath her, seeing him now, it was a wonder he kept himself upright as long as he did. It was a good feeling, to be the one looking after him for a change. He'd always been so strong. This was one of the few times he'd ever been vulnerable to her. It reminded her of the night she first shared his bed. It also reminded her that there was something going on with him that she needed to confront him about. Why was he so hasty in taking me back? And why was he so agitated during the whole experience?

She thought over these questions as she lay against him. The steady rise and fall of his chest was soothing, but laying stationary with nothing but the clocks for company did little to quell her thoughts. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but nothing came. She glanced over and saw it was only about six o'clock. How long would Jareth be out for? She didn't think she could handle just laying there for however many hours until he woke up. Would he even wake up tonight? How worn out was he exactly?

Her thoughts turned from Jareth's mood to Jareth's physical wellbeing. She knew time alteration was hard on him...and yet he went through with it anyway, he went above and beyond -just for her. He didn't have to. He didn't have to do any of it. She frowned. She wanted to repay him somehow, do something good for him. But what could she do? She thought and thought and couldn't come up with anything of substance. All she really did was keep Jareth company and file his paperwork -Wait, that's it!

She thought back over the days. They'd been so busy, she tried to think of how much work Jareth had missed, with the ball and now today. He must have so much work to catch up on! That's when she got an idea. It was small, but it was all she could really offer him.

She peered up and examined the profile of his face. He looked like a statue, utterly content in his sleep and in no hurry to wake up. She carefully lifted his arm so she could wriggle out of it and pushed herself to the edge of the bed. When she was sure he wouldn't stir, she stood and made her way away from the bed.

I can sort through his affairs...file some papers...make his work load a little easier when he wakes up...hmmm, it's a start. She thought as she creeped up to the door. She paused and sucked in a breath as she turned the knob. She heard the latch click, and slowly eased it open, praying it wouldn't creak. She opened it just wide enough to squeeze through, and shut it behind her with just as much precision.

Once out in the hall, she began to breath normal again. There was a small skip to her step as she headed from Jareth's chambers to his study. She just felt...so happy. She couldn't imagine her life getting any better -well, she could. It would involve her family and the Aboveground and Severin with his head on a spike, but she kept her daydreams more realistic. At least she had hope of maybe seeing them again, that was something.

She came upon the door to the study and pranced her way inside.

---

Sorting through Jareth's daily affairs took longer than anticipated. His paperwork was much more backed up than she thought, and she was actually worried by all the information Jareth had yet to process. She did her best however, sorting out a good deal of the mass as junk and irrelevant Goblin garble. The rest were either summons, contracts, bills, or other papers Sarah wasn't sure what were for. When she was done, she smacked her hands as if wiping them free of dust and looked over the now organized desk and filing cabinet.

"Well, I hope that helps." She said, proudly and made move towards the door. She paused just a few feet from the door. She heard something, something coming from the other side. For a moment, she thought that perhaps it was Jareth, but then realized she wouldn't hear Jareth arriving, he would have simply appeared.

She continued to hesitate, but curiosity got the better of her, and urged her hand to take hold of the door handle.

She pushed the door open wide, and let light from the study illuminate a portion of the hall before stepping out into it. The noise, it was louder now, but more of an echo. She heard sloshing...and garbled murmurs. ? She took another step and peered further down the hall.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and a booming echo radiated through the hall. The sound made her flinch, but she was soon sated by the appearance of a barrel rolling around the corner. What in the? She heard the voice shout something incoherent and waited.

By the time the barrel had rolled to a halt at Sarah's feet, a silhouetted figure emerged from around the corner. She couldn't see very well, but she could tell it was a Goblin, and it looked like it was carrying something - a lot of something. As the figure approached, she realized it was muttering curse words under its breath. It must have dropped the barrel.

"Excuse me?" She called out to the creature, and bent down to pick up the fallen barrel. The creature stopped dead in its tracks. "Um, hello? Would you like some help?" She asked. The creature seemed to fidget, and then continued its approach. It turned so she could see it once it was in the light. "Oh! Krougal! I didn't realize it was you!" She beamed, and then made the connection that they were barrels of wine that he was carrying. The Goblin continued to fidget, looking unsure of himself. She assumed he was just struggling to hold his steep of barrels.

"Sarah! Well...if it isn't you. It's been a while. I was wondering when I'd see you again." He said, strenuously and shifted the barrels in his arms. Sarah marveled at how he could manage to carry seven at once.

"Yea...the ball seems like forever ago, doesn't it? Hey, would you like me to help you with that?" She asked, bright and cheery. Krougal stared at her for a moment, weighing something.

"There's no need for that. These barrels are heavy." He said.

"Well, what are you doing with them anyway?" She asked.

"I'm refilling the stock in all His Majesty's rooms. His study was my next stop." He explained. Sarah pursed her lips.

"Oh, well, I don't mind. I'd like to help you. It'd give me a chance to learn more of the castle." She said and curled her arms around the barrel. Krougal smiled and shifted again.

"Well, if you really want to, I wouldn't mind carrying one less barrel at a time." He said. Sarah gave him a wide grin and stepped out of his way as he made move to enter the room. She followed close behind and observed as he unloaded one of the wine barrels into the distributor cart by the desk. "One down." He said, and headed back into the hallway.

"So, where's the next stop?" Sarah asked, after a few minutes of walking. Krougal seemed...different, but again, she put it off to the strain of carrying so much bulky weight.

"Oh, a few lounges, entertainment rooms...I've already hit the main wings of the castle. This is my last route." He said and paused. "...I must say, Sarah. I really wasn't expecting to run into you. Might I ask what it is you were doing?"

"Jareth's sleeping, so I thought I'd work through some of his paperwork for him." She said, and smiled at the fact that she could openly refer to him as Jareth now.

"His Majesty is...sleeping?" Krougal asked. Sarah noticed he hadn't criticized her for calling him by his given name. Maybe he knows we're engaged? She wondered.

"Yea...I wasn't tired. So I figured I'd do something nice." She answered. Krougal was relatively quiet after that, which didn't really affect Sarah's good mood. They'd almost finished stocking the remaining rooms, there were only a few barrels left.

"His Majesty can't be expecting you...or you wouldn't have volunteered to come with me?" Krougal piped, just before opening a door. Sarah shifted the barrel she was holding.

"Uhm, no. I figure he'll come to me when he wakes up." She said and waited for him to open the door. Krougal pushed the door open and stepped inside, waiting just beyond the threshold as Sarah followed.

She took a few steps and paused. She knew this room. We're in the Mirror Room? Wait..why- She turned around when she heard the door close behind her.

"Krougal? Why are we in here? There's nothing-" She started to say, but paused when she saw Krougal standing directly in front of the door, staring at her. Ok...this is kind of weirding me out...

"Oh!" He yelped. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize...sorry, wrong room." He said and turned to reopen the door. She gave him a quizzical look, and watched as he stepped back into the hallway. He turned to her and saw she was hesitant. "You coming?" He asked. Sarah paused, then blinked and shook her head of her confusion.

"Uh, yea, yea." She said and quickly stepped into the hall. She was busy with the thought that you had to know where you were going to get anywhere in the castle...so how could Krougal end up in the wrong room? She was a little lost in thought, and was about to start walking when she realized Krougal wasn't. She looked over.

He had shut the door. But something was different. She narrowed her eyes to figure out what and saw that there was something on the door -something that wasn't there before. It was silver...a pendant, like the one Jareth used to go to Geoff's castle. Sarah's eyes widened immensely. The symbol...it was a fish staked by a longsword. She knew that seal. It was-

Suddenly, Sarah felt all the blood drain from her face. She dropped the barrel and lunged at the door, but by the time her hand reached the handle, Krougal had withdrawn the pendant from the wood. When she opened the door, she saw nothing. No mirrors, no red stone, nothing. The pound of her heart beat flooded her ears and her blood began to boil. She took a step back and beamed down to Krougal, ready to fight for her life.

"Krougal, what is-" She started to say, when her eyes caught on the object in his hands. She looked from that, to his face and back again. He looked -pained, extremely pained, like he'd just behaved very badly as was about to receive a good lashing. It was the look Hoggle had given her after she'd bitten the peach, after he had betrayed her. That's when she realized that was just the case. The pendant...he must have put it on the door when I wasn't looking...but -but. "Krougal...what have you done?" She asked, slowly. Maybe, maybe there was still a chance she could save herself. He was her friend...Maybe she could get him to open the door.

Krougal looked to the floor, ashamed. He cursed under his breath and quickly turned and ran down the hall, disappearing into the shadows. True panic burst through her now. She wanted to chase after him but she was frozen in place. She turned and tried pulling on the door again. Nothing. There was nothing there. She knew that seal. She'd seen it a million times over. She'd passed through the door. She'd willingly passed through the door. Krougal...Krougal is a traitor? why? WHY? She started jerking on the handle out of sheer stress and panic, losing all her self control fast. .NO. This isn't happening! This isn't happening! She began pounding on the door, knowing no one was on the other side. How did this happen? How could it have happened? NO. Jareth will protect me. He said he would protect me! Jareth...please, please.

Fear and panic raged like a force straight out of Hell through her body and mind. How could she be here? How could he have taken her here? Why? Would Jareth hear her? Didn't she have a protection charm? Something was about to happen, something immense and horrible, she knew that much. She needed to get out. Get out now. She needed to get back to the castle, the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. That's when something hit her. She wasn't in the castle anymore. She wasn't even in the Goblin Kingdom. She was far, far away, in a place Jareth had promised she would never be again. She could feel the shadows of the hall curling around her. She suddenly remembered why she was afraid of the dark. She remembered why she held no hope. She closed her eyes and prayed, prayed that this was all just a nightmare, prayed that it wasn't real. She choked back a sob and screamed.

That seal. She knew that seal. A fish and a sword. That was the seal of the Eastern Sea Kingdom. That was the seal of Severin.

"Jareth!"

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A/N- Oh no! How the hell did that happen? lol Hmm Jareth was so worried about preventing people from getting into the castle that he may not have thought of preventing people from getting out ;D I feel like a lot went on in this chapter, I hope it wasn't overwhelming. Lot's of info has been revealed, though it's still in pieces. So, Sarah's been taken DUN DUN DUN. Get ready for awesome epic-ness and a more coherent reveal of just exactly what the fuck is up with Sarah and these ominous, over-dramaticized powers of hers. I'm excited for where I plan to take this story, because I'm betting you won't see it coming -or at least I'm hoping so. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for next time.=)

-FGBX