A/N: Well Im finally finished Uni for the year so i can concentrate on writing again! the last 3 months were horrible and im finally on holiday so I plan to make the most of it. Here is an extra long chapter for you all! Im sorry its taken so long to get out.

I dont own labyrinth or its characters, only what has been created by me and the plot line.

Thank you so much to my wonderful beta Phantomsecretlove

Chapter 25

Acceleration

Dawn broke spectacularly over the Labyrinth and with it woke all of its creatures. Nemo the leopard cub blinked sleepily from where it was lying in its basket at the foot of the newlywed's bed. Dragging himself gracefully off the pillows he padded silently over to the balcony door and using his nose he opened the doors and a warm breeze ruffled the white curtains stopping short of waking the couple. Stretching in the sun Nemo looked around the expanse of the Labyrinth and a sprig of climbing jasmine caught his attention as it hung over the balcony and was teased by the wind.

Lowering himself to the floor the cub stalked a stray sprig silently, the lone hunter. Wiggling his backside in the air he took off and overleaped tumbling over the balcony-rail he let out a panicked wail, which switched off in surprise when he was caught mid-fall by the garden fairies who had been frolicking in the jasmine plant further down. Placing him back on the balcony they spoke to him solemnly about jumping off high places and Nemo shrugged his elegant shoulders reminding them and himself that he is a cat.

He rolled in the sun for a while then wanted to eat. His mother was still sleeping with her mate unaware of her little cub. He padded over to the bed, and then around it looking for some way to wake her, frustrated he sat down and made a high noise at the back of his throat

On the bed Jareth opened his eyes, and without really thinking about it he created a crystal with a flick of his fingers and sent it over to the cub, it popped and revealed breakfast. Nemo began to purr as he ate and with a half smile Jareth closed his eyes inhaling Sarah's scent. He was loosely spooning her body giving her some space as she slept. He let his eyes wonder over her bare shoulder and over her exposed neck loving the way her dark hair contrasted with the white pillows and her pale skin. Leaning forward he gently brushed a kiss on her shoulder he watched fascinated as her dark eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings on her pale cheek as she woke up. There was a flash of emerald green when her eyes slit open, then it was gone behind heavy black lashes when she closed her eyes against the light. Jareth chuckled the sound vibrating through his chest and into her body. Her eyes opened again and amusement glittered in their depths. She turned in his arms and he was face to face with his new wife and queen.

"Good morning Sarah." He remarked casually letting his gaze drift over her uncovered breasts, she blushed; the memories of their first night spent together, heated her blood and filled her eyes with warmth. "Morning Jareth." She snuggled into his chest loving the soft texture of his naked skin against hers. This was how it was supposed to be, he mused silently pushing a piece of her long dark hair behind her ear. Just then there was a deep purr off the side of the bed and Sarah turned her head, horror and anger leaped over her face.

"Jareth! Did you give him raw meat again?"

"Maybe" he rolled his eyes at the cub whose muzzle was completely covered in blood.

"Jareth you know I've been giving him rare meat and kibble to keep him clean!"

"Yes and?"

"You gave him raw bloody meat."

"Yes I did."

Sarah lifted an eyebrow and waited for him to explain himself. Jareth frowned at her, he was not going to explain that it had completely slipped his mind that she didn't want Nemo to eat raw meat, rather he flicked his fingers again and the cub was completely clean again.

"Happy?" he asked sardonically

"Very," she smirked

"That's good to know." He replied lightly letting her laugh roll over him.

At that moment Nemo leapt onto the bed, the not-so-small cub barreled in-between the couple and lay down. Both gave him a look that he ignored and instead chose to lick his big paws.

"He's worse than a child you know." Jareth remarked giving the cub a very unfriendly look.

"Yes and don't you love it that you gave him to me." She got a dirty look, which she returned with her tongue added in. Nemo then placed his paw on her stomach and laid his chin on it eliciting a squeal from Sarah,

"Nemo get off, I can't breathe!" The cub yawned at her while Jareth laughed.

"Jareth do something, I think my face is turning blue."

"It looks the same as usual Sarah don't over exaggerate."

"Jareth." Sarah all but growled and Jareth relented with a smile. Nemo snorted opening his pale green eyes and then sat up confused, what was he doing in the garden under the balcony?

Back in the room Sarah and Jareth had curled up close to one another again. "You know," Sarah smirked at him, "you can't do that to our child when he or she," she quickly added, "comes between us."

Jareth opened his mouth to reply when a timid knock came from the huge chamber door. The couple started and sat up. The knock came again and Jareth's lips thinned in irritation. Sarah threw a look at the door and then snuggled up to her husband.

"If you ignore it, it will go away." Sarah whispered into his neck inhaling his scent. She laid a soft kiss below his ear and smiled up at him. A small smile began on his lips, "I…" the knock came again cutting "I'm" off. Cold rage descended over his face and he sat up, "What?!" he all but roared to whomever it was outside the door that would dare interrupt his first morning with his new wife. Sarah sat up too and with a look of annoyance aimed at Jareth for his lack of patience she placed a calming hand on his shoulder. Jareth shrugged it off and glared at the door. There was silence from behind it, it raised Jareth's anger another notch. "Well? What is it?!"

"It is I Majesty, Sir Didymus."

Sarah looked at Jareth with pleading eyes and he took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"Sir Didymus you had better have a good reason to interrupt my first morning with my new wife." He growled through the door. Outside Sir Didymus shifted nervously on his orange paws. He cleared his throat worried and then quickly straightened his jacket, a nervous gesture.

"Its about the visitors Majesty." There was a tingle in his voice like he wasn't sure how his liege the Goblin King would react to this news.

There was a look of confusion on Jareth's face for all of three seconds. A mask fell down over his face, expressionless and cold, "hang on," he said to both Sarah and Sir Didymus. He untangled himself from Sarah and the blankets and slid out of the sheets, with a click of his fingers he was fully clothed. Sarah noticed with a frown that it was his red leather jacket and black pants, the same thing he had worn when he had come to intimidate her into giving up before sending the cleaners after her. That suit of clothes meant something bad had happened, or he intended to do something bad. She had thought of being hurt and indignant that he was leaving her but seeing the suit of clothes made her re-think it. She wrapped her body in a sheet again and sat silently watching as Jareth crossed the room and opened the door. He looked back at his unusually quiet Sarah, she made no motion just looked at him, something moved in her eyes but before he could analyze it Didymus made a small sound in his throat a little reminder of the matter at hand. There was a flash of orange as Sir Didymus bowed at Sarah, then Jareth closed the door and they were gone.

"Didymus what about our visitors?" The king hissed at the orange terrier running along beside him as he strode towards his study. He was angry that he had been taken away from Sarah on account of the assassins again, and he was angry with himself for forgetting about them and letting his own pleasure get in the way of the important business of finding those who want to kill his new queen.

"Labyrinth has been keeping an eye on them, she told me they took concealed poison and one of them is dead, the other one is not dead yet, but very sick. He doesn't have much time left." Sir Didymus panted out while scurrying beside his much taller Fae king.

"Are they still in the oubliette?" Jareth's voice was dripping acid; the orange knight beside him felt a shudder go up his spine.

"Yes Your Majesty, right where you placed them."

The King vanished without a word or any of his ostentatious glitter and landed in the oubliette slightly in the shadows.

From the light of the grate above he could see on the sandy ground a humanoid creature lay on his back, eyes closed, his hands arranged on his chest around a small-carved bottle. Against the wall, as far away from the dead man as possible was another figure in black. Huddled against the wall with his hands on his stomach and tears streaming down his face. With a gasp of pain the figure lifted his face up and Jareth's eyes widened in surprise and displeasure, it was a woman. A deadly, beautiful woman. Her short dark cropped hair didn't cover her beautifully formed ears. From deep in her throat a gurgling noise started and she lowered her head laughing at herself and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her red lips and down her white throat. She spat the rest with a look of disgust and cried harder. Jareth was having a problem feeling hate for this poor beautiful creature. He stepped out unto the light of the grill above them and the woman hissed at him and huddled into a tighter ball. Closer he could see her skin was a faint pale blue and her chin sharp like the Faeries.

"Goblin King," she gasped out, "are you going to torture me before I die?" she let out a sardonic laugh and revealed razor sharp teeth. The teeth reminded him of a harpy but the woman didn't have wings. He shook his head he was running out of time. Assassins could belong to any race they might be mercenaries for all he knew.

"Who sent you here?"

The assassin just smiled at him and shook her head coyly, the effect was ruined when she coughed up blood and it stained her chin red. Jareth looked away in disgust and an almost stupid emotion or idea that she needed some dignity. She laughed at him, or at herself, "you'll never find out Goblin King and you will never see it coming…" a gasp of pain.

"Once again, tell me who sent you." he felt a rush of hopelessness and frustration, "tell me who sent you and I will heal you!"

The woman seemed to think about it, eventually she shook her head, "I can't betray my masters." She looked down at the blood beside her from where she spat before and then raised her hand to her mouth and wiped the crimson off her chin and onto her fingers where she gazed at it.

"I was once beautiful," her whisper was sad and regretful, "now look at me!" with a snarl she flung the blood off her fingers and onto the wall.

"I can heal you and return you to your former glory." Jareth lowered his voice making it persuasive, he pushed magic into it enough that she would take his offer and wouldn't die. He flicked his fingers and made a crystal, "look into it I can make you beautiful." She looked into the crystal and laughed. Inside was the woman, her short dark hair long, she was in a summer dress, blood gone, beauty restored she was wondering around in a flower garden.

"I did not look like that Goblin King." She cocked her eyebrow at him and tilted her head. "It was sweet of you to offer but I didn't look like that and I never will look like I did. I will die here."

"I can help you. I can save you. Just tell me who you are, and who sent you."

The woman smiled tightly at him, then pain twisted her features and he turned his face away. With her last strength she reached forward and grabbed the front of his jacket at the lapel and spoke directly into his face, "Goblin King, beware other sovereigns they are treacherous." With that last word her eyes closed and blood escaped her nose and eyes. She was gone.

Jareth cursed in frustration. She had been so stubborn, he could have helped her, she didn't need to die. Her last words repeated around his head like echoing gongs.

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Abandoned by Jareth Sarah sat in the same position he had left her in struggled to keep the hurt down, he must have had a good reason to exclude her and to be wearing that suit of clothes, to exclude her from his duties but she was his queen wasn't she? Didn't that mean that she was his equal? Especially since she was going to take over his duties as the Goblin Queen. Now she wasn't struggling to keep the hurt down she was now struggling to keep her anger in check.

She flopped back down onto the bed and childishly thumped her legs down on the cover. Then she suddenly sat up panic filling her, with a flurry of arms, legs and bed sheets she raced to the bathroom and threw up in the obliging toilet. For a long time she emptied her stomach of nothing, crying and panicking what was wrong with her? She felt another wave of nausea come over her and did the only thing she could think of, she screamed for her husband.

Jareth at that present moment was stripping the assassins of their clothes to see if he could find any marks or tattoos that would tell him what race they were or who sent them. There was something strange on the back of the female assassin. Two identical long scares marred the perfection of her shoulder blades; he ran his fingers over the marks, puzzled. Alone in the oubliette with the two dead assassins he let his puzzlement show with a sigh, shrugging he clicked his fingers and the two burst into flames, he watched it the firelight flickering in his eyes, over his cold face and setting his hair alight. Sarah's panicked cry echoed suddenly in the oubliette and Jareth vanished. Reappearing behind his frantic wife he took it all in with a glance and went into action. He quickly grabbed her hair from behind her and motioned a jug of water and a towel into existence as she threw up water in the toilet.

"What's happening to me?" Sarah gasped scared and not understanding the sudden gleam that had come up in Jareth's mismatched eyes. A fine trembling began in her fingers and down her body. She pushed away from the toilet and huddled her knees up to her chest.

"Sarah is it possible you are…" Jareth began but Sarah cut him off.

"What, pregnant? Impossible!" she snapped panic lacing her voice, she caught the twitch of his eyes and softened her tone, "If i am it's far too early to tell."

It was far too early to have morning sickness; she was very experienced with this. Karen's pregnancy with Toby a year ago had opened her eyes to what it meant to be a woman, a wife, a mother. "There has to be another explanation." She looked up at her husband's cold face pleadingly.

Jareth had masked his disappointment with his usual façade. His eyes had lost their gleam and they now just looked empty. She felt a streak of pity go through her; a child would have made him happy. She searched his eyes for a second then lowered her head she wasn't going to show how his disappointment affected her, it wasn't her fault that she wasn't pregnant she was only fifteen years old! Wasn't that still a little young anyway? She remembered her words to her father; women in Rome were having children at fifteen. She had been right but still the thought scared her a little, what if she wasn't emotionally ready for a child?

She focused on her hands sitting on her lap. They didn't look like her hands; they were somehow apart from her, someone else's hands. Jareth watched his wife's shuttered eyes coldly. His actions, however, didn't match his icy demeanor as he lifted her tenderly in his strong arms and carried her out of the cold bathroom and into the their sun-filled bedroom. A few Faeries hovered at the open doorway of the balcony, huddled around the long white curtains that blew in on the warm breeze. Jareth lay Sarah down on the bed against the pillows and stoked her dark hair away from her forehead, a few damp tendrils stuck. Frowning in concern at the sweat beading on her forehead and on the tip of her nose he motioned at the Faeries. Bottleblossem swooped forward and hovered face level with Jareth.

"Get the healer." He spoke softly trying not to scare Sarah who lay with her head turned away from the light of the balcony door and eyes closed tightly. Bottleblossem looked at her king with wide, frightened eyes fluttering her wings gently to put distance between herself and the Fae monarch.

"Majesty, I am small Garden Faerie, healer will eat Bottleblossem."

She squeaked in fear as Jareth's eyes narrowed in annoyance and anger, she backed up again, far out of reach of the bigger Fae's hands.

Sarah heard the exchange above her head, she turned her head back to Jareth, eyes still closed, and said tiredly, "Jareth, don't pick on Bottleblossem." Jareth looked at his wife for a second before looking back up at the small Faerie.

"Take more with you then, and remind him that this is a royal summons. Go now!"

She squeaked again, frightened, but determined to help her mistress she flew off motioning five other Faeries to go with her. Together the six flew out the window and were out of sight within seconds.

Sarah opened her eyes and focused their green depths on Jareth, "Bottleblossem will be alright right?"

"Now that she has more with her she should be fine." Jareth replied not really concerned with the welfare of the lesser Fae creature. He was focused on the beautiful sick queen on the bed.

"What is the healer?" Sarah asked closing her eyes briefly as her stomach moved uncomfortably again. Her teeth clenched as a wave of nausea crashed over her and she fought not to moan. Jareth watched her with shadowed eyes, not sure what to do for her. He ignored the question for the moment.

The nausea passed and Sarah opened her eyes again focusing on her cold and distant husband. She smiled at him wanting to sooth his worry.

"Jareth can you bring Nemo here please?" a flicker of amusement graced her moss eyes and with a half-smile Jareth flicked his fingers in a familiar motion. The air summoned by his magic molded itself into a crystal. In it she could see Nemo still lying under the balcony with a Faerie sitting on his nose talking to him. He lifted his head when he felt the magic of the crystal focused on him and stood up. A split second later the crystal popped in Jareth's hand and he calmly stepped back just in time for the leopard to collapse on the stone floor. A wicked smile lit up Jareth's face as he looked at the not-so-little leopard cub regain his feet and wrinkle his nose at Jareth in a snarl, Sarah's present condition forgotten.

"Nemo," Sarah's warning sounded empty as another bout of sickness took her and she launched herself up to get to the bathroom, but Jareth held out a magicked chamber pot. Withdrawing from it she wiped her mouth with the towel Jareth handed her and lay back with a moan. Nemo hearing his Mother's distress climbed onto the bed and collapsed beside her placing his big spotted head on her lap. Sarah smiled down at him and idly stroked the soft hair behind his left ear. A chime rang through the room and Jareth hurried to the chamber door. The moment he had opened it five frightened faeries flew past him to the safety of the curtains of the balcony door, where they hid their faces, trembling, still letting out terrified squeals. Jareth didn't move he was so surprised at the scene that was unfolding in the hallway. Bottleblossem was letting out piercing screams of terror and flying in fast, dizzying circles, trying to avoid sharp claws and long fingers as they swished dangerously close to her. The king's gaze moved down the swishing frenzied arms to the head of his healer.

"You abuse my hospitality Victrum." He finally spoke in a low cold voice that slithered over the scene and caused both healer and panicked Garden Faerie to stop dead. Both looked at him, Bottleblossem with relief and the Healer Victrum with boredom.

"I do everything you wish Majesty, am I not allowed any benefits?" His inhuman face sneered at Jareth. Jareth had to fight to keep control.

"That is my subject you are currently trying to eat and the Goblin Queen's personal maid." The change was remarkable, the sneer disappeared as if it had never been there, the inhuman face morphed slightly into something recognizable, and the claws retracted into the healer's long fingers. Victrum had a high forehead and black opaque eyes that gleamed with sarcasm and cynicism, no nose and thin lips, he believed that he had the equal rights to be there as everyone else in the Labyrinth, the only problem was that Victrum wasn't from the Labyrinth at all. Victrum was a troll and had fled the wars and sought refuge with Jareth as a healer. Jareth's own healers were with his Fae army in the land of the Trolls, pushing forward to quell the rebellion, so Victrum's defection to his own kind was a gift.

"My apologies Majesty," He intoned and bent at the waist in a very graceful bow. Jareth moved out of the way for the healer to shuffle past him and make his way to the bed. Bottleblossem flew through the door slowly, tears still sliding down her face. Jareth felt pity for her and caught her gently in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said stiffly not used to apologizing to anyone, especially the lesser Fae. The Garden Faerie blinked up at him awestruck and speechless. He opened his hand and moved away leaving her to fall or let her wings catch her. She recovered herself and floated, eyes still wide with shock, maybe Sarah Williams was good for the labyrinth, Jareth had never apologised to anyone.

Victrum shuffled up to the bed, took one look at Sarah and pronounced like it was obvious, "She's pregnant." He began to shuffle away when Jareth and Sarah both exclaimed "What!?" at the same time. He paused and looked back over his shoulder at them.

"That's impossible, she cant already be getting morning sickness Victrum and even if it was morning sickness it should not be so severe, shes burning up! Do a proper diagnosis or I will cast you out. Do not toy with me right not."

"Fine, fine." He shuffled back slowly to the bed. Lifting his hands he brought them together with a sound clap, then pulled them apart. Thin silvery glue hung between his fingertips and both palms. Sarah shifted uneasily; he was going to touch her with that stuff on his hands? Victrum began rolling it into a ball and then once it was all in the center of his palm he rolled it into a thin gooey sausage shape. He raised his eyes to Jareth's and asked a question with them, Jareth nodded his head curtly, and Sarah watched with wide eyes as the healer dropped the sausage shape onto her bare stomach and it nosed its own way into her belly button and disappeared. Instant panic gripped Sarah.

"Jareth! Did that just go into my body?!"

Her indignation and fear was shortlived when she felt it move and the nausea was back. A flash of warmth went through her body, and she closed her eyes uncomfortable with it. Jareth took her hand and she gripped it tightly. Victrum closed his eyes and hummed a nonsensical tune. The warmth faded and Sarah opened her eyes to see Victrum's hands hovering over her stomach, with a wet feeling and a little pain the silver substance began to bleed out the pores of her body. In less than 10 seconds it was a glowing ball in the troll healer's hands. Sarah closed her eyes and looked away squeezing Jareth's hand extra tightly hoping to hurt him. How dare he let her go through something like that? A tear escaped her eyes and traveled down her cheek.

"Well?" Jareth demanded impatient he could see that Sarah was upset and angry with him.

"It is as I said, she is pregnant, I saw the fetus myself. I would say about 2 months along." He sent a side-ways look at them both, "Didn't you just meet? Like three weeks ago?" chuckling with sadistic pleasure he bowed low and then shuffled out quicker than he had shuffled in, still laughing.

Sarah sat up and looked at Jareth with wide eyes. "Its not true. It can't be you were my first. I swear it."

"I know Sarah, we had proof last night, the blood remember?" Jareth replied shaking his head and squeezing her hand gently.

"Then how can I be pregnant already, it doesn't make sense." Victrum and his horrifying healing methods the furthest thing from her mind Sarah strove for understanding.

"I don't know Sarah. I just don't know."

They paused, thinking and accepting.

"Well," Sarah sighed and stretched her toes, "I'm going to be a mommy in 7 months time and you will have your heir."

Jareth looked up from where he had been examining their entwined hands to her eyes, he probed for her feelings.

"Sarah are you alright with having a child so early?" He felt unease move in his stomach with this question. It usually took years for the Fae to conceive that's why there were so few babies. The Fae races were said to be dying out because of the low breeding success. To have a child after just copulating once was a miracle and he didn't know if Sarah knew it.

Sarah looked down and went inside herself; she placed a hand on her stomach and willed herself to feel the life within. She thought about being a mother so young, the responsibilities, the time she would have to give up to look after the child, her child, hers and Jareth's. She knew the answer.

"Yes." She said quietly looking up and surprising herself with the look of drunken hope in his eyes.

"Yes what?" Jareth whispered leaning forward and placing his forehead against hers.

"Yes I am happy, ecstatic even, to have our child this early." She smiled softly at him loving the way his eyes gleamed with happiness.

"Sarah I don't think you understand the miracle you have within you. A child is so rare, so…" she cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Shh, Jareth its okay, I understand how wonderful this is." She grinned at him, "When should we tell your parents?"

"Before we tell the Underground probably." Jareth returned with a quick kiss on her lips he stood up and left the room to write a letter to his parents to tell them the happy news, as well as one to Geletia to ask her what she saw in the future. There was something he needed to watch for in Sarah the pregnancy had advanced so far, so quickly, it had to be due to the magic inside of her. What would that mean for the child and for Sarah?

Something this miraculous didn't happen often and it was often the harbinger of bad things to come. The assassins were forgotten for the moment and he pushed his doubts aside so he could feel the pride of a father as he sat down to write his parents that Sarah was pregnant with their first grandchild.

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A/N thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!!

aradiaeva, Anij, Mevneriel, Ayjah, AnimeAlexis, Hya-chan, QueenTatooine, Fae Rain, Vera-Sama, Kyaku-kun, LabyLvrPhx, peter-pan-equals-luv, Laurely-Halliwell.

especially for all your encouragement and advice it really gives a boost thanks so much you guys!

Cassee