A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Carry on!

A Writer Required

Chapter Twenty-Six

To say that Marcus was happy I was no longer dating Andrew, would be a gross understatement.

He was thrilled.

Over the moon thrilled, actually.

I kept the details of the matter to myself, considering how much Andrew had truly frightened me. I didn't want Marcus to know. Andrew had shown me his true colors that day-and I didn't want Marcus anywhere near him-so I kept my concerns to myself.

Marcus likewise kept his enthusiasm to a minimum when around me, when he could manage to contain himself. But several times he repeated that I was better off without 'that tool', and oddly, seemed relieved Andrew was out of my life. I didn't push him on why, exactly, he felt that way. I assumed it was because Marcus had never liked him.

I wished I had trusted his instinct sooner.

But more than these thoughts of Andrew, I thought of Jareth. I was devastated by his refusal to return. My chest felt heavy with the loss the moment I realized he wasn't coming back. I had not seen him in a week, but it felt infinitely longer.

I had not been myself at work to the point that even my clients noticed, and Marcus frequently asked as we'd leave work, if I was alright.

Baard was the only one who came with notes now. He tried to strike up conversation with me, but I felt too upset to manage much in the way of replies.

The elf once asked if he could take some baked treat back with him-but the way he said it, made me think it wasn't really for him.

Tears pricked at my eyes at the thought of Jareth.

"I don't have anything homemade." I told him, placing a plastic container of muffins on the counter.

"Oh." His expression fell acutely from his hopeful smile. "I had thought…"

I quietly spoke over him. "I know." I quietly closed the cupboard that had housed the muffins, and retrieved a ziplock bag. "I haven't been making a lot of anything lately." I paused as I moved to pick up a muffin, thinking. I didn't really want the muffins, but Jareth in the past had shown he liked them.

That thought in mind, and with a trembling bottom lip, I closed the box again, putting away the ziplock bag. He could have the whole box.

"My Lady?" Baard timidly questioned in seeing this.

My head ached when he spoke, and I breathed deeply in and out through my nose to ease it, and to keep my lip from trembling again. I turned my focus from the pain, to instead make sure the plastic container full of muffins was sealed properly.

Turning to Baard, I kept my bottom lip firmly between my teeth, ignoring how my vision had blurred.

I could sense the alarm from Baard, but I offered him the container in place of an explanation. I told him. "You can take all of them." My voice wavered as I spoke quickly. "Thanks, Baard."

He nodded mutely, and I robotically turned and started cleaning the already clean stove top. It was not until Baard left that I let myself cry.

The jolt of our work van hitting a speed bump jogged me from my memories, and tears slipped down my cheeks. I had been so lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized I'd started crying.

Worried Marcus or the clients had seen, I glanced up and caught Marcus's gaze in the rearview mirror. He frowned worriedly at me.

In seeing this, I ducked my head, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat, and wiped away my tears. I had to keep my personal and work lives separate, and this recent situation between Jareth and myself had made that rule difficult to maintain when I was so often near tears.

"Everyone doing ok?" Marcus called to the van occupants as a whole, looking at each of us in turn and ending on me.

Our clients responded positively-if a little confusedly-and I nodded.

I took a quick, steady breath, and returned all of my attention to the current moment.

I couldn't really talk to Marcus about my ended relationship, and the new relationship I almost had and then ruined, within earshot of our clients.

My work badge around my neck swayed as I, Marcus, and our two clients Dom, and Tailor, turned up the main road leading to the city's only superstore. I could see from here that it was packed; and I wondered if we shouldn't have gone somewhere else for an activity. Our clients enjoyed window shopping, and it was good for them to get out into the community-but I worried it would be too much for them.

I made a face in seeing all the people. "It's pretty busy right now. Should we go somewhere that's a bit quieter?" I asked Marcus, when we were coming up on the turn leading into the crowded parking lot. I could see the cars lined up, looking for a parking spot, and I cringed.

I hadn't really been worried about the heavy vehicular traffic. In truth, I was worried that the crowds and excess noise would upset our clients. I couldn't say as much in front of them; it would only create the start of a behavior that wouldn't have been there otherwise. It was a given to keep an extra eye on them, in case they became too stressed by their surroundings.

We entered the parking lot, and I felt my anxiety increase. Marcus failed to catch my terrible attempt at a hint, though I wasn't really surprised. I knew Dom and Tailor wanted to go on an outing, and I didn't want to take that away from them. They'd been good all day-they deserved an activity.

Marcus kept his attention on the parking lot as he reassured me, "It'll be ok. They have parking on the side we can use." and as he pulled the van round the corner of the building, I realized he was right.

This second parking lot was almost bigger than the main one, and one third of the way full. I'd parked here myself in the past-I was surprised I'd forgotten about it. "Oh, right." I replied sheepishly. "I forgot they even had one over here."

We stayed at the store for about an hour, just browsing the different departments. Dom and Tailor did exceptionally well, and I was immensely proud of them. We were looking through the men's coat section of the store, when Marcus's client, Dom, said something to him.

I heard Dom speak, but because of the noise from a passing family, I missed what he had said. His tone was odd, though, like he was anxious.

Marcus didn't respond at first, but with my back to him, I heard his voice quiet as he turned from me. His response was too muted for me to hear, but I could feel a sudden tension building in the air around him, and I at once became more alert. Especially when Dom added. "...I wasn't sure at first, but I think I saw those two watching us earlier..."

I felt abruptly cold.

There were people watching us?

My thoughts went back to my past stalker turned attacker, and I mentally shook off the memories.

It was unlikely they were here to watch me, I reasoned. Yet, an awful feeling of dread settled over me. I knew they were here for me.

Marcus's voice snapped me out of my thoughts when he replied, and this time I heard him ask Dom where they were. Dom must have pointed, for Marcus responded to verify. "Those guys by the roast chicken stand?"

My client, Tailor, spoke to me at that moment, but I still heard Dom's answer of, "Yeah…" before he was drowned out by Tailor.

"Oh! I like this color, Amelia!" He pointed out a lovely blue coat from the women's coat department next to us. I stepped slowly over to the coat stand, my peripherals searching for the men Marcus had mentioned.

I could see two figures standing down the main aisle from us, near the heated rotisserie chicken stand and self-checkout lanes. I couldn't tell much more than that, other than their clothes were dark in color.

Picking the coat up by its hanger, I lifted it before myself and Tailor, pretending to admire it. "You're right! It is a lovely color!" I agreed cheerfully with a nod. It really was a beautiful coat-but I wasn't really focused on it.

While we admired the coat, I trailed my eyes from the top of its collar, down the arm to the bottom of the coat, going slowly down along the side and then back up. I caught a glimpse of the men Marcus spoke of and I paled.

Dom was right. They were watching us.

More specifically, they were watching me.

I would normally have noted and then dismissed them, thinking they were looking at us as a group or looking at the coats. But with where I was standing-between my client and Marcus who was further away-I realized that their eyes were fixed solely, on me. This theory was proven true when I took a step to the side, and their eyes followed me. A terrible shiver went down my spine. I forced a smile at Tailor as I put the coat back.

"I think it would look nice on you." Tailor complimented with blunt honesty, looking a little disappointed that I'd put it back. He must have expected me to buy it after I had shown interest in it.

He pointed at my eyes. "The color is the same as your eyes." My cheeks flushed, showing how disarmed I was by the compliment. He went on before I could respond, realizing it was unlikely I would purchase the coat. "Maybe next time you come in, you could buy it?"

I shrugged stiffly and nodded positively at his suggestion. "Maybe."

Behind me I heard Marcus's footsteps and I half turned toward him when he spoke. His expression was serious. "Amelia, do you know those two guys by the roast chicken stand?" He tilted his head the tiniest amount toward them without actually looking.

Having heard Marcus and Dom talking earlier, I didn't bother following his gesture with my eyes, now. I didn't want to tip them off if they really were watching me.

I shook my head negatively. "No."

His eyebrows fell when I didn't look, and I explained myself before he could say anything. "I heard you and Dom talking before. I got a brief glance at them when I was with Tailor. I don't know who they are, but I don't think we should stay here much longer to find out." I could have bitten my tongue at how bluntly I'd spoken. So much for discretion!

Marcus's eyebrows climbed steadily higher up his forehead the more I spoke, and his mouth opened soundlessly. Without him saying so, I could tell that he was impressed. Impressed, and certainly surprised. "Well, shit." He deadpanned. "You're on top of things, aren't you?"

I thought at first he was being sarcastic or teasing me, but there was neither a trace of meanness, nor humor in his eyes. He meant what he'd said.

Feeling uncomfortable with the comment, I cast my gaze over to Tailor, who was completely unaware of anything but the green coat he was now focused on. I watched him a moment longer, then brought part of my attention back to Marcus, my eyes still on Tailor.

"We should go."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Marcus hesitate, then turn to Dom behind him. Marcus's client was muttering anxiously about the two men. I looked over at Marcus in time to see his lips tug down in a serious scowl.

He reassured Dom, who relaxed some.

Without missing a beat, Marcus clasped his hands together once and spoke. "Right. Time for us to go, guys." Marcus declared calmly, just loud enough for our group to hear. He had me lead the way with Tailor and Dom to my right and left, while he kept just behind me.

I realized when he did, that he'd set it up that way on purpose. Dom and Tailor were protective because they liked me, and Marcus would never let anything happen to me. The way Marcus had subtly set us up, made it so that I was protected on almost every side. I didn't say anything about it, though I was able at one point to cast him a look of anxious gratitude over my shoulder. He just pressed his lips thinly together, clearly wary of the situation, and tipped his head forward to tell me without a word to continue walking.

We returned to the van without trouble, but didn't waste time in getting in and leaving. We soon arrived at the large group house where our clients lived. Once they had gone to their rooms for the night, Marcus approached me in the hallway.

He brushed a hand over his mouth to aid in keeping his voice down as he stepped past me. "Amelia, can I talk to you for a second?"

My eyebrows twitched down and together in confusion, but I nodded just the same. "Sure."

We stepped further down the hall, and Marcus pulled my attention to him as he spoke with urgency. "Did you know those guys-the ones at the store that were watching us?" He asked.

I shook my head negatively and frowned in confusion. Hadn't we already talked about this? "No, I don't know who they are. Didn't we already talk about this?" I spoke my thought aloud as I asked with some mild impatience. Those men had made me uncomfortable, and I didn't really want to bring them back up.

Marcus gave me a strange look that he followed up with a frown. "I know we did. The only reason I'm mentioning them again is because both Dom and I noticed that they were looking at you."

My breath stilled in my chest. I studied his eyes-I suppose I was hoping to see that he was somehow teasing me-but there was only seriousness and worry in his brown eyes. I looked down the hall toward Dom's bedroom door. He was likely fast asleep by now, completely unaware of our conversation. "I don't know them." I repeated with resignation, bringing my eyes back to Marcus's.

"I've been being followed lately, though."

Marcus's eyes widened. "What?! Why haven't you said anything?" He angrily demanded.

I scowled at him and quietly snapped back. "Because the only people I could tell could either get hurt, or they might do something drastic in retaliation!" I hissed and shook my head firmly. "If I don't say anything, they'll be safe."

Marcus gaped at me in disbelief. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" He sputtered.

His blunt reply made me scowl, but Marcus rubbed at his eyes. "Shit-How could you be this stupid? You can't protect someone by hiding something like this. You're more likely to keep them safe by being honest!"

"What's up?" Brian interrupted as he was walking down the hall towards us.

I opened my mouth to make an excuse when Marcus butted in before I could speak. "Amelia's been being stalked by some creeps, and only now just told someone. There were two guys at the store that were following her."

I glared in indignation at Marcus, but my eyes returned to Brian when he spoke. Shock had fallen over his features, and it was promptly overthrown by anger. Thunder was heavy in his tone, and his eyes met mine. "Is this true?"

Marcus gave me such a stern look that I nodded my head in a hurry.

"Yes. There was a different man that was following me, and a little while later he broke into my house. I chased him off with my baseball bat. I went to Andrew's house after to stay the night until my door could be fixed." I found myself spouting the truth to them without even meaning to, and then shut my mouth firmly in surprise at myself, my cheeks feeling hot.

Marcus's eyes blazed at this new information and Brian's jaw dropped. "When did this happen?" Marcus demanded.

I avoided looking at them, focusing on the hall closet across from me. "...A month or so ago. I thought I'd chased him off for good-but I guess he found somebody else to follow me."

When I dared to look at Marcus, he appeared as though he might just be having an aneurysm.

A heavy silence filled the space between us, and I bit the tip of my tongue behind my teeth, waiting. At last Marcus spoke quietly.

"Give me your car keys."

I stared at him. My car keys? "Why?"

"Don't argue." He retorted.

While I fished my keys out of my pocket, Marcus looked to Brian. "Take Amelia's keys and go heat up both of your cars."

Brian passed a look between us, accepting my keys from me, then disappeared out the back door. He knew Marcus well enough to know not to argue.

Once Brian was gone, Marcus swiped a hand over his mouth-a sign I'd grown to know meant that he was angry or frustrated and trying hard not to let it show.

I continued to bite my tongue, waiting for his reproval. I felt like a small child being scolded, and I fisted my hands at my sides. When he didn't immediately speak, my hands loosened enough to play with the hem of my blouse. I felt like such an idiot-I should have told someone sooner.

Finally Marcus took a breath, just standing there with his hand over his mouth, then at last he put it down. "No more secrets. Don't hide stuff like this from me or any of the other staff. Promise me."

I hesitated, and his eyes pierced mine like a pair of furious darts.

I replied before I could stop myself. "I promise."

"Good." Marcus exhaled slowly in relief. "Damn it, I need a vacation."

I gave a slight, awkward half-laugh in agreement, but it died out when he glowered at me before waving his hand at Brian when he came in. "Thanks, man." Brian returned the wave and went back to work.

Speaking quieter, Marcus pointed a finger at me. "And you stop being stupid."

Marcus kept a close eye on me until our shift ended, and once the next group of staff arrived, he announced that ours could leave. He held me back as the others began hurrying out. "You wait for me. You're not going out there alone." Gesturing at the front desk, he told me. "Go sit and check the day's paperwork while I update the next shift."

I did as he said, grateful to him for looking out for me, and a little while later he returned and told me to get my things.

Everyone else by now was gone when Marcus and I eventually left. My car was older and usually took a while to defrost, but thanks to Marcus and Brian, all but a tiny strip of frost was gone from my car windows.

Letting out a quiet breath, I opened the passenger door to put my bag on the seat, and grabbed the window scraper. I was about to scrape off the rest of the frost on my car windows, when I noticed that Marcus had yet to start his own car.

It was completely covered in ice.

I got a glimpse of Marcus's dismayed face when he saw it. He was already so tired. Being in charge here was incredibly stressful-I knew, because I'd been in Marcus's position a few times before on his days off-and I knew if I were in his shoes right now, a little help sent my way would mean a lot.

Leaving my car, I came over to his as he was starting it. "Ok if I help a bit?" I called over the rattle of his old jeep.

The relief on his face was answer enough, and he gave a nod. We immediately set to work.

We were half way done when movement and a rustle in the untamed field by the parking lot near us made me freeze.

Was someone out there? Could it be those men that had been following me?

The nearly five foot long yellow grass rustled again not six feet from where I was, and I opened my mouth to angrily tell whoever it was to come out, when from out of the grass sprang a small deer.

It dashed away from us towards the nearby hills, crashing through the field and vanishing into the thin pine forest at the hill's base. It must have been spooked when I came nearer to its hiding place by Marcus's car.

I exhaled in relief and Marcus peered after it. There was something about his expression that made me wary. Like he was seeing something I wasn't. But when he saw my face, he turned back to the icy car with a joke, to ease the tension away. "At least it wasn't a lion."

I snorted, rolling my eyes, and continued to work on the windows.

Marcus went on in the same tone. "Or a tiger." He pretended to growl.

I laughed lightly, and moving around to the back window, I replied with a grin. "Or a bear?"

From the other side of the car out of sight, Marcus chuckled. "Oh, my!"

I heard his footsteps coming up behind me, just as I finished the window and lowered my arms. Triumphant, I turned to him. "It's all finished on this side-"

A hand clamped down over my mouth, and another wrapped around my waist, trapping my arms against my sides. It took me less than a second to realize that it wasn't Marcus behind me at all. Marcus was tall-nearly two heads taller than myself.

The man who had a hold of me, was barely half a head taller than I was, and he had a strong, strange spicy scent, that wafted around us.

I lashed out to stomp on his feet with the heels of my own tennis shoes.

His gruff voice grunted and growled, holding me tighter until it turned painful, and he pulled my head back sharply against his shoulder.

"Stop struggle, or I kill you!" He hissed in broken english. He had a thick accent that sounded distinctly Arabic-and yet somehow different even from that. Whatever his country-or world-of origin, he was quite clearly giving me an angry warning.

Suddenly the ring on my finger grew warm, and I felt little sparks of electricity tickle up my arm and down my fingertips. I tried to move my arm enough to reach up and grab his arm around my waist, but he held my arms too tightly for me to do it.

I tried to shake free instead, and my muffled scream still made enough sound for the nearby Marcus to hear it. I heard Marcus before I saw him.

"HEY! LET HER GO!" He shouted.

The man holding me spun around, half lifting me to do so, and stopped so that I was between him and Marcus.

My coworker came forward to help me, but the man pulled me backward. From the other side of the car, the second man we'd seen at the store came round from behind us to stop Marcus, and I saw a knife glint in his hand.

In an instant I was consumed by a fierce, protective rage. He was going to hurt Marcus!

'The Hell, he is!' I thought furiously. Marcus was like family, and no one hurts my family.

As the stranger came abreast of me I jumped, swinging my legs up to kick the other man's hip. He fell against the side of Marcus's car, setting off its alarm. The combination of the sudden screeching sound and his fall, resulted in him dropping the knife.

Marcus kicked the weapon out of reach beneath the car, shoving the man backwards so he fell onto his back, away from everyone else. The man "oomph!"ed and groaned, laying on the asphalt, and Marcus then turned to help me.

But while Marcus had been dispatching his attacker, I was busy dispatching my own with the help of my ring.

When his attacker had stumbled against the car, setting off its alarm, the loud sound and flashing lights also startled the man holding me, giving me the perfect opening when his arm around my waist loosened. I tore one of my arms out of his hold to reach up and grab his hand-in particular, his thumb-where it was still pressed into my cheek, and I pulled the digit back as hard as I could.

He shouted and released me fully, moving away out of instinct and trying to move his hand at a better angle to avoid the continuation of his pain. With a growl he reached his other hand out to me, and I pulled harder on his thumb. He went down on his knees as a result, trying in vain to ease the pain.

Rendering him mostly incapacitated, my other fist-the fingers of which now filled with the electric power of the ring-came flying forward, and met with his face.

I felt the transference of the electricity from my fist to his skull, which shot down his body in an instant.

I quickly released his thumb as he was thrown backward with a yell.

Marcus stopped short when he turned to me, gaping at me and eyeing my assailant, "What the-Who taught you to fight?" he questioned, incredulous. "I'm grateful to them, but jeez!"

"A friend taught me." I replied swiftly, the ring already beginning to electrify my hand again, this time a little slower. Based on how much my attacker had been thrown back, it must have used quite a lot that first time.

I retrieved my phone to call the police. I understood his need to question me, but we had more important things to worry about.

Like how Marcus's assailant had begun to stir and had quietly gotten to his feet. He lunged for Marcus, a pale yellow light around his hand.

Furious, I moved forward swiftly and punched him in the face with my electrified fist.

Marcus spun round upon realizing there was still more fighting to do, and when I pulled back, he kicked the man in the chest, effectively knocking him backward.

"Maybe let's focus on these guys!" I snapped as my attacker ran at me. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and swung my long window scraper out like a sword. The ring was still recharging for another electric blow. I had to keep the bad guy at bay until it could be ready.

The man snarled and reached forward with faintly glowing hands.

With a swing of the scraper, I smacked both of his hands away, and swung it back towards his head, hitting him soundly on his right temple, disorientating him.

The ring surged with sudden power, and I threw my fist forward and hit him in the chest. The man was thrown back once again, but this time, he did not get up.

My coworker gaped at me, then sent me a bewildered look. "Which friend?!" He demanded.

His reaction made me wonder if he wasn't thinking of Sarah. I went red in the face, pointedly not looking at him by focusing on his attacker. "Can we maybe discuss this later?!"

Marcus swung his scraper at the man, and used the end of it to hit him in the face, pushing the man away.

I heard Marcus's stern bark. "Turnip!"

"Goober!" I returned in the same tone, though it wasn't nearly as powerful as his. I was too busy internally panicking.

Marcus was in no way in a teasing mood, but his question led to an awkward answer. One I couldn't give completely and honestly.

The man before Marcus dodged his oncoming blow, and knocked my friend back against his car.

Stumbling, Marcus held up his hands to defend himself when the man came at him.

I intervened with my scraper, stopping him short, and punched him in the gut, the ring aiding in throwing him back.

He fell to the ground near the other man with a groan.

Seeing he was down, I looked to Marcus. "Are you ok?"

Marcus offered a nod, looking better than he had. "They have sledge hammers for hands."

"Hold on." I told him when he tried to speak again. "You should rest a minute."

He shook his head. "I'm fine, he just dazed me a moment is all."

I studied him uncertainly, but he seemed to be alright. "Ok. I'm going to call the police." I pulled my phone from my pocket and raised it to my ear, muttering. "Stars Above, this has been a crappy day..."

Marcus fell abruptly silent, and when I looked at him, he was staring at me with an entirely different expression.

"What?" I questioned, when a voice on the other end of the line spoke. I turned away from him a little to reply to the dispatcher. "My coworker and I have just been attacked." I gave the woman our address and began to explain the situation, and she said they would send a couple units out to us. I thanked her, and we ended the call.

A scuffling from our assailants sounded, and I turned in time to see one pulling the other to his feet. They ran as fast as they could across the snowy lawn towards the street.

"HEY!" Marcus shouted, and told them to stop.

Of course they didn't, and he bolted after them.

I followed a few steps, when Marcus glanced back and pointed at my feet angrily. "STAY." I stopped short out of surprise, and scowled in frustration as he ran off. I moved just enough to be able to see him, then stopped. I wanted to be able to see him to make sure he'd be ok.

A familiar warmth on my hand drew my attention down to my ring. It glowed faintly, as though trying to be subtle, though the warmth was not as successful as the light. Mentally I thanked it for its help, and it gave back a comforting reassurance.

Then from the ring, I felt an odd tug in my chest, and lifted my gaze to the nearby forest, as though it were drawn by a magnet.

I felt a bit of hope. Had Jareth come?

I followed the ring's direction, walking toward the forest.

A fence placed along the far side of the parking lot, where the dumpster sat in view of the forest, caught my attention. In particular, the short figure wearing a cloak, standing in the shade of a massive pine tree, caught my attention.

My heart sank and twinged painfully.

It was Baard.

Jareth hadn't come.

I had assumed my ring was contacting Jareth's pendant. I bit my tongue. I was wrong. It was informing me of Baard's presence. I wondered how much he had seen.

It must not have been enough for him to think he needed to intervene. I eyed him thoughtfully, and he looked back at me patiently. Or maybe Jareth had been confident enough in my training, now, to recognize he might not need to worry? I didn't really believe it.

I reached Baard shortly, feeling my heart sink further and further down. "I'm alright."

"I know." Baard replied, and he turned his head away as though to study the landscape. "The ring was vigilant. It informed the king there was danger earlier when you were at the market."

My eyebrows raised. Jareth knew?

Baard went on. "The ring could sense those men were djinn, and it knew you would need aid, so it called to his majesty for further assistance. It helped you as you fought."

So Jareth knew, but refused to come.

I watched Baard a moment, feeling the pain in my heart distinctly. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "Why didn't Jareth come?"

The elf gestured to the field to his right, and when I looked, I stared in amazement.

Hundreds of camouflaged goblins stood or crouched among the grass, ready to attack.

My eyes teared up at the sight, thunderstruck. Jareth cared enough to send an army to help me. My heart sank as a thought came to my mind. He cared, but not enough to come himself. 'He must still think I'm with Andrew!' I realized.

Blinking back the tears, I cleared my throat and faced Baard fully. "Can you give a message to Jareth?" I asked.

Baard nodded that he would, and I went on. "Tell him I broke up with Andrew. I should have done it sooner. Tell him I'm sorry I hurt him." Baard's expression softened, and he nodded once again when a little goblin nearby spoke up.

"King busy, don't have much time for Lady no more." He shook his head.

His armored comrade beside him added. "King ain't got time for nuthin' cause he's announcin' his bride today."

"Bride?" I echoed, looking to Baard in bewildered question.

"His majesty prepares to announce his bride today, my lady." Baard explained.

I felt like I'd been dealt a mighty blow to the stomach. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Jareth was getting married? How could that be? Then it hit me. I really had lost him.

Still struck by this news, I turned away from Baard stiffly to make my way to my car. It was true. I was merely a writing tool for him to use as he wished. My vision grew blurry, and vaguely in the back of my mind, I sensed it as the air behind me grew lighter to indicate that Baard and the army had left. Now the danger was over, they had no purpose there.

My blurred vision grew clearer as the cause fell down upon my cheeks, and I sucked in a shaky breath. Jareth was getting married. Had he been engaged all this time? Was that why he had wanted his story written? Was he merely using me?

Abruptly I stopped walking, and my jaw clenched. Wiping clear my tears, I glared at the black asphalt as I made a decision.

I would continue as I had before, before Jareth had come into my life. 'I was fine then, and I'd be fine now.' I told myself firmly, feeling the lie of it like a rock in my gut. 'I don't need him!' I told myself sharply, my glare hardening.

But then unbidden came the thoughts of how he had defended me, of how safe I felt with his arms around me-

'No!' I shook my head and angrily wiped away my tears. 'I'll continue training on my own. I'll find a dojo where I can keep working with weapons-maybe I'll learn some martial arts, too.' I thought, making a plan.

But the feeling in the pit of my stomach remained, and I bit my tongue in frustration. I would make myself stop thinking about Jareth.

Movement caught my attention, and I looked up to see Marcus jogging towards me from the street as two police cruisers entered the parking lot.

The officer driving the first vehicle leaned out of his window, speaking to me. "We got a call. Are you Amelia?" He questioned.

I approached him as he stopped the car. "Yeah, I'm Amelia. I made the call"

Marcus shouted to me, and I looked up as he threw himself into a flat out run, panic on his face. "Amelia, wati! Get back! You can't trust them-!"

The driver door on the cruiser opened, and the officer before me gestured swiftly at my left hand, where a block of solid ice formed around it.

I yelped as it pulled my hand down toward the ground, and the djinn officer moved to pull my arms behind my back. I kicked his knee with my foot, making him release me, and hit him on the head with the my ice covered hand.

The second fake officer meanwhile had emerged from the car, making a similar gesture with her hand past me towards where Baard and the goblins had been, and I heard distinct goblin voices shouting in alarm before their shouts were muffled to furious growling.

I spun round, alarmed. A few had stayed? I realized belatedly that, of course, Jareth would make a few stay behind to keep a close eye on me.

Two goblins were pushed together, bound invisibly back to back. Their large eyes glared fiercely out at the djinn as they struggled, their mouths pressed thin together in what was assumed to be a magical form of a gag.

The grass beyond the two moved, and I saw a third goblin running for an instant, before he vanished.

I prayed he would get away and get help.

The second djinn struck me in the gut, and the first shoved me down onto my knees and pulled my hands behind my back.

But I forgot about all of that when Marcus screamed.

Frantically I cast my gaze toward the sound, seeking him out.

The other two officers in the second police cruiser-also apparently djinn-had pinned Marcus down so he was unable to move, and both had a hand pressed down hard on his back.

Light flickered over him, sweeping up and swirling around the djinn, as though they were absorbing his very life.

He screamed again in pain as the light brightened, and the flickering intensified.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" I roared, trying to throw the djinn behind me off and get to my feet.

I got one foot up when the second djinn who had hit me, swept my foot out from under me easily and pulled a knife from her belt. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, she jerked my head back, exposing my neck.

She spoke loudly to the djinn hurting Marcus, and the light faded to a mild flickering as they turned to her. Once Marcus had fallen silent, she spoke directly to him. "You will bear witness to her death."

My heart pounded in panic, and my eyes met Marcus's once more.

He was still surrounded with light, but it was faint and swirling now. His eyes were furious and anguished at once, but they softened with tears and his jaw clenched with renewed anger as he met my eyes, and I could tell he knew.

He knew they were going to kill me.

I knew I was going to die.

The djinn woman moved, and I kept my eyes fixed on my friend as I quickly shouted. "I'm sorry, Marcus!"

The djinn woman stopped short, and for an instant I thought it was because I'd spoken, but then the air around us felt suddenly displaced, and a powerful gale of wind swept over us. She turned her attention away to something behind me.

Not a second later, thunderous roars and shrieks, and the rattle of armor filled the night air, and my eyes popped back open as the knife came away from me. The djinn holding it there dropped to the ground in a crouch, narrowly avoiding a green handled dagger that lodged itself firmly in the cruiser's side.

Baring her teeth, she charged at whomever had thrown it her way.

The djinn behind me shouted and went down, only to stagger back to his feet and attempt to defend himself as part of the horde of goblins swarmed him.

Thoroughly dazed, I blinked rapidly and got to my feet as the goblin army moved like an angry wave of hornets over the parking lot.

Remembering Marcus, my eyes searched him out, and I gaped when I spotted the four foot tall Baard using magic to throw my coworker clear of the parking lot and out of the way of the wave of goblins.

Marcus landed among the tall grass, no longer flickering with light, and his descent was noticeably slower and his landing gentler, making me wonder if Baard had also used magic to catch him.

A hand grabbed my elbow, and I jerked away in alarm, lifting a hand to defend myself, only to stop when I saw it was a goblin. "Lady! This way!"

It pulled me over to my car, and Baard met us there. Without a word, the goblin handed me off dutifully to the elf, saluted, then ran shrieking back into the fray.

Baard pushed me into the safety of the car. "Get something to write with!" He told me, pushing the door closed and smacking the car with the butt of his fist, making the locks snap down into place.

"Write?" I gaped at him. "Write what?!" I sputtered. Shaking my head, I shouted back to be heard, my anger flaring. "I don't think writing a biography is a particularly good idea at the moment!"

He winced and chuckled, and I realized he must be able to hear me fine. The elf replied. "You are a writer-the king chose you for a reason!" He stopped speaking to turn to fight off a djinn.

Concerned for him and furious at this absurd conversation at such a dangerous time, I shouted. "What?!"

Baard shoved the djinn away and turned his head to shout back at me. "Your magic! Write us a way home!"

"But…" I breathed, bewildered, and shook my head side to side. "I'm only a human!"

Baard was pushed away from the car before he could reply, and he was swept away among the goblins.

Humans didn't have magic-so what was Baard talking about?!

My car jumped as the djinn Baard had been fighting, landed on top of the hood, glaring down at me with red glowing eyes, and I felt my face drain of color. It was the same djinn that'd broken into my house! The same one that'd been following me from the start!

He flung back his fist and threw it forward with a roar, pounding on the windshield.

I scrambled for something to write on, digging through my purse for something-anything-useable. As I did, I wondered. Maybe writers did have magic. They have the power to make people laugh, cry, and care about things that aren't real. Could that be-could that be magic?

The windshield cracked.

Finally I found a piece of paper and a pen, and I sat back up, making myself breathe steadily as I thought rapidly. I put pen to paper.

The pen didn't work.

In a panic, I looked round for another pen, and instead noticed my fogged up window. Perfect!

I dropped the pen and reached up with a finger and began to write. "A portal opened to the Goblin Courtyard in the Underground, pulling in the magical creatures-" I was unable to finish, as a ripple surged through the asphalt, and the ground crumbled downward, opening wide before my car. Beyond the portal, I thought I glimpsed the wavering image of the grey stone courtyard and the fountain belonging to the goblin castle's courtyard.

Gripping the seat and the steering wheel, I watched in terror as the portal began swallowing up every single magical creature in the parking lot into the hole.

Most of the goblins went rather fearfully, an emotion which turned to pleasantly surprised glee upon discovering their destination as they fell into the hole.

Even so, my stomach turned at the sight of them somersaulting in the air.

The car began to be pulled forward.

The djinn woman that had tried to kill me earlier was blown past me, and when we made eye contact, she snarled and surged toward me and drove her knife into the hood of the car, holding onto it and beginning to make her way towards me.

I leaned back, reaching for the door handle, but the car suddenly lurched forward, sliding with the aid of the icy ground.

The djinn's face went from fury to fear in an instant, and she gripped the car hood desperately.

It was no good. The portal grew stronger, and pulled the djinn woman off the car. My car followed after her, sliding forward when the hole widened, and was pulled in with me inside it.

All that was left of the portal was a gaping sinkhole in the parking lot.

Marcus hurried to the edge of the hole, and looked down inside. "Damn it, Amelia!" He cursed, then rubbed at his face with a groan. "What the hell am I going to do with you?" His body flickered, and Marcus winced, before realization entered his eyes. Looking down at the hole and clenching his jaw, he shut his eyes and reached down into it.

Immediately the residual magic within the portal remnants swirled like a breeze up his arm to his body, sending a shudder over him as his appearance transformed.

His short ashy brown hair darkened to onyx, and grew long. The wildness of it straightened into elegant locks, reaching just past his waist. His eyes, one sapphire and the other emerald, respectively, were no longer the brown they had been for so long, and his eyebrows curved upward at the ends. The roundness of his ears vanished as they grew to points, a mark of the fae. The loose clothing he had been wearing of a moment ago was gone, leaving him in a well fitted dark blue tunic and brown trousers leading to brown boots, all elegantly designed and decorated.

Marcus groaned, stretching back so his spine cracked in several places. "Stars Above." He exhaled a sharp breath and stood taller than he felt he had in years.

Glancing back at his car, he stepped up to the trunk and opened it. In the boot beneath the spare tire, he pulled free a long object wrapped in cloth. A flick of his wrist unraveled the fabric, revealing a glittering sword within an expert made sheath. He secured the sword to his belt on his way back to the hole.

"Now," He glared at the crater and crouched down beside the newly created cavern. "Who dares to take what's mine?"

A/N: *Squee!* Things are getting exciting~!