Disclaimer - I do not own Jareth, the labyrinth, or anything I havn't made up. I do own Deborah, Roxy, The Storyline, and anything I have made up.

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Deborah mumbled her thanks as Delphinia put her mug of coffee on the table next to her. She swung her legs up onto the seat and paused her reading of 'Goblins - The definitive Story' for a moment to tilt her head back and let the afternoon sun beam through the library window and onto her face.

She bought herself back down to earth and peered over her book at Jareth, who was hidden behind his paper, but could be heard thanking the maid as she lay his lunch tray next to him.

"So, did you have a good day yesterday?" The dark haired servant enquired. Deborah, to hide a grin at the thought of the previous day, her birthday, ducked behind her book and let Jareth answer.

"It was...interesting, to say the least." The king replied, Deborah unable to see his face.

"Is there something you two arn't telling me here?" Delphinia said, wiping her hands on her apron and perching on the arm of a seat.

"No!" Deborah and Jareth squeeked in unisan. The maid raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not convinced, but anyhow, talking of things-we-don't-know, Mariette left a note this morning asking if Deborah could meet her at the stables at 5."

Deborah sniffed. She hadn't seen Mariette in a month or two. She'd started to forget she even worked there, as she was never in the yard when she walked through. Jareth was also suprised, but no-one could see this, as he was concealed behind his paper, which, once again, seemed to be in a different language.

The maid left and the two people in the library carried on reading. Yesterday, they'd stayed in the park for a while longer after their kiss, not saying much, but happy all the same. Then, they'd transported back to the castle, and Deborah had thanked him for a lovley day. They'd hugged, and went their seperate ways to bed.

Deborah had tossed and turned, the feeling she'd had whilst kissing Jareth being contemplated in her mind constantly. Jareth had just layed there, thinking about Deborah, his feelings for her battling for dominance in his brain.

Now, they'd ended up in the libray together, unplanned, and hardly a word had been spoken between them. The seventeen year old glanced at the paper covered king and decided it was time to leave. She replaced her book on the shelf and crossed the room.

"Cheer up Jareth," She called as she left the library, "I've seen happier car accidents."

XXXX

Deborah twisted over on the green sheets and looked across at the clock. 10 more minutes 'til she had to meet Mariette.

If Deborah had still been going out with Ian, she'd probably have been with him today. She missed someone coming to see her, and at least pretending they wanted her. She knew it wasn't Ian that she wanted to want her though. Deborah knew it was someone else that was consuming her thoughts alot just recently.

Originally, she had only wanted one person, and that one person she couldn't have. He was the rockstar that saved her life. He'd filled every waking thought, and, alot of the time, he still did. She still wanted him, as much as she ever had. She'd still irritate the residents of Goblin Castle with her loud, incessant playing of his albums on repeat when she was alone, the amount of pictures of him on her bedroom wall in the castle still baffled the king, and she was always scribbling whichever of his lyrics that was floating around in her head in a notebook she kept in her room. When she wasn't listning to his music, or reading a book on him, or pestering Jareth or Emelda to produce another poster out of thin air, she'd be sitting in the library, writing analogys of his songs, or a simple couplet of lyrics. Jareth would sometimes watch her, but would never invade her privacy by reading them, however much he wanted to.

Deborah knew she hadn't loved Ian, because she'd come to love another person in her life apart from the rockstar, and it wasn't the blonde elf dancer. She realized, that she hadn't been upset in Hyde Park because of Ian, she'd cried for the fact that she'd probably never have either of the men she really had feelings for. Which, if you thought about it, was the same person, but that was beside the point.

Jareth had noticed, that whenever Ian was schedueled to come round, she'd take all the pictures of Bowie down, and hide all the CD's she owned, as if she was trying to hide that part of her, protecting it from ridicule that may threaten it's face. He'd watched her hide them through the crystal and in the end, he'd started to magically take them down whilst she was away from her room. This always managed to confuse her, but she came to expect it.

However, she'd never worry about taking them down when Jareth was there. It was as if she trusted him to accept that this was the way she lived and breathed. He secretly loved that. She didn't have a problem with him seeing them.

Deborah had started to appreciate that his temprement was different to that of the rockstar who had portrayed him in the film. In some ways though, he was very similar. Jareth was very reserved, and gentlemenly, and he was certainly creative, even if he didn't let anyone see it. Sometimes Jareth could be insecure, and he had a foul temper, and wouldn't be polite to people he didn't like, which drove the 17 year old mad.

Deborah wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she was under the impression that Jareth was taller than David Bowie. Which was odd, because in theory, they were the same person. She often wondered why her mind would bother to make up all this detail and confusion.

As she began to contemplate this, her eyes subconciencly wandered to her clock, causing her to shoot bolt upright in the realization that she was late by five minutes.

She pinged off the bed and grabbed her red and white striped jumper, pulling it over her head in a frenzied rush, pulling her hair out of it's loose ponytail in the process. She pulled her big boots over her tattered black jeans, and hurried out of the room, followed by her dogs.

Nowadays, she'd just let the dogs roam around the castle as and when they wanted to. Jareth would often end up planting her dogs back by her bedroom door, knocking, then disapearing, so when she opened it, it looked like the dogs had knocked. This never failed to make her laugh, and it always managed to make him chuckle as well, as he watched from around the corner in his crystal.

She stumbled out into the corridor and half ran, half fell, out into the courtyard. She sprinted past the fountain and out into the stable yard, coming to a sudden stop, a little out of breath.

Deborah looked around the the deserted yard. Horses heads peered over all the stable door, except one, and they watched as stray peices of hay drifted across the tarmac. She sighed irritatedly and called Mariette's name. No answer.

She muttered something rude and poked her head over the door that wasn't occupied by a horses head. It was Saphire's stable, Jareth's horse. As it walked over from it's hag bag, it's coat shone, even though there was no light reflecting off it. It nickered softly and nuzzled it's head to her cheek. She laughed and stroked his nose.

"What am I to do Saph? Why does this have to be so damn confusing? The horse snorted as Deborah sighed her last sentance. "Does he even come to see you anymore sweetheart?" She looked into the horse's eyes and they seemed to have a knowing look in them.
"Someone tell me what I should feel..." Deborah trailed off, not really sure what she was saying as she leant her head against the horse's neck, tears welling up, wishing she wasn't feeling this, wishing everything was simple again, wishing she could just crawl into a corner and cry.

"So here ya'are. Thought you'd never arrive." Came a distinctly irish voice of Mariette behind her. Her accent had become harder than Deborah remembered. In fact, it hadn't been obvious that she was irish at all before. She turned to see the maid standing with a broom in one hand, the other on her hip. Her strawberry blonde hair looked like it hadn't been combed in days, and dark circles lay under her dull looking eyes. Deborah was slightly taken aback. The maid looked sick and withdrawn, and so much different to how she rememberd her.

Before the seventeen year old had said anything, the stable girl had turned and was making her way over to Ruby's box. "Bett'r get this over with, you've probably got t'ings to do." She called opening the bottom half of the door, pushing the horse gently backwards and beckoned for Deborah to follow.

This was all too weird, she thought as she made her way into the dark stable. Mariette had already produced two bales of hay in the corner of the box, behind diamond, and was seated on one of them. She indicated for Deborah to do the same.

"I guess you'll be wantin' to know why you havn't seen me for a while?" The maid said, leaning back against the wall.

"Well yeah." Deborah laughed nervously. "Is something wrong?"

"Ha. You could say that." Deborah shifted uneasily. Mariette seemed eerily knowing and almost scary. She had her arms crossed across her stomach and was staring over Deborah's shoulder at the horse behind.

"Well...arn'tcha gonna let on?" She said.

"I'm pregnant Deborah. The be all and end all of everything. My life, my job, my home here. So there ya're." Tears were evident in Mariettes eyes, but they remained staring and her face straight. Deborah almost had to shut her mouth manually. Questions began buzzing around her head and the first one seemed to fall out of her mouth without her actually planning it to.

"Who else knows?"

"My mum and Dad. You."

"You mean none of the maids know?!"

"None of them."

"So Jareth doesn't know."

"Jareth does not know I'm pregnant."

"Who's is it."

"I beleive it's a dancer's...from the elvin kingdom. It was a one night stand...I remember, he was blonde, and very tall...and quite thin. Pointy ears."

Deborah froze. Her mind wirred and the other questions dropped from her brain. That description fitted Ian perfectly. Was it Ian's baby? She let out a choked sob quite by accident and covered her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Mariette said, her eyebrows lowering in confusion.

"Nothing. Everything's fine. Honestly. You didn't get him name or anything did you..?"

"I can't recall it Deb -"

"Please?!" Deborah cut her off in panic, gripping the side of the bale with both hands.

"Deborah, I can't remember!" Mariette whispered.

"How long have you been..er..."

"Pregnant? I'm 3 months."

"Oh." Was all Deborah managed to say, her throat had gone tight.

"Look, I know it's a bit of a cheek to ask, but...would you be..godmother?" Deborah hadn't yet recovered from the last shock, and no way was she ready for this one.

"Godmother?! To I -...the dancers baby."

"Well if you don't want to..."

"No no, I think I'd love to."

"Think?"

"Know. I know I'd love to. Who were you thinking of making godfather, there's no-one really except.."

"Jareth. I want Jareth to be the godfather of my baby."

Deborah coughed slightly in a strangled attempt not to laugh at the thought of Jareth carefully carrying a baby and cooing at it like an ancient aunt. "You havn't even told him yet!"

"I know." Whispered the blonde. "I was wondering if you could tell him...? Please. I can't face him. He's been so good to me..."

"I'll try. I make no promises."

"Thanks Deborah. You're a lifesaver. Thank-you for coming." Mariette said hurridly and stood, the 17 year old following suit.

"You're welcome." Deborah said shakily. She felt as if her knees would buckle and she would sink to the floor in a twirl of tears and screams to be put out of her misery. But instead, she smiled, and left the stuffy stable to wonder back up through the courtyard.

She wasn't ready to face Jareth really. She wanted to cry and cry and cry, but she couldn't. Someone would see her and want to know whats wrong, and if she spoke about it, she'd let on that Ian had been cheating on her, and they'd laugh and think she was a looser. No, she wouldn't cry.

She approched the archway and took a deep breath, not really sure what she was bracing herself for. Trotting up the single step, she immediately regretted coming this way and not going for a walk in the cold instead. She heard Jareth's voice drifting up the corridor at her. He'd obviously heard her advance.

"Will you please keep your dogs in your room, I've just had to prize them away from a pair of my boots! They're just like their owner, always doing something with their mouths..." He said, and air of mischeif in his voice. Gods, his voice. She closed her eyes as she paused in the doorway. It was so...lovley. She could listen to it for hours. He could read her a dictionary times over and she'd listen to still listen to him. And he sounded happy. That was all she needed. For him to be lovley to her again.

She secretly loved it when he was jokey with her, and mischeivious, and devilish around her. It suited Deborah down to the ground when he was like that. Just not now. She couldn't handle it now.

Before she had time to dash back, Roxy and Saskia trotted around the corner and pounced on her, knocking her backwards a step. Jareth followed and pretended to look stern.

"What have I told you about letting them run rife?" She laughed at this weakly, and her grinned, his pixie teeth showing.

"What did Mariette want?" He said, blocking her path, not on purpose, but he was blocking her path all the same.

"Erm...nothing...just a...chat. Look, I'm really tired.." Deborah yawned. "So if you don't mind I think I'll go for a lie down or something..." She said, not looking him in the eye and trying to sidle past him. He lowered his brow and grabbed her arm, a little too harshly for his own liking, and loosened his grip apologetically.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me!"

"Nothing's the matter. Honestly Jareth." She said, looking up at him with those big, blue eyes. They looked reddened slightly. "Just..." She indicated his hand on her arm.

"I won't let you go until you tell me what's wrong. This isn't like you. What did Mariette want?!"

Deborah sighed. "I can't tell you."

"You can and you will!"

"I can't TELL you!" She said, twisting away from him. He hated seeing her like this. Something in him told him he must sort it out. He caught her shoulders and turned her round. Deborah stared over the kings shoulder, at the empty corridor behind him.

"I am your king and you will tell me what is bothering you or I shall have to punish you." He snarled, something in his voice told Deborah that he was not entirely serious. All the way through his sentance, her eyes were fixed on the all behind him. She snapped her eyes back up to his face.

"Fine. I'll tell you. Although I was intrigued as to what the punishment was." She sniffed. He laughed loudly. She pulled herself up so her mouth was next to Jareth's ear and uttered the simple words; "She's pregnant" and pulled away.

"She's WHAT?!"

"Shhhhh. Keep it down! Yes, she's pregnant." Jareth's eyes widened incredulously.

"Well who's is it?"
Deborah swallowed and darted her eyes to the window.

"Deborah, who's is it?" He shook her slightly. Geez, it was cold.

"Ian's." She whispered, barely audible, but Jareth heard it alright. "It thinks Ian's baby." She laughed, trying to cover the choke that would be in her voice if she spoke anymore. Jareth shook his head. As if things couldn't get any worse for the girl standing in front of him. He looked at her, her eyes filling up. He pulled her back down to earth when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and went to hug her. However, she flinched away. She so wanted to sink into his arms and cry, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't let him see she needed anyone else.

"Don't. Just don't. Once I start, I can't stop. I can just do without going down again."

"But - "

"Goodnight Jareth."

XXXX

Now, I know what you're probably thinking by now. Yes, if I were you, I'd be thinking I'm so weird, sad person who likes writing these characters such aweful lives too, but it WILL get better. I PROMISE.

Q. x