I FINALLY UPDATED. WHAT?
I am sososososo sorry for taking so long to update! I feel terrible. I just had a hard time thinking what to write for this chapter, the next chapters will be easier but I'm not sure how long it'll take me to update those. If you want more STN goodness, I would check out my short story From the Stars Back to You although it is rated M. I'm also planning on another STN short story too, so be on the lookout for that!
Now that this chapter is finished, I'm very excited to share it with you. It just took me so long and so much going back and forth to decide what it was that I wanted out of this chapter, the direction that it's supposed to go. Thank you for those who are still reading. You are the real VIP and I appreciate it so much! This story has a special place in my heart and I do have big plans!
Sarah put her face in her hand, letting out a large sigh.
Jareth looked up from the book he was reading. "You've been sitting there for a good fifteen minutes just sighing. Are you alright?"
Sarah shrugged. "I want to paint again, but I don't know what to paint." She picked up a pencil, trying to look around the room for inspiration.
Jareth closed his book and put his arm on the desk she was sitting at, leaning over. He had a very mischievous look on his face. "You know, you could paint me in my… natural state." He purred in her ear. "If you get my drift."
Sarah rolled her eyes but kissed his lips all the same. "You're too tempting for me to actually paint. I would get too distracted."
"A little break here and there wouldn't hurt you know?" He tipped her chin up and kissed her again. "And I would make those breaks very pleasurable."
After that kiss, Sarah leaned back and sighed again. "But seriously, I want to paint something but a person is too difficult."
She looked out the window and saw a couple of birds flying freely.
She got it.
"Oh! How about I paint a bird?" She jumped up excitedly. "Makes me feel like Bob Ross. What do you think, Jare?"
She turned around and didn't see him. She was only puzzled for am moment though, for when she turned back around, there he was, a little owl on her desk, chirping at her. He walked over to her pencil and nudged at it.
"That's a great idea!" She exclaimed. He would be perfect to paint, a sweet little owl and she could tell him how to pose too. "Okay, go and perch on that little table."
He did as told. Sarah got out a little mirror so he could see how he wanted to pose.
That was a bad idea.
They spent about half an hour arguing about how he should pose for her. Well, Jareth kept chirping at her, puffing his chest out but Sarah told him to act more natural. And he kept flapping his wings angrily when she tried to take the mirror away.
"It reflects the light and hurts my eyes," She scolded. "Stop admiring yourself, you can do that any old time! You are so vain."
Jareth tilted his head as if to say "who, me?"
"Shut up." Sarah put her hands on her hips.
Jareth blinked a few times.
"Oh you know what I mean! I know you're not actually talking but I can feel your judgment." She huffed a little. He was so stubborn and vain. "I'm the artist here."
Jareth seemed to contemplate this for a moment. He knew she got cranky when she wanted to paint because it was her way of relaxing. He started to feel bad because this was her down time and he was making it worse.
He flew to her and sat on her shoulder. Sarah faced away from him but he didn't relent. He nuzzled at her cheek and made chirping noises, trying to wrap his small wings around her.
Sarah tried to keep looking annoyed, but her freaking husband was just too cute. She sighed and scratched his head. He cooed and she giggled.
"Cutie." She kissed his small beak. "I love you, even if you drive me crazy."
He made a sound that she supposed meant "That's right."
He was quite accommodating when she finally started to paint him. When she was done, Sarah came over and kissed the top of his head and fluffed his feathers. "I'll be right back, gotta clean these brushes."
When she came back, her eyes bulged. She had been expecting Jareth to be sitting in his seat or something, reading or just hanging out as an owl.
But no.
He was lounging on the couch, naked as the day he was born.
And with the most arrogant smirk on his face.
She gave him a look. "Why are you naked?"
Jareth winked at her. That infuriating wink that somehow both pissed her off and made her feel some sort of endearment toward him. "The question is, why aren't you?"
"Oh my god, you're awful." Sarah walked past him and took the painting, placing it somewhere else in the room so it could dry.
"I think you mean awesome." He gave a toothy grin. "Now, about you being naked-"
"I take back what I said about you being a cutie," she playfully shoved his head but was surprised at feeling him snatch her hand and yank her down to sit in his lap.
He purred. "You are quite sexy when you paint me while so concentrated, you know. I wanted to break you out of that concentration with a little... treat."
"Why are you like this?" Sarah shook her head but made no move to go away from him. "You're ridiculously horny and get worse every year."
He nipped at her neck. "My wife, I'm only this way for you. I can never have enough of your sweetness. You are the only one for me."
Even in his lewd actions, Sarah melted at this. The other day, he had been watching some movie with her while she want to the bathroom. The movie had a very beautiful stripper who was expertly contouring her body. She came back, watching Jareth stare at the TV boredly, snacking on the cheese puffs she got him.
When she sat next to him, he started to get all handsy, as they usually did while watching romantic movies. In his eyes were lust (as expected) but also silliness and love.
Sarah leaned in and kissed his lips softly.
Jareth was taken aback by the softness but he took it, responding just as gently. It made him melt instantly.
The kiss slowly turned to be more and more heated, causing flames to fire within their souls.
"AHHH!"
Both pulled back from each other's faces but still held onto each other. A little Goblin was standing in the doorway, his hands covering his eyes. "King naked!"
"You didn't lock the door?" Sarah demanded her husband.
"Excuse me? You're here too, why didn't you lock it?" He argued back.
The little Goblin was still screaming even though all he saw was Jareth's bare chest (for Sarah was sitting on his... lower half). "MY EYES! Someone take them out and throw them to the bog!"
He ran around in circles before smashing his face on the doorframe and trotting off. In he distance, the royal couple could hear him screaming "I NEED BLEACH!"
"Why is my life like this?" Jareth face palmed. "I can't be frisky with my wife without some stupid goblin screaming at seeing me in all my glory."
Sarah laughed a little and kissed his nose, earning a smile from her king. "That's because you in all your glory is reserved for only me, my husband. Only I can handle it."
Jareth growled and pulled her back in for a kiss.
"Sire? Why is the Fernie screaming about bleaching his eyes out? Something about you being naked?"
Their friend's voice was heard from the other side of the door.
Jareth let out another yell of frustration. "Honestly Daniel. Can you just let me do what I want?"
"Why would you even be naked?" Daniel's voice got even more perplexed.
"Daniel, is this urgent?" Sarah called out.
There was a pause from Daniel. "Oh, Her Majesty is with the king. The nakedness makes sense now."
"Stop with the formalities!" Jareth called. "It's the weekend!"
In formal situations where they were king and advisor, it was required for all to refer to him by his title. It helped Jareth and Sarah to be able to be in their "king" or "queen" mode especially since they LIVED where they worked. Other than that, they called him by name.
"I am here with formal information, but it is not urgent, Sire." Daniel emphasized his title. "I shall wait for another 2 minutes as that's how long you usually last." He quipped.
Jareth shoved Sarah off his lap and stalked at the door. "No one lies or makes fun of how long I last and gets away with it!"
Sarah got up to stop him but watched in horror as Jareth yanked the door wide open, in all his nakedness for Daniel to witness.
Daniel wasn't even phased by it, having seen Jareth in the changing room many times during their workouts. He looked down and back up again. "You know, you're not all that impressive."
"If I wasn't impressive, why wear pants as tightly as I do?" Jareth countered.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "My condolences to Her Majesty." He bowed towards Sarah and gave a wink.
"Bug off, won't you?" The Goblin King hissed.
"Information from the western villages came earlier than expected on the extension of the roads." He handed Jareth some paper, ignoring his bad mood. "Anyway, I hope you enjoy your two minutes of fun, Sarah."
Jareth looked like he was about to chase Daniel and give him a good kick to the direction of the Bog but he disappeared, gleefully laughing.
"You bastard!" Jareth yelled.
Sarah grabbed onto his hand. "Hey, he's egging you on purpose. He wants that reaction." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't blame him though, you're pretty funny."
Jareth snarled. "I thought you were on my side." He then pouted a little.
Sarah laughed. "Aww. Poor baby."
"I detest being called that." He put his hands on his hips. "I am a grown man."
Sarah looked at his lower half then slowly back up. "That I can confirm."
Jareth was still unsmiling though the corner of his mouth twitched just a little.
Sarah wrapped her arms around him. She leaned into his ear, her lips tracing up to the pointy tip. "I can make up for all my teasing."
Jareth growled and pushed her to the wall. "You. Naked. Now."
"Wow, you can't even say a proper sentence. I'm totally turned off."
"Shut up and take your clothes off."
Jareth woke up. He felt amazingly energized and in the best mood. He looked to the side, seeing Sarah still asleep and gloriously naked.
He tucked her a little more into the blankets to keep her warm. He was careful to slip out of the bed to go to the bathroom as quietly as possible. Sarah hardly got rest, earning a PhD was not an easy thing to do to say the least. She still wanted to be involved in the kingdom too, which did not make things easier. To top it off, her mentors and professors did not understand why she was not able to put in as many hours as they expect her to, so she was always tired and stressed.
She had done so much for him. Comforted him. Loved him into being. She helped him in his duties even before they married. He felt that it was only fair that he take care of her too as she reached for her own dreams. He could hardly believe that it was ten years ago that she threatened to break down his door and professed her love to him.
But there was something that he was not telling her. He thought about how her family and friends would all die one day. It was why he himself tried to not be too attached to mortals. He didn't want to talk about it with her, not wanting the depressing thoughts to consume her to the point where she wasn't able to actually enjoy the time she did have with them. Right now, she had the chance to get her PhD. To be able to visit her human friends and form bonds. They would have to disguise themselves as they all got older, but he wanted her to have this time. This was why he wanted her to have as blissful of a life as she could, to spend it in her world as much as she could until she was no longer as up to date with humans as she currently is. Time is short and precious.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* "Sire!"
Jareth exhaled through his nose loudly like a dragon. He grabbed his bathrobe and slipped it on. He yanked the door opened. "Daniel!" He said in a whisper-yell. "Sarah is asleep and I told you to not disturb-"
He stopped at seeing Daniel's face look ashen. He walked out and shut the door behind him. "What's wrong?"
Daniel opened his mouth then thought better. "May I speak with you in your study?"
Jareth waved his hand down his body, fully dressed. The two men walked to Jareth's study and Daniel made sure that it was warded from any listeners.
They sat down in their chairs. Daniel seemed at a loss for words.
Jareth was now getting agitated. This was something big, something dangerous. "What has happened?"
"It's Balthasar." Daniel said. "He's escaped."
Jareth's blood ran cold at the mention of the man who had tried to kill him and Sarah last year. He stood. "Gather the council."
"Are you getting Sarah?" Daniel asked as Jareth walked out the door. "And the Council is ready for you."
The King paused and slowly turned around. Daniel was shocked at the absolute fury in his eyes.
"Don't you dare tell her about this." He pointed at his friend. "You answer to me, and me alone."
"General." The cloaked figure smiled at the crystal. "I have done as you asked of me."
He had risked absolutely everything to obey the commands of his General. To bring forth their vision of a better world, to once again come to peace.
In the crystal, the General had his back turned. "So you say."
He didn't understand. "I have the blood stones-"
"FOOL!"
He winced as his General flipped a table over. "And then YOUR mess had to be cleaned up. What the hell were you thinking, attacking them like that? The Vision was to be patient. YOUR mess had to be cleaned up by the others. You have no faith in our cause. No faith in The Vision."
"Please." The figure begged his General. "I vow to you, that I will do anything and everything I can for our cause. I am but your and the Master's humble Soldier. I have been imprisoned for my rashness, for my mistake-"
"What good did that do if the King and his human whore found out about The Vision? Your rashness and anger has clouded you!"
The General turned around, unable to look at his Soldier. He breathed in and out, grabbing his hair for a good minute or two before turning back around. "It seems that in your place to live among the humans, you have been influenced by them and-"
"General, I am not!" The Soldier lashed out. "You know that I detest those pathetic creatures just as much as you-"
"ENOUGH!" The General commanded his obnoxious Soldier. "I suppose this was my fault. I shouldn't have insisted on you for staying Above for so long without rotation. If only Raynard had stayed king so you wouldn't have to answer to his pathetic son and had been able to come home. I'm afraid that your taste for human females has been too much on your mind, that you feel empathy for them."
The Soldier said nothing. If he denied it, then the General would tell him that he was delusional. The truth was, maybe he was right. Maybe, even through trying to understand the humans enough to learn how to conquer them, he was developing kinder thoughts towards them.
He bowed his head in shame at realizing that he was a weakling. Nowhere near the Goblin King, mind you, but enough to potentially be a threat to The Vision that they all shared.
His body heaved, a defeated sigh let out. "Then what can I do to fix things?"
The General, for the first time in this conversation, looked upon his Soldier with sympathy and pity.
Jareth was DEAD wrong.
Daniel was about to remind him that no, he was not to just answer to Jareth. That changed the moment Jareth declared her his equal. Not his queen consort, but his co-ruler.
That was about four years ago, but Jareth had been alive many, many years. Old habits were hard to break. Yes, he was forever changed by his wife in the best ways possible, but it was impossible for him to not slip back into the authoritarian that he could be especially in times like this.
But he knew better than to tell Jareth that now. If he did, he was afraid of what the King may do. He recognized that fury in Jareth's eyes, the fear and anger any man would feel when his love could be harmed. He knew that he would react the same way if Lydia was in danger.
Still, he was Sarah's subject too. So it was his duty to mention that to Jareth at least. "Sire, why not tell her?"
Jareth snarled at his friend and ignored him. He swept his hands forward and behind him, opening the doors rather loudly. Everyone jumped at seeing him and started to bow when he held his hand up.
"No time for formalities. What do we know?" He put his hands on the tables, not having the patience for pleasantries.
"We actually have some new developments, actually." The Captain took a deep breath, knowing exactly how Jareth was going to react.
"On with it then!" The King slammed the table with his hands. He pictured Sarah, sleep in their bed. Safe and sound.
The thought that the person who tried to kill her was on the lose made him want to punch something.
The Captain swallowed. "He's dead."
Jareth stared for a moment. His eyes devoid of emotion.
Daniel braced himself.
Jareth barred his teeth, his hands gripping his chair.
He roared in anger. Then he threw it.
The General finally spoke. "The only way that you can fix this now is to give the Ultimate Sacrifice."
The Soldier paled. It was not entirely unexpected, but he just couldn't believe it. "But-"
"It is what the Master has said, especially now that they are looking for you." The General said the words in a hurry, as if letting the burden out of his body. "If you had stayed under their supervision, if only you had JUST pretended to be contrite, you wouldn't have to. But now, I am afraid that you must. You almost broke, which is why you escaped. Do you think you can keep outrunning them?"
The Soldier sighed in defeat. "I suppose this is goodbye."
"Yes," The General agreed. "But your name will be remembered for the ages. You are the first to have made the Ultimate Sacrifice for The Vision. Remember that."
He looked at the Soldier encouragingly. "You can do it."
The Soldier nodded. "I will convene in a few hours."
In a few hours, the General met with the Solder again. Both looked each other with great somber. "I have someone here for you, before you go."
The Soldier did his best to not sweat when the Master came into view.
The Master was tall, formidable, and brought the Soldier immediately to his knees. "You have served me well, Soldier."
The Soldier bowed his head. "Thank you, Master. I am sure that you know of my mistakes."
"Indeed, but you are about to make the first Ultimate Sacrifice. That I cannot deny."
The Soldier nodded, taking a swig of alcohol. "Anything for The Vision, Master."
The Soldier held onto the rope that he was holding. "May Muraco grant me reprieve, the ultimate rest for my good works."
He slipped the rope over his neck and tightened it.
The Master and the General watched as the weak soldier proved his strength and courage when he stepped off the rock, the unmistakable sound of his neck cracking.
And he was no more.
"HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!" Jareth paced around the room, his hands on his face. "How could someone under high security, someone that we had been trying to crack for more information for nearly a whole YEAR just escape?"
They were sure that Balthasar couldn't have been working alone. There was no way that was possible, not with the blood stones. He had to be working with at least one person, someone who knew the castle well and had insider information about where Jareth and Sarah would be. They had been close to getting information out of him, carefully crafting what they should offer him as a plea deal in exchange for his help. Now, not only was he unable to get justice, they lost a source of valuable information.
Then, it hit him. "There's a traitor, isn't there?" He said out loud.
This was one of his biggest fears. The fact that someone that he trusted would betray them. It was one of the worst things that could happen.
A Councilwoman, Lady Tina, carefully approached him. "Well, we do have some good news in that regard, Sire."
Jareth took his hand out of his face and turned to face her. "And what would that be?"
"We know who the traitor is." She swallowed. "But the bad news is that he has also escaped."
It all Jareth could to not smash his head against the wall.
Sarah was disappointed to see that Jareth wasn't in bed with her when she woke up, but it also gave her time to finish up the owl painting.
When she was done, she realized that it was dinner time.
She was about to go look for him when he walked through the kitchen door.
Instantly, she knew something was wrong. The way he walked, the way his head was low and his eyes all pinched was enough to tell her. "Hey, where were you?"
"Hmm?" He sat in a chair, putting his feet up on another chair. "Just getting some kingly duties done, that's all."
He used such playful words, but it was a sharp contrast to his tired voice.
Sarah pulled a chair up next to him. "Something's wrong. You can tell me, you know."
He knew that. But he didn't want to. She had too much to worry about already. This wasn't something she needed to worry about. "I know, Love. I just don't wish to discuss it right now."
She didn't like that. Normally, he would just tell her if someone was pissing him off or leave a tiny summary if he didn't want to talk about it now.
Seeing that his wife was about to argue, Jareth leaned over and kissed her lips softly. Touching her, loving her, even breathing in her lavender scent was enough to calm his soul. "I'm hungry, what do you say we get something to eat?"
Sarah knew that he was hiding something from her, but maybe he would open up later. The last thing she wanted to do was to push him too much. "I think that sounds like a great idea. Oh! I also finished the painting! Do you want to see it?"
Jareth beamed. "Of course I do."
Indeed, it captured his likeness quite well. The owl looked regal, his head held high. She even included little details about him like a different colored feather here and there to make him unique. In a corner, she painted a crystal and signed her name in it.
"I will frame this and put it in my office." Held her to him, grateful to have her in his life.
And this made him even more sure that his decision was right. He wanted to keep her safe, wanted to keep up the illusion of bliss just for her.
Unfortunately, Sarah never got the chance to ask Jareth what was happening that made him so upset. The next day, she went out with Karen and Toby to find him a good suit for his prom. He wasn't so keen on going with mom and sister, but his father was unavailable and he was NOT going to ask Jareth for help, for his brother-in-law would be way more annoying about shopping than his sister and mother could ever be. In fact, when he had been buying his suit for their wedding, Jareth was the most obnoxious groom-zilla.
"How did you ask Natalie?" Sarah remembered his girlfriend. She was a sweet little thing, and it was so odd to her that her little brother had a girlfriend already. Man do these kids grow up so fast.
He shrugged. "I just gave her roses, like 16 pounds of her favorite candy, a framed favorite picture of us, a letter, and sang some cheesy song for her."
Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Wow, since when did you get so damn romantic?" She winked at him.
Toby huffed. "Yeah yeah."
He certainly didn't look like someone who was romantic. In fact, he looked almost resentful.
Karen shifted through suits. "Do you know what color dress she'll be wearing?"
"Dunno." Toby picked some lint off his shirt and laid back on the seat. "Does it matter?"
"Hey, you okay?" Sarah sat next to him as Karen looked for more suits, putting them in the cart for him to try on.
"I just had a fight with her recently." Toby put his head in his hands. "I don't really want to talk about it."
Sarah tried to probe him for more but he was ready to storm off, so she stopped.
"Your Dad has been in a bad mood too." Karen sighed. "Something in the water, perhaps?"
Sarah wasn't sure what to say. Her thoughts went back to Jareth. It just made her sad. "Perhaps."
She changed the subject. "So, Toby, how's your magic coming along?"
Jareth had been giving him magic lessons, much like how he had given her when she was Toby's age.
Toby looked to see that no one was watching. A slow grin spread across his face. He twisted his hand…
…and made a perfect crystal.
He shook the crystal, turning it into a handkerchief.
Sarah gasped. "Woah, it took me twice as long to learn how to transform a crystal! Nice job!"
A part of her ached, trying to not get hopes up in imagining Toby living Underground with them.
Sooner rather than later, she would have to give up a lot of her life Above. Things would change too much. She would enjoy it for a human lifetime, but after that, she would only be able to enjoy visits. It would ease her longing if her baby brother could also be immortal.
Still, she wouldn't regret it. Would never regret her decision to love and marry Jareth. He was her soulmate and they were going to have forever together.
Toby saw the flicker of sadness in Sarah's eyes. She never said it, but he knew that she wanted him to move Underground with them. He just wasn't sure of his decision. He knew he wanted to go to college, but after that, he had no idea what he wanted to do.
But he also knew that no matter what, time was precious. And that he should spend it with his sister as much as he could.
He sighed. "I'm mad at Natalie because she really wants to rent a limo for prom. But she wants only ME to pay for it, not her. I think she got this idea from her friends. I said that if we could pool money together then it would be fine but apparently she got in a cat fight with someone in our friend group. I think she wants to outdo them. She keeps pointing out that dad has money so I should foot the bill. I told her I didn't even want to go to prom this year but am only doing it because she wants to. It's a whole damn mess."
Sarah understood part of that. "That's so stupid. Maybe you should have another talk with her. Did you hear about the disaster that was my 16th birthday party?"
God, was it so long ago that she dated that loser in high school?
Toby scrunched his face. "No I don't think I did. What happened?"
She started to laugh a little. "Well, let's just say that it involved Jareth making my best friend have green hair for a while, and my cheating boyfriend have erectile dysfunction for a month or something like that."
"Then it wasn't that bad, was it?" Toby snickered. "Jareth to the rescue."
Jareth locked himself in the office, looking at maps of the kingdom and beyond. The traitor, a guard named Gideon, probably had a bloodstone to hide his magic, but even so, people have to cross the borders in and out of the kingdom. They checked at the different checkpoints and unless he crossed the wilderness, he wouldn't be able to get past them. And crossing the wilderness would not be an easy thing to do as it could take days to cross them.
So it probably means that he's in the kingdom somewhere.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* "Jareth! Open up! NOW!"
Jareth tried to ignore it.
"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"
He threw the papers down. Going to the door, he yanked it open, furious at seeing Lydia. "I said not to be disturbed! Or did you forget how to read?" He pointed at the sign on his door.
Lydia marched into his office anyway, closing his door. She folded her arms, not at all afraid of the King. "You need to tell Sarah about Balthasar."
Jareth hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. He was worried, he was on edge, and he never took it well when someone told him what to do.
He sat back down, going back to looking at his papers. "You don't get to tell me, your sovereign, what to do."
"Fine." She stood up, opening the door. "Then I will tell her since you don't care to treat her as the equal that you wanted her to be."
Jareth put a finger close to Lydia's face, almost touching her nose. His eyes were dangerous and his teeth pulled back in a murderous glare.
She had pushed him too far.
"How dare you speak to me like that?" He demanded. "If you tell her, I will hurt you! I will-"
"Will what, Jareth?"
Both of them turned to see Daniel, his eyes just as furious as Jareth. Apparently he came in without them noticing.
"It doesn't concern you." Jareth told his friend. "Especially when YOU told someone confidential information. Even if she's your wife."
"It does concern me when you are threatening my wife, Sire." He got close to Jareth.
"Daniel-" Lydia put a hand on his arm but he pushed her gently off.
"Your wife is my subject. As are you." Jareth's whole body shook with anger. "I have every right to punish both of you for defying me."
"Jareth, I know you're scared, I know you're worried about Sarah, but you can't keep things like this from her." Lydia tried to reason with him. She regretted barging into his study, not realizing how wound up he was. "If she is your equal-"
"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT I DON'T VALUE HER AS MY EQUAL!" He roared, creating a crystal.
Truly, all Jareth had been planning on doing was to make said crystal crash into the wall, making a loud noise. He would never hurt Lydia, she was too dear to him, as much as he pretended that he would. However, in his anger, Daniel reacted fast and body slammed into him, making him crash into the wall.
"I have put up with so much from you, but I won't put up with you hurting my family!" Daniel grabbed Jareth by the collar of his shirt.
Jareth, in fight mode, pushed Daniel away and almost slammed his friend to the ground. His fist came out, aimed at the face but Daniel threw his hand up. His hand collided into the wall when Jareth punched into it. He screamed, his knuckles covered in blood.
"Stop it!" Lydia tried to put herself in front of Daniel, bracing herself.
But she didn't need to.
Jareth felt someone grab him by the back of his shirt. He fell on his back and threw an incredibly strong kick at whoever had grabbed him.
He heard a whimper that made him stop immediately.
All three turned to see Sarah, clutching her abdomen.
"Sarah." He crouched down next to her, horrified. "Precious, are you alright?"
She turned pale, her face twisted with agony and the look of hurt betrayal. Jareth had kicked her quite hard.
She just shook her head. "What happened?" She looked between him and Daniel.
Jareth sighed, closing his eyes. Once again, his temper got the better of him and it caused immense pain to the love of his life.
"Sarah." He went to take care of her just as a crystal flew by his head.
"Sire!" The Captain's face was in it. "We found him!"
There was no time to waste. Knowing that she was safe with Daniel and Lydia, he transformed into an owl and flew away.
Gideon ran. His legs were cramped now but he kept pushing on. He couldn't afford not to, for the sirens had been sounded against him.
If he could only get away, get to the Islands, he would be safe. The bloodstone was not a fail safe, it would only delay him until he got out of the kingdom.
Unable to push farther, he stopped for a moment, taking deep breaths. A bird flew by, but nothing else really.
Wait. That was no ordinary bird.
The barn owl stopped in front of him, its wings enveloping around itself-
-transforming into the King of the Goblins.
"Gideon, is it?" Jareth felt no longer felt pain from Daniel body slamming into him, that's how much adrenaline was going through his body. Hands on hips, his eyes glowed blue as his boots clicked forward. "Care to tell me why you've let Balthasar go?"
Gideon tried to stand his ground, but the king was more than frightening. His lips were pulled back in an unnerving smile, his gait strong and sure.
This was the end for him. There was no going back now. He had failed, just as Balthasar had.
He might as well just give the confession that he had been rehearsing in his head. "Because you imprisoned him wrongly! You are the weak king, and you married a whore of a human, making her queen!"
Jareth didn't even hesitate to throw his hand out to send a powerful burst of energy to throw Gideon to the ground. "Who do you and Balthasar work for?"
His quiet voice was much more terrifying than him yelling.
"No one." He spat at Jareth's shoes. "It was just me and him. We use our own mind, seeing how weak you are for taking a human for a queen. And you have taken him from me. My other half, and now he's gone."
Jareth was taken aback. So, Balthasar was Gideon's husband perhaps? Or something like that? He didn't remember seeing that when doing research on him.
"Too bad he didn't kill her, it would have made his death worth it!" Gideon screamed.
Jareth grabbed his neck. "SAY THAT AGAIN!"
He was going to rip this man's neck off with his teeth-
"Your Majesty!"
The Captain and a few others caught up to them.
Gideon looked at Jareth's face, a sadistic smile on it. He leaned over to tear a piece of his off with his teeth, chewing it.
Then his mouth started to foam.
Jareth loosened his grip, shocked.
But it was too late. Gideon was gone.
"It wasn't your fault, Your Majesty." The coroner told him. "It looks like he knew that someone was after him and swallowed some poison that he had embedded in his shirt."
He nodded, not really wanting to say much. It was done, what more could he do? "Thank you. I will take my leave."
He reached the infirmary where Sarah was. The healer had said that she would be fine, that though she would be in pain for a bit, her organs are much stronger than they were when she was human. If she was human, she may be suffering from internal bleeding but she would be fine.
He opened the door, seeing his beloved sitting up, slowly drinking some sort of tea.
"Sarah?" He walked in, sitting next to her. "How are you feeling?"
She glared at him, those bright green eyes burning him, making him feel shameful. "Lydia told me everything."
Silence hung over them.
When Jareth started to speak, Sarah interrupted him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because this is your break." He tried to hold her hand but she moved away from him, breaking his heart. He felt a stab of sadness at her unwillingness to even touch him. "You don't need to know about this."
"This isn't like the Trials when you were worried about our relationship." Her voice was sharp. "This is about MY safety and MY life. You need to tell me these things. Stop trying to be such a control freak!"
He was about to apologize but she kept ranting on.
"And look at what you did! You threatened Lydia and hurt Daniel! Do you even care about how you've hurt them?"
Alright, this was enough.
"You question my motives, my friendship with them? Of course I care. You don't know what I was going to do, I am about to tell you! But you don't seem to care. I have known them for longer than you've been alive, Little Girl." He snapped.
The instant he said that, he regretted everything. Sarah turned her face from him. "Just go."
Jareth winced. "Sarah, I-"
"I don't want you here. You've hurt me too much today."
He bowed his head. "Yes, Sarah."
He hated himself. Hated that he caused his wife emotional and physical pain (even if the latter was by accident and from self defense).
He was used to saying things to others to push them away, to tear into them as hard as he could. Obviously, he was much, much more gentle since meeting his wonderful Sarah, but he still had these bad habits. Calling her a "little girl" was him probing at her insecurities, her fear that she was never good enough because she was so young compared to everyone else, even if her wisdom more than made up for it.
He sat on a ledge, looking at the stars.
And cried.
Sarah knew that her husband was on edge, that he was worried for her, but she couldn't let it slide. He had cut her too deeply with that comment. After years of crafting herself from the feeling that she was never enough, the comment from her husband was nearly enough to undo all of it.
Damn be her pride. She got to their bedroom, seeing that Jareth was asleep on the bed. She didn't want to be near him right now, what he said was awful. She chose to sleep on the couch instead.
But not before pulling a blanket over his body. Because no matter what, she would always love him and take good care of him.
Jareth woke up, disappointed that Sarah wasn't in bed with him. Then he looked over, seeing her on the couch.
She slowly got up. "Hello."
Her greeting was polite, but nowhere near warm. It irked him. "Why aren't you in bed?" He demanded.
"I didn't want to be there." She said without any other explanation.
"You are hurt, you should be in bed." He said with concern, but also with annoyance. He was NOT a morning person.
"Well, you were there first." She said, wincing as she got up to use the bathroom.
"Let me help you." He offered.
She waved him off. "I don't want your help."
"Damn it Sarah, stop being so stubborn and prideful." He sneered.
"I'm prideful?" She yelled. "You are the one that's prideful. Why do you think you were so lonely for so long?"
Jareth made fists. So this was how it was going to be, was it?
He was done with this. "Fine. If I'm so terrible, I suppose that I'll leave you be."
It continued like this for the next few days. They had a silent competition to see who would go to sleep first, and that person would claim the couch that way the other person wouldn't get to accuse them of being selfish.
They had hurt each other. Sarah wanted to reach out so many times but Jareth's glare made her change her mind. He should come to HER.
Jareth knew that he started this, but he had tried many times to end it. She wouldn't allow him to. That's not his fault.
But even through their anger and pride, the love never faded. In the middle of the night, Jareth would make sure to cover Sarah with the blanket if it fell off her shoulders. Sarah made sure to leave his favorite snacks in his office, replenishing his Snack Box (as he called it) when it would run out.
Two days after their big fight, Jareth went to apologize to Daniel and Lydia. He had a box wine for his friends, not really being the greatest at apologizing. When the door opened, he was pleasantly surprised to see Alistair.
"Uncle Jareth!" The boy beamed.
Jareth felt some of his anxiety melt away at the loving face of his godson. "Why hello there, young man. Look at how tall you are!"
"I can show you the growth chart, I'm much taller than the rest of my class." He said proudly. "I also did a project on the Labyrinth, would you like to see?"
"I would love to hear all about it." Jareth grinned.
"Alistair? Who's there?"
Daniel came into view, pausing at seeing Jareth.
"Uncle Jareth came to visit!" Alistair answered.
Daniel came forward, putting his hands on Alistair's shoulders protectively.
Jareth hated this. He hated how the people he loved saw him as a monster. He almost retreated back into the isolated person that he had always been.
Almost. Sarah had changed him, had made him want to be open. It hurt, but he found that it hurt much less once you got over the bitterness. When once he would have told them to keep seeing him as a monster, he didn't want to do that anymore. He wanted to prove that he really loved and cared for all of them.
"How is your hand?" He tried to ask.
"Why do you care?" Daniel said bitingly.
"I came here to apologize." Jareth whispered. "Please."
Please was not a word Jareth used often to someone who wasn't Sarah, and certainly not when pleading for a chance to explain himself. It was almost as powerful as him going on his knees.
Daniel softened, he couldn't deny his friend when he was so contrite. He patted Alistair's head. "Why don't you go to the other room, get whatever things you want to gather to show your Uncle Jareth? And could you get your mother too? We need to have an adult conversation first, alright?"
Alistair nodded. He could sense the tension in the room and quickly trotted off.
Once Lydia came in, the three sat at the dining table. Jareth offered them his wine. "I first wanted to say that I never would have hurt Lydia. I said those words out of anger. The crystal I made was not to cause harm, it was to create a loud noise. But I understand why you would think that I was ready to harm Lydia. I have let my ego and my fear get the better of me."
If he learned anything from Sarah, it was that fear should not lead you. It was alright to feel fear, to acknowledge it but it should not lead you.
Lydia reached over and put her hand on his. "Thank you, Jareth. And I'm sorry for barging into your study so angrily, I should have been more calm. If I had been in your situation, I would have felt the same anger and fear. And I'm sorry that I told Sarah out of spite."
"She's still angry at me." Jareth revealed sadly. He was grateful that his friends forgave him, but it didn't do much to make him feel better.
Daniel clapped his hand on Jareth's shoulder. "And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told Lydia. I should have waited for you to tell Sarah yourself. She will come around."
"I'm not so sure." Jareth said quietly. "We said some very hurtful things to each other. Every time one of us tries to apologize, the other seems to be angry."
Even now, the thought of talking to Sarah made him furious. He had no idea it was possible to love her and be so pissed off at the same time.
"I will take care of that later." He nodded. Smiling, he stood up. "Where is my godson? I was told that he wanted to show me things."
"Sarah sad." Ludo frowned. "Hug?"
Sarah accepted that hug. It felt nice to be enveloped in a big hug by a best friend. Ludo may not understand much, but he was full of kindness and love, and sometimes that's all you need. "I just can't seem to apologize to Jareth, or accept his apology to me. I love him so much but we're so stubborn. Sometimes, I worry that he and I, that maybe this is too much for us."
"Girlie, don't ya say that." Hoggle sat next to her. "I know that ya love him and that he loves ya so much. Sometimes it's even sickening." He tried to joke.
"We said some pretty hurtful things to each other though." Sarah reminded him.
"Ah, but My Lady!" Sir Didymus interjected. "Did you both not do the same thing years ago when you first met? Thy kindness and spirit attracted him, time is just needed to calm the storm that has happened."
Sarah thought about all that they had been through. All their arguments. The painful years of pretending to not care for the other person. She loved him, and he loved her.
They had been through too much to let pride get in the way of their love.
She hugged all of her friends. "Man, I really love you all. Thank you for being my friend."
Jareth sat in his office, staring at the window. They gave the bodies of Balthasar and Gideon to their respective families to put them to rest.
The danger was past them now. He worried that there may be more, but there will always be opposition to him marrying a human. Even if she was no longer human. But the ones who would dare to hurt him were rare, although this did shake him to think that someone in his own castle thought so terribly of his Sarah.
There was nothing to be done. It was over. He owed it to himself to breathe, to not be paranoid until there was something else. And hopefully this was the end of that. There would be precautions taken, but other than that, they would all live their normal lives for there was no evidence of anything else that would endanger them
"Hey, Jareth?"
He turned around. Sarah standing there. "Umm, my parents called. They want to know if we can come for dinner tomorrow?"
Sarah didn't like how he looked unhappy with her, although with much less animosity than the last few days. She hoped that dinner with her parents and Toby would cheer them up.
He nodded. "Sure."
He wasn't sure why he couldn't just apologize to her. Well, he did know. It was hearing her words over and over in his head, how she had told him why he was so lonely for so long.
Gods, he wanted to reach out to her. She was so beautiful and he missed just holding her close to him. She was his soulmate, his other half. His safe haven.
That's why it hurt so much. What do you do when your safe haven is the reason you're hurt?
"And it's Jeremy's birthday on Sunday. I called him, and he says that he would probably just have dinner alone, so I suggested that we go to Chinatown. I should have asked you first, sorry."
Jareth nodded. "No, that's fine. We can do that."
She tried to smile. "Alright, I'll just go now."
She left as fast as she could. She wanted to cry, it hurt so much to have him be so formal to her.
When they went to bed that night, Sarah felt her heart ache at seeing him sleep on the couch again instead of next to her. Once she was sure he was asleep, she reached over to stroke his cheek.
"I love you." She whispered to him.
"Hi you guys!" Robert enveloped Sarah in a big hug and gave one to Jareth too. "Come in!"
They both went inside, and the first thing they saw was Karen showing off Toby's suit for prom. "Practical too, he can use it for another occasion if he wants!"
Jareth admired it. "Who chose it?"
"I did." Sarah tried to look proud but she still felt sad at the distance between her and Jareth.
Jareth winked. "I didn't realize that you could pick something fashionable."
Sarah frowned. She knew he was joking, so she didn't say anything negative, but the past few days still hurt. "Yeah, I guess."
Jareth tried to not take her sad sigh personally but it was hard not to.
Sensing the tension between his daughter and son-in-law, Robert ushered Sarah into the kitchen. "Hey, let's make some pie. Jareth, you can choose what to watch."
Jareth snorted. "Assuming Toby doesn't take over the remote when he comes back."
"Hey." Toby rolled his eyes.
"You're so negative." Sarah mumbled, still bitter at him.
"Says you." He glared at her.
She pursed her lips together, wanting to yell at him, but ultimately chose not to. Instead, she followed Robert to the kitchen, unable to stand the man she called her husband for a moment longer without wanting to strangle him.
The Goblin King flipped through the channels mindlessly, not really caring much for television. Sometimes, he enjoyed watching documentaries or certain films, but more often than not, he felt mindless watching the screen. Which wasn't too bad at the moment, actually. He was still upset at Sarah, and she at him. He still felt like screaming at her when he thought about the events from this week.
He stopped flipping through channels and reached over to grab the bowl of popcorn Karen had put next to him. While doing so, he came across a video of a man narrating crayons being made at a factory. He decided to watch, for as much as movies and shows could be fun, it was documentaries that showed how things were made or worked in the human world that interested him most.
As he kept watching, he felt calmer, more intrigued and peaceful as the man with the soft voice narrated. This was clearly a show for small children, and yet, he felt like he couldn't take his eyes away. The man with the silver hair and the lovely green sweater started to draw something, talking about the fun of doing it. He started to sing and Jareth was won over. He kept watching even as the show transitioned to some make-believe puppets.
Sarah's head popped into the living room at a sound she hadn't heard in years.
It was the voice of King Friday XIII, the stubborn ruler of the Land of Make-believe.
Memories flooded her as she remembered Mr. Rogers and his calming presence during her parents' divorce or even when she would secretly watching him when she was a teen next to Toby, longing for a sense of comfort when her dad started to date and eventually marry Karen.
She saw Jareth watching intently. It should feel normal to her now, but every now and then, she thought of how surreal it was that a king from another world was her husband.
But most of all, she felt something tug at her heart when she saw the man she loved watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
"Hey." She called out softly.
Jareth turned to see her, a curious look on his face. "Who is this man?" He whispered, not wanting to kiss any of Fred Rogers's words.
Sarah's face glowed as she gave him a big smile. Oh how he loved her smile. "Him? He's probably the best person to have ever existed. He created his own TV show for young kids. To help them slow down and to feel that calm routine."
She walked to the couch, no longer feeling angry but still unsure if he was. "May I sit with you?"
He scooted over, putting his arm on the top of the seat in a welcoming manner. Sarah sank into his arms, not realizing how much she missed being with him.
"There's something about this man…" Jareth started. "But I can't tell what it is."
"You mean how he seems to really be speaking to you?" Sarah tilted her head up at him, feeling so relieved that he was so attentive to one of her childhood heroes. "It's because he's sincere. He's not acting, he really means everything he says."
Jareth was in awe. "That explains a lot about you."
Sarah hummed, intertwining her fingers with his. "How so?"
"About how you told me that you wanted something real, that you didn't want dreams." He poked her nose, delighting in the way her eyes scrunched up.
"I guess that's true, I never thought about the fact that Mr. Rogers was a huge factor in that," She squeezed his hand. "I can tell you all about him."
"I would love that." Jareth said, meaning every word he said. He loved listening to her. He hesitated a little, but bit the bullet and said it. "We should also talk about… this past week…"
Sarah turned in his arms and kissed his cheek. "We should. Right now, let's just relax. You deserve it."
"You do too." He kissed her forehead.
From the kitchen, Karen and Robert peered at them.
"They're going to be just fine." Karen rubbed her hand up and down Robert's arm, comforting him.
Robert looked at his daughter, safely wrapped up in the arms of the man she loved. "Yes, they will be."
That night, Jareth told Sarah everything that had happened with Gideon and Balthasar. His fears, everything. Sarah told him that she had felt scared but that she knew that he didn't know it was her that he kicked, it was just instinct.
"Even through all that, I still love you. And I still know how wonderful you are." She stroked his face, happy to touch him again. "I was mad, but I never doubted that you love me. Whatever happens, however you feel and however easy it is to go backwards, it's okay. We'll do it together.
Jareth kissed her hand. "Gods, Sarah, I am lucky to have you."
They apologized and made love to each other, now that Sarah was completely healed. Their hands and lips pulling bodies closer, expressing the love from deep within. Sarah told him to please tell her these things from now on, and he agreed wholeheartedly.
"I thought that Daniel saw me as a monster." He closed his eyes, feeling broken. "I can't tell you how easy it is for me to retreat into the darkness."
"I know." She climbed on top, putting her chin on his chest. "But you didn't! You should be proud. I know I am."
He rubbed his nose with hers affectionately.
"If you ever feel that way, tell me. I'm a stubborn ass but I love you. We have such terrible egos, don't we?"
"That we do, love. Maybe that's what's I needed, someone to match me so that I can get taken down a peg or two." He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sarah laughed. One thing was for sure, of everything that she worried about, being bored was the last of it.
It would never be boring with Jareth.
"Everyone will be safe, right?" Sarah asked nervously. They had just gotten back from meeting with Jeremy and had given him a ring, a protection charm.
Jareth held her face in his hands. "I promise you. I have enchanted your parent's rings. And Toby's glasses. They will be fine."
They had told her parents, Toby, and Jeremy about what had happened. Not the whole details, but just as a precaution, they made sure to give them rings (or to enchant them and Toby's glasses) so that they can use it as a direct line of communication in case something happened to them. Other than them, while Sarah had friends Aboveground, no one was really close enough to warrant a protection charm.
Now, Jareth tried to make a joke about how Toby could probably fend them off himself with his growing magic, but Sarah's eyes were so far away.
"You're awfully quiet this evening." Jareth smirked. He reached for her hand and took another sip of the wine. "What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"
Sarah laced her fingers with his, looking at her husband's soft blue eyes. For a moment, she was just speechless. Married for a few years and he still could give her the butterflies. However, this was a more mature kind of butterfly. The one where it didn't exactly make you squirm and giggle oddly but the kind where you feel soft and sweet, calm as the summer breeze.
She took his hand up and kissed the back of it. Jareth's eyes lit up at the simpleness of her sweet affection. Sarah loved that smile. So why was she so nervous in bringing up the subject?
Still holding his hand, she stood up. "Let's go to the balcony."
Jareth didn't hesitate to follow her. "Lead the way, my queen."
Sarah took the long way and it didn't go unnoticed by Jareth. She could've just poofed them there but no. She chose to walk silently with him into their chambers and then onto the balcony.
Once they were out, she leaned forward to look at the beauty of the night sky as her husband closed the doors shut. He quickly came to join her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Jareth knew that it wasn't anything bad by the way she was deep in thought and blushing. But he could tell that it was something she wanted to be serious about. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "My Sweet Love, what is it?"
Sarah looked up at him, vulnerable as was obvious by her eyes. She took his free hand and was twisting the wedding band on it. "Jareth, I was thinking about it for a while, way before the whole Balthasar thing happened. I think it's time now. I want to have a baby. Maybe not quite right now, but I'm ready to maybe start trying in September or so."
Jareth froze for a moment, his body stiffening and his eyes wide opened.
Sarah was confused. He was not the kind of man who would run away at the thought of children or panic as he was arguably better at caring for children than she was, given his years of experience.
But then pulled her in for a hug. Sarah held him too, snuggling close to him and lifting her arms up to encircle him.
He rested his face in her neck and she could feel warm tears on her shoulder. "My Sarah..."
He pulled back and kissed her forehead. "I've been waiting to hear those words from you for so long."
Sarah laughed happily and kissed his cheek, just holding him. "I wasn't sure how you'd react."
"Whatever for? You know I want children with you." He said softly as he lead her to the comfortable bench. "We've talked about it ever since we were courting."
"I had been thinking about this for a while, you know? And how short life is. I know we have forever but it would be easier to conceive when I'm a changling still, not to mention how I really want my parents and Toby to meet our little one. I wasn't sure if you'd want to put it off or changed your mind or-"
"Shh." Jareth put a playful finger to her lips, to which Sarah kissed just as playfully. He grinned. "I have waited years and will wait longer for you if you wanted. But you still have two more years for your PhD, don't you?"
Sarah leaned into his chest, unable to fully express how happy she was. "I know, but I also would want to start trying now, at least we can do research or whatever. And don't forget, I've taken summer to work on my degree, so really-"
"You'll be done early." Jareth remembered. "I thought you were crazy for working summers too, but I suppose that it is worth it."
"I may have said kid before I finish but I think I'm ready for that, and I'll have lots of help from you, from my parents and even Jeremy." She didn't want to put off having a kid anymore, she was ready. Their argument proved that they will always be a team, that they would always take care of each other. "I mean, I still had plenty of school breaks." She reminded him. "Seems a waste since I had to rent that apartment in Seattle all year long, might as well make it worth it."
He chuckled and put a hand on her belly, his thumb moving to the dip that was her belly button as if their child was in her already. "I've wanted children for so long but until you, I never thought that I would truly want to create life with anyone."
Sarah felt so, so emotional at his words. Their love was something she treasured beyond belief. "Jareth, oh, there's no one more perfect to be the father of my child than you."
"Nor the mother of mine." He took her hand and placed it on her belly, his larger hand covering hers. "Think of it, Sarah. Soon, our child will grow here. Half you, half me. A perfect child because it will be ours. At least perfect to me." He cradled the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. "You know, we can practice now."
Sarah laughed. "I'm good with that. Take me to our bed, Jareth."
All was well. The danger was past.
And they would finally start to expand their family.
"FOOLS!" The Master screamed. "If Balthasar hadn't escaped, then he wouldn't have had to die. Same with Gideon!"
"I'd say that they deserved it for the consequences for their reckless actions." The General said, having no pity for them.
"This will take longer." The Master said. "We will have to lay low for longer. I'm sure that some precautions will be held up."
"What do I tell the Followers, Master?" The General asked.
The Master put a hand to his head. He had to regain his temper, for if he did not, then he would be no better than the two who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. "We tell them to wait, to pretend that nothing is happening. I will give the orders when we are ready. It could take a few years, but we will be victorious. And our Vision will win."
"Yes, Master."
Toby giving his girlfriend 16 pounds of her favorite candy and the other stuff in asking her to prom is the EXACT same way one of my childhood friends did when wishing his high school sweetheart a happy sweet 16. I thought it was adorable and also hilarious how he emptied the entire bucket of candy from the store to get that much candy for her. 16 pounds though, she definitely shared it with as many people as she could!
Sometimes, we hurt the ones we love. It's not okay, but it happens. I thought that it would be time to show a chapter where Jareth and Sarah say hurtful things to each other, but still love each other. Loving each other means taking care of each other even when you're mad. Sometimes you get help to come along with that, like friends and family.
Also, there is truly nothing like Mr. Rogers to get you to be calm and thoughtful. No joke, I watch him to calm myself down. That episode of the crayon factory is amazing, seriously. If you don't know who he is (he is known to most Americans), I would suggest checking him out. He's a TV show host mainly for small children but he is so wise and so kind.
I hope that you guys liked me bringing back Daniel and Lydia! Jeremy is still important, I'll try to add him in the next chapter although next chapter is VERY Jareth and Sarah heavy as they're going to try to get pregnant. I do focus on Jareth and Sarah a lot since this is their love story, but I hope that the other characters are still present enough.
The bad guys are definitely what took me so long to write this freaking chapter. I know what I want in the end but getting there and the stuff that'll happen is still a it murky to me. Next chapter is going to be easier for me to write, it's more of actually doing it. lol
Please, as always, leave a review! Thank you! Also I'm really sorry I'm bad at responding to them, I will respond to reviews from now on lol.