The next morning, Sarah and Jareth woke up early and went downstairs to make breakfast. Toby was still asleep, but that wasn't surprising. Even when the teen wasn't going through a traumatic event he tended to sleep late. As the two finished their oatmeal, Jareth leaned forward and placed his cup of coffee down. "When do you have to be at the police station?"

"They didn't specify," Sarah answered. "Only that all of us should come in this afternoon."

"Then might I suggest we contact Rhihart and let him know what's going on? He may be able to help us if we get into a spot of trouble."

Sarah nodded. "That's a good idea! Though I'm not sure how he could help us?"

"Cariad, he may have someone who could help us find who killed your father and stepmother. There are some in the Underground who can tell the history of an object simply by touching it."

Sarah's eyes widened. "And Rhihart knows someone like this?"

"If he doesn't, then I'm nearly confident that he has contacts who do."

"Then by all means, let's give him a call."

"Excellent, we'll just need a mirror."

"Hmm, we could use the vanity mirror in my old bedroom?"

"That should work perfectly," he nodded and they both headed back upstairs. Jareth performed the scrying spell that would allow them to speak with his half-brother.

A few moments later, Rhihart appeared in the mirror. He looked as though he'd just gotten out of bed as he had on a housecoat and his hair looked rather unkempt. "Jareth! To what do I owe this absurdly early call? Are you coming back to the Underground soon?"

"I'm afraid not, brother," Jareth replied. He then proceeded to tell Rhihart about everything that had happened, from the time spell not working to Robert and Karen's deaths to the police investigating Sarah as a suspect.

"Oh my! That is terrible!" Rhihart had one hand pressed over his heart. "I'm so sorry for your loss, my dear," he addressed Sarah who nodded in thanks. "How ever I can help, do let me know."

"On that note," Jareth said and leaned forward. "We're wondering if you may know a scryist who can sense an object's history?"

"A scryist, eh? I'm not sure that I do, but I may know someone who does." His fingers ran through his short beard. "Until I find one for you though, I'd like to send Palath up there for you as a kind of bodyguard. I imagine Toby would be quite glad to see him again after all that's transpired?"

"Your Majesty, no offense, but there are no centaurs in the Aboveworld. Palath would stick out like a sore thumb." Sarah frowned.

Rhihart chuckled a little. "Not to worry, my dear. Us fae can do what's called a glamour. It changes the appearance of someone without really physically changing them. I'm sure Jareth can show you."

Sarah's cheeks reddened, but she nodded. "In that case, we'd love to have him here. Toby needs a friend and unfortunately, I can't be that for him right now."

Rhihart nodded. "I'll send him at once then." He turned to face Jareth. "Do you think a transportation spell would work?"

"If I draw a spell circle to amplify the magic, I don't see why it shouldn't. Though there is a fairy ring about two hours outside of town that we could use as a last resort."

"Let's try the spell circle first," Rhihart said.

Jareth nodded. "Shall we contact each other again in two hours? Palath was last in the Goblin City, so he may be a little difficult to get a hold of."

"That should work. Would he be likely to head back here or to Alendria?" Rhihart gestured distantly in the direction of the centaur city.

"I'm not sure. He may have started back towards Lathe to check in with his commanding officer. I didn't leave him with any specific orders." Jareth frowned.

"Then hopefully we'll be able to find him and convince him to help out."

"I doubt he'll need much convincing," Jareth smiled. "Toby is an honorary member of the herd and has saved Palath's life several times now. I doubt he could refuse."

"Then I'd best get to finding him," Rhihart said. "Best of luck in the meantime."

"To you as well, brother," Jareth nodded and let the connection die. "Well, that certainly is a start," he turned to face Sarah.

She nodded. "Yes, now what do we do for the next two hours?"

"We rehearse." He rose from the vanity bench and moved toward the bedroom door. "We need to make sure we have our story straight before we visit the police station this afternoon."

"We'll need to wake up Toby then. They'll want to question him too."

Jareth nodded and slipped out the door towards the teen's room. "I'll wake him. Meet us down in the kitchen."

Sarah nodded and slowly walked towards the kitchen.

Toby was difficult at first, but after Sarah made him some oatmeal with brown sugar and gave him a glass of orange juice, he became more functional. They decided to keep their story as simple as possible. When Karen called to see if Toby could stay with Sarah while she and Robert went yachting, Sarah told her about Jareth's cabin. She asked if Toby could come with for a vacation and Karen approved. They all went up to northern Vermont where they stayed at the cabin, went hiking, played cards, went fishing, swimming, and exploring the woods. They occasionally went into town to get supplies and tried to reach Karen and Robert on Toby's phone, but the calls never went through. (Sarah was still amazed that Toby had somehow managed to keep a hold of his cell phone during their three week expedition in the Underground.)

Once they had laid out the plan and had practiced answering some questions from each other, it was time to contact Rhihart again. Using Sarah's vanity once more, Jareth performed the spell and a moment later, Rhihart was in the mirror... this time dressed and standing beside Palath and General Ardal. "General, how good to see you again," Jareth greeted him.

General Ardal nodded then focused on Toby standing behind Jareth's left shoulder. "I wish to express my deepest sympathies for the passing of your parents, young Tobias," he bowed slightly and held his right hand in a fist to his heart. "I understand there is some question as to the manner in which they died?"

Jareth nodded. "There is and the local law enforcement have made us suspects. Though, admittedly, that isn't without reason." He shrugged.

"Then it would be my honor to join you in the Aboveground, herd brother, so that I may assist you in clearing your name and avenging your parents," Palath stepped forward.

Toby gave a the centaur a small smile and nodded. "Then it is settled," Jareth declared. "I will draw the spell circle here. I should be ready in fifteen minutes. Do you have fae to help you there, brother?"

Rhihart nodded. "Yes, we'll be ready for you. Oh, and call back in a couple of days. I may have news for you about a scryist by then."

Jareth nodded and cut the connection. "Come, we'll want plenty of room for the spell circle. Is there a fence around the backyard?" he asked as he headed downstairs.

"Yes, but how are you going to draw the spell circle?" Sarah and Toby followed him into the kitchen and down the back hall out the back door into the yard. A tall privacy fence surrounded the area.

"With magic, of course," he smiled. "Actually, Sarah dear, this would be good practice for you, and it should come fairly naturally as we'll be drawing on the energy of the surrounding flora."

Sarah stepped forward. "What do I have to do?"

"Walk in a large circle about six feet in diameter. You will have to walk the circle three full times. While you walk, reach out with your magic and connect with the trees and plants in the area. Ask them to give a little of their energy and when you feel them responding, focus that energy into the path you're creating."

"I don't have to focus on transportation or Palath at all?"

"No," Jareth shook his head. "The spell circle is not specific to a transportation spell. It is merely a focus point that also has a cache of energy for the spell caster to use so they do not deplete their own resources. I will perform the transportation spell on this side of the barrier and Rhihart's fae will perform it on his side. You will just be creating a focus point for the two spells to meet."

Sarah nodded and walked out into the yard, giving herself enough room to make a six foot circle. She walked it once to give herself an idea of where the path would be then took a deep breath and began to reach out with her magic. She walked slowly and carefully, making sure to stay on the path she'd visualized. After the second pass, the ground below her feet began to emit a gentle green glow. Once she completed the third pass, the circle was glowing brightly and shafts of light were rising up into the air. Sarah paused at the start of the circle and closed her eyes for a moment before stepping out. She wanted to thank the trees and plants for their energy.

Jareth gave her a smile and let his fingers brush the back of her hand before stepping towards the spell circle. He chanted for a minute with his hands held palm out facing away from him. A bright circle of light appeared, on the other side of which, they could see Rhihart, General Ardal, and Palath standing in a courtyard of Rhihart's palace. Palath stepped forward and through the transportation spell as Rhihart called out, "Let us know if you need any further assistance, brother."

Jareth nodded and let the spell fade away. Once everything was back to normal, the light was gone leaving a centaur standing in the backyard. Sarah felt a flutter of nervousness that somehow one of the neighbors would see. However her fears were pushed aside when she saw her brother rush forward to hug his friend. Palath was a little taken aback at first, but then wrapped his arms around Toby as well. "Despite my previous annoyance with you, young Tobias, I missed having you nearby these past few days," he said.

Toby leaned back and grinned. "Don't get too emotional, Palath, or I'll start to think you're sick."

Palath rolled his eyes and moved to step forward. "Greetings, King Jareth, Lady Sarah," he bowed before them. "I am ready to assist in any way I can."

"Well, first things first," Sarah said. "We'll have to get you walking on two legs."

Palath looked offended, but Jareth spoke up. "What she means is, there are no centaurs here, and it would be best if you appeared to be human."

The centaur looked mollified at this and nodded. "I trust you can perform the appropriate glamour?"

"Yes, just let me focus for a moment here," he eyed the palomino centaur up and down for a moment before pushing up his sleeves a little and forming a crystal sphere in one gloved hand. He focused on the crystal, waving it back and forth across the tops of his hands, imbuing it with power before tossing it to Palath. The centaur caught it, but the crystal dissolved into a pile of dark glitter that began to swirl around him. His whole body flickered like an old television set and the next thing Sarah knew, she was looking at a tall man with the same roguish square jaw as Palath and the same shoulder length riotous curly auburn hair, but he now stood on two legs. His skin took on a warmer hue as though he'd been out in the sun that made him appear more human, and his eyes had changed from chartreuse (common among centaurs) to a steel blue.

"Whoa, you clean up good, man," Toby commented. "But we need to get you some clothes."

Palath looked down to see that while his chest was still bare, Jareth had adjusted the glamour so that he looked like he was wearing a pair of loose breaches that tied at the waist and knee. "I still feel like I have four legs," he commented.

"That's because you do," Jareth replied. "I've just altered how you are perceived. So if you want to change clothes, I'll have to adjust the glamour… or at least for your lower half."

"Why don't you give him a pair of jeans,"Sarah said. "Those go with everything and are very common up here."

Jareth nodded and focused for a second before flicking his hand. The glamour glitched and reappeared with a pair of dark wash jeans and black combat-style boots. "A shirt is up to you," he remarked as he turned to head inside the house.

"Come on, you can borrow…" Toby paused for a second. His face fell and he looked down.

"What is it, Tobias?" Palath asked, placing a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Nothing… just… I was going to say that you can borrow one of my dad's shirts."

Sarah frowned as well. "We can go buy him his own shirt, Tobes."

"No," Toby sighed. "I'm going to have to get used to the idea sooner or later."

"There's no rush."

Toby nodded, but proceeded to enter the house and go upstairs to his parents' bedroom. Palath followed him and Sarah got the distinct impression it was more for moral support than any desire to pick out his own shirt.

The next few hours passed quickly. After Toby had found a plain black t-shirt for Palath, the group agreed to practice their story a few more times. Then Sarah and Jareth explained to Palath what they wanted him to do for the afternoon while they were at the police station. "We need you to have a thorough look around the house here," Sarah said. "Toby and I are a little… shaken up still so it's difficult for us to go through things."

Palath nodded in understanding. "What am I to look for?"

"Anything unusual, anything out of place, any notes written recently, any traces of magic that you can sense, just things that seem out of the ordinary," Jareth supplied.

"I must warn you that my knowledge of ordinary humans is limited to what young Tobias has told me in our travels together. However I will do my best."

"And if you're unsure about anything, just set it aside for us to look at later," Sarah said. She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. "We should probably be going. Don't want the detectives to think we're avoiding them."

"I thought we were avoiding them," Toby pointed out.

"Only when it doesn't make us seem more suspicious," Sarah countered as she grabbed the keys to her truck.

"Good luck," Palath called out to them as they walked out the door.

The centaur wasn't really sure where to start his search. He had never been to the Aboveground before let alone a human house. However he had been in an elvin home and a fae home. This couldn't be too different, could it? He looked around and realized that he didn't even really know the layout of the house. "Well, let's start with reconnaissance then," he mumbled to himself and began to tour through the house, keeping a mental list of what rooms were where. Once he had made a mental map, he decided to start on the ground floor. While the bedrooms and personal spaces were upstairs, most of the daily life would happen in the common areas. Therefore it had a higher potential for clues, right? Palath sighed and began looking through a pile of mail on the kitchen counter.

He went through the entire kitchen, living area, office, and lower bathroom without finding anything. Frowning, he made his way upstairs again and into Robert and Karen's bedroom. He had been in this room earlier with Toby and had not seen anything, but he hadn't really been paying attention. Now he focused on every little detail. The bedroom was neat and tidy. Robert appeared to like to read before bed as he had a book on his nightstand. Karen had a sleep mask on her side indicating that Robert stayed up with the lamp on reading for quite a while.

He moved over to the tall dresser where Robert kept his ties and undergarments. Nothing appeared to be disturbed. He turned to go over to Karen's dresser, but paused when he was near the large bay windows that looked out to the backyard. There was something there… near the windows, something not from the Aboveground. Palath moved closer. Even though centaurs could not do magic, they were still able to sense the traces it left behind, and there had definitely been fae magic performed in this room. It was strongest at the window, but there was also a concentration near the walk-in closet as well.

He examined both areas closely, but did not see anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps whatever spell was cast, it was cast on Robert and Karen? Palath moved toward their bed. If a fae wanted to influence the couple, it would be logical to cast a dream spell, which would leave traces of magic where they slept. Sure enough, there was a concentration near the head of the bed on the pillows. "Most peculiar," he mumbled. He couldn't tell what kind of magic or spell was used, but King Jareth might be able to once he returned.

Palath continued to search the rest of the house, but did not find anything else out of the ordinary or any other concentrations of magical energy left behind. With that done, he went back outside to look at the garden while he waited for Sarah, Toby, and Jareth to return.

When they arrived at the police station, Sarah, Toby, and Jareth were split up into three separate rooms. Sarah noticed that they took Toby to a conference room while Jareth and herself were treated to an interrogation room. It was all just tactics to get them to talk. She just hoped that Toby would be okay and would remember everything they had talked about.

She had been waiting for about ten minutes when Detective Brennan and Detective Valenti entered the room. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Brennan said. "Would you like something to drink? Water?"

"No thank you. I'd rather get this over with if you please," Sarah replied.

The two detectives nodded and took a seat at the table across from her. "Thank you for coming in today," Brennan greeted. "We just want to confirm timelines and get your full side of the story."

Sarah nodded. "Of course, anything I can do to help."

"Excellent, let's start at the beginning then," Valenti leaned forward, his hands folded on the table in front of him. "Just tell us your version of events starting from when Toby came to stay with you three weeks ago."

Sarah sighed and nodded. She didn't have to try very hard to make it look like she was weary and mourning. "Toby came over to my apartment unexpectedly," she started. "He had gotten into a fight with his mom about not being able to go over to a friend's house that evening. I had him come in and cool off a bit, and helped him realize that Karen wasn't trying to be mean, but that she had other concerns for him besides how much fun he had with his friends. Eventually it got late and I had him call Karen to let her know where he was and that he would be spending the night."

"And this was the evening of the twenty second?" Valenti asked.

Sarah shrugged. "I suppose so. I haven't really looked at a calendar lately, but yeah it would have been a day before we went up to the cabin."

"And your fiance wasn't there at the time?"

"No, Jareth had arrived the night before."

"That's interesting," Valenti commented. "Because we checked the cameras in your building and we never saw him come in the door."

"I don't know what to tell you," Sarah remarked remembering exactly how Jareth had gotten into her apartment. "Maybe they were on the fritz?"

"Uh huh… Okay, continue," Valenti said as he wrote something down in his notepad.

Sarah nodded and proceeded onward. "We spent all of the next day together. At one point I went out and bought some clothes for Jareth, but for the most part we stayed in the apartment. It was the next day that Jareth mentioned the cabin his family owns up in northern Vermont. He said that it would be a nice get-away for all of us since Toby was still kind of mad at his parents and I had just gotten back from being deployed overseas."

"And this was all just a spur of the moment decision?" Brennan asked.

"Yes."

"Usually when people take a vacation as long as you did it takes quite a bit of planning. What about your fiance's job?"

"It wasn't an issue. Jareth had accrued enough PTO to take some time."

"I see," Brennan jotted something down in her notebook. "And you proceeded to spend the next three weeks there?"

"Well we went hiking and did some day trips, but yeah."

"You didn't become worried when your father and stepmother weren't replying?" Valenti asked.

"A little, I guess," Sarah said. "But it's not unusual for them to not answer calls or be too busy with dad's law partners to get back to us right away. I guess I figured I'd check in with them when we got back and see what was up."

"And is there anything that can verify you being in northern Vermont all that time? Any receipts? Ticket stubs? Tourist locations with cameras?" Valenti asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. We paid cash for everything and didn't go anywhere that had cameras." She looked between the two detectives, knowing that they were searching for an alibi. "The whole point of the vacation was to get off the grid. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, of course not, but it came at a very inconvenient time," Brennan commented as she jotted something else down in her notebook.

That hit Sarah in the stomach hard and she felt tears well up in her eyes. "Well I'm sorry that my father and stepmother's deaths were inconveniently timed. I'll be sure to tell them to plan it better so that I can have a proper alibi next time!"

Brennan and Valenti looked up in surprise, but didn't comment. Brennan at least looked remorseful for her comment.

Sarah took several deep breaths and focused again. "Are we done here? Or did you have more questions?"

Brennan looked over at Valenti and the two seemed to communicate with their eyes alone for a second before she looked back at Sarah. "No, that will be all. You can sit in the waiting area out front while we finish up with your fiance and brother."

Sarah nodded and rose to follow the detectives out of the interrogation room.

Sarah waited in the police station's waiting room for what seemed forever, but was actually only a couple of hours. Toby was the first to rejoin her. She wanted to ask him what they had talked about, but didn't want anyone to overhear them while still in the station. It would have to wait until they got back in the truck. Instead they talked about the donations people had made to their parents and what they were going to do with them. Sarah thought a scholarship would be good, but Toby thought donating it all to one place would be better.

They didn't have long to debate it though as Jareth joined them after another hour and they quickly made their way out to the truck. Once they had all gotten in and pulled out of the parking lot, Toby broke the silence. "So how did your interrogations go?"

"As expected. Asked about where we had gone and why we were gone for so long," Jareth replied.

"I'm glad we practiced a bit before going in," Sarah admitted. "They caught me off guard once when they were asking about an alibi."

"What did they ask?" Toby looked over at her.

"They mentioned how inconvenient it was that we were on an off-the-grid vacation when dad and Karen died. I may have shouted at them," she said in a quiet voice.

It was quiet in the truck for a moment before Jareth reached around behind Toby's head and gripped her shoulder. "They deserved it, Cariad," he reassured.

Toby sucked in a deep breath then let it back out. "Yeah. Can we go out for dinner? I think we deserve ice cream after all that."

Sarah chuckled and nodded. "You just want to introduce Palath to Aboveworld foods, don't you?"

"Well, I mean, maybe… But I still think we deserve ice cream after all that!"

"Yeah, Tobes, we do." Sarah turned the corner onto their block and pulled into the driveway. "We'll have to take dad's sedan though. Three in the truck is a squeeze, four would be impossible." She hesitated for a moment as she put the truck in park. "Actually, can Palath even ride in the car? He's under a glamour that changes our perception of him, but he still has four legs."

Jareth chuckled. "No, you are correct. I would need to physically change him before he could ride in the car."

"Oh, well in that case maybe we could walk down to the Snack Shack?" Toby said mentioning the walk-up diner that served hotdogs, burgers, fries, and, of course, ice cream that was only a mile away.

"Sounds good, Tobes," Sarah agreed as they all exited the truck.

A/N: I'm picturing Palath as being played by Sam Heughan in his role as Jamie in Outlander. Do a quick Google to see that rugged handsomeness!