Surprise Upload Saturday!

Here, have this extra long chapter as a token of my thanks to those who have favorited and reviewed so far!

Later that evening, Toby and Sarah went to Sarah's apartment leaving Inara, Jareth, and Palath at their parents' house. Inara had examined Robert and Karen's room after everyone had finished eating earlier and found evidence of dreams that were designed to make the couple forget their children and everything important to them, sending them into a depressive state. Both siblings were shaken up after this, so they had packed up some clothes and took Jareth over to Sarah's apartment to set up some protection spells. They left Palath with Inara after showing them how the TV worked and where to find some books to read.

Jareth had helped them with protection spells, having Sarah practice on her own a couple of times. However then he left, leaving the siblings to themselves, and returned to Inara and Palath. He'd shown Robert and Karen's room to Inara for her own sleeping quarters after setting up protection spells on the windows. Palath preferred to sleep under the stars and so had left them to go outside.

It was nearing midnight, and everyone was in their own sleeping quarters, Jareth taking Sarah's old room. However he found that he was having difficulty falling asleep. This was the first time in over a week that he and Sarah had been apart at night, and the first time in several weeks that they had been in different buildings. He'd grown accustomed to having her near. His magic had meshed with hers and now he felt incomplete without her.

Sighing, he thought of all they'd overcome together in the past few weeks. She'd helped him get back to the Underground, raise an army, and take back his kingdom, and in the process became Lady of the Labyrinth. She'd come a long way, and frankly, so had he. He'd been resentful of her when she left his kingdom years ago, but she'd somehow inadvertently wormed her way back into his heart. He'd sworn when she'd left all those years ago, that he wouldn't dwell on her, that he would move on and never think of her again. However the Labyrinth had different ideas. It had been she who had pushed them back together.

He rolled over in the empty bed and closed his eyes. He needed to get some sleep tonight. They would be planning and doing a dry run of how to get into the police impound to get to the yacht tomorrow, so he would need his wits about him. Focusing on his breathing, he tried to do some mediation to make his heart rate slow and send him off to sleep. He was just about there, on the edge between waking and sleeping when multiple things happened in quick succession.

First, he was startled awake by a terrible rage filled scream! Next a loud bang echoed through the house followed by the sound of breaking glass. This happened simultaneously with a terrified and surprised scream. Jareth scrambled to get out of the bed; the blankets wrapped around his legs and tripped him up. However he kicked them away and ran out into the hallway. Another terrified scream could be heard from Robert and Karen's bedroom, and Jareth darted down the hall and in the door.

He took in the scene. Inara sat upright on the bed, her face a mask of terror. The window across from the bed was broken and the drapery fluttered in the cool night breeze. Glass shards littered the floor near the window. However there was no sign of any other people or creatures. "Princess Inara, are you okay?" he quickly made his way over to her and cast a cursory glance over her to see if she was wounded at all.

"I - I think so," she mumbled.

"What happened?"

Before she could speak though, Palath came galloping up the steps and into the room. "Princess! Are you well?" his eyes sought hers as he quickly crossed the room.

"Yes," she replied with a bit more confidence.

"I heard the screams and rose immediately to investigate. I saw a dark shadow fly out of the window to this room. It did not harm you?"

"No, I'm fine," Inara reasserted. "I woke up to someone standing over me, screaming in rage. I couldn't see their face because it was so dark, but I could tell they were extremely angry to see me."

"Yes, I gathered that myself," Jareth remarked. "What happened then?"

Inara took in a breath to settle herself. "When I saw them, I screamed. They knew I was awake then and rushed for the window. I think it was already open, but they were in such a hurry to get away that they broke it."

Jareth turned to Palath. "And you said you saw it fly away?"

"Aye, Sire," Palath affirmed. "It was like a black hazy mass, but it seemed to be forming wings as it flew."

Jareth took a step back and crossed his arms as he thought. "It appears we have underestimated our opponent. Any normal fae would have been driven back by the wards I put on the windows and we would've been woken before they gained entry. However they entered with seemingly no problem."

"What are your suspicions, Sire?" Palath asked.

"I don't know," Jareth admitted. "I am at a loss for now on who this imposter may be, or how to keep them out. They obviously have magic, but it is different from a normal fae's, enough so that normal spells to ward off fae do not hinder them."

"Then how are we to protect ourselves from them?" Inara asked, her voice still a bit higher than normal.

"I think we may have to revert to non-magical means," Jareth replied. "We set a trap."

"Do you think the intruder will return tonight yet?" Palath asked.

"I doubt it. They received just as much of a shock as you did, I'd wager."

"Well I can assure you that I received quite the shock! It isn't pleasant being woken by a screaming woman."

"A woman? You could see that they were female?" Palath asked.

"No, but they sounded higher pitched than most males can achieve."

"It could just be a different species," Jareth remarked. "For example, nymph males have higher pitched voices that we would associate with females."

"I do not believe this was any nymph, King Jareth," she deadpanned.

"It was merely an example. I do not think it was a nymph either, but the higher pitched scream is a clue in and of itself. Good job for noticing."

"What do we do now?" Inara asked.

"If we can, we should try to get some sleep. The night is still young and we have much to do tomorrow."

"Sleep? After that?" Inara exclaimed. "Unlikely."

Jareth thought for a moment before coming up with an answer. "This house has a basement with a furnished living area. If you are not opposed to roughing it on a sofa, then you'd be safe down there."

Inara considered for a moment. Sleep in a comfy bed, but have a possibility of being distrubed by the intruder again? Or sleep on a possibly lumpy sofa, but be safe from intruders? "I'll take the sofa," she answered finally.

"Very well, follow me," Jareth nodded. He led her down to the basement, taking the pillow and blanket from Robert and Karen's room with him.

He settled her in then returned to the main floor where he found Palath waiting for him. "Your Majesty," he bowed his head slightly. "Perhaps it would be best to take shifts keeping watch? Should the intruder return, we would stand a better chance of capturing them."

Jareth nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Would you like first or second watch?"

"I shall take first watch. Pardon me saying, but your Majesty looks dead on your feet. Get some sleep and I shall wake you in four hours."

Jareth chuckled. "Thanks, Palath. I appreciate the concern. But please do make sure you leave enough time to get sleep yourself. Wake me in exactly four hours."

Palath nodded. "As you wish, your Majesty."

Jareth sighed and patted the centaur on the shoulder. "Thank you, Palath." He continued up the stairs and into Sarah's old room, collapsing on the bed. Now that the adrenaline had passed, he was exhausted. He flipped the blankets over himself and closed his eyes.

Sarah and Toby settled into her apartment easily. Toby blew up the air mattress Sarah had bought and made it with the sheets she'd bought just for it as well. Neither sibling was tired, so Sarah made some popcorn while Toby picked out a movie to watch. He picked out an oldie, but a goodie, The Dark Crystal. They stayed up watching the fantasy movie until late, both sitting on the air mattress.

By the time the credits rolled, Toby was dozing, laying half on and half off the mattress. Sarah was sleepy as well, but still sitting upright. She turned the TV off and moved her brother fully onto the mattress before covering him with the blanket. She double checked the locks on the front door (telling herself she was being cautious, not paranoid) then went to her own bedroom.

As she settled into her bed, her thoughts turned to Jareth and how they were faring at the house. She trusted Jareth to be able to handle any situation, but she still worried. What if the mystery guest came back and sent terrible dreams to one of them? Would she be able to catch Jareth or Palath or Inara before they could do themselves or others harm? She shuddered to think of anyone else getting hurt. However there was little she could do about it right now. She might as well get some sleep. They had a lot to do tomorrow.

She rolled over and closed her eyes. "Sarah."

Her eyes popped open and she looked around her room. No one was there, but that didn't mean she was alone. "Hello?" she called out hesitantly.

"Take care, my lady," the voice said again. "There is someone in the Aboveground who has malicious intent towards you."

"Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, finally recognizing the voice.

"Yes, take heed of my warning, my Lady."

"Gladly, if you'll elaborate on what you mean," she replied quietly.

"It is as I said, I can sense a malicious force directed at you."

"At me? Not Jareth?"

"Nay, my Lady. It is directed toward you. I cannot give anything more specific, as the entity has taken care to hide themselves with magic."

"Well… it's a start, I guess, even though I don't have any idea who in the Underground would be targeting me."

"Do not underestimate yourself, my Lady. You are in an enviable position of power. Many have wished to be in your position, but found themselves lacking."

"So you're saying this person could be after me because of my power? But why? Don't you pick who gets to be Lady of the Labyrinth?"

"If the heir of the Goblin King is male, then yes, but many have tried to force the decision in their favor."

"So if Jareth had been female, she would've inherited the position of Lady of the Labyrinth?"

"That is correct."

Sarah let out a heavy sigh. "Interesting, but irrelevant for now. I guess I'd better keep my eyes open for trouble."

"Indeed. You have barely begun to learn of the power we share, young one. When you return, we must commune so that I may teach you."

"Deal, but can I sleep now?"

The Labyrinth chuckled a little, a deep reverberating sound. "Yes, sleep, my Lady."

Sarah sighed and settled back down into her bed, closing her eyes.

The next morning, Sarah and Toby returned to their parents' house with a variety box of donuts they had picked up at a bakery on the way. However when Jareth answered the door, it was with dark circles under his eyes and a yawn on his lips. "Oh my, rough night?" Sarah asked as she came in.

"You could say that," he agreed helping himself to a jelly donut. "We were woken at close to midnight by an intruder who, upon finding that Inara was not Toby nor you," he gestured at Sarah. "Screamed in rage and broke through the window upstairs to fly away."

Sarah and Toby stared at him with wide eyes. "You're joking," Sarah deadpanned.

"No way!" Toby said at the same time.

Jareth finished chewing his bite of jelly donut and swallowed. "All completely true," he raised one hand up as though giving a vow.

"Who was it? Did you see their face? Did they say anything?" Sarah started spewing questions, while Toby grabbed a maple long john donut and sat eating it while staring at the kitchen table lost in thought.

"Slow down, Cariad," Jareth held up a hand to stop her. "We don't know who it was. No one saw their face. And they said nothing other than to scream in rage upon finding Inara instead of either of you. However, Inara swears that the intruder was female. She believes that their voice was too high pitched for a male to easily reach."

"Well that's something, I suppose," Sarah commented. "Speaking of which, where is Inara and Palath?" She looked around as though expecting them to come walking into the kitchen.

"I assume Inara is still asleep in the basement as that is what she was doing thirty minutes ago when I checked on her, and Palath is doing much the same outside on the back patio."

"Palath is still asleep?" Toby turned a skeptical eye out towards the backdoor.

"Yes. And I would ask that you leave him alone for a bit longer. After the intruder break-in last night, he and I took it in shifts to watch over the house in case they came back. He took the first shift and woke me early this morning to relieve him. He has only been asleep for perhaps three hours."

"Oh," Toby took another donut, a chocolate cake one this time.

Sarah shook her head and started to move around the kitchen making coffee. "I also had a visit last night," she mentioned.

"You did?" Jareth and Toby asked at the same time.

"Why didn't you say anything this morning, or wake me up?" Toby demanded.

"Whoa, calm down," Sarah said gently as she set a glass of orange juice in front of Toby. "I didn't wake you or tell you right away because it wasn't urgent. The Labyrinth visited me last night to give me a message."

"Oh," Toby deflated back into his chair. "You could've started with that," he grumbled.

Sarah chuckled. "Sorry, Tobes. Anyway, the Labyrinth visited to warn me that whatever is out there causing chaos, and probably what visited you last night," she nodded at Jareth while pouring fresh brewed coffee into mugs. "It's out for me apparently. The Labyrinth said that it has malicious intent towards me, not you."

"Did she say why? Or give any further clues as to who it is?" Jareth asked accepting a mug of coffee from her.

She shook her head. "No, in fact she said she can't see any more because whoever it is, is using magic to cover their tracks. As for why, I asked the same thing and the Labyrinth told me not to underestimate my position. Apparently a lot of people would kill for the position of Lady of the Labyrinth. However that doesn't make sense. The position is chosen by the Labyrinth, right?"

Jareth nodded. "It has been in recent years. However I do not know if that has always been so. The history of the Labyrinth is largely a mystery, though there are those who have histories of the Labyrinth tucked away in safe keeping."

"And your castle is not one of those places?" Sarah asked in bewilderment.

Jareth shook his head. "No, for several reasons actually… First of all, the Goblin Kingdom was not always at the center of the Labyrinth. It was an addition that was added as part of a treaty between the fae and assorted creatures whose homes were in jeopardy at the time. We can go into that later though.

"Second, the Goblin Kingdom has not always been the safest place. It and the Labyrinth, though strong together, have always been a source of power. And there have always been those who are stupid enough and power hungry enough to try and harness that power by invading. I remember my father telling me how the written history of our shared kingdoms was spread between several safe places, including temples and allies' homes, in order to preserve it."

"And you've never gone searching for it?" Sarah asked, bewildered.

Jareth shrugged. "It's never been a priority."

"Well I'm going to make it one once all this is over. I'm sure we can come up with a better way to protect our history rather than just giving it away and hoping it will be safe there."

He gave her a smile and tugged her towards him a bit so that he could kiss her cheek. "I love you, Cariad."

Sarah blushed and smiled at him.

"Ugh, get a room," Toby grumbled as he got up to pour himself a glass of orange juice.

They let Palath and Inara sleep for another hour and a half before they needed to get moving. Toby volunteered to go out and wake up Palath. Sarah took on the task of waking the princess. However Inara was already awake when she got downstairs. The elven princess was sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the small TV screen that was showing some soap opera, the volume on low. "Inara?" Sarah called out softly so as not to startle the young elf.

Inara glanced over at her blankly. "Sarah, right?" she replied, double checking she remembered Sarah's name.

"Yes. Are you okay? Jareth tells me that you had quite a scare last night."

She nodded. "I am fine. Though I must admit that I'm not used to be hidden away in a dungeon like this," she gestured around the basement with one hand.

Sarah chuckled. "Well… at least it's a fully furnished dungeon. It could be worse."

Inara hummed in agreement. "That it could."

"There's donuts, coffee, and juice upstairs in the kitchen if you want some?"

"Donuts?"

"Right, um… round sweet pastries that are kind of like small cakes."

"You eat this for breakfast?"

"It's not the healthiest choice, but yeah."

Inara stared at her for a moment before rising. "Would you mind helping me change for the day, Lady Sarah? King Jareth helped me with this nightgown, but I have no other clothes here in the Aboveworld to wear."

"Actually, I was thinking about that. You're not much smaller than me. I'm sure I could find some of my old clothes for you to wear while you're here." Inara gave her a skeptical look. "Don't get me wrong, your dress yesterday was beautiful, but here in the Aboveground people usually only dress like that when they're going to a very fancy outing."

"You Abovegrounders are quite strange," she muttered. "Fine, dress me as you will then."

Sarah led her upstairs and then continued up to her old bedroom. While the majority of her things had either been moved to her apartment or thrown out, she still had a couple totes of clothes stored in the closet just in case. She eyed Inara for a moment to get an idea of what size she was then dug into the tote. She pulled out a pair of dark denim pants, a soft gray turtleneck sweater, a sleeveless undershirt, and a pair of socks. "I'm assuming you have undergarments?" she asked quietly. Inara blushed, but nodded. "Okay, if you have any questions, I'll be right outside the door."

Sarah walked out and a couple of minutes later, Inara walked out looking like any average twenty year old… with elf ears. They were going to have to do something about that. However Sarah didn't mention it for now and instead showed Inara to the bathroom and helped her with some basic toiletries before they headed down to join the boys.

It turned out, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Inara loved the sweet donuts Toby and Sarah had picked up. Palath did too, but he was better at moderating his expression, so it wasn't as obvious. While everyone ate, they discussed the plan for the day. "I think we should continue on with our investigation and get Inara to the yacht today, given what happened last night," Sarah suggested.

"I'm tempted to agree with you," Jareth said. "But we've never been to this place before and we're not sure how difficult it will be to get past security."

"His Majesty is correct," Palath added. "It would be wise to scout the area first so we know what to expect. Any strategic battle advisor would say the same."

"But we're not headed into battle, we're just breaking into a police impound lot. And Sarah and Jareth have already used police detective disguises and gotten away with it," Toby pointed out.

"A plan would still benefit us though," Jareth argued.

"Inara, what do you think? You'll be the one who has to read the yacht," Sarah asked.

The princess looked a little surprised to be addressed so, but nonetheless added in her two cents. "I agree that it would be better to do this sooner than later," she started. "However if the yacht you speak of is anything like the windows in the bedrooms upstairs, then I will need recovery time. I won't be able to move unassisted for several minutes."

"That's a good point," Sarah said thoughtfully as she raised her coffee cup to her lips. She took a drink and set it down. "Also, who all is coming along on this trip?"

"I imagined it would be just you, Inara, and myself," Jareth replied.

"What? I don't get to go?" Toby protested.

"Well, you wouldn't really have a role to play in the break in, Tobes," Sarah pointed out. "That and we can't bring Palath with unless we get a horse trailer or actually transform him into a human."

"I would much prefer you didn't," Palath grumbled.

"See? So I figured you and Palath would stay here."

Toby thought about this for a moment before speaking again. "Could we… Well… Could we go back to the Underground? I could stay at Rhihart's palace again."

Sarah considered him. Her initial reaction was to say no, but when she stopped to think about it, she could understand why her little brother wouldn't want to spend a significant amount of time in this house. She turned to look at Jareth. "Is it possible?"

"I don't see why not," he replied. "We've opened a portal enough times between the two worlds in your backyard that I'm honestly surprised a fairy ring hasn't started to form there. If we do a spell circle again, we should be able to do it. I would just need to talk to Rhihart beforehand."

Toby grinned then looked over at Palath. "You okay with that?" he asked.

The centaur nodded. "It would be nice to go back home for a little bit."

"Then it's settled. Inara, Sarah, and I will go to investigate the yacht, and Tobias and Palath will go to Rhihart's palace." Jareth stood from his spot at the kitchen table. "I'll go call on Rhihart now."

Thirty minutes later, Toby and Palath had walked through the portal to Rhihart's palace, and Sarah, Jareth, and Inara were in the car on the way to Lynn, Massachutsettes where the yacht was being held in police custody. The drive was, thankfully, uneventful. Inara was fascinated by the vehicle, and after an initial barrage of questions, quietly watched the scenery outside the window. Sarah and Jareth talked about their plan.

They first found the impound lot and circled it once in the car and once on foot to look for all the security cameras, entrances, exits, guards, and any possible obstacles they might encounter. Afterwards, Jareth glamoured all three of them. He changed Sarah and himself into the same police detectives as before and Inara into a lab technician who would be accompanying them to take samples from the yacht.

They entered the impound lot office and Sarah walked up to the counter with the same confidence and swagger she'd pretended to have at the police station before. "How can I help you?" the desk sergeant asked.

"We're here to examine a yacht being held here," she answered. "Our supervisor called ahead."

He looked down at his desk and then searched the notes on his computer. "Um, we've had no calls about anyone coming in to examine a yacht," the man replied with a confused look.

"Really? I swear he said it was today," she complained, and looked back at Jareth.

"That's what I heard too," he added.

"Damn," Sarah swore under her breath. "Look, we drove all the way up from Boston and hired a lab tech for the afternoon. Can ya cut us a little slack? I'm sure our super just forgot to call."

The desk sergeant frowned and eyed the three of them. "Did you talk to Officer Gorski a couple days back?"

Sarah racked her brain to remember the name of the officer they'd spoken with before. "That name sounds familiar," she said noncommittally.

"Yeah! You musta," the young man smiled. "He called up here and said he gave info about a yacht to a man and a woman detective. Said to expect you. We been friends since our academy days, so he thought he'd give me a heads up."

"That's right! That helpful officer was named Gorski!" Sarah grinned. "He was great! Really helped us out that day!"

"Right, I'll let you in. Just make sure you sign the log here." He handed Sarah a clipboard with a sign-in sheet. She frowned a little, but quickly signed her fake name: Jennifer Connelly, then handed it over to Jareth who signed David Jones. The officer indicated for Inara to sign as well. They hadn't talked about giving her a fake name, but the young elf didn't hesitate as she took the clipboard and signed. Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see the name Grace Kelley. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she quickly regained control of her expression. How did Inara know about the famous actress turned princess? A question for another time.

"This way," the sergeant said as he waved them towards another door that led out into the impound yard. He led them all the way to the yacht, a large boat with an upper and lower deck. It included a master bedroom and a guest room as well as a dining/kitchen area, and leisure space on the top deck. However the front end was smashed inward from the force of the crash and a hole the size of a hubcap allowed them to see inside. All in all, it was a three million dollar play toy that Sarah couldn't fathom buying for herself. "I'll leave ya here," the sergeant said. "Gotta man the desk. Gimme a call if ya need anything though!"

With that, he left them. Sarah and Jareth circled around the boat giving the perception that they were examining it when in fact they were examining their surroundings. There were no other police officers in the lot at the moment, and so long as they were careful, the security cameras wouldn't know what they were doing either.

Jareth helped Inara up into the yacht and stood between her and the security camera as she began examining the area for residual magical traces. Sarah walked around the upper deck on the lookout for anyone who might approach them.

Inara ran her hands over the table in the dining area and paused. "They sat here and shared meals. They also played card games and talked." She opened her eyes again and moved on into the kitchen area. Once again, she ran her hands over the work areas as she passed. However nothing drew her attention. There was a set of stairs that went below deck to the sleeping quarters and she followed it down. The master bedroom held nothing, but the guest room held the same kinds of magic traces as Robert and Karen's bedroom. "They were sent more dreams here," Inara said. "It reinforced the ones they received at their home. They…" her voice choked up for a second. "They wanted to kill themselves."

Jareth was glad Sarah was above decks keeping an eye out. He didn't want her to see this. "What else," he encouraged Inara.

"The magical traces lead back up to the stairs," she replied and went back up before turning to the captain's cabin where the ship was run from. "Here," she said as she reached the steering and navigation. "There was an argument between the two males on the ship. One wanted to head in towards land and the other knew it to be too dangerous. There was heavy fog in the area, and a storm was coming."

"What then?" Jareth prompted quietly.

"The one who wanted to turn towards land hit the other. He took control of the ship and steered towards the shore, bringing it up to full speed. Then… then…" she gasped and shuddered before slumping to the floor.

Jareth lurched forward to catch her, making sure she didn't hit her head. "Inara? Inara, can you hear me?" He patted her cheek, but she was out cold. "Damnit," he cursed. "Sarah?!" he called out.

He could hear footsteps running into the captain's cabin a minute later. "What happened?!" she asked as she knelt next to them. Her hands automatically searching for a pulse.

"She was examining the steering and navigation and found out what happened. However when she got to the part where the crash happened, she fainted."

Sarah's face turned white and she looked up at him. "I don't blame her," she murmured. Sighing, she put the princess's wrist back down. "She's fine. Just fainted from shock, I'm guessing. Not sure how long she'll be out though."

"Hmm, how long before you suppose our sergeant friend gets curious?" he asked indicating the man they'd met at the desk.

"Probably not too long. We've already been out here a good half hour."

"I've got an idea, but we're going to need to play it perfectly," he said.

Five minutes later, they both burst into the impound lot office again. Jareth was carrying Inara in his arms while Sarah quickly led the way, holding the door for him. The desk sergeant stood up quickly upon seeing them. "What happened?!" he asked coming around the desk.

"She fainted. Was complaining of chills, lightheadedness, and feeling shaky," Sarah answered quickly. "I'd say low blood sugar, but I want to get her to a hospital right away just in case."

"Right, right! I'll call ahead!" the sergeant ran back around the desk.

"Already did," Sarah stopped him. "Hospital is down this road and to the left?"

"Yeah, about a mile down this road then a half mile to the left," he confirmed as he watched them rush out the front door.

"Thank you!" Sarah called back to him.

They rushed out to the car and carefully put Inara in the backseat before backing out and hurrying towards the hospital. However once they turned left, they slowed down and found a parking lot to pull into. Sarah turned around to see Inara again. The elf was still completely out, and it was making her nervous because she had no idea if it was normal for her powers. "Don't worry so much, Cariad," Jareth reassured. "She'll be fine. She just needs rest."

"I hope you're right," Sarah sighed as she turned back around and put the car in gear again. At her insistence, they swung through a drive through and picked up some milkshakes. Not only did she really want one, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to have something sweet and liquid for Inara to drink when she came around. She honestly had no idea how the elf's power worked or how to help her best when this happened, so she had reverted to worrying incessantly.

Inara woke up about half way back to the house. She panicked a little upon seeing where she was, but then calmed. "Do you need me to pull over?" Sarah asked.

"No, no I'm fine," Inara replied as she got her breathing back under control.

"Here, eat this… or drink now I guess," Sarah handed back a half melted chocolate milkshake.

"What is it?" Inara asked, taking the cup and staring at the straw protruding through the lid.

"It's a milkshake. Ice cream, milk, and chocolate flavoring. It's good, I swear, and it'll make you feel a bit better after what you just went through."

"How do I..." she trailed off.

Sarah sighed. "Put your lips around the straw so there's no gaps, then suck."

Jareth chuckled resulting in a swat from Sarah. However Inara was oblivious to them. She did as instructed and got a mouthful of chocolate milkshake. "Oh!" she exclaimed after swallowing. "That's actually quite good!"

"I'm glad you like it," Sarah smiled. Jareth was still chuckling, but she ignored him. "Just don't eat it too fast. It'll give you a headache."

The rest of the drive home was spent discussing other forms of Aboveworld sweets and treats, and Inara deciding what she wanted to try. When they arrived back, it was to a quiet house. Sarah immediately understood why Toby wouldn't want to be here for long without many other people around. Even with Jareth beside her, she felt the emptiness. They would have to decide what to do about the house at some point and also decide a great number of other things, such as living arrangements and schooling as well. "Can we go to the Underground?" she asked Jareth quietly. "I would like to discuss our findings with Toby."

Jareth seemed to sense that she didn't want to be in the house of her dead parents and nodded. "Of course, Cariad." He turned to Inara who had wandered into the living room and picked up a gardening magazine. "Princess Inara," he called out to her. "We're planning on returning to the Underground presently. Will you be accompanying us?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose I shall," she replied in a surprised tone. "I didn't realize you would want to send me back as soon as we'd finished. I thought perhaps I could stay with you a while longer as you continue to search for clues."

"Oh! That's not it at all," Sarah reassured. "We're going to see Toby and Palath in Rhihart's palace. We want to share what we found out about the yacht with him. And I thought you might stay with us a bit longer so you could tell us what you experienced on the yacht, and in case we need your talents again."

Inara smiled. "That would be acceptable."

"Right, I suppose we'll need a spell circle again?" Sarah commented.

"Yes, why don't you create one while I give Rhihart a heads up that we're coming," he replied.

Twenty minutes later, they were being welcomed into Rhihart's study with offers of beverages. "I'll take one," Jareth raised his hand slightly as he sat down on a loveseat with Sarah. Toby and Inara took up two separate chairs, and Palath stood nearby. It appeared that a sorcerer, perhaps Rhihart himself, had gotten rid of the glamour around Palath so the centaur once again had four legs. "Lady Sarah?" Rhihart offered, holding up a bottle of amber liquid.

"I'll pass, thank you," she shook her head.

"Suit yourself," Rhihart poured two drinks then came to sit down. Both brothers took a sip before they started discussing what had been found so far.

Sarah started. "We know that whoever did this is most likely female, and is targeting me and those close to me. We also know that their magic works differently than a fae's and that it has a similar aura to Jareth's magic."

"A similar aura to Jareth's magic?" Rhihart paused her.

"Yes," Inara interjected. "I have detected it at every investigation site, so far. It's similar in much the same way yours and King Jareth's are."

Rhihart's eyes grew wide at that. "You don't have any other psychotic relatives out there that I don't know about, do you?"

"No, Sarah asked much the same thing, but even if I did, I'm not sure why they would be targeting her instead of me." Jareth frowned in thought.

"Anyway, we also know that this individual likes to work in the shadows. They haven't outright killed anyone yet. Instead they send them influencing dreams and threats in dreams," Sarah continued.

"Could your culprit perhaps be a dreamwalker?" Rhihart asked.

"I hadn't thought of that," Jareth replied. "It is possible. Inara," he turned towards her. "Can your gift tell if our culprit is a dreamwalker?"

She shook her head. "No, your Majesty. I can tell that a strange kind of fae magic was used, and that it was used to send influencing dreams, but both a normal fae and a dreamwalker would do that. Though, a dreamwalker does not usually have to be in the same room as their victim."

"That's true," Rhihart frowned. "What else have you found?" he forged on.

Sarah looked over at Inara. "We visited the yacht today and Inara said that she saw the last moments before…" she faltered and Jareth put an arm around her, tugging her close.

Inara frowned, but took up the narrative. "I saw the last moments before the accident. Robert and another man got into an argument because there was a storm coming in. Robert declared that they should head into the harbor, but the other man said that it was just a squall and they would be safer in open water."

"That is true," Rhihart chimed in. "A ship is actually safer in open water during a storm, less things to crash against. So long as the waves are not tremendously huge."

Inara nodded and continued. "A rage came over Robert then and he hit the other man, knocking him out. He took control of the craft and steered it towards shore."

"What?! Dad would never do that!" Toby interjected, leaning forward on the edge of his seat.

"I don't think it was actually dad doing it, Tobes," Sarah said quietly.

Toby's brow furrowed and he frowned. Sarah could see he was trying to hold back tears, similar to herself. Inara continued, "He piloted the ship towards the shore and… and purposely crashed it against the rocks."

"How utterly horrific," Rhihart looked perturbed. "To think that someone could use their magic to make another do such a thing… it's against everything we're taught as children. Though, I cannot speak for the Unseelie," he muttered the last part.

"We've already determined that there were no Unseelie magics used," Jareth said. "Inara said she would've sensed them if they were present."

Rhihart furrowed his brow in thought. "Then that leaves a Seelie fae or another creature all together. However very few creatures outside of the fae have enough power to influence another like that."

"That was my thoughts as well, brother. I'm at a loss for what this could mean. However Sarah had an idea."

"I did?"

"Yes, you thought of researching the history of the Labyrinth."

"And how would this help?" Rhihart asked.

"The Labyrinth came to Sarah in a dream and told her that the person causing this chaos has malicious intent for her specifically."

"Oh!" Sarah remembered suddenly. "Yes, and I asked it why would someone be angry over the position of Lady of the Labyrinth. She told me that there is much more power and status involved than what I am giving credit for. So I thought I might research the history of the Labyrinth."

"Ah, yes," Rhihart smiled. "She's right, you know. You have a very unique position unrivaled by others. In a way, even though your title is Lady, you outrank every other noble in the Underground."

"I do?"

Rhihart nodded. "Because your position is so unique and holds so much power over who is admitted to the Underground, you outrank both Jareth and I certainly." He paused for a second. "I'm not certain about Tuathal though."

"That would be a question for another day, I'm afraid," Jareth sighed. "We should probably be getting back Aboveground soon."

"Do we have to?" Toby whined. "I kind of wanted to stay for a bit longer."

"We don't want to be missing from the Aboveground for too long, Tobes, in case the detectives drop by again," Sarah pointed out.

"Fine," Toby agreed sullenly.

"You're welcome to spend the night here," Rhihart offered. "I'm sure you wouldn't be missed for one night. And perhaps you all could get a decent night's sleep here by avoiding unpleasant dreams from the individual responsible for this?"

Sarah turned to Jareth. "What do you think?"

He shrugged. "It's up to you, Cariad. I think either way would be fine."

She nodded. "You're right. We won't be missed for one night and we could all use a good night's sleep without fear of someone showing up in the middle of the night to send us nightmares."

"Excellent!" Rhihart grinned. "I'll have a Michaelis make sure the guest rooms are made up."