A/N: I'm grouchy so I took it out on the characters. I am not in the mood to be messed with and my roommate keeps irritating me with her list of chores to give me so writing is constantly interrupted. If this seems broken or choppy, that is why. Please forgive me for being late to the party and please enjoy this short update.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth stared up at Mai in shock upon hearing her words. "You're – you're leaving? Again?"

Mai nodded and brushed back a strand of her hair. Tears still streamed down her face slowly, but her eyes showed her inner calm. They showed a woman that had made up her mind.

"No!" Jareth exclaimed, grasping her hands. "You can't! You just came back and Mai, I've made a mistake. One that I will regret for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean that you have to leave the Goblin City or my kingdom. We can still be together."

"And what about Minthe? What about my sanity, Jareth?" Mai asked. "She could have created something that in nine months will fester into a big problem for you and your descendants, your family. How can I stick around and be a part of that?" Mai shook her head. "The answer is, I can't. I won't."

Jareth's grip on her hands tightened as if she was going to fade away at that moment. "Mai, please. Give me some time. I can plan a way for Minthe to no longer be a problem for us. For good this time. I just need your trust."

Mai shook her head. "I can't."

Jareth watched as Mai stood up and moved away from him. He climbed to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. The Goblin King breathed in the fragrance of her hair, her skin for a moment in a bid to remember everything. To hold onto it forever.

No memory will ever be like the real thing, he thought somberly. I can't lose her, but I promised to never hold her in a place where she doesn't want to be…

"I want to be here, Jareth," Mai whispered, staring out at the gardens that surrounded them. "I want to be here in this place I call home. But I can't. Not while images of you and her swirl in my head or that bitch walks around plotting the next move to put herself in your life. If I'm gone for a while, maybe I'll forget. Maybe I'll find some peace. Maybe something will happen to her. Who the hell knows? But I can't stay here." She sighed. "I wish you would understand."

Jareth squeezed her around the middle. "I do understand. You need time. Time to heal." He offered her a crystal. "I can let you spend time in a beautiful cottage that I've been meaning to show you on an even more beautiful meadow. This crystal can -"

"I'm not going to that cottage," Mai told him, shaking her head. She blew the crystal away as she stepped out of his arms and faced him. "How can I put this?" The Elven Princess put her hands together. "I'm going out of your domain. I'm going to a place that you can't check in on me constantly and that you can't find me. I'm going where my grandfather can't find me with all his men and all their magics. No one is going to find me, except the people that I take with me until I want to be found. If that ever happens."

Jareth closed his eyes. "There's no changing your mind?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Mai…I will not stop you. Just know that I love you. With all my heart and soul. And I wish you the best on your journey."

Mai nodded. "I love you too."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mai moved around her room, packing away the essentials for her move from Jareth's Kingdom. She glanced over and saw Taryn doing the same, smiling the whole time like a mischievous little Elf. Avery stood guard at the door, making sure no one interrupted them. This would be a quick move. And even though she hadn't told them exactly where they were going, they still trusted her. She thought.

"You could look less smug," Mai told Taryn. Her eyes turned to Avery. "And you could look less mean. Jareth apologized. I forgave him."

"And yet, we're going far, far away from him," Taryn sang. "Yay!"

"You should have given me the chance to exact vengeance upon him," Avery growled, flashing his fangs. "The bastard king deserves a good bloodying."

"Avery…" Mai sighed.

"Well he does. The man clearly dishonored the marriage bed. He dishonored you when he slept with that foul demigoddess."

"You weren't saying that when you were giving her the googly eyes," Taryn commented, offering him a little smirk. "And don't deny it. I caught you giving her the googly eyes while the princess was sleeping."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Of course. Who can resist the temptation of such an evilly beautiful demigoddess?" She made a face. "That's something that needs to be worked on."

Avery looked away as if he was embarrassed and crossed his arms over his chest.

Mai snapped her luggage shut and made sure it was all secure before lifting it off the bed. "I don't know about you two, but I'm ready to go. The sooner I go, the sooner we can be sure that Jareth isn't tracking us. That no one is tracking us."

Taryn lifted her bag off the bed. "Who says that they'll track us?"

Avery gave her a look. "You really don't think that we won't be tracked? Don't be daft."

Taryn stuck her tongue out at him. "It was just a question. Honestly, you're grouchy. You might want to work on that before our children get here. Because bleh on you if they pick up on your grouchy behavior."

Mai moved through Avery and walked out the door, not ready to hear the arguing but knowing that that was going to be her reality for a while. She looked to her left and saw Jareth standing at the end of the hall, watching her. She lifted a hand and waved, trying to keep her eyes from pouring out the sadness that she felt from having to leave him again.

I don't want to leave him, Mai thought, turning and heading the opposite way. I want to stay with him, but I can't. Even if my mind would let me, if it would let me focus on the future between me and Jareth and not what happened in the past, there's this voice telling me that I need to go away for I don't know how long. I don't know if it's Mom or the Goddess or someone completely different, but they came to me when I was in the gardens before Jareth approached and told me that even if I could forgive Jareth, space would help the healing process. It's not forever, it's not long at all. It'll be like I never left if I go away and come back at any point. And then we can move on like Jareth wanted, right? We can be happy and run the kingdom together.

Ellie was standing at the other end of the hall, her hands resting upon the top of her walking stick. Her bright eyes spoke of peace, healing, and hope. Mai's heart ached for Mali.

"Things won't be so bad," Ellie said, shaking her head. "I won't let anything that's not supposed to happen transpire while you're away, Mai. I wish you the Goddess' blessing and hope that you return to us soon." She offered a wan smile. "I should very much like to turn you into a Healer. And beat that Blood Guard of yours around the knees."

"Hey!" Avery growled, appearing behind Mai with Taryn at his side.

"Have I flustered thee, dear vampire?" Ellie taunted, looking at him. "For thou are reddened in the face and have new life in thine eyes."

Avery growled again, but said nothing.

Mai put a hand on Ellie's shoulder. "Thank you, Ellie. I must go now, but know that I will be safe. I have my friends. I have few enemies. And I can always contact people if I am in need of help while I am away. Never fret."

"In regards to you and Jareth, I shall always fret, dear Child." Ellie wrapped her arms around Mai's legs. "Be safe and whole when you return to us."

Mai parted from the Goblin Healer and continued on her way. She made it to the top of the stairs at the entrance way to the Goblin castle. Blinking against the hot sun, Mai turned to look at her companions.

"Time to go." She waved her hand and a portal appeared. "Step through and I'll follow to make sure no one comes through after us."

Taryn grabbed Avery's hand and pulled him excitedly into the portal, disappearing from sight. Mai glanced up and saw the Goblin King watching from a window high above.

"Goodbye," she whispered, a single tear falling down her face as she turned and walked into the portal, feeling it close up behind her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Next chapter should be a "so many months from now" update, I'd figure. Who knows? We'll have to play it by ear. And hopefully more peaceful writing is ahead. Thank you and have a wonderful day. - Scarlet