AN: Hello everyone. This chapter will be it until Monday. I have to work all day tomorrow. Thank you everyone for the continued reviews and for answering my questions from last chapter. Anyone know who I could use as a model for Aryanna? I'd like to begin working on my cast page soon. I have however started a small website dedicated to J/S. It's pretty bare right now as it's in the early stages. http://www.geocities.com/jareth_sarah/ I'm looking for contributions for the page. I hope to have a really nice image gallery up. I have some rarer pictures of Jareth and ones of him and Sarah that I'd like to put up. I'm also looking for links to people's favorite J/S stories so that they can be added once I have the page up and running. I'll take txt or html format files of stories too and hope to make a J/S fan fiction archive. There eventually will be a message board as well. Let me stop babbling so you can read. I hope you don't all kill me for the content of this chapter. But it was thought up long ago and is not a last minute curve to the story.
Loss and Revenge…
Megmora watched over the child as she slept. She was sleeping quite peacefully despite her small fit of anger only a few hours earlier. Where could the King be? Why had he not returned with the child's mother? Closing her eyes, Megmora concentrated her powers, trying to search the Labyrinth and the Underground for any trace of the King for his mortal lover. She was about to give up when she a feeling of contentment found it's way into her mind. Far beneath the surface…there was a feeling of momentary peace. She could barely feel the presence in her mind and as quickly as she felt it, it vanished. The ancient magic of the tunnels was too strong for her, even for her old magic and she lost the presence. Despite this she smiled and gazed down at the child, curled into a ball protectively around her teddy bear.
"Ssshe is sssafe child. Sshe isss sssafe with him."
* * *
The walk was becoming tiresome, but the trio pushed on.
"I don't remember it taking quite this long to get to the bottom." Jareth told Hoggle. To him it felt like he had been walking for days. The pain in his side was great and Sarah knew that he was suffering. He couldn't use his magic to hide his pain.
"I tolds ya. This route is longer, but it's safer. What cha want, to be eaten by them beasts or have a longer more but safe walk out?"
"I'll take the long safe route, thank you very much." Sarah said coming to stop beside Jareth. Sweat had broken on her brow and she looked exhausted.
"Hoggle how about those roots?" Jareth asked him. "Sarah needs some nourishment."
"Jareth, I'm fine. The less times we have to stop to rest and to snack, the faster we can get the hell out of here."
"Sarah, you're exhausted and I'm sure that you are hungry as well. You've had nothing to eat since breakfast yesterday morning."
"Yesterday? I was in that room for an entire day?"
"Yes, my love. You need food and if we could find some water. You should rest as well."
"Jareth stop fussing over me, ok? I'm fine. I'm not hungry and I would like to get the hell out of here."
"Sarah…all this traveling is not good for your condition."
'My condition? Please don't even start with me! I'm not fragile, I'm not going to break if I take a walk through some tunnels. For god sakes I've only been pregnant for 4 or 5 days the most…" She stopped suddenly realizing that Hoggle was with them. He didn't know about the pregnancy, and she didn't want to shock the dwarf anymore then he already he been. She wasn't sure if he had come to terms with Sarah's relationship with Jareth, never mind shocking him with the news that she was carrying Jareth's baby.
"Hoggle…" She looked apologetic.
He waved his hand at her. "It's all rights, I already knows about the baby."
"You do? But how?"
"I heard ya both talkin bout it."
"Hoggle you have to promise me you won't mention this to anyone. I'd like it if you kept the entire thing to yourself." Jareth looked extremely hurt by her words.
"I can keeps a secret."
"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to keep going. I want out of this place." Hoggle nodded and began to walk away, Sarah in step behind him. But Jareth stood, leaning against a wall heavily. She spun to face him. "You coming or not?"
He nodded slowly and walked to her side. "You don't wish anyone to know that you carry my child? Are you suddenly ashamed? You just told me that you were honored to-"
"I am honored Jareth, but I don't want this getting to my little girl before we can both sit down and explain our actions." He nodded feeling a but more relieved and he followed her and Hoggle.
They traveled on for hours, stopping occasionally to sit and rest and then push on more. Jareth's condition was growing steadily worse and the relief was clearly seen when they finally reached the entrance to the tunnels.
'I can feel my magic again." Jareth told them. "We should get back to the castle before Gorgin realizes that we have escaped to the outside.
Hoggle started walking away.
"Where are you going Hoggle?" Sarah asked.
"Back to the woods. I done what I could. Time for me to go now."
"Hoggle you don't have to leave. In fact you're more then welcome to stay at my castle." The Goblin King offered.
The dwarf shook his head. "Thank for the offer, but no thanks. I've always been a loner, would rather go back to the woods or the gates at the beginning of the Labyrinth." He shuffled off.
"Thank you Hoggle! For everything!" Sarah cried after him. He stopped to turn and smiled before shuffling off again towards the woods.
"He always was a strange little man." Jareth told Sarah.
"Not as strange as you…The Goblin King who has suddenly decided to care. You've turned soft Jareth." came a cold voice.
Jareth spun to see Gorgin and a few dozen of his henchmen just behind them.
"I don't know how you managed to get through without being seen by even one of the guardians, but if you think I will let you both escape so easily, you are so very wrong." His movement was lightning fast and in seconds he had Sarah gripped tightly in his grasp. She struggled and he only gripped her tighter. He would have the Goblin King's Kingdom and he would take it by force if he had to. The woman was the key to his victory.
Jareth's expression was that of raw anger. He pulled forth a crystal, balancing it carefully on his fingertips. Gorgin saw him draw it, knew what this meant and threw Sarah backward in the direction of his henchmen. She hit the ground extremely hard. Gorgin faced the Goblin King and drew a long bladed sword. So the Goblin King wanted to fight? He would give him one.
Jareth wanted to engage Gorgin in battle but he was more concerned about Sarah. She was lying in a crumpled heap, barely moving. With a flick of his wrist he tossed a second crystal at her. The crystal shattered above her head and sparkling dust fell over her. Gorgin's men rushed towards her to get her before Jareth's magic could, but she was already gone. Gorgin spun angrily back to Jareth, but he was gone as well. The dark haired man clenched his fists and threw his sword angrily at the ground.
"This is far from over Goblin King!!!!! FAR FROM OVER!!!!"
They materialized just outside of Ary's bedroom. Sarah was crumpled over on the floor just as she had been on the ground when Gorgin had thrown her to draw his sword.
"Sarah!" Jareth rushed to her and helped pull her to her feet slowly. "Are you all right?"
She nodded slowly, ignoring the growing pain within her. He pulled her tightly to him.
Megmora's head jerked up from dozing off and she quickly got to her feet. The King was back, with the mortal woman. She could sense their presence right outside the door! "Child, wake up! They are back!" She gently shook Ary who awakened right away and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"What's wrong Meg?"
"They're back!"
"Mommy's back?" Meg nodded and she and the child ran to the door.
Sarah and Jareth were standing in the hallway embraced in each other's arms. Neither of them wanted to let the other go.
"Mommy!" Sarah turned her head to see Ary rushing at her. Meg had made sure she was dressed her in nightgown and the dragon had probably fed her supper and tucked her in as it was late in the evening. Sarah smiled and nodded her head in appreciation to the dragon who smiled in return.
Sarah left Jareth's embrace and bent to hug her daughter when pain suddenly filled her abdomen. She doubled over and let out a cry.
"Sarah?" Jareth's concerned voice echoed through the hall. He rushed to her and pulled her into her arms. She was clutching her stomach, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Bring her into the room..Hurry!" Megmora told him. Jareth did as he was instructed, a sudden fear consuming him.
"Mommy?" Aryanna was frightened. Her mother was back and something was wrong with her. She quietly followed Jareth and Meg into her room.
Jareth gently laid Sarah down on Aryanna's bed. Megmora was instantly by her side. "Out." She ordered the King.
'I'm not leaving her." Jareth told the healer.
"I sssaid out! I can't do my job if you're hovering over her. Both of you out!" She ushered both Jareth and Aryanna out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Jareth immediately started to pace in the hallway and Aryanna sat herself in a large oak chair with a red velvet cushion. She was terribly confused. She bit her lip and swung her legs back and forth beneath the chair. Her eyes focused on Jareth who was pacing back and forth in front of her. His steps quickened. He heard Sarah cry out from within the room and he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide with terror. Ary stopped swinging her legs and watched him.
Sarah was crying within the room, Megmora was trying to comfort her. Jareth stood frozen in place as he listened. Something was not right. He felt himself trembling with fear of the unknown.
It was several minutes later that the door to the room opened. "Mommy?" Ary asked hopefully.
Megmora stepped slowly from the room. The look on her face made Jareth's blood freeze. "Meg….?"
She spoke to him softly in a language that Ary didn't know. A look of pain briefly flit across the Goblin King's handsome face but seconds later pure anger reared its ugly face. The Goblin King turned from the dragon and child and took his anger out on a piece of sculpture nearby. He threw it to the ground and it shattered all over the stone floor. Ary shrank back in her chair. She had never seen him so angry and it frightened her. His eyes were so very cold, so angry. He looked nothing like the man who had tucked her into bed so many times, the man who had told her stories and helped her with her spelling homework.
He was trembling he was so mad, his hands clenching and then releasing over and over again. Ary had never been scared of him, but at this moment she never felt more terrorized in all of her life. She hid herself in the shadows fearful he might take his anger out on her and hit her or who knows what else.
Megmora spoke to him again in her tongue and Jareth answered back in English. "I will not calm down!!!" he cried out. "By the Bog she's been through enough misery!!! We both have!!!" he roared. "This isn't fair.." he let out a bit more softly.
"Ssshe needss you right now…you can not enter the room like thisss." She gestured at his state and then let her yellow eyes focus on the white marble pedestal and the statue of a centaur that now lay broken and scattered all over the floor. Jareth took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"I have taken away the physssical pain, but the mental… Ssshe needss comfort that only you can give her…"
He swallowed looking at the open door and he walked toward it slowly. He stopped before entering, took a shuddering breath and then carefully shut the door behind him as he entered.
Sarah was lying on her side, sobbing into the soft pillows of her daughter's bed, her dark hair cascading all around her. Jareth's shoulders dropped, his eyes filled with sorrow and anguish, his knees felt as if they were going to give way. He moved quickly to the bed for fear he would fall onto the floor before he made it there.
Sarah saw him and she fell into his open arms the minute they were close enough to her. Jareth fell upon his knees on the soft sheets and pulled her into his arms. He buried his face into her hair as she sobbed against him, clutching him to her. Tears filled his mismatched eyes and he lost it, broke down with her, sobbing like a child. He had not cried for hundreds of years, Kings did not cry. They did not lose control. But tonight he cried, for the loss of his best friend over one hundred years ago, for 20 years alone without Sarah, for allowing his life to go without love for so long. He buried his face into her neck and sobbed for the lost life of their unborn child…
Meg's words echoed in his mind over and over again as he clutched Sarah to him. "I'm sssorry Your Majessty….….sshe lossst the child..Ssshe misssscarried. Posssibly the ssstresss of the journey…the timing…it could have been anything…" She had offered lamely, so he would understand.
Outside the room Megmora held Aryanna who was thoroughly confused at what was going on. Sarah's sobs could be heard in the hallway as well as the sobs of the Goblin King. Ary held on tightly to Meg who lifted the child into her arms. The King's sobs pierced the dragon's heart. He was always a strong man and now he was lost and broken. Although Meg had never heard the Goblin King voice the words aloud, she knew that he loved the baby already, just as he loved the mortal woman who carried it. He loved both with all of his heart. It had been difficult to tell him. And the mortal woman…she loved the child. Had already formed a bond with it, even though she did not yet know it. The loss was equally devastating to her as well.
Jareth held Sarah until she had cried herself out. She was exhausted from traveling the tunnels and now this. How much more could she take? How much more punishment, anguish, loss, despair could she take before she broke down completely. How much more could he take? He laid her back gently on the bed. She'd fallen asleep in his arms. Tears stained cheeks gazed back at him and he felt something inside of him snap. She had been fine until Gorgin had captured her and fine until Gorgin had thrown her to the ground to engage him in battle. He got up off the bed and cast one last look at Sarah pulling the blankets over her before he left the room.
Meg was rocking Ary gently in her arms. The child was just beginning to fall asleep when the door flew open and Jareth came storming out. There was raw anger in every step he took.
"Where are you going?" Megmora asked him. She stood, balancing Ary in her arms and glanced worriedly at the King who was trembling with his fury.
"To call out the guards, gather an army." He said angrily.
"An army my lord?" Was he serious?
"I want you to remain with Sarah and Aryanna at all times. Is that understood?"
"Ye-yesss your Majesssty, but an army?"
Jareth spun at her his cape whirling around him. Ary clutched Megmora tightly. "He took my child from me before it was born, made Sarah and myself go through more unnecessary pain! I'm putting a bounty on his head! I don't care if he's brought to me dead or alive! I'll have every hunter in the underground looking for him while I gather an army. If they don't find him, I will! He kidnapped her and is the probable cause of the death of my heir to the throne! I won't rest until he's my prisoner or until he's dead!"
"Your injuriessss my lord?" She could sense his physical pain. Something had happened to him within the tunnels. Pain that he was trying to hide and shield from others and himself with his magic. She wanted to stall him so that he would come to his senses, so that he would stay with Sarah and with Aryanna who right now was terribly afraid of him.
"Are nothing…protect Sarah and Ary with your life until I return." He turned and fled quickly down the hall, his cape trailing behind him.
Ary began to cry softly. And Meg tried to soothe her. "Why is he so angry? Why is he going to kill someone?"
Meg regarded the child, who gazed up at her with large hazel eyes and tears that streamed down her pale face. "The man who took your mother, hurt her and the King. He hasss taken sssomething from them both that can not be replaced. King Jareth wantsss to make sssure that he can not harm your mother, you or himssself ever again."
"What did he take?"
"I'd best leave that up to your mother and the King to disscusss with you. Come now…let uss ssstay with your mother. Ssshe will need comfort." The dragon glanced briefly down the hall in the direction the Goblin King had gone. She hoped that he knew what he was doing and that he was aware of the damage he had already done.