All I ask of you, is that when I cannot, would you . . .
Explain?
Sarah hadn't intended to, but Karen had been so unhappy with her not being there for Christmas, that she caved and went home for New Years. Predictably, when she arrived alone having taken a taxi from the station, Karen's first question was,
"Where's your young man?"
Irked Sarah raised an eyebrow. Sidonie had stayed with her sister Etienette for the remaining Yule celebrations, but Jareth had returned to the Labyrinth and was inundated with runners that had been caught in the tricky time loop system he had set up. He had been handling them for several days now.
"Unexpected business came up," Sarah said blithely and slipped indoors. Outside the temperature was something approaching zero for all the clear skies.
"Oh, Jareth couldn't make it?" Toby stuck his head out of the kitchen, disappointed.
Sarah mouthed 'runners' and he nodded his understanding.
"Must suck, but it makes sense he'd be busy now. Come help me peel potatoes and tell me what you can of Yule!"
.
Granny Williams was there, and Toby was only staying for their old year's eve dinner, as he and Laura had a date later that night. They settled around the kitchen table and helped with the food preparation, Sarah carefully editing her words but enthusiastically describing the scale of the Yule parties. Karen interrupted often, to make sure she knew exactly how wonderful Christmas had been and how they had missed her. Toby cringed slightly on her behalf but said nothing.
When the doorbell rang at ten thirty in the morning Sarah did not expect Karen's excited exclamation.
"Ah, you were able to get off work then, Mr King? Oh do come in, Sarah's in the kitchen."
Toby and Sarah shared a shocked stare then both hurried out to greet him. When Sarah caught three goblins skittering up the stairs behind Karen she played along with Jareth's innocent expression. Toby snagged one and whispered something in his ear and the goblin slipped into his parent's room. Sarah couldn't find it in her heart to pity the chaos Karen would find later.
Sarah let Jareth draw her into a hug, he was warm and comfortable and smelled very good. The way he pressed his lips to her hair, she could almost forget their act.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as he smirked.
"The goblins mentioned I was missed."
Sarah nodded, but she saw the purple bags under his eyes, and realised he must have needed a break.
"You're welcome to join us watching old year's eve movies."
Jareth grimaced slightly.
"Or we could go for a walk now if you like?"
"It's a bit nippy out there," Toby complained.
"A walk sounds an excellent idea!" Jareth declared and Toby shot a scowl at him. To rile Toby up even further, Jareth enthusiastically implored the other people in the house to join them.
.
Granny Williams accompanied them in the mobility scooter, which, according to Toby, she had been using to terrorise the neighbourhood cats.
"Now then," she said as Robert and Karen walked ahead of them. Jareth and Sarah accompanied her, and Toby hung around to watch the potential fireworks. Ever since Jareth had herded them out of the house he'd been looking for payback. Sarah tried to surreptitiously shoo him off but he wouldn't leave.
"I see that young Toby knows, as does Sarah, the way she flits about you, but they don't." She pointed at Robert and Karen, "Of which people and family are you, King of the Fair Folk?"
Sarah stumbled, though Jareth didn't look too surprised at her words. Toby caught Sarah's elbow until she could walk steadily again. They both shared shocked looks.
"I was born Jareth, son of the Summer Princess, and I am the reigning Goblin King."
"Sarah!" Granny Williams scolded. "What did you bargain to get Toby back after you wished him away?"
Sarah cringed; she had forgotten that Granny Williams had been the one to give her the Labyrinth play.
"I didn't bargain anything; I won through and claimed him back! Beat Jareth at his own game."
Granny Williams stared up at Jareth so hard she almost drove off the sidewalk. Toby grabbed the scooter controls and straightened her out again.
"You're here of your own free will?"
"I am here at Sarah's request," Jareth declared.
"What bargain did she make with you, Your Majesty?" Granny Williams demanded.
"That I accompany her to her family gatherings while she accompanies me to mine."
Granny Williams scowled at him and Sarah felt her heart sink. Family gatherings, as in plural? Their agreement was Thanksgiving and Yule, Hoggle was right after all, Jareth would take advantage.
"Your word that you'll bring her back!"
"Of course, but there is no need to worry Sarah has free access in and out of the realms."
Granny Williams slowed the chair to a halt.
"She's fae touched? They both are, aren't they? What did you do to my grandchildren?"
"Nothing," Jareth said with too much suave innocence to be believable, he waved her on and she reluctantly drove beside him. "They merely loved the story that was mine, and had enough magic to say the right words with enough power. The William's line is intermingled with the Tylwyth Teg."
Granny Williams scowled and shook a finger at him.
"Not for twenty one generations," she fell silent, then murmured worriedly "the blood, it is that strong?"
"Not really, they are strong mortals, but as they have been in and out of my realm over the years their affinity grows stronger."
"You've been watching over them," Granny Williams murmured in surprise.
"And all your line, for the past five hundred years, your ultimate fae grandmother was a woman of great beauty I had once thought to marry, but she refused me and wed a human instead. She died a mortal," he concluded with a bleak sorrow, worn soft over the years.
Sarah slipped her hand into his and she felt his grief shudder through him.
Granny Williams smiled brightly at them.
"We owe you a debt of thanks, Your Majesty. And now, look, you've gained a wonderful girl in my Sarah. Don't let your sorrows and memories cloud what you have!"
Jareth was unnaturally subdued as they reached the park. Toby caught Sarah's eye and Sarah was privately panicking. This was an act! They had agreed. She knew Jareth wanted a relationship with her as little as she did him, but everything seemed to be conspiring against them.
Toby circled around and tugged her to walk behind Jareth and Granny Williams.
"If you have a melt down here Mom will know you and Jareth are faking it," he hissed in her ear.
"Did you hear what she said?" Sarah snapped back at him.
"Yes, and didn't Granny tell me three years ago that I'd move to the coast for my work? And where am I, still hundreds of miles from the coast. Smile and act or Mom is going to suspect, and so is Granny Williams. Get Jareth on board he looks as out of it as you are."
Sarah took a deep breath and smiled sheepishly at him.
"Thanks Toby."
.
As they entered the park she collected Jareth and drew him back out of earshot. She slipped her arm around his waist.
"Smile or we'll have to endure trickier questions from Karen."
He settled his arm across her shoulder.
"I've always watched in owl form before," he breathed, "I never imagined how difficult it would be walking alongside you while still acting as guardian."
She hummed her response, not knowing what to say.
.
The walk was peaceful, if cold. With Granny William's revelation, Sarah felt a slight weight off her shoulders; her grandmother understood. They came to a halt over the bridge overlooking the pond and the dell where Sarah had often retreated to escape the house in her teenage years.
"Robert," Granny Williams smiled up at her son, "I'd like to introduce you to the Goblin King, he's been our family's fae guardian for the past twenty one generations."
Sarah froze, Jareth flinched visibly, and Toby turned with a mixture of incredulity and horror on his face.
"Granny," he croaked.
Robert peered down at his mother in alarm.
"Mother, are you sure you took your medicine this morning?"
"Goblin King?" Karen exclaimed. "As in 'I wish the Goblin King would take away my child right now? Goblin King?"
"Mom!" Toby yelped and scampered away from Jareth, tripped off the edge of the bridge and didn't fall into the lake. There wasn't a splash at all, nor was there any sign of Toby, but there were a row of wide eyed goblins staring back at them.
Sarah spun around and waggled a finger at a widely grinning Jareth, who already had a crystal sparkling between his fingertips.
"We don't want the crystal. I'm helping her run the Labyrinth and don't you dare bog Toby or I'll find a way to contact Sidonie and we'll bog your entire boot collection!"
"Why don't I make it a whole family affair?" Jareth spread his arms.
"No! Karen is the only runner! Leave my father to see my grandmother home safely!"
"And you?"
"I said I'd help."
"Her or me?" He touched a gloved hand to his chest.
"Unless you want Toby to explain the idea of trade unions to your goblins, I suggest you hurry up with the explanations and go find him."
Jareth grimaced.
"Uppity mortal," he muttered under his breath and turned to Robert who had his jaw hanging open, Karen who turned whiter by the second and Granny Williams who glowered at him.
"You're Unseelie Fae, aren't you?" She waggled a finger at him.
"My mother is the Summer Princess, what do you think?" Jareth asked her.
"Who was your father?" Granny Williams demanded.
Jareth grinned broadly and said nothing.
"Imagine," Sarah put in dangerously, "Goblins coming to you with petitions for fair wages, or a parliament, or even, woe betide you, an elected president?"
"Sarah!" Jareth snapped at her.
"Don't look at me; Toby can be quite creative when irritated. I imagine he is now, as he is supposed to be meeting Laura this evening."
"Why are all my encounters with the Williams family so unbelievably complicated?" he complained and with a brisk movement strode over to Karen.
Robert tucked his wife behind him in alarm.
"Sarah," Jareth spoke as if he really did not want to say the words, "I do not want to fight with your father."
"Granny, tell Dad what's going on," Sarah grabbed Jareth and then Karen and the three of them vanished.
Jareth gestured to the Labyrinth as it could be seen in all its grandeur from the sandy hill west of the Goblin City outside the gate Hoggle guarded.
"… you have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth before your son becomes one of us, forever."
Sarah squeaked as he grabbed her.
"And you'll not have help."
Sarah was less than impressed when they arrived in the throne room. She was about to rail at Jareth, when his eyes bugged out and his expression became a furious glower.
"Get off my throne!"
Toby lounged there, flipping Jareth's riding crop in his hand and he smirked at the Goblin King.
"I don't remember much from the first time I was here, but this is a seriously comfortable chair. Did you do like Harry Potter and put cushioning charms on it?"
Jareth marched over and snatched the crop away from him.
"Get. Off."
Sarah sidled away into the Escher room and sprinted for the inner keep to find Sidonie. The girl was still sleeping when she arrived. She lifted her head from the satin sheets and rubbed her eyes.
"Mmh? Sarah? Did Jareth let you visit? He's had back to back runners for days. I'm still sleeping off Yule."
Sarah explained the situation and Sidonie had a particularly mischievous expression by the end. She threw on her clothes and then conjured a crystal.
"Oh, look, your step mother is arguing with Hoggle. Let's get her through the gate at least before Jareth checks." She tossed the crystal into the air and they both appeared at the gate.
"What is going on? This Labyrinth is nothing like the book!" Karen scolded the moment she saw Sarah, "and who is she?"
"I'll be your grandchildren's fairy godmother," Sidonie smirked at her, "Hoggle, this is Sarah's step mother."
"Her? That old cow? She can stay out here." Hoggle turned away and went back to trimming the rose vines.
"Excuse me?" Karen choked in outrage.
"Hoggle," Sarah pleaded, "would you do this as a favour to me?"
"What sort of favour? And does the rat know you're here, he hates people interfering with runners."
"He doesn't know and we need to keep it that way so he doesn't interfere."
"Does Aboveground have any blue or purple plastic jewels?"
"I'll bring them for you next time I visit."
"Then get out of sight before His Majesty checks, we don't want him sulking from the beginning."
Sarah and Sidonie slipped into the Labyrinth and the door slammed behind them. They could hear Karen and Hoggle arguing some more, it might take a few minutes but Karen would eventually get through. Sarah not so subtly drew an arrow on the ground to the left and Sidonie drew one to the right.
"Oh, forgot that way was shorter, but I do like to see the Worms."
"This way bypasses the bog," Sidonie said with fervour and Sarah kicked out her arrow. They hurried along, and the goblins slipped out and redrew the arrows as soon as they had left the outer passage.
.
Hoggle found them an hour later with Karen trailing some distance behind him.
"Second time she's ended up in an oubliette, only this time the second one overlooked the bog. Surprise, surprise, that was the one time she actually did what I said."
Sarah and Sidonie stood from the bench they had been waiting on in the stone maze.
"Sarah that young man of yours is the most infuriating person I have ever met!" Karen exploded; she had dirt on the knees of her stockings but otherwise looked quite together. "You have to tell him to stop this nonsense immediately. I do not have time for this!"
"No, you don't." Sarah pointed down the passage. "Take two lefts and a right then follow the corridor stepping on only the raised stones until you come to a gate on your right, take that and we'll see if we can meet you there."
"Sarah Williams, are you not listening to me? You tell Jareth King that he is to stop this foolishness right now!"
Sarah and Sidonie flinched, and sure enough, the name was enough to summon Jareth.
"Remember what we said!" Sarah hissed as she, Sidonie and Hoggle darted separate ways through the Labyrinth.
"Don't you dare leave me here, Sarah Williams! Oh! You young nuisance, Mr King, you should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Did I hear you calling for Sarah?" Jareth's voice had a touch of menace.
Sarah fled.
.
They found Karen again three hours later wandering the hedge maze, her jacket sleeve a little torn, but she was still grimly making her way through the Labyrinth.
"Sarah!" she called with imperious fury.
Sarah wanted to run in the other direction, but Karen needed help, she had to think of Toby.
"Karen," she came to a halt in front of her, "do you understand what is happening here?"
"Your dwarf friend Hoggle said that what Mr King said was true, and I honestly don't know how he could be quite so out of touch..."
Sarah groaned.
"Karen, don't name him, he's fae and can hear his name."
"Indeed, precious thing," Jareth purred in her ear, making her flinch. "Did I not leave you in my throne room?"
Sarah turned about but Jareth, in his full armour, caught her in his arms.
"I said I would help her, don't you dare do anything!"
"Ah, but she is a runner, under contract. Until the time is up, there is no renegotiation."
"You have no power over me," Sarah growled at him and he stepped sharply backwards. "No, precious thing, I do not, but over her, oh yes I do." He smirked and tossed a crystal in his hand.
"Karen," Sarah said before Jareth decided to use that crystal, "what he said is true. You will lose Toby if you don't finish the run. Take it seriously."
"That's quite enough—" Jareth began but Sarah spoke over him.
"Listen to the people here, they know this realm."
"—of that, precious thing. I will not tolerate this –"
"It's faerie, this place, remember the old tales? Nothing is as it seems!" It was then that she saw Hoggle and a few goblins peeking out from a side entrance, and was relieved that Karen would have a guide when Jareth left.
"— defiance."
The crystal shattered over her and Sarah found herself in an oubliette. It had a stone floor covered in old brown leaves, so that figured there was an exit somewhere.
"So he found you also?" Sidonie asked.
Sarah almost jumped out of her skin at the voice in the shadows. Sidonie laughed.
"Yeah, and he's irritated," Sarah sighed. "I hope I managed to get through to Karen this time."
After a moment's further inspection of the dim cavern, she pointed.
"There, we have to climb the wall a bit, but that's our door out of here."
.
It was almost six hours in when they found them again, still in the hedge maze. Jareth had blocked Sidonie's scrying crystals when he had dumped her in the oubliette.
"Sarah!" The relief in the shout was palpable. "This place is mad! Worse than Alice in Wonderland!"
Sarah couldn't make out the rest of her babble as Karen ran over to her and hugged her. Somewhere along the way she had lost all the buttons down her neat black coat she wore, and had tied her scarf about her waist to keep it closed. She patted her step mother on the back, by the looks of things she had encountered helping hands and a few disagreeable goblins. Once her shaking had subsided, Karen drew herself up straight, and gathered her wits.
"Don't name him!" Sarah warned and Karen shut her mouth with a glare, she wasn't so shocked that she had forgotten her irritation.
"At last, she listens!" Hoggle declaimed and shuffled about to Sarah's side to glower up at Karen.
"You have to be the most stubborn runner we've had in years, and you've got the best help anyone could ever have! No wonder Sarah complains about you, you don't listen."
"I will not hear such things from you," Karen scolded and stepped back from Sarah.
Sarah, however, had had enough; Karen still fought the wrong battle, perhaps if she simplified the explanation.
"Karen," she grabbed her arm, "tell me, when you are in a court room do you write down what the arrest docits say, or do you write what the accused says in the stand?"
"You record what the accused says."
"Correct. Now, what you have been told, that you have to complete the Labyrinth, that's like an arrest docit. Hearing it from the accused gives you details you could never glean. Has wandering around for six hours allowed you to learn anything?"
After a while Karen spoke.
"This is faerie land, and the things that look mechanical are mostly magic, but not all. The one in charge is a terrible tyrant who is forces us to play this mad game. We cannot get out unless we play by his rules. You have done this before."
Karen trailed off and shot Sarah a fierce glare.
"When did you wish Toby away?"
"When he was two," she said flatly, "I was fifteen. Remember how you said I had grown up over night? This place is the reason for it."
"How could you!" Karen breathed in outrage.
"No," Sarah stepped up and glowered at her, "how could you? Where is Toby now? Are you not the runner?"
Karen's fury simmered.
"That tyrant is evil, how could you like him?"
"He's not all that bad," Sarah admitted, "but you are in a contract with him, and it is up to you to get out of it. I can tell you how, teach you the words, but unless you take them seriously, they won't work."
"You know this magic?"
"I defeated this magic, want me to tell you how?"
"Yes, I've been at this for six hours! It's quite ridiculous."
"The quickest route through the Labyrinth from the gate as a runner is four hours and that is if His Nibs is not around and making things difficult. He doesn't like you. No one here does. They met me first and saw how you treated me. Of all the people to run the Labyrinth, you've possibly got the most uncomfortable run."
"Is that why we've ended up in seven different oubliettes?" Hoggle complained.
"The way you're going about it, you're not going to make it out of the Labyrinth for three days. You have just under seven hours left. Follow Hoggle's instructions. He lives here. He knows its changing nature." Sarah pointed up back the way they had come. "I'd suggest visiting the Wiseman, give him one of your earrings as payment. We'd best go, we've lingered too long."
.
Sarah wrapped a scarf around her nose and mouth; Sidone had won the coin toss. Sir Didymus guarded the bridge and Karen stood to one side while Ludo and one of his sons, Sir Didymus and Hoggle all caught up on the local gossip, not one of them listening to Karen as she pleaded for a way across.
"Hey!" She called to them as she walked over the plank. "I thought you all hated the smell!"
"Smell bad!" Ludo agreed. "But Karen lady worse."
"I refuse to negotiate in the bog itself!" Sarah spluttered. "Sir Didymus, may we have your permission to cross?"
"Yes, Lady, but not Karen lady."
"Sir Didymus, I'll play scrabble with you every evening for the next week if you let Karen across."
He debated this.
"Two weeks," Sarah proposed, the smell was dreadful, "and Hoggle you're also invited."
"Done!" Hoggle said on Sir Didymus' behalf.
"Great, Karen go across first and don't slip; this stink does not come off."
.
Once the stench of the bog had lessened, Karen came to a weary halt in the forest. She settled onto a mossy boulder and put her head in her hands.
"You give up here, you lose your memories, you lose your son and I will never enter your house again," Sarah snapped at her. "Get up."
"I'm exhausted. It's been eight hours!" Karen panted. "Don't you have any mercy? That young man of yours is utterly cruel."
"He's not actually my young man," Sarah said bluntly. "He was an acquaintance doing me a favour. If you want to hear the story, get up and walk with me, we can't stop."
"Actually," a suave voice purred, "you can, and will!"
Sarah spun around to face Jareth, though now he was dressed in his grey jodhpurs, and dark leather coat and he expertly twirled his crop through his fingers.
"Karen, don't ever eat or sleep in fairyland you won't wake up!" Sarah called before Jareth's lightly tossed crystal dumped her into his ballroom. Music sang through the air and she recognised half of the dancers from the ball at the Fae palace. Her clothing had changed, to a lavender gown with puffed sleeves and a plunging neckline. Sidonie ran over, alarmed, she too wore a ball gown, though hers was Jareth's favourite blue.
"Jareth's activated the dreams, we're stuck."
Just then Jareth appeared silently behind them. He startled them both as he draped his arms around them. It took all Sarah's self control not to tug his hair as he rested his head on her now bare shoulder.
"What am I to do with you, scurrying little mice, she's not going to understand the purpose if you keep helping her."
Sarah irritably ignored him as he kissed her neck then sighed, his breath tickling over her collarbone.
"Do not approach her," he ordered. "If she cannot escape the dreams, then she has not earned her the freedom of her mind within the Underground. Even you have to abide by these rules, Champion. Right now you're very close to setting yourself up as an opposing power to my own and you do not have the skill at magic to hope to challenge me."
Sarah turned and looked Jareth dead in the eye, and felt a wobble of worry; he had never looked so ancient or so serious as he did then. A heartbeat later, he flashed a cheeky grin, his sharp teeth bit at his lip playfully.
"All the same, the challenge is quite invigorating."
The innuendo of the word made Sarah reach up and tug his hair into his eyes.
"Go find some other lady to flirt with, it doesn't work on me!"
Only this pulled his head down and he took the opportunity to kiss her bare shoulder. He smoothly released his half sister and Sarah found herself gathered in a hug that left no secret of his intentions as he moulded his body to hers. She reached down and pinched his leg, hard. He jumped and chuckled darkly.
"You have no power over me," she whispered, then turned abruptly and walked away as the dream dissolved around her. At the last minute, she grabbed Sidonie.
They found themselves in Jareth's study.
"Woah, Sarah," Sidonie shook her head. "My brother is going to be furious. I'll wait at the city gates for Karen, but I'm not attempting the junk yard."
She vanished and Sarah huffed in indignation as she realised she would have to walk all the way.
.
It took her two hours to find the exit from the Escher room, and that was only because she recognised the kitchens. As she was about to exit the castle a firm hand grasped her wrist. Sarah turned to find Jareth in his loose open shirt, his hair slightly scruffy and a smudge of dirt on his cheek.
"Don't look so angry, precious thing; you impressed everyone with that vanishing act of yours."
"It was but an illusion, but in the manner of fae, a shared dream among all those drawn into it," Sarah reasoned out.
He quirked an eyebrow.
"How curious, you're beginning to understand something of magic, perhaps I should not be so worried then," with that, he turned and vanished.
Sarah threw her hands up in frustration at the abrupt departure and marched off, she had her stepmother to find. Only, it was a relief that he was not as angry as Sidonie had hinted.
.
A few minutes after the twelfth hour, Sarah, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo and his two sons, Chill the Fiery and fifteen goblins walked behind a very ragged Karen, into the Throne Room. Sarah tiredly gawked at Jareth and Toby who sat opposite each other across the pit playing Aye Dark Overlord with five of Jareth's goblin guard. The goblins were particularly good at the card game, and Sarah smiled she realised that Toby, not Jareth, was acting the Dark Overlord. Toby wore a quite a ridiculous hood and cape with letters embroidered on the hem of the hood in the Georgian script that read "I stink of bog water and fiery farts." Sarah didn't think Toby knew that, and it was a sure sign Jareth had lost the toss to be Dark Overlord.
"And she was also a cat, you say?" Toby asked trying to keep a straight face as the Goblin nodded so hard his helmet slipped into his eyes. "All purry and beautiful, and it was Kingy's fault, for sending her our way!"
"My fault?" Jareth exclaimed and disdainfully dropped his next card before them. "I said she was too beautiful to be trusted yet what did you louts do?"
"Trust her," the goblins chorused, and Jareth went right on talking. "I, however, procured a mummy to help attack the troll guarding the tower where the princess was trapped, but Oreo over there," he pointed at the goblin beside Toby, "thought that it was a gift to be unwrapped and we were left with bones and dust leaking everywhere!"
"Leaking dust, when you've just reported a rain storm of epic proportions, that would be mud, wouldn't it?" Toby sniggered and tossed a Withering Look card at Jareth, then froze as he noticed everyone behind Jareth.
The Goblin King glanced behind him, gaped sheepishly for a moment, then promptly leaped up, grabbed Toby and hauled him bodily into the Escher room.
"I am still the Evil Overlord!" Toby's shout echoed up to them. "Ugh, Mom, you'd better get here quick, this place gives me vertigo!"
Karen turned to Sarah in bewilderment.
"They were sitting here playing that silly game Toby got for his birthday!"
"Yes, but to free Toby from the enchantment you have to confront Jareth and say the right words. You have them memorised now. You can give him the earful I know you have for him when you've undone the spell."
"Why does he go to all this trouble?" Karen said crossly, Sarah was surprised she still had the energy to be angry. "Why not speak to us like a civilised human being? I know he is quite capable!"
"Because he is fae," Sarah explained for what felt like the hundredth time, "and if you don't lift the enchantment, he can keep Toby."
Karen frowned.
"You keep saying that."
"And you refuse to believe every one of us," Sarah snapped in exasperation then decided to hit below the belt. "You have to break the enchantment or you'll never see Toby again, and he won't marry Laura and you won't get any grandchildren!"
Karen scowled at her; it had been a long horrible twelve hours and everyone was tetchy.
"I suppose I must believe this nonsense as you have been right about this so far." She cast a glance at Chill, as it had been the Fiery taking his head off that had convinced her completely that she was in a different realm with different rules to what she knew.
She straightened and walked on and they all remained where they were.
"You have to confront him alone. Remember your words," Sarah said soberly.
Karen nodded and held her chin as regal and high as she could and stepped into the Escher room.
.
Within two seconds everyone, including Sarah had high tailed it out of the throne room to take the back stairs down to the upper levels of the Escher room to watch the proceedings. They all peered over the edge of the stairs and down at Jareth and Karen below. Jareth was now in his black armour and prowling around Karen in a most intimidating manner. By his scathing tone he was irked at something, she didn't blame him. Karen was a trial in and of herself.
"Got to get closer," Chill said.
"No!" Sarah yelped as Chill carefully aimed his head and dropped it.
"That is most unseemly!" Sir Didymus exclaimed as Chill's head bounced off Karen's bosom with an alarmed apologetic squawk from Chill.
"Bog," Jareth declared almost negligently.
The next moment they were all scrambling in the air above the Bog of Eternal Stench. Sarah had never been so grateful for the trees overhanging the bog in her life.
"Chill! What did you do that for?" she yelled at the Firey, who was hastily reattaching body parts as to keep them up in the tree and not in the bog below.
It took them struggling and wriggling and Ludo and his sons calling several large boulders for them all to get out without landing in the putrid water below. They trooped back to the castle, only to find Jareth back on his throne with Karen and Toby standing before him.
"Your mother has won you your freedom. What more would you ask of me? You requested this boon, Toby," he prompted.
Toby noticed Sarah and relaxed visibly. He took a card out of his pocket.
"Your third Withering Look, minion."
Jareth gazed at him for several heartbeats.
"You play a very dangerous game, Tobias Williams. Rematch, next Friday evening with whichever miserable goblins you can convert to your cause and I shall be Dark Overlord next time!"
Toby removed the cape and tossed it to Jareth who smugly caught it out of the air.
"According to this you'll stink of bog water and fiery farts!"
Jareth blinked then roared with laughter.
"Go on home, or I'll have Robert in here. I suppose I had better go with you. Sarah, open a door if you would. The rest of you stay in the Underground, this is family business. If I see anyone, and that includes you Hogbert, I'll reassign you to Sir Didymus's post!"
Sarah walked to the alcove and opened a door to her old bedroom and they all trooped through. They wound down the stairs to the living room where Robert sat with the Labyrinth book in his hands and Granny Williams sat watching the last of the New Year's count down on television.
"All back in one piece," Jareth declared and raised a hand when Robert shot to his feet and charged over to him. "Before you accuse me of anything, it was your wife who carelessly said the words."
Robert faltered in his steps and glanced back at his mother who shot him a very stern stare. He rounded on Jareth.
"I'll never let you marry my daughter."
"Oh, Robert," Karen breathed, "it was all an act! They were out to pretend so I wouldn't pester Sarah about dating all Thanksgiving."
Robert stood for a moment with his mouth open, the wind taken out of his sails.
"Sarah?" he turned to her and she folded her arms at his dismay.
"Every Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday, without fail for the past twenty years, I grew tired of it. Let me give you an early warning, I'm spending my birthday at the Labyrinth, so won't be around then."
"But you never said that it annoyed you," Robert exclaimed.
"No, I was being polite. I am now done being polite. Had I not helped Karen through that run through the Labyrinth Toby would have been Jareth's subject and you would never have seen him again. You owe me. Never mention dating, marriage, potential children or anything of the sort around me. Did you ever consider that I might actually honestly want a boyfriend, and through some rotten luck, never found one? Do you know how much that hurts? To be asked why I do not have the desires of my heart and to have no answer?"
"Oh, Sarah, if you would just stop being so stubborn, I am sure we can find a nice boy for you." Karen declared.
"Karen, so help me," she grit her teeth and stepped over to Jareth, "please take us home now."
She relaxed as they arrived in the throne room again.
"Thank you," she whispered and wiped her coat sleeve over her tears. "Thank you for returning Toby, and sorry it was so messed up."
She flinched when he gathered her into a hug but relaxed when the hug was not predatory, but warm and comfortable.
"Why did you defy me and help Karen," he asked with an edge to his voice that she hadn't heard since her first run through the Labyrinth.
Sarah peeked up at him. He looked distinctly upset.
"Because as much as you want Toby as your heir, he has a job, a girlfriend and Karen dotes on him. I dote on him. He's not yours Jareth, and I will continue to make sure of that." She then realised what she had said and put her head on his shoulder and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry. I just did to you what Karen did to me. You want an heir and I was all mean about it. Sorry."
She held him until she could feel his breathing was even and the tremors had left him. She drew away and smiled at him as he ran his hands down her arms then released her.
"I'll see you Friday night for the Dark Overlord game, and this," she snatched up the embroidered hood and cloak denoting the title of Dark Overlord, "shall be mine."
She darted away with a laugh as he tried to grab her and made it through the portal before he could catch her. She waved a farewell and he simply grinned at her and with a flick of his wrist and the glitter of a crystal, he wore a hooded cloak that read "Goblin King, Dark Overlord."
When she looked down the hood of the robe she held it read "Chief Minion, Champion of the Labyrinth."
"Jareth!" she exclaimed but he shut down the portal and the last thing he saw was his Cheshire like grin.