A/N: Okay, I had no intentions of being late this time. My computer, however, did. This chapter is brought to you by the letter "J", the numbers 3 and 21, and the very nice people at Gateway who gave me a new hard drive.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the movie Labyrinth. I do own this plot, no matter how much I wish I didn't, because it's pathetically unorganized at the moment. I also own Abien and Kira, which, again, I really wish I didn't, because they annoy me. I can also claim Jen, Dantriven and Clarisse, who are all proving to be rather nice and useful. At least I own something decent...
"So who is this Abien guy anyway?" Sarah inquired innocently, perched on Jareth's lap in one of his poet's shirts that reached midway down her thighs. They sat at a glass table on the balcony outside Jareth's rooms, partaking in the breakfast Jen had so graciously disposed upon them.
"To my knowledge, just another courtsman. Quiet, snobbish, opinionated, rather meddlesome when it came to my taste in women." Jareth answered, slipping a strawberry into Sarah's mouth.
"What do you mean, your taste in women?"
"At the time Kira was throwing herself at me, he was always trying to convince me to marry her. Acted like her really cared about her happiness and such. I rather think he was taken with her."
"Some men will do anything for a blonde." Sarah sighed.
"Some women as well." Jareth teased. "And when it came to you –"
"What about me?" Sarah interrupted, her fingers toying with Jareth's sunny locks.
"Messengers, every day. It is not in the best interest of yourself or your kingdom to partake in serious relations with a mortal. Honestly, you'd think he would just come out and say it to my face. I suspect he was a little afraid of me."
"Why would he be? Not that you're not threatening." Sarah added quickly, at the injured look on Jareth's face.
"Jen and I were somewhat unkind to him when we were younger. He was just so…annoyingly perfect at his studies; we always sought to get the better of him once the tutors were gone. Jen felt poorly about it, after Abien's parents died."
"I thought fae were immortal."
"So did we." Jareth said slowly. "But when my father found Skylar and Amelia sprawled on the floor like that – it was kind of hard to deny it. If anyone were to be murdered, however, they were probably the most deserving."
"Jareth!" Sarah scolded.
"That's not what I meant. I'm not saying it wasn't a pity when they died, but they were not good people. Horribly cruel parents, from what I've heard."
"Do you think Abien could've..." Sarah trailed off, not liking her train of thought.
"What, killed them? Not likely. He was only a child, it's almost impossible that he would have the power to make them mortal, especially since no one has ever done it before."
"Why do you think Abien is the way he is?" Sarah asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Do I look like a psychiatrist to you, Sarah?" Jareth mocked. "It doesn't matter how he got the way he is, does it?"
Sarah didn't answer. Was a schoolboy crush enough to make an average man homicidal? True enough, he hadn't actually tried to kill anyone yet, but how else was he planning on taking over Jareth's kingdom? Was that even his plan?
***
"What in the Underground are you wearing?" Kira exclaimed as she flounced into the meeting room twenty minutes late. Sarah glanced down at her poet's shirt and jeans, before glaring back up at Kira.
"In case you haven't noticed, this isn't a fashion show. Now does your interruption have a point, or will you sit down and shut up?" Sarah spat.
"For your information, the topic of war bores me." Kira said, as though she had broken up a discussion on gardening instead of an evil maniac and the impending doom he brought with him. "I only came her to let you know that someone wishes to see you."
"Who?" Demanded both Jareth and Jen, leaping to their feet to stand protectively in front of Sarah.
"Oh, honestly, you two." Sarah sighed, brushing past them. "Who is it?"
"Me." Came a gruff voice from the hallway.
"Hoggle?" Sarah gasped.
***
"What are you doing here?" Sarah questioned Hoggle outside in one of the palace's gardens. He was silent for a while, fidgeting slightly.
"Ah didn't know it was gonna happen, ah swear ah didn't." He said suddenly.
"Didn't know what was going to happen?"
"Ah got there as soon as ah could, but it was too late." Hoggle continued, as though he hadn't heard Sarah. "He fixed up the crash, but he musta bin distracted or summat, cause the driver's side got hit instead."
"What, you mean someone set up Karen's accident?" Sarah demanded.
"He hit the passenger side with some spell or another, and got that little 'un good. Ah tried to save him, ah really did."
"You mean you were there? You saw the car accident?" Sarah breathed slowly, her eyes wide.
"Ah know ah shouldn't a gotten mixed up in all this, but he is my father an' ah jest had to help him..." Hoggle looked up at Sarah with pleading eyes.
"Wait, who's your father?"
"Abien."
***
"What does it matter?" Jareth sighed angrily.
"It matters a great deal." Retorted Dantriven in a strained sort of voice. "How else are we supposed to know if you and Lady Sarah are prepared for the kind of confrontation that will occur when Abien strikes next?"
"What I do with Sarah is my own business, no one else's, and certainly not yours." Jareth declared.
"Do you really want her to die, like any other mortal would? Or would you rather save her, and prevent your kingdom from going to hell?" Dantriven bellowed, loosing his usual calm demeanor.
"You forget father, my kingdom is hell." Jareth growled icily.
"Will both of you shut up!" Clarisse exclaimed suddenly. The roomful of very frustrated court members turned and stared at her, eyes wide. It was rare for the queen to speak at such meetings, let alone raise her voice. "Dantriven, love, we both know our son can be a bastard at times. That's no reason to provoke him. Jareth, son, whatever your father does, he does it in your best interest. And even if this conversation isn't to your liking, you do know that there is only one way to secure Sarah's immortality, and we must ensure that it can be done. Now then, let's all act like the mature fae we are, instead of bumbling mortal politicians."
***
"Abien's your father?" Sarah repeated.
"Didn't yeh know?" Hoggle asked hesitantly. Sarah shook her head. "Well, yeah, Abien's me father, and Kira's me mother. I was her first born. I was the first teh be turned inta a goblin. O'course, I'm not a goblin now, more of a dwarf. Jareth tried teh undo his spell, but he was still a young'un, so he didn't know how..."
Sarah barely had time to marvel inwardly at this rush of revelations when Hoggle leapt up from his seat on a garden bench, frantic.
"It's getting late, I need teh get back teh the Labyrinth, an' fast."
"But it's not even sunset." Protested Sarah, glancing up at the sun, which was still quite high in the sky.
"Yeh can't always trust the sun." Hoggle said darkly. "Take this." He said, whipping something out of his pocket and shoving it into Sarah's hands. "Jareth'll know what teh do with it. An' tell him ah forgive him, fer everything. I've gotteh go and try an' stop this afore it's too late."
"Hoggle? Wait!" Sarah cried, but with a snap of his fingers, Hoggle was gone.
***
When Sarah burst back into the meeting room, she found Jareth and Dantriven shooting heated glares at each other, while Jen was snickering and Queen Clarisse was staring at the three of them reprimandingly.
"Sarah?" Jareth asked, concerned. "Is everything all right? What did Hogwart say to you?"
"I need to talk to you." Sarah said flatly. "Now." Jareth followed Sarah outside into the empty hallway. Several members of the curious court probably would have followed them, were it not for the stern looks of their queen, who had clearly tired of all this nonsense.
"Bastard!" Sarah exclaimed, swatting Jareth on the arm, once they were alone.
"What did I do?"
"Why didn't you tell me Kira was Hoggle's mother?" Sarah demanded.
"I don't know, it just slipped my mind, that's all."
"Oh, and the fact that Abien is Hoggle's father, I suppose you forgot that too?"
"Yes. Sarah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you in the dark from all this." Jareth said sincerely, taking hold of Sarah by the shoulders.
"But don't you see, this explains everything! Hoggle's completely innocent."
"I'm afraid I fail to see your reasoning." Jareth said dryly.
"He was only doing what he did to help out his father."
"You think the fact that he betrayed you is justifiable because he was aiding his father, who, I might add, happens to be the scum of the Underground?"
"People do strange things when it comes to family. Why do you think I came back for Toby when I wished him away?"
"That's different."
"Oh really? Think about it. Hoggle could either side with his father, whom he probably loves, or you."
"And why wouldn't he align himself with me?" Jareth exclaimed indignantly.
"Come on, Jareth, you know you haven't been the nicest guy. You did kind of ruin his life."
"It's not my fault his mother is practically brainless."
"No, but it's not his fault either, now is it?"
"I still say he should have had brains enough to know good from evil."
"I thought you were evil once."
Jareth paused. "Do you still?"
"No, of course not." Sarah said softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him closer. "And neither does Hoggle. He told me to tell you that he forgives you."
"How touching." Said Jareth sarcastically.
"He's trying to change, you know. People can change. You changed."
"How do you know? Maybe I stayed the same. Perhaps it was you that changed."
"I did change." Sarah agreed. "I grew up." At this point Jareth could no longer just stand there talking with her, and claimed her lips with his for a few moments. To his extreme disappointment, however, Sarah moved back quite quickly, pulling a chain out of her pocket.
"Do you know what this is?" She asked, ignoring the hinting smiles Jareth was giving her.
"Let me see." Jareth sighed finally, giving up on getting Sarah back to his bed, for the time being at least. "Where did you get this?" He asked quickly, after glancing at the silver key that hung on the end of the chain.
"Hoggle gave it to me. What is it?" Jareth however, ignored her question. Instead, he went briefly back into the meeting hall, and came back out with Jen at his heels.
"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Sarah sighed frustratedly as Jareth took her hand and Jen lead them down a series of staircases and increasingly darker passageways. "What is that key to?"
"Every member of the court gets their own private chambers for their family." Jen started to explain. "There is only one key to unlock each families quarters. Traditionally, the key is passed down to the eldest son. Therefore, Skylar and Amelia passed it on to Abien, and Abien – "
"Gave it to Hoggle." Sarah interrupted. "So? What's so special about these chambers?"
"It's probably how Abien's been getting in and out of the palace." Jareth answered. "He might have built a portal of some sort."
"It's also a bit of a mystery." Jen added as they stopped in front of an iron door in a very deep and dungy part of the palace. A soft ticking noise could be heard coming from the inside. "No one has been in there since Skylar and Amelia were murdered. You never know what you might find." Jen held up the key, which was glowing a muted purple, and arched his eyebrows. "Shall we?"
Both Jareth and Sarah nodded, and Jen fit the key in the lock, and turned it. The door let out a sigh and a bright red light flashed. Jen and Jareth, still playing bodyguard to Sarah, stepped through the doorway first, though Sarah quickly followed in their wake.
The room was pitch black, and the three of them fumbled around in the dark for a bit before Jareth threw a crystal into what he hoped was the fireplace, and magically lit a roaring fire. Sarah's mouth fell open in astonishment as she looked around the room.
It was full of clocks.