A.N.: Well, now that I've finally got a minute to call my own, I figured I'd get back to work on this story. Sorry it's taken so long between updates, but thank you all for the reviews. Keep 'em coming! Now, on to the next chapter. Theme song: "Pulse" by ani difranco.

Disclaimer: Nothing related to Labyrinth is mine, yada yada yada.

Jareth pulled back just far enough to look Sarah in the eye again. She smiled up at him, her previous anger forgotten completely.

"Let's get you back to the castle" he said, producing a crystal and letting it burst over them in a shower of glitter. Nothing happened.

"Um…Jareth?" she looked at him quizzically. As it was, he didn't have an answer for her.

"There's no reason why that didn't work. You called on me, those are the rules."

"No," a voice interrupted them, "she called on the father of her child, there's a difference."

"Who the hell…" Jareth started angrily, but Sarah quickly silenced him.

"Tori! What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I overheard Trey ranting in his room, so I thought I would spy on you a little bit. I hope you don't mind, it's just that what I was hearing from him didn't sound very good, I thought you might need some looking after."

"Thank you. Oh, Tori, this is Jareth, although I guess you know that already. Jareth, this is Tori, she's been helping me out with the pregnancy."

Jareth bowed slightly and Tori matched the action with a small bow of her head.

"Madam, I appreciate your care for Sarah. Now, if you wouldn't mind explaining a little more…"

"Oh I will, but we really should go somewhere warmer. It gets chilly after sunset and Sarah's more susceptible to these things."

Concern flashed through his eyes and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, transporting them to Tori's Tarot room. Sarah was practically glowing; she found this newfound display of paternal care quite endearing coming from the powerful Goblin King. She realized with a start that he was going to be a wonderful father. That just made her grin even harder.

"What are you grinning at?" he teased

"Hey, I'm just enjoying the attention. The way I see it you've got 7 months to make up for." she told him.

He responded by creating a plush velvet loveseat with a wave of his hand and directing her towards it. He didn't say anything, but the quirk of his eyebrow seemed to ask 'How's this?'

"It's a start" she allowed.

Tori made herself comfortable and waited for the two of them to settle on the loveseat before starting in.

"OK, now I'm not an expert on Fae magic, but just from what I overheard, in order for you to come to Sarah she had to call you. However, she didn't call you by name, which would have brought you to her. She asked for the child's father, thus calling on behalf of the child. That's why you can't bring her back to the Labyrinth."

"Well, that's silly. I mean, what does one little detail matter? He's here now." Sarah pointed out.

"No, she's right." Jareth sighed. Upon her confused look he elaborated, "Sarah, you of all people should understand how not everything is as it seems with the Underground. One word makes a world of difference."

"So I call you by name and you take us home, then. Problem solved."

"It's not that simple, dear." Tori explained. "What's said is said, and you've put something in motion that can't be changed. All we can do is let it run its course before you can then call Jareth for yourself."

"That doesn't make any sense, Tori! I called, he's here, what's the problem?" Sarah asked, exasperated.

"But because you called on him as a father he can only take the child."

"Which would hardly be prudent considering he has yet to be born." Jareth pointed out.

"She" Sarah corrected. Jareth blinked in surprise but said nothing. "What? You just assumed it would be a boy?" she asked.

"Well, I – "

"Ugh, I swear to God, just like a man" she rolled her eyes in disgust. When he tried to defend himself she just shushed him. "Later. Let Tori finish before I lecture you on the finer points of women's equality." Slightly chagrined he turned his attention back to Tori who was watching the entire transaction with a bemused expression on her face.

"Anyway," she continued, "Until the child is born you cannot return to the Underground. And since Jareth cannot claim the child, he too will return automatically to the Underground come sunrise."

"What!" Sarah yelled. "You mean after all this time he's going to leave again! There's got to be some way around this!"

"I'm afraid not. Not until the child is born." Tori told her. Sarah sighed dejectedly and leaned her head on Jareth's shoulder. He ran his hand through her hair, hoping to comfort her but knowing his next question was only going to upset her more.

"What about this Trey character?" As expected, he felt Sarah immediately stiffen.

"I don't know what he wants exactly, but he's not giving off a good aura at all. However, there's not too much we can do about it right now."

"The hell we can't. I'm going to take care of this right now – "

"And put Sarah at risk after you're gone? I'm sorry, but a man like that probably isn't acting alone. You kill him, then what? Whoever he's working with will know you're on to them and you cannot protect Sarah when you're stuck in the Underground."

"Well what do you suggest then" he growled.

"I don't know" she told him honestly.