Disclaimer: Yes, I've been gone from the face of this earth for roughly four months, and I'm sure you all hate me, but I still don't own The Labyrinth. Just my characters, and even if it makes you hate me more, you can't play with them 'till I'm done, if ever…

Author's Note: *Jumps out from hiding* Surprise!!!…? *ducks* Okay, I can understand that y'all are irate…peeved…angry? But My computer went screwy/kablewy, and then when it was working all of my chapters were corrupted into symbols that could not be anything other than Martian, and something I'm pretty sure vaguely resembled calculus…I think. Needless to say I was perturbed, so y'all would have had four more chapters three weeks ago, but…it happens. After that my life kinda blew up and well…long story, in which my beta reader not only became a better friend than I had previously thought possible, she also became my therapist Anyway, If y'all don't hate me that much and want to see where this story is going read on. My computer is now working so I'll put out chapters as soon as I'm done with them. And thanks to Celestia~ As always you're one in a million.

The Irony of it All

Chapter 14: "Wicked looks and a little bit of blood"

Mac wasn't a morning person. She was considerably more agreeable in the mornings than Sarah, but she still wasn't what you'd call 'chipper'. Therefore it makes a certain amount of sense that being awakened by a muddy boot prodding her in the head would make her even less pleasant.

"What the-" Mac broke off and shielded her eyes against a sun that was all together different than the one she was used to.

"Get up. We have to get moving." Toren looked disdainfully down at the dancer lying at his feet and ignored the racing of his heart. "Did you hear me girl? Get up."

All in all, Mac wasn't a disagreeable person, but she was lying in the dirt, in a place where she had no bearings, with a sun that seemed to shimmer rather than shine, and she hurt in places she didn't know she had. Being awakened to a boot nudging her in the head was not something that she'd have placed on her list of top-ten most enjoyable things to wake up to, and then she was spoken to as though she were some slack jawed milk maid with straw in her hair.

Mac squinted up at her assailant, and nearly swallowed her tongue. There weren't words…He was…indescribably beautiful. Hair darker than night, tawny skin stretched over a tall frame that practically radiated power, lean hips, impossibly broad shoulders, sculpted lips that led to thoughts that got girls into trouble, straight aristocratic nose, and eyes…that could have been carved from green ice. He was standing over her, in all his masculine arrogance, looking at her like she was an insect that he had just scraped off the sole of his boot, most likely the one he had prodded her awake with.

He looked like he hated her. Standing over her, with the sun that shimmered halloing his head he looked like an angel. A fallen angel that had stumbled upon a lesser being that he knew was beneath him. He looked at her like she was no better than the dirt she was laying on.

Mac may not have been one of the Fae, but she was beneath no one. She wouldn't allow herself to be. He could hate her all he wanted, but she would not tolerate such looks from any man. Not even a Fae who was so beautiful Adonis would hide his face in shame. Not even him.

"Did you hear me girl? I repeat, Get up. We must move on if we wish to find my cousin." Another nudge prompted Mac to sit up.

She still hurt in a thousand places, but she managed a respectable glare. "Find your cousin? Look…?" Mac trailed off, waiting for the dark angel to supply a name.

"If you must address me by a name, you may call me Lord Toren." Cool and clipped were niceties in describing the inner snob she heard in his voice. 'I have a few names for you…'

Toren knew he was being cruel. He knew it, but there wasn't anything he'd allow himself to do about it. The creature lying at his feet could be the undoing of him. He wouldn't allow that. He was not going to be collared, not yet, he hoped for never. To someone who had almost all the time in the world, never wasn't that long at all.

Neither was it's opposite forever.

That's what this creature would bring about. Forever. He'd seen what happened when the star-crossed met. Jareth was dealing with it now. He didn't wish that on anybody, not himself, not Jareth, and not this girl, whomever she was, who never asked to brought here.

Star-crossed was a very shifty term. It could mean a lot of things. Right now, the future of his family hung in the balance. The future that could very well mean the new beginning, or leave the end as it was now, rapidly unfolding. Until he knew, he wouldn't lose himself to the girl, unless it was forever.

Forever wasn't that long at all. Less than forever was a time frame that was fleetingly happy, and forever cruel. Especially with the kindred, and if this girl was who he thought she was, bond-mate or not, he would not put either of them through what this would become, he couldn't.

And he wouldn't. Unless Jareth and his damnable girl were really the foremost players in Legacy Myth. If they were, then everything changed, and maybe, what could be with this girl would have a chance to be.

Mac was seething, he was still giving her that damnable look and she didn't like it.

At all.

While contemplating the repercussions of kicking a Fae in a slightly less than polite place Mac somehow managed to overcome her initial awe and stand. 'Oh great, he's over a head taller than me to, this'll really help out my new inferiority complex…'

Toren sucked in a breath. The girl was beautiful. Small, deceptively delicate, heart-shaped face, pert nose, (which to his utter delight has a spray of cinnamon freckles across them), bow shaped mouth, and traveling downward his eyes found curves in all the right places, all in all she couldn't be more than 5'5 at the most. 'By the light she's breathtaking…'

'Oh that's it, he thinks I'm a bug, but he has no problem leering, jackass. Let's see if he likes this…'

Wrenching his eyes up her body was indeed a mistake.

It was entirely her fault that while he was trying to decide whether it was her hair or her eyes that were more glorious he was distracted unto the point that he didn't notice her delicate little fist had managed to jackhammer into his not so delicate nose.

Author's note: Are y'all still mad at me for my absence? I'm sure, and is this the best way to win back y'all's affection? Probably not. I was going to go further but is was to irresistible. Bye! My world turns once again, so the next chapter should be out in a few.