AN: The closer to the end this story comes, the harder it is to write. I'm working on something else as well, so that doesn't make it any easier.

Thanks to all reviewers.



Disclaimer: Blows raspberry.



Mine



Shocks and surprises.



Jareth had, had enough.S

Surely Sarah had been on her own for long enough. He needed to see her. To smooth things out now, before it could get any worse.

'Can it get any worse?' the thought drifted through his mind. He'd wanted to be with her, and had succeeded in pushing her away.

"Damn my temper!" he muttered, to the empty room. Pushing himself off the throne, he stalked over to the window, bracing his arms against its sides.

The sky was a deep orange signaling the approach of day. Jareth had been thinking all night of how he could make things right with Sarah. He had finally decided to just ask her what she wanted.

And whatever she decided, he would accept.

Producing a crystal, he thought to check to see if she was still sleeping. The crystal had other ideas however, and showed him only a rolling gray mist.

Giving the defective object a sharp shake, he again willed to see Sarah, still nothing.

"Dammit!" he growled. "Why won't you show me inside Sarah's room?" The crystal glowed slightly, the glow faded to be replaced by an image of the chamber in question. "At last." He breathed. "Now to the bed." The crystal responded. The slowly rising sun lighted the room.

Jareth saw that the bed was empty, an imprint on the pillow showed that the bed had been occupied, and not too long ago. "Where is she?" He asked the crystal. His request was met unexpectedly, by the crystal popping as if it were a bubble.

"What the.?" He summoned another.

Focusing all his power on it, he demanded. "Show me Sarah."

Again the gray mist, but this time, as the mist shifted, he caught a glimpse of Sarah, his Sarah, holding on to the sides of a rough cart. Beside her he noticed another figure, dressed in a black cloak, the hood drawn up totally concealing the face. The image died, and the crystal popped.

Jareth missed its demise. Shock had sent him to his feet.

Disappearing he reappeared in Sarah's chamber.

A look around the room showed complete disarray. The doors to her armoire were thrown open, most of her clothes were gone. She was gone!

With a sigh Jareth sat on the bed, trying to smooth his jumbled thoughts. 'Where did she think she was going? Especially in her present state.'

Jareth got up off the bed, and began to pace. 'Someone from the castle must have helped her.' It was the only thing he could think off.

Moments later he was back in the throne room.

Sending out three crystals simultaneously, he ordered everyone in the castle to congregate in the throne room.

After about an hour he finally had everyone's undivided attention. A hundred and forty three mortals, there had been no need to call the goblins. Whoever had been sitting next to Sarah on the cart was nowhere near goblin size.

"As most of you know" The room quieted as he began. "I have had a mortal staying here. A very special mortal. I suppose you have all heard the rumors." His eyes swept the assembled crowd. "This morning I have discovered that she's gone." The room was filled with a hushed chattering. A glare from their king made them settle once again. "Someone in this castle has helped her leave. Now all I need each of you to do is look about the room and see if you can't decide on, who out of the serving staff, is missing."

Jareth let them deliberate amongst themselves for a few minuets. He wandered over to the window and sat on the rough stone ledge.

The sound of someone clearing their throat turned his attention back to the room.

Thea stood before him. Wringing her hands, worry showing clearly. She hadn't wanted the job of spokesperson, but the rest of the servants knew that she had tended Sarah in the last few weeks.

Composing herself she addressed the king. "My Lord, There are five of the staff missing." Bringing up a trembling hand she counted them off, on her fingers. "Two serving girls are missing, but they have been missing for a couple of weeks now. And besides they never had any contact with my lady Sarah. One of the gamekeepers is gone, but his wife has been expecting her fourth baby any day, so I guess that could be the reason he's gone. The head gardener is not here, I-I don't know where he is." Thea nervously fiddled with her apron. She looked round sending a silent appeal back toward her fellow workers.

"And the fifth" Jareth snapped impatiently.

"Ummm, It's Mistress Taren Yer Grace, she's gone an all." Thea's cockney accent, which she thought lost years ago, resurfaced with a vengeance, in the face off her nervousness.

Jareth noticed the switch in accents, noticed Thea's white face.

Jareth turned and walked to his throne settling on the edge of it's seat, he leaned forward, rested his elbow on his knee, and cupped his chin in his hand, a finger rested against his lips as he stared intently at Thea.

"You know," He said thoughtfully. "I think you should tell me."

"Tell yer what, yer highness?" Thea took a small step back.

"Why your so nervous, Thea?"

"Nervous, sire." Pictures flashed through Thea's mind, pictures of men and women that she'd patched up, after they had felt the weight of Tarens displeasure.

Jareth stood so suddenly; the whole crowd of servants took one step back.

Focusing all his attention on Thea he said slowly and very calmly. "Your going to tell me, why the mention of Taren's name makes you nervous. And then we're going to find out exactly where she is."

A trickle of fear raced down his back, as he watched a lone tear roll down Thea's very pale cheek.



Sarah clung grimly to the sides of the old cart. Another rut in the road heaved them upwards, taking the contents of her stomach with it. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to throw up. The last six hours had been the worst of her life.

Before dawn Taren had appeared in her room, a black cloak thrown over her arm.

Sarah hadn't slept well. It felt like she had only just closed her eyes, when Taren had shook her awake.

She'd gotten out of bed and threw on the previous days clothes She put on the cloak Taren insisted she should wear. Then they had crept from her bedchamber.

Now six hours later she was holding on for dear life, and praying for the safety of her child.

Looking across to the figure that sat beside her, Sarah shivered; there was something about the man that Sarah instinctively shrank from. Taren had called him Rupart. Earlier he had took her hand and helped her get on the cart, her skin still crawled where he had touched her.

It wasn't that he was bad looking. Infact he had rogue look about him that wouldn't be out of place in Hollywood. It was his eye's that unsettled her, they were an intense blue, but they were so cold.

Sarah shook her head pulling her thoughts away from the man beside her. And started to think about Taren instead. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw that Taren was still sleeping laid out in the back of the cart.

They had been travelling for about three hours when Taren had called a halt, after she'd had a few quiet words with Rupart, she had lain down in the back of the cart pulled her cloak about her, and gone to sleep. When Sarah tried to ask Rupart, what the matter was, he just looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. Sarah hadn't spoken since then.

An hour and a good many ruts later the cart finally stopped just before entering a large dark forest.

Rupart tied the reins to a beam at the front of the cart, and got down. Walking to the back of the cart he woke Taren. When she sat up, Sarah saw Rupart's eyes flick toward the forest, and heard the words. "Nearly there." Taren got down from the cart, gathered a dirty sack from the back of the cart.

A hand grasping her elbow made Sarah jump. Looking down she saw Rupart. Sarah fought the urge to yank her arm from his grasp. The man smiled knowingly. "We're walking from here, it's not far." He pulled her arm again signaling his intention to help her down She gave a sigh of relief, 'thank god no more cart.'

A short while later they came to a small cottage set in a clearing. The cottage, like the forest that surrounded it, was intensely depressing and gloomy.

As soon as they entered Sarah looked around for somewhere to sit. The cottage held an air of neglect. The furniture, what little of it there was, was old and dirty, the walls bare apart from the cobwebs that covered every surface and hung down from the roof. Sarah found a chair that didn't look quite as bad as the rest, and sat down, every muscle screamed in agony.

Taren was walking around the room taking things from the cloth bag she placed them on an old leaning table that was almost hidden in the corner of the room. Looking across to Sarah she said. "Well Sarah that went very well." Sarah noted that the perpetual whine that normally laced Tarens voice was gone. Taren walked over to her. Crouching down so she could look Sarah in her eye's she asked, "Tell me Sarah, are all mortals that grow up above ground, as gullible as you?"

"W-what do mean?" Sarah was confused. What was going on?

"I mean, do you believe everything your told?" Taren smiled coldly at her.

Sarah tried to get up, but hands on her shoulders held her down. Tilting her head back to see who was holding her, she saw Rupart grinning down at her.

"You know," Taren went on, as if nothing out of the ordinary were happening. "I have a so many plans in mind for you."

Sarah struggled against the hands pinning her shoulders. She opened her mouth to let out a scream. No sound emerged as Rupart's hand was clapped over her mouth. His other arm anchored her around her shoulders his forearm pressing against her throat. He breathed in her ear. "Can't have you calling out now can we. Not that anyone would come, not even lover boy. My dearest Taren, put a spell on us just before we set off, He can't see you. He would hear you, if you shouted for him, but he wouldn't be able to find you." To Taren he said. "Get a gag will you, so I can tie her up without being deafened by her screams.

"Who needs a gag, give me a minute, I have a nice little spell here that'll insure she can't make a sound. I made sure I brought all the ingredients for it." Off Rupart's look she said. "I don't want to listen to her whining either."

Sarah couldn't believe this was happening to her. The need to scream was overwhelming. Fear for the baby, and fear for herself clouded her mind. With Tarens words about her whining, everything cleared, and she did the only thing she could think of to do. Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, she opened her mouth, and bit down hard, the taste of blood filled her mouth.

Rupart couldn't believe it, she'd bitten him, she'd actually bitten him. His shout of rage was drowned by Sarah's scream of, "JARETH!"

She would have screamed again, but Rupart cut her off, as he back handed her and sent her sprawling to the floor, hitting her head on the stone floor as she did so.

Sarah's last thought before she slid into unconsciousness was. 'I bet you weren't expecting that.'



Rupart looked at Taren, who just rolled her eyes at him. "What," he said, "the bitch bit me."

Taren sighed, and got back to setting out the things she'd need. Saying more to herself than him. "It doesn't matter. We have to prepare. Everything must be ready for our visitor."