~*I truly believe that LabyFic fans are the best group-definitely the most
supportive. They are in a league of their own. Once again, a thousand
thanks to my readers, the best of the bunch.*~
~*~*~
Sarah was afraid that the day would turn out dull without Jareth, but once Tessika got over her initial distrust of Antony, the trio had a splendid time. She was overjoyed to see her old friends, almost as much as they were to see her. Ludo nearly crushed her in a bone-grinding embrace, Sir Didymus made her laugh when he fell off Ambrosias in his mingled shock and joy when he saw her, and Hoggle, more then a little wary of Antony, tried to offer her one of his baubles as a "Welcome Home" gift. All three were tickled by Tessika; they found the idea of Sarah as a mother odd, but took to the "little miss," to quote Hoggle, quickly--much as they had took to Sarah. Antony even took them to the Dark Forest. The Fieries remembered Sarah, were still wild about being wild, and still wanted to take off people's heads; now they had two "little ladies" to play with. Before the crazy creatures got too rowdy, Antony whisked Sarah and Tessika away.
To see the places she remembered up close and in vivid detail made Sarah happier then she could've possibly imagined. The Bog of Eternal Stench was still as horribly disgusting as before, and the bridge that had given out beneath her feet before had been replaced by a much sturdier, covered bridge. The oubliettes were still as dank and dark as ever, if not more so. The wall surrounding the Labyrinth was no longer overrun by the vicious little fairies; Hoggle and his helpers finally had them down to a bearable level. The Labyrinth itself was much cleaner, even if it seemed to pose a bigger threat and even more danger then before. Sarah noticed that just inside the wall, the dead branches were gone, replaced with sharp little rocks littered with pieces of glass. The Labyrinth was always changing.
And the sights that Antony showed them were beyond Sarah's wildest dreams. The Crystal Lake that Jareth spoke of was the single most breathtaking sight that Sarah had ever laid eyes on, even more so then the twisting paths of the Labyrinth. It stretched in either direction for what seemed like miles, surrounded by beige cliffs whose rocky faces went straight down to the ground. From these cliffs plummeted a multitude of waterfalls to the huge, perfectly oval lake below. The mists, a product of the waterfalls, in turn created a single continuous rainbow. It was the largest, clearest, most beautiful rainbow in all the Realms. The water glistened a perfect aquamarine blue in the sunlight. Surrounding the Lake were lush, tall trees. What seemed like thousands of flowers carpeted the ground. All was large, vivid, and colorful, fed upon the magic of the Lake.
Sarah would've liked to dwell longer in this magical place, a few miles outside of the Labyrinth--perhaps dip her toes into the cool water, or wander in the shade of the trees--but Tessika was by then hungry (despite the large luncheon Antony had created for them) and tired. As the adventurous trio arrived at the gates of the castle, they were surprised to see two carriages stopped in front of the steps. One seemed to be made completely of pearl; it glowed mellowly as its two ebony horses pawed the ground. The other appeared to be have been built of normal wood, and painted so that a thousand silver stars sparkled off of a deep purple background; in place of wheelcovers, it had starbursts.
Antony groaned and shifted a sleeping Tessika in his arms. "Great."
"What? Who owns these?"
"Do you see that crest?" he asked, pointing to the pearl carriage.
"Yes."
"That is my father's crest. And there is only one woman I can think of frivolous enough to want a carriage like the other one."
"Who?"
"Alex. My other brother's wife."
"So they finally got here." Sarah couldn't help but smile; she was looking forward to seeing Jareth's family.
"*Finally*?" Antony turned to stare at her. "Have you seen my family together?"
"Well, no, not all at the same time--"
"I thank the gods that Kit left with Aidian. Otherwise, we would inevitably tear the castle apart."
Sarah sighed. Odds were that he was exaggerating like there was no tomorrow. "Come on. I'm hungry, and Jareth's probably waiting."
"If Jareth isn't an owl by now," she heard Antony mutter, but he followed her up the stairs. "I think you and Tessie better eat in your room tonight."
~
"There's you are!" Jolie exclaimed when Sarah walked into her room, carrying Tessika. "The master and his guests are's already in's the dining hall. They's are waitin' for ya's."
"Well, they can wait five more minutes, can't they?" Sarah deposited her daughter on her bed off the main bedroom. "Put her in a nightgown, will you?"
"Aye, my lady. I's laid out a dress for's ya. Go's and put it on."
Sarah found the green concoction lying on her bed. "Jolie?"
"Yes'm?"
With raised eyebrows, she pointed to the low neckline.
Jolie shrugged, and turned away, toward the vanity. "His majesty wanted yer's to wear it."
"Hmm." Tapping a finger on her lips, Sarah opened her closet and began to dig through it. "If *his majesty* wants me to wear green, I'll wear it. Wouldn't want to piss him off."
~
"I understand your reluctance," Jareth said, "but if we don't act now, then we may lose the advantage of surprise."
"Act against what? The advantage against what?" William asked. "You do not even have an idea as to what exactly is going on!"
"Exactly, brother. That is what I must go and find out."
"And abandon the single most important being alone in the Shapeshifter kingdom?"
"She will not be alone. All four of you will be in attendance, I assume, with Kit and Aidian."
"Have you not been sleeping?" This came from Victoria, sitting on Jareth's left. She placed a cool hand against his cheek, and her eyes briefly glowed. "Your pallor is pale."
"Not now, Mother," he said, pushing her hand away, barely keeping his annoyance in check.
William leaned back in his seat. "So if indeed there is someone in the West that must be acted against, and you happen require my aid--"
"Would I have it?"
"I do not know." He looked at his wife. "It is not my place to offer help, military or no. What do you think, Alex?"
The petite, auburn-haired Fae folded her hands across her stomach. She was just beginning to show the earlier stages of pregnancy. "I trust in your judgement, Jareth, and I fully believe that you would not ask for allies unless you truly believed you needed them. If something as bad as what you are hinting at is indeed hiding in the shadows of the Underground, then you will have the Fairy Kingdom on your side."
Jareth let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and smiled. "Thank you. And while we are on the subject of aid, perhaps the four of you will escort Sarah to the Shapeshifter Kingdom? I will feel better knowing she is safe."
"Of course," William said. "That is a given, brother."
"I believe you are doing the right thing," Liam said to Jareth. "Perhaps this horde and the near-attack against the Human is related?"
"That thought has crossed my mind," he admitted. "And that 'Human' is named Sarah, Father."
"Sarah, then." Liam frowned. "I don't like the risk you are taking, however. You are taking a small squadron with you?"
"Yes."
"It is too dangerous for just a squadron. Take several. You might be killed."
"I can't see how," Jareth said, but he leaned forward, abruptly serious. "But if you feel my death, promise that you will take care of Sarah and Tessika. Send an army."
"I vow to do both."
"Thank you."
"I just hope that you know what you are risking, Jareth. Your kingdom, possibly, and most certainly the fate of the Realms."
"I know. Please keep her and my daughter safe."
"Speaking of which, when do I get to meet my grandchild?" Victoria asked, skillfully changing the subject to one less dark.
"Tomorrow."
"That is easy for you to speak. Do you know how long I have been waiting for grandchildren?"
"Mother--"
"*Centuries*, Jareth." She leaned forward, and the blonde hair that Jareth had inherited from her fell off her shoulder. "Oh, you do look tired, darling."
"I am fine." Why must she always be like this?
"All this worry is bearing down on you."
"It is not."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it isn't.'
"Well, what is then?"
The door opened, and in stepped Antony. On his arm was Sarah, armed with her prettiest smile.
"Oh, I see," Victoria said quietly.
~
Jareth found he couldn't think clearly. The sight that Sarah made seemed to make his thoughts go haywire. A sample of those bouncing around in his head at the time: Good gods, what is she wearing? Since when does she wear make-up? Why the hell is Antony escorting her? The bastard. Well, in the very least, she wore green.
Yes, indeed, the gown Sarah wore was green, but to say it was a gown was an understatement. It was made completely of emerald satin, and undecorated; the cut of it was meant to be its biggest accessory. The neckline was square, and fell so low that Jareth was sure that if it were any lower, she would fall out. The creamy swells of skin that rose out only served to remind him yet again that she was a woman--a force to be reckoned with. The sleeves of the dress were tight, and ended in deep points past her wrists. The bodice of the gown was equally tight. The skirt of the gown snugly followed the line of her hips, then flared out into a large, flowing train. The middle of the skirt was cut, high above her knees, resulting in a show-it-all slit. Golden low-heeled shoes covered her feet, a wide golden chain with an emerald circled her neck, and a green satin belt with a golden square was cinched at her slender waist. And as if that dress weren't enough, she wore smoky eyeshadow on her lids, complete with mascara and eyeliner, and dark lipstick on her full lips. The front parts of her hair were pulled back into an emerald clip at the crown of her head.
She looks like a queen, Victoria thought.
"Hi," Sarah said, her voice sounding light and sweet.
There was a dumbfounded silence, caused by this lovely creature, and then they all stood and began talking at once. Alexandra was joyed to meet her; Liam thought she was a "tiny little thing"; Jareth wanted to know how her day went; Victoria wanted to know when she could meet her granddaughter; and William inquired if she had any Fae blood in her.
Sarah laughed as Antony quieted them down. "I'm Sarah Williams. Yes, it's very nice to meet you, too. All the women in my family are small. I had a wonderful day--Antony was a great tour guide. You can meet Tessika as soon as she wakes up. And no, I don't have any Fae in me."
The hall was dead quiet for another moment, then everyone burst into laughter.
"What a charming Human!" Victoria said, elbowing Jareth inconspicuously, who had been eyeing the slim, lovely legs that slit displayed.
He jumped, and hurried over to stand by Sarah. "Meet my family. I regret to say that yes, I am related to this bunch, like it or not. This is Dowager Duke and Duchess of the Goblin Kingdom, Liam and Victoria. My parents." He indicated a huge, gray-bearded man with piercing black eyes and a slim woman that was the splitting image of both Kit and Jareth. "The Prince and Princess of the Fairy Kingdom, my brother William and his wife, Alexandra." William was larger, like his father, and Alexandra had the loveliest violet eyes Sarah had ever seen. "And, unfortunately, you know my rascal brother."
"Rascal, indeed," Antony said. "I recall when a young scoundrel named Jareth had a habit of breaking things and blaming it on innocent governesses."
William snickered. "You should talk. Perhaps you have forgotten the time when you thought you discovered how to fly and ended up breaking both your arm and Mother's prized rosebushes."
"No, it was my favorite baby peach tree," Victoria said, shaking her head.
"No." Jareth pulled out a chair for Sarah. "Kit was the culprit of the peach tree incident. She was practicing transporting and ended up sitting on top of it."
"I remember the time you tried my form of magic," Liam said. "You didn't seem to understand that everyone's abilities differ. You set the whole east wing of the castle on fire." He turned to Sarah. "After that, he settled down and concentrated on crystals."
"Oh."
The family went on reminiscing, with Sarah listening and laughing, and, when asked, told a few stories of her own. Her tongue was loosened with wine. "So then he says, 'Let's see how you deal with this little slice' and makes these cleaner things with a crystal."
"Jareth!" Alexandra exclaimed with horror. "You sicced the cleaners on her?"
"Do we really have to go over this?" Jareth asked, his face buried in a gloved hand.
~
About an hour (and seven glasses of wine) later, the family said their good- nights and retired to the rooms Jareth had given them for the night. Jareth found himself escorting Sarah back to her room. He knew she wasn't in much of a condition to hear and understand what he had to tell her, but it had to be tonight. Both of them were leaving tomorrow, with different destinations and purposes.
"Did Tessika get something to eat?" Sarah asked, throwing herself on her back onto her bed.
"Yes. I made sure Jolie had a tray ready for her when she awoke."
"I am *stuffed*!" She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "You better be careful, or you're going to plump me up."
He perched a hip on the chest at the end of her bed, eyeing her. Now is as good a time as any. "Sarah, listen--"
"No, you listen!" she exclaimed, sitting up quickly; a wince as the world took a quick, lazy spin. "I wore this dress for you, and you haven't even said anything! 'Wear green' he says, and then nothin'."
Swallowing hard, he eyed the way the slit fell on either side of her long legs-a beautiful showcase. "You look lovely. I must tell you something."
The satin whispered as she slowly turned her body, sitting on her legs. "Okay. Shoot," she said, reaching up and taking the clip from her hair. The dark locks tumbled as she shook her head.
Is she playing games? Jareth wondered. His question was answered when she slid closer to him, a seductive smile on her lips.
"You have something to tell me?" she asked, her hand caressing his thigh. Her sweet scent invaded his senses.
He leaped up and paced away. "Yes. My family isn't here just to visit--" The rasp of a zipper stopped his voice just as effectively as a slap would've. He turned to see her climbing gracefully off the bed, the emerald satin pooling at her feet. Shamelessly, she stood before him, clad only in a black lace corset. "Good gods, Sarah. What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, Jareth?" Seeing that he wasn't going to advance, she walked toward him as saucily as she could, encircling his neck with her slim arms and leaning up. "I'm seducing you."
"Stop playing games." Both his hands and jaw were clenched with effort.
"Oh, I'm not playing games anymore." Soft lips planted kisses along the lean line of his neck.
Shuddering, Jareth closed his eyes, her hair tickling his neck and face.
"I'm declaring our games void," she was saying, pressing her mouth against his jaw, hands moving down his chest. "We both know that I would've won, anyway."
"Dammit, Sarah!" Savagely jerked away, he grasped her wrists. "I am leaving tomorrow!"
His tone cut through the wine-induced haze in her brain. She blinked. "What?"
"That is what I was attempting to tell you," he said, in a gentler tone. "I have to leave, to see about a disturbance in the West. And you are leaving tomorrow as well. You and Tessika will travel to the Shapeshifter Kingdom in the First Realm. To make sure you are safe, my family will accompany and escort."
"The First Realm?" she asked, confused.
"The Masquerade," he reminded her.
"Oh." Her eyes were clouded. "So you aren't coming with us?"
"I wish I could, Sarah, but I can't. I must go."
"So I have to go face all those people by myself."
"No. All my family will be there for you. They understand how difficult it will be."
Sarah frowned and bowed her head. She wished she could be angry with him, but the anger wasn't coming. Only confusion and fear.
"I understand." Now she lifted her head, and her eyes were clear. "This . . . disturbance-is it related to me?"
He hesitated, and turned their clasped hands so that hers were pressed against his heart. "It might be."
"Is it dangerous?"
"It might be."
"Take me with you."
"I can't. You're too precious." He released a hand and brushed strands of her hair away from her pale face. "I wish I could."
"What is it?"
"An army has been attacking my subjects and overrunning the country."
"Is the Dark Lord behind it?" The name made her shudder.
"Possibly."
Her lower lip trembled. "You'll come back, won't you?"
"Yes." But his eyes told a different truth.
"Jesus," Sarah murmured.
"Promise me that you won't break any more hearts at that ball," he said, trying to make light of the desperate situation.
"I promise," she said, leaning up on her toes. "And you promise that you won't break mine."
Another hesitation. "All right."
Their lips met, She kissed with all the ardor and passion she could muster. Electricity flew between them. Jareth was suddenly sure of what was going to happen.
"No," he said, and tried to pull away; there were too many complications that might arise. But she pulled him back, pressing her body against his. He was suddenly aware of the curve and fullness of her.
"Please," she whispered, once again pressing her lips against his warm skin. "I want you to remember who you're going to come home to."
He swore softly under his breath. "Damn devil, that's what you are."
"As long as you know it," she said, right before her lips took his.
~*~*~
Sarah was afraid that the day would turn out dull without Jareth, but once Tessika got over her initial distrust of Antony, the trio had a splendid time. She was overjoyed to see her old friends, almost as much as they were to see her. Ludo nearly crushed her in a bone-grinding embrace, Sir Didymus made her laugh when he fell off Ambrosias in his mingled shock and joy when he saw her, and Hoggle, more then a little wary of Antony, tried to offer her one of his baubles as a "Welcome Home" gift. All three were tickled by Tessika; they found the idea of Sarah as a mother odd, but took to the "little miss," to quote Hoggle, quickly--much as they had took to Sarah. Antony even took them to the Dark Forest. The Fieries remembered Sarah, were still wild about being wild, and still wanted to take off people's heads; now they had two "little ladies" to play with. Before the crazy creatures got too rowdy, Antony whisked Sarah and Tessika away.
To see the places she remembered up close and in vivid detail made Sarah happier then she could've possibly imagined. The Bog of Eternal Stench was still as horribly disgusting as before, and the bridge that had given out beneath her feet before had been replaced by a much sturdier, covered bridge. The oubliettes were still as dank and dark as ever, if not more so. The wall surrounding the Labyrinth was no longer overrun by the vicious little fairies; Hoggle and his helpers finally had them down to a bearable level. The Labyrinth itself was much cleaner, even if it seemed to pose a bigger threat and even more danger then before. Sarah noticed that just inside the wall, the dead branches were gone, replaced with sharp little rocks littered with pieces of glass. The Labyrinth was always changing.
And the sights that Antony showed them were beyond Sarah's wildest dreams. The Crystal Lake that Jareth spoke of was the single most breathtaking sight that Sarah had ever laid eyes on, even more so then the twisting paths of the Labyrinth. It stretched in either direction for what seemed like miles, surrounded by beige cliffs whose rocky faces went straight down to the ground. From these cliffs plummeted a multitude of waterfalls to the huge, perfectly oval lake below. The mists, a product of the waterfalls, in turn created a single continuous rainbow. It was the largest, clearest, most beautiful rainbow in all the Realms. The water glistened a perfect aquamarine blue in the sunlight. Surrounding the Lake were lush, tall trees. What seemed like thousands of flowers carpeted the ground. All was large, vivid, and colorful, fed upon the magic of the Lake.
Sarah would've liked to dwell longer in this magical place, a few miles outside of the Labyrinth--perhaps dip her toes into the cool water, or wander in the shade of the trees--but Tessika was by then hungry (despite the large luncheon Antony had created for them) and tired. As the adventurous trio arrived at the gates of the castle, they were surprised to see two carriages stopped in front of the steps. One seemed to be made completely of pearl; it glowed mellowly as its two ebony horses pawed the ground. The other appeared to be have been built of normal wood, and painted so that a thousand silver stars sparkled off of a deep purple background; in place of wheelcovers, it had starbursts.
Antony groaned and shifted a sleeping Tessika in his arms. "Great."
"What? Who owns these?"
"Do you see that crest?" he asked, pointing to the pearl carriage.
"Yes."
"That is my father's crest. And there is only one woman I can think of frivolous enough to want a carriage like the other one."
"Who?"
"Alex. My other brother's wife."
"So they finally got here." Sarah couldn't help but smile; she was looking forward to seeing Jareth's family.
"*Finally*?" Antony turned to stare at her. "Have you seen my family together?"
"Well, no, not all at the same time--"
"I thank the gods that Kit left with Aidian. Otherwise, we would inevitably tear the castle apart."
Sarah sighed. Odds were that he was exaggerating like there was no tomorrow. "Come on. I'm hungry, and Jareth's probably waiting."
"If Jareth isn't an owl by now," she heard Antony mutter, but he followed her up the stairs. "I think you and Tessie better eat in your room tonight."
~
"There's you are!" Jolie exclaimed when Sarah walked into her room, carrying Tessika. "The master and his guests are's already in's the dining hall. They's are waitin' for ya's."
"Well, they can wait five more minutes, can't they?" Sarah deposited her daughter on her bed off the main bedroom. "Put her in a nightgown, will you?"
"Aye, my lady. I's laid out a dress for's ya. Go's and put it on."
Sarah found the green concoction lying on her bed. "Jolie?"
"Yes'm?"
With raised eyebrows, she pointed to the low neckline.
Jolie shrugged, and turned away, toward the vanity. "His majesty wanted yer's to wear it."
"Hmm." Tapping a finger on her lips, Sarah opened her closet and began to dig through it. "If *his majesty* wants me to wear green, I'll wear it. Wouldn't want to piss him off."
~
"I understand your reluctance," Jareth said, "but if we don't act now, then we may lose the advantage of surprise."
"Act against what? The advantage against what?" William asked. "You do not even have an idea as to what exactly is going on!"
"Exactly, brother. That is what I must go and find out."
"And abandon the single most important being alone in the Shapeshifter kingdom?"
"She will not be alone. All four of you will be in attendance, I assume, with Kit and Aidian."
"Have you not been sleeping?" This came from Victoria, sitting on Jareth's left. She placed a cool hand against his cheek, and her eyes briefly glowed. "Your pallor is pale."
"Not now, Mother," he said, pushing her hand away, barely keeping his annoyance in check.
William leaned back in his seat. "So if indeed there is someone in the West that must be acted against, and you happen require my aid--"
"Would I have it?"
"I do not know." He looked at his wife. "It is not my place to offer help, military or no. What do you think, Alex?"
The petite, auburn-haired Fae folded her hands across her stomach. She was just beginning to show the earlier stages of pregnancy. "I trust in your judgement, Jareth, and I fully believe that you would not ask for allies unless you truly believed you needed them. If something as bad as what you are hinting at is indeed hiding in the shadows of the Underground, then you will have the Fairy Kingdom on your side."
Jareth let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding and smiled. "Thank you. And while we are on the subject of aid, perhaps the four of you will escort Sarah to the Shapeshifter Kingdom? I will feel better knowing she is safe."
"Of course," William said. "That is a given, brother."
"I believe you are doing the right thing," Liam said to Jareth. "Perhaps this horde and the near-attack against the Human is related?"
"That thought has crossed my mind," he admitted. "And that 'Human' is named Sarah, Father."
"Sarah, then." Liam frowned. "I don't like the risk you are taking, however. You are taking a small squadron with you?"
"Yes."
"It is too dangerous for just a squadron. Take several. You might be killed."
"I can't see how," Jareth said, but he leaned forward, abruptly serious. "But if you feel my death, promise that you will take care of Sarah and Tessika. Send an army."
"I vow to do both."
"Thank you."
"I just hope that you know what you are risking, Jareth. Your kingdom, possibly, and most certainly the fate of the Realms."
"I know. Please keep her and my daughter safe."
"Speaking of which, when do I get to meet my grandchild?" Victoria asked, skillfully changing the subject to one less dark.
"Tomorrow."
"That is easy for you to speak. Do you know how long I have been waiting for grandchildren?"
"Mother--"
"*Centuries*, Jareth." She leaned forward, and the blonde hair that Jareth had inherited from her fell off her shoulder. "Oh, you do look tired, darling."
"I am fine." Why must she always be like this?
"All this worry is bearing down on you."
"It is not."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it isn't.'
"Well, what is then?"
The door opened, and in stepped Antony. On his arm was Sarah, armed with her prettiest smile.
"Oh, I see," Victoria said quietly.
~
Jareth found he couldn't think clearly. The sight that Sarah made seemed to make his thoughts go haywire. A sample of those bouncing around in his head at the time: Good gods, what is she wearing? Since when does she wear make-up? Why the hell is Antony escorting her? The bastard. Well, in the very least, she wore green.
Yes, indeed, the gown Sarah wore was green, but to say it was a gown was an understatement. It was made completely of emerald satin, and undecorated; the cut of it was meant to be its biggest accessory. The neckline was square, and fell so low that Jareth was sure that if it were any lower, she would fall out. The creamy swells of skin that rose out only served to remind him yet again that she was a woman--a force to be reckoned with. The sleeves of the dress were tight, and ended in deep points past her wrists. The bodice of the gown was equally tight. The skirt of the gown snugly followed the line of her hips, then flared out into a large, flowing train. The middle of the skirt was cut, high above her knees, resulting in a show-it-all slit. Golden low-heeled shoes covered her feet, a wide golden chain with an emerald circled her neck, and a green satin belt with a golden square was cinched at her slender waist. And as if that dress weren't enough, she wore smoky eyeshadow on her lids, complete with mascara and eyeliner, and dark lipstick on her full lips. The front parts of her hair were pulled back into an emerald clip at the crown of her head.
She looks like a queen, Victoria thought.
"Hi," Sarah said, her voice sounding light and sweet.
There was a dumbfounded silence, caused by this lovely creature, and then they all stood and began talking at once. Alexandra was joyed to meet her; Liam thought she was a "tiny little thing"; Jareth wanted to know how her day went; Victoria wanted to know when she could meet her granddaughter; and William inquired if she had any Fae blood in her.
Sarah laughed as Antony quieted them down. "I'm Sarah Williams. Yes, it's very nice to meet you, too. All the women in my family are small. I had a wonderful day--Antony was a great tour guide. You can meet Tessika as soon as she wakes up. And no, I don't have any Fae in me."
The hall was dead quiet for another moment, then everyone burst into laughter.
"What a charming Human!" Victoria said, elbowing Jareth inconspicuously, who had been eyeing the slim, lovely legs that slit displayed.
He jumped, and hurried over to stand by Sarah. "Meet my family. I regret to say that yes, I am related to this bunch, like it or not. This is Dowager Duke and Duchess of the Goblin Kingdom, Liam and Victoria. My parents." He indicated a huge, gray-bearded man with piercing black eyes and a slim woman that was the splitting image of both Kit and Jareth. "The Prince and Princess of the Fairy Kingdom, my brother William and his wife, Alexandra." William was larger, like his father, and Alexandra had the loveliest violet eyes Sarah had ever seen. "And, unfortunately, you know my rascal brother."
"Rascal, indeed," Antony said. "I recall when a young scoundrel named Jareth had a habit of breaking things and blaming it on innocent governesses."
William snickered. "You should talk. Perhaps you have forgotten the time when you thought you discovered how to fly and ended up breaking both your arm and Mother's prized rosebushes."
"No, it was my favorite baby peach tree," Victoria said, shaking her head.
"No." Jareth pulled out a chair for Sarah. "Kit was the culprit of the peach tree incident. She was practicing transporting and ended up sitting on top of it."
"I remember the time you tried my form of magic," Liam said. "You didn't seem to understand that everyone's abilities differ. You set the whole east wing of the castle on fire." He turned to Sarah. "After that, he settled down and concentrated on crystals."
"Oh."
The family went on reminiscing, with Sarah listening and laughing, and, when asked, told a few stories of her own. Her tongue was loosened with wine. "So then he says, 'Let's see how you deal with this little slice' and makes these cleaner things with a crystal."
"Jareth!" Alexandra exclaimed with horror. "You sicced the cleaners on her?"
"Do we really have to go over this?" Jareth asked, his face buried in a gloved hand.
~
About an hour (and seven glasses of wine) later, the family said their good- nights and retired to the rooms Jareth had given them for the night. Jareth found himself escorting Sarah back to her room. He knew she wasn't in much of a condition to hear and understand what he had to tell her, but it had to be tonight. Both of them were leaving tomorrow, with different destinations and purposes.
"Did Tessika get something to eat?" Sarah asked, throwing herself on her back onto her bed.
"Yes. I made sure Jolie had a tray ready for her when she awoke."
"I am *stuffed*!" She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "You better be careful, or you're going to plump me up."
He perched a hip on the chest at the end of her bed, eyeing her. Now is as good a time as any. "Sarah, listen--"
"No, you listen!" she exclaimed, sitting up quickly; a wince as the world took a quick, lazy spin. "I wore this dress for you, and you haven't even said anything! 'Wear green' he says, and then nothin'."
Swallowing hard, he eyed the way the slit fell on either side of her long legs-a beautiful showcase. "You look lovely. I must tell you something."
The satin whispered as she slowly turned her body, sitting on her legs. "Okay. Shoot," she said, reaching up and taking the clip from her hair. The dark locks tumbled as she shook her head.
Is she playing games? Jareth wondered. His question was answered when she slid closer to him, a seductive smile on her lips.
"You have something to tell me?" she asked, her hand caressing his thigh. Her sweet scent invaded his senses.
He leaped up and paced away. "Yes. My family isn't here just to visit--" The rasp of a zipper stopped his voice just as effectively as a slap would've. He turned to see her climbing gracefully off the bed, the emerald satin pooling at her feet. Shamelessly, she stood before him, clad only in a black lace corset. "Good gods, Sarah. What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, Jareth?" Seeing that he wasn't going to advance, she walked toward him as saucily as she could, encircling his neck with her slim arms and leaning up. "I'm seducing you."
"Stop playing games." Both his hands and jaw were clenched with effort.
"Oh, I'm not playing games anymore." Soft lips planted kisses along the lean line of his neck.
Shuddering, Jareth closed his eyes, her hair tickling his neck and face.
"I'm declaring our games void," she was saying, pressing her mouth against his jaw, hands moving down his chest. "We both know that I would've won, anyway."
"Dammit, Sarah!" Savagely jerked away, he grasped her wrists. "I am leaving tomorrow!"
His tone cut through the wine-induced haze in her brain. She blinked. "What?"
"That is what I was attempting to tell you," he said, in a gentler tone. "I have to leave, to see about a disturbance in the West. And you are leaving tomorrow as well. You and Tessika will travel to the Shapeshifter Kingdom in the First Realm. To make sure you are safe, my family will accompany and escort."
"The First Realm?" she asked, confused.
"The Masquerade," he reminded her.
"Oh." Her eyes were clouded. "So you aren't coming with us?"
"I wish I could, Sarah, but I can't. I must go."
"So I have to go face all those people by myself."
"No. All my family will be there for you. They understand how difficult it will be."
Sarah frowned and bowed her head. She wished she could be angry with him, but the anger wasn't coming. Only confusion and fear.
"I understand." Now she lifted her head, and her eyes were clear. "This . . . disturbance-is it related to me?"
He hesitated, and turned their clasped hands so that hers were pressed against his heart. "It might be."
"Is it dangerous?"
"It might be."
"Take me with you."
"I can't. You're too precious." He released a hand and brushed strands of her hair away from her pale face. "I wish I could."
"What is it?"
"An army has been attacking my subjects and overrunning the country."
"Is the Dark Lord behind it?" The name made her shudder.
"Possibly."
Her lower lip trembled. "You'll come back, won't you?"
"Yes." But his eyes told a different truth.
"Jesus," Sarah murmured.
"Promise me that you won't break any more hearts at that ball," he said, trying to make light of the desperate situation.
"I promise," she said, leaning up on her toes. "And you promise that you won't break mine."
Another hesitation. "All right."
Their lips met, She kissed with all the ardor and passion she could muster. Electricity flew between them. Jareth was suddenly sure of what was going to happen.
"No," he said, and tried to pull away; there were too many complications that might arise. But she pulled him back, pressing her body against his. He was suddenly aware of the curve and fullness of her.
"Please," she whispered, once again pressing her lips against his warm skin. "I want you to remember who you're going to come home to."
He swore softly under his breath. "Damn devil, that's what you are."
"As long as you know it," she said, right before her lips took his.