Three days later, Jareth and Sara were back at his castle. Dris had promised to visit later, after they had gone above and retrieved some of Sara's things.
Of course, before they left the Seelie Court, Sara had to stand before the Council one last time. For two reasons. First, the Council wished to apologize for not taking the threat to Sara's safety from Alamorn as seriously as they should have. Second, to publicly recognize Sara's leadership of her grandfather's kingdom. She was now a queen.
"Jareth, when should we go Above and get my things? The few that I want here anyway."
"When would you like to go, my love?"
"Sooner the better, I guess. I also have to say goodbye to Toby. He'll miss me."
"Just don't forget. Your own magic is very powerful. You just haven't learned how to channel and control it yet. Until you do, anytime he wishes to see you, all he needs to do is call for you and I will help you to either go to him or bring him to you."
"You would do that for me?"
"I love you." That was all the answer she needed. It was the only answer either of them would ever need again.
"How much time would have passed up there?"
"About three weeks. It's been about a month and a half here."
"So time passes about twice as fast here as it does there?"
"About. Shall we get ready to go?" Sara nodded and they found themselves in Sara's tiny apartment in normal Aboveground clothes.
Sara had only wanted two things from her apartment: her Labyrinth book and a picture of her and Toby that her father had taken. Karen had never known about that picture. "Now, to see Toby and let him know how to get in touch with me if he needs me."
They walked out the door and Sara didn't look back as she walked away from her old life. After all, what good would any of that do her Underground? She was a queen and in love with a king.
"Hello, Karen. I would like to see Toby."
"And why should I let you see Toby? You haven't even tried to see us since that nice boss of yours called us to say that you had lost your job because you attacked him after inviting him into your apartment. I guess you're just like your mother."
"More than you will ever know, Karen. Now, I said I would like to see Toby. Don't make me repeat myself again." Sara's voice had gotten quiet and threatening.
"What are you going to do if I don't? Beat me up too?" Karen snorted derisively. She then saw Jareth standing behind her stepdaughter. "And who is this? Your pimp?"
"Karen, may I suggest you not make my HUSBAND angry? You wouldn't like him when he's angry."
"When did you get married? And what decent man would marry a slut like you?" That was the final straw. Jareth pulled Sara behind him and stepped up into Karen's face.
"I have seen how you have treated this beautiful young woman. She has never deserved your venom. You were always cruel to her because she looks just like her mother did. You hated Linda because Robert never stopped loving her. That's why you hate Sara. Now, unless you want to see something entirely too unpleasant, may I suggest you let my WIFE see her brother?"
"Sara!!!!!" Toby ran down the stairs and pushed past Karen before she could grab him.
"Hey, Toby. How are you doing?"
"Dad's dead."
"I was with him when he died. He held on long enough to see me."
"You lying bitch!!!" Karen spat. "He was alone when he died. It was right around midnight."
"12:03 to be exact," came Jareth's calm reply. "I was with her when her father entrusted her care to me." He turned to Toby and Sara. "Why don't the two of you go ahead and start toward the park? I'll catch up in a moment."
"Darling, don't do anything cruel."
"Sara, I merely intend to set your stepmother straight on a few things. Go on now, love."
Sara and Toby started away and Sara kept glancing over her shoulder at Jareth who had steered Karen back into the house and shut the door. "I do hope he doesn't intend to send her to the Bog."
"Sara, was that him? The Goblin King?" Toby's question startled Sara. After five years, this was her first indication that he remembered anything about the incident in the Labyrinth.
"You remembered that?"
"All along. I knew that Karen wouldn't understand so Dad was the only one I talked to about it. He's the one who asked me not to talk about it with anyone else. That's why I never said anything to you about remembering what happened that night."
"Yes. He's the Goblin King."
"Are you two really married?"
"Not yet. But soon. How have you been doing in school?"
"Ok. I don't like writing reports though." He chuckled. "We had to write a fiction story in English not too long ago and I wrote about the Labyrinth. The teacher loved it. She said I have an amazing imagination. If only she knew that the story was real."
Sara laughed too. "I could just see the look on her face if she had known." Sara imitated the face. Eyes wide open and mouth hanging open. Toby laughed harder.
They had calmed down by the time they reached the park. "Toby, I won't be living here anymore. I have a home in the Underground. In fact, because of who my mother was, I'm actually a queen. And one day, Jareth will become High King of all of the Underground and I will be High Queen."
"How will I be able to talk to you?"
"If you want to talk to me, just call for me in your mirror. Jareth has promised me that, until I can focus my power enough to do it myself, he will help me to either come to you or to bring you to the Underground."
"Promise?"
"We both do, Toby," came Jareth's voice from behind Sara. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "Toby has to get back soon to finish his homework. And we shouldn't leave the Underground for too long either."
"Can we fly back?" Sara had learned to love flying in the short time she had been able to do it.
"If you wish, love."
"You can fly?"
"Jareth and I both have animal forms. Remember the barn owl we always used to see here when we were younger?" At Toby's nod, she continued. "That was Jareth. I become an eagle. It was the form that chose me when I was in danger down there and had to escape. Jareth saved me several times in the past six weeks."
"But it's only been three."
"Time moves differently here than it does there. It's been six weeks there."
"Wow." He thought for a moment. "Can I come down there for a while this summer?"
"We'll talk to Karen about it later. I promise. Right now, I think you should go home and finish your homework. We need to get home ourselves. We'll talk more later. Ok?"
"Ok!" Toby jumped up and ran home.
Sara looked up into Jareth's eyes and smiled. "Let's go home."
No one noticed as the owl and the eagle flew off together.
Of course, before they left the Seelie Court, Sara had to stand before the Council one last time. For two reasons. First, the Council wished to apologize for not taking the threat to Sara's safety from Alamorn as seriously as they should have. Second, to publicly recognize Sara's leadership of her grandfather's kingdom. She was now a queen.
"Jareth, when should we go Above and get my things? The few that I want here anyway."
"When would you like to go, my love?"
"Sooner the better, I guess. I also have to say goodbye to Toby. He'll miss me."
"Just don't forget. Your own magic is very powerful. You just haven't learned how to channel and control it yet. Until you do, anytime he wishes to see you, all he needs to do is call for you and I will help you to either go to him or bring him to you."
"You would do that for me?"
"I love you." That was all the answer she needed. It was the only answer either of them would ever need again.
"How much time would have passed up there?"
"About three weeks. It's been about a month and a half here."
"So time passes about twice as fast here as it does there?"
"About. Shall we get ready to go?" Sara nodded and they found themselves in Sara's tiny apartment in normal Aboveground clothes.
Sara had only wanted two things from her apartment: her Labyrinth book and a picture of her and Toby that her father had taken. Karen had never known about that picture. "Now, to see Toby and let him know how to get in touch with me if he needs me."
They walked out the door and Sara didn't look back as she walked away from her old life. After all, what good would any of that do her Underground? She was a queen and in love with a king.
"Hello, Karen. I would like to see Toby."
"And why should I let you see Toby? You haven't even tried to see us since that nice boss of yours called us to say that you had lost your job because you attacked him after inviting him into your apartment. I guess you're just like your mother."
"More than you will ever know, Karen. Now, I said I would like to see Toby. Don't make me repeat myself again." Sara's voice had gotten quiet and threatening.
"What are you going to do if I don't? Beat me up too?" Karen snorted derisively. She then saw Jareth standing behind her stepdaughter. "And who is this? Your pimp?"
"Karen, may I suggest you not make my HUSBAND angry? You wouldn't like him when he's angry."
"When did you get married? And what decent man would marry a slut like you?" That was the final straw. Jareth pulled Sara behind him and stepped up into Karen's face.
"I have seen how you have treated this beautiful young woman. She has never deserved your venom. You were always cruel to her because she looks just like her mother did. You hated Linda because Robert never stopped loving her. That's why you hate Sara. Now, unless you want to see something entirely too unpleasant, may I suggest you let my WIFE see her brother?"
"Sara!!!!!" Toby ran down the stairs and pushed past Karen before she could grab him.
"Hey, Toby. How are you doing?"
"Dad's dead."
"I was with him when he died. He held on long enough to see me."
"You lying bitch!!!" Karen spat. "He was alone when he died. It was right around midnight."
"12:03 to be exact," came Jareth's calm reply. "I was with her when her father entrusted her care to me." He turned to Toby and Sara. "Why don't the two of you go ahead and start toward the park? I'll catch up in a moment."
"Darling, don't do anything cruel."
"Sara, I merely intend to set your stepmother straight on a few things. Go on now, love."
Sara and Toby started away and Sara kept glancing over her shoulder at Jareth who had steered Karen back into the house and shut the door. "I do hope he doesn't intend to send her to the Bog."
"Sara, was that him? The Goblin King?" Toby's question startled Sara. After five years, this was her first indication that he remembered anything about the incident in the Labyrinth.
"You remembered that?"
"All along. I knew that Karen wouldn't understand so Dad was the only one I talked to about it. He's the one who asked me not to talk about it with anyone else. That's why I never said anything to you about remembering what happened that night."
"Yes. He's the Goblin King."
"Are you two really married?"
"Not yet. But soon. How have you been doing in school?"
"Ok. I don't like writing reports though." He chuckled. "We had to write a fiction story in English not too long ago and I wrote about the Labyrinth. The teacher loved it. She said I have an amazing imagination. If only she knew that the story was real."
Sara laughed too. "I could just see the look on her face if she had known." Sara imitated the face. Eyes wide open and mouth hanging open. Toby laughed harder.
They had calmed down by the time they reached the park. "Toby, I won't be living here anymore. I have a home in the Underground. In fact, because of who my mother was, I'm actually a queen. And one day, Jareth will become High King of all of the Underground and I will be High Queen."
"How will I be able to talk to you?"
"If you want to talk to me, just call for me in your mirror. Jareth has promised me that, until I can focus my power enough to do it myself, he will help me to either come to you or to bring you to the Underground."
"Promise?"
"We both do, Toby," came Jareth's voice from behind Sara. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "Toby has to get back soon to finish his homework. And we shouldn't leave the Underground for too long either."
"Can we fly back?" Sara had learned to love flying in the short time she had been able to do it.
"If you wish, love."
"You can fly?"
"Jareth and I both have animal forms. Remember the barn owl we always used to see here when we were younger?" At Toby's nod, she continued. "That was Jareth. I become an eagle. It was the form that chose me when I was in danger down there and had to escape. Jareth saved me several times in the past six weeks."
"But it's only been three."
"Time moves differently here than it does there. It's been six weeks there."
"Wow." He thought for a moment. "Can I come down there for a while this summer?"
"We'll talk to Karen about it later. I promise. Right now, I think you should go home and finish your homework. We need to get home ourselves. We'll talk more later. Ok?"
"Ok!" Toby jumped up and ran home.
Sara looked up into Jareth's eyes and smiled. "Let's go home."
No one noticed as the owl and the eagle flew off together.