Chapter Thirteen

Author's note/Disclaimer: Well apparently I own Leah (her sisters, the spider, the horses, and the new character coming up) and Nezwil (CAN'T forget Nezwil), but everyone else isn't mine. Also, goblins say that people (especially people who A: don't know who to vote for B: those who have no idea what's politically going on with the whole war thingy or C: dislike Bush, to watch Fahrenheit 9/11. It's a really great movie and please, don't review about me disliking Bush (I live in Texas I get it enough!) Thanks.

"Wake up!!" 'Hoggle' shouted shaking Leah and she groggily opened her eyes.

"Huh?" she asked "what's going on?"

"You gotta get out of here little missy," he said, dragging her out of bed "out of the castle."

"Huh?" she asked again, looking worried "what do you mean? Why?"

"I'll explain on the way," he said dragging her out the door and down the hall "you see, Jareth has a brother. A VERY mean jealous brother. He's always wanted the Labyrinth (A/N: don't we all?) and the castle and... well now you."

"Me?" Leah yelped "why me?"

"Because he sees how much Jareth likes you," 'Hoggle' chattered pulling Leah down stairs and through doors, who knew a tiny dwarf could move so fast?

"So why am I leaving then?" she asked.

"Because Logan," he said struggling with the door "is here. And I, er, Jareth, open damn you, is too weak right now to fight Logan off of you."

"Hoggle?!!!" Leah yelled "why aren't we helping him then?! He needs us!" Leah turned to go back but Hoggle grabbed her arm.

"He wants YOU out," he said firmly "now." Leah waited a moment, Hoggle hadn't ever seemed like the type to be forceful, but then she'd never seen him in a crisis.

"Alright fine," she muttered and followed 'Hoggle' down the hall.

Back in the throne room:

"Dearest brother," Logan cooed "why do you cower?" 'Jareth' tried to stand as bravely as possible, but his acting skills weren't so great. Instead, his hands shook uncontrollably and he had a deep desire to fall on his knees and beg.

"I do not cower," he squeaked. Logan sighed and waved his hand over the faulty disguise. Hoggle mentally slapped himself for letting Jareth talk him into this. Though Hoggle knew the spell only lasted a few hours, he'd feel a lot safer if Jareth had made the spell stronger.

Logan smiled and took Hoggle by the back of the shirt.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"I won't tell ya," Hoggle insisted.

"That's too bad," Logan sighed and dropped Hoggle to the floor. Logan faded them into the Ester room and Hoggle cowered, unknowingly. Once again Logan picked Hoggle up, but this time held him over the side. "Tell me or you'll die." Not knowing that he'd simply land upside-down on the stairway underneath him, Hoggle screamed.

"They're goin to the forest," Hoggle yelped and Logan tossed him into the corner of the room. "What will ya do with her?" Hoggle asked worriedly.

"What I do to her is my business ... and it is inevitable," Logan added, sending a sly smile in Hoggle's direction.

"You leave her alone!" Hoggle roared in dismay.

"I don't see what you, nor anyone else is going to do about it," Logan sighed as he started fading out of the cold, damp room.

"I gotta know," Hoggle said quietly "what you're gonna do with her."

"Whatever amuses me," Logan laughed.

"You seem different Hoggle," Leah said for the twelfth time.

"And for the last time-" 'Hoggle' stared but Leah's stomach rumbled over his words. Without thinking he summoned a peach hand held it out for her. She eyed 'Hoggle' and then the peach. 'Hoggle's' eyes grew wide and he looked around. "How'd that happen?"

"I didn't know you liked to play dress up Jareth," Leah remarked and he sighed, forming back to his old, handsome self.

"I don't," he snapped "it's just I had to get you out of there and I had to find somewhere to regain strength."

"Uh huh," Leah sighed as they kept walking. He took a bite of the peach and handed to her, but she just held it. Jareth eyed her warily, he'd learned not to mess with women when they got pissed off like this, but he didn't want to keep her mad.

"I'm sorry," he said "I wasn't trying to trick you."

"Oh," she said "it seems like you were."

"It HAD to be believable," he insisted "I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I can see that," she snapped and he shot a look.

"Why are you mad at me for protecting you?"

"Don't protect me," she said "you need to protect yourself. I was so worried when you told me that you were holding Logan off the best you could, all weak and helpless."

"I'm not helpless," he snapped.

"Your running away aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes but....." they didn't say anything for a while.

"I'm sorry," she said "I shouldn't be mad. It's just, I was worried about you and you scared me." She took a bite out to the peach and grew very drowsy. Leah dropped to the ground, unable to keep her eyes open.

"Leah?" Jareth asked and stopped dead cold, Logan had drugged the peach magically. "Leah you need to stay awake."

"I'm so tired," she sighed, blinking lazily.

"I know," he said picking her up off the ground "but you MUST stay awake. Leah? Leah?"

"Humm?" she asked, almost completely gone.

"IF you fall asleep," he said "you MUST remember one thing."

"Sure why not," she mumbled giggly.

"Remember that I love you," he whispered and her eyes shot open.

"Do what now?!" she asked, still feeling tired but now able to understand his instructions.

"Leah," Jareth said, shifting uncomfortably "I will love you no matter what you do, no matter where you go, no matter what."

"Jareth-"Leah started but Jareth raised his hand for silence.

"I have waited hundreds of years," he said "for the perfect person for me. Leah, that's you." Leah instantly fell asleep and faded, right in front of Jareth's eyes. It took everything of him not to lay down right there and bawl his eyes out. Someone had finally cared about him, and he had lost her. But he wouldn't give up.