Author's Note: I know that most people are beginning to think that I'm laying it on too thick. But bear with me. The story writes itself as it sees fit, and there's nothing I can do to change that. As for Archer being the bad guy... is he really? I'm not sure yet.

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If there was one thing that Karen hadn't expected when she woke up, it was to find a Fairy Lord in her living room. Especially a Fairy Lord who had come to tell her about war.

"Mrs. Williams?"

She looked up to those worried brown eyes, trying to piece together everything that Archer was telling her. Harold was still sitting on the couch with his tie half-done and his hair mussed, bewildered and disbelieving.

"Are you telling me," she asked slowly, "That Jareth lost some war and disappeared?"

Archer nodded. "No one knows where he is, my Lady; yes. We believe that he might have concealed himself in the Lawless Kingdom while gathering troops to win back his country. But that is a guess at best. I need your help. I need to know where your son is."

"Toby?" Harold looked up with wide blue eyes, rising to his feet as it finally slammed into his head what this would mean for his son and granddaughter. "Toby hasn't contacted us. We didn't even know the Goblin Kingdom was in a damn war!"

"He has not come here?"

"No. We haven't seen him since we spoke with him a month ago. Sarah tried calling Hoggle, but…"

"The dwarf has disappeared too," Archer interrupted, the metal in his belt clinking softly as he began to pace the room, "There is no sign of them. My Queen is merciful; if Toby surrenders himself and the child, she will only exile them back to the Aboveground. They will be safe here."

"And Jareth?"

"I will do all I can for my cousin, but the situation does not look good." The toe of a leather boot scuffed absently at the carpet. "Jareth only makes things harder for himself by running away. I cannot think why he persists in endangering his bond mate by fighting a losing battle. Queen Amarild will be forced to take drastic measures if Toby is not found before the inevitable next battle."

"D-drastic measures?"

Both humans went pale. They were simply unable to believe that Archer was standing in the conventionally tidy room spouting off terrible sounding hints of foreboding. It simply wasn't possible! Jareth had sat in this same room and promised to protect their son; it couldn't happen that he would throw him into the deep end of the sea without a life raft, could it?

"Toby may be imprisoned along with the child for life. Amarild will be forced to execute Jareth when he is eventually captured. I will not be able to save him should he not surrender."

"What if Toby's with Jareth?" Harold asked in a panic, "Would that make a difference?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Toby must give himself up and stand trial. It will be a formality, of course; his sentence is fixed. But if he is captured, I don't know… his child might be forfeit. Along with Jareth."

Archer looked tired, so unthinkably tired and heartsick at the prospect. This was war and change. Amarild would have to be harsh to stop the war. There was no other way. And the Goblin King was dethroned. The Labyrinth- his source of power- was being destroyed as they spoke. Stone by weathered stone it was being dismantled, whole trains of goblins pressed into work to destroy their pride and joy. And the Spirit had fought bravely to defend itself. But without Jareth's management there was no hope of victory. Only together could they hope to win. The Labyrinth would fall.

"Archer, you must find Toby and Arradine. And then bring them back." Harold stroked a soothing hand down his wife's back as his eyes hardened. "As for Jareth, do what you like to him. Kill him for all I care. Just bring my son back safe, okay? Anything in my power is yours, but bring my family to the Aboveground."

The Fairy Lord nodded, bowing gravely as he gathered the shreds of his magical abilities back around himself. "I will do all I can," he promised, "If, in turn, you contact me if Toby returns to you?" Having extracted a promise, he left a hand mirror on the nearest table- "This will allow us to converse if that time comes. Simply speak the name and I will answer if I can. Rest easy. I will do everything possible to keep your son safe."

He disappeared, leaving Karen to sniff loudly as her eyes began to water. Harold was furious, murmuring vengeful curses under his breathe against the proud, impetuous Goblin King. Karen wasn't inclined to think the name-calling unfair. How could Jareth have pulled Toby into something so dangerous? He had promised to protect him!

She could have understood if there were problems in the marriage, but to act with complete disregard for the powerlessness of his husband and his child was horrible in the extreme. She had quite a few things she longed to spit in his face too; and quite a few places on his person that she wanted to kick. But that would have to wait. "I'll tell Sarah," Karen sighed, "Poor thing; she was so happy, what with the pregnancy and her new book deal. And Ben's promotion. Now to tell her this! She'll be so upset."

"I don't like it, Karen," Harold said heavily, running a hand through his hair, "She's always been too emotional over Toby. What if something goes wrong?"

"Toby's missing, our grandchild is in a war, we have no way of helping either, and now you worry about something going wrong?"

Harold groaned and shook his head. "I meant with Sarah," he snapped, "What if she has a miscarriage?"

"Don't tell her?" Karen guessed. Harold shrugged, but his eyes pleaded with her to do just that. "Okay, we'll keep quiet for now. But if Toby doesn't come back by next week, then I'm telling her. She's been there before; she might know someone who can help."

"And in the meantime? Will you be all right?"

Karen felt her eyes water again, but she blinked them back. "I'll be fine," she lied, "But we should get to work."

Harold sighed and nodded, hugging her one last time as they awkwardly began to move back into the morning's routine of coffee and last minute decisions.

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Archer sighed as he found himself back in his mirrored hall. His energy was drained. He had not the magic to move comfortably between worlds and using life force could be very debilitating.

But it had been worth it.

He walked to the door, his feet moving slightly sluggishly over the polished marble. Usually he would have sat down and called for wine or something else as uplifting, but in the circumstances... the way to his bedchambers was not that long. And the sight that met his eyes was one that boosted his spirits as nothing else could do.

He shut the door softly and crept towards the bed, careful not to make any noise that might disturb the sleeping occupant. The room, so similar to the Goblin King's own, was spacious, with high ceilings that never seemed to be touched by the light. The covers were thrown over the sleeping figure with a messy abandonment. The pale, rounded belly was gently covered by a slender hand. He made a mental note to have Ariadne open the windows every morning.

Archer watched, silently, lovingly, his hands stroking the long black hair. His... it had been the most miraculous day of his life when he'd first seen his lover- scared, small, lonely. And hating! Oh, but his lover had been spiting and cursing, snarling like a feral tiger. And then had gentled and calmed under Archer's touch like a mare that only needed a firm hand. The kisses had been sweet, dripping with honey and desire, enough to fire the fairy's blood until he could not understand how he had waited so long to ask for this. And the long, pale body with its secret hollows delighted him like no other.

But not for the body alone did Archer crave his lover. The dark hair hid a mind like a steel trap, a brain that owed nothing to formal learning and everything to willful experience and a thirst for power, an arrogant bearing and a callous disregard for all things not directly concerned for the two of them. A dirty, dangerous mind that Archer loved to delve into.

The silk shifted, eyes slitting open against the dim light of the shuttered room.

Archer smiled down as the soft mouth began to curve. He stroked the sharpness of a cheekbone before dropping his hand to rest on the large stomach. The child had only been the added bonus to his happiness. And he longed for the last two months to speed up and fly away, so that he might once more possess his pretty mare without disturbing the body already disturbed by the pregnancy.

"My business is over," he whispered, "Would you like to tell me of your dreams?"

A slender hand rose to tangle with his fingers. "You know my dreams."

"I cannot think they are all about me," Archer laughed, getting up to hand over the black robe usually worn. "There must be something more to your life."

"No, nothing more or less than you. You know that."

"Do I really?"

Sleep-hazed, glowing eyes looked to him with complete faith. "You are my Master and you control me. What else is there to know?"