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chapter 3: dance, dance, dance

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Sarah's hands connected with wet stone hard enough to make her palms go numb for a minute. She sat crouching, afraid to look up, afraid to see the Goblin King looking at her with that annoyed, amused, cruel, blank face. She hated that. A cool breeze wafted past her and she lifted her head, eyes connecting with a pair of green orbs rimmed with red.

She shrieked and stumbled backwards. It was a goblin. A rather large one at that. It was wearing a strange blue velvet uniform with gold braid and a floppy Venetian hat with a long tassel. He—it, looked like something out of Alice in Wonderland. He also looked very dim.

Sarah took a moment.

Right, she was in the Goblin Kingdom again. Jareth was no where to be seen and her only company appeared to be a green little monster in crushed velvet.

"Um… Hi" she started, feeling like she was about thirteen again.

It cut her off "What you be doing here, lady?" it grunted

"Ah…" Sarah trailed off. What was she supposed to say? It was a goblin, would it even understand her? She decided on a rather simple method "I was… wished away"

It raised a bushy eyebrow. "Isn't you being too older to be getting wished away?"

Sarah shrugged, not sure what else to say. Her hands scraped at the dirty stone floor as she stood up, looking around the room she was in. All the walls were flagstone and there were no windows. It was perfectly circular with three corridors leading into it. Tapestries hung at measured distances from each other depicting battles of dragons and men in silver armor.

"Hey Lady?" the Goblin said insistently, she ignored him.

The goblin had distracted her momentarily from the severity of her situation. Or rather, how scared she was for Emily. Oh god, Emily, Sarah thought. What the hell was Jaquetta doing with her? Insurance, she had said. That meant Jareth had something Jaquetta wanted. It meant that Sarah needed to find Jareth and demand that he do whatever Jaquetta wanted so Emily would be safe.

As if it would be that easy.

"Oh…fuck" she mumbled anxiously, spinning around to look at each of the corridors. None of them seemed to lead anywhere specific. She thought for a moment that maybe she was in the labyrinth and not the castle. The thought caused her heart to twitch painfully. The last thing she needed right now was to be lost in the labyrinth.

"Jareth" she said softly, hoping, that somehow he would hear her or realize she was there or…something. "Jareth?" it came out like a whisper. For some reason, Sarah entertained the notion that that would be enough. But apparently not, as nothing happened.

"JARETH!" she shrieked, her voice echoing down the corridors and bouncing off the stone walls. Anxiety begain to crowd her mind and she pressed her thumbs into her eyes, trying to concentrate. Tears of frustration leaked out of the corners of her eyes. What was she doing. This had been a stupid idea. She was wasting time. Where was he?

"Hey lady?" the goblin said again, startling her.

Sarah turned to look at it, he was staring at her like she was a mad woman. To be honest, Sarah felt a bit like she was going mad.

"You be looking for his highness?" it asked

"Yes" she sniffed

"Well!" it sighed, rolling its large eyes around in one massive circle "Why don't you be asking instead of yelling. Max'll be taking you to his highness, for you"

"Are you Max?" she asked

"Who else'd I being?"

His grammar was starting to give her a headache. So, instead of replying she just followed the goblin out of one of the corridors. Then it wasn't the labyrinth…good.

As they walked Sarah's mind spun with possibilities. What had Jaquetta been talking about? Toys? She'd said something about toys. What the hell were her toys? What was it that she wanted? How horrible was this going to be? Sarah wouldn't put anything past Jaquetta, let alone Dacian. Whatever they wanted…surely there was a good reason for Jareth not to give it to them… Unless this was just another example of his stupid pride. If that was what it turned out to be Sarah doubted she wouldn't be able to stop herself from beating him senseless. But then, knowing Jareth as Jareth instead of as the Goblin King, she had to admit that it would be… unlikely. No, there had to be a reason. There had to be something to this.

She just had no idea where to even begin.

They walked through the empty throne room and down several more corridors. Sarah began to suspect that this goblin –max – had no more idea where Jareth was than she did.

Suddenly they came to a thick set of heavy wooden doors. There was intricate stone carving all around the arch and massive iron handles. Max knocked on the door and two other goblins dressed in the same attire as Max opened the doors wide. Max stepped out of the way, leaving Sarah standing in the middle of the threshold.

A long red carpet scrolled into the room. It was surprisingly light, unlike the rest of the castle, with massive windows and gauzy drapes. The colour scheme was much the same as the other castle. Cold silvers and pale blues. Heavy on the ornamentation and delicate designs everywhere. The room appeared to be a set of apartments, a small sitting area was the main focus of the room. It appeared to be tea time. And Jareth was no where to be seen.

"Oh. My. God"

But Naomi was. She sat delicately on the edge of her seat, a cup of tea raised halfway to her lips, little fingers sticking out prettily. Her cheeks became flushed and her eyes narrowed to such terrific little slits that Sarah wondered if she could even see at that point.

The other person in the room was Madame Tournille. She looked back and forth between Sarah and Naomi a few times before folding the large scroll of parchment in her hands and moving to leave.

"NO!" Naomi screeched at her. "You stay" she said "YOU!" she pointed a long finger at Sarah "What are YOU doing here"

Sarah didn't have the energy to be annoyed by Naomi's antics. She didn't have the energy to appear together in front of her either. She stumbled down the carpet, her long dress catching at her feet. "Naomi" she pleaded "Is Jareth here?"

Naomi looked horrified "What are you doing here!" she threw her teacup down on the tray so hard it skipped and clattered into the other china. "What makes you think you have the right to come storming into my castle and…"

Sarah cut off her long rant impatiently "Look, there are problems bigger than your…distaste for me. There are problems of a political nature that I need to speak with Jareth about" she tried to make her voice sound reasonable and steady. Naomi was, she suspected, a bit like an animal in so far as if you talked calmly to it, it would react calmly.

Apparently she was less reasonable than that.

"Is this some ploy to get him—"

"Naomi!" Sarah was standing behind the small chair Madame Tournille occupied. "Please stop it, this is really important and has nothing to do with me—really."

Naomi looked flustered "He isn't here" she stuttered "He's been at the castle all week"

Sarah took a moment to let that sink in "All week?" she repeated "But… I was just here a few hours ago"

Naomi looked at her like she was crazy. "The wedding was last week. You're completely mental, you know that, right?" She snorted "I honestly don't know what he saw in you" at Sarah's lack of reaction to that Naomi sighed and picked up her teacup again. She seemed to have regained her composure. It seemed to her that this girl, with her skinny little body flailing about in a dress that still didn't fit her right—with her hair all a mess and her make up streaked—look, there was even dirt down the side of her dress—how on earth could she be competition.

Naomi took a moment to look regal before speaking again. "Now, what is wrong, Sarah. I'm going to be Queen soon, if it's of a political nature perhaps I can help"

"Help?" Sarah repeated, bewildered "You want to help?"

"I studied Political Science and Foreign Relations, I'll have you know" Naomi sniffed indignantly "And I'm fluent in six different languages"

Sarah felt like her brain was going to explode. This was too surreal. What the hell was she doing at this tea party with Naomi acting like she knew what the hell was going on when Emily was probably getting her blood drained out of her wrists or something horrible like that. Or worse—what if they turned her into a Nosferatu?

With no other option, Sarah found herself pouring the entire story out to Naomi. All of what Jaquetta said, all that had happened with Dacian before—every panic stricken thought she'd had in the last twenty minutes. She expected to Naomi to become board and disinterested, but instead, surprisingly she just stared at Sarah with a look of utter concentration. And it looked completely sincere.

At the end of her tirade Sarah threw herself down in the dainty chair matching the one Madame Tournille was sitting in and covered her face with her hands.

There was a beat of silence and then Naomi spoke. "She was talking about the labyrinth"

Sarah's head shot up. "What?"

"Time and space" Naomi nodded. There are forces in the universe—Time, Space, Gravity, Love, etcetera and so on—they come from actual places, you know. I don't mean like, a specific place for each of them, but there are things that specifically have to do with a force. Like the labyrinth, it's ruled by time and space, you know? Like they exist completely and at the same time are non-existent. You've been in it, you know what I mean."

Sarah stared at her. "How do you—what does that mean then?"

"It means that for one reason or another Dacian wants control of the labyrinth. I mean, clearly it is something that one would like to possess. But clearly there's something specific they want from it. That's what we have to worry about. I mean, what would they gain by controlling the labyrinth? Think about it…"

"Time and Space" Sarah said slowly. "They couldn't control time and space if they controlled the labyrinth, could they?"

Naomi shrugged "I don't know, I didn't pay attention that closely in the sciences"

Sarah sighed heavily. "But then what… why is the labyrinth getting weaker and what toys was she talking about"

"She was probably just being dramatic" said Madame Tournille dryly "Knowing her"

"I don't think so" Sarah mumbled. "I think they really have something dangerous"

"And they have your little mortal friend" Naomi said snidely

Sarah glared at her "Shut up" she snapped "You don't know anything about her"

"I didn't suggest that I knew anything about her" Naomi snapped back "I wouldn't want to, just like I don't want anything to do with you"

"You're ridiculous" Sarah said bitterly, "Where is Jareth" it was a statement, kind of a plea, actually. Sarah wanted nothing more than to get up and leave. Go home and sleep, but she doubted she could get out of the chair, much less figure out how to go home. It was useless. She was stuck with the biggest twit in the world until Jareth showed up.

And just then, the two goblins at the doors swung the heavy wood barriers back on their old hinges and in stalked Jareth.

At first he didn't see Sarah, and just started ranting to Naomi "Oh God, if I have to sit through one more day of listening to the quote-un-quote good citizens of the underground whine at me in turn, I'll have to hang myself, Naomi."

"That's what being High King means, dear" Naomi said dryly.

Sarah felt her stomach turn over. They were acting like they were married. Not happily married but… there was something so…familiar about them. Something that predicted a calm, compatible marriage with reliability, friendship and companionship. Something she and Jareth never had and, she suspected, never would have. They bickered. They got on each others nerves. But there was… passion, she supposed.

Sarah turned in her chair to look at him. He was still looking at Naomi but his pale blue gaze slowly moved over to her face. Tear stained and grimy.

There was a moment where his face looked almost tender but that was quickly replaced by his usual hard demeanor. "What are you doing here?"

"Her little mortal friend was kidnapped by nosfertu, Jaquetta and Dacian are trying to steal the labyrinth for some evil reason and if they don't get it they're going to kill the mortal girl" Naomi said breezily "And Sarah is quite torn up about it, if you can't tell"

Sarah didn't bother to say anything or look at Jareth. She was so tired.

No one said anything. Not for a long time. And then finally Madame Tournille stood up "Well, I think I should be going, then" she said with a light nervous laugh. She was clearly uncomfortable. She looked at Naomi. "I'll bring some gowns over in the morning, duchess" she gave a short curtsey and scurried out of the room.

Jareth wheedled his way over to Sarah's chair "Are you alright, then?" he asked softly.

She turned to look at him sharply. "You don't need to worry about me" she said severely "I would just like it if you would sort this out"

"Sort this out?" he demanded "You act like it's my fault"

"It IS your fault" Sarah accused. "It's certainly not my fault and it's not Emily's fault."

Jareth sneered at her "You're being irrational"

"I'm not being irrational, you're being an ass!"

Jareth stiffened up "I'm not putting up with this, Sarah" he said coldly. He looked at Naomi "I'll be in my study"

Sarah felt her heart clench as he looked away from her. And at Naomi. So there it was.

"Bastard" she murmured

"No you're being irrational" Naomi said smugly.

Sarah glared at Naomi, feeling such resentment as she never had before. Well, maybe for the Goblin King, but not for another woman. "Fuck off" she snarled.

Naomi looked taken aback for a moment. She stood up imperiously and shook her head at Sarah. "You could learn a lot from me" she said softly. "You're clearly not suited to be a Queen, but you're also not very well adjusted to being a Lady"

And with that she left the room.

Usually, a comment like that would have no effect on Sarah. However, with all the other stress laying on her heart at the moment and everyone gone from the room there appeared to be no reason why shouldn't let it wound her. There was no reason why she could bawl her eyes out for a few minutes.

Indulging in a good cry was the kind of thing Sarah never usually allowed herself to indulge in. Usually it was the kind of thing she felt made you weak.

After the sobbing reduced to whimpering and then sniffling she decided what she needed to do. She needed to get Emily back. That was her priority. Not the underground. Not Jareth. Emily.

She wiped her face on the gauzy fabric of her dress and took a moment to compose herself before going in search of Jareth's study in the direction he'd left from.

It was easy to find, the only room in the apartments that wasn't open and empty. She knocked lightly on the door, waiting for a response of some kind. The door swung open magically t reveal Jareth sitting at his desk with a massive leather bound book sitting in front of him. He waved at her carelessly to sit in one of the seats in front of his desk.

Sarah chose to stand rather than feel like a student in the principle's office. Then she realized how tired she was and sat down reluctantly.

"Have you calmed down at all?" Jareth asked, not looking up at her.

Sarah didn't respond.

"Sarah?" he looked up at her, head tilted in her direction.

She pulled her feet up to rest on the edge of the overstuffed chair she had folded herself into. "Don't talk to me like that, Jareth" she said calmly. There was a beat of silence before she spoke again. "I'm sorry, I was being irrational"

Now Jareth didn't say anything. There was a minute of full silence and in a blink Jareth was kneeling in front of her chair. "You look horrible" he said.

Sarah shrugged and looked away from him. "I should. I mean, I feel horrible"

Jareth didn't say anything. Comforting wasn't exactly his forte. He climbed to his feet, looking annoyed and defeated.

Sarah nodded toward the massive book on the table. "What are you reading?" she asked

"Underground Law" he said leaning back on his desk and looking at her throw lowered eye lashes. "You know, for loopholes and such."

"Uh huh" Sarah pulled herself out of the chair and walked around to look at the book. It was heavy to lift so she could read it but it didn't matter. It was all written in a funny language resembling latin or maybe some J.R.R Tolkien elf language. Jareth moved closer and Sarah's body went tense all over. He was barely touching her. His arm just glancing off her shoulder, but she was sure it was intentional. She was sure he had gone just as tense. That his mind was reeling like hers was.

"What does it say?" she mumbled.

Jareth recited some of what was written but it was all garbled complicated law language.

"Jareth?" she cut him off and looked up at him.

He looked taken aback. "Yes, Sarah?"

She felt the tears brimming in her eyes again. "D'you…d'you think I'll be able to find Emily." Her voice broke. "I mean, this is… this I just… it's like with Toby. My stupid fault again, my inability to keep people I care about safe" she realized she was rambling about nothing—to someone who probably didn't care, at that.

Jareth's hands were on her shoulders then, but she kept on talking and tears started streaming down her face again. "I just, I'm so tired, and I can't keep doing this. The constant just, problems and the evil and—I don't even know what I'm talking about. I don't even know why I'm here, I just keep getting dragged into these situations and I don't even know how—" Jareth pulled her to his chest so her voice was muffled by the soft fabric of his shirt. He smelled like sugar, she thought. "One minute I'm unemployed in New York and the next think I know people are being kidnapped by vampires—I can't handle this anymore Jareth. It's just emotionally draining" she heaved a breath and he heaved one with her. She could hear his heart beating through his chest. There was something comforting about that.

"It's just too much" she mumbled quietly.

Jareth wasn't sure what to do or say at her outburst. It was a bit unexpected. Sarah was never the type he thought had nervous breakdowns like this. Somehow he didn't think less of her for it. Had is been Naomi he probably would have left her to sob on her own. There was something that made him want to hold her a little bit longer. Something in his chest that felt deflated as he watched the misery trace lines on her face. This was unusual for him. Misery was something he felt was useless. Wallowing and crying were for weak people.

But Sarah was anything but weak.

So he held her close to his chest and petted her hair softly. Neither of them said anything. They just stood there, each lost in their own thoughts. Gradually, Sarah felt her eyes dry and realized that she had, in fact, just made an ass of herself.

She pulled away abruptly, Jareth's hand had been tangled in her hair and it ripped away suddenly. She pulled into herself. "Sorry…" she mumbled "Sorry… that was embarrassing"

Jareth tried to look aloof, but it was too much energy. "No, it wasn't" He just wanted to touch her again. He reached out and touched her face softly.

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, her muscles tense again as he touched her face. She opened her eyes and they stared at each other for a long moment. Jareth's hand moved behind her head and he pulled her face to his fluidly.

The kiss was soft. Lips pressing against each other delicately, purposefully. Sarah's hands rested on his shoulders but slowly slid down the front of his chest to rest on his waist. Jareth's hand remained on her face, the other slid down her side. That seemed to press her to move closer. For her mouth to open against his, deepening the kiss. They became entangled with each other and slowly, as hands began to roam under clothing the kissing became more furious.

Sarah's hands slid around under the back of his shirt while his moved down her front, pressing into her breasts through the fabric of her dress. Sarah let out a soft moan which prompted Jareth to spin her around so she slammed into the desk forcefully. His hands pulled at the volumous skirts on her dress until his hands connected with the warm skin of her thighs.

Her legs curled around his waist and she moved to sit on the desk to get better leverage. She began to pull at the fastenings of his pants as his thumbs snagged on the waist band of her knickers. He pulled them off and began to explore her lower half further. Sarah pushed against him, moaning impatiently.

She managed to get the rest of the buttons on his trousers undone and pulled him down for one long kiss before…

There was a knock at the door.

Jareth snapped back as if he'd been shot. Sarah squeaked.

"Hold on" he said, his voice was horse and quite unlike anything Sarah had ever heard out of him. She was panting, pulling her skirts down and looking around for her panties while Jareth did himself up.

She got of the desk.

"Come in"

It was Gaeton. He looked back and forth between them for a second before speaking. "Um… we have some news"

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So ugh. Sorry about that. Please understand that I haven't written anything on this for almost a year, which means I've lost contact with the characters….so forgive me if they've changed a bit. I did my best. And it still blows. And you're all going to hate me. It's just I went and checked the e mail that I have linked up to this account and there were like…. Woah, so many reviews. And I felt like such an ass for leaving it. So hopefully I won't leave it like this now.

Hey, seven pages, not bad.

Sally.