Nothing More

"Sire," Sir Didymus said quietly, running up to the sitting monarch, "the Throne Room is clean."

"We's suggest you keep Sarah away from the hole in the center," Hoggle added, coming up behind Sir Didymus. "It could scare her."

Jareth looked up at the pair and nodded. The two looked uncertainly at Sarah, who still had her eyes closed and held onto a somewhat calmer Quillan than before. Jareth leaned forward and looked over at Llewellyn, not quite sure how to get Sarah to move without scaring her.

"Sarah," the Feline said softly, "open your eyes." Slowly, the girl obeyed. "What do you see?"

Sarah looked up at Hoggle and Sir Didymus, then over at Jareth, down at Quillan and finally up at Llewellyn. "The Gummy Bears are gone," she said softly. Quillan let out an audible sigh of relief.

Jareth stood up, taking one of Sarah's hands in his, and said, "Then come with me. Quickly, before they return." Sarah patted Quillan's back to signal to him to stand, then stood up herself, taking Quillan's hand.

Llewellyn stood up as well, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, and said, "Come on, Quillan. It's past your bed time."

Quillan moved to follow, but Sarah held onto his hand. "Please, Llewellyn," she asked, tears in her eyes, "let him stay with me tonight. I'm afraid the Gummy Bears will take him."

"Sarah," Quillan said calmly, hugging the girl, "the Nummy Squares won't take me."

"Let him go," Jareth said softly, marveling at how close the two had grown in the span of a day. "His parents will protect him."

Sarah clasped onto Quillan, not willing to release her grasp, and looked up at Jareth. "When the Gummy Bears showed up, everyone except Quillan vanished."

Llewellyn traded glances with Jareth before kneeling down next to Sarah. "Nothing will happen to my son," he said softly. "I promise."

Sarah tightened her grip slightly, causing Quillan to hug her tighter as well. "People always break their promises," Sarah whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. Quillan looked up and, seeing Sarah crying, started to cry as well.

Jareth, too, knelt down next to Sarah. "Precious," he said softly, gently prying Sarah off Quillan, "You have to trust us."

"Fair Maiden," Sir Didymus said, pulling gently on Quillan who had also latched on to Sarah, "I'm sure I speak for My Brothers as well as myself when I say that we will protect him. We won't leave his side." Hoggle nodded his head in agreement, coming forward to help extract Sarah and Quillan from each other.

Hoggle and Sir Didymus pulled on Quillan, while Jareth and Llewellyn pulled on Sarah. Quillan and Sarah hung onto each other, until only one hand was touching, then Quillan shouted, "NO! LET ME STAY WITH HER!"

The boy's yell surprised all who were trying to separate the two, causing everyone to loosen their grips. As they felt the slackening, Sarah and Quillan fought against those holding them, until they were, once again, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Your Majesty," Llewellyn said quietly, "May I speak with you?" Jareth nodded, placing a hand on the Feline's shoulder, and walked out of Sarah and Quillan's hearing range. "Your Majesty," Llewellyn said, glancing over his shoulder, "perhaps it would be wise to let Quillan stay with your Lady until they are both asleep. She seems to do better the closer she is to my son." He turned back to the Goblin King, a little nervous of the response.

Jareth nodded. "You're right, of course," he said, glancing back at his beloved. "Then, again, it's not my decision. Quillan is your son. Only you and your wife may say if he is allowed to stay up late."

Llewellyn nodded. "I'm going to allow it, then," he said, then gave his king a look of slight fear, "though his mother may not be happy about it."

Jareth would have laughed had he not been so completely exhausted. "I wouldn't worry about that."

It wasn't much later that a Feline nanny walked into the Throne Room in search of her charge, only to find Sarah asleep at Jareth's feet, one arm wrapped around Quillan, who had curled up next to the girl and refused to let go of her. Cattie and Llewellyn sat next to each other, to Jareth's right, leaning against each other and also asleep. Sir Didymus and Hoggle had curled up against Ludo. The three brothers slept to Jareth's right. Jareth himself sat on his throne, reading quietly. When the Feline entered, he glanced up with a look that said, "make any noise that wakes them and suffer my wrath."

Smiling quietly, the Feline backed out of the room, giving a small curtsey before silently closing the door and moving on to the next room to search for the missing child.