Author's Note: Rated T just in case. Hadn't written a Laby when I had the idea for this one, finally finished it and thought I'd share it with you guys, enjoy!
"I need you. All of you."
Powerful, and honest, words that had resulted in the first party of many involving the Subjects of the Goblin Kingdom. Basically, at any point when she had something to celebrate – and wanted to truly let loose, without worrying about social conventions.
Although, Sarah did have to admit that as she got older, the parties became fewer. She sighed as she gazed out at the full moon. Truly, they had begun to occur only on her birthday, or the anniversary of her challenge. She shouldn't grumble, she reminded herself as she brought herself back to the present. Unlike so many of her peers, she knew that magic existed, and continued in that surety, even after she had grown up.
Sniffing the air, she realised she had burnt her dinner. Again. With a sigh, she opened the oven, and waved the smoke away from the tray. "Looks like another meal for the Goblins," she murmured, taking the tray outside and setting it by the back door. She knew that come morning, the tray would be back in her kitchen, and clean.
"Better do myself something else," she spoke, not even berating herself at the habit – she had become used to it.
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Sarah bolted upright, startled awake by a crash downstairs. Her first thought was Goblins. But no, they never made this much noise – they were very good at sneaking when they wanted to. Could it be Toby? He knew where her spare key was, and that he had an open invitation to crash whenever he needed to…but unless he was trashed, she couldn't see him making this much noise either. Well, even if it was a burglar – they were clearly inept to be making so much noise – there was nothing to do but find out.
"Come on feet," she murmured as she rose and plodded out of her bedroom and onto the landing. "What are you doing?" she demanded of the shadowy figures moving through her living room.
"You said no one was here," one hissed.
"Doesn't matter," another answered. "We outnumber her."
"Leave now and I won't press charges," she stated boldly, sensing that they were only young.
"We're the ones in charge here Lady," the second voice declared.
"You'll find it's the other way around," she replied, striding confidently down the stairs. "After all, this is my property, you have broken in, and there is sure to be evidence of that. If you threaten me, or take anything, the charges will only begin to add up. But leave now, and I will let it go. When I report this incident to the police, I will tell them you bolted the moment you heard me coming down the stairs." She sensed them becoming indecisive. "Come on, you have your whole lives ahead of you, you don't want to ruin that by getting a criminal record, do you?"
Two of the three shadows melted away, retreating in the face of her reason. The final shadow, that of the leader, realised that he had been abandoned, growled and charged toward Sarah. She saw a glint of metal in the moonlight before she fell to the floor under his weight.
He scrambled off of her. She was aware of his thudding footsteps distantly, as she realised the pain she had felt in her stomach during his attack, had not abated with his retreat. Her hands went to her stomach, and found it wet. Her breath stilled as she realised what that meant. "Jareth," she breathed, "I need you."
He appeared in a dramatic swirl of glitter. "So you finally deign-" he broke off as his sharp eyes took in her position, and the blood staining her nightdress. "Sarah," he breathed horrified, going to her side in an instant. "Find them," he growled to the Goblins surrounding him.
"Don't hurt the furthest two too badly," she panted. "I talked them down." She groaned as she unintentionally jolted her stomach. "It was their leader that did this."
"Noted," he promised. "Now don't talk as I look at you," he entreated, one of his arms supporting her neck, while the other rested over her stomach.
"I-I'm glad you came," she breathed.
"As if I could refuse your call," he replied with a sardonic smile. "I told you not to talk," he reprimanded gently.
She smiled. "I've never been good at following your orders," she spoke, attempting to lighten the mood. He smiled back. "I-it hurts," she gasped. "But I kn-know that's a good thing."
"Yes it is," he soothed, stroking her hair gently. "I won't let you die," he vowed.
They both heard the Goblins long before they dragged three screaming teens into the room. "Wh-what's going on?" the leader gasped.
"Shall we show them Precious?" Jareth drawled, completely the Goblin King in that moment. Sarah had to fight back her smile, she knew what a fright the boys were in for – and she at least had been prepared. He snapped his fingers and the room was ablaze in light; his form, and that of his Subjects, fully revealed. "You chose the wrong house to rob," he stated, voice both imperious and cruel.
The leader stared in frozen terror. "There wasn't supposed to be anyone here," one of the other boys gasped.
Jareth waved that away as being of little consequence. "You also chose the wrong woman to hurt."
"That wasn't us!" the other boy insisted. "We left when the lady told us to!" he insisted.
"We swear!" the first insisted.
"And why should I believe you, when I have the evidence before my eyes?"
"We would never!" the second vowed.
He regarded the two boys solemnly. "Swear to me, upon something you hold dear, that it is the truth. But be warned, if you renege upon your vow, I will take it as recompense."
"I swear on my life, that I did not hurt her," they both vowed.
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. "As for you," he drawled, turning his attention to the third boy who whimpered. They heard sirens approach. "You are in luck, the authorities will deal with you."
When the Police made their way past the broken front door, they found three cowering teenage boys guarded by vicious looking dogs, and a man with his hands pressed over a woman's stomach. "Is there an Ambulance with you?" the man asked in concern. "She's bleeding from a stomach wound."
One retreated with a nod, returning in short order with a pair of Paramedics. They quickly turned their attention to Sarah, while the police began speaking with Jareth.
"Jareth?" Sarah breathed, as she was lifted onto a gurney.
"I'm here," he stated, gripping her hand tightly. "Do you mind finishing our conversation in the hospital? I don't want to leave her on her own."
The lead police officer smiled understandingly.
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Sarah blinked awake in a hospital bed, and found Jareth sprawled in a chair beside her. She smiled. "I didn't think you could look ordinary," she murmured.
"I don't have much occasion to," he replied with a smile. "Don't try to get up," he cautioned, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"Noted," she breathed. "What's my prognosis?"
"Full recovery," he stated. "They're unsure as to whether you'll have a scar, but they think you shouldn't be in here for longer than a week."
"Good," she murmured. "And the boys?"
"The police want to talk to you about that," he declared. "They believe that the two that broke in have been punished enough, being chased down with my dogs, and being taken into custody. If you're willing not to press charges, they will leave that as their punishment."
"What about the other one?"
"He attacked you Sarah," Jareth protested. "Surely you don't want him to go unpunished?" She forgot for a moment and shifted, losing her breath. "Especially with the consequences to you."
She turned her head to meet his gaze head on. "I remember what it was like, at that age, how easy it was to make a stupid decision because emotions got the better of you. Personally, I think he'd be better having emotional counselling, with a focus on anger management, or you're condemning him to a terrible path." Jareth blinked. "He's at a crossroads, he could learn from this, become better, and have a decent future, or he could become worse and be a criminal. I know which I prefer."
"Well put, Miss Williams." She remembered, and turned her head. "Please, don't move on my account." The Police Officer strode around the bed, until he was in her sightline. "I'm Detective Jones, and I wanted to discuss the situation with you. I see Mr King has been filling you in," he said with a glance at Jareth.
"She asked," he replied with a negligent shrug. "And you didn't make me promise not to tell her."
"He can be very pedantic," she stated. "When he wants to be." She met the eyes of the Detective. "I'm happy not to press charges with the other two, in fact, I promised them that if they left I wouldn't. However, since their leader didn't take me up on that offer, would it be possible to make my lack of pressing charges conditional on him getting emotional counselling with an emphasis on anger management?"
"Of course," he replied with a smile. "I can make it clear that sessions need to be attended, with the counsellor officially acknowledging progress, or charges will be filed." He grinned. "I'm pretty sure he'll take it. He's terrified."
"The experience enough to scare him straight?"
He nodded solemnly. "I think he's got visions of the electric chair."
"Even though we don't use it anymore?"
"It's rather difficult to be accurate when you're that scared, and it is highly publicised in media."
"That is true," she murmured.
"Would you leave me alone with Miss Williams for a moment Mr King?" He nodded and rose, leaving the room after a reassurance from Sarah. "We need to talk about your version of events…"
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"Someone is here to see you," Jareth stated as he entered the room. A second later Toby entered.
"Hey Squirt," she greeted with a smile. His face crumpled as he saw her in the bed. "Come here," she urged, holding up her arm. "Just don't touch my stomach," she cautioned as he cuddled close. "You don't think a teenager making a mistake could take me from you, do you? I've faced-"
"Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," he finished with a watery smile.
"That's better," she murmured, stroking his cheek gently. "I'm going to be okay," she assured.
Toby turned his face to look at Jareth. "You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King."
Jareth smiled at the echo of the past. "Yes I am," he stated, settling back in the chair he had vacated.
"You look different than I remember you."
"Well, I could hardly meet your police in my regular attire, they would not take me seriously."
"True," the siblings agreed.
He smiled again.
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"Jareth?"
"Yes Sarah?" he asked with a smile.
"Thank you for staying with me," she said sincerely, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
"You are welcome," he replied. He regarded her solemnly for a moment before he opened his mouth.
"I know I shouldn't say it, to people like you," she interrupted. "But…"
"But?"
She blew out a breath. "I doubted I could offend you more than I have. I'm sorry if I was wrong."
He rose and stroked her hair back from her face. "I know you mean no insult by it," he spoke gently. "But in future, you might want to say 'I appreciate' with magical beings."
"Noted," she breathed. "Why- How were you able to stay?"
"I have donated – generously – to the hospital."
"Ah," she breathed. "Money talks."
"Money or position always talks," he replied with a wicked grin, his white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "I'm surprised you told Toby."
"I told it to him as a story, and once he got old enough to understand it, I told him the nuances I wasn't able to in story format. I didn't want to lie to him, even by omission."
"Did you worry he would remember?"
"No," she replied slowly. "Though that was what prompted our conversation. He was dreaming about it, and noticed details I hadn't mentioned."
"You are still close then?"
"Our experience in the Underground helped forge a bond that has continued, no matter what comes our way." She paused. "I thought that if I could get him used to the story – that I did say the words, but regretted them the moment they were said and did my best to correct it – that it would make it easier for him to listen when I told him all of it. I wanted him to be old enough to understand you can say something without thinking, and regret it, when I told him the whole story, but didn't want to wait that long-" she cut off. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"Yes," he agreed with a smile, "however I do not mind."
"Is it nice to have an intelligent conversation?" she asked with a smile of her own.
"Not all my subjects are as intellectually challenged as the Throne Room Goblins," he stated. "However, yes it is." He regarded her for a moment before he spoke again, "It is also nice not to play the villain for you."
"Yes, you play it very well," she complimented, as she grew sleepy, "but I like you like this." Her eyelids drooped and her breathing evened out.
"Sweet dreams Precious."
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Sarah opened her eyes to find Jareth still by her side. "Not that I don't appreciate you being here, but don't you have a Kingdom to run?"
"Yes," he answered with a smile, "but it can run without me for a time."
"Unless someone says the words," she breathed.
"Quite. Though, I'd have enough warning to slip out for that-"
"And set up their challenge?" she finished. He blinked. "I've had a lot of time to think about my journey through the Labyrinth…" she trailed off and met his gaze squarely. "Thank you for letting me win Toby back."
"Letting?" he drawled.
Her lips curved. "It was down to the wire – with the time you took away from me," she added pointedly. "If you had taken five more minutes, I wouldn't have managed it. I believe the amount of time you took was carefully calculated, to take up the challenge I threw in your face, without making it impossible for me to finish."
"And what makes you believe that?"
"Luck only takes you so far," she remarked and he let out a soft huff of laughter. "And everything else you did, you did with purpose, calculated to make sure I earnt the right to claim him back, so why not that too?" She grinned. "And since you haven't outright told me it's not the case…"
He smiled. "You always knew a little too much about my world," he spoke with amusement. "It made you that much harder to intimidate."
"Oh, you were plenty intimidating," she reassured.
"Truly?"
"I was petrified, but I was more scared of never getting Toby back," she answered honestly.
"Good to know," he drawled, causing her to smile. "And you are welcome, Precious."
"Jareth?" He tilted his head curiously. "I have ties in this world…but I have ties in your world too," she breathed. "Would you take me, knowing that I would need to remain in this world for quite some time?"
"Oh Precious," he breathed and cupped her cheek gently, "we have forever, what is a few decades?"
She laid her hand over his. "I not only need you, Jareth, no one could ever compare to you. I love you."
"I love you too, Sarah," he replied and leant down to give his future Queen a kiss.