Hey, hey, hey! What is up? I could babble on for a bit but I won't. You can have your damn chapter! Shite! Oh, and stories almost over. Just a few more chapters maybe.

Here you are Lady; just as you requested! Sorry took so long.

Disclaimer: I own Fire guy and that's about it.

Alice sat on one of the large cushions and Ganith sat on another. They had gone over different plans on how they could get the mortal and king together but none really seemed all that proficient. They had then shared a few stories about said mortal (Alice told these) and king (Ganith these) to which they laughed to their hearts' content. Alice had just finished a story of Sarah, to which the brunette would surely kill her if she ever found out.

"Ah, you mortals sure are curious," Ganith laughed.

Alice smiled not sure what to make of the comment. "Yes, well, that was the last time she ever brought Twister to a sleepover. Last time she ever played it too."

The Fire Lord's eyes twinkled. "Maybe we could somehow get Sarah to play this 'Twister' game with Jareth," he mused.

"Um, dude, she only has a few hours left; do you really think she will stop to play Twister with her enemy/lover dude-thing?"

"You have a point there," Ganith admitted dejectedly.

"I got it!" Alice exclaimed jumping to her feet.

"What?"

"We have to put Sarah in danger!"

"…"

"If Sarah were somehow in danger don't you think Jareth would save the mortal he loved? She can die! We have to almost kill her!"

"You know, with a friend like you I don't think she needs an enemy," Ganith replied getting up and walking over to her.

"Oh, shut up!" she scowled swatting him on the arm. "She won't have one anyways after we're done with her. This will surely drive them into each others' arms!"

"It's crazy, but it just might work. So how are we going to do this? The Labyrinth is all but dead and Jareth is watching Sarah like a hawk."

"You get Toby to distract His Majesty while we use your magic to cause some mischief. Maybe she could tumble off a cliff or something. Where is she at the moment anyways? Last she was in the desert. We have to have all the information before we do this. Do you think you could find out and distract our King using Toby?"

"Of course. I did it to get you," he replied.

Alice smiled at him. "Yes, you did. Now, Ganith, I'll wait here and you go get the 411."

"Of course, my Lady," he said bowing. "There is more food for you should you want it and plenty of drink. I shall return." And he disappeared leaving a slightly blushing Alice behind.

"She should have given up by now," Jareth murmured as he watch Sarah wander around the marshes trying not to get wet too much and to stay on the trail, which kept disappearing and she had to guess a few times. "She's dirty, alone, and quite miserable. Give up Sarah, give up before it's too late."

"She'll never give up," Toby announced from where he was sitting in the pit.

Jareth glared at him. "Exactly how much of you last trip here do you remember?"

"Enough," the boy announced proudly, making the King snort. "That's very unbecoming of you Your Majesty."

"Yes, and so is wishing yourself away when you feel lonely," Jareth bit back. He grunted as Toby lowered his head and slouched a bit.

"Oh. Cousin, you should be nicer to your interest's little brother," Ganith announced when he appeared in the room.

"Ganith!" Toby exclaimed jumping up and running to the other, nicer, Fae. His eyes asked "what's the news" while his smiled showed innocence. (Hah! If only! Oh, er, sorry for that interruption…)

"Dear Cousin, where have you been?" Jareth asked standing up and quirking a brow. "It's amazing how you disappeared almost the same time that our young Alice did. I am sure she is alright though," he both stated and questioned. He might try to deny it but he had grown fond of the little blonde during his little stay Aboveground. He had indeed thought of her as a friend while he was in his mortal form and he secretly considered her one Underground.

"Why, I have no idea what you are talking about," Ganith feigned innocence.

"Indeed."

"So, what has our little Sarah been up to?" Ganith asked hoping to get some kind of information.

"Sarah's in the boggish place," Toby said hoping that Ganith would get whatever he needed and get out.

"The Bog!" he exclaimed feeling sick.

"No, no, not the Bog of Stench," Jareth answered shaking his head. "She's in the Marshlands." He glanced over at the clock that was ticking away her hours. She had close to four hours left and she was getting closer to the Castle than the King wanted to admit.

"Oh, has she come to Ana's Cliff?" the fire lord sniggered.

"Cousin, when will you leave that poor woman out of it? It was so long ago; she was barely 200. It wasn't her fault she didn't know Ganith wasn't resilient," the other Fae sighed.

"You know, I'm never going to forgive for naming that goblin after me," Ganith grumbled.

"I know; he must be cursed to bear your name. I personally think it better suits him," replied Jareth. "After all, he is better looking than you."

Before the two cousin Faes could do anymore than glare at each other Toby broke into the conversation. "Jareth, I have to use the potty."

The Goblin King whipped his head around. "What do you mean 'you have to use the potty'?"

"I mean that I have a full bladder and I must disperse of it," Toby rolled his eyes. Then he started doing the "pee-pee dance" to sell his point.

"…" Jareth shook his head. "Can't you go in the corner like the goblins?"

"Eew! No way! I need a bathroom!"

Grumbling the Goblin King got up. "Oh, alright." Sighing he started pushing the boy down the steps to the hall. "Ganith, behave while I'm gone. Ganith just smirked and made a crossing motion over his heart. Jareth sighed looking forward. He hoped Sarah hadn't gone to the cliff mentioned earlier that was named after a rather dumb Fae because that cliff had been the death to many a mortal.

"I swear, once I get there I am going to strangle his little neck." Sarah didn't rightly know which one she was talking about; Jareth of Toby, but she knew she was going to do it to one of them. Hey, she might even do it to both. "'Oh, look at me; I have more tiaras than Sir Elton John. I can out glitter Richard Simmons any day!' Three snaps in Z-Formation, honey!" she said snapping her fingers. Growling to the sky she shook her head. "Oh, and don't even get me started on that little brat! Wishing himself away! Who does he think he is, anyways? Remember the story little dear; I have the special powers to wish away! Oh, freck it all to Heck. Once I get you back I'm beating you with the damn bear! Thwack! Thwack! Take that!" Sarah jumped over a piece of the marshes landing in some mud. "Oh, he is so dead. I hope he has another Goblin Prince lined up because this place is about to loose its King." Sarah continued to grumble on saying nonsense here and there just to talk to herself so that she wouldn't go crazy in fear. "Oh, and Alice! Leaving me so you can get kidnapped by God knows what…or who," she added. "Stupid blondes."

Sarah continued on dodging the really wet places and tried to stay on as much solid ground as possible. Every once in a while she had to wade in the murky water as the road submerged into it. She kept up her constant nagging not wanting to think about Jareth, Toby, Alice, or Jareth. (You already said 'Jareth'. Shut up!) But her thoughts continued to stray to him so Sarah did the next best thing and envisioned cramming peaches down his throat. Lots and lots of peaches. She began to chuckle madly, and then stopped realizing that she was going crazy. "Mustn't go mad, precious, no; w mustn't go mad. Thinks about the Aboveground. Yes, think of…school. I have a paper due in math. Seriously; who writes essays in math? Sheesh! I wonder what's going to happen with the play. I'm not gonna want to do it once we get back and I doubt Jared will. Damn it!" She cursed a bit more for thinking of Jared, or rather Jareth. She then paused and then started cursing some more for good measure before envisioning the peach cramming again.

It took Sarah a while to realize that she was leaving the more wet areas and was gradually climbing up a hill. She realized this when she paused to dump out the water in her shoe and it wasn't so difficult to stand back up as she was sitting at a slant. "Um, did someone loose a hill?" she asked no one before continuing on her way. She thought that this hill was larger than the others and hoped that she was getting closer to her destination. Her mind then wandered to think about the last time she was walked up a large hill-type-thing and thought of her and Alice walking in the small, dark cavern sewer-cavern-thing-a-ma-bob. Oh, Alice! Sarah vowed to get Alice home safe and sound with Toby tucked under her arm like a football. The image reminded her of Thanksgiving a year ago but she quickly shook it from her mind. This was not the time for that.

Sarah slowed her old ladies walk, or what other people would call 'power-walking' (but where's the fun in that?), as she came to a fork in the road. There was a wooden sign that had three arrows; one pointing down each path. Sarah glared at the arrow pointing down the road she was on thinking something that was not right for little kiddies' ears and then glared at the two other offending arrows. They were worn and hanging loose looking like they were going to fall at any moment. Sarah sighed, and the arrow pointing to the path to the right crumbled down; Sarah sighed again. "Bastard." She twisted her foot settling it on the tip and clasped her hands by the side of her tilted head lifting her eyes to the heavens in mock innocence. "Oh, it's not fair!" she said sugar-sweet. "I don't know which way to go!" A fake pout. "Oh, poor little me." A fake cheery smile. "Oh, but oh, it's still a piece of cake!" She resumed to her glowering of the sign and spat at the base of it. She paused with breath held hoping that her anger didn't make her trouble worse. Letting out her breath with a relieved sigh she marched down the path to the left missing the fallen sign that read MORTALS BEWARE. But, even if she had seen it she would have scoffed and thought it was just a trick to lead people off the right path. After all, nothing is as it seems in this place. But sometimes that can just mean that it does. Oh, woe is the person who thinks too hard on that subject. (Ow, I have a headache.)

Sarah marched onward not noticing the Castle in the distance down the right path or the sign that read TOO LATE on the path she was walking for as soon as she got within reading distance of it she had passed a line made out of black stones in the gray stoned path. And that meant that it was, well, too late. Go figure. Sarah suddenly felt as if all her troubles were slowly easing off her shoulders the farther she went. By the time she had gone ten feet from the sign she was skipping and humming "Dippity-Doo-Da". She ignored the pain in her legs from the cramps she received from skipping uphill and switched to humming another song; a song that made her slow to a walk as she began singing it. "…I'll paint you mornings of gold. I'll spin you Valentine evenings. Though we're strangers 'til now, we're choosing the path between the stars. I'll leave my love between the stars. As the pain sweeps through makes no sense to you." Sarah started spinning around her arms out as if she were dancing again. "Every thrill is gone. Wasn't too much fun at all, but I'll be there for you as the world falls down." She stopped, pausing as she wiped away tears. "But you weren't," she cried softly. "You weren't there as my world fell apart. You left me," she whispered.

"That's not true," a whispered voice answered. "I've always been with you. In your heart."

Sarah spun around to see Him standing behind her wearing his ballroom outfit. He looked just like he did in the bubble, but most importantly his symbol wasn't there; just like in the ballroom. Sarah smiled a laugh escaping her lips. "You came back for me," she whispered in amazement wiping the tear stains away. The movement made her clothing catch her eyes; she was in the original dress from the ballroom as well. "Oh my love!" she exclaimed. They rushed forward to meet each other Sarah resting her hand on his chest. "It's gone, it's really gone!"

"Of course my love. Now we can be together," he answered smiling down at her grabbing her hands in his so they dance together again.

Sarah gulped smiling knowing that they could finally be together again at last. Just like the in the bubble now they were able to love. That was why he didn't have the amulet in there; it was her dream and her dream was to be with him and only him. But as Goblin King she couldn't…but as simply Jareth she could. There were no distractions this time; no baby to save, no friend to find, no Jared. Only two lovers who would never part again. That's the way it was in the bubble and that was the way it was now, only better. "Oh, I love you," Sarah smiled as they began there dance again.

"I know. And now our hearts can finally be together and we can love. I love you Sarah." He then spun her around leading her uphill. Music filled the air, the same music from that night. And he sang, oh he sang! "There's such a sad love deep in your eyes. A kind of pale jewel opened and closed within your eyes. I'll place the sky within your eyes." Sarah smiled up at him. Now they could truly be together. He didn't have the amulet; he wasn't the Goblin King. She wasn't trying to beat him; she could love him fully. They could love and be loved. "There's such a fooled heart beatin' so fast in search of new dreams. A love that will last. Within your heart. I'll place the moon within your heart." Sarah's eye shone as she looked up into the beautifully mismatched ones of her Jareth, her sweet Jareth. Only Jareth. That was her ballroom dream; only Jareth. And she had him. She didn't notice her surroundings as they steadily moved uphill. She only noticed him. "As the pain sweeps through makes no sense for you. Every thrill is gone. Wasn't too much fun at all, but I'll be there for you-ou-ou as the world falls down." He smiled down at her as he stopped moving and tilted his head down so his lips lightly touched Sarah's ears. "Falling. It's falling. Falling down. Falling in love," he whispered.

Sarah looked up, her breath caught in her throat as there faces were mere centimeters away. She looked up into his eyes so close with the same amazement she felt in the ballroom. She was loved by him. Her eyes were darting from eye to eye as he bent down closer to her as he also drew her forwards stepping slowly backwards.

"Come my love, be with me forever. Promise me you'll never leave me," he whispered.

"I promise," she whispered back. "I promise." He smiled and bent down lower to press his lips to hers in a kiss at the same time taking one more step back. As she lifted her head to meet him she closed her eyes and stepped forward to match his but as there lips were just close to touching she felt herself being pulled away by a jerk of her waist. Her eyes shot opened and stared in shock and fear at her Jareth. She was suddenly back in her torn counterfeit dress being pulled away from her love.

The Goblin King pulled the woman he loved away from her death as she kicked and fought back. She was still in the hypnotized state brought on by the magic against mortals thinking she was with her heart's desire. What it was Jareth didn't know; he couldn't see it. But he could guess by the way she was acting. Oh, let him be wrong.

"NOOO!" Sarah screamed as the vision of her love started to disappear. "NO! My love! I love you! I love you!" she screamed to him trying to tear away from whatever was keeping her away from him. Her Jareth's image looked as if it were being torn apart in shreds pain laced onto his face as he disappeared. The last image of him was of his eyes filled with hurt and pain. She had abandoned him. "No! I'm sorry! I love you! I love you!" She screamed tears running down her face.

Jareth's world felt like it was crashing. She was in love with another. He closed his eyes not knowing what these foreign wet things were that threatened to spill. They couldn't be tears; Goblin Kings didn't cry, HE didn't cry. Oh, but he wanted to; he could no longer deny it; he loved Sarah. He couldn't, WOULDN'T deny it. At least, to himself he wouldn't. He could let no one other know. He couldn't let HER know. He could see her mocking face as he spilled his heart open to her, AGAIN. He squeezed his eyes before opening them banishing the foreign wet things. "Sarah," he growled. "Sarah, snap out of it," he hissed into her ear pulled her away.

"No!" she screeched her heels digging into the ground. In the process she lost her shoes but she didn't care; she needed her love! "No, my love!" Everything else was blind to her.

Jareth struggled pulling her backwards as she thrashed in his arms. Finally he pulled her with one last mighty jerk across the black line. Sarah formed one letter of a name before she was pulled over; "J–". Jareth and Sarah fell backwards resulting in Sarah's back on Jareth's chest.

Sarah stared up into the sky panting her head fuzzy but clearing. "Jareth" she whispered to her love that was only an image but was answered by the one below her.

"Yes, and I would appreciate if you would get off me," he growled pushing her off and to the side.

Sarah yelped and jumped back staring at him with tears in her eyes still trailing down her cheeks as reality set in. "No!" she screamed protesting. "No! My love!" she jumped to her feet to run back to her lost love but the real one grabbed onto her and pulled her back before she could cross the line.

"Shut up!" he growled. "You almost got killed! Is that what you want? To die?" he yelled his face turning red with anger.

Sarah shrank back shaking her head no trying to get out of his grasp. He held tightly to a wrist and she tried prying his fingers off. "Let go," she whined. "You're hurting me."

"No! Not if you're going to get yourself killed!" He was yelling at her he knew but he couldn't stop himself. He was angry because she was putting her life in danger but more so at himself because she was in love with another.

"No I wasn't! I love him!" The tears sprang back as she wanted nothing more than throw herself in his arms.

"Yes you were!" she hissed jerking her forward and grabbing onto her upper arms. "You were about ready to step off a cliff with a sheer drop of more than a hundred feet. If I didn't reach you in time you would be dead by now!"

Sarah stopped struggling sniffing. She stared up into the angry eyes of the man she loved and knew he could never love her back. She just wanted to cry into his chest clutching his shirt in her hands. She noticed that he even wasn't wearing the mortal version of his ballroom outfit anymore but complete black. She looked down at stared at the hateful amulet resting against his bare chest. How she despised it. "If only," she whispered.

"What was that?" Jareth asked gruffly.

"What is that back there? I thought this place had no magic left. Why was I hurt this way?" she cried.

"This is a part of the Labyrinth that isn't a part of the Labyrinth. There are others but this is one most often seen by others. We put up a sign warning those who might stray into it but apparently the loss of the Labyrinth hid it from view."

"What do you mean it isn't part of the Labyrinth? Why did it show me these things but you seemed unaffected by it?" Sarah nearly yelled getting upset.

"Because I am Fae, or to put it more correctly, because I am not mortal." Sarah looked up at him in confusion. Jareth sighed letting go of one of her arms to run his hand through his hair. He missed Sarah's jealous look at the offending hand who could move through his hair so freely. "The places in the Labyrinth that don't belong to it are mostly are fatal to mortals. There is a certain kind of magic in the soil, in the air, in the very substance of the place that dates back even beyond the Labyrinth. It attracts mortals and destroys them in ways such as this; luring them to their doom by showing them their heart's desire. You saw what you heart's dream was and it was leading you over the cliff. One more step and you would have did; that was the step you were taking before I saved you."

Sarah looked up at him tears still in her eyes. "Why would you save me? You hate me, don't you? Or have you not been satisfied with your revenge yet," she spat.

"No, Sarah, I don't hate you," he whispered. His grip loosened as his hand just rested against her arm while his other swept a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. He didn't notice Sarah's breath hitch or the fact that she continued to hold her breath as his hand rested n the side of her face until he too ka step back, only then did she let it out. "Why didn't you go down the right path?" he finally asked into the silence that followed as the perturbing idea came into his head. "You could see the Castle down that way."

Creasing her forehead Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. Something just led me to the left path. I didn't even really see the Castle I guess; my mind was elsewhere."

"Strange. The magic shouldn't have reached you from back there. In fact, it couldn't. You have to pass that line there," Jareth said pointing to the line in front of him and behind Sarah.

"I lost my shoes," Sarah announced looking down at her dirty and slightly blistered feet. "This is so not how it happened the first time," she muttered thinking about how she came through scratch, and dirt, free last time.

"Well, those shoes were highly uncomfortable to begin with I'm sure. And you are hardly in proper hiking attire." Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Well, I can't have you getting hurt any more and being led to your death; I need you to run out of time. So, here you are." Sarah shielded her eyes as Jareth conjured up a crystal and a bright light emitted from it. When she looked back she saw a bundle of clean clothing; stretchy jeans, a poetic type shirt, socks, and boots on top.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked completely baffled.

"Can't a boy help out his friend?" he teased handing her the clothes.

"Um, where do you expect me to change?" She had a look on her face that said 'Say the wrong thing and get bitchslapped' written all over it. Jareth must have picked up on it because he let out a nervous laugh and pointed to her right. She looked and saw a wooden stall.

"It will only be there for five minutes so you better change fast."

Sarah looked at him before darting to it. She changed in exactly 2 minutes and 17.56 seconds, beep. She came back out and glared at Jareth who stood there with a dumbstruck look on his face.

"I thought mortal girls took at least half an hour to get dressed?" he asked.

"Well, apparently you haven't–, hey, wait! What do you mean you expected it took longer than the amount of time you gave me?" she asked planting her fists on her hips glaring at him even more. Jareth only smiled and showed off his teeth, which to Sarah only made her knees want to tremble. "Jackass," she muttered to which Jareth thought she was talking about his little stunt wit the stall.

"Well, if you don't appreciate them I could easily take the clothes back," he stated reaching for the shirt on Sarah's body.

"Don't even think about Captain Nubs," she growled.

"'Captain Nubs'?" The King asked with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, because if you try reaching for the shirt that's all you'll be coming back with," she threatened.

Jareth didn't really want to see if she would go through with the threat…but the aspect of taking her shirt off was very tempting. "Of course not child," he smiled with suaveness. (That's a funny word. Shut up.) He didn't notice Sarah's face falling for an instant at the use of 'child'. "Well now, let's get you on you're way," he announced. He appeared suddenly behind Sarah and began prodding her in the back.

"Quit pushing, I'm going I'm going!" She sighed. "Freak."

Jareth only kept poking at her seeing that it was causing her much discomfort. They kept bickering as they walked down the path neither one of them noticed it when the stall disappeared.

Ooooh, so how did ya like it? Sorry it if wasn't completely up to your standards all the time. I didn't know how to begin. How did you like the Anti-Mortal thing? Is it explained enough? If you're confused tell me and I'll explain further on what it is you need help understanding. Well, see ya my loverlies.