I do not own the labyrinth, nor its characters and no monetary gains are being made.

Another chapter you say, and so soon? Yes. I want this story to get moving along as soon as possible. There are so many things that need to take place. As you can see, while Jareth has his bed companion, Sarah is keeping her options open. That is not to say that she doesn't have feelings for a certain glittery fae, but she isn't one to sit pining away in a tower. Don't worry, they will have a face to face pretty soon, she still does not know the true identity yet of one of her potential suitors, and that will be a whole chapter on its own. What of Jasmine you ask? Well so far as we know, the truth has not come out yet, but will. Also, I do not know too much about the ins and outs of child services, but this is my world and I am mostly going off of the stereotype that the system is more to separate families, and Sarah is having none of it. She helps those families she sees needs help. The ones that are really good parents, just have had one bad break after another. I am taking creative freedom on that.

Well, on with the show, and don't forget to leave a contribution in the box.

Sarah's week began like any other, in a fit and fury of chaos. She had three back to back meetings on Monday, along with getting her ass chewed out by her boss. He felt she was crossing the line from child advocate to parent advocate. She reminded her boss that they were there for the child's best interest, which sometimes meant having to make sure the parents/guardians were well informed on all the resources and options they had available to keep said child safe and secure.

Tuesday thru Thursday were all court days, where she was met with some very hard cases. One in particular where the mother had three children who were very obviously abused physically as well as mentally. While waiting for the judge's ruling, Sarah had lunch brought to the children, and began to tell them a story about a benevolent king who took all the lost and lonely children, the unwanted, to his kingdom and gave them homes to parents who loved and cherished them.

This was not a story she told all of the children, just special cases like this where the children needed to be helped, and the justice system would be receiving no justice at all. She could never explain the feeling she had, but she felt a warm liquid feeling in her heart, a calling that had only begun after her win in the labyrinth. It was something she could not explain, but found that she could not ignore.

"What does the king look like?" the youngest of them asked. He appeared to be three, but was closer to five. "It's not real! Dummy! It's just a fairy tale." The oldest sister of eight years said. "How do you know that?" the middle child of 7 said. "Because, no one wants us." The oldest child's lip began to tremble. Sarah could feel her heart breaking. "Now that is not true. And the story of the land far away is a real place, I have been there before. And I even know the king, just don't get too close to him, because he will get glitter all over you. Like Tinkerbell! That is the only bad thing about that place, you find glitter in your socks for weeks!"

The kids smiled at that, as Sarah made a point to shake her head, and the kids saw glitter fall slightly from her hair. "Fairy dust!" One of them said. The older child kept silent after a minute, and began biting her bottom lip. Sarah knew her time was almost up. She also knew cases like these were often not won. The mother would be keeping these kids, and there was nothing she could do. This was not even the third time these kids had been seen by child services, this was just the first time she had been their case worker. The minutes seemed to tick by, and Sarah could feel the pressure, she could taste the change in the air.

"Miss Sarah. If I wished myself away, would you get in trouble? And what if nothing happens." The eldest child finally asked. "Well, no I would not get in trouble. I would be the only one to remember you." The child nodded, "I don't want to leave them. Can they come too?" She asked, referring to her siblings. " You would have to say the words for them or they would have to say the words as well. I can also make sure that wherever you are placed, that you three are always together. Would you like that?" All three of the kids nodded. Finally, it was decided that they would wish themselves away, youngest to oldest. This was the oldest idea, she said, to make sure they were safe first, and second because Sarah informed her that her belief might need a tad bit of help for it to work.

When all three wishes were made, Sarah could feel the electricity building up in the air. This had been the first time a wish had ever been made in front of her. Normally the child would make the wish elsewhere, but this being a special case, she could not wait to see if the children made the wish or not. The warning was too great this time. Finally, a burst of energy and he appeared.

Jareth looked nothing like he did when she wished Toby away, he was not as menacing looking. He did not wear all black, as a matter of fact he was in all white. His pants were still obscenely tight, but nothing like when he appeared before her. "Well, what do we have here?" He asked with his eyes only on the children. The youngest was the first to speak. "Tinkerbell!" The goblin king's right eyebrow shot up. "I can assure you I am not." The children began to laugh and relax. The middle child took a step closer, "Are you the goblin king" he asked. "Like from Miss Sarah's story?" Jareth did not look at Sarah, but kept himself focused on the children.

"Why yes little one. Did you believe Miss Sarah to be a liar? I assure you she is not. Now, what do you say, are you ready to see my castle? My goblins already have a room waiting for you." The oldest finally seemed to snap out of the daze she was in. "If you please, we don't want to be separated. Miss Sarah said that we could stick together. I just want them safe." A tear fell from her eyes. Sarah felt her heart tighten, and finally her and Jareth looked at each other eye to eye. "I did say that Miss Sarah never lies, and your request is more than reasonable."

Jareth pulled out a crystal, and stooped down to the children's height. "If you look here, you will see my castle. When you are ready, just touch the crystal, and you will be taken there. Hold hands, so you won't be separated." he smiled at them. The children all held hands, with smiles on their faces, touched the glass, and then disappeared.

Sarah cleared her throat, standing up from her chair. They just stared at each other, neither of them speaking. For what seemed like eternity, one finally spoke. "How are you feeling?" He asked genuinely. "Better, and yet so much is happening. I appreciate the gesture. What was that stuff you gave me?" He smiled slightly. "Best you do not know. Though your dwarf friend makes it for me, if you ever really wish to know."

Sarah cleared her throat, not knowing what to say. "You will keep them together, will you?" she finally asked. "Yes. You did feel different with these three did you not?" he asked. She nodded slightly. "Jareth, what is happening? Why the urgency with these three?"

He sighed, looking as weary as he felt. "My only guess, Sarah, is that the mother had intentions to harm them in a more permanent fashion once they were in her custody again. That is my only explanation, I fear." They remained quiet for a moment. "As to why you felt the urgency, I can only guess." She nodded. "We really must talk, Sarah. Things are changing much too rapidly, with you and below. I know, now is not convenient for either of us, but soon. I find myself in need of having some questions answered, and you do as well. Plus, I hate to admit, you are needed below."

Sarah appeared shocked, and shook her head no. "NO! How can you say that? How am I needed below? I have been fulfilling my part of this unspoken mess. I tell the stories here, and you receive your share of wished aways. I know where the labyrinth gets its true strength from!"

She began pacing back and forth, mumbling her complaints. "Sarah" He said as she continued to ignore him. "Sarah!" Finally she stopped and looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. "Where did you go?" she asked, looking around. "Look down." He said. " The other down," he repeated. He was looking up at her pacing on the ceiling, when she screamed and fell right into his waiting arms. "We really must talk, Sarah. And even though you have been 'fulfilling your part', it seems the minimum is no longer enough."

Friday night finally came about. Sarah was in a very bad mood, and if you knew Sarah, this was very bad. She saw Jareth not once, but three times in the past week. She witnessed her first wish away in person, and the effects of the labyrinth's power. Sarah had allowed Jareth to visit her at the park she used to recite from that blasted book. Oh! Whenever she found the person who gifted it to her, they would rue the day!

Jareth briefly explained the effects he knew the labyrinth had on them. "Sarah, to put it in simple terms, in the eyes of the labyrinth, you are already its queen!" He had paced back and forth, trying to get her to understand. "Like hell!" she retorted. "I didn't ask for this!" Jareth picked up a random pebble. "Like it or not, it is the way things are. Even your treacherous trio know this to be true. While you are not the only one to beat the labyrinth, you are the only one who willingly took up the mantle and has also willingly become a beacon from this world to the one below. Others have made the choice to wither away into obscurity."

She was more confused than ever, feeling her immature nature about to come out, took a deep breath and spoke. "Explain. How did I accept it?" A quet moment passed. "The moment after the labyrinth, what did you say? I need all of you? And yes, that included myself as well as the labyrinth." Sarah stared at him. As shocked as she was, she already knew this. "Add that with your constant contact with magic, and your love for my…no…our subjects. What hit the final nail on the proverbial coffin, was the day you told the story to a young child. He wished himself to me," This she did not know."And the labyrinth in return thanked you by releasing small amounts of its life force to you."

Sarah did not know what to say. She stood there as if frozen in time. He walked up to her, and put the strands of hair covering her ears behind them both. She looked up to him, tears in her eyes, scared and confused. "Oh, precious, why did you never call me? The change is almost complete." He removed a glove with his teeth, and held it in his hand. With his ungloved thumb,wiped her tears, and began to taste them. Her tears began to flow freely, and he kissed her face, tasting her tears as he did so. Sarah could not help but feel the need to be in his arms. She needed this comfort, even if it was from him. She had no one else to turn to. Of course, once she composed herself she would make him pay.

He held her close. He had so much more to tell her, but for now he would have this moment with her. Jareth hated to admit it, but he needed her as much as his subjects did, if not more. "You will need to come to the Underground, precious." Sarah looked up at him. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you are doing, but my life is here. My family is here." She said. "I fear your fate is inevitable as mine. I will help you, Sarah, as much as you allow, but you must come. The consequences are too great. Much is needed to explain, but this is not the time or place. No. Don't argue. I will come for you soon. You must prepare, I must prepare, and your stay will be a day here and a day there. Too much too fast would not be wise either. That is the best I can do." She nodded in agreement. "Fine. I accept, for now. But do not think that 'THIS' is me being some brainless puppet. You have much to explain. And I will go, but you will not just take me. I will tell you what days I can and can not go."

This was the Sarah he knew. He smiled, and then nodded. "Agreed. I must go." He grabbed her quickly and closer to himself. Sarah felt her breath leave her, cursing herself quietly, she accepted the kiss he gave her. It began slowly, almost as if he were afraid of her reaction. She tasted his sweet kiss, like a woman dying of thirst, she gave in. Jareth began to moan, as he caressed her face. Finally, he had to break away, or he would take her with him now, and that would be far from productive. "I must go." With that he vanished, leaving a streak of glitter behind.

Sarah still could not believe she had let him kiss her like that. She quickly called Jasmine. "Hey! I need a girls night." She said as soon as her friend answered. "Sounds good to me. Lucian just left, family drama. Hey, what is new with you and loverboy? Has he put out your fire?" If her friend only knew about her male drama. "No. I haven't heard from him. And I have been too busy to call him." She heard her friend laugh, "Well, I heard they were going to have a big family shin-dig, like after thanksgiving, and Lucien has already invited me, and I refuse to meet the family without backup. Plus I was informed that a Mr. Goodfellow would be needing a plus one as well." Sarah sighed. "I don't need the family after one blind date woman, you know this."

"Sarah! Sare-bear! Sarah with an H! You will be my third wheel. Besides, he has been asking about you. I know that isn't your thing, but play the field a little. Have fun for once." Sarah in bad mood was bad enough. Fun is what bad Sarah wanted, and not good clean fun, either. "Fine. I could use a little fun and games. If he calls me on his own, with no help from you, then I will agree to go out with him. Not to meet his family, just fun."

That night Sarah went to the same club, alone, and danced the night away. She never had trouble finding company for the evening, but tonight she just wanted to drink and dance. Little did she know the danger that was following her from the dark shadows, watching her every move.

Okay, tell me what you think. Hopefully this will answer some question, and get things rolling along. Tell me you love it, tell me you hate it. Reviews are always welcome.