"Lord I knee and offer you

My word on a wing"

-David Bowie, Word on a Wing

"Sarah?"

Sarah realized she had been staring at him blankly. He was staring at her with deep concern, moving towards her slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Can we sit?"

Once they sat, she realized that this was going to be harder than she had thought. "I need to tell you something."

He turned his arm over, palm up and gestured to her openly. "Please."

She fiddled with the string on her dress. "I should have told you earlier, but I was still processing things. I had a nightmare about Ben and the Erlking right before I woke up, realizing that he had been missing." She took a deep breath, letting the next sentence out in one breath. "Except, the Erlking was… you."

Jareth's eyebrows scrunched together. "Sorry?"

She told him of how the melody of Erlkönig rang through her mind, how she had been shaking and running with Ben in her arms. How Ben had been so scared and she had believed that this Erlking was, in fact, Jareth.

Jareth interlocked his fingers together, his expression all ice. "This was why you shirked from me when I came to see you, isn't it?"

Sarah hadn't realized how obvious her fear was, how easily he could read her. Was she always so easy to read, or was it because of their closeness? She had hoped that maybe he wouldn't come to that conclusion. She hung her head, then nodded, deciding to be honest. "It was a moment, and I don't believe it now, but for a moment, yes. I saw you in my nightmares."

Jareth's face hardened into anger. He stood up, hands behind his back, facing the window.

She didn't like it when she couldn't see his face, that he was turning from her when they shared tender moments not too long ago. She kept on going, phrasing her concerns. "Jareth, I'm telling you because I thought that you got rid of the bad dreams. Why are they back? Does this mean something? It seems too much of a coincidence that I would dream of the Erlking and then Ben gets kidnapped and now you got attacked by his demons?"

"You believed such a despicable person could have been me?" He bulldozed past her entire question. "Me, someone who has done nothing but good to you? You think that I had something to do with this, to control your dreams and trap you? Or that I would actually do such a thing as kidnap Benjamin?"

"Of course not-"

"Don't lie to me!" He raised his voice. "I detest being lied to!"

"I didn't seriously think that after a moment to actually think!" Sarah raised her voice in turn. "I was scared and it felt so real, like I was still dreaming. In my dream, it was like the past few months of us becoming friends didn't happen. I was processing it."

"Only after I risked myself and got this!" He pointed at the claw marks on his cheek. "I thought that I had finally won your trust, inviting you to my home and giving you comforts equal to a queen."

"Those aren't mutually exclusive," she shot back, just as pissed now. "Jareth, I know that you mean well, please look at it this way-"

"In what way could this accusation be anything but offensive?"

"-I woke up from a fucking nightmare, of course I would be on edge. And I told you, it was for a moment. I once had a dream that my dog ate my dress and I was mad until I realized that my brain was making shit up. I know who you are, I know you wouldn't do that!"

He put his face in his hands. "No matter what I do, I can't win. I'm either proving you're right by being despicable and angry, or I may deceive you by being kind."

She sighed in defeat. He was missing her entire point, stuck on the fact that she had faltered in trust for a moment from a fucking nightmare. "That's not true."

"Then tell me, Sar-ah," he drawled her name with bitterness and a coat of acid. "What can I do to fully gain your trust? What horrible pain must I inflict upon myself to get you to believe that I meant it when I said I mean you no harm?"

Sarah never felt so ashamed and indignant at the same time before. So many things had happened, even if she didn't have a moment of fear of him, she would still have been in shock. At the same time, he was right. He had been nothing but good to her since they reunited. "Jareth," she said his name in a plea. "You already have."

He turned away from her. "Please go. I do not wish to be disturbed as I find your son. I will contact you if anything new comes up."

Sarah wanted to both apologize and yell at him. The conflicting emotions ate away at her until she pushed them both out of her head. Quietly, she walked out of his study and closed the door behind her, tears running down her face.

Jareth pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, falling to his knees. "Why?!"

Sarah and Toby spent the rest of the day researching the Erlking in the library. The whole time, Sarah looked deeply uncomfortable and tears fell every now and then. She thought Toby didn't see, but he noticed.

He said nothing about it. She told him what Mara had said about the Erlking. She said that she told Jareth about her nightmare but didn't elaborate. He was willing to bet that she was crying both because of Ben and because of whatever the hell happened between them. He sighed. His sister had always been a bit hot-headed. Though Jareth had been good-natured to them, he could also be hot-tempered if he felt insulted.

He looked at the clock, seeing how late it was. "Sarah, you should go to bed."

Sarah closed her book. "I'm almost done with this one. You go to bed, okay? You don't have to do this."

"Of course I have to," Toby said with conviction. "Come on, let's go."

Sarah went with Toby, annoyed that she had to stop right in the middle of a task. She went to her rooms, saying goodnight to him. Once she was sure that he was in his own room, she snuck back out to the library.

She had more than fucked things up with Jareth today, and she wasn't sure how to make it up to him. Had the roles been reversed, she would have also felt insulted, particularly now that she fully understood that the dreamworld was more intertwined with reality than anyone could have ever expected. Of course Jareth would be insulted and hurt, for there were few humans, if at all, who had such contact with the dreamworld as her.

Clutching Lancelot the Bear to her chest, she kept on reading, hoping to understand more about this creature that most likely stole her son.

Jareth was on his way to take a hot bath when he saw the lights in the library on. Curious, he went inside.

The view before him clutched at his heart, melting away all his rage from earlier. "Oh Sarah," he sighed, seeing her on the floor, her cloak wrapped around her body as she curled by the fire.

When he got closer, he saw streaks of dried tears down her face. The stress from Benjamin being lost must have affected her so badly that she fell asleep from the exhaustion.

Gently, he knelt down and tried to rouse her, shaking her shoulder. Instead of waking, she curled even tighter, a heartbreaking whimper leaving her lips.

He didn't want to wake her, knowing that she needed sleep, but he also knew that he couldn't leave her on the floor like that. Carefully, he lifted her up so that one of his arms was under her back.

She instantly started to struggle and would have hit him in the face if he was human. Jareth used his other hand to brush against her forehead. "Shh, it's me. I won't hurt you, Sarah."

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, but he could tell that she wasn't awake. However, as if she understood, she fell back, no longer tense.

Gathering her legs now, he lifted her gently in his arms and walked to her room. He was honestly too tired to carry anyone while walking such a far distance, but he didn't want to make her wake or be disorientated by transporting her with magic.

When he got to her room, he realized that he had been so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice her snuggling against his chest.

Imagine that. The once-girl who told sassed him and bested his Labyrinth was snuggling against him.

A surge of emotions filled him, that is, until he remembered that she was asleep and most likely seeking out warmth.

Still, even after he laid her in bed, Jareth couldn't bring himself to pull away from her as her hands curled around his shirt.

Even when he was upset with her, even in such a haggard state, she was beautiful. She was a lovely child back then (even if he rolled his eyes at the fact that she angered him more than not) and a gorgeous woman now. She may be fearful for her son, but her fire was there. Her spirit and confidence grew, and so did her kindness. He could still feel the embrace of her arms and the softness of her lips as they kissed under the mistletoe, wanting nothing more than to bask in the afterglow of their kiss once more.

Yes, he definitely preferred this mature Sarah over the child that he had been irritated with, even if the irritation was mostly his fault for goading her in the first place.

Jareth smoothed her hair down, his Champion slowly letting go of him as he gently peeled her fingers off him as carefully as he could. Cupping her cheek, he whispered to her ear. "I will do all I can to get Benjamin back to you."

He picked up her left hand, the one closest to him. He looked at the wedding ring, so simple and so treasured to her, reminding him that as long as the memory of her wonderful late husband was still there, she was not going to ever find another man worthy of her hand in marriage.

Jareth found with surprise that he did not feel jealousy towards her late husband the way jealousy was usually felt. Perhaps a touch of gloom and envy. Perhaps even regret, but no anger at the man. At least he had treated Sarah well. Had loved her. Had given her Benjamin.

Who was he, a tormented fae king, to be craving her affection after she had known such love from a man like that?

With this in mind, Jareth pressed his lips to the ring, enacting a powerful spell on it. When he pulled away, it glowed bright gold then dimmed back to its normal state. Her whimpering calmed and she finally slept.

He tucked the blanket around her shoulders and gave her one last look at her, seeing the spell settle in before he went to retire in his own chambers.

When Sarah woke up the next day, she had no idea where she even was. She was so tired and disoriented that it took a good minute to remember what had happened.

She had a nightmare again, that much was for sure. It was of Ben crying for Ethan, asking when his Daddy would come home. Sarah knew she had handled it poorly, telling him that Ethan would be back soon when she knew that he would never come back.

But then, she had slept peacefully. As if the nightmare just… vanished. She looked at the time, amazed that she had actually slept for a long time and not just an hour. She did feel refreshed. Safe, and loved. And how did she get back in here from the library?

Her thoughts about Ben made her hands sweat and a lump of rocks settle in her stomach. Not knowing what was really happening was terrifying.

She got dressed, just in time for Lorraine to knock on her door. "Lady Sarah? His Majesty requests that you meet with him in his study as soon as possible along with your brother. Samuel is getting him right as we speak."

"Thank you, Lorraine." Sarah closed the door behind her.

The two walked in awkward silence, or at least that's how it felt for Lorraine. Sarah was feeling numb with a touch of melancholy. Her legs moved on their own, her hands loose at her sides.

"My lady?" Lorraine gently probed her. "I can't imagine how you're feeling right now. I don't know what words to offer at a time like this."

Sarah appreciated it when someone was honest and kind to her. Didn't try to erase her pain. Those were the words that made her feel the most seen when Ethan died. "Thank you, Lorraine."

"His Majesty is doing his best, I'm sure," she offered with a small smile. "If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate."

Sarah honestly wasn't even sure what to ask her for. "I will keep that in mind."

"Perhaps I could offer you suggestions for distraction?" She asked. "Maybe I could bring in a few books or games. I know there's the library, but it's full of information rather than anything fun. Maybe we could exchange recipes or cook, if that were allowed of us during this lockdown?"

Sarah beamed. It was much nicer when someone else made suggestions. "Any and all of those sound lovely, Lorraine. Thank you. I don't know how much time I will have, but if there are waiting periods then I would like to spend it with you. It's the holidays though, shouldn't you be with your family?"

Lorraine's expression changed ever so slightly to the point where Sarah almost didn't notice. "Normally, yes, but sometimes we are here during big events like Yule. I saw them a few days before you came. They live nearby and I visit them often."

Sarah frowned. "You're here on my account, aren't you?"

"Yes and no, if there are foreign dignitaries, I am also here during that time. His Majesty already needed me here when the ambassadors of Tirena were here."

Ah yes, Jareth's shitty ex and her shitty husband. "I see."

They found themselves outside of Jareth's study. Lorraine bid Sarah a good day and promised that she would at least have recipes to exchange if they could not meet again to spend time together.

Sarah found Toby there already, exchanging tense expressions with Jareth. It was so weird to see them together like this, usually Toby was right at home with the Goblin King. "Hello. Did I miss something?"

"Hi Sar," Toby said, still staring at Jareth.

"Yes, hello," Jareth said gruffly to her, though with animosity than last night. He turned back to Toby. "It is more than a matter of pride. I don't care about pride so much as Benjamin's life. For you to insinuated that is more than insulting."

"Then why?" Toby demanded. "Why not tell Mara or other people who can actually help you?"

"The Erlking is not a normal person to be trifled with," Jareth growled. "And that is assuming that it's him for sure that's done this. His Raí should not have penetrated our magical defenses." He swept his hand to the window, where the countryside could be seen. "This is the Goblin Kingdom, the world between worlds. To have power here means the power to connect to dreams, which includes the deepest fears of those dreamers. Who knows what kind of trouble the Erlking would bring us to if he's able to penetrate the dreams of power beings."

He sighed, leaning back. "Besides, Mara does know some things, just not about Benjamin being gone. She is a powerful sorceress, in many ways more powerful than I. But when it comes to dreams, it is incredibly unpredictable. If she does not have the proper defenses, she could be entrapped in dreams and then be completely useless to us, not to mention severely damaging her own well-being. I need a powerful sorceress on my side in the waking world, should this turn into something worse. This is a risk I am not willing to take unless we are in dire need."

*knock knock knock* "Sire? Sorceress Mara is here to speak with you." Samuel poked his head in.

"Let her in," Jareth replied, giving the two siblings a glare, daring for them to talk to her about their discussion.

Mara came in, raising her eyebrows at Toby's and Sarah's presence. "Sire?"

"You may speak freely in front of them," he said. "Including things about the Erlking."

Mara sighed. "I don't like being kept in the dark, but I know that you do things for a reason."

She brought out a list of notes. "I've been trying to figure out two things: how he escaped in the first place and how he was able to command the Raí to break into the castle."

Sarah and Toby avoided looking at each other. While it was common knowledge among the castle about the breach, very few still knew what and even fewer knew about Ben being taken.

"The first one is still a mystery to me, but I might have a theory for the second," Mara continued. "Being in the world of dreams for so long, he's practically become one himself."

"Hold up," Toby raised both his hands, blinking in quick succession. "He's a… dream?"

"In a sense," Mara answered, not phased by his wide, confused eyes. "He is more dream than elven at this point. Why do you think he's able to terrorize and inspire arts from the humans? Being a dream means that he has more of an affinity for the magic in this place." She turned to Jareth. "You mentioned that the Raí claimed you hurt their master. Perhaps the breach did cause him some pain as well."

It would also explain how they were able to escape to the Above, Jareth thought to himself. Very few fae had the power to freely go Above, he was one of them. Did they somehow take a part of his magic to do so?

"So what do you suggest we do?" Sarah asked.

"We need to find him." Mara snapped her book shut. "We research his possible friends and followers, then find him. Entrap him, somehow."

"That, we can work on together," Jareth said to her. "You said you had information regarding Sarah?"

"Ah" Mara looked between the two of them. "I found new information that I was going to tell you, Your Majesty, but since this concerns Sarah, you can know this now. It doesn't seem very relevant, but you should know anyway."

Jareth and Sarah looked at each other. He raised an eyebrow at Mara. "What is it?"

"Sarah, as Champion, has the right to co-rule alongside you as queen regnant. She doesn't even have to marry you. She could be a queen if she chooses to claim that position."

Sarah blinked a few times. She looked to Jareth who looked just as shocked as she. "What does that mean, exactly? I mean, what happens now?"

Mara shrugged. "Nothing has to change. It just gives you more options. You could still choose to live Aboveground for the lifespan of a human life, or you can choose to be Underground and change into an immortal. The Labyrinth will not and cannot harm you. Haven't you noticed the goblins listening to you as well as His Majesty?"

Sarah remembered Jareth talking about sections of the Labyrinth that were incredibly dangerous and absolutely off-limits to nearly everyone except the creatures that resided there. It was amazing to think that it was bigger than it looked, that the space really was truly magical. And now, she held command over that space.

"I don't know about being queen," Sarah laughed without humor. "I mean, I can barely manage myself."

Jareth folded his arms. "You say that, and yet, you have given suggestions to me on how to improve on my leadership. The goblins also like you, they don't just recognize you as my equal, you know."

Sarah wasn't sure if he was mad or impressed by that. Possibly both.

"Sar?" Toby carefully said her name. "You okay?"

"Am I okay?" Sarah scoffed. She leaned back and groaned very loudly. "My son has been kidnapped. Jareth hates me. And now, I apparently have a claim to the throne. It's been a wild twenty-four hours."

Toby looked at the clock. "Technically more than that."

She playfully threw a cushion at him. "Whatever."

Toby blocked it, making the cushion fall. "Jerk."

"Asshole."

"Shithead."

"Fuckwad."

They descended into laughter at the insults. It was nice to let a little steam off with her brother.

"So," Toby asked when they calmed down. "How was it with Lorraine?"

Sarah smiled. She enjoyed spending time with Lorraine, talking about their families and playing card games. "It was great. I think we're on our way to becoming good friends. You and Samuel?"

"Samuel is the biggest nerd ever," Toby said, rolling his eyes but only in jest. He clearly enjoyed his time with the man. "Dude was telling me about the different kinds of plants that grow here. Did you know that there's one that looks exactly like a butterfly? And is carnivorous?"

"No, that sounds freaky," Sarah said with fascination.

"And, get this, it smells like honey!" Toby continued. "I think Ben would love to hear it. He's always into some crazy thing."

At the mention of Ben, Sarah hugged Lancelot a little tighter. "I'm afraid I haven't been a very good mom to him."

"Sarah," Toby whined a little. "We've talked about this. You're a great mom. You listen to him and helped him adjust. You don't dismiss him but treat him like an actual human being with feelings. You guide him and all that."

Sarah looked into the fire. "But what about the trauma?"

"His dad died. Of course he has trauma. What kid wouldn't?"

"No, I mean, I handled it so badly." She sniffed, crumpling the handkerchief. "When Ethan died, I lied to Ben. I told him that Ethan would be back, pretending like he was on some trip. That he was just sleeping during his funeral and he would wake up and play again. I was in denial too, really. It just felt better to wait until he came back, until realizing that he never would."

Her mind drifted to the past, as if a curtain of memories just had to be pulled back for her to see herself trying to go to the bathroom in peace. "Ben was so heartbroken, so afraid that I would disappear like Ethan did. He would cry when I went to the bathroom. I couldn't shower unless he was asleep. He slept in my bed and we just held each other, not really saying that Ethan was gone. Because, for us, it really felt like he was still there."

She shifted so that her legs were hanging off the chair's arm. "We remembered Ethan but never talked about what actually happened to him. Ben didn't want to separate from me and it killed me to send him back to school, so I just sat with him all day until he could handle it. He slowly went back and things got better for him. I wanted to protect Ben, to shield him from the horrors of Ethan's death. Instead, I think I made it so Ben feels the need to protect me."

"What do you mean?" Though Toby seemed to know exactly what she meant.

"He wished for Jareth to help me with my nightmares, remember? I told my therapist about it and she said that I hide too much from Ben. That if he asks, I should be transparent but of course, not dump things on him. My mom did that to me when she and Dad got divorced and I just don't want a repeat of that for Ben. Maybe that's why I try to close him off from unpleasant things."

"Hey hey," Toby gave her some water. "That doesn't make you a bad mom."

Her bottom lip trembled. When she looked back up, her voice shrank into her throat, the pitch rising. "I've scarred him for life, Toby. I've failed him."

"Do you think Dad's a bad person?" He challenged, albeit impatiently.

Sarah drank the water. "I see what you mean. No. I think he made a lot of mistakes or was too hesitant but he did his best. So does Karen."

"You do your best, right?" Toby pointed out. "Hey, you didn't fail anyone. I promise."

He gave her a hug, patting her back as she leaned on him for support. There were times when Toby wasn't sure if he was doing or saying the right thing, but this was not one of those times. And he was glad that he could be here to support his big sister.

"You're the best, Tobes," she said, smiling. "This has been a lot. I'll do what my therapist told me to do, focus on what I can do." She stood, grabbing a paper and pen. "And I need to fix my relationship with Jareth."

Please don't kill me *hides* I promise that they'll make up next chapter.

I kinda feel bad for the continued angst, but things are high in tension and the fears Sarah have will eventually play a more important role in being strong. At least in my head, it makes more sense that they're not further in a relationship or that they're having arguments. It's only been a little more than a month since JS got back together lol.

I had a very difficult time trying to make this chapter make sense, that Jareth and Sarah being upset makes sense but that they (especially Jareth) needs to take time to understand each other. I'm not quite sure if I portrayed that correctly so if you're confused and think I'm crazy, I probably am lol. Leave a review and let me know then XD

Thank you for the reviews so far! I promise that their bickering will end soon and they'll work together.