"It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to has power over you."

― Leon Brown

"How could this have happened?" Jareth broke the silence as he stormed in the infirmary, his voice hoarse from all the shouting. "I put a protection spell on her. How could he have broken through it so quickly, without me knowing until this?"

And by "this," he was referring to Sarah being comatose in the infirmary.

After a few moments of silence, the healer spoke. "Sire, what was the spell you gave her, exactly? And how did you enact it?"

Jareth's mind flashed back to when he and Sarah had argued, how he found her in the library, distraught over Benjamin. How he carried her to her room and kissed her ring, enacting a spell on it.

"Her wedding ring." He finally sat down, rubbing his temple. "She always wears it so I put the Shielding Spell on it."

Toby lifted his head up, eyes wide. "Her ring? She took it off just today."

"Why the bloody hell would she do that?" Jareth sighed, bringing his fist down on the arm of the chair in frustration. The only reason he had allowed her to dance with the Erlking was because he believed she had been wearing the ring. "It was meant to alert me immediately if she felt fear or if manipulative magic surrounded her. And a protection against intruding dreams, as the one I gave her months ago wasn't strong enough." He covered his face with his hands, growling in frustration. "I did it for nothing! That spell took my life-force, drained me of so much magical energy that I couldn't transform into an owl if I wanted to."

Toby hesitated for a moment, unsure about how much he wanted to reveal Sarah's feelings. "She - she said that it was time to stop being so scared. That she wanted to open up her heart again. Open to you."

Jareth stared at Toby, perplexed.

Then, he laughed. Laughed until his face became twisted with anger. This act of bravery, in taking that first step to loving him, was the very reason that he couldn't protect her.

How very fitting.

Love. That was a word that did not pop into his mind, until recently, but had always been there. Of course he loved her, how could he not? How could he not love her spunky attitude and fun smile? How could he not love the way the light reflected off her shiny hair or how she would patiently show him how to cook? How could he not love her, when she made him feel peace and happiness just by being next to him?

No one knew what to say until Jareth shot a glance at Toby. "Out with it. You have a question."

"Umm," he stuttered, thrown off guard by the fact that Jareth never spoke so harshly with him before. "I just wondered, why didn't you tell Sarah about the protection spell?"

Jareth snorted. "If I told her what it would do and how weak it made me, do you think she would have let me?"

Toby looked down at his hands. "No."

Jareth looked away. "Precisely. If she had worn it, she wouldn't be in this state."

"Sire!"

Mara strode into the infirmary, eyes haggard and hair out of place. Toby almost didn't recognize her without her makeup on. "I ran the tests. They are also Raí, but a bit different. There's elven in this."

"That would explain the Erlking," Toby mumbled.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Mara's voice rose to a shrill.

Jareth looked to the healer. "You are dismissed. Classified information."

"Excuse me?" The healer put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Sire, I need to still check on Lady Sarah. This conversation should happen elsewhere, not at the infirmary."

Jareth grumbled. "Fine. My study."

Once in his study, Toby, Lorraine, and Samuel relayed what happened to them. When they were done, he nodded to Samuel. "Go on. Tell her everything we know."

Mara listened with rapt attention, amazed and clearly pissed off. When Samuel was done, she turned back to Jareth. "You should have told me all of this earlier. Her three companion friends and the goblins are worried sick too."

"Save your breath." Jareth drummed his fingers on his desk. He was already wracked with guilt, trying to keep the information safe and quiet, wanting only very people to know the full story. It was a brilliant strategy, that way if one was captured or tortured, they wouldn't have the entire information to be extracted from them. However, he really should have included Mara in his close circle of people who knew what was going on. "I told you now because I thought you could actually help us."

Mara didn't take his bait. "Your Majesty, I wonder if Sarah's dream powers did not end during her Run."

Jareth raised an eyebrow. "We know this. That's why Hogwedge and the others still exist."

"No, that's not what I meant." Her brow furrowed in thought. "I don't mean the effects of her powers. I mean her actual powers. We know now that the Erlking has something to do with this. His elven mark and his Raí are all over this mess. He should have killed her, but Sarah's alive and breathing as if asleep. Maybe she is asleep and is dreaming."

Jareth stared at her, blinking slowly. "Go on," he motioned, his full attention on her.

Mara folded her arms, looking at the coat of arms of the king that hung in the study. "I theorize that as the Champion, she has powers that are growing. They have laid dormant for the most part, as she was not contacted by magic. Since meeting you and coming here to the Underground, her powers have not only awakened, but have grown beyond her control." She sighed. "I hadn't realized it until now, but I should have when I sensed the Labyrinth's magic all over her."

Toby chewed the inside of his cheek. "So what you're saying is… Sarah's powers are strong. And she can't control them."

"Yes."

"Could the Erlking have controlled them instead?"

Jareth's head snapped up, eyes flicking to Mara.

Mara took a deep breath. "Not controlled them, but used them to break out of his prison, yes. He most likely tried to latch onto her, drawing from her powers as a free energy source. She is a connection to Dream and Reality. He could have used you or His Majesty as well, but your powers are not nearly as strong and His Majesty controls his well."

Toby'a eyebrows furrowed. "Why take Ben though and not her?"

"By making her distressed, she loses more and more of her control, granting him more access. It wasn't enough to take her yet, but taking Benjamin speeds up the process. He's also a child, taking him most likely gives the Erlking a boost of power as he also has magic."

Jareth looked at the floor in shame. He looked so broken, so worn, as he had been the one beaten up. "I did this. I'm the one who hurt her."

Lorraine took a small step closer, pity in her eyes. She hardly was the one to speak up to comfort the king, but she could tell he needed it now. Everyone could see the anguish in his eyes. "You didn't, Sire. You can't blame yourself for the actions of the Erlking."

"But I did, Lorraine," he sighed. "I should have recognized the growth of her powers and stayed with her the whole time at the ball, but allowed myself to be even a little bit distracted." He turned to Mara. "I should have involved you, but in my fear of being betrayed and becoming more responsible for more casualties, I didn't. Should you get captured by the Erlking, he would have gained your powers and I couldn't afford that."

He turned to Toby. "I should have told her about the ring. I promised Sarah that she was safe here, she and her family. And now she's comatose in my infirmary. I have broken my promise to her. I will never forgive myself for it."

Everyone bowed their heads slightly. None were very comfortable seeing Jareth in such a vulnerable state. Not even Toby, who saw the softer side of him for more than a month now.

"We'll find a way," Mara said comfortingly. "I will work on it. But tonight, you all need to sleep."

"I'm not sure if sleep is possible for me," Jareth said gruffly.

"You have to sleep," Toby reiterated, looking exhausted himself. "I'm going to bed, and so should you."

"I'm trying to save Sarah and Benjamin," Jareth repeated, his voice much more harsh, even accusatory. "If you are able sleep peacefully while she's more dead than alive, then do so."

"Hey!" Toby snapped, making everyone else jump. "I know you're upset and you feel guilty, you don't think I feel that way too?"

Jareth parted his lips to respond but Toby charged onward. He had enough of both Jareth and Sarah being obtuse and ridiculous, as if they were the only people in the world who gave a shit about Ben.

"Sarah's my sister and Ben is my nephew. Did you know that the day Ethan died, I was there? I was a fucking kid, eighteen years old. I should have been worrying about shit like registering for college classes and how to flirt with the hot girl I met at orientation, not calm my sister down when she went berserk losing her husband." He stood, pointing at Jareth. "So I don't give a damn if you're the goddamn Goblin King, Jareth. Don't fucking accuse me of not caring about my own family."

Everyone averted their eyes from the two. Lorraine and Samuel finding the wall very interesting all of a sudden and Mara looking at the door. No one dared to curse the king like that, and they were beyond terrified of what would happen to Toby.

Jareth sighed. How could he keep fucking things up like this? "Toby, I meant no offense."

"Doesn't mean you weren't offensive."

"I apologize. I shouldn't have said that."

Toby didn't budge, though he seemed a bit less tense. "No, you shouldn't have." He looked at the others in discomfort. "I'd like to speak with Jareth alone, if that's okay?"

They nodded, shuffling out as quickly as they could without seeming offensive. Mara promised she'd be back in the morning to speak on proposals.

Alone, Toby was starkly aware of how Jareth held power here. That he wasn't exactly the simply fun guy who hung out with them once in a while. And yet, that time together had showed him just how vulnerable Jareth really was, especially with his sister. "I know you didn't mean to get mad, Jareth. You're stressed out, I get it because I'm stressed too. I just wish you would understand that just because you care about Sarah that you're not the only one. You're really good at being understanding of others but when you're involved, you kind of forget sometimes that not everyone wants to make you look bad."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Jareth's lips. "I can be very… temperamental, can't I?"

Toby shrugged, smiling now too. "Yeah, sometimes. Reminds me of my sister."

Jareth unfolded his arms, smiling a little bigger. "Perhaps I should see a healer for the mind as your sister does."

"What- oh, a therapist? Yeah, it's been really good for her. Not sure how you can explain that you're a Goblin King though." He leaned against the desk, looking at Jareth very carefully. "She cares a lot about you too, you know?"

Jareth blew a stream of air. "She took off the wedding ring? For me? After tonight's events, I feel rather unworthy of it."

Toby carefully chose his next words. "Listen, Jareth. I don't want to read into her mind and speak on her behalf. I probably already said too much already. But I just want to say that it's not your fault we're in this situation. And that you mean a lot to her."

He walked to the doorway. "And, just my two cents, you're a cool guy. I'm glad that you're in our lives. I know she and Ben feel the same way."

After a full night's rest (thanks to the healer for providing them with some sleeping drafts), Jareth, Toby, and Mara were back in planning mode. Samuel and Lorraine would come later, as they were both taking care of Jareth's duties in the meantime.

Mara looked to Jareth. "Sire, how about trying to find Ben in dreams?"

Jareth shook his head. "If it were easy, I would have found him already. But the Dreamworld is unpredictable and dangerous. It's like trying to look for a needle in haystack"

"But you haven't tried with me." She said, opening a rather old and large book, sliding it to him.

Jareth remained skeptical. "What do you know about traveling in dreams that I don't?"

She cocked her head towards Toby, pushing the book to him. "With our combined powers and Toby, perhaps you can reach Benjamin in the Dream Realm."

"Wait, me?" Toby asked, perplexed. "I don't have magic."

"Actually, you do, but you don't need to really use it here." Mara created a crystal. In it was Toby and Jareth together. "You are Benjamin's uncle, and you're close to him, right?"

"I guess, yeah?" He said cautiously.

"You would have dreamed of him a lot then."

Toby shook his head. "Not really, I have weird dreams."

"There are more dreams than the ones you remember, Toby," Mara said. "You could form a link with him, to appear in his dream. His Majesty can travel with you."

Jareth didn't look very happy about it. "This is a possibility I have considered and decided not to for a reason. While it could work, such a spell is incredibly difficult to pull off. You are not well-versed traveling in dreams like I-"

"Which is why I will remain in the waking world, using magic to connect to you. We can practice together before having Toby join us."

"Toby could get hurt," Jareth continued. "He could end up stuck in the dream world, unable to awaken. It will also be incredibly invasive, we could see Toby in extremely private sections of his mind. I'm not putting him in this situation."

The two looked to Toby, who was shaking his leg in agitation. "Listen, I'd rather not, you know, die or anything, but if it's a way to get Ben back, then I gotta do what I gotta do." He shrugged, as if he was going to do some menial, annoying task.

"Out of the question," Jareth reiterated. "Both Sarah and Benjamin are already in dire situations and I cannot add Toby to the mix."

Toby was half irritated that Jareth was speaking on his behalf and half empathetic for the man. He knew the Goblin King already felt immense guilt for the danger his sister and nephew were currently in, despite his promise to protect them and keep them safe. "I get it, Jareth. But it's my decision. I'm an adult and I know the risks. Let me do my part."

Jareth opened his mouth to argue again, but closed it. His eyes were wrought with thought and cold as ice, masking his true thoughts from Toby and Mara. Finally, he spoke. "Very well. But should you change your mind, you can leave the situation at any time. And the moment I feel it is no longer necessary for you to be there, I will send you away."

Toby gave him a single mod. "Deal."

"We will take every precaution possible," Mara promised. She took the book back from Jareth. "You would have to be tethered to His Majesty, and I would be there as well, though I would provide the magic necessary more than anything, but I can pull you back should there be trouble. That should cover any strange possibilities."

"But knowing how the Erlking did a bunch of unexpected shit," Toby pointed out. "There's still a risk."

Mara looked at him solemnly. "Yes."

Toby ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll do it, but what are our other options?"

Jareth made a crystal, turning it into a yo-yo, playing with it. Despite the gravity of the situation they were in, it made Toby smile as he had taught Jareth how to use one not that long ago. "I have demanded the High King to send me the Erlking, but Prince Anwir has mysteriously disappeared."

"Gee, what a surprise," Toby groaned.

"Quite," Jareth agreed with the same level of sarcasm. "I don't want to think my grandfather is hiding him but who knows. I also didn't know they were lovers either until last night. Finding him physically would be difficult especially through magic without really knowing what he wants or the extent of his powers. We could do that, I've already employed some spies. But then we would have to still find Benjamin."

"I think we should do that dream plan," Toby settled. "If it gets that bad, Mara can pull us out, right?"

"It would be difficult to try again, maybe even impossible as we would alert the Erlking, but yes."

Mara cleared her throat, drinking some more tea. "And Sarah? How is her condition?"

Toby's eyes immediately dropped. Jareth responded for him. "Not good. Her wounds are clean and she suffered some physical injuries, but there's some sort of magic barrier. Something stopping her from waking. But she is stable for now."

"We'll figure it out," Mara promised. "I will be back with supplies after lunch for us to enter the dreams and find Benjamin. After you and I practice entering the Dreamworld, of course."

Mara watched as their eyes rolled in the back of their heads, finally falling asleep.

She had never seen Jareth like that before. Long ago, when she first became a sorceress and joined him here, she had seen lovers go in and out of his bedrooms, never staying long. Sometimes, he was lonely enough to ask them to stay, to even suggest a marriage to very few of them (she would know because those women would inevitably brag about said proposal) but they didn't comply. They liked him or were entertained but few got close enough to even consider him a friend.

Even she had a difficult time getting to know him, since their relationship stayed at surface-level or as employer-employee level. When he brought Sarah to meet her, she could see right away how much she meant to him. The way he paid close attention to her every word. The way his eyes lit up whenever she turned his way. Even the people of this kingdom could see the change in demeanor.

Besides, she liked Sarah, as a person and as a friend. She hoped desperately that this would work, because she was sure Jareth would raze the entire Underground to bring justice to Sarah.

She pressed her hands to both of their foreheads, magic surging in their veins.

Toby held Leah's face in his hands as he kissed her in his car. God, he fantasized about her since their first year of college when they lived in the same dorm and then shared the same classes with her. She was smart, funny, witty, and now the best kiss of his life.

She let go of his now crumpled collar and ran her fingers through his hair. Her eyes lowered and she touched her finger to her lips shyly, bending over so he could see her cleavage. "Do you want to come inside? Have a drink or two?"

He nodded slowly, trying to not seem too eager. "Yes, absolutely."

"We're a bit short on time for that," a low voice in the backseat said.

"GAH!" Toby jumped, accidentally hitting the horn on his steering wheel. He looked back, finding the King of the Goblins in the back, laying on the seats. His usual loose shirt opened to the middle of his chest, one leg on the floor of the car and the other sprawled out. He smirked at Toby's glare. "What the hell, Jareth?!"

"Focus, Toby." Jareth sat up, amused. "You can dream about kissing women later, we have to find Benjamin."

Toby looked to the passenger seat, where Leah was still batting her eyes at him, as if he wasn't currently yelling at the magical king behind them. "Right, right. Damn, of all dreams to be interrupted too."

They got out of the car, Toby grumbling and whining a bit. He shook his head, trying to remember the reason he was there in the first place. "Right. How do we do this again? You told me to just… dream?"

"We have to travel to where he is, then we can enter his dreams." Jareth adjusted his gloves in an attempt to look cool and collected but Toby could see that he was agitated. "Then I can use my magic to try to decipher where he actually is located."

"But why do we have to travel? Why can't I just dream that he pops up here?"

Jareth sighed, fluffing his hair. He had already explained this but sometimes, dreams could be tricky and he'd just have to be ready to explain it again in case Toby forgot. "You could, but your mind doesn't quite work like that. Most humans don't, they see some sort of obstacle or other events to get there. Make up the rules of this dream to find him."

Toby looked ahead, still confused. "Okay, I guess. Umm, let's just walk and we'll see where we are?"

It wasn't a very long walk, as Toby dreamed for their steps to quickly take them to Sarah's house. He opened the door-

-finding his whole family there on graduation day.

He now wore a ceremonial gown, complete with the cap on his head. He was successful, with a well-paying job next in line right after a month of vacationing. He graduated with top grades and had plans to go further in his education once he earned enough money. He shook hands with his professors, hugged his friends, and kissed his now girlfriend Leah, who would be moving in with him now that they both were done with their degrees.

As he dipped her down for a kiss, a photographer took a photo of them. He grinned, looking into the crowd. His parents, his aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, sister, nephew…

He blinked. "Ben!"

Ben waved at him. "Catch me, Uncle Toby!"

Toby quickly ran after him. "Ben! Come back!"

Ben ran upstairs (weird, weren't they just in Sarah's one story home?) and into the bathroom. Toby yanked the door opened and nearly had a heart attack.

Below him were fluffy clouds flying past him. The icy cold wind threw him backwards. Instead of landing on the floor, he fell, finding that the house had completely disappeared except for the door frame.

Fuck, what now?

Make up rules of the dream.

He closed his eyes, imagining that he could simply float. "It's fine, I can float, it's fine."

He felt himself become weightless, even as he held against the door frame. He let go, eyes still closed. When he opened them, he found that he was floating higher and higher up the atmosphere. The sky got darker and darker as he reached space.

Toby shielded his eyes from the sun, feeling himself hyperventilate. He was so up high, he couldn't possibly breathe at an atmosphere this thin. Panicking, he tried to "swim" down, making a diving pose.

Immediately, he started to fall like a meteor. He felt himself grow hotter and hotter, unable to speak. He pictured Jareth over and over, screaming his name in his mind.

All of a sudden, he stopped moving, breaking the laws of physics that would otherwise kill him. Opening his eyes, he saw that Jareth was carrying him. "Toby, you were so close. A moment of doubt and your dream made you fall."

Toby scowled. "Well, where the hell were you? Where did you disappear off to? If you're dreaming too, why can't you bend reality and shit like that?"

Jareth's lips pursed so closely together in frustration, Toby could only see a line where his mouth had been. "We've been through this before you went to sleep. I usually observe dreams, occasionally give them to people or manipulate them. To actually join in someone's dream, as opposed to implanting a version of myself, is rare and takes a lot of energy. It took a lot to even show up in the back of the car behind you kissing your lady friend. I waited until you thought of me, it's easier that way. And no, I cannot change things as I am not a mere observing person but a participant. This is your dream, I just happen to be in it. And Benjamin's, when you were dreaming of him."

Toby turned red in embarrassment. "Umm, okay. What now?"

Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Find Benjamin, remember?"

"Okay but the last time I tried, I ended up having my house disappear and falling through the fucking sky."

"Try a memory, or a scenario involving him. And do not forget to think of me so that I can fetch him once you do have him."

Toby closed his eyes, picturing the first thing he thought of.

When he opened his eyes, the world had changed around them. He was in a bouncy house with Ben, wearing dinosaur-ninja costumes and eating ice-cream at the same time. Toby did a few backflips and Ben pretended to be Spiderman.

As they had the time of their lives, Ben pointed behind them. "Oh no!"

He looked behind to see some sort of angry porcupines with eight eyes like a spider, deflating the bouncy house. Their eyes zapped some sort of laser at another person jumping, turning them into broccoli and eating them.

"Run!" Toby jumped once more to grab Ben and started running for dear life, still carrying Ben in his arms. They tripped, his ankle spraining.

Damn it Ben, Toby thought to himself. Why do you have to have such weird ass dreams?

He grabbed onto his ankle. "Okay, it's just a dream. Stop hurting. Now!"

It didn't work.

He heard the spider-porcupines coming closer. He grabbed a leaf and rubbed it on his ankle, imagining that it had healing powers.

It worked, his ankle no longer hurt. He took Ben and covered him with his own body, imagining that he had the power to be invisible that would extend to Ben as those weird monsters ran away. He closed his eyes, telling Ben to be quiet and to breathe quietly.

When the sounds stopped, he opened them, he found that he was no longer holding onto Ben for dear life. Ben wore a suit, fit for a kid aged four. "Where's Daddy?"

Toby pulled him close. In truth, he was just a kid himself. He had no business trying to figure out to comfort a grieving child. "Oh, bud. He's… he's not here anymore."

"When will he come back? I miss him."

The heartbroken innocence of a young one tore at his heart. "I miss him too. He - he won't be coming back. But he loves you. He didn't want to leave."

Ben beat at Toby's chest. He was usually a reserved kid, but the tantrums from him got worse and worse. The world disappeared, only them in an empty space, floating in the darkness. "I want my Daddy!"

Toby knelt there, taking the blows. "I know. I know."

He looked to the side, seeing Jareth. He had on an expression that was near unreadable. Stony and silent.

Save for a single tear running down one cheek.

That tear told Toby more of who Jareth was than anything else. He looked back at Ben, taking his little hands and holding them. "It's going to be okay. Come with me." He walked towards Jareth, but right before he could, the scene before them changed. He barely kept his hold on Ben, refusing to let him get away.

Standing, he found them in the woods, much like the night of Halloween when he and Sarah had lost Ben. Ben stared into the dark path, of trees without leaves, leading through thorny bushes and up a dangerous path to a beautiful, golden castle.

"It's so pretty," Ben said. His eyes shined. "I need to go, Uncle Toby."

"Woah, we're not going anywhere, buddy," he held Ben's shoulders. Something about all of this was off.

Ben didn't seem to hear him, still staring at the castle. "I hear the singing."

Toby was about to ask when he heard it too. He looked ahead, walking towards the voice. Beautiful, like a chorus of angels. Lively and tempting, like a king's feast to a starving man. Airy and golden, like soft spun cotton.

The soothing sounds made him want more. He was sure he would die without it.

They called him, telling him that he could have his heart's desire, if he just did as they said. If he went to the palace and took his place as a slave for the Erlking-

*THWACK!*

Toby fell forward cursing, rubbing the back of his head where he was hit. He looked up to see Jareth, swords unsheathed. He looked pale and drained, breathing laboriously. "Mara, take Toby, now! We've located Benjamin."

"But, Sire-"

"Go now! Before the voices consume him!"

He looked to the ground, where Toby lay after he hit him on the back of the head with his sword handle. One blink, and he disappeared. Good. With the amount of power it took to walk directly in someone's dream, he preferred to work alone so that he didn't have to worry about Toby. Talking to Mara also zapped their powers, so he was more or less on his own.

He had no doubt that Benjamin was up there, in the glittering castle with the Erlking. He should have known that the Erlking would have kept the child imprisoned in his own mind. This must be how he took the life force of the children. Ingenious really, as no bodies would be found.

He cut through the thorns and walked up two steps at a time. Getting to the castle, he peered around the windows, finding a disgusting sight.

The Erlking was surrounded by gorgeous people of all types, pleasuring him. His head was thrown back in ecstasy as they used their mouth, hands, and other parts of their bodies to make him moan like that. It wasn't that sex offended Jareth, far from it (especially when he had partaken in such activities himself). No, it was the knowledge that he had used seduction to lure and harm many people.

With great effort, he transformed into a barn owl, flying upward to observe more of the castle. He saw that every tower was lit except the topmost one.

He flew to the window, going in and transforming back to his fae self. Creating a crystal, he commanded it to shine behind him. "Bog damn it," he swore when he took in the scene. "Benjamin!"

In the middle was Benjamin, laying on a slab of concrete, held together by chains. His eyes were opened, his iris and pupils gone, replaced by midnight black. He appeared to be sleeping. "I'm a good boy, don't hurt me," he whimpered.

Jareth took a deep breath. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a trap. Just by being here, he most likely already set off the alarm.

Ignoring his depleting energy that came with using his magic, Jareth broke the chains. He took Benjamin in his arms. "Benjamin, you won't get hurt. It's me, Mister Jareth."

Benjamin stilled, his lips blue and cold. Still, Jareth dared to hope that the boy would wake. He cradled him, fear seizing him at the possibility that he would fail. "Benja- Ben." He pleaded, pressing his forehead to the boy's. He had to wake up before Mara could take him, or else a part of him would stay here in the Erlking's mind. "Ben, please talk to me. Come to me, child. I will keep you safe. You have my protection, my oath that I will do all I can to keep you safe from harm as a father would to his child." And, softer, "As if you are my child."

Because to Jareth, Ben was his child. He loved him already, as much as he loved Sarah.

Benjamin slowly closed his eyes.

"Did you think that you could infiltrate my mind so easily, Goblin King?"

Jareth held Benjamin closer to his chest, his voice cracking with pain. "Come on, Ben, wake up. Please. I can't lose you."

"You cannot ignore me forever," the Erlking's voice echoed lowly. "Do you think that saving him will make Sarah love you?"

"It doesn't matter, I would do it anyway," he said roughly, trying to draw more magic to do an assessment on Ben.

The Erlking materialized at a door that definitely wasn't there before. "You have that look of hope in your eyes. Even if she has feelings for you, you cannot hope to compete with her late husband. She will see him through rose-colored glasses, not wanting to speak ill of the dead. Every mistake you will make, every argument will be compared to his in her mind. You will never be enough."

Of all the terrifying battles he had fought in his youth, of all the horrors he had seen, nothing compared to having his deepest fears being picked apart by some sinister entity older than even his parents. Doubt coursed through his blood, ice in his throat as he did his best to push the thoughts away.

He circled Jareth like a vulture. "She is confused because she is under stress and worry, then you come to her, being her son's supposed savior. You are a fae king with powers, of course she is drawn to that! Without all of that, do you think she would even look your way? Would she care for you if you were stripped of every fancy title and shiny costumes?"

The Erlking was right. Who was Jareth? Was he anyone that people would actually care for without all the theatrics? Without his titles and his powers?

"She does not love you, she is confusing her appreciation and awe for feelings of affection!"

Jareth gripped Ben even tighter. "You have gone too far."

In saying that, the Erlking thought that would make Jareth sink down even more to despair, but instead, it made hime even more convicted.

Sarah was not a fool. She cared for him because of him. Even if he didn't think highly of himself, he knew that Sarah was a better person than that. She did not see the superficial parts of him, otherwise she would have accepted that offer years ago.

The Erlking just leered at him, barring his dangerous smile. "You say that because you know it's true."

"Shut up."

"Why?" he challenged. "Afraid that the more I speak, the more you know that I'm right? That Sarah will wake up and see you for who you are, no longer looking at you with those rose-colored glasses? That when those glasses are taken off, all she can see is you, pathetic and broken?"

Jareth gently set Ben down, enacting a protective shield over the boy. "You have some nerve taking control of the world of dreams from the Keeper of Dreams himself."

He blasted a large surge of energy at the Erlking, missing him. The two rose into the air, Jareth growing wings. Manipulating reality, he made each wing grow into a blade. Spinning, he swiped the blades at the Erlking, who served it, blowing ice at Jareth. Jareth countered it with a crystal, blowing at it to create bubbles.

The bubbles kept multiplying until they collectively turned into mirrors, caging the Erlking in a sphere. Every time he tried to break it, the mirrors just multiplied.

Even so, it could only hold him off for so long. Jareth was growing ever more exhausted, but it was his last resort. He could no longer wait for Ben to wake. Placing a hand on the boy's chest, he pushed warmth into him.

For a terrifying moment, nothing happened. Jareth was ready to deplete every bit of his energy to wake Ben until he stirred. "Mister Jareth?"

"Ben!" He held his little body, tears leaking from his eyes, wetting Ben's shirt. "You're awake."

Ben hugged him tightly, crying. "I had a bad dream. I want my Mommy."

"I will find her soon, all right?" He pulled back to look into his eyes. Sarah's eyes. "You will be with Uncle Toby for now."

Ben's bottom lip trembled. "I want Mommy."

"I will find her, I promise," he hugged Ben once more. An idea came to him. "Mara! Take the boy! I will follow later!"

"What are you doing?" She shrieked.

"Trust me on this!"

The Erlking almost broke out of the mirror sphere, but Jareth blasted more magic to make it stronger and surrounded it with fire. "Take him! Now!"

"I hope you know what you're doing!"

Ben disappeared from his arms.

Jareth took off his amulet and encased it in a crystal. "Find your Champion," he ordered.

Toby woke with a throbbing headache. "Damn it, Jareth. Did you really have to hit me like that?"

He sat up, seeing both of Mara's hands on Jareth's shoulders. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her hair wild and blowing even without wind.

He looked down at Jareth and gasped. In the Goblin King's strong, safe arms was his nephew. "Ben!"

His nephew was whimpering. "Mommy."

Toby took him from Jareth's arms, cuddling him close. "Mara, what's going on?"

"Finding. Sarah." Her voice strained.

He bit his bottom lip. "Okay, I'll take care of Ben. Come on, buddy."

"Mommy," Ben whimpered.

Toby kicked the door opened. "Someone help me! I need a doctor!"

The amulet wasn't just a symbol of his place as king, but as the Lord of the Labyrinth. It floated out of the window and into the sky. Higher and higher they floated, away from the Erlking's golden castle. Jareth raised an eyebrow at the crystal, curious as to why. He thought that surely, the Erlking would have imprisoned Sarah in his mind as well.

He found himself in a dark, empty space. Still in the dreamworld but no longer the Erlking's dream. Or anyone's dream, really.

The crystal floated back to him, pressing against his heart.

He knew what he had to do.

Closing his eyes, Jareth thought of Sarah asleep on the couch in her home, where he had found her many times after she finished her chores for the day. Where he would often read in her company, touched that she felt safe enough to sleep with him around.

Opening his eyes, he found her there, fast asleep in her home. Everything was unstable, most likely because of her own magic, and he didn't have much longer before he would be kicked out of her dream. He held her face in his hands, hating that he didn't watch her more closely. "Sarah, please wake up."

She groaned, either from dreaming or from his words, he didn't know. "If you don't wake soon, I don't know what will happen. I don't know if I can reach you again. Please, don't go. Not when I was granted a second chance to know you."

He held her hand, pressing it against his heart, tears freely running down his face. He had a promise to keep to her, and he was going to make sure he fulfilled it. "You never finished the story of how you got the scar on your upper lip. I still don't know your favorite color or your favorite animal. I never told you that my favorite flowers are forget-me-nots. I don't think I can live with myself if you never wake up. If you don't wake up for me, please wake up for Ben. He needs you. There is no one better to care for him than his mother, who would do anything for him."

He bowed over her, still holding her hand to his lips.

"Sire!" Mara's voice rang through again. "You need to leave, I can't hold on much longer! You'll stay stuck in her dream!"

He squeezed her hand, his decision made. "Sarah, I will stay here with you. Don't force me to make that decision, I beg you."

As he was about to tell Mara to just go, Sarah's thumb brushed Jareth's tear from his cheek. Her eyes opened feverishly. "Green."

Jareth snapped his head up, holding her head. "Sarah?"

"I like all shades of green," she said hoarsely, feebly squeezing his hand. "Green is the color of trees in the summer or evergreens in the winter. I got the cut on my lip because I was chasing Toby and tripped, falling on my face. And I love owls, especially barn owls, because they remind me of you."

Jareth kissed her knuckles again, tears changing from desperate to happy running down his face. "You came back."

Her eyes never looked so stunningly green before. "And you came for me."

Jareth gathered her in his arms, bridal style. "I will always come for you, Love. We need to go, hold on tight."

Sarah held around his neck, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Mara! Now!"

A bright light enveloped around them, pushing out all the darkness until the Goblin King and his Champion disappeared.

I hope all my explanations made sense of why Jareth didn't allow Mara to be in his inner circle until now or how things work, let me know if you feel otherwise because I don't want to have plotholes but as the author, I'm so sick of rereading my chapters to comb through things lol.

Toby's dream needing some sort of weird "rules" to work is inspired by my own dreams. Sometimes I can't wake up out of them so I just straight up sort of lucid dream but not fully. Lol. If I could, I think a certain handsome goblin king would show up all the time. XD Sarah's story of how she got the scar on her lip is inspired by a real story that happened to me, I was chasing my brother and fell on my face lol. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews so far, it means so much to me!