Thank you all for the lovely reviews! They really do bring me a huge amount of joy whenever I get one. Keep me going some days. Keep em coming!

Sorry for the delay on this chapter everyone! I've been juggling a few projects and struggling to keep inspiration for all of them But here it is!

As usual, I own none of Jim Henson's content, only my own OC.

Enjoy!

Every shuffling step down the hall and stairs seemed like an eternity. Sarah never resented her body more than when she felt her weakness was annoying others. Intellectually, she knew she was being ridiculous. Everyone had been nothing but kind and considerate since she arrived here. Never once saying anything to suggest her infirmity was irritating. But she felt it must be, especially as they rounded the corner and saw Jareth waiting for her by the open castle door.

They saw each other at the same time. His face formed a small, sad smile. And she felt and answering one on her own lips. It felt as if they were both thinking, "This is going to be awful. I wish it didn't have to be this way." The weight of regret seemed to settle across her and she felt a twinge in her shoulders as they stopped lower, putting more of her weight onto Brenna.

The agonizing crawl towards Jareth only made her feel worse. Why did she have to be so spiteful? Why did he have to be so thoughtless and cruel? Why did she have to feel so tired and useless all the time? Suddenly exhausted she miss-stepped ever so slightly, but it was enough. She began to topple over. Brenna was trying and failing to keep her entire weight up by herself.

Oh god, an undead broken hip please no.

In the next instant she felt a pair of strong arms around her, lifting her to stand straight and out of danger. She gripped onto them for dear life before looking up into the face of the Goblin King who owned those arms. His face was a study in desperate concern.

"Are you alright, Sarah?" He murmured. His face was inches from hers, utterly heartbreaking in it's unreal beauty. She felt the slightly forgotten sensation of a blush creep across her cheeks.

Stop it, you foolish old woman. He wants none of you now and he's better for it.

The thought flickered across her mind like a flash of dark lightning. An answering pain in her knees caused them to start to give way again. Jareth quickly tossed a crystal behind her and lowered her slowly into the wooden wheel chair that had just miraculously appeared behind her.

She breathed heavily a few times, trying to catch her breath from the alarming experience.

Jareth was trying to catching his racing mind.

What was this? The last time he saw her she was so much stronger and seemingly a bit younger. But now he looked upon the old woman sitting in front of him and he couldn't begin to reconcile her with the goddess of vengeance who had cursed him. Had his actions caused this? He knew her emotions were somehow tied to her form. Clearly, the events of the last day had taxed her mind and spirit severely. His soul cracked a bit at this thought. It was all his fault. He deserved whatever punishment she dealt, but clearly punishing him was hurting her. He knelt down in front of her.

"I am truly sorry I have brought this sorrow into your heart. I deserve much harsher consequences. But, I beg you, please don't let go yet. I want you with me, I need you. Please stay with me."

Stay with me.

She remembered those words from that night in the hospital. Already it seemed ages ago though it was only, could it really have only been yesterday? The day before? She couldn't really place the time anymore. He had been so desperate to save her. In his way, he must care for her a great deal to put up with all this and still be begging her to remain with him.

He must care. He does.

The next deep breath seemed to be the one she needed. Her heart rate settled and the sudden aching slowly subsided. Although she still felt very tired. She leaned back, still looking into his pleading eyes, and nodded slowly.

A relieved grin spread across his features. He walked next to her the rest of the way to the carriage waiting for them outside. The wheelchair moving seemingly on its own power.

It was a small production to get her safely seated in the carriage across from Jareth, but soon enough they were on their way in a small caravan of guards, servants, and baggage.

Jareth cleared his throat. "We'll be taking the road through the Goblin City and out of the Labyrinth's domain. But once we are outside it we will be traveling by a Fairy Trod to Avalon. The capital city of the Underground. We should arrive in a few hours."

Sarah nodded in comprehension. When she said nothing, she noticed a slight disappointment on Jareth's features as he turned to look out the window.

We can't stay this way for a year.

"Is that where you're from?" she asked. Small talk, small talk could get people through even the worst of times. The word could be falling down around them but there would still be weather.

He turned back to her, his eyes holding surprise.

"Yes, it is. My family is from there. I also studied at the university there. It's largely due to the city's resources that I learned what I need to survive the Labyrinth and become the Goblin King."

"You had to run the Labyrinth?"

"Oh yes, like I said the Labyrinth is a living thing. It has very strict standards for who is allowed to care for and protect it. Although I admit, most of the time I feel like it is caring for and protecting me and my subjects. Candidates have to go through rigorous magical and historical study before being allowed to attempt the Labyrinth. It's a risky gambit. If you make it through alive you are still educated enough to earn a respectable position somewhere. But those that lose carry that loss in their reputation forever."

"Do people die!?" She asked in alarm.

He shrugged, "Not many. Really only those who don't respect it or it's citizens. Nothing is as it seems after all. All parts of the Labyrinth and those who dwell in it have duality. They can be perfectly harmless and charming one moment, and completely vicious and merciless the next. It's part of their symbiotic defense system. For example, there was one Fae who tried to slay the Wise Man you met in a fit of frustration with his useless advice."

"And…?"

"And the Wise Man happens to be a very powerful mage. The Fae didn't stand a chance in open combat with him."

Sarah shook her head in wonder. "I never would have thought…"

"Exactly."

Silence stretched for a long while before Sarah asked a very scary question.

"So, were does the taking of children fit into all this?"

Jareth took a deep breath, she was beginning to realize it was a tell of his whenever he was unsure how his words would be received.

"I only take that which is freely given. It's an old contract between the Labyrinth and Humanity. It's so old in fact, that not even I am really sure how they came to this arrangement. The Labyrinth is a large part of the reason humans experience dreams. It provides that service for a price. You remember when I said it was a creation based entity?"

Sarah flicked her eyebrows up in affirmation.

"Well, the creative potential in a human child is the greatest in all the universe. It feeds on that potential to sustain itself. It can survive without it but with it, the magic thrives. So it exchanges the dreams for unwanted children, offering a chance to win them back if indeed it was some kind of mistake. The children remain here and become it's denizens. Some become goblins, some turn into another manner of creature. But they all live within the Labyrinth, and the Labyrinth finds life within them. They do not suffer." He fidgeted with his gloves a little before continuing.

"The people who lose to the Labyrinth however, they suffer. If they accept the challenge, but concede, they are punished for disrespecting the child they sacrificed and the Labyrinth. To hold something so precious, and give it up twice. Not truly committing to rescuing them, it's seen as a grave offence. Most wind up milling around the Rubbish Burrows, clinging to worthless possessions and never remembering what truly matters. Not many have the strength to cast them all off, as you did."

Sarah stared at him, dumbfounded. It was a lot to take in. But what really disturbed her was, how none of it really disturbed her. By their alien morality all the Ts were crossed and all the Is were dotted. But she was human, she should be appalled by these cutthroat terms and conditions. She blinked a few times and turned to look at the passing landscape, trying to process it all.

"Why doesn't anyone have a clock?"

He was a bit taken aback by the question. And how distantly she asked it.

"Time is a pretty fluid thing here. There's no real way to measure it like there is Aboveground. I only use one because off all my dealing with humans. But usually we only have a vague understanding of how much time has passed."

"Thank you, for explaining." She said absentmindedly

"You're welcome. "he said, looking at her warily.

The carriage lurched to a halt. Sarah looked to Jareth assuming this was all part of their trip. But she soon found she was quite mistaken.

The hallmarks of predatory awareness start to playing across his body language. His hand went to a short sword on his hip and his eyes sharpened to look out the window without exposing his head.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound."

"What is it? What's happening?" she whispered.

"Drow."

He stepped proudly out of the carriage and closed the door behind him.

"What's the meaning of this!?" She heard him bellow. Quickly she rifled through her reticule and pulled out a small hand mirror. Very carefully she held it up to her window to see that was happening in the direction Jareth went.

8 dark elves with white hair and black armor. Gygax was right? She shook the thought out of her head and tried to focus on what they were saying, slightly muffled from the distance.

The lead Elf bowed in open mockery.

"Your Majesty. This is such a lovely surprise. Here me and my gents were wonderin if we were to be without your company at all today. Such a large and resplendent entourage you have. I'm sure you will have no trouble at all paying our toll. Just a wee inspection to relieve you and your troop of your excess cargo."

It seemed to be a highway robbery, but something about her phrasege hiccuped in Sarah's mind. They had known they were coming.

"You dare threaten a Labyrinthian delegation?" Jareth hissed. Answering growls rolled from the throats of his honor guard. The visceral outrage of the sound echoed strangely in her own veins.

8 against 12 plus Jareth. What on earth were they thinking?

"Threaten?" The leader seemed appalled at the very idea. "Of course not. We merely wish to lighten your load. Of course, we shall defend ourselves if you resist. You've left the Labyrinth behind you, my Lord. The great beast can't protect you out here."

The whine of unsheathing metal. Now everyone's swords were out.

Then she saw them. Her own view of the back of the caravan granted her a clear eyeline on the movement in the bushes around them. They were being ambushed silently while Jareth was distracted by their front man.

8 plus 5, no 10. 17. 25 elves in all. This wasn't a robbery. This was going to be a slaughter.

They were going to kill everyone. They were going to kill Jareth. Panic started to rise in her chest. But soaring past it was a fiery wrath and the great sound of an all encompassing voice.

UNACCEPTABLE.

Damn right

Without another thought, she leapt from the carriage and hoisted herself onto the roof so she could see on all sides.

"STOP!" She shouted

All eyes turned to her.

Jareth's heart stuttered to a halt at the sound of Sarah's voice echoing behind him. No, what was she doing!? He whipped his head around to see her, but couldn't believe his eyes. Sarah, stood square on the top of the carriage with her skirts hiked up in her fists. Her grey streaked brown hair whipping around in a great wind. That same purple torrent of energy swirling around her body. The Labyrinth symbol on her brow glowing as if on fire.

Then he saw they were being flanked and got his wits together. He and his men began to engage the assault. The sounds of battle beginning to echo all around them.

The lead Drow didn't see the magical foretelling of her certain doom. Seeing only a middle aged human standing on top of a carriage in a rather reckless way. She drew back the string on her bow and aimed well.

"Who are you? Do tell me before you get an arrow caught in your throat."

Sarah leveled her eyes at the threat.

"I'm the fucking Champion you bitch."

The Drow only had a split second to regret all their life choices.

Sarah stomped her foot, sending out a great wave of purple energy in all directions. Sparing the Labyrinth's brood, but all the elves quickly doubled over, screaming in overwhelming pain.

The arrow loosed.

Sarah's vision went dark.