Disclaimer: no matter how much I want to say I own Labyrinth and Jareth I own nothing of the like, so don't sue me even if I deny what I just said.

Last Time:

Jade furrowed her brows in confusion and concern at Jareth's words, but kept her eyes strained on the ceiling above her. "I'm sorry you had to suffer heartbreak because of a naïve girl, that didn't know how special the person standing in front of her really was."

Jade complied and slowly opened her eyes. Her emerald-blue eyes gazed intently at the palm of her hand to find an orb slowly formed. However, it wasn't what she expected it to turn out; the orb in her palm was formed out of flicks and shards of ice. Once the ice became an actual full sphere, in a flash of glitter Jade found a perfect crystal in her hand.

Jade gapped at the mismatch eyed king. "There's going to be a ball!? The Council of Kings will be assembling here, and you didn't tell me!!!?"

Jareth picked the groggy girl in his arms bridle style. Adjusting so his right hand was next to Jade's ear and face. "Sleep," he ordered sternly and snapped his fingers sharply. The sound echoed through the dancing hall harshly as the ordering voice echoed and died with it.

"You're too cruel…you can't hide everything…" trailed Jade. "Jareth…" and her ebony lashes fell shut as her body went limb in the Goblin King's arms; sleep had finally claimed her.

This Time:

Chapter 11-Coldfeet

Tap, Tap, Tap!

Long nails of shinning emerald rapped on the desktop out of pure boredom. Jade has packed her things away and decorated the stone chamber with her own mortal tastes. The young teen and devoured a few books over the few days she had spent in her room in Goblin Castle. However, books soon lost Jade's interest, so she reverted herself to drawing, but even that lost its interest. So now she sat at her desk starring out over the Labyrinth with a vacant expression of sheer boredom.

Two full days, she had anxiously waited for Tuesday evening. Now Tuesday had come around, finally, still the sun wouldn't set nearly as fast as Jade urged it too.

A sigh softly left rosy lips, the annoying continuous tapping of her finger seizing.

"I could always visit Devil at the stables that would pass the time…"

Meowwww!

Looking down at her other hand, Jade found her left limb had buried itself in the soft ebony fur of the feline Jareth's belly fur. A small smile played across the young woman's face as she scratched Jare's stomach as his petite paws batted the air.

Jade laughed softly. "Someone's enjoying the attention and my boredom!"

The scratching and attention giving had slowed and come to a halt. A sigh left Jade again as she rouse from her padded desk chair. Emerald eyes starred at the burning orb high in the sky at its peek of the day.

"Let's go visit Devil; it's been a while since we visited him. Come on Jare," and the teen and her four legged fur ball left the bedchamber.

As Jade walked through the castle she followed the ring on her hand, and its beam of red light; it was the first time she had used it. She went down large halls and simple and small corridors do descend down a large amount of spiral stone steps. Down and further down the pair of human and animal went, when they finally reached the ground floor. Descending the dark marble stairs of the Greeting Hall, Jade beamed; she had found her way, with the ring's help of course. The instant Jade's foot touched the floor of the hall, the ebony coated feline bolted.

Jade stared a little shocked and perplexed at her friend's sudden strange behavior, and then it clicked in her head. "Wait, Jareth! Get back here you," she yelled and bolted after the feline.

Jade raced after her cat, through the corridor and hall, through room and study, Jade chased her feline friend throughout the whole ground level of the dark Goblin Castle. She was surprisingly in good shape, but even with her well built legs she was always a few feet behind the sprinting cat.

"Jareth!!" she yelled out getting pissed now. "Ger back here, you damn cat!!!"

Said cat bolted through the opening gates as some goblin servants entered. Jade raced pasted them, ignoring the strange glances she received. She just kept her attention on the pursuit of her coal coated friend through the courtyard, down more stone pathways and down grassy hills that threatened her footing. Jade followed at a run all the way with her unbound hair a ebony banner flying behind her.

So absorbed in her pursuit of her cat, Jade didn't notice where she was going. So intent on catching her wild feline companion, she only noticed when Jare suddenly leapt from the ground, where she was. Coming to a skidding halt, the human girl nearly tackled the tall majestic figure that held her cat.

"Jareth!?" she gapped surprised beyond all reckoning to see the Goblin King standing there; she hadn't seen him in 2 days. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde raised a brow. "I could ask you the same thing."

Looking around Jade found herself at the stables, as the sent of horses, leather and fresh hay filled her head. "I was going to visit Devil when Jareth suddenly just took off. I was chased him all the way here apparently; his behavior worried me," stated Jade in an irritated manner as the Goblin King eyed her.

The brow remained arched in inquiry. "You…chased Jareth?"

The young woman huffed blowing ebony tresses out of her eyes, and then pointed abruptly to the feline in the King's arms. "Yes, I did; I chased the feline Jareth you idiot!! Like I would chase you anywhere!"

"Oh dear Jaden, I'm crushed!" pouted King Jareth playfully.

It was Jade's turn to raise a delicate brow in question. "You're crushed? I've come to know that it's particularly difficult to crush you, Your Majesty."

The silver haired male pouted for a few more second before he in turn bolted away from Jade. In his strong arms he still held an ever content feline. Jade shocked at the sudden change soon found she was following after.

"DAMN YOU GOBLIN KING!!!!" she seethed as she yelled to the point where it was heard all about the stables. "GIVE ME MY CAT BACK!!!!"

The young ten followed the fae at a sprint, but that itself wasn't enough. Even when it was obvious Jareth wasn't in a dead out sprint he still was faster then Jade. Calling up more speed Jade gained more and more ground, or was it the fae king was slowing down; she would never know. Growing angry with annoyance, Jade found the opportunity to leap at the man and tackled the King of Goblins to the prairie grass.

A hiss and a growl was Jare's sign of outrage of having to fly through the air, forced from his warm bed. The human and fae rolled down the pasture hill that was covered in daises and other wild flowers. Rolling uncontrollably down the pasture hill in a flail of limbs and the colors of silver and black the tumbling pair came to a halt as the split from each other heaving for breath. However, laughter came from Jareth making Jade conjure up images of how to torture him till he cried out Uncle.

"Bastard," spat out Jade breathlessly, while giving the king a swift kick in the ribs the best she could. "You knew that hill was there!!"

He chuckled with laughter as he moaned with pain at the same time as he rolled to the mortal maiden covered in the foliage of the land. "So what if I did?"

The raven haired girl glared daggers. "If I had the energy to move, I'd be clobbering you till you lost total consciousness!"

"Is that so?" Droned out Jareth as he came closer to the exhausted Jade, to the point where he was lining over her; pinning her to the grassy ground. "If you're so spent, does that mean you can't fight back?" He reached out and pulled Jade closer to his muscular frame.

A blush crept up Jade's cheek as her eyes grew wider. Her body didn't seem to want to move, whether from her exhausting run after both Jareths. Or the fact that the closeness of the beyond handsome fae king was coming closer and closer to take her lips with his own, Jade didn't know. All she felt was the hardness of Jareth's chest in her nervousness; the scratching sensation the blades of pasture glass created all along her exposed arms; the burning fire in her cheeks of her embarrassment she felt at being held to close by such a famous man.

However, the sound of hurried footsteps on the tall grass quickly brought Jade to her senses and she pushed herself up into a sitting position; her arm stretched out to push Jareth aside. Jade ignored the hurt expression he wore at her reaction to his advances, but she didn't mean it in such a way. She was confused, worried, nervous and above all else, Jade was deathly afraid of what she was feeling; so, so very afraid.

"What are you two doing down there," yelled out Crow from the crest of the hill.

"Nothing," called back Jade as she stood and dusted off her grass stained pants as Jareth followed silent and emotionless.

Sheera stepped up to Crow's side. "Sure doesn't look like noth'in."

Jade glared up at the woman thief with new ire. "I still got my clothes on don't I!?"

All looked rather shocked at Jade's words. They were sharp and angry words that held a serious tone. Sheera and Crow were only joking and poking fun, but Jade was dead serious.

Crow looked to Sheera. "What's got her shorts in a twist?!"

The thief only shook her head. "I'm not sure…"

Jade holding her head in one hand deeply sighed letting some of her frustration with herself go. "This wasn't what I wanted," she thought gloomily. She had come down to get some fresh air and clear her mind of all the complications that revolved around Jareth. All her collectively conflicted emotions where so smashed together that all she got out of it was pent-up rage. That wasn't something she wanted, far from it; she wanted peace of mind and heart.

So picking up her grooming cat, Jade marched up the hillside in silence till she reached the peek. "I'll see you at the magic lesson tonight, Your Highness," and she was gone.

"Oooookay, anyone what to enlighten me with what's going on with the girly?" asked Crow starring after the retreating young woman.

Jareth reaching the crest of the hill watched as Jade left. "No she was fine before, maybe I'm being to forward?"

Sheera and Crow shared a look from the corner of their eyes, both thinking. "Yea think!?!"

-O-

All afternoon Jade locked herself in her room in one of the tallest towers of the palace, kicking herself for being so anxious around Jareth. He was about to kiss her, again! She wanted him to do it too, but she was acting like a little girl with her first crush, blushing and pushing him away.

Absorbed so much in her own problems and mentally abusing herself with insults, Jade never noticed the sun begin to set or how dinner came and went. The rumbling of her stomach seemed not to exist as she kicked herself more into a depression. However, as the chime of the clock echoed hauntingly through the hallow halls and into her bedroom, Jade knew the dreaded and exhilarating hour of her lesson was upon her.

Rising from her bed, Jade wined her way through the halls to Jareth's study with the help of his ruby ring. It's doors were large and foreboding as she gawked at them. The instant the young woman stopped outside, the doors swung open of their own accord. With some hesitation, Jade stepped into eh room that held a dark polished desk with matching bookshelves, but there was no one sitting behind the large desk.

"Jareth," she whispered rather softly, hesitant and fearful.

The doors behind her slammed shut making Jade jump and flinch, which in turn made her ram her butt into the edge of the dark heavy desk.

"Jareth…" she croaked out more nervous then she knew she should be.

"Jade, there's no need to be frightened," whispered a silky calm voice, to wrap around the mortal girl like a warm comforting blanket; she couldn't keep the smile from her face. "You know I won't hurt you."

The raven haired teen turned to her left to find a figure cast in shadow, before a large circle window. The window looked over the whole Goblin City, with its burning street lamps and few goblins doing some last minute things. Jade looked at Jareth's back unsure of what to do; should she apologize for her sudden change of behavior? But it was obviously that, she wouldn't be here if she didn't trust the man hidden in the shadows. She didn't find Jareth, the King of Goblins more then attractive would she be so nervous and feeling butterflies in her stomach now.

Jade turned her eyes to the stone floor, but still she feels the warmth enveloping her, that Jareth had created. Finding and pulling out courage from somewhere Jade didn't know she spoke with hesitation.

"I'm not afraid of you Jareth…"

The silver haired Goblin King turned to her, face hard and emotionless; she visible flinched. Jade couldn't help but feel rather nervous in such a powerful being's presence. "You don't sound very convincing, Jaden." His conflicting eyes gazed and burrowed into Jade's emerald-blue ones with a new intensity that Jade didn't know. Even in the dark shrouds of the corner in which he hid, the mortal girl could see those eyes as if it was day. "If you aren't afraid of me, then what motivated you behavior earlier today?"

Ebony tresses fell forward blocking's Jade's face as she bowed her head. Moving her body so she sat on the desk at her back, she brought up a knee so her chin could rest on it. "Its not you Jareth…" she softly whispered making it sound more as a sigh. "It's me. I don't know what this is; I don't know what I'm feeling, it's so confusing!" Looking up she saw something in his blue and black eyes she couldn't recognize. "I'm afraid of what I'm feeling, not you, never you…" she lowered her eyes no longer able to keep eye contact

Jareth came forward and stopped a few feet from the deeply troubled girl. "That's no tall is it; there's something else that's bothering you."

She looked up suddenly in surprise. Jade never expected Jareth to figure out that Zaynon's words were constantly rattling in her brain; she sighed again averting her guilty orbs. "Yes, there is something bothering me. Zaynon said something that bothered me." Jade saw from the corner of her eye Jareth stiffen at the name, but kept going. "He said there was another reason behind me being here…" Looking fully at the king now she spoke seriously and almost demandingly, "What are you hiding Jareth?"

The king strode to his desk, in which Jade still sat upon, and seated himself in his high back chair of finished black; a stern look on his face. Jade turned her body so she could look at the fae better. "Jade you must know that a struggle for supreme power is building. That's why the ball and meeting are being placed here."

"That doesn't have anything do to with me! You're hiding something from me Jareth, and I want to know what it is; I want to know now!!"

Jareth's head shot up from his hand and glared at the deviant woman sitting herself so carelessly on his desk. "Its to soon to tell you anything right now, so put it out of your mind Jade," he growled out rather roughly; the obvious warning hidden within his words.

Jade scowled sensing the warning and wanted to push some more, but with a creature of such power as Jareth it was unwise, so she said nothing of the topic. "On to the magic lesson then?"

Jareth nodded and motioned to the seat before his desk, rather then his actual desk. "Alright then…" and the king sat straighter in his chair. "Do you remember how I conjured up your power?" Jade nodded. "I want you to do the same."

So the two hour long lessons began.

As Jade's lessons became more, she progressed greatly. Jareth was surprised at the young mortal's ability with magic as the days ticked by. Jade had advanced to the point where forming different things with her ice magic, in a week. Her concentration rivaled that of a fae, which caused the blonde fae to be cautious as well as curious.

However, as much as Jade's magic had progressed, after the two hour lesson Jade was completely exhausted. So weakened by her overuse of her magic, the human teen had to be carried bridle style back to her room. Yet as the lessons became more, the stress and exhaustion became less, but still took its toll on Jade. It was one of these night where Jade was still conscious as Jareth laid her in her large fluffy bed; she spoke of the coming ball.

"Jareth," croaked out Jade as she pulled up the covers, and before the Goblin King had vanished through the heavy wood door. "The ball is tomorrow night isn't it?"

He came to stand above the exhausted girl, softly smiling down at her. "Yes it is, every court official will be arriving tomorrow some time. " He looked at Jade's face with a look of curiousness. "Why, is there something bothering you?"

"No," she answered softly in a hushed whisper. "I was just wondering what I should ware; my normal clothes might not cut it."

A chuckle came from the King of Goblins at that and a soft pink rouse to the mortal girl's pale cheeks. "Something nice would be good; a caudal gown would do," Jareth answered pushing aside a strand of raven hair that had fallen into Jade's eyes.

Jade smiled sweetly up at the fae king. "Isn't there some things I should know though?"

"Like what?"

"How to address the lords and ladies; the proper way to act and sit, maybe learn some fae dances," she said timidly.

Jareth chuckled playfully. "As long as you are polite you'll do fine, and as for the dances, they are no different then the ones Aboveground."

The raven haired girl chuckled as a light pink rouse to her flawless cheeks. "I think I can handle that, don't you think?"

The Goblin King stroked Jade's silky ebony mane while giving a soft half smile. "You'll do fine. Now sleep Jade, you need your rest. The ladies of the court will be eager to ask how you ended up here; the cruel and brooding Goblin King doesn't let just any mortal into his home."

The warm glow in Jade's cheeks intensified at those words and she snuggled further into her warm bed. "I'll try to remember that Jareth," she said as her dark lashed lids fell. "Good night…Goblin King…" she said in a sigh as the young Jade fell blissfully into slumber.

"Good night Jade," he whispered back and vanished in a cloud of silver glitter.

-O-

Flicking her eyes open that were clouded with sleep, Jade met the morning light with a fleeing of freshness and excitement. Lifting her tired arms above her head, and pointing her toes to the footboard, Jade stretched her muscles as a sigh left her. Yet as she reached for the footboard, her toes didn't meet wood, but something warm and squishy; something like a body.

Bolting up into a sitting position, hair flying about her face in a disarrayed mess, Jade found what lay at the bottom of her bed.

"Jareth," gapped the teen as a sigh left her and her head fell to her hand in relief. "Don't do that ever again!"

The fae male grinned. "But why, my dear Jaden; is that method of waking not as amusing to you as it is to me?"

"Haa ha," she sarcastically laughed. "It's very unpleasant I'll have you know; all the blood is rushing to me head."

"Would breakfast in bed make it better?" inquired the king calmly.

Looking up at Jareth, Jade found him still grinning, laying on his side as a elbow propped him up. "Breakfast in bed…? That seems overly generous for one such as you."

"Jade I'm hurt," and the fae placed a gloved hand over his heart. "How can you say such cruel things after so long of knowing each other?"

Jade raised a single brow at the cruel part of the comment. "If I'm cruel, what does that make him?" However, Jade threw the thought aside, as her stomach rumbled for food. A strong blush of a million shades of red filled Jade's face as she stared up at her hand in her lap.

"Are you hungry little Jade?" Jareth asked triumphantly.

"I guess I am a little hungry…"

Jareth rouse with grace and poise only the Goblin King seemed to possess. "Say no more my dear," and he brought a silver tray over to her from her desk. The platinum blonde male placed it in the girl's lap. "There you are Jaden."

Jade gawked at the elaborate breakfast in her lap. All the silverware was real silver; polished to remarkable perfection that they were like mirrors. She saw her rested face in them, as well as her rat nest filled hair, but ignored it. There was a stack of nicely golden brown toast, with both jam and butter on it. Jade pile of nice fluffy scrambled eggs, freshly fired bacon lying on her plate as its lovely fumes made her mouth water and her stomach growl. Then her eyes where drawn to the single beach that lay on her plate. It made her chuckle at the mere sight of it.

"Peaches are going to haunt my dream now," she said softly to herself as she picked up the round fruit with its skin velvety soft. She turned to the king who had placed himself in a chair next to her bedside. "You can have this if you want?" and she extended the peach to Jareth.

Jareth made no move to take it; he just lifted a bow in curiosity. "I didn't do anything to it; it's safe," he said lining forward slightly as his blue-black orbs never left Jade's emerald green ones. "Or do you still not trust me?"

"It's nothing like that Jareth," Jade said seriously with hurt riding in her voice. "I'm just sort'a allergic to peaches is all."

"Sort of?"

Jade smiled, still holding out the gift of fruit. "I get a little dizzy so I have to sit down, and my tongue goes a little numb; nothing serious really." She smiled at the king waving the fruit under his nose. "I only eat peaches if I really, really want them."

Nodding lowly in understanding Jareth plucked the round fleshy fruit from her hand. "Very well then."

Jade turned to her own food and began devouring the fluffy eggs. Once done with those, she snatched a piece of toast and took a bit. Her eyes shot open; the jam was phenomenal and one she never had before. Turning to the silent blonde Jade open her mouth to speck, but the word died on her tongue. What stopped her words dead, was the fact that Jareth didn't have his leather gloves on. His bare hands held the peach to his mouth where Jade saw the flash of his sharp fangs.

The fingers of the Goblin King where as pale and pristine as porcelain, and Jade found she was envying him. His fingers were strong, as well as agile, vacant of all rings. From being covered all the time the young woman had assumed that they were horribly scarred, but they were perfect in every way. No scars marred Jareth's hands; no sign of anything that would led a person to cover their hands. The nail on each finger were long, but not like killer talons like his brother Zaynon. These hands were gorgeous and Jade longed to stroke their smooth surface with her own hands.

Jade never noticed that she had stopped eating to star at the agile hands of the Goblin King, till he spoke.

"Is there something wrong Jade; you stopped eating?"

Jade snatched her eyes away from the ungloved hands to look Jareth in the face. "You don't have you gloves on…"

He looked at his hands as if surprised that he did not. "Ah, yes, this would be the second time you've seen my bare hands."

"Second!?!" gapped a shocked Jade.

Jareth grinned as the teen's surprised expression. "Well first really; you were unconscious with fear when I first removed my gloves."

Jade made an 'Oh' face, but then found her voice to speak her mind. "But I thought they'd be scarred…you wear the gloves all the time. They're far from it though."

The majestic blonde fae lined closer to Jade who found her body wouldn't respond to her commands to back away. "I see where you get the assumption, but no; my hand are not scarred. It's a tradition among Goblin Kings to wear gloves." Jareth shrugged as if reading Jade's silent question of why. "Don't know why however, but we are allowed to show our hands to family, close friends, and those we court."

"C-court?" shackling spoke Jade as the words sunk in as she bit down on her delicious toast.

A mischievous grin spread across the King's face. "Yes, those we court," and he lined close to Jade who blushed at the closeness but still not able to sum up enough strength to move.

"What cadigory do I fall under," asked Jade hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Jareth chuckled as he lined back into his chair. "We'll have to wait and see Jaden; wait and see…"

Averting her eyes from the gorgeous haunting male fae, Jade saw the last strip of bacon on her plate. Picking it up between to fingers she held it out to the King of Goblins. "I'm afraid my eyes are bigger then my stomach, do you want it?"

With a strange half smile Jade had never seen before, Jareth lined forward from his chair. With smooth gentle fingers caressing Jade's hand slightly, he took the strip of fried meat. Jade shivered from the contact of his bare hand against her own; a thrilling sensation raced through her veins like lightning.

"Thank you Jade," he whispered softly in her ear as he finished.

Nodding lightly she smiled. "My pleasure."

Raising to his feet the blonde vanished the chair he had once been sitting in. "You should get dressed; the court officials will be arriving soon," and he strode toward the door.

Jade nodded her raven head silently as he clutched the hand King Jareth had intentionally stroked. "Yes my king…" she whispered as a strange affectionate sound dwelled deep within, that didn't' go unnoticed by either of them.

A/N: sry it took me so long to update (sighs deeply) end of semester stuff and its hell twice over! But I hope this chapter makes up for it, (humph) doubtful, this chapter isn't that good, but id didn't want the affection appear out of no where and seem to unreal. I wanted something realistic, the spare of the moment stuff really doesn't go well with me (shrugs) but I hope this shows that like any girl, Jade is a little nervous and scared. So till next time,

BLAZE is out BYEBYE ;D