Chapter 33.

Sarah stood in the empty bedroom; outside the sun was setting. She wondered if the Fae King had arranged that or sped up time, or reordered it yet again. She was not sure how time was measured between the realm she was living in and the one she had lived in. Moving though the room she remembered the lights had not worked that night. She had tried the wall switch repeatedly. He had placed her in the room next to the switch. "You want me to re-enact that night?" she asked aloud, but was only answered by the echo of her voice in the empty room. "This is not the way it was…" she held her court skirt out. "I was not dressed like a Labyrinthian. This room had furnishings! And a screaming baby! A storm was raging outside…" even as she said the words, a flash of lightening crackled in the sky. "Show off!" she said turning at the sounds of wings beating wildly at the window. "Here we go again." She groaned to herself.

The French windows burst open and Quinn dressed as Jareth had been, appeared in a burst of glitter. "We always did like a grand entrance." He smirked, placing hands at his hips as his other half had done.

"It's not quiet the same, Quinn." Sarah said cockily, and waved at the room. "This was not an empty room that night."

"Well," He crinkled up his nose teasingly, "we have to fudge it here and there, lovey. The bedroom set is…occupied at this time…" He stated airily grinning lewdly. "And I really don't relish a crying babe at this moment." He winked at the shocked young woman. "Come on, Sarah…play along."

Sarah tapped the toe of her shoe, "Quinn I was not dressed like this."

"I know how you were dressed…I like this better." He looked appreciatively at her long skirt and the bodice that did not hide her curves. "Far more fetching than that dreadful baggy shirt over the pants. A woman in pants…whose idea was that. So come on, I've flown in a window…and your reaction was.." He urged her to take the cue.

She shook her head, heaved a sigh and said recalling as best as she could, "You're ... him, aren't you? You're the King of the Goblins." When she spoke, her voice was an awed whisper.

Quinn bowed, "See that wasn't so hard, now was it?" His eyes were fixed upon Sarah's with a concentration she found commanding. When he took a step toward her, into the light from the doorway, she suddenly had the impulse to retreat. "Is that fear I see in your eyes? Was there fear that night?"

Sarah thought about it, "Yes, there was…I hid it…but yes…several layers of fear. Fear of what my words had done, of what my father was going to do to me when he found out…and then fear of…" She looked at the Fae King. "Of you…him…. The Goblin King." She waved at the fluttering cape.

Quinn crossed his arms, drawing on the memory, "What's said is said." He told her.

"I did not mean it and he knew it!" she stomped her foot, now in a shoe and on a floor that had no rug, no carpet it made a dull thud noise. Nearly three years had passed and still she was miffed at having had her words taken so literally.

Quinn moved closer, "Ah you didn't?"

Sarah took an involuntary step back, then stopped. "Quinn, I don't like this game." Her voice was raspy as if she could not breathe right. "I don't want to remember, I don't want to play." She was afraid, and in some place in her mind unwilling to face that night and it's truths in the company of Quinn.

"Look at me, Sarah." He spread his arms and moved round her as the Goblin King had that night. "Now tell me, without spending time thinking about it, what you felt when you saw him. When you see me…tell me what is going through your mind." He stopped to place his hand under her chin. "Tell me." Lightning traced the veins of the sky and lit up his face.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…so powerful, so commanding…so… handsome…." She wanted to pull away; his fingers with a gentle pressure would not let her. "Goblin King."

"He told you he'd saved you… freed you." Quinn crooned. "And your reaction?"

"Panic." She gasped. "I felt panicked then and I feel panic now, I want to go home Quinn! I do not like this, and I want to go home. I can't re-enact my first meeting with Jareth …not with you. "

Quinn stepped closer. "You asked that the child be taken that night." He said with a kindness she had not expected. Sarah closed her eyes; his breath bathed her face. "There's no baby this time Sarah. It's just you…and me." He watched as the face relaxed slightly. "Open your eyes, Sarah. Look at Quinnie." He coaxed.

Lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, the room was dark now, the storm ragged out side. Lightening flashed and lit the room up, making the mismatched eyes with the hearts of dark Azure were gazing at her with content. Green eyes with hearts of gold and blue looked back, "Oh God but you're beautiful." She moaned in a hoarse sigh, then bit the lips that betrayed her so easily. She looked down and wondered if she could just disappear.

Leather clad fingers stroked her chin, working down her throat. "Thank you," He said pleased at her honest reaction. "Look at me, Sarah."

Hesitantly she let her eyes meet his. "Yes, Quinn?"

"Let us continue with this stroll down memory lane." He coaxed softly. "I've brought you a gift, Sarah," he said, holding it out to her. A glowing crystal had appeared in his hand.

Sarah stared at the orb spinning on the gloved hand. "That's not the same one…is it?"

"NO." Quinn said soundly. "That ship has sailed." He stopped spinning the orb.

"What is this one? The secrets of the universe?" her voice was icy.

Quinn grinned, "A crystal, nothing more." With a teasing smile, Quinn extended his hand toward her. His voice was quieter now, and huskier. "Do you want it, Sarah?"

Sarah hesitated, another bolt of thunder and lightning illuminating the sky behind the Goblin King, and Sarah bit back a startled yelp. He still held one hand under her chin. "Don't fear the storm outside, the one in here is far more dangerous." Quinn moved his hand and the orb floated over his fingers. The gift was not the only seductive thing in the room.

Sarah looked at the orb then back at the mismatched eyes. "What kinds of strings are you attaching? Jareth wanted me to give up the baby, and as you have pointed out there is no baby here. I learned a long time ago from both of you that nothing is for nothing, everything has a price."

"No screaming baby." Quinn said halting the spin of the orb. His hand moved down her throat, his thumb coming to rest in the hollow. "But there is most defiantly a baby here, baby." He growled. "You know, it's a good thing the bedroom set is back at the castle." He teased.

"So what will you demand?" Sarah suddenly sounded angry. Her eyes were closing to angry slits.

Quinn snorted, and tossed his mane of dark blond hair. It was not nearly as light as it appeared when he was with others, nor did it seem as baby fine. It looked more like a mixture of both sides of the Shattered Soul combined. "I will make no demands, Sarah. Merely a request."

"Yeah right…" she did not trust him anymore than she had trusted the other half on that first night. "So what's the request?"

"That you remember I am not my brother. This time it's me, Quinn, you are dealing with." He said raising the hand with the orb. With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the crystal. With another wave, he plucked a live snake from the air. He held it with a straight arm in front of him, so that it writhed and hissed near Sarah's face. Then he threw it at her. "Don't defy me," he warned her.

Sarah stared at the snake. "Quinn!"

The snake turned into the same kind of scarf that had appeared that night. HE watched as it slowly floated down to the floor; she stared at it as well. "Sarah, you're not playing." He said sadly. "That snake into scarf trick was one of my suggestions that night."

"I don't like your game." She pulled away from the hand holding her throat only to have herself pressed to the wall. "I don't want to play!"

"That's because it's not my game we are playing…it's his." He waved his hand, gone was the scarf from the floor as if it had never been, and the trappings of the Goblin King disappeared as well. Now Quinn of Tarsi stood before her. He noted the panic rise in her eyes as she flattened herself to the wall. "You fear me more than him…now why would that be? You don't know me, remember?" He moved his hands down her shoulders. "He wanted to shower you with gifts and all you could do was complain about the baby. Why reject what he had to offer? Wasn't he pleasing enough to you?"

"I was fifteen!" she gasped. "I was suppose to be watching my brother…not being seduced."

"Yes, well, there's not little brother here tonight, and you are no longer fifteen." Quinn murmured as his face came close to hers. "So baby, wantta neck?"

"Get away from me you…you…wolf!" she shoved him back.

Quinn laughed. "OH come now Sarah," he moved back toward her carefully. "You know you want old Quinnie to put the moves on you."

"I do not…" she protested a bit too quickly and moved swiftly across the room. "What ever gave you the idea I did!"

Quinn grabbed her from behind, pulled her tight against him. "You did, baby." He crooned in her ear. He felt her freeze up. "Easy girl, I'm not planing on ravaging you here and now."

Sarah exhaled, "You Fae are a randy bunch of perverts."

At her ear he breathed, "There will come a day when you'll be damned glad of it." He promised. Tightening his arms, he rocked her side to side. "Relax Sarah."

"Easy for you to say." She felt her heart pounding. "I think I'd feel safer if I were dressed in my jeans and poet's shirt."

Quinn nuzzled her neck; "Those garments never did you justice. What you have on now, on the other hand…" He flirted gently. "Oh Sarah, you are far more then just eye candy. You are an unspoken promise." He eased his hold on her, then at a leisurely pace turned her to face him. "Close your eyes, Sarah." He leaned toward her.

Sarah blinked rapidly as she felt his mouth on hers. Much as she wanted to fight the kiss, she also wanted the kiss. She enjoyed the way it made her feel. Closing her eyes, she gave herself over to the pleasure of the lips on hers.

Quinn ended the kiss. He looked at her with tenderness. "For the record, my dear. You were never safe, not even in you beloved jeans. Jareth was lusting for you in his heart of hearts. You were and are the deepest desire of the Goblin King."

Looking around the dark empty room, Sarah whispered. "Quinn, I want to go home."

"Moving right along…." He waved his hand and they were on the windswept hillside. "Home, sweet, home."

"You're enjoying this!" She snapped.

Quinn no longer dressed as the Goblin King, seemed more relaxed. "Yes, I am. And you should be too." He looked around the hillside. "Sit with me, Sarah." He sat on the sandy hillside and looked toward the Labyrinth. Sarah reluctantly took a seat beside him; she too looked toward the Labyrinth. "Did you know that this was one of Jareth's favorite views?" She shook her head. "Well, it is. Jareth loves this place."

Sarah looked at Quinn, "What is your favorite view, Quinn?"

"Sunrise on Tarsi." He said with a wistful tone. "It's breathtaking." He looked over at the girl. "What's yours?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment, "The view from the Wizard's Tower."

Reclining on his elbows, he regarded the girl. "Someday, I'd like to show you Tarsi, as I know it." He cocked his head to one side. "Perhaps we should plan a state visit."

Sarah made a face. "I have enough plans to see to right now, thank you."

Quinn pulled her down to lay beside him he hugged her close. "Time enough to worry about wedding plans Sarah. Right now, we are not going to worry about any of that. The only thing you and I are going to do is get to know each other." He stroked her chin; "I don't want to see you as an adversary, nor a advisory. You are a beautiful young woman. And it's that part of Sarah Williams I seek to know."

"You still scare the hell out of me." She whispered. "Both of you do."