Chapter 8

Sarah was being shaken, and she slapped at the hand, trying to fall back asleep.

"Just five more minutes, Jareth.", she muttered, turning her back to her assailant.

"Jareth?", said a voice, half shouting. Sarah suddenly sat bolt upright and glared at her younger brother, who was standing over her.

"What is it?", she growled.

"Today's the day. Leanna's not back yet, so you need to go see her.", Toby replied.

"Nonsense. I just saw her. In a dream. She's fine."

Toby knew better than to ask how she knew that from a dream. "Well, something could've happened between then and now. Or maybe she was just acting for you, and she's entirely different at the castle."

Sarah sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But we should wait a couple days, let them, uh, think I'm not coming. I daresay, Leanna was definitely counting on me going there as soon as possible. We should catch them off guard."

Toby looked at her closely, then he nodded. "Good idea. What about Monday?"

Monday. Two days from now. "Yeah.", Sarah agreed, "Monday is good. Toby, uh, if I don't come back... Well, I've already had my will fixed so that when you turn eighteen, everything goes to you, save a few thousand dollars in a college fund and a monthly income of $8,000." Sarah bit her lip. I had just occured to her that this might not be the best time to tell him that. He was gaping at her.

"Sarah, I think our parents might've been slightly very well off.", he finally said.

Sarah grinned. "I think you're right." And Sarah went to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

Jareth's heavy eyelids fluttered open reluctantly. He was blinded for a few moments by the bright sunlight that streamed into his room. After his eyes adjusted, he sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly. When he brought his hands away from his face they were wet. He tasted the liquid. Saltwater. Tears. Jareth felt his face. Tears were running freely down his cheeks. Small drops appeared on the sheets. His pillow was near soaked. Jareth slowly came to terms with the fact that he, the Goblin King, was crying. Why was he crying? Jareth struggled to remember what his dream had been about.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a voice called, "Dad, are you awake yet?" Suddenly, everything came rushing back with a force that made Jareth gasp.

Jareth swallowed his tears, nearly choked on them, and croaked back, "Barely."

"Dad, are you all right?" There was concern in Leanna's voice.

"Yeah, I'm uh... I'm fine."

There was a scoff of disbelief. "You're crying, aren't you? And don't lie, because I've got a crystal in my hands and I'm watching you cry."

Jareth swore and waved his hand. The door opened and Leanna strode in. "What do you want?", Jareth muttered angrily.

"I never actually had a crystal.", Leanna told him, ignoring his question and examining his eyes. "I had to end the dream. Uncle Toby was shaking Mom, and he would've gotten worried and taken her to a hospital or something if I hadn't let her wake up."

Jareth growled. "So it was you. I thought maybe it was JJ and you were just watching him. How did you learn to make dream?"

"Er, well..." Her words, or lack of them, told Jareth everything.

"I'm going to kill your little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." But her face clearly told Jareth that she wantedJJ to be her boyfriend.

"But you do love him." It wasn't a question.

"I... Stop changing the subject!" Leanna's eyes had gone from their usual bright, shocking blue to a very dark blue, almost black. Jareth decided it was a good idea not to argue.

"It's over. Forget about it.", he told her, waving his hand in dismissal.

"Oh, no, Pops. It's only just begun.", Leanna replied, grinning wickedly. She snapped her fingers and the covers suddenly came alive and enveloped Jareth in a cocoon. Jareth could barely breath. "Leanna...", he gasped.

Jareth heard Leanna choke, and the power broke. Jareth tore off the blankets. Leanna was on her knees, gasping for breath.

"Have you learned nothing?!", he roared at her, "Learn to control yourself, girl, or you'll kill us all!" He sighed, realizing he was being slightly hypocritical. He had to learn to control himself as well. "Your power is still very much raw and only slightly tamed. Don't abuse it or it will take you over, and you will do much worse things than simply try to kill me."

" I just... I just wanted you to see the mistake you're making.", she said. Her breath was becoming more ragged.

"What mistake is that, love?", he asked, kneeling down beside her. He was afraid she was going to faint.

"Don't... Don't let Mom get away from you. Do the one thing that I'm too afraid to do."

Jareth was confused now. "And what's that?"

"Tell... tell the person you love... that you love them." And Leanna fainted and slumped to the floor.

Jareth was suddenly aware of another presence, and he looked up. JJ was standing in the doorway. Jareth sighed. "How long have you been standing there?", Jareth asked his apprentice archmage.

JJ let out a sigh very much like Jareth's. "Long enough.", the younger man answered. He walked over and picked Leanna up like she was a damsel in distress, which she kind of was. "I'll take her to her room."

Jareth nodded and let the young man carry Jareth's daughter out of the room. He just hope she had not used up so much of her power and energy that she would not come out of the coma she was currently in.

Jareth summoned one of his messengers. "Go to Lady Sarah and tell her that Princess Leanna is unwell. It's an emergency." The goblin bowed and hurried off. Jareth hoped the little creature wouldn't be to late.

Jareth seemed to be hoping a lot these days.

JJ sat beside Leanna's bed, refusing to leave her side. Jareth had come to sit with her for a couple of hours, but he wasa king, and he had duties to perform. JJ, on the hand, was doing the most important thing in the world. He was slowly weaving a spell that would give Leanna enough energy to wake up. JJ knew very well that he wasn't near being qualified for a spell of this level. He knew the spell could easily kill him. But as long as it saved Leanna from dying or even being in a coma for the rest of her life, it would be worth it.

"Oh, Leanna.", JJ whispered, "I want so much to tell you right now how much I love you. I want to tell you that you don't have to be afraid of that, that I trust you with every fiber of my being. But if I can't speak it out loud, perhaps my dying for you will tell you everything." He sighed, sat down at the piano, and started playing a slow sad melody.

Sarah was watching Toby play World of Warcraft. She was bored with nothing to do, so she was resigned to watching Toby play his game. It wasn't that she didn't like watching him play; he was very good at it and sometimes, he'd have nice conversations with other gamers. But right now, her mind just wasn't into it.

She kept playing the events of her dream over and over again in her mind. Why hadn't she told him that she loved him? Why hadn't she kissed him? Why hadn't she strangled her daughter? She kept asking herself these questions, and Sarah finally came up with an answer to at least one of them: The next time she saw her daughter, she would strangle to girl.

Sarah heard a snuffling coming from the door. Sarah looked. She thought she saw something, but it had moved too quickly for her to see. Toby must've heard it to, because he shut off his game.

"Did you hear that?", Sarah asked him quietly. He nodded and moved towards the door. He paused for a moment then leapt out of the door. He tensed for a moment, then relaxed and smiled.

"It's all right, Sarah.", he said, grinning at her.

Sarah slowly followed him out of the door. Standing in the hall was a goblin, about three feet tall.

"My name Oort.", the little goblin said, "Kingey send message."

"What is it?", Sarah asked the little creature.

"Kingey say to tell Sarah Lady that Leanna Lady Princess not well. Kingey say it emer.... emage... geminy."

"A 'geminy'?", Toby asked.

"An emergency.", Sarah corrected.

"Oh."

"Toby, you have to wish me there. Now."

"Sarah, it could be a trick."

"Oh, no.", Oort proclaimed," Leanna Lady faint. Lord Jay say Princess could die, gonna give Lady Leanna his life force-"

"I wish that for my sister to go to the Goblin Kingdom to help her daughter!", Toby shouted.

There was a flash of bright light as Sarah said, "See you, little brother."

Good bye, Sarah.", Toby shouted, shielding his eyes. When he looked again, Sarah and the goblin were gone.

Another chapter gone. The next one probably won't be here till Monday or Tuesday... I don't write much on the weekends.

Jareth:*suddenly appears* This is not the sort of tricking I was talking about!

Lp: Sorry. My story, my rules.

Sarah: *suddenly appears* Jareth, why don't you take Leanna's advice and do what she's afraid to do.

Jareth: Sarah, I lo-

Lp: Not now! Wait for the next chapter. Or the chapter after that, I'm not totally sure yet.

JJ: *suddenly appears* First things first, we help Leanna.

Leanna: *mutters in self* I want chocolate.

Jareth: Well, I'd say you're taking care of that quite well on you're own.

Lp: You're not going to let him kill himself, Jareth.

Sarah: Then what's gonna happen.

Lp: Not sure yet...