Chapter 11: Two Years Missing

Nell dropped the box on the already towering pile with a huff. She pushed against her back with both hands and let out a sigh. Looking around the room she thought to herself, what a mess; but at least I'm done here. I pity to think who has to sort through it all. She turned towards the exit and cleared herself a path. What in the world do they need so much silver for if they just keep it all stuffed up in here? Rolling her eyes, she strolled off towards the throne room. He was sure to be finishing up his paper work, or rather his procrastinating of paper work, by now. A small smile graced her cheeks.

In the throne room, Jareth draped over his throne staring into space. A little ways off stood a desk piled high with stacks upon stacks of paper. A single sheet flew off one stack and fluttered towards the ground where others had wandered off to. Jareth was startled by the sound of a throat being cleared. When he glanced at the door, a crooked smile formed in response to the figure leaning on the frame with arms folded.

"Shouldn't you be doing something other than lazing around with your feet in the air?" Nell prodded light heartedly.

"I was just about to get to work when you arrived." He replied, looking like that was the last thing he was even thinking about doing. "But since you've already interrupted my concentration, why don't you join me? Then you can do the laying around with your feet in the air…" The implication in his voice was impossible to miss.

Nell shot him a dirty look, but he smiled on regardless.

"You are such a pervert, you know that?" She pushed his feet off the throne's arm and sat down staring forward. After a short pause, she asked, "Where do you disappear to all the time?" Jareth raised an eyebrow, but Nell's face was unreadable.

"I go to check up on someone." Inflating with pride, he added," Really he is so lucky to have someone like me around."

"He?" Nell asked turning to look at Jareth.

Jareth gave a huge smile, "My heir, Toby." He didn't notice Nell flinch. After all, he didn't think Nell knew a thing about the two humans who had come to the Labyrinth before her. Nell jumped up from the throne with a smile.

"Well I better get back to work, maybe if hell froze over, you would do the same." Nell caught him make a sour face before she left. As soon as she turned the corner of the doorframe, the smile dropped.

Two years had been more than enough time to learn the story of the most forbidden topic in the entire Labyrinth, seeing as Goblins were horrible at keeping secrets. At first she had only heard bits and pieces, through gossip and overheard conversations, about the only girl to defeat the Labyrinth. It wasn't until she drilled Roon for details that she really got anywhere. The little Goblin was entirely devoted to her by now, and anything he felt he couldn't share she would trick out of him. So it had more than just shocked her to hear that the baby, her brother, was Jareth's heir. Nell already knew he had been crushed when she left. Was this attachment to her younger brother a bad sign? That he was still attached to this girl, this…

"Sarah." She whispered determinately. It was an answer, a statement, a fact; not a question.