T.D.K- Sorry for the delay on this chappie. I had a lot of things rushing at me at once. I own nothing except for Liz. Please enjoy!

"It's unlike Jareth to leave like that." Sarah said. The group of five had made it partway through the labyrinth, and were all wondering why the Goblin King had left. The champion looked at her friends. They were either settled on a set of steps, or on the ground below the steps. Hoggle was to Sarah's left; Sir Didymus had taken the place to her right. Ludo sat before her, Liz curled into his furry side.

Something is wrong within my labyrinth, Sarah. Your friend must remain to help me solve the problem. I believe she may be the only one who can find it. Where are you?

Near where I fell into the oubliette. She didn't like that Jareth could invade her mind. Sarah DID NOT want the king to know about certain dreams she had. She blinked. One moment he wasn't there, and the next he was.

"Underground is not safe for you, Precious. Liz will be safe within my castle, while I will be hunting this being down. You will return to your home."

"No, I won't! Not without Lizzie!"

"Sarah, don't defy me!" Liz rolled her eyes, then stood.

"Sarah, Jareth's right. Whatever's causin' dis wants ta hurt ya, badly. Go home. One o' us has ta stay an' keep our dorm mates from wonderin' why dey haven't seen us. I'll talk ta ya via da mirrors. It prob'ly doesn't know 'bout me, so I'll be fine. I'm a lot tougher den I look." Sarah watched the flash in those sky eyes. The brunette knew a little about her friend's past, about the place that had been her hell.

"I know that, but I do worry about your mentality."

"I'm not a doll, Sarah. I survived dat hell, an' I'm stronger for it. We all have demons, Sarah. I jus' happened ta have kicked mine's asses a long time ago." Liz grinned. Sarah hated it when the red head was right. "Ya know dis is a losin' battle, Suge."

"I hate when your right."

"Ya ain't da only one!" Liz gestured toward Jareth. He glared at the woman, who began to giggle uncontrollably. Sarah sighed, hoping this would prove to be a good idea. If Jareth and Liz didn't kill each other first, that is.

"Fine. I'll go home. If I can help, I want to."

"O.k. Don't forget ta kiss your lover on da way back home!"

"Liz!"

"Empath!" Jareth and Sarah looked at each other, then to the hysterically laughing empath. Sarah pointed at her, while leveling a glare at the king.

"You broke her!" She accused. That was the only reason Liz would have possibly revealed her secret.

"He did not!" Liz said, her tone bored. "I've been starin' at da Escher room for awhile. I need ta work da crazy out." Sarah placed her face in her hands. Only Liz would be this hyped up after seeing Jareth's Escher room. She thought.

"You're annoying as hell."

"You still love me!" Liz sang. Jareth winced at the off key singing. Was this girl tone deaf as well?! Sarah smiled in reply to her friend's words. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus just sat and watched. They knew not to interrupt; it was just too much fun for them. "Plus, you're both so easy ta tease! I mean ya both thought I meant ya an' not da other!"

"Still annoying. I'll enjoy a few days without your annoyingness." Liz rolled her eyes.

"You'll be bangin' on da bathroom mirror 'fore today's done."

"Want to bet on that?"

"No. Ya always win.

Sarah nodded, a grin plastered to her face. "You make wise decisions." She replied.

Liz curled up on one of the stairwells in the Escher room. She was beginning to fall asleep there. Her breathing slowed, and the empath fell asleep. Jareth strode into the room, looking around for Liz. He knew this room like the back of his hand.

He spotted her slumbering form, and lifted her up. Her form adjusted to him. Jareth traveled through the many twists, turns, and passages of the room, knowing how to get to the other rooms. He shouldered a door open, entering the rarely, if ever, used guest room.

He placed the empath on the bed, shaking his head. I have no right to feel this way about her. I have no need for a sibling, especially this empath. Jareth knew why he was acting so kind, as the woman slept. She reminded him of a being from his past, before his reign.

Fear shot through him, almost suffocating him. Liz turned in her sleep, something wrong. She tossed again, this time violently. Jareth quickly summoned a crystal, tuning it to the empath's sleeping mind. What he saw was nothing but a nightmare. It was a nightmare, but there was a familiar ness to it.

"Wake up!" He commanded, taking hold of her. He shook her violently, repeating his command.

"Wha? Jareth? Where da hell am I?"

"You had a nightmare. Who were those people within it?"

"My parents died young, an' I don't remember dem. Ever since den, I lived in foster homes. Dose are places where dey send kids who don't have parents. Dat was da last one I'd been in. My foster mom was a drunk. When my foster dad couldn't get any…ya know, so he tried ta get it from my older foster sisters. Dey fought him, an' he always hurt 'em bad.

"I ran away, an' never looked back. My past mem'ries are da reason why Sarah worries over me. She's scared my foster dad'll find me an' try ta hurt me." Liz settled back on the bed, wanting to sleep again. She felt like part of the weight she'd carried her life had been lifted a little. "Jareth, would ya sing ta me? Music used ta soothe me, still does, actually."

He nodded, sitting by the bedside. The Goblin King sang an ancient lullaby softly.

Sarah looked at the bathroom mirror. She would never let Liz know that her friend had been close to finally winning. I am NOT going to call Liz. I just want to check on her. She rationalized.

"Show Liz to me!" Liz slept on a bed in the Goblin Castle, the king keeping a silent vigil. Sarah felt better, knowing someone was there, in case the empath's past came back to haunt her. The mirror's focus changed, with Jareth's face filling the glass.

"Sarah, should you not be asleep? It's almost midnight in your world."

"I just wanted to make sure she was o.k. Liz gets really horrible nightmares. She wakes up screaming some nights." Sarah paused, then said, "I shouldn't have told you that."

Jareth's eyes were unreadable. "I believe I may have prevented such a thing from happening. Your friend has done something to me, Precious. Even now, I can sense the undercurrents of the empath's emotions."

Her brow knit together. Sarah knew that Liz could feel other's emotions, but only another empath could sense hers. The implications, at least what Sarah thought was implied, riled her. "How do you know it's Liz, and not a power of yours?!" She asked, her tone defensive.

"When she touched me, I felt her emotions and what she was sensing. Now, I do not need to touch her to know. She feels completely safe here, near my castle's heart. Her sleep is not troubled by nightmares, nor will it."

"I didn't know she could do that."

"I believe that Elizabeta never wanted any being to know. She never had any intention to use such an ability." The pair fell silent for a few moments before Jareth broke it. "Sarah."

"Yes?"

"Do you truly love me?"

"I will not submit to you! Not for anything less than your equal!"

"Sarah, a simple yes or no is quite sufficient."

"Yes, I do." She admitted, to Jareth's delight. She watched as the king's eyes lit at her words. "My earlier words still stand."

"Which ones?" Sarah looked at him, knowing Jareth knew which words she meant.

"Good night, Jareth." Her irritation bled into her voice. Sarah may love him, but the king was as bad as Liz in annoyance level.

"Goodnight, Precious."

T.D.K- Ok, so I tried to get Jareth to be in the A/N with me, and it didn't work. I ended up hanging over the bog for ten minutes, so I learned my lesson on that one. To clear up some possible confusion, this is my first fanfic for something that isn't anime or manga. A lot of times the authors will have the characters interacting with them in A/Ns on that part of the site. Hence, why I said I was lonely.

Anyway, leave a review, and I'll get four up soon. (Hopefully)