True to her word, Tilly had been watching from near the refreshment table. Sarah knew this because as she began heading her way, practically dragging the Goblin King behind her, Tilly looked like a frightened deer caught in the headlights. The half-brownie looked to her left and then right, obviously wanting to run but frightened past the point of making a coherent decision as small as which to direction to go. Sarah just smiled widely at her, beaming with pride at her catch.

Getting to her friend was made easy as every creature they came across parted like the Red Sea for Moses before them. Silence seemed to pursue as they passed, curious bystanders turning to follow them with their eyes. The click of Jareth's low-heeled boots could be heard clearly as reached the table where her wide-eyed friend stood waiting.

Sarah rushed forward into the arms of Tilly and embraced her warmly with one arm, as Jareth had yet to let go of her other hand. As they hugged Jareth glared at the small quiet crowd that now surrounded them and hissed softly. That was all anyone needed to spur them to motion. The throng suddenly was interested in anything happening the opposite direction of the Goblin King. One subject, an elegant but rather short man, with a beard sweeping the floor clasped his hands behind his back and whistled towards the ceiling as he walked away.

The only thing that kept Sarah from outright laughing was the outright fear shining from Tilly's large black eyes. She felt a momentary pang of sympathy for her dear friend, but all in all Tilly could do with more adventure. While her mother had been content to serve and bring happiness into the home, her father had been a winged warrior in the king's guard. Tilly pretended to be content in a life of servitude but she recognized a kindred spirit. Tilly's heart longed for adventure, but she had been raised to follow a particular set of guidelines on how to act and behave in manner proper for a female demi-fey.

Tugging Jareth forward and to her side, she slipped her arm through his and leaned her head lovingly on his shoulder. "Tilly, allow me to introduce you to His Majesty, Jareth, King of the Goblins and the Labyrinth, where the wild magic abounds."

Jareth gave her a crooked smile as he glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye. His title was a mouthful, and he seemed equally impressed that she both knew it and the proper way to introduce him. He turned his attention back to Tilly who looked on the verge of fainting. Sarah stuck her tongue out and made a face, which seemed to help Tilly pull herself together. She curtsied low to the ground and when she stood back up she kept her head down, choosing her words carefully.

"Your Goblin Majesty, I am honored. " She intoned, still trembling slightly.

Jareth looked a bit like he was going to laugh, but refrained. "Oh do call me Jareth." He smiled wickedly. "Any friend of Darling Sarah's is a friend indeed."

Tilly refused to look at Jareth but was looking at Sarah rather oddly, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. "You honor me Your Highness." She said, and curtsied again.

She avoided using his name, for as Sarah recalled, she was fond of her appendages, but did switch to a slightly less formal title for the King.

Jareth sighed. "Indeed." He sounded slightly disappointed that she didn't take the bait. He turned toward Sarah, placing himself between the two women, his back to Tilly a clear dismissal. Sarah looked at Tilly over Jareth's shoulder and watched her visibly sag, relieved to out from under his intense stare. Catching her eye they carried out a silent conversation that only the closest of friends can boast.

What the fuck Sarah?

Hot right?

What the fuck Sarah?

Don't wait up!

When Tilly threw her hands up and turned to go, mumbling what the fuck under her breath, Sarah couldn't help but laugh.

"I have never heard her cuss so much in our entire acquaintance combined as she has tonight. I'm pretty sure I've corrupted her. " Jareth was watching her with amusement and smiling down at her in a way many men had before, but his attention did strange things to her that no other man, or creature for that matter could claim. He stepped into her personal space and his presence was overwhelming. She had forgotten how amazing he smelled and Sarah lost her breath for a moment, thinking she could drown in that mismatched gaze. His eyes roamed her features lazily, taking all of her in before lingering on her lips. Good god he was yummy.

Raising her hand she boldly took hold of the pristine feather braided into his hair and ran a finger down the length, marveling at its softness. Jareth's eyes closed for the briefest of moments and he preened, as if he could feel the caress; perhaps he could. Tugging gently, she pulled it free. She looked at Jareth beneath her lashes and ran the feather across her lips slowly, methodically. His own parted in response and her heart jumped into her throat as he leaned in close enough to kiss her, stopping just shy of her mouth. His breath ghosted over her face and smelled unbelievably of honey and peaches, causing that long subdued addiction to flare to life. It took all she had to not simply push up on her toes and kiss him. He gave her a knowing smile before moving his attention down to her chest and once again running a gloved finger along the laced collar of her dress.

"It appears you are missing a pearl." He noted carelessly.

Long fingers trailed lightly over her exposed cleavage and she reflexively arched into his touch. He brought his eyes up to hers and without warning pushed his hips forward, causing her to lose balance and bump against something solid at her back. Glancing briefly behind, she found herself pressed against the trunk of knarred walnut tree she was positive hadn't been there a moment before. Plucking the feather from her grip, his hand came up along the side of her neck, moving the heavy curtain of her hair aside with exception of a few strands. As he leaned in impossibly close, the lowest branches of the tree mirrored his movements and came up to form a kind of privacy screen around them.

"Do you want this?" He asked holding the feather up and gently running it along her lips just as she had done. God he was so close, she couldn't think with him so close.

More branches filled in the gaps, cutting off her view of the ballroom completely, muffling the sounds of the festivities and making it quite dark. Just as she had the thought fireflies appeared, floating around languidly. Their blinking glow cast him in a highly romantic light, softening the harsh angles of his face. Almost of its own accord, her head nodded in agreement.

Without breaking eye contact, Jareth brought the feather up to the lose bit of hair he left draped over her shoulder. He whispered something under his breath and her hair lifted up to meet the feather where it clung and wove around the quill desperately. It glowed brilliantly for a moment before returning to its spotless white. She touched the feather and found oddly that not only could she feel its softness under her fingers, but also she could feel her fingers through the plume. The implications of such a thing made her shiver and slightly wary.

"What's that going to cost me?" She was almost embarrassed by the breathiness in her voice and self-conscious that she had lost control and given him the upper hand. But being so close to him, the matching feather in his own hair brushing delicately along her collarbone was having devastating effects on her mental capacity for thought.

"Where has your sense of adventure gone precious Sarah?

She laughed softly. Oh he was good, too good, because like putty in his hands she responded accordingly. "True, what fun would it be to know everything in advance?"

"Shall I fix your dress… as well?" He purred into her ear and the sound reverberated through her chest where he was pressed lightly against her. His teeth grazed her earlobe at the same time his finger circled the embroidery where a pearl should be, a spot dangerously close to other sensitive areas. Exhaling sharply at the sensation she half moaned a distracted yes. There was a hunger in his dilated eyes that was threatening to consume her, and a dangerous smile on his suddenly sharper looking face.

Sarah knew that look, it was the look he had given her just before setting the cleaners after her and Hoggle in the labyrinth, and seeing it was like a splash of cold water down her back. What had she just agreed to? She couldn't be sure and her self-preservation kicked into overdrive.

"If you give me a wish, with no expiration date, to be used solely as I see fit and when I choose." The words came rushing out of her mouth before he could act upon her consent. He had something up his sleeve and while a wish might not get her out of whatever he was planning completely, it could be just enough to take the edge off.

Jareth pulled back and regarded her a moment looking both rather proud and exasperated. "My how gracious of you. " He drawled sarcastically. "Allowing me to bestow a gift, repair your dress and grant you a wish." He smirked. "How very noble."

" Well then…" She looked pointedly at her dress then back to his face, trying to hide her blunder behind arrogance.

"Still selfish then." He huffed, looking down his nose at her and playing the arrogance card much better than she ever could.

"When it serves my purpose."

"Still cruel." It was said in a way that sounded very much like approval.

"When necessary." She replied without hesitation.

A long moment stretched silently between them as he regarded her under hooded eyes. "In exchange for your pearls." He said at last.

Jareth didn't play fair, she hadn't expected him to but she also hadn't been prepared for his effect on her ability to think straight. She didn't really have a choice but to accept and he knew it. It wasn't so much the fixing of her dress that worried her, but the tacked on "as well" when he offered. It was open for too much interpretation. It was the way he was looking at her right now that had her on guard, like something entirely too delicious for its own sake.

"Fine." Sarah said at last. "Agreed." Best not to think upon his motives too deeply.

Without further ado, Jareth swept his gloved hand just below the neckline of her dress, making sure to skim nimble fingers across the end of each cloth covered nipple along the way. Delicious heat bloomed low in her belly, nipples puckering under his touch. The remaining three pearls dropped neatly into his waiting palm. The broken thread hanging from her dress began to lift and weave around before tucking itself back into the cream-colored embroidered flowers, now missing their pearl centers.

They stood out starkly against the dove grey of his gloves. Holding his hand before her eyes, he wiggled his fingers and the pearls leapt and twirled between them. She watched entranced as they danced in time with the pounding of her heart, pumping what now felt like molten fire through her veins. It was an unaccountably beautiful bit of magic. When the pearls vanished she looked back to his face and the need she found there was staggering.

"Yes." He whispered tightly, triumphantly. Sarah had just enough time to think she had royally screwed up before his lips came crashing down on hers. He crushed her to him, his tongue in her mouth and Sarah stiffened; the affect was like being struck by lightening, every nerve ending shooting sparks into her brain. The taste of him, oh god the taste. Peaches and honey exploded in her mouth and she fisted her hands in his hair making a strangled sound.

Jareth ran his hands down her sides and over her hips to catch under her thighs. As he lifted her up against the tree, her legs parted, allowing him to press firmly against her center and letting her no in no uncertain terms just how much he was enjoying the taste of her too. He was kissing her like it was the end of the world and it was all she could to do hold on to him.

He broke away to nip roughly at her neck and the shock of it sent tingles to all the right places. When she dragged her nails down his back, he buried his face in her hair and purred, pressing against her more firmly. Sarah gasped, the feeling suddenly so much more concentrated and she hooked her ankles together around his hips, deafened by the roar of her own lust. He shivered once all over before claiming her lips once more.

The second kiss was softer, sweeter, and he slowed down as if realizing he needed to savor instead of devour. So he kissed her in slow motion, deep desperate strokes that left her mind reeling and her entire body aching with needing him. To her surprise, he broke away again, moving his head lower to place open-mouthed kisses down her neck and on the top of each breast. "Mmmm." He said pleased as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Mine."

The single word brought her somewhat back to herself. Placing her trembling hands against his chest she pushed lightly, needing a moment to process, emotions and hormones running devastatingly high. He rested his forehead against hers and gave her a wicked smile. "You are mine precious Sarah, and I will never let you go." He said it softly, tenderly running a finger along her jaw line.

Her heart stuttered violently at his proclamation. He was everything she had ever wanted but she wasn't ready to give in just yet, she had a few more hands to deal. She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a loud scream and a booming crash. Sarah jumped, startled and pushed harder at his chest until he reluctantly set her back down on her own two feet.

Curious, and glad for the distraction, she pushed past him only to stop short at the wall of leaves blocking her on all sides. Turning to Jareth, she raised and eyebrow and he pouted handsomely in return. The look on his face made her want to run back into those arms but she resisted. Barely. He inclined his head and the living wall parted just enough to slip back into the party proper without being noticed.

It turned out being noticed wasn't something she would have had to worry about as every head was turned in the direction of the fountain pouring a red liquid across from her. A tall waif of a woman was screaming bloody murder and held the crowd in rapt attention. She felt Jareth sidle up next to her, and taking up her hand he placed it in the crook of his arm. The gesture sent butterflies swarming in her stomach and she leaned into him.

As she watched, the woman's yellow hair began to turn a sort of toxic glowing green color. The same color, Sarah realized, as the liquid the goblin had spiked the punch with earlier. Her expression twisted and she was making awful keening noises. Her beautiful delicate face distorted and blurred several times before settling into a very feline set of features, complete with fangs and whiskers. The woman brought shaking hands up to her fur covered face and made a frightened noise. The crowd took a collective step back as one.

Sarah peeked up at Jareth who now wore a highly amused look. Movement caught her eye in the tree branches above his head. On the highest limb of the walnut tree, she could see a goblin laughing hysterically at his own joke and she couldn't help but laugh along with him. In the ringing silence the goblin's maniacal laughter was quite loud. Cat eyes hardened and glared into the treetop, but her angle was slightly off and she couldn't see the little goblin. She spat out a dangerous hiss before turning to the only other person laughing and shot Sarah a contemptuous look filled with hate.

The look was so ridiculous on her little cat face that Sarah laughed even harder. It was not the smartest thing to do but she simply could not help herself. The cat woman looked like she was going to step forward and pounce and Sarah felt a little thrill of anticipation shoot through her. Jareth must have made some kind of facial expression because yellow silted eyes flicked to him before she deflated and shrank away, rapidly taking her leave.

The music quickly started up again and everyone resumed what they had been doing before the hilarious scene occurred, once again throwing nervous looks in the Goblin King's direction, giving them both a wide berth. A delicate clearing of the throat caught her attention and as one they turned. Prince Logan stood behind them, looking very regal. He was clearly trying to act as if he were not affected by what had just transpired or the way Sarah was clinging to the Goblin King's arm, but there was a telling twitch near his eye.

"My dear Sarah, I must insist on having another dance as I was so rudely interrupted. He completely ignored the king at her side, one slight for another. "Oh," He said raising his eyebrows as if he had just remembered something. Reaching into the inside pocket of his green satin vest, he pulled out her daisy chain, which looked to have been repaired. "I believe you dropped this."

Hanging from the end of his index finger was her chain of flowers, Sarah began to reach for her necklace when Jareth's hand gently interceded.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Jareth stated quietly.

Logan scowled, but said nothing, leaving her chain hanging between them.

"Why ever not? It is mine after all." She responded, challenging him, playing dumb. She knew why. Accepting a gift form a fairy meant something in their world, just as accepting a dance from one meant something. She looked at the Prince's face filled with barley-concealed anticipation and then to Jareth's tight-lipped expression. Keeping eye contact with Jareth she began to reach again to claim what he had taken from her earlier.

"Stop, wait." He whispered through lips that barely moved. The words, spoken so softly they were nearly silent hit her with a strong sense of déjà-vu. She had heard those hauntingly familiar words before and had no doubt he intended them to be just so. If he had said them to stop her, he didn't know her at all for they served to stir up her ever-present defiance when in his company.

She raised her head and squared her shoulders. "Make me." She said childishly at the same time she latched onto the braided flowers. His eyes narrowed as she snatched up the necklace but did not move to place it around her neck. The way he was looking at her promised retribution, but he couldn't have honestly expected her to give him power over her so casually. He had given her a direct order, and had she obeyed, that too would mean something to their kind. It would mean she was not his equal, that her power was not as great. It would mean that she feared him and she would have to continue to obey him; she would be his slave.

His stillness at her casual defiance was the only indication that he cared. He was so absolutely skilled in hiding his true emotions that she was sure no one but her would tell anything amiss. Now that it had caught her attention she found that she could read him like an open book. Had she been able to before? He wasn't smiling by any stretch of the imagination, was in fact scowling, but she could feel amusement pouring off of him and a sort of excited expectation as well.

Something was going to happen, something she had missed, and he was looking forward to it with barely concealed glee. She could feel his emotions roughly the way she had been able to feel his eyes upon her. They were connected in some way, had been from the moment she had bitten into that peach years ago, but now it felt magnified. Could it be enhanced simply from their proximity to one another after having been so long apart? The feeling that she had missed something hit her again full force as she looked into those unsmiling eyes.

Sarah kept her eyes on Jareth as she reached out and took hold of Logan's offered hand. The corner of his lips twitched minutely as if he had suspected what her reaction to his order would have been, like she had danced into a trap that hadn't sprung yet. He smiled slowly and inclined his head. There was an edge to that smile, a secret behind it and while she had no idea what it was, she knew enough to know she was in trouble. That made her nervous and her brain automatically began to formulate counter attacks and defenses for a dozen possible scenarios.

His smile deepened at the look of determination on her face, and she shivered in delight at his unspoken promise of excitement and danger. Sarah felt a sudden swell of affection flood her heart and smiled back at him coyly. No one had ever made her blood pound quite like him; no one was so fun to play with. The rest of the world was so damn predictable and dull. Go to work, make money, pay bills, and drink yourself to death. Repeat.

"Prince Logan is right." She stated turning her attention back to the man holding her hand. He looked to be on the edge of his seat at their conversation, thoroughly and utterly sucked in like they were a soap opera. "I did promise you a dance before the Goblin King interrupted us." Sarah gave him her most alluring smile. "And since you were so kind as to return my necklace back to me, perhaps you have earned another?" Sarah slid her eyes discreetly to Jareth.

In response Logan began to glow a bit more brightly, like he had swallowed a candle that was catching fire and a broad victorious look blossomed on his face. He smiled widely, one full of arrogance but dazzling nonetheless. The prince began to pull her out onto the dance floor once again but stopped short as the Goblin King scooped up her other hand. Logan looked furious but Jareth paid him no mind and brought her hand to his lips.

"Take care young Logan, Sarah has always done as she likes, but she breaks more rules than she ought to." Turning her hand over, Jareth kissed the inside of her wrist tenderly while giving Logan a testing look over her head. His tongue darted out for the briefest of moments, one wet hot flick and he was stepping back.

"Although I suppose a woman in her position may break as many rules as she pleases." He was looking at her as he said it and there was a promise she didn't quite understand shining from his eyes.

Prince Logan pulled her into the circle of his arms, which were warm and comforting, like curling up in a spot sunshine through the window on a chilly day. He bristled at the Goblin King's statement but she noticed that he did not hold so close as before. There was a proper distance between them.

"I feel inclined based on your advice to return the favor and remind his majesty to take care that he does not mistake what does and does not belong to him. " Said Logan with an air of superiority. Sarah had just begun to think what a lovely shade green his hair was, how tall and debonair he seemed standing up to the fearsome Goblin King when the spot Jareth had licked on the inside of her wrist began to tingle slightly. It brought her back to herself and she realized that Logan's glamour had penetrated her usually concrete defenses. She looked down at the daisy chain in her hand and saw that it was glowing softly. Tricky, tricky. Dropping the necklace slyly, she kicked it under the branches and looked up to Jareth to gauge his reaction.

Jareth appeared unruffled, but she could still feel that excitement and anticipation boiling just under the surface. "It is true that there are consequences for touching that which does not belong to you." He looked to Sarah and her mind fumbled at the alien expression she saw there, he seemed perfectly content with her dancing in the arms of another man and the thought hurt her pride a little.

There was a pregnant pause, heavy with tension and Logan seemed as if he wanted to say something in response, something he would surely regret, but thought better of it. Instead he pulled Sarah out onto the dance floor, all animosity disappearing from his face. He gave her a glorious glowing smile that made her gasp at its beauty. Her wrist itched and tingled and she rubbed it discreetly against her dress. It was annoying but it was keeping her head clear as she felt the Prince's glamour hit her like a wave, only to roll over her like water off a ducks feathers. She was grudgingly thankful for Jareth's protection, but if he hadn't done away with hers in the first place it wouldn't have been an issue.

"I take it you have met the Goblin King before?" Prince Logan asked her politely, as if they hadn't just had an altercation with said King.

"Whatever would give you that idea?" She replied teasingly, not wanting to share anything.

"Well there seems to be an odd familiarity between the two of you." He pried. "It's astonishing really for I have never seen him interested in anything before. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing him even to speak to anyone at these festivals before." He gave her another hundred-watt smile. "It's well known that he is a rather dull sort of man."

Sarah laughed at his attempts to talk down the Goblin King of all beings; the man who according to Tilly was once worshiped as the God of Chaos. "Jareth can be a rather unmitigated bastard who enjoys looking down on others." She agreed.

Logan's eyes widened for a moment before he took control of his features, smoothing them into something closer to polite interest. Based on the reactions of her fellow partygoers tonight, Sarah doubted anyone had ever had the balls to say something like that out loud. She looked over to where said bastard was lounging on the lowest branch of the walnut tree, one foot on the ground, the other kicked out along the length of the bough and sipping at a flute of champagne. He didn't look at her but the corner of his lip was turned up slightly. She had no doubt he was listening intently.

The Prince turned her in a wide circle and drew her back into position. Unlike the last dance they had shared earlier, pressed against each other intimately, this dance was highly proper and one she would have been comfortable dancing with her father.

"You dear Sarah, are something of an enigma. You insult the king, use his first name, and yet, he does nothing but smile at you." He looked truly astonished and intrigued, desire shining clearly in his eyes. His magic attacked her once again with renewed force; she could feel it trying to find a way in. He wanted her badly, wanted that power he could feel deep within her. He stared into her eyes and pushed harder with his magic. "Who are you?"

Pain flared to life, shooting from her wrist up her arm and into her heart. She stumbled, cradling her hand to her chest and Logan reached out to steady her. Sarah looked down at her wrist and went into shock, everything going numb. There in delicate shimmering gold ink was a tattoo. It was the mirror image of the pendant Jareth wore around his neck. Her heart stopped at the sight of it, how had he managed to claim her without her realizing? Her mind spun back to the hormone-fogged memory of her taking his feather, he in return taking her three pearls whose circular outline now adorned the three corners of the pendant on her wrist.

Suddenly she felt his eyes upon her and swung her own up to meet his across the crowded space. He looked pleased as punch and as if sensing her thoughts, held up his own pendant for her to see. There at each corner was a pearl winking back at her. Jareth let the pendant fall back to its normal resting place before lifting his glass in salute to her, silently mouthing the words "Checkmate."

The exchange of tokens and a promise sealed with a kiss. It didn't necessarily have to be the exact words; just the general idea was enough for someone like the Goblin King. He would be sure to get the most out of any deal struck. The stars overhead began to blur and she swayed a bit on her feet. Warm arms came around to steady her and though they were the wrong arms, she was thankful for them. The right arm in fact, belonged to that conniving, unbelievably marvelous bastard who was currently looking smug and wearing a supremely self-satisfied smirk.

"Are you alright Sarah?" Prince Logan whispered into her ear, tightening his embrace,

Sarah started as she had nearly forgotten him completely. "As much as I hate to end our dancing before it has come to its conclusion once again, I'm afraid I'm feeling rather dizzy at the moment."

"Allow me to take you somewhere quiet to rest." He said quickly, coming around to stand in front of her, he rubbed at her arms to try and dispel the gooseflesh there. "Away from the crowd and revelry."

When Sarah did nothing but continue to stare at Jareth, Logan sulked and moved to stand in her line of sight to the Goblin King.

"Sweet Sarah, loveliest Sarah," Logan implored. "Ignore the Goblin King and steal away with me for just a few moments. I will set you to rights; you have my word as a gentleman in regards to your safety." Her brain automatically noted that he didn't mention what he intended as proper in regards to her safety, but that was neither here nor there. He smiled lovingly at her and she finally looked up to his hopeful face. Poor Prince Logan.

"As charming as that sounds Your Highness," She said cupping his cheek fondly in her hand. "It's a bit hard to ignore my husband whilst in the arms of another man. He makes sure of it."

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A/N

So tempted to leave it there... but oh, so much potential for so much more smut! Decisions decisions.

Boy does Jareth move fast or what? Thank you to all of those who reviewed and favorited it really makes my entire day! Let me know what you think of this little slice.

~Lala