A/N: FYI, the same disclaimer from before still applies. Although it will be a LONG time before anything gets anywhere near Mature, if it does at all. I will definitely warn you a head of time if you aren't into Mature reading content.

This chapter is a bit shorter than the first, but it's something, and it wouldn't have made sense to continue passed where I left this one. And, it's pretty intense, so get your tissues, sleeves, dogs, cats, ready to wipe away the tears!

So, without further adieu I give you chapter 2! And also, if you're interested, I'm listening to Grey Room by Damien Rice. You know, because there's a song for everything!

MAY EVE

"Princess Edane... heard a voice singing on a May Eve like this, and followed half awake and half asleep, until she came into the Land of Faery, where nobody gets old and godly and grave, where nobody gets old and crafty and wise, where nobody gets old and bitter of tongue."

~William Butler Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

Chapter 2: Leave This Life

Sarah lay awake long after her coughing fit she received from gasping at what looked like His tawny owl. She knew she had just spoken with Hoggle, but could he have actually gotten to the King that fast? And even if he did, why didn't Jareth stay with her? Perhaps on her death bed even an evil Goblin King couldn't find her appealing.

The hours felt like days as her weakened state kept her from even sitting up in bed. Surely she would soon die, but at least Toby knew the truth and would forever have her Underground friends to keep her company. And wouldn't Death bring with Her peace? She had been so sick for oh, so long that she was truly ready and willing. All the aches would be gone, all the sadness would disappear, her family could move on and be happy. This had to be torturous for them, watching her slowly drift away in front of their eyes.

Perhaps they could put her in a hospital somewhere and just forget about her. She wouldn't blame them, not at all.

These were the strange thoughts plaguing her all throughout the morning after she saw Hoggle and told her story to Toby and watched the tawny owl take flight. Clearly, she had lost her mind and it was only a matter of her pride. If she gave up, then maybe everything else would stop.

Toby was tired of watching her go in and out of consciousness so he got up, kissed her forehead and went back to his room. Though he left her to herself all night long so he could sleep he had tried to spend as much time as he could handle with his older sister the last few days because it was getting bad. But, now he had his own little shred of hope.

Hoggle had said he'd talk to that Jareth guy and hopefully he'd know exactly what to do! He knew magic and so did a lot of other people from where the Goblin King was from - or at least that's what Toby assumed - so someone would know what to do. Surely!

He couldn't lose Sarah, he just couldn't. There was so much for the two of them still to do. Growing up with an older sister should have been annoying to him, but she had an awesome imagination - looking back Toby realized she wasn't really imagining as much as story telling - and they'd make up all kinds of things to do with dolls, army men, action figures and when they were strapped for things to use the sticks, rocks, and mud outside worked just as well.

He used to pretend to be a goblin and she would be a princess and she'd rule with her knotty branch scepter telling Toby when he would exclaim how unfair she was being that she wondered what his basis for comparison was. There were countless days when they'd be scolded for coming in filthy after trying to push the other into the Bog of Eternal Stench.

Or when he was even littler he'd vaguely remember her holding him on Merlin's back and calling him a knight. Merlin was long gone now, buried in the back yard where Sarah joked would be her resting place next to the wise and brave Ambrotious.

It wasn't so much funny anymore when your sister is honestly looking online and through catalogs for her very own funeral dress.

Toby locked his bedroom door and crumpled up against it and began to sob. It was quite a pretty dress, navy blue with silver and black accents. She said it was fit for a Goblin Queen. No, she couldn't leave him yet, they were both way too young and they had so much more playing to do.

In his pain and anguish he clawed his way to his desk where he had a mirror and sobbed out his call, but he didn't call to Hoggle or Sir Didymus or Ludo, for he wasn't even sure they'd come to him, but Jareth - he held him, comforted him once - maybe he'd be there.

"Goblin King!" He cried, wiping at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "Please, help me, help her, help us! She's sick, sir, and I. . ." Oh, it was no use, he was just a kid and a Goblin King obviously had so much more to be doing at any given time than to come to the sloppy call of a ten year old boy begging for his sister's life. The sister who so brazenly shot down said savior.

Crumpling again, this time across his bed he let himself sob. He sobbed for all the good times then had, he sobbed for being wished away, he sobbed for Sarah's bravery, and he sobbed for that stupid funeral dress. She couldn't go! She'd never need that stupid dress if he had anything to say about it. "Fat lot of waste to buy such an expensive dress for the purpose of dying in it when I forbid you to die." He wailed. "And you can't really wear a dress 'fit for a Goblin Queen'," he used air quotes above his head that was smashed in the mattress, "when a Goblin Queen sort of has to be ALIVE!"

Jareth stood there next to the boys desk watching him, feeling the sorrow fill the room and barely held himself together enough to stay stoic. He had to show strength and control in order to be what the boy and Sarah needed. Standing in his full regalia of navy, black and silver plates. His miss-matched eyes looking on in anguish of the once babe.

"Why? Why is this happening? It's not fair!" Came Toby's muffled shouts.

Jareth smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "But, that's just the way it has to be." He called out over the sobs, a ghost of a smile from repeating Sarah's old epiphany. Toby jolted up and spun around to stand in front of the Goblin King with a shocked expression on his face. All tears stopped at his surprise visitor. Of course, he had made the call, but he didn't honestly think the man would show. "Hello, Toby." Jareth smiles faintly with a glint in his eye. No matter the circumstances it's nice to see that the young boy has grown up well. After all, he wanted him as his own ten years ago.

"You. . . You're the Goblin King?" Toby stuttered as he tried to take in as much of this man as he could. From his hair to his black leather boots there was so much to see. Jareth chuckled and with the flick of his wrist he had a crystal in his hand. Rolling it about effortlessly he watched the boy accept him as real. "You came to save her!" His once wet and puffy eyes now sparkled and crinkled with happiness and hope.

"I've come to offer her my assistance. Not that the woman would take it - even knocking at Death's door - but I will try for you, Master Toby." Jareth replied with a nod of his head. Toby blushed.

"OK, come on! Let's go see her then!" Toby grabbed the Goblin King's gloved hand and drug him across the hall where he knocked once and stormed in. Jareth closed the door behind them. Sarah was asleep with sweat drenching her face, neck and chest. Jareth was sure she was covered in it, but being as she was cocooned in her blankets he couldn't see. "I read somewhere wrapping someone sick up and making them sweat out the fever would heal 'em. Is that true?"

"I'm not sure, Toby, but it seems you've done much for your sister. You've very brave, young man." Jareth patted him on the shoulder and walked over to lean over his beloved. "Oh, my dear Sarah, what has become of you?" He whispered reaching out to brush the hair out of her face that was now matted with wet. She stirred restlessly and her eyes began to flutter open. When her eyes finally registered who was standing over her she smiled. "Well, this is unexpected." Jareth smiled back.

"Through dangers untold. . ." Sarah rasped. What's become of me Goblin King? Have I finally gone?" At this, Toby was crying again. How could anyone be so happy that they'd smile at the idea of being dead?

"No, precious, you're not dead. I've come to take you home to heal and recover. Would you go willingly?" He asked running his finger down her cheek, feather light. His face would soon betray him if he did not look away. He looked to Toby who was still crying and found that the frown he was fighting won over.

"It's not that I don't appreciate what you've done for me. . ." She started, but Jareth stood up and glowered. How would she use the same words she had used years ago on him again?

"Either take my help or die, Sarah. These are your options!" He scolded. He watched in horror as she shrank back in on herself from his fury. He wasn't necessarily angry with her as much as he was angry with himself for inflicting the sickness on her himself by his proximity to her for as long as he had been ten years ago. He was just frustrated with all of it and wanted to fix it, but how could he if she wouldn't concede to it?

"Sarah, stop being so stubborn and let the man help you!" Toby shouted from the door he was slumped on. "If there's a way to make you better, then get better!"

"You'll forget all about me if I leave you. Do you want that?" She seethed. Even on her death bed she wouldn't be forced into anything she didn't want to do.

"If that's what it takes! Sarah, if I know now that you'll be alive and well somewhere then I'd gladly give up any memory of you later." Toby replied steeling his resolve. He may have been her little brother, but he wasn't going to let her push him around anymore.

"I can't. It's not right to waste your time with my being sick, Jareth. I do appreciate the offer, but you have more important things to be doing. . ." Sarah blushed and smiled cracking her dry lips in the process. Jareth could shake her he was so angry and Toby moaned in frustration.

"Stop being stupid, Sarah! You've told me before you miss your friends and the Underground and Jareth is offering you his help. Take it or I'll make you!" Toby was in her face now, tears given up for shaking anger. Jareth smiled to himself watching as this boy reminded him of himself the angrier he became.

Though his ultimatum was cute, it got no real reaction because Sarah knew that only the Goblin King or she herself would have to agree to this in order for her to go back and she wasn't going easy and Jareth was probably over it. She had accepted her life and the lack of time left. She felt terrible for this burden on Toby, but no human was ever really meant to go to the Underground, let alone leave and she did. She was victorious of the strangest, scariest, prettiest place she had ever seen and she would beat this, too. She didn't need pity or help.

Toby's eyes flared with rage and Jareth stepped back watching before Toby gritted his teeth. "You don't have to worry about me forgetting you, you don't have to worry about going all by yourself, all you have to worry about is healing." He began and Sarah's shocked face turned to him.

"Toby, don't!"

"Because, Goblin King? I wish you'd take me and my sister Sarah away from this place. Right. Now!" Toby shouted with a smile on his face of absolute triumph and as Sarah looked away from him to see Jareth she watched as a ghost of a smile was covered up with a very serious, concentration and suddenly there was nothing.