A.N. If there are any spelling errors, I've gone back and looked at the previous chapters ., its because I only get a chance to write this when I'm almost half asleep. So I start out like this -_- and end up looking like this =_= by the time I get done with the chapter. That and the darn keys stick.

As always, lots of love to those that read this and review! Even if you don't review it's great to look and see that so many of you are at least reading it!

Chapter Four

Max gasped, hands on his knees bent over trying to catch his breath. He looked up looming castle not able to believe he'd really gotten this far. Straitening, he licked his lips and walked into the castle, paranoid and waiting for some kind of trap.

He had met with no resistance in the city which confused Max and put him on guard. The goblins that were in the city only gave him cursory stares but hadn't tried to stop or waylay him. He didn't trust it. Since first stepping foot inside the Labyrinth, something was always trying to keep him from getting to the center. Maybe the trap lay inside the castle?

Cautiously, he made his way to the throne room where he saw the Goblin King lounging on his throne. One leg was throne haphazardly across the arm of the throne, a quirt tapping his boot impatiently. Smirking, he pointed to the clock on the wall. Two minutes past the thirteenth hour. "You're too late. Your brother is mine."

Max glared in disbelief at the clock then at the king who just smirked victoriously at him. All that, he'd gone through all that just to lose by two lousy minutes! It just wasn't fair! It had to be rigged, there was no way with all those traps and dangers that anyone could make it to the castle in under thirteen hours.

"It's time for you to keep to our bargain."

"Two minutes! I only lost by two minutes!"

"Ah, but you still lost. Time to pay up."

Max glared. "I'm not answering anything until you-"

Jareth was off his throne and in front of the boy all pretense of humor gone. Face hard and eyes flashing dangerously he smiled coldly when the teen back stepped quickly. "Do you truly wish to test my patience and good will? You lost fair and square, deal with it."

Max set his jaw stubbornly glaring into the king's eyes but wasn't able to hold it. Looking away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Sullenly he said, "Fine, but I get to ask my questions first."

"I don't think so. We'll trade one question for another."

"What's your question?" the teen grouched, arms crossed.

"Who are Seth's parents?"

'This again?' Aloud, Max sighed. "I don't know who his dad is, I told you that already. My folks were separated for a year before mom came back with Seth."

Realizing that it was his turn, Max thought about what he wanted his first question to be and blurted the one thing he'd always wondered since his mother had first told him the story of the Goblin King. "What's the deal with the thirteen hours?"

Jareth inwardly frowned not liking that the boy had asked that question. Pretending it was of no import, he waved his hand dismissively. "Well, obviously if you won back your brother, I couldn't return you looking like goblins now could I?" He enjoyed the look of horror and surprise on the youth's face. "The magic of the Underground is unique. Brief exposure to it, say thirteen hours, will do nothing to you. Anything after that and you it begins to change you."

Max's mouth dropped open and he felt mounting horror. He was past the thirteenth hour mark. Would he become a goblin like those in the Wasteland of Junk?

Jareth was thoroughly enjoying the youth's anxiety. And since it was his turn he could leave the boy sweating a bit more until it was his turn to ask his question, and Jareth was quite sure what that question would be.

"You said your mother's maiden name was Williams. Was she a Williams by birth or adoption?"

"Um, mom was adopted when she was about eight or so, I think. Am I going to turn into a goblin?"

"Unfortunately, no. You are of magical decent." Seeing the clueless look, Jareth further explained. "Your mother is a Dryad."

Max repeated his expression of a goldfish. Brows drew together as he tried to wrap his mind around that. He'd always known his mother loved nature, particularly trees. She always had to have plants in the house. She'd had a green thumb when it came to plants, one which his father said Max had inherited. He could keep any plant alive even if it was near death. He'd always just thought of it as a skill.

"What were the names of her siblings?"

Thinking hard Max replied, "Mom didn't talk much about her family. Oh, except for her niece Sarah. They were really close. I think she still visits mom at the sanitarium."

Max knew he'd stumbled upon something when the Goblin King's expression changed for a brief second. Those mismatched eyes bore into him making him nervous with their intensity. Max knew the answer before he asked, but wanted to see if the Fae would keep his word and answer honestly. "Who was the girl that defeated you?"

There were many different emotions that showed in Jareth's eyes and features. The two words that came out of his mouth held the same conflicting emotions. "Sarah Williams." There was pride and anger in his voice as he stated, "She beat my Labyrinth in eleven hours."

"I thought you said she barely made it in the time limit. You lied!"

Jareth angry at being insulted allowed his power to become partially visible to the teenager. Voice deadly soft he warned the teen, "I thought we already made it clear that you would not make a fool of yourself or anger me, child."

Max swallowed stepping back some more.

"I did not lie. She did barely make it in the time remaining. She irritated me and I penalized her by two hours. Now, what is the name of the hospital where your mother resides?"

Max told him then asked his last question. "What'll happen to Seth?"

"He'll go where the other Wished Away children go. I have no more questions for you, so if you're ready."

"Do you get off on offering false hope! This place is rigged. The only reason she probably made it was because she was a girl."

Jareth's carefully controlled temper until now flared. "You mortals make me sick. You never think of the consequences of your selfish actions. Everything is always about you. You don't want to be bothered by your young so you wish them to me. I take them, but you do not think of the future the child would or would not have. You still only think about yourselves. The mistake you made of what you're feeling. Did you even once stop to think about what the child you wished away is going through or feeling?"

Eyes cold as ice, voice frosty, Jareth glared at the teen. "We are done Max Thomas."

Before Max could argue, he found himself in the bedroom he shared with Seth. Looking around he saw that all evidence of Seth had disappeared as if it had never been. Running to the bathroom he was that Seth's things were gone from there as well. Every room he searched came up with the same results. There was nothing to prove that Seth had ever lived there or existed.

Pulling out his wallet, Max took out the well worn family photo. His father still stood behind Max, on hand on his shoulder, the other on the back of the chair his wife was sitting in. Seth should have been sitting on their mother's lap grinning like a goof ball because of the joke Max told in order to get him to smile for the camera. But his mother's lap was empty.

He sank to the floor, head in hands. "Mom's gonna kill me."

His mother had really loved Seth. In fact she liked all little children and would always smile softly when she saw one. His head snapped up. "Mom!"

Jumping up, Max ran to the phone and dialed the hospital number. He told the receptionist that he was Vanessa Thomas' son and wanted to speak to her. The woman replied she was sorry but she couldn't do that. When he asked if she could tell him how his mother was, she hesitated then sighed heavily.

"Your mom had an episode. She kept screaming for her son saying he was gone. We tried to tell her that you were okay but she went on about somebody named Seth. Your mother's records doesn't show her having any other children."

Max's stomach twisted in knot as he realized that he'd caused his mother pain. He also had mixed emotions about the fact that his mom seemed to still remember Seth. Maybe it was because of what the Goblin King told him about his mother being a Dryad.

Thanking the woman he hung up and waited anxiously for his aunt and uncle to get home. He really didn't have that much time to wait, and as soon as heard the door he ran to the living room. Subtly he fished around to see if their memories had been wiped clean of Seth and found that they had. He also badgered his aunt until she agreed to take him to see his mother in the morning. He must have sounded as anxious as he felt because she didn't question him like she normally would've.

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Jareth paced his throne room, the quirt tapping in rhythm on his leg as he agitatedly paced. Abruptly he stopped and pulled out a crystal. Already knowing what it would or rather wouldn't show him, but still hoping nonetheless, he quietly commanded, "Show me, Sarah."

The crystal remained opaque and he felt the disappointment and sadness like he always did when it failed to show him the girl. And just like always, self-contempt and anger followed soon after. Narrowing his eyes he sent three crystals out then slumped in his throne brooding. One crystal was to fetch Hoggle. If anyone could tell him of Sarah it would be the dwarf. The second orb was sent to the Children's Forest and the last one to her for help. Even though he respected her it didn't mean he liked her nor did he like that he had to ask for help.

The dwarf was the first to show up being the nearest one to the castle. He informed his king that he had not spoken to the girl in years. She had been the one that had stopped contacting them. The last time Sarah had summoned Hoggle it was that she was getting married. She had happily showed him her engagement ring then told him she'd talk to him after she got back from her honeymoon. She never called for any of her Labyrinth friends.

Frowning, Jareth dismissed the dwarf. He'd felt a pang of sorrow and jealousy when the dwarf mentioned marriage. The first time Hoggle had told his king that, his heart had still been broken and fragile. Not only had he been jealous and resentful, he'd also been furious. Hoggle wasn't sure if it was good or bad that he didn't have to flee for his safety after delivering news that his king did not want to hear.

Hoggle passed by Hannah who gave him a questioning look. She wasn't summoned to the castle that often and wondered what the king's mood was. Hoggle shrugged his shoulders and the young woman's brows knit together puzzled. Entering the throne room she bowed and he waved at her to get up. Waving his hand again this time towards the adjoining room he said, "He's in there."

Realizing that she was there to take another Wished Away to the Children's Forest she went into the room and smiled compassionately down at the sandy haired boy. While she spoke with Seth and got to know him and he her, Jareth pensively glared at the ceiling.

He had taken a child of Fae descent without the Fae parent's consent. Though he had gotten Max to give up claim on the child, and Max was of Dryad descent he was not an adult. In order for Jareth to keep from getting punished too severely he'd have to get Max's mother at the very least agree to give the boy up. Knowing that that was not very likely he rubbed his temples, his head beginning to ache.

No matter which way he looked at it, Jareth knew he was in serious trouble with the Fae Council. The first thing they would point out that he'd done wrong was, he had taken a Fae child. The second was that after discovering said background he should have returned both the child and the Runner back to his home. Then there was the fact that somehow the four year old was connected to him and his Labyrinth.

Since discovering Seth's magic derived from Jareth's own, and everything else that had transpired, he thought he had an answer. One which he did not like in the least bit, yet fit and would provide him with the excuse of going Aboveground while not performing his Goblin King duties.