So sorry that I haven't updated in a while! You ever just get in a mood where you have to take a break from a certain fandom? Happened to me. But I'm back and here's chapter 14. Hope you like it!

Once they were in the forest, Jareth looked at Maireen and said, "Are you alright?"

"Fine. A bit lightheaded, but otherwise normal," she said, going to lean against a tree. The thick canopy overhead cast shadows on the floor below, shining tiny spots of light on the group as all but Jareth took a moment to adjust. He was pacing pack and forth, hand over his mouth, obviously thinking hard. He glanced down and absentmindedly waved his hand at his blood-covered shirt, making it clean once again.

Sarah and Hoggle stood next to each other, watching Jareth pace. Finally, he seemed to reach a decision and strode closer to Maireen, looking determined. "I think you should go back to the council and let them know what's happened. They'll have to choose to stand behind either me or my father because there is no going back from this. Try to convince them to come. I'll stay here with Sarah and try to avoid Tiernus until you return, but do hurry. His magic will be nearly impotent within the Labyrinth, but he will find us eventually."

Maireen nodded, but said, "How will I find you again?"

"I'll know when you return and we'll come to you." Jareth waved his hand and produced a crystal, letting it float to Maireen, who disappeared at its touch. Jareth, Sarah, and Hoggle were left alone among the dark trees. Sarah left Hoggle's side to stand beside Jareth and put a hesitant hand on his arm.

"Jareth?" she said, concerned.

He took a deep breath and looked down at her tender expression, his mouth lifting in a small smile. She was worried about him. He'd wanted for so long for her to care about him enough to worry about what would happen to him, like she did for the dwarf or the fox. If she only knew the kind of danger she was in, that worry for Jareth's life would be completely eclipsed by terror for her own. Jareth's smile slipped away as he thought of the situation they were in. His father, the most powerful being in either world other than himself, was intent on killing her. On snuffing out her life, even though he thought she carried the next heir to the throne. Jareth could act as though Tiernus was no match for him, but he knew that it was possible that his father would be the one to emerge from a battle between the two of them, which is why he needed the support of the council. The only thing he could do before they arrived was keep Sarah safe. If they chose to support Tiernus rather than Jareth, well, there was nothing to be done about it.

"Jareth, what exactly is happening?" Her grip on his arm tightened.

He took a deep breath and said, "My father and I have had a bit of a falling out." It didn't look like he was going to say more, so Sarah raised her eyebrows and stared at him, telling him silently to continue. He tried to make his voice as light and careless as he could. "I don't have time to explain it all, so I'll just say this: letting a human cross realms is technically illegal, according to my father, who hates your kind. Of course, I couldn't resist obliging you when you asked me to take your brother- we've already covered that. My father found us out and now he's determined to kill us both to prevent your staying here or my further involvement with you." He didn't want to risk telling her about the supposed pregnancy, thinking that might be a bit too much for her to handle right then.

Sarah chewed this over, her brow furrowed. She blushed as she said, "You told me that you made me run the Labyrinth so that you could have me close to you. Why did you promise me I could leave if I won again?"

He raised a corner of his mouth in a half smile. "Sarah, you really must learn to use specifics. I never told you when you could leave, nor how long your absence would be. I hoped to convince you of how I felt."

"You mean you manipulated me." Sarah's eyes grew angry and Hoggle shifted nervously behind her.

Jareth took a few calming breaths before saying, "Sarah, do you want to be here, with me?"

Sarah's immediate reaction was to deny him. All he'd done so far was manipulate and control her. He said he cared about her, and she was honestly trying to trust him, but those doubts were so strong. He'd get bored of her; he'd leave her; he'd hurt her. She may have asked for her first foray into this world, but everything since had happened because of him. Now, she was in another dangerous situation, forced up against an enemy she'd never even heard of. She thought about what her life might have been like if she'd never wished Toby away. She would have Kyle, she supposed, but would she have been happy? She'd never felt for Kyle the things she was feeling for Jareth. Every look from those mismatched blue eyes sent shivers straight through her and when he kissed her, she melted. Was it worth everything he put her through? She looked around the forest, at Hoggle, and finally back at Jareth, who stood watching her, waiting for an answer. He was beautiful, and powerful, and from the sound of things, he'd risked everything to have her- normal, everyday Sarah Williams. No one would be untouched by that.

"Yes, I do," she sighed, defeated.

"Then for the love of the gods, trust me!" his exasperated voice made her smile.

"Why does your father hate humans so much?"

"Perhaps one bit him as a child, I've no idea. All I know is that he would rather see me dead than have a human here. I'd much rather see him dead than lose you again, so there we are." She blushed again at his casual affirmation of how he felt. His eyes roamed over her flushed cheeks and he brought a hand up to caress her face. "That's lovely," he murmured, suddenly serious. He wasn't sure all those fae women he'd bedded were physically able to blush after all the men they'd been with. Sarah's innocence inflamed him more than their blatant seductions ever could. Damn his father. If it weren't for him, Jareth would have Sarah in his bed at that very moment. He'd just resolved to put some distance between them when Sarah suddenly raised herself up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. His hand moved from her cheek to tangle in her soft hair and he surrendered to her. Her beautiful mouth parted beneath his and he had to taste her again.

""""

Hoggle felt sick to his stomach as he watched Sarah rise up to kiss that rat of a king. He wished he were bigger, stronger, and braver so that he could go over there and force Jareth to leave her alone. His Sarah was far too good for that cruel monster and Hoggle knew Jareth must have been tricking her somehow. Her life had been nothing but misery since Jareth stole her brother and Hoggle knew she would never willingly kiss that snake. Hoggle had never had a friend before and now Sarah was the most important thing in his life, but he would rather never see her again than know she was in those slippery arms of Jareth's.

A whimper from Sarah caused Hoggle to concernedly glance back at the two of them, thinking she was in pain, but all he saw was Jareth's disgusting hands roaming over her body and Sarah's small fingers clenched into his shirt, gripping him closer. Hoggle couldn't watch anymore, he'd never felt so helpless. He could lead her out of any oubliette, through the Bog, save her from any number of goblins, but he couldn't save her from Jareth. He wasn't strong enough, especially if she couldn't see clearly enough to know that she was in danger. He turned his back on the entwined couple and walked on shaking legs into the woods, unnoticed by either of them. No, he wasn't strong enough to save her, but he knew someone who was. His feet carried him away from his only friend and towards the castle.

""""

Even when she'd been desperately trying to reach her brother, Sarah had been struck by the beauty of this forest. The trees seemed to glisten and the ground was a rich earth tone that, in the silvery dimness, made her feel almost safe. It was no less beautiful as she and Jareth held each other in the comforting closeness of the forest. Though it was new and she still didn't completely trust him, she was flying and her heart was beating in rhythm with their kiss.

Sarah was making it nearly impossible for Jareth to think of anything other than the feel of her mouth and hands on him and his on her, but their situation was too dangerous for him to let either of them get too carried away. But as long as they were waiting here anyway… Jareth broke their kiss and moved to nip and kiss at her neck, his hands ripping under her shirt to let his gloved fingers caress her heated skin. Oh to hell with it, his father wouldn't find them here for hours.

Sarah threw her head back with a gasp, her eyes closed. "Should we…ah. Should we be doing this?"

"No," he said, his voice muffled against the skin of her neck. So quickly that she shrieked in surprise, his arm was under her bottom and he'd lifted her swiftly, dropping to one knee and lowering her gently to the ground, his other hand supporting her back and neck. Sarah caught up to him in no time and before he could even lean down for another kiss, she'd wrapped her legs around his waist and yanked his body to hers. Her hands fisted in his hair and every thought of danger flew out of her mind as their mouths joined again. She ran a hand down the front of him, feeling the planes of his muscles, and after a brief hesitation, reached down to caress him through his straining pants. Her eager hand ripped a moan from him that turned into a breathy chuckle.

"If I'd known there was such a vixen in you last time, I'd have never let you leave."

""""

Because he was travelling alone, Hoggle's path to the castle was unhindered and he made the journey in to time at all. Once through the city, he jogged through the castle gate as fast as his little legs would carry him. However, he stopped dead as soon as he entered the courtyard. There, he saw something that would haunt him for the rest of his days. Three fae were standing at the bottom of the grand steps leading into the castle, two large men and one statuesque woman. The widest of them was holding a goblin upside down in front of him, shaking the poor thing and brandishing a handful of fire at its face while he shouted at it. Hoggle turned eyes blurred with tears around the courtyard and almost vomited as he saw the red ground littered with little goblin bodies, all of them looked as if they'd been tortured before death. Some of them were headless, missing limbs, and others were so covered in blood that it was hard to tell what their state had been.

The man holding the goblin shouted, "Where is your king?"

Hoggle flinched when he heard the goblin squeal and say, "Ain't tellin' you nothing 'bout his majesty! You let me go and get outta the king's castle—" Before he could continue, the man dropped the goblin headfirst on the ground and shot the flames at him, setting the little creature on fire. It only screamed for a few seconds before the flames devoured it.

Terrified, Hoggle tried to turn and run, but as soon as his back was turned to the three fae, he heard the man shout, "There's another! Grab him before he escapes."

Before Hoggle could even take another step, the tallest man had appeared in front of him, grasping his shirt and dragging him back through the courtyard, causing his legs to bump sickeningly into goblin bodies as they went. Hoggle tried to calm his breathing, but he'd never been so scared in his life as he stared up at the group of fae that were so much more powerful than him. The one gripping his shirt hauled him up into the air and handed him to the other man, the bulky one, who grabbed one of his feet and held him upside down, like he had with the goblin.

"A dwarf, your majesty," the woman said, standing just behind the man holding him. Hoggle's eyes snapped to her face and widened as he saw the resemblance to Jareth. His mother. So this man must be the Fae King.

"Please!" Hoggle shouted.

"Silence!" the man holding him barked. "If anything comes out of your mouth that is not the location of your king, or anything that helps me find him, I will remove your head from your body, understood?"

Hoggle sobbed, but nodded. He took a shaky breath and said, "I'll tell you where he is, but only if ya promise not to hurt Sarah."

I have the best readers in the world, thank you so much for sticking with me!