Chapter 2 up early. Disclaimer: I only own Meep. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Sarah's P.O.V

Sarah woke the next day her body sore and stiff, if there had been any doubt in her mind that the Labyrinth had been nothing more than a dream, it quickly vanished as pain shot through her body. Also the mess left over from the party was testimony that it had not been her imagination running wild. She stretched her aching limbs and rose from the bed and glanced down at her clothes that were wrinkled from having been slept in. Usually she would never go to sleep without changing first but she had been so tired last night.

A groan escaped from her lips as she made to move forward but was halted by the twinges of pain from her legs. Looked like her body still hadn't fully recovered from her little adventure.

"Nothing a hot shower won't fix." She muttered as she made her way slowly to the door.

-x-

After her shower Sarah felt much better the aches in her body were much easier to ignore now and she didn't grimace when she walked back into her room to get dressed. AS she entered her room she noticed something sparkly on the floor beneath her window. Frowning she padded over to take a closer look, bending down she saw that it was glitter.

"I don't remember anyone having glitter last night?" she mused out loud, she thought back to the impromptu party, it had been very wild so she really wouldn't have noticed if one of the goblins had been throwing glitter around.

"Pretty!" The squeaky voice from behind made her jump. She quickly spun around and saw a small grey skinned goblin wearing a frying pan on its head sitting at the foot of her bed. Instinctively she drew her robe tighter around her.

"Ermm who are you?" she asked as she cautiously moved towards the small creature. The little Goblin jump up and down excitedly obviously pleased to be asked.

"I'm Meep lady!" Sarah smiled and crouched down so that she was eye level with Meep.

"Well Meep what are you doing in my room?" she enquired; again the Goblin seemed pleased to be asked a question.

"Watching!" the Goblin replied happily.

Sarah tilted her head to the side, puzzled.

"Watching? Watching what?"

"You lady!"

Sarah laughed at that and stood back.

"Why would you want to watch me? I'm not very interesting."

"Meep was told too Lady!" Sarah frowned at that. Someone wanted her watched?

"Who told you to watch me?" she asked although she had a pretty good guess who.

"King did lady! Told Meep to keep an eye on you and to not let you see me or to talk to you."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at that.

"But Meep, I can see you and you are talking to me."

Meep's round brown eyes grew wide with horror and he began to tremble.

"Oh no!" cried the little Goblin, "King will bog Meep for sure!" and with that Meep burst in to sudden floods of tears. Sarah rushed over and put her arms around the sobbing Goblin.

"Hey don't cry Meep, I won't tell the Goblin King that I saw you if you don't."

Meep continued to howl.

"But Meep spoke to lady too!"

"I won't tell that either!"

Meep looked up, rubbing his eyes.

"You won't?"

Sarah smiled and shook her head.

"Will lady promise?"

"I promise"

Meep threw his arms around Sarah's waist and hugged her hard, for such a small goblin he was pretty strong.

"Thanks lady!"

Sarah smiled and tried to remove Meep before he squeezed her too hard.

"Err don't mention it," she managed to pull the grateful goblin off and placed him gently back on the bed "I don't suppose you know why the Goblin King wants me spied on?"

Meep shook his head.

"No king just tell Meep to watch Lady."

Probably wants revenge on me for beating him, Sarah thought. She didn't really want the Goblin King to know what she was doing but she didn't want Meep to end up in the Bog either. However she could turn this to her advantage. From Meep she might be able to learn more about the Goblin King. Her other friends only had limited knowledge on their King and Hoggle always seemed reluctant to talk about him. Maybe she would have more luck with Meep.

"How about I make a deal with you Meep? I'll let you stay here and 'watch me' and in return you tell me if you find out that the Goblin King is planning some kind of revenge against me. What do you say?"

Meep considered it for a moment before nodding his head and bouncing up and down again.

"Deal!" He squeaked.

Sarah grinned and crossed over to her wardrobe and began rummaging through it. She picked out a white blouse that laced up like a corset at the back, and a pair of blue grey jeans. Turning back round she saw Meep still sitting contentedly on her bed.

"Ermm I know I said you could stay Meep, but would you mind leaving for a bit so I could get dressed?"

"Ok Lady!" and with a slight Pop he was gone.

Sarah smiled to herself as she began to dress, what would her parents say if they knew that their house was now playing host to a saucepan wearing Goblin?

-x-

Half an hour later Sarah strode humming into the Kitchen, Karen looked up in surprise from the stove were she was making pancakes and Robert actually put his paper down to glance at his daughter.

"Morning!" Sarah said cheerfully, plonking herself down in the chair next to Toby's highchair.

"Good morning." Both adults replied glancing at each other, Sarah had never before seemed so happy; usually she just sat in moody silence at breakfast.

They watched as Sarah helped herself to orange juice and continued to hum a merry tune.

"Ermm Honey, are you feeling ok?" Robert asked.

Sarah looked up confused.

"I feel fine. Why? Do I look sick?"

"No it's just...well...you seem a little..."

"Off." Karen supplied, eyeing her step-daughter suspiciously.

Sarah sighed, she couldn't seem to catch a break with her Parents, they complained when you acted all sad and silent and they complained when she seemed happy.

"I'm just having a good day, that's all. Is that a bad thing?"

"No!" Robert replied quickly glancing back at his wife, "No, We're glad you're happy, you've been so down lately."

Karen and Robert continued to scrutinize Sarah over breakfast; nothing seemed to be wrong with her. Maybe she was just growing up.

Sarah ate her breakfast in silence, well aware of her parents gaze. As she was scraping her plate clean Karen cleared her throat.

"Ermm Sarah, I know its short notice and all, but could you watch Toby this afternoon? There's an art exhibition going on in town. It was all sold out, but Mr King very kindly gave us their Tickets because Mrs. King isn't well enough to attend."

"Sure, I'll babysit." Sarah jumping up and taking her plate over to the sink.

"You don't mind?" Robert asked, again shocked by his daughter's attitude, if they had asked yesterday Sarah, would have thrown a tantrum and complained for hours.

"No I don't mind, I haven't got anything else to do." Sarah replied as she quickly washed up her plate and glass.

"Well then that's settled." Karen said happily, "I'll leave some food for you both in the fridge for you to have for dinner."

Sarah smiled and thanked her, before heading back upstairs to her room. As she entered she saw that Meep still hadn't returned she also felt as if something else was missing. She surveyed the room carefully nothing seemed to be...wait. She crossed over to her bookshelves. There was something missing, or to be accurate three things. The stuffed toy fox, her dwarf bookend and her 'Where the wild things are' book, the three items that reminder of her friends were all gone.

-x-

Jareth's P.O.V

The Goblin King reclined in his throne, a leg thrown casually over the side. He gazed intently into a crystal and tried to ignore the boisterousness of his Goblins who were having a 'who could throw the chicken furthest' contest. Unfortunately the Goblins didn't seem able to take turns in throwing their chicken nor throw them in the same direction, which resulted in chickens being throw simultaneously around the throne room.

After years of experience the Goblin King had learned to tune out most of the noise coming from his unruly subjects. He just continued to watch the crystal closely and allowed his subjects to continue their chaotic game.

Jareth watched unwaveringly as Sarah conversed with the Goblin he had sent to spy on her. He had known very well that Meep would not have been able to keep himself hidden from Sarah; it was why he had sent him, all part of his master plan to get Sarah to return willingly to the underground. He smiled as Sarah made her little deal with the Goblin, so predictable.

Just then a chicken flew through the air narrowly missing his head. With an aggravated sigh he rose to his feet, throwing the crystal down where it smashed on the stone floor causing the Goblins in the room to cease their activities and fall silent as the stare anxiously up at their king.

"Enough of your idiotic schemes, if I see one more Chicken tossed around my castle I'll bog the lot of you!" Jareth snapped angrily at them. "This place is a mess! All of you will clean this castle till it shines, do you understand?"

The Goblins all nodded in consent, none of them wanted a trip to the bog!

"Good, now get out! You can clean in here when I leave, I've had enough of you lot for one day."

The Goblins all scampered out quickly not wishing to anger their King further. Jareth returned to his throne and once again swung his leg over one side. He conjured up his crop and tapped it pensively against his boot. He summoned another Crystal and starred into it. Sarah was now dressed and was heading downstairs. With a flick of his wrist the Crystal vanished.

"Meep, get here now!" He yelled.

With a slight pop Meep appeared in the cushion pit in the centre of the throne room. The small Goblin peered out from under his saucepan hat around at the goblin free room.

"Well?" The Goblin King asked glaring down at the Goblin.

"He...hello k...king." Meep said, his quiet voice wavering. Jareth sighed irritable.

"The Girl you imbecile! Tell me about the girl!" Even though Jareth had watched Sarah since she had woken he wanted to see if his subject who lie about disobeying his king.

"Oh! Lady nice! Meep like lady." Meep said grinning up. Jareth leaned back in his throne and pinched the bridge of his nose. Goblins could be so infuriating at times.

"And you didn't let her see you? Didn't talk to her?"

Meep went silent for I moment and started to shake silently.

"No King, Meep good. Meep very good."

Jareth raised an eyebrow as he lowered his hand from his face.

"Oh really? Are you sure? Because from what I've seen," Jareth produced a crystal, "I'd say you've been very bad."

Meep fell to his knees and began to sob hysterically.

"Meep sorry! Meep didn't mean to!" Meep wailed. Jareth rolled his eyes.

"Be quiet Meep." He said beginning to roll the crystal from one hand to the other. The little goblin hiccupped and fell silent.

"You disobeyed my orders Meep; I should really punish you for it."

Meep began to tremble again.

"Please King! Not the bog!" Jareth glared at the goblin who quickly fell quiet again.

"You're in luck. I'm feeling generous this morning. You have made a deal with Sarah yes?" The goblin nodded but didn't speak. Jareth smiled, "You agreed to tell her if I was planning something?" again Meep nodded, "Well then Meep you may continue to watch Sarah so long as from now on you obey the orders I give you."

Meep nodded eagerly pleased that he wasn't going to be thrown head first into the bog!

"And just to make sure you do as you're told, I am going to create a new bog just for you Meep, one that is far worse than the Bog of Eternal Stench. And if you disobey me again you will spend the rest of your miserable life there! Do I make myself clear?"

Meep was too scared even to nod his head, with a threat like that he would never break the king's rules ever again. Jareth smiled; from the look on Meep's face he would not defy him again.

"Good, you may continue to talk with Sarah and answer her questions so long as you tell her only what I want you to tell her. I want her lulled into a false sense of security so you are not to tell her that I have anything planned for her, I don't care if you made a deal with her, I am your king and you obey me first understood." Meep nodded, "Good, you can go, I shall contact you with any other orders later. Remember Meep this new bog will make the Bog of Eternal Stench look like a holiday resort" Jareth saw the small Goblin gulp before he vanished.

Jareth sat there in silence for a few minutes continuing to roll the crystal around. Phase one of his plan was going well aboveground. Time to check that everything was going according to plan in the Underground. He snapped his fingers and a large Goblin appeared beside the throne, he bowed low before addressing his King.

"You summoned me sire?" the goblins voice was deep and gruff.

"Yes, how goes the assignment I set you? Any problems?"

"Everything goes well your majesty, the knight put up a good fight but in the end he was subdued, the rest of the operation is proceeding as we speak."

"Excellent everything is on schedule. You may return to your duties." The Goblin bowed again before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Jareth return his attention to the crystal, he held it up to eye level and turned it, an image of Sarah appeared inside. She was going into her bedroom.

"Ah my sweet Sarah, how is that you can so easily make my subjects defy me?"

He watched as Sarah stopped just inside her room gazing around before heading over to her book shelf a look of confusion flitting across her beautiful face. Jareth smiled wickedly as Sarah realised that some of her most precious possessions were missing.