Note* having trouble with my spell checker at the moment so there will be mistakes, so no need to tell me in a review, i'll get around to fixing them later

Chapter 23

Jareth's P.O.V

Jareth watched Sarah toss uneasily in her sleep. The soft light of dawn weakly illuminated the troubled features of her face.

Silently, he produced a crystal and peered into, watching as Sarah's dream filled the orb. Sarah was trapped in the Junk fields desperately trying to claw her way free of the junk that was rapidly dragging her down.

"What peculiar dreams mortals have." Jareth whispered, shaking his head at the image before him. With a wave of his hand over the crystal, the scene shimmered and transformed into a Ballroom. Ladies and gentlemen dressed in vibrant colors whirled round the dance floor. In the midst of them stood Sarah, dressed in a beautiful gown of green that matched her eyes perfectly, and looking utterly confused.

"Much better." Jareth said, satisfied.

Jareth lifted his gaze to the sleeping Sarah and smirked at the look of bewilderment that mirrored that of her dream self.

With a shower of glitter the crystal vanished.

"Sweet dreams precious."

He turned on his heel and strode purposely to the vanity, his eyes searched the service carefully before reached out and picked up a hair comb. He extracted several strands of Sarah's hair before replacing the comb and dropping the hair into a small pouch.

Quickly he made his way out onto the balcony. A gentle breeze slightly ruffled his hair, as he stared out over the Labyrinth. He thought back to their dinner the other night. Sarah wouldn't like what he was going to do today, so Jareth had decided that what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Besides, he was doing it for her own good, she would thank him for it one day. She'll live a much happier life with him if she just gave in. It would happen of course, eventually. At first Jareth had thought that once she realized he held all the cards that she would forfeit their little game and submit to him. But no, once again, he had underestimated her. He now knew it would be a very long time before Sarah would break. He liked her firey stubbornness, it was one of the things that drew him to her. But he had won the game. He wanted his prize, now. He was done with waiting.

In a flurry of motion the Goblin King leapt from the balcony, transforming effortlessly into his owl form. He flew silently over the city and Labyrinth and onwards towards the horizon.

-x-

Sarah's P.O.V

Sarah sat down heavily on a heap of junk, exhausted.

It had been another long day of searching, even with the Goblin's help she was still getting nowhere.

Allana would never have said I could find the damn thing if it were impossible. She rubbed her temples, what with her frustration over their fruitless such, pun unintended, and her bad night's sleep she was starting to get a headache.

She was exceedingly grateful she hadn't seen Jareth today. She'd decided that she didn't care where he was, so long as he stayed there a long time and went there often.

Sarah had a sneaking suspicion that the Goblin King had been messing with her dreams last night. She vividly remembered having dreamt that she was trapped in the Junk field, then all of a sudden, she'd found herself in the middle of a ballroom, surrounded by women dressed elegantly, dripping with bright jewels, and the gentleman who gallantly bowed and asked her to dance. This in it's self wasn't unusual, she often had ballroom dreams. This one however was too detailed even for her imagination and this dream had no way out. Normally she'd find a door that would lead her to another dream. This time there was nothing, no door, no archeway, no window, just smooth walls all the way round. She'd checked twice, but to no avail.

She was just about to go in search of a chair and re-enact her last escape from a Goblin King induced dream, when she felt a slight breeze on the back of her neck. She turned to see the room fading into a bright light, she blinked her eyes, and found herself back in the bedroom in the Goblin King's Castle.

The curtains by the balcony doors fluttered slightly, and thats when she was certain the Goblin King had been messing with her, the doors had been firmly shut when she went to bed.

"Stupid Goblin King, can't even leave me alone whilst i'm asleep!" she muttered.

A clattering noise behind her alerted her to the arrival of a Goblin. Since yesterday the group had grown. Now Boomer, Washit and Tork had joined their little band. It was Washit who was impatiently waiting for Sarah to count his items, none of which were peaches.

"Urm, Washit, I didn't ask you to find a top hat, or an umbrella or what I hope is an old dog bone."

"Me knows lady. But me want ta win, Ands winner needs most junk thingies!" Washit explained

Sarah sighed.

"It's most items on the list Washit. Remember, otherwise it's cheating. And you end up fighting each other."

She'd already had to break up one Goblin fight today and it wasn't something she wished to repeat.

Washit scampered off to hunt more items from the list.

Sarah rose and scanned the area around her. Nothing even remotely like a peach, she sighed and moved around a particularly large heap of junk, out of sight of the Goblins, and started searching.

She was rummaging through some old ornaments when her hand caught on some broken China. She yelped in pain and snatched her hand back.

Sarah examined the nasty cut on her hand, it was small but deep and already bleeding.

"Damn." Sarah muttered, watching as several droplets fell to the ground.

A deep rumbling growl had her whirling around. She scanned the landscape, but saw nothing but an endless sea of lost possessions.

Sarah frowned.

"Hello?" she said, taking a few tentative steps forward. The growl sounded again, closer this time, but slightly muffled. A pile not five feet from her shifted and her eyes fixed on it.

"Barnaby, Quark, Tork? Is that you?" she asked, stepping closer. A fierce snarl eminated from the pile and she froze. Two yellow eyes were glaring at her intently from beneath the array of toys, books, keys and old ornaments.

Sarah let out a sharp gasp.

"Lady!"

Sarah spun around to find Barnaby hurrying up to her.

"There you is Lady. Whats ya doin over heres?"

Sarah turned back to where she'd seen the eyes, but they were gone.

"I thought I saw..." Sarah trailed off

"Sees what?" Barnaby asked, peering round Sarah.

"Nothing, must have been my imagination."

"Lets go Lady. Me smells somthin bad heres."

Sarah snorted.

"Well, we are in a Junkfield."

Barnaby just shook his head and pulled her back towards the group of Goblins.

"Do any of you have something I can rap round my hand?" Sarah asked, showing them her still bleeding cut.

The Goblin's all gathered round, fascinated.

"Haven't you ever seen blood before." Sarah inquired.

The Goblin's shook their heads.

"Nots like thats." Barnaby told her. "When fae's bleed they heals real quick."

Sarah was surprised.

"I've never thought about a Fae getting injured."

"Don'ts happen oftens." Quark said.

"Thems too powerful." Boomer agreed.

"They don't like iron, right?" Sarah asked, trying to sound nochalant.

"Burns em!" Barnaby explained, "not much of it in Underground."

"Lots in Iron Mountains though, But thems far, far away!" Cogsnap said.

"The Fae won't go near the Iron Mountains then?" Sarah asked.

The Goblin's all shook their heads.

"Makes them ill." Snig told her.

Well, at least I can be sure Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus will be safe from Jareth there.

"Heres lady." Tork offered her a slight grabby square of cloth.

"Thanks." Sarah said, tying it round her bleed wound. She felt a gentle tug on her skirts. "Meep!" she cried in delight, crouching down to better see the little Goblin.

"Hellos lady." Meep squeaked.

"I've been wanting to thank you for your help the other day."

Meep puffed up proudly, which looked rather amusing on the small creature.

"Meep do anything for Lady."

" We's all do anything for Lady." Barnaby butted in, obviously not pleased with the attention Meep was getting.

"King bog us if we didn'ts." Sarah heard Washit mutter.

"Lady musts come ins now. Lady's dinner is ready." Meep said.

"Buts we haven'ts finished palyin!" Barnaby said peevishly and the other Goblin grumbled similar things. Meep put his small hands on his hips and fixed what Sarah assumed was meant to be a threatening look on his face.

"Miss Greta says she'll box ya ears if you waylays Lady Sarah!"

The effect was instant. All the Goblins started tugging on her skirts and pushing her towards the castle. Poor Meep was in danger of being left behind as the bigger Goblins pushed past. Sarah scooped up the Little Goblin and Meep clung to her gratefully.

They all made their way back through the Goblin City.

"Are the Goblins afraid of Greta?" Sarah asked Meep.

He nodded.

"Miss Greta not like other Goblins. She likes things all neats and tidies. She so happy whens King had Castle cleaned for yous."

"I thought it seemed tidier."

Meep nodded sadly, obviously not as please as Greta on the Castle's new look.

"Why's Greta so different."

"Meep nots know, maybe cos she a girl?"

"Are there many Female Goblins? I haven't seen very many."

"Nos lady, Girls very rare, mosts work at Castle as maids."

"But how come there's so many of you?"

"Meep nots sure. King says we 'breed like rabbits' so maybe they have somthin ta do with its."

Sarah tried to hide her smile, and then sobered.

"Jareth isn't back yet is he?"

Meep shook his head, his sauce Pan hat swinging.

"Nah King nots be back for ages."

They all prosesed up the stairs and into the Castle.

" I don't suppose you know where he's gone?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Nos, but Meep can tries and finds out." Meep whispered into her ear, "Meep very good at listening ta things."

"Could you? I don't trust Jareth, I know he's up to something."

Meep nodded.

"King always up ta somethin."

By this time they had reached her room. She opened the door and peered in. The room was Greta free so she invited the Goblins to join her. They spent an enjoyable hour or so, talking and laughing. Goblins really weren't so bad once you got to know them. In a way they were like naughty little children.

A knock came from the door. All the Goblins froze as Greta entered, followed by a maid, all except for Meep that is, who dove under Sarah's long skirt.

"Whats is you alls doin in heres?" Greta squealed, "Outs the lot of yous." Greta chased the Goblins out, swatting any unfortunate enough to get near her.

"Oh, don't." Sarah pleaded, "I invited them in."

"They is nots good company fors a Lady, they is nosiy and breaks things." Greta insisted. Sarah shifted her skirt to better conceal the small Goblin still hiding there.

Greta rounded on the maid still lingering by the door.

"Yous clear up thats." She barked motioning at the table of empty dinner things. The maid hurried over to do as she was bidden. Greta turned back to Sarah.

"Nows Lady, would you likes me ta draw you a bath or justs turn down ta bed?"

"A bath would be great, I'm a little dirty from the junk fields."

Greta tutted and murmured something being unfit for a lady whilst she rushed off to the bathroom. Sarah quickly motioned for Meep to hide under the bed whilst Greta was out of the room. She turned to the maid and put a finger to her lips. The round eyed Goblin nodded once and scurried out the room with the dinner tray.

-x-

Jareth's P.O.V

Jareth soared majestically through the air, he had already covered a great distance and did not have far to go. He was grateful. The harsh sunlight hurt his sensitive owl eyes, which were much better suited to night time flying.

He had watched the landscape change from the marshy earth and plants that surrounded the labyrinth, to the dry desert that lay just beyond which had turned to rolling green hills and Silver Lakes. Now the land was becoming more woodland as he approached the Enchanted forest.

The trees here were dark and brooding and the whole forest hummed with ancient magic. It was from this forest that the trees in the labyrinth's forbidden forest originally came frpm.

Jareth swooped low, his beady black eyes scanning the tree tops searching the tree tops. After several minutes his eyes fixed on a mall clearing. He glided downwards and alighted on a tree branch. He was tired from his long journey and wanted to rest be he completed the task he had set out to do. It irritated him that he could not simply use magic to teleport himself here, but the ancient magic of forest prevented all from doing so, even the ruler of the underground.

Small flower fairies like the ones that dwelled on the outskirts of the Labyrinth fluttered by. One dared approach him and he snapped his beak angrily at it, frighting the small creature away. He returned his gaze to the center for the clearing. A slight shimmer hung in the air, sort of like a heat haze, but other than that the clearing was empty, nothing moved except the small fairies and the leaves that swayed gently in the breeze.

With a mighty flap of his wings, Jareth leaped from the branch. In a flurry of Glitter he transformed into his Fae form. He strode forward, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. As he did so the shimmering in the air froze, then rippled. the clearing was no longer empty, now there sat a little ramshackle hut.

Jareth strode to the door and knock loudly twice. He heard a shuffling within, a small crash and a muttered curse. Seconds later the door opened to reveal a wizened old man, dressed in brown robes and had a long white beard that was so long it hand to be tucked into his belt so that it would not trail on the floor.

"Ahh, Your Majesty, It's you." The man said in an old wavering voice.

"Who else would it be?" Jareth said in a bored tone.

"No one, no one." The old man replied, shuffling back to allow the Goblin King to enter.

It was quite dark inside for there were no windows, a small log fire burned in the great but it gave off little light. The only other source of light in the room came from Jars that were scattered round the room, that contained fluttering butterflies of varying colours that glowed brightly.

"I very rarely get visitors." The old man wheezed as he hobbled over to a work bench that was littered with an array of bottles, jars, herbs and unusual instruments, that seemed to take up most of the room.

"Well, if you will live in a place that is warded against transportation spells and is extremely hard to find on foot, then you aren't going to get many are you." The Goblin King said drolly.

"True, very true." The old man admitted, placing spectacles on the end of his nose. "I have been studying the properties of flower fairy saliva for a new sleeping potion i've been working on, but so far i've not been having much luck."

"Merin, I didn't come here to listen to you prattle on about Fairy spit." Jareth snapped.

"Of cause, of cause...What did you come here for again?" Merin asked, blinking up at the Goblin King.

Jareth rolled his eyes.

"The Metamorphosis Potion. Is it ready?"

"Ahh yes, the Metamorphosis Potion. Now lets see." Merrin moved over to a corner of the room where a vile of purple liquid bubbled over a small flame. Merin sniffed it and shook his head.

"Not quite your majesty, it needs at least a week more and a few more yarrow leaves by the smell of it. It's very difficult to turn a mortal into Fae, The potion is so complex, if one is not careful, makes one tiny error in the ingredients then it could become deadly."

"I am aware of the complexity, I would not risk Sarah's life by using a concoction made up by a Potion Master just out of the nursery. None hold a candle to you." Jareth said.

"Why thank you your Majesty." Merin bowed slightly.

"It wasn't a compliment merely a statement of fact." Jareth replied.

"Oh." Merin said, crestfallen. " Well, I'm sorry your majesty, but your journey has been wasted. I can't give you the potion till it's complete."

"My journey will not be wasted. I have another request."

"Oh?" Merin looked interested, "What does your grace have in mind?"

"I take it you know how to make the Eros Potion?"

"My, my, my, that is an old potion and powerful too. I think...no I know it was the first love potion ever created."

"I know of its history, what I want to know is can you make it?"

"Hmm, let me see," Merin bustled about checking jars and boxes of herbs, " Satyrion, Myrtle extract, hmm might need a bit more of that," Merin muttered to himself, " Calendula, Thyme and Ginger root." He turned to face the Goblin King.

"I have most of the ingredients I need and the rest i can easily find in the forest. But there are two Vital ingredients I must have. A lock of your hair and of the one who's heart you wish to ensnare."

Jareth smirked and held out a small pouch.

"You'll find both in there. How long till it's ready?" Jareth asked.

" A few days, It's an old recipe, but a lot less complex than the metamorphosis potion."

"Excellent, have one of your Ravens deliver it. I won't be able to return for awhile. I have a wedding to arrange and will most likely be spending the rest of the week clearing up the mess the Goblins have made in my absence."

Merin chuckled.

"Ah Goblins. Such high spirited creatures."

"A damn nuisance more like."Jareth inclined his head to the old man. " you have my thanks Merin."

"A pleasure as always your Grace." Merin bowed low.

Jareth turned and made his way to the door, stopping to admire the glowing butterflies in one of the jars.

"Where did you get these?" He asked, tapping a finger on the glass with a gloved finger.

"From a young red haired witch, whose name I forget. Pretty young thing talented too. She made those with her magic."

Jareth snorted.

"Witch magic, weak and useless in my opinion. Still Sarah might like these. If you see this Witch again, tell her to send some to the new Goblin Queen."

"Yes, your Majesty." Merin said, as Jareth swept out the door.