Robert paced as Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus sat in his living room looking nervous. Sarah stood by the fireplace wringing her hands and muttering to herself about nightmares and Goblin Kings. Robert cleared his throat. How had he let the flood gates of insanity open so wide that his children were swept away into Fae trickery? He had known that Karen was half Fae, had accepted it years ago, but allowing his son to be 'kidnapped' and his daughter to go on a quest through the Goblin Kingdom - it was just too much. Just because his wife had the Sight she thought she knew everything.
"Have a little faith," Karen had said when she'd brought the subject up with him a month ago. "Jareth doesn't realize it, but he's looking for a queen and his heart is leading him to Sarah. She'll know how to handle him."
"How can you be so sure she'll even want him? She's not going to choose some pompous man just because he spouts some pretty words at her. Plus she's human. Fae don't choose humans," he'd said then blushed. Right - Karen was proof that yes, sometimes they did. Somehow he knew he would not win this argument, but he just had to keep trying.
"Sarah is so young - she has no idea what she wants out of life. She's immature and stubborn. Not really royal qualities, right? Why can't he just go pick someone else - someone Fae? Sarah's not what he needs." There, that was clear enough. Prophecy or not, Robert Williams knew his daughter.
Sarah was so pure and sweet and this Jareth - well, he was a goblin wasn't he? Karen had told him that Jareth was Fae with a goblin's heart whatever that meant. Sarah deserved so much more than a monster. He'd have to believe she'd be smart enough to turn this man down and then they could get back to their nice normal life.
"She's a strong young woman who will be good for him." Karen had smirked as she rocked Toby to sleep. Robert hadn't been convinced.
"She's a child," he'd argued and Karen had laughed.
"She's the same age you were when you first started thinking you were in love with me," Karen reminded him.
"Yes and you weren't here for me then were you? You had to live down there, far away from me. I don't want that for Sarah."
"Robert, it's Sarah's decision. When a Fae chooses a life mate, you must know the risks are great. I gave up my world for you and it's been worth it - even though Sarah hates me now." She'd teared up a bit at that and Robert had rushed to hold her.
"She doesn't hate you, she just doesn't realize she loves you," he'd said. She nodded.
"Remember that, Robert," she chided, "sometimes you don't realize you love someone until you're forced to face some hard truths. Sarah will have to face them and we'll have to let her. But it is her choice in the end. No one will force her to marry anyone and you just don't know how Sarah will feel about Jareth in the end. Have a little faith," she asked again. "Sometimes it's all that stands between you and happiness."
"Dad, how do you know about Jareth?" Sarah asked, breaking Robert out of his memory. "Oh my - Toby, um Karen I don't want you to get upset," Sarah suddenly looked worried and Karen held up a hand to calm the girl.
"You wished Toby away to the goblins. We know and we understand. Toby enjoyed the attention actually."
"How could you know? And how could you let me? He could have been turned into a goblin!" Sarah forgot her shock to glare at her stepmother who simply shrugged.
"Toby is part Fae, he was totally safe with his cousin."
"Who's his cousin? What are you talking about? How do you know Jareth anyway - is he one of your old boyfriends or something?" Sarah said snidely, falling back into old patterns even though she knew she was being unreasonable.
"Hardly," Karen drawled. "Jareth is Toby's cousin - it's why Toby was able to call to him. You really didn't think you wished him away all by yourself did you? He wanted to go see my world."
"How is that possible?" Sarah asked. "How can Toby be part Fae? You're not making any sense."
"Karen is part Fae," Robert said in a tired voice. "She is also half sister to Jareth's mother. That makes her his aunt and Toby his cousin."
"Cousin?" Hoggle asked in shock. "The rat's his cousin?" He looked around. "Where is he anyways?"
"Hopefully far away and with no plans to come back," Robert growled. "I don't care what your Sight says, Karen - that man's a menace."
"He's an immature Fae who needs a good talking to - if we could find him," Karen said firmly. "And now that Hoggle mentions it - where is he?"
Everyone looked around, not seeing the drunken king. Karen sighed.
"He's probably gone home. Sarah, why was he throwing fire balls around up there? What did you say to him?"
"What did I say to him? You think this is my fault don't you? You think everything is my fault," Sarah cried, turning away from her. Karen rolled her eyes.
"Did you learn nothing from tonight? Maturity comes in many forms Sarah. You learned that not everything is fair. Didn't you also learn that you aren't always fair either? Do you remember anything of when I first came to you? Right after your mother left - who rocked you to sleep when you cried for her? Who listened to your prayers asking for Linda to love you? Who has tried to love you like a mother while remembering every single second that I can never be the mother you need? I really expected more from you after your journey tonight Sarah."
"I don't want to talk about this now - I'm going to bed," Sarah said, weary. Robert glared at her.
"You are not. You are going to start talking to Karen with a little more respect and maybe she'll answer your questions. As for you three," he said, glancing at Sarah's friends, "it's time to go home. Sarah will talk with you again when she gets the chance."
Sir Didymus kissed Sarah's hand. "My lady, we go, but are always ready to aid you when you next need us."
Ludo hugged Sarah. "Sawa friend."
Hoggle stared at Sarah as if seeing her for the first time. "Hoggle'll see ya later, Sarah. Don't fall for anything the rat says. He'll do anything to, um - just don't listen to him."
"Goodbye guys," Sarah said, waving. "I'll talk to you soon." The three friends disappeared into mist and Sarah turned to her father and Karen.
"I don't understand any of this. Why would you let me think I wished Toby away? How can Karen be part Fae? Why didn't Jareth know Toby was his cousin - or that his aunt lived here?"
"Well, to your first question," Karen replied, "you have had a lot of anger towards Toby and I didn't know how else for you to learn you loved him. He's very smart, he's a quarter Fae and well, he understands quite a bit already."
"He does?"
"Of course he does," Robert said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yes, he can't talk or anything," Karen said quickly. "But Fae can communicate telepathically. Toby has just enough Fae in him to do so, but only with me. His range isn't strong enough for more than that. As for your second question, I met your father when we were five years old. My mother was Fae and my father - well - he wasn't. Mother moved here to be closer to him. A few years later, he died."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Sarah said quietly.
"I know - there is a lot we haven't told you because we wanted you to make your own choices. I can see now that we should have handled it differently. Jareth did not realize that I lived here - he knew me as Kareena and it wasn't common knowledge where I'd gone when I returned here when you were born."
"And you never found a reason to tell me any of this," Sarah said, amazed.
Karen sat down next to her husband on the large sofa across from Sarah. "I just didn't know how to reach you - you shut me out a long time ago, Sarah. I've been trying to understand how to get back into your life for a long time. Anyway, after Father died we moved back to the UnderGround for twenty years. Until you were born. Your father wished for me and I came. He wanted me to see you and convinced Linda to let me be your godmother. Then she left and I couldn't go back home. You needed me, I know you can't believe it now - but you did. And I needed you too."
"I didn't want to need you anymore once Mom started calling. I felt disloyal to her," Sarah admitted. "But you're right - I haven't been fair to you, or to myself. I've been selfish."
"You've been young," Karen smiled. "And there is nothing wrong with that."
Sarah closed her eyes and memories long buried started to resurface. Memories she'd tried to block out but had always been just on the edge of her mind, calling to her. Sarah let the memories surround her and guilt settled in her stomach, making her eyes fill with tears.
"You sang me to sleep," Sarah said, frowning. "You told me stories about the Crystal Kingdom. You were always telling me about all the magical places there and how the river surrounding it flowed with pure magic."
"Yes - the kingdom was my home. It feeds the rest of the UnderGround its magic, guarding over the other realms. My mother was queen before she died. Now my sister rules."
"Wait that would make you a princess," Sarah said, shock clouding her face.
"I was a princess. Now I'm Mrs. Robert Williams and very proud of that fact," Karen said firmly. "I gave up any claim to the throne a long time ago. And I've never regretted it. Not even when you decided I was the wicked stepmother."
Sarah sat there and thought about it for a long time. "I guess you've never been the wicked stepmother, Karen." She glanced up through silent tears and smiled. "You were actually my fairy godmother." She crossed the room and hugged Karen. "I'm sorry I stopped trusting you."
"That's fine Sarah, you're learning to trust yourself now. And that trust is what you're going to need in the coming months. Now - off to bed with you, your father was right - you do have school tomorrow."
"Yes maam," Sarah smiled and hugged her again, then her father.
Running up the stairs, she let herself into her room and changed for bed. Flinging herself under the covers, she stretched, exhausted. Strong arms came around her and she bit back a scream as mismatched eyes stared into her soul.
"Now that you've had your catharsis with my long lost Aunt Karen, I think it's time you and I clear the air, hmm Precious?"