Heya! This is just a quick follow on form the last chapter, showing a bit more development while I work on the main plot. Jareth's fighting a bit so I had to distract him with this. Hope you enjoy it.

Please review! xxxx

The rain plummeted to earth in sheets, so heavy as to leave bruises on bare skin. Thunder crashed overhead and the loch was illuminated by a flash of lightening. Phoenix pressed herself closer against Sarah as they huddled in the open doorway of the castle and Sarah wrapped her arm around her daughter, stroking her hair as the little girl shook and another roll of thunder echoed through the Labyrinth.

"Boys, come back!" Sarah called but was unable to make her voice heard over the ferocity of the Underground storm. Fifty yards away Nathaniel danced once more out of Rath's reach as the younger twin lunged in a manic game of tag. His mouth was open but the sound of his laughter was lost on the wind. Both boys hair was plastered to their heads as they shrieked and leapt once more for each other. Overhead there was a swish of wings and in the next flash of lightening Sarah made out the swooping silhouette of a ghostly owl.

"Daddy!" Rath's shout was just audible over the rain.

Nathaniel turned to stare up into the sky and in his moment of distraction Rath pounced, leaping onto his brother's back and toppling him towards the ground. Rath hit the mud on all fours, Nathaniel suddenly no longer beneath him. Sarah looked wildly around; trying to see where Nathaniel had materialised but the rain was too heavy. Jareth's feet touched the ground, his shadow elongating in the lightening to become that of a man, and Sarah was reminded vividly of the night they first met. Jareth stooped and hauled his younger son to his feet, bending over him. Ignoring the rain, Sarah ran to where the stood. Within seconds she was soaked to the skin.

"Jareth," she shouted over the thunder, "where is Nathaniel?"

He shook his head mutely, knowing that his six year old son could vanish, but also knowing that as yet Nathaniel had little power, except in times of strong emotion, as to where he reappeared.

"Daddy! Mummy! Nath's in the lake!" Phoenix voice held panic as she sttod at the edge of the water, her eyes wide with fear.

Sarah screamed, abandoning Jareth and Rath and running towards the edge of the loch, shedding shoes and jersey as she went. Her eyes were fixed on the shock of blond hair as it disappeared for the second time beneath the churning waves. Materialising in front of her Jareth wrapped his amrs tightly round her, holding her back from the water's edge.

"No," he said into her mind as a panting Rath caught up with them. He caught Rath's arm. "Rath!" he shouted. "Don't let Mummy into the water."

Rath nodded his head fiercely and wrapped his small arms round Sarah's waist, holding her with a strength that belied his six years. There was a streak of white as Jareth transformed, swooping to the centre of the loch and folding his wings like an osprey, plunging head first into the frothing water. Sarah looked out towards the place where he had vanished, ears dead to the sound of the storm she felt as though she too were under water, and everything was moving in slow motion.

Jareth forced his eyes to stay open against the buffeting of the waves, peering through the darkness. Blond hair and a pale face, Nathaniel was sinking slowly towards the bottom of the lake, eyes wide and a trail of bubbles escaping from his blue lips. Jareth reached his hand down, strtching through the icy water to catch hold of his son. Nathaniel's body convulsed, and then his hand was in Jareth's and he was kicking for the surface. Jareth's head broke the surface of the water and he pulled Nathaniel higher, wrapping his arms round the boy's waist. Nathaniel gasped in a deep breath and then the weight of their clothes became too much and their heads bobbed back beneath the surface. Jareth kicked hard, calling to the Labyrinth to help them. Jareth's eyes flew open and as the once more surfaced he shouted into his son's ear.

"Nathaniel, follow me. The Labyrinth will help you. Concentrate on your power and not on what you're doing."

Transforming Jareth beat his water logged wings hard, fighting against the wind and the power of the storm. He rose a few feet, snagging his talons through the material of Nathaniel's tunic and pulling hard. His wings ached with the effort as he forced them higher. And then his talons could hold the weight no longer and Nathaniel was falling back towards the water. Jareth dived with him, shielding his son's body beneath his wing span. Nathaniel's eyes were screwed tight in concentration. A second later he was spiralling out of control white feathers being picked up by the wind and sent swishing away into the darkness. Jareth kept with him, urging his son to stop his plummeting descent, spreading his wings wider in an effort to keep away the wind. Nathaniel's wings opened and he pressed his back close against Jareth's underbelly. Together they turned back towards the shore, pulling upwards just enough to avoid the storm whipped frenzy beneath them. Sarah's eyes were wide as she reached for the approaching white ghosts but it was Rath who took the hit as his brother once more lost control beneath the wind's fury. Nathaniel transformed once more, too tired to keep flying he hit Rath full in the chest, once more sending his brother sprawling in the mud. Phoenix clung to her mother's skirt, acting more like the three year old she ahd been five years ago in the face of the emergency. Jareth's feet touched the ground and immediately he was on his knees in the mud, prising Rath's arms from round his brother and rolling Nathaniel onto his back. The mud soaked through his breeches but he didn't care as he pressed his ear to Nathaniel's chest.

The boys eyes were shut and his lips were blue. Sarah crouched down next to Jareth. And Phoenix wrapped her arms round her neck. Rath was still lying in the mud next to his brother, his arms wrapping back round him, whispering urgently in his ear. Jareth sat up and smacked his hand down sharply on Nathaniel's chest. Nathaniel's eyes flew open and he rolled to the side, vomiting lake water into the mud. Phoenix turned aside, her face screwed up in disgust. Jareth's eyes found Sarah and for a moment held her gaze. She loved him desperately for the relief she saw reflected there. Turning his back to her he lifted Nathaniel into his arms and vanished, heading for the bedroom in the tower. After a few moments Rath rose to his feet and shook his head, his hair drying for a split second before the rain smoothed back to his head. He turned and, as Sarah looked up at him from a crouched position on the ground, she could not repress the shudder that swept through her. For a second, just for a moment, it was not Rath but Raemon who stared defiantly down at her. And then the moment passed and he was just a frightened little boy. He turned determinedly and set off through the rain back towards the door.

Sarah stared after his retreating figure, wondering what had come over her. A tugging on her arm brought her back to her senses.

"Mummy?" Phoenix' eyes were wide and imploring.

Sarah rose and wrapped her arms around her daughter, kissing the top of her head before lifting her and carrying her back towards the castle.

"I was an owl," Nathaniel's voice was full of pride as he sat, propped up by pillows in the centre of his parent's bed the next morning.

Rath nodded back, beaming from where he perched at the bed's foot.

"And I can dematerialise," Nathaniel boasted, "you can't do that can you Rath."

Rath smiled and shook his head.

"You need to learn to decide on a destination before you vanish," Jareth said pointedly from where he sat in the armchair, Phoenix curled up his lap and playing with the ties of his dressing gown. "You can't just go and decide on where you want to turn up later, you've got to plan it, concentrate."

Nathaniel looked sullen. "You don't," he muttered.

"I've had more practice," Jareth answered meeting his son's gaze. Nathaniel was first to drop his eyes.

Phoenix tossed her head, hair blond hair catching the sunlight and sending a rippling effect across the stone walls.

"I'm rubbish at magic," she announced cheerfully and Rath smiled gratefully at her. She held out her hand to Rath who slipped off the bed and ambled across to her to take it. "Doesn't matter," she told him, "Mummy says so and she can't do magic. Isn't that right Daddy?"

Jareth kissed the top of her head.

"Where is Mummy?" Rath asked, looking up at Jareth with his piercingly blue eyes.

"In the shower," answered Nathaniel. He had spent the night sleeping between his parents so they could see he was none the worse for his experience in the loch. "Something about getting the mud out of her hair."

Rath giggled and Phoenix squeezed his hand.

"See Rathy," she said encouragingly, "Mummy can't even dry her hair herself, she just has to wait."

Rath grinned up at his elder sister.

"I could dry all your hair," Nathaniel announced from the bed, "and then make it wet again."

Rath scowled. "No you couldn't Nathaniel," Jareth interjected, "someday perhaps but not yet. Anyway, I think your power could be put to better use than a mobile hair washing unit."

Phoenix reached up and took hold of his fringe.

"I could do your hair for you Daddy?" she asked, splitting the section she held into three in preparation to making a braid.

Hastily Jareth got to his feet, setting Phoenix carefully on the ground. She seized the ties of his dressing gown again and began tugging them into the twisted shape of a two strand plait.

"Careful Honey," he admonished gently, pulling her hands away from himself, "watch out where those hands are, we don't want Daddy's dressing gown falling off do we?"

Phoenix clasped her hands behind her back.

"Is that because you've got a willie?" she asked, unabashed.

Jareth smiled lightly. "That may have something to do with it," he replied.

"But I've seen Nathaniel's and Rath's," Phoenix countered, "so what's the difference?"

"Yes," Rath agreed, "I don't mind!"

As if to demonstrate this he pulled off his pyjama bottoms which were all he wore and stuck them on his head, running round the room with his arms spread wide.

"Look Nathaniel," he shouted, "You were an owl but I'm an owl with no feathers. And I can still fly!"

Nathaniel grinned and scrambled out of bed, tugging off his pyjama bottoms two. Pulling them onto his head he held the legs up with his hands.

"See Daddy," he laughed, "I'm Herne, just like in the stories. And I can turn into a deer."

Jareth sighed and shook his head. Phoenix tugged on his hand.

"Daddy," she asked seriously, "who would win? A naked owl or a deer that could only walk on tow legs?"

Jareth frowned slightly and opened his mouth to answer but was too late as the boys leapt on each other with whoops of "Let's find out!"

Sarah entered the chamber from the bathroom, her damp hair hanging round her shoulders. She stared at the heap of flying limbs mixed with flashes of black and white blond. She looked up at Jareth questioningly. Jareth shrugged.

"I think Nathaniel is feeling a little better now," he replied, his face deadpan.