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Chapter 3

It was a few hours later when Jareth could bear the sight of Sarah's feverish sleep no longer that he decided to return Iona to the nursery. It was almost morning and he could see the pre-dawn light through the nursery windows. He carefully laid the young child back in her crib and gently pulled a blanket over her. He gave strict instructions to the woman in charge of the children and went to seek his own bed knowing that someone would rouse him if Sarah woke or if her conditioned worsened.

When he woke again it was from a nightmare predicting the worst and the sun was well past the midpoint of the sky. Not wanting to waste the time it would take to wash or dress manually he used his magic to save time and arrived clean and fully clothed by Sarah's bedside a few moments later. He retook his place in the chair watching over her.

"She hasn't regained consciousness, Sire, and her fever still hasn't dropped but the stitches seem to be holding so the restraints were removed." One of the nurse's reported when she noticed the King's arrival. The young woman seemed slightly nervous and obviously had something more she wish to say. Something outside of her official duties.

"Was there something else?" The King asked, his eyes not leaving the mortals pale face.

"Earlier she was muttering in her sleep."

"What was she saying?"

"I heard no specifics but she repeated a few names more than once. Toby and Iona most often, I understand they are her siblings, she seemed to be having bad dreams involving them."

"Is that all?" Jareth already knew of Sarah's fears.

"She...she also spoke your name, your Majesty." Moaned more like, the nurse added in her head, "She didn't look worried though, there was a smile on her face." The nurse moved away from the King as quickly as possible after imparting this, not wanting to answer any other questions.

The Goblin King took a little while to appreciate the full import of Sarah having happy dreams about him or involving him. That she called him by name. He stayed by his mortals side for the rest of the day.

It was hours later when Sarah opened her eyes again. She seemed so frail he could hardly recognise the girl who had beaten his Labyrinth.

"Sarah?" Jareth tried to attract her attention moving into her field of vision.

"You're still here." She said, like a sigh of relief, a lazy smile spread across her face.

"How are you feeling?" The Goblin King asked realising it was a fairly asinine question.

"Sore and thirsty." She replied the smile fading somewhat.

Jareth waved a hand using his magic to conjure a glass of water and some broth to give her. He carefully helped Sarah to sit up so she didn't disturb her dressings. He placed the glass to Sarah's lips and allowed a small amount to trickle into her mouth. It took a lot of effort for Sarah to swallow, she was that weak. He repeated the action until she'd drunk about a third of the glass, he then switched to the broth feeding Sarah in small spoonful's, ignoring her protests that he didn't need to feed her like a child. When he was satisfied that she'd eaten enough he put the bowl down.

"Jareth could I request a small favour, I wouldn't ask but..." her voice trailed off and Jareth could hear the slur creeping back into her voice.

"You feel it's important, I understand, what is it you wish me to do?

"Under my bed , Above, a suitcase, please if you could bring it underground, what's in there is special to me." She slid back into sleep as a perfect crystal sphere formed on his fingertips. He peered into it intently for a a moment or two before tossing the bubble into the air she didn't see it land in the form of the very suitcase that she'd asked for.

Intrigued as to what would be so important to his mortal love he wasted no time in opening the case.

The creature kept to the shadows always in his dealing with the humans, it would not do to alarm them before their tasks were complete. They were to bring the golden haired boy and the daughters to him. Then he could deal with all of the aboveground connections of his little venture.

His contact arrived alone, not as intended.

"The deal was for you to bring the children to me and in return you would be rewarded." The creature's voice rasped. "I see no captives."

"They disappeared," The human said obviously having second thoughts about turning up to the meeting at all. "We had then, we took the two little ones first. Then we got the rest of the family, we took care of the parents as requested but the girl escaped," he didn't mention that one member of his crew had idiotically stabbed he as she ran, "We almost had her back then suddenly her and the guy she had ran to were gone, the kids too and there was no way they could have been taken back, no way."

"So you have failed me." The creature said, wasting not more time on the mortal killing him with a thought before leaving to find the death humans accomplices. He would have to track down the children himself.

The contents of the case surprised him. The first item as he opened it was a stack of unopened envelopes. He scanned through the names of the intended recipients. 'The Goblin King, Hoggle, Sir Didymus & Ludo, Toby, Iona.' He opened his own envelope, it contained another envelope and a letter written in Sarah's neat hand writing.

"Your Majesty, if you are reading this then I hope that Iona and Toby are safe and well. I'm sorry I'm too much of a coward not to call you now before we meet the kidnappers but if I can get them back through mortal means then you might refuse or ask for something in return that I cannot give and I can't allow that.

"Contained in the case are photo's for Toby and Iona when they grow up so they can learn about their real parents and the family that loved them so very much. I also put in a few of their favourite things to help make the transition easier on them.

"I know that we have had our differences in the past. Please accept that I forgave you long ago and hope you will love the children every bit as much as I do. If you are reading this and I still live I have things that I must tell you but would prefer to speak in person, these are contained in the enclosed envelope.

"The other letters are in the event that I don't make it through the next 24 hours, I would appreciate if in the event that wishing my family away is my last act you would deliver them and read the enclosed one yourself."

The note was simply signed, "Sarah."

The Goblin King felt like opening his other letter now but he wanted to honour Sarah's wishes, she would survive and tell all her secrets personally. He was content to leave certain questions unasked at the moment.

Leaving the injured woman's bedside to allow the nurse to change Sarah's dressings Jareth headed back to his study to catch up on the work he had been neglecting in favour of watching Sarah. His medical staff knew where to find him in the event of Sarah's regaining consciousness or any sudden decline in her health. He left the case by her bedside for the moment to help him resist temptation.

He'd had little time to think about his own feelings of Sarah's return to the Underground. There had been the gut wrenching horror at the prospect of her dying in his arms that overshadowed everything else, including the exhilaration that he'd felt when she'd pulled him into the kiss. He'd regained the boy and he should feel satisfaction but he didn't want to gain the child and his younger sister at the cost of Sarah's life.

The Goblin King had not taken the defeat of his Labyrinth or the rejection of his offer well. He'd fallen into a depression that had lasted too long in the eyes of his subjects. A period of almost twelve months where he only appeared in public for official reasons, where he no longer smiled, laughed of threatened anyone with the bog. Even after his depression faded Jareth was a different man. His temper, while far from even to begin with, had become such that occasionally the smallest thing could send him into a rage.

As he pushed the last piece of paperwork away from himself he found his thoughts returning to the woman who had haunted him for so long. Half of him wished to praise her return another part still ached from her original rejection and the rest, a very small voice within demanded that he punish the mortal girl. The only thing he could whole-heartedly think was that Sarah was in the Underground now, she was his now and he would never let her go again.

The creature did not look forward to talking to his superiors. What the mortal wretch had said was correct his quarry had indeed disappeared from the mortal realm. He had at least dealt with the cretinous crew of criminals that had lost them before passing back through the veil between the worlds.

"What news?" His master asked when the creature reappeared in the Underground.

"The mortals assigned to obtain those we seek failed to retain them. I sensed magical assistance, I believe those you seek may now be in the Underground due to fae interference.

"Which fae?"

"I know not master." The creature knew that his master was not pleased at the news.

"Leave me! I must find a new strategy."

It was a knock on the door of his study that roused the Goblin King from his reverie.

"Come." He barked out. He was surprised when one of the nursery assistants entered.

"Your Majesty," The woman said as she genuflected. "I'm here to ask if the boy would be allowed to visit his sister. He seems very concerned about her."

Jareth felt slightly guilty that the thought had not occurred to him, that after all he had been through the boy might wish to see a familiar face. "I see no reason to stop such a visit. I shall collect the boy within the hour." He dismissed the woman with a wave of his black gloved hand.

After a few more moments spent in contemplation he made his way back to Sarah. If he was hoping that she would have made some sort of miraculous recovery in the time he'd been absent from her bedside he would have been sorely disappointed. She was still unnaturally pale, her breathing shallow and slightly feverish she was still wearing the soft robe she'd been dressed in as they prepared her for surgery he could see the stains from where her bandaging had been insufficient to stop the blood flow.

"Nurse?" The King called softly not wishing to disturb the injured woman and knowing that his voice would carry in the quiet ward.

"Sire?" One responded almost instantly moving towards her monarch.

"Is there any way you could clean up... I mean make her look a little more... I mean less ill." Jareth couldn't believe that he had stuttered so much in getting out one sentence. "Her brother wishes to see her and I'd rather he didn't realise the brutal truth of her injuries."

"Of course, your Majesty." She left the King for a few moments before returning with a cotton shift over one arm, a bowl of water and soft cloths to wash the girl. "If you could give the girl a little privacy Sire." The nurse prompted.