For the Little Things

Jareth laughed as Toby ran towards him with a wooden practice sword raised high above his head. Screaming so loud that Jareth wondered, and not for the first time, if the Williams' family had a little banshee blood in them. He fended of the tyke quite easily but was happy with the child's progress and relentlessness. Jareth had started with small steps and movements some hours ago, and was thoroughly surprised that Toby took to the the little sword like a goblin babe. Toby had little skill but more than made up for it with effort. Jareth fought back and forth with the boy with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well done Toby!"

"I's prawkis!" Toby laughed as he waved the sword in a circle above his head.

"You what, lad?"

"He's practiced." Jareth turned to Sarah as she spoke, surprised. She was leaning against an archway to the courtyard and had apparently been standing there sometime. Toby took Jareth's distraction as an opening and struck. He laughed as Jareth fell to one knee and fought not to grab a certain area of his anatomy in front of Sarah. Sarah rushed forward and grabbed her brother before he could brain the Goblin King like Ditymus had taught him to when the enemy was at Toby's level.

"Ditymus has been teaching us to use goblin weaponry… I'm so sorry Jareth."

"She says as she laughs," Jareth wheezed, then coughed to regain control of his voice, "Ditymus would never have taught him that. He would never teach a pupil a tactic so dishonorable."

"Yeah, well, I did improvise somethings. He's nearly four, Jareth. If he was attacked when he's down here no one would suspect that he'd know a little bit of combat. Not enough to fight a real fight of course, I just wanted him to have enough so that he can disable his attacker and then run to safety."

Jareth had managed to regain his footing and was standing erect as if he'd never been struck. He had thought to glare at the woman but her explanation had him tipping his head at her comment in curiosity. Jareth took the wood sword from Toby, changing it to a sword fit for Sarah to use. She sighed as she took it from him and took several steps back to take a starting pose. Toby screeched a happy cry before turning on his heel and bolting to the edge of the courtyard they'd been using as an arena. Jareth tested her form and stance before Sarah surprised him by coming up under his guard. Jareth blinked rapidly at her as she leered up at him, pushing his head back with the barrel of her small handgun under his chin.

"See, I improvise."

"I'd say that's more like cheating, Sarah, dearest. This was a test of swordsmanship."

"Its unexpected, which will give me the edge in any fight."

Jareth laughed as Sarah stashed her gun with a twitch of her wrist. Her handgun disappearing into the gemstone of the bracelet she wore on her right wrist. "Ditymus will be quite surprised to discover that you've not put a sword in there."

"Oh there's a sword in there too, along with a number of other useful things… He had it made for me and told me that its enchanted so that I'm the only one that can remove it."

"Preparing for war, dear Sarah?"

"No, just making sure I'm never unprepared... There's ten yards of rope, several knives of varying size, two handguns, a rifle, enough ammunition that if I'd gotten it Above I'd have been arrested, nonperishable foods, a water purifier, tinder starters, two tents, a few sleeping bags, spare cloths, a compass, a wood saw, and a few other things."

"What Above and Underground would you need all that for?"

"...It's all stuff I'd wished I'd had when I ran the Labyrinth… There are a few things from the Labyrinth in there as well."

"What!"

"It gave me a map-"

"It isn't possible to map the Labyrinth Sarah."

"I asked the Labyrinth if I could and told it about the marauder's map in Harry Potter and how it moves and changes. So it made one for me. It gave me armor too."

"...That is a right reserved for the royal family, Sarah. You should not-"

"I know but every time I tried to give it back or leave it in the Underground, I'd go home to find it resting on my couch. The first time the Labyrinth did that to me, I'd thought that an armored woman was sitting there waiting for me. Scared me half to death!"

"Don't advertise that you have it-"

"Why not?"

"Sarah-"

"Don't sigh at me Jareth, why can't I tell people that the Labyrinth gave me armor."

"Because you are not of the royal family!"

"Yet the Labyrinth thinks so or at least says I am!"

"Noooo!" Sarah jumped as Toby came barreling over and collided with her knees, their shouting finally having got to him, "no fets! No ells."

Sarah sighed as she knelt down to her brother's level, "I'm sorry Toby, you're right. No fighting, no yelling."

"He's crying…" Jareth smiled sheepishly at Toby, who was now nestled in the comfort of Sarah's arms with his head tucked beneath her chin. Sarah started walking towards the quarters she'd been given for when she was staying in the Underground. It was about time for Toby to go to bed Above, though in the Underground it was currently closer to noon.

"He's worried about us, that's all Jareth. Dad and Irene can get very loud and very mean really quick when they fight though they thankfully never come to blows. Some of the goblins keep an eye on him for me and whisk Toby to me whenever they begin to fight… Honestly, I've wonder why they even got together-"

"One night stand and then your father did the honorable thing and married her when Toby's existence was discovered."

"Seriously?"

"No idea, love."

"Jareth, you're horrible!"

"But you love me anyway."

"I do, which is why I can put up with all your crap but I'm getting tired of waiting."

Jareth stopped mid-step but Sarah continued on to her rooms as if she'd admitted nothing. She'd tucked Toby into bed with Lancelot. The teddy bear had seen better days but Toby couldn't sleep without it. Toby tucked the bear under his chin and smiled sleepily up at Sarah as she kissed the top of his head before leaving her bedroom. Jareth was there standing in the middle of her receiving room. Sarah ducked her head to hide her blush as she moved towards the side table and poured herself a glass of water from the crystal pitcher that the servants kept there for her.

Jareth wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, dipping his head into the hollow between her neck and shoulder. He inhaled deeply, smiling as the scent of peaches, vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne filled his nose. An odd mix but the sweet and spiciness of it fit her. He chuckled darkly as Sarah ignored his presence and raised the glass to her lips as if he wasn't there, though he felt her stomach quiver at his laugh.

"Are you finished with your game, Jareth?" Sarah turned her head slightly in his direction so that her cheek barely brushed the top of his head.

Jareth moved to nestle his face into her hair and the back of her neck, "and if I'm not?"

"Then I'll accept Iain's marriage proposal," Sarah smirked at him over her shoulder as Jareth stiffened before wrapping his arms more tightly around her.

"Minx," Sarah shivered at his husky growl, "you would have the villain, Sarah?"

"You are only the villain if you choose to be and I believe I've already established that you are my hero now… For both the incident with Iain's ball and with Allen."

"Who?"

"Allen. My ex you insured was punished for mistreating me and having planned to make a conquest of me… The Labyrinth may do as it please, as we both well know, but it can't bring people to it for judgement. You deliver and it decides the fate of those delivered... You've not been my only teacher, Jareth, though I'm still trying to understand how several hundred thousand miles worth of stone, wood, land and water can be a teacher."

"I gave up on understanding that centuries ago."

"Giving up would definitely save your sanity...Well?"

"Well, it would seem the Labyrinth has chosen it's queen."

"And what of the Goblin King? Who would he have for his queen?"

"To be the Erlkönigin would be no easy task for a human, Sarah."

"Then I guess its a good thing I only look human. Jareth, I couldn't care less about being the Erlkönigin. I asked who you would have."

Jareth straighten from where he'd been stooped behind her, his arms loosening from around her waist, "Look human?"

"You know the answer to that, Jareth. Humans can't remain in the Underground for extended lengths of time but constant exposure isn't good either. The Labyrinth made the change but let me keep my appearance... I have found that I have a greater love for meat as my teeth have gotten a little sharper, my hair covers the tips of my ears and chaos is fun to initiate."

Jareth moved her hair away from her ear, paused then raised a finger to trace its slight tip. She turned in his hold and smiled up at him, letting him see the small points of her teeth. How had he not noticed? The changes were very slight but still there. Sarah rose up onto the tips of her toes and pressed her face into the hollow of his neck, breathing in his scent of leather, wildwood and nutmeg. A small squeak escaped her as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back before capturing her lips in the most passionate kiss she'd ever received. She moaned at the loss as he broke apart to trail his lips down her neck.

"My queen, mine." Sarah laughed as he growled against her throat. Pushing playfully when he nipped her neck for laughing.