Hey readers it's me again.

I know you'll hate me for the cliff hanger but don't worry the next installment will be up ASAP I just have to transfer it from my mind to the computer.

Sorry also for the shortness of this chapter, it just seemed like the natural place to leave the story.

Enjoy and feel free to review if you like it or even if you don't.

Chapter 4

It wasn't such an easy transition to the underground this time round and Sarah was pretty sure that Jareth had had a hand in making it so bad. She arrived on the hill overlooking the labyrinth feeling sick to her stomach and felt so embarrassed when a few moments later she emptied its contents in the patch of wild flowers that grew on the hill. When she looked around she found that Jareth had not appeared with her, she felt grateful that he hadn't witnessed her moment of illness. He had however left the clock already counting down the hours in place.

Sarah found herself silently fuming at the Goblin King for making her go through this again, for not listening to her, for abandoning her to a mundane existence for nine years.

"Come on feet." She whispered as she walked towards where she had first met Hoggle, to the entrance of the Labyrinth.

Jareth sat lounging on his throne, prodigiously pleased with himself. He had the child, he had Sarah right where he wanted her and his goblin court had decided to be absent for the day so he could follow his favourite runners progress privately. He settled the child on his knees and looked in to his large eyes.

"In 12 hours and 50 minutes you'll be mine." He whispered softly.

Toby had panicked when the line went dead, slamming the phone down and running back upstairs to Sarah's room, ignoring his mothers questions about the short phone call. He had to tell Hoggle and Sir Didimus.

The were waiting in the mirror where he entered the room. He rushed over, using the chair under the desk to steady himself.

"I think... I think... somethings happened... the line went dead." he managed to out in between pants, "I don't understand... why would... the Goblin King... want Jay?"

Hoggle was the first to answer looking slightly guilty. "He don't want the Babe. He wants Sarah to suffer 'cause it ain't his." his gruff voice trailed off

Sir Didymus carried on for his friend, "Young Toby did Lady Sarah ever tell you of the Quest that took her through the Labyrinth?"

"That she wished me away and the Goblin King made her fight to get me back?" Sarah had told him the story many years ago, trying to explain why he always had to be careful about what he said.

"Aye, that Quest. Perhaps, Young Master Toby, you should read the beginning of the red book she keeps in the drawer." The fox pointed through the glass to the drawer in question.

Toby looked at the small red leather book in his hands cautiously not knowing the power it might hold. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby," he read aloud, "and the baby was a spoiled child who wanted everything for himself, and the young woman was practically a slave. But what no one knew was the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers."

"The fae ain't a forgiving race and your sister broke his heart when she chose you over 'im. Finding that she could move on and have a child that weren't 'is while he's still longin' fer 'er, made him angry." Hoggle tried to explain to the ten year old child.

"But it isn't like that. Sarah never has boyfriends. She said her heart got broken a long time ago, that she would never..." Toby's voice trailed off he was unable to put the rest of the sentence into words

"I'm afraid, young Toby, that our King will not understand. It is enough that she had another mans' babe." Sir Didymus reiterated

"But little Jay isn't..."

Walking up to the walls of the labyrinth almost felt like coming home for Sarah. She'd felt like an outsider in her own world for so long being in a realm of misfits felt good. The door to the Labyrinth wasn't hidden from her this time, although she would have welcomed the presence of Hoggle to guide her. She knew to expect no help on this trip though, Jareth would not allow it, he wouldn't underestimate her, he wanted to see her fail, hopefully she could once again prove him wrong.

The fairy swarm by the gates seemed to have grown in nine years. The tiny, beautiful and spiteful creatures seemed interested by Sarahs presence. They flew in lazy circles, about her as she walked to the labyrinths gate, trailing glitter over her. She stood before the doorway and as the doors swung outward a mist flowed out, scattering the fairies that had gathered. Sarah didn't notice their absence, she entered the labyrinth for the second time with her mind in more turmoil than the first.

Hoggle and Sir Didymus felt the magic that maintained the Labyrinth ripple and the ground beneath their feet shiver filling the two friends with dread. They knew what that meant, Sarah had entered the Labyrinth, their warnings had come too late, Jareth had taken the child. They quickly took their leave of Toby, vanishing from the mirror, after promising to try and help his sister.

Jareth could tell why Sarah would be so protective of the little boy he now held in his arms. The child was trusting, even more so than Toby had been, and his eyes held the same innocence that Sarah's did. The wild eyed dreamer look that had captivated the Goblin King as he had flown over a certain park, the park where a teenaged Sarah had rehearsed the lines from her fantasies. A renaissance gown covering her young form and a circlet of flowers adorning her hair, he had returned day after day to watch the mortal girl declare her love and passions to unseen heroes. He had felt a pang of jealousy watching her. Those declarations would be made to him one day he vowed. He arranged for Sarah to receive a copy of the book, the book that would give her the power to call out to him.

The Child in his arms had the same captivating eyes, Jareth couldn't blame Sarah for wanting to keep such an angelic and precious child once she had him but she would live to regret giving herself to another.

"Give me the child." A defiant voice rang out through the throne room echoing around the bare stone walls.