A/N: Thank you for sticking with this one, my loyal readers. The final chapter is in production and will be posted within the next two weeks. Special thanks to lizziejean123 for reviewing the last chapter.
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything you recognize and some things that you don't.
The feeling of warm lips against her stomach woke Sarah and she opened her eyes to see Jareth talking to their son. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Though she would be glad when she was no longer pregnant, she knew she'd miss these moments.
"You remind me of the babe," he whispered.
"What babe?" Sarah asked.
Jareth jumped slightly and then looked up to her with a grin. "The babe with the power."
"What power?"
"The power of voodoo."
Sarah placed her hand over his, which was still resting on her swollen stomach. "Who do?"
"You do," Jareth said, entwining their fingers.
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the babe."
The two monarchs laughed at their silly word game. It was a familiar ritual to both of them by now. A rambunctious kick from their tiny prince hit their joined hands causing them both to laugh even harder. Even in utero, their son loved this game as much as they did. Sarah pulled Jareth up for a tender kiss.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" Jareth asked, placing a line of kisses on her neck.
Sarah grinned. "Not today."
"I love you more than the Underground and the Aboveworld."
His kisses moved to her chest. He took one of her hardened nipples into his mouth, relishing the sound of her excited gasp. He twirled his tongue around it just the way he knew she liked it. Her answering moan was like a song of enchantment. Though he knew they needed to start the day, he couldn't seem to help himself. She was just too tempting lying in their bed in the altogether.
"Go on," Sarah prompted.
"More than the stars; the moon; the sun." Each vow was punctuated by a kiss to her rounded stomach and met with a fierce kick by their son.
"And?" Sarah asked.
"My love for you will last beyond forever," Jareth said when he finally reached the apex of her thighs.
"Not long at all," Sarah gasped as his tongue darted out to taste her.
All words were lost to them both as he began to explore her sex in greater detail. His fingers held her open to him while his tongue alternated between probing her entrance and circling her clit. Just as a violinist draws the sweetest music with the pull of his bow, Jareth knew how to play his wife's body. If the sounds coming from her were any indication, he had hit the right note.
Jareth wished he could see her face as she came apart for him. Unfortunately, when he looked up at her through the fall of hair over his forehead, all he could see was her rounded stomach. No matter, it was still a wonderful view, and he felt his heart swell with pride for her. She would always be his greatest blessing. How could she not be? She gave him two wonderful gifts: her heart and their son.
Slipping a finger inside of her, he knew what he needed to do to send her over the edge. He began to thrust into her, curling his finger up to stroke that hidden spot within. A second finger soon joined the first and he renewed his attention on her clit. He took it into his mouth and sucked, allowing his tongue to continue a gentle swirl. The tempo of his thrusts rose to an almost frantic beat. Not long after, Sarah screamed as she reached her climax. Jareth was able to rise up on his elbows quick enough to catch the look of pure rapture upon her face.
"Exquisite," he whispered, watching her come down from her orgasm.
Sarah shifted to her side and looked at him expectantly. Wiping his mouth with their sheet, Jareth climbed up the bed and spooned her. He took his erection in hand and gently placed it at her entrance. With a quick thrust, he was soon encased within her welcoming pussy. Her moan was echoed by his own deep growl of satisfaction. Entering her was like coming home again.
His beautiful queen was now approaching 38 weeks and was only comfortable in a few positions. This one was her favorite. Jareth started out slow and steady, letting her feel all of him. His name left her lips, soft with veneration. One hand gripped her hip as the other gently moved the hair from her neck. He nuzzled the soft skin, breathing in the scent that was uniquely hers. Soft lips left tender kisses upon her neck as he continued to slowly make love to his wife.
Jareth could feel her walls fluttering around him as she reached another peak. His grip tightened on her hip as he felt the need for release wash over him. Picking up the pace, he began to seek out that familiar feeling of ecstasy, that deliverance. His kisses became sloppier and less controlled as he raced towards his climax. The only sounds were that of their harsh breathing, soft moans, and flesh hitting flesh. Vaguely, he could hear her shatter with another orgasm before he finally felt his own rush over him.
"I love you, too," Sarah sighed, trying to catch her breath from their exploits.
Jareth kissed her once again before slipping out of her and taking her into his embrace. "I know, precious."
Of course, he could feel her love for him pulsing through their bond. She could feel the same devotion coming from him. When he first told her about their bond, she almost didn't believe him. It was a widely held belief that bonds couldn't be formed without going through a ceremony. Jareth explained to her what he had been told by his parents. The ceremony wasn't necessary. Their bond had been formed from their love for one another.
Even without a ceremony, word had gotten around quickly about their bond. From what Sarah had learned, bonds were sacred in the Underground. Though they were rare among royalty, she had met some of the other couples that had shared their experiences. One of those couples was, in fact, Jareth's parents. They were the best source of information for the newly bonded couple.
Now that they understood the bond, they were able to control it better. For the most part, they left it open so that they had an almost constant sharing of their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes, they would actively project them. They were still learning how to block things from each other. Not that they wanted to keep secrets, but privacy was important once in a while.
Another bonus of the bond was the increase in their desire. Now, both Sarah and Jareth were highly sexual beings. It was just a part of the fabric of their passionate, fiery personalities. That being said, it was as if someone had turned up the heat on their relationship. It wasn't uncommon for the two monarchs to make love one to two times a day; three to four wasn't out of the realm of possibility. On the rare occasion, they even got up to five or six. The only thing that slowed them down was Sarah's increased fatigue the farther she got along in her pregnancy.
Sarah had been surprised to learn that she had gained new powers through their bond. As she understood it, they shared their souls with one another, and Jareth's soul had infused hers with magic. Instead of a changeling, as before, she was now fae. Thank the gods for her mother-in-law. Caron had taken her under her wing to teach her everything she needed to know about her magic. Jareth would have been a suitable teacher if he could keep his hands off of her long enough to get through a lesson. It had taken only a few of these so-called "lessons" before Sarah had said she needed a different tutor. As much as she loved her husband, she also wanted to learn how to control the magic within her.
At her last lesson, Caron had been going over transportation spells. Though Sarah had already been able to successfully transport herself Above, she needed better control over her abilities. She got lucky all those months ago when she ended up at her parents' home. All it would take was a misplaced wish or thought and who knows where she would end up. Caron was a strict taskmaster and Sarah was an eager learner. In just a few hours, Sarah was not only able to transport to the Above, but she could travel to other kingdoms and realms. Jareth spent several hours that night showing her his pride in her abilities.
Now that they had bonded, gone were the hopes of the courtiers to bed either one of the Goblin Royals. Strangely enough, also gone were the tea parties with social climbing harpies. Now that they knew they couldn't have Jareth, it seemed they were happy enough to stay away from the Goblin Kingdom altogether. That was fine with Sarah. She enjoyed having more intimate teas with a group of women that were more like Kendra. In fact, the young fae woman had helped connect Sarah with them.
Sarah could remember the first time she and Jareth had attended a ball soon after their bonding...
*J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S*
The coronation of the new Mer King was a landmark celebration in the Underground. It was held under water in a grand crystal ballroom. Guests slowly trickled in after transporting into a holding area to be formally announced. Sarah had been so excited to attend her first undersea ball. She tried hard to forget that fateful ball that had been the catalyst for her leaving the Underground.
When they were announced, Sarah looked up to see Jareth staring back at her in adoration. He led her down the elegant stairs and into the room. The night had been one to remember. They danced and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Everyone with eyes could see the change in Jareth and Sarah. For one, he barely looked at any other female. Then, there was the fact that he couldn't keep his hands, or lips, away from his Queen.
One man seized his chance with the dark-haired beauty when the King was distracted by some political talk with a duke in a neighboring kingdom. He was no stranger to the beds of married women and decided to test the so-called bond between the two monarchs. Once again, he found her tasting the spectacular treats at the refreshment table. Unlike the last time they met, she was slipping a plump strawberry between her delectable lips.
He greeted her with a small bow. "Hello, Your Majesty."
"Lord Aegaeon," replied Sarah with one raised brow. She looked eerily like her temperamental spouse and the man began to feel a little uneasy. "Here again to test your claim? Surely you must have heard the rumors."
"Who am I to listen to idle gossip?"
"While I would agree with you on that, this time I assure you that most are speaking the truth."
Lord Aegaeon grinned. "Which truth is that my beauty? A supposed bond with a man who, just months ago, was engaged in a passionate embrace for all to see?"
Another voice joined the conversation. "A mistake. One that you can be certain will never happen again."
"Your Majesty," Lord Aegaeon said with a gulp.
"Thank you for watching over my wife, Lord – Aegaeon is it? I must steal her away and get her off of her feet. You can see she's pregnant…with my heir."
"Yes, Your Majesty. It was nice talking to you both. Another time, perhaps."
"Perhaps," Sarah said, noncommittedly. She failed to hide her smirk as she watched him scurry away. Her smile was short-lived when she felt herself being lifted into the strong arms of her husband. "What are you doing?"
"Getting you off your feet," Jareth laughed. "I wasn't jesting about that. You've been on your feet for hours and I can see your ankles look a little swollen. It's time to go, precious thing."
Sarah rolled her eyes, but she allowed him to transport the two of them back to their own private haven. That night he had been particularly loving in his attentions, striving to make up for their last ball together. She could feel his fear of losing her through their bond as she swept her fingers through his fine blonde locks. One kiss from her was all it took to break the dam as their passion ignited. He spent the entire night showing her that he'd never let her go again.
*J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S*
Sarah smiled at the memory. Her days of dancing the night away were quickly coming to an end. She could barely stay awake these days. Closing her eyes, Sarah felt herself sliding back towards slumber. A familiar fullness in her bladder put to rest any thoughts of further sleep. Sarah looked back and saw Jareth still gazing at her, his eyes filled with reverence. Though she hated to end their time together, she couldn't ignore her body's needs.
"As much as I'd love to stay in bed all day with you, your son has other ideas," she sighed. "Can you help me up?"
Jareth stifled a laugh before getting out of bed and moving to the other side. Holding out his hand to her, she was able to get enough leverage to first sit, then stand. He wrapped his arms around her the best he could and kissed the grumpy look off of her face. She hated feeling helpless though he loved taking care of her. It was a bit of a paradox, which was pretty fitting for their kingdom.
"Why don't you head into the shower first, darling," he offered, giving her one last kiss before heading into his closet to pick out his clothing for the day.
Sarah padded into the bathroom and began her morning ablutions. While she was in the shower, she mentally began going over her to-do list. The list was getting shorter every day the longer into her pregnancy she went. Now that she was slowing down, Jareth was picking up more and more of the responsibilities of the kingdom. Fortunately, they had a lot of support. Kendra, Corwin, and, of course, her three labyrinthian friends had all stepped up to make life a little easier. Jareth, though, still took on the lion's share.
Sarah was about to turn off the water when her husband stepped in behind her. She turned to give him a quick kiss before leaving him to his own morning routine. There was a time when shower sex was a regular occurrence. Now, she felt too large and uncomfortable. Quickly drying off, she returned to their chambers to finish getting ready for the day.
After dressing in a loose gown, she headed out of their shared chambers and into the cold halls of the castle. She looked to the room across the hall and smiled. When they came back from the Above, the first thing she did was permanently move into Jareth's chambers. Her old room had slowly become a nursery for their little prince. They had decided long ago that the castle nursery was too far away for their liking. Sarah had been the one to suggest her old room and Jareth quickly agreed.
Now, Sarah devoted much of her time getting the nursery ready for the imminent arrival of their son. Nesting is what her mother-in-law called it. Whatever it was, Sarah felt a deep seeded need to get it done. Opening the door, her smile grew as she took in her surroundings.
Keeping a light hand on her ever-expanding bump, she looked over the whimsical room she had put together. It was nearly complete, only requiring some finishing touches. Sarah had continued the theme of the castle's nursery by hanging more tapestries on the wall. Depictions of both Underground and Aboveworld characters told the folklore of their two worlds.
Hoggle had surprised her with a beautiful handmade rocking chair made of the strongest labyrinthian wood. Also in the room were a changing table, crib, and chest of drawers. In one corner, there was a stack of boxes with those aforementioned finishing touches inside. Sarah opened one and soon became lost in her work. She was hanging a mobile of colorful flying dragons when she realized she was no longer alone.
"Good morning, Sarah."
"Good morning, Ahava," Sarah replied, happily.
The two royals had decided that there really wasn't a way for them to meet the demands of their roles and take care of a child. Not without help, at least. Adara, the castle's nanny, suggested a cousin of hers that was a seasoned pro. Sarah and Ahava had quickly taken to each other and a new friendship had blossomed.
"Have you been in here long?" Ahava asked, taking in the new details.
Sarah looked at the clock. "Only about an hour."
Ahava glanced at Sarah's swollen ankles and shook her head. "Why don't you take a seat and tell me where you want the rest of these things placed?"
"I'm almost done," Sarah sighed, rubbing her aching back.
"It's beautiful, Sarah. But you're doing too much."
"Thank you, Ahava. Though, I feel like this one's in no hurry to see it."
The nanny chuckled. "That's the way of it sometimes. Now sit!"
Sarah sat in the rocking chair and the two of them soon got back down to business. The ringing of her phone startled her, and she nearly shot out of her seat. That was one more thing to add to the list. She needed to find a different spot for the damn thing. The last thing she wanted was for her baby to be woken up by a mistimed phone call. Sarah hurried to answer it. Well, hurried might be an exaggeration. She waddled quickly and managed to reach it by the fifth ring.
"Hello."
"Hi Sarah," came Karen's voice.
"Oh, hey mom."
"Did I catch you at a bad time?
Sarah laughed. "Mom, I'm 38 weeks pregnant. Every time is a bad time."
Karen giggled. "I remember those days."
Sarah glanced up to see Ahava's pointed look. She dragged her phone back over to her chair and took a seat. "Not that I don't love hearing from you, but you never call this early. What's up?"
"Your dad and I were trying to get all of our plans together and we were wondering how soon you wanted visitors after the baby's born."
"Well, we gave you that transportation crystal for a reason. You can come by any time to see the baby."
"We didn't want to become those grandparents," Karen sighed, thinking of her own parents who would drop by unexpectedly. "We know you need space to be a family of your own."
"That's why I said you could come by any time. We know that you won't overuse the crystal."
"We want to be respectful of your privacy. That, and your father hates transporting there. He says it makes him queasy."
Sarah was glad that she had finally told her family the truth about where she'd been. After all they'd done for her, they deserved an honest conversation. She could still remember when they'd finally gotten back to the house to tell them. At first, she'd had to convince Jareth not to reorder time. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it right. No more magic and no more deception. She remembered that conversation, fondly…
*J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S*
"We'll have to tell my parents, Jareth," Sarah said after they officially made up…three times.
"We will," Jareth replied, placing kisses around her face.
Sarah could tell where this was going. "I mean now, Jareth. They're going to notice pretty soon that the car is still in the driveway and that I never made it to my doctor's appointment."
"Speaking of doctors, we should get you checked out by Valencia."
"Stop changing the subject."
Jareth sighed, heavily. "Fine, my love. Let's get this over with. The sooner we tell them, the sooner I can continue to show you how vast is my love for you my queen, my goddess, my wife, my love."
Sarah rolled out of bed, much to his dismay, and gave him an expectant look. Heaving another loud sigh, Jareth used his magic to clean and clothe them. He took another moment to kiss her before transporting them into her parents' living room. If the scream that awaited them was anything to go by, it would seem the cat was out of the bag.
"Hey mom," Sarah said, lamely.
"Don't 'hey mom' me," Karen replied, holding a hand over her racing heart. "What the hell is going on?"
"Well…" Though she'd been persistent before, she wasn't really sure what to say or do when faced with the reality of the situation.
Jareth stepped forward; his hand held out in front of him. "Hello. You must be Sarah's stepmother. I'm her husband, Jareth."
Sarah looked at him in surprise. She never thought he'd give them his true name. Those were well hidden secrets from humans in the Underground. Fae felt that it gave them power over them. In typical fae fashion, they believed themselves to be superior over most other species, especially humans. It was a unique human that could command respect from the fae. Even before getting her magic, Sarah was one of those rarities. Still, she understood her place within the underground and her parents' in the Above.
Karen took his hand and shook it gently. "It's nice to finally meet you. Jareth?"
"Jay is a sort of nickname I gave him, mom," Sarah explained.
"Now, will you please tell me what is going on?" Karen asked, taking her hand back and giving them one of her patented "mom" looks.
"I think we should sit down for this conversation," Jareth suggested.
"You're probably right," Karen replied. When they were all seated, she gave them an expectant look.
Sarah took a deep breath and began her explanation. Halfway through, her dad showed up and she had to start all over again. When she was finished, she looked up to see the incredulous looks she was receiving from her parents. Giving a long look to Jareth, her eyes begged him for assistance. Jareth nodded once, before giving a demonstration of his magical powers.
"What the fuck?!" Robert yelled.
"Robert!" Karen admonished. "Language, dear. Little pitchers have big ears."
Robert looked up to see Toby's head peeking around the corner. "Go back to your room, young man."
"Aww, dad," Toby whined before stomping back upstairs.
Sarah's dad waited a beat, then launched into his interrogation. "So, you're telling me you kidnapped my son and forced my daughter to run some insane labyrinth to get him back."
"Dad," Sarah warned. "That's not what happened at all. Were you even listening? I said that I wished him away. Words have power, especially in the Underground. Besides, I got him back."
"It was a piece of cake, right darling?" Jareth added, with a grin.
Sarah grumbled at his phrasing, punching her husband's arm lightly. "Whatever."
Karen watched their interaction with a smile. "Then you came back to the Underground, fell in love with the Goblin King, and got married."
"Uh, not exactly."
"Your parents don't need the details, precious," Jareth said, running a hand over the back of his neck. "Suffice to say, we are in love and married."
"And expecting our first heir to the kingdom," Sarah added.
The four of them continued to talk for another hour. Eventually, Toby was allowed to join them, and he seemed captivated by Jareth's magic. Jareth pulled a crystal from the air and sent it floating to the boy. Catching it with a laugh, Toby rolled it back and forth between his palms. Of course, Jareth pronounced him a natural and promised to tutor him in the ways of contact juggling. When they got up to leave, Jareth instructed him to give that crystal to his parents.
"With this crystal, you can visit us any time," Sarah said.
"Just make sure you call one of us first," Jareth added. "We wouldn't want you to accidentally find yourselves making friends with the Fire Gang."
Sarah tried to suppress a grin. "You can keep using that phone number I gave you. Even though you can just wish to talk to me, it's easier that way."
Hugs were received all around before the two monarchs disappeared. Robert groaned and wiped a hand down his face. "I need a drink."
"Make it a double," Karen agreed.
*J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S* J*S*
"Your brother's trying to burn down the house with his Poptarts again," Karen sighed. "I've got to go. Take care of yourself and my grandson!"
"Bye mom," Sarah said, wincing at a particularly aggressive kick against her ribs.
Sarah hung up the phone and managed to get back to her feet under her own power. Feeling a sudden restlessness come over her, she decided maybe a walk in the garden was in order. She quickly said goodbye to Ahava and made her way outside. Stepping out amongst the beautiful foliage, Sarah felt a sense of calm surrounding her. This was exactly what she needed. It almost felt as if life were perfect in her tiny bubble of happiness. I mean, what could go wrong in this little slice of happiness?
Sarah forgot one of the cardinal rules of the Labyrinth: Nothing is what it seems. Of course, as Sarah would attest, she often took many things for granted. In this case, the peace was about to be disturbed in a major way. It was the calm before the storm.
A/N2: Please leave a contribution in the little box. Thanks!