Once they were gone, a white owl descended from the tree he had been hiding in and recovered his human form.

Jareth frowned as he watched them leave. What was with that child? She seemed to be a magnet for annoying creatures such as the Trickster and that blue bell faery. And where in the Underground was that creature taking his maid? He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. It had been rather easy to find her; after all it was his labyrinth. However, when he had seen her feeling the music, so serene, he had decided to give her some time... But then, to his surprise, she had started to cry.

The Goblin King tilted his head and a gentle grin played across his face. Perhaps he had gotten so used to Lucy that he forgot she had arrived only a couple of months ago. Even though she never complained and she always smiled, it was logical she would miss her family and friends... and that she must feel alone--

Jareth blinked and stiffened. Had he just admitted he was used to Lucy? He, who always got quickly bored of all the princesses and Ladies? True, he did like her -as his maid, of course- but that did not mean that he...

He shook his head, confused by the thought and distractedly leaned on the same tree Lili had touched.

Immediately, he relaxed and all his annoyance disappeared, as the music surrounded him and his own happy memories flashed in his mind...

He was ten years old again and he was in the same forest with a beautiful woman, his beloved mother. She was tall and slender, her blond hair reaching her shoulders and her blue eyes had such a gentle look...

Unexpectedly, a pair of amber eyes replaced the image of his mother. A gaze so deep and tender that touched his entire being... Lucy's eyes!

Startled and overwhelmed buy the vision, Jareth gasped and jumped away from the tree. He stared blankly the trunk and then took a hand to his temples. What was happening to him today? For the zillionth time, SHE WAS JUST HIS MAID! Shaking his head, he turned into an owl and, beating his wings, he went after her.

******

"Is it much farther?" a tired Lili asked her winged friend

She had been following Bell through a bush tunnel for a while and she was beginning to think they would never reach the end of it.

Bell giggled and flew around the young woman's head. "No, it's right there," she answered, holding a strand of Lili's hair.

"Are you sure?" the redhead asked and was about to add something else, when the view of an arch covered with white, climbing roses distracted her.

They stepped through the arch and Lili's jaw fell open as she suddenly found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. It was rather small, surrounded by a bright green hedge, divided in four sections. Each one had a small fountain surrounded with wild flowers. Four paths led to a lovely gazebo located in the center and -to Lili's delight- it was covered with white, climbing roses too.

Amazed, Lili followed one of the paths and stepped into the gazebo. She looked around and carefully touched a rose. "It's so perfect," she whispered in awe, as she smelled it. The sent was sweet and fresh. "White roses are my favorites," she added, sitting on a bench. "Thank you so much for bringing me here, Bell!"

"I'm glad you liked it," Bell said, looking tenderly at her. Then, as she caught a glimpse of white hidden behind a tree, she smiled mischievously and sat on Lili's knee.

"What do you think of him?" she asked. "Lucy!" Bell insisted, rolling her eyes.

"Him, who?" Lili asked, the garden occupying all of her attention for the moment.

"You know, him, his Majesty, the Goblin King, Jareth!" Bell said in a louder voice.

Lili blinked and looked at Bell. "He... is not bad," she admitted shyly shrugging and blushing a bit.

"Not bad!" Bell repeated, trying hard not to laugh... as she knew there was an extra pair of ears somewhere in the garden.

******

In his hideout, with a slightly wounded ego, Jareth had to struggle for no to fall from the branch he was perched on. *NOT BAD!* he mentally yelled. *That child needs a pair of glasses!*

******

"Yes, not bad," Lili said with a grin, Bell's amusement not lost to her. "I mean... he is... well... handsome, but he is also bad tempered... and terribly spoiled... spoiled, big child," she added.

This time, Bell could not stop the laughter. "You described him too well," the faery agreed between giggles, almost falling from her friend's knee.

Infected by Bell's laughter, Lili laughed too.

******

Jareth watched them -and heard them- in disbelief, his owl claws tightly -and angrily- holding the branch. Had Lucy just called him... spoiled child? Were they... laughing at him? Him! Who was one of the most powerful beings of the whole Underground World! Him! Who was every woman's -mortal or immortal- fantasy? No one spoke of him in that way and remained in one piece! Oh, no! Lucy would listen to him! She would learn that--

So annoyed he was, that he suddenly lost his equilibrium... and fell to the ground, painfully... and loudly. Too dizzy to move, and unable to recover his human form, he just remained on the ground... wondering what those little owls were doing flying over his head... then, every thing went black.

******

"Did you hear that?" Lili asked, rising from the bench and looking around.

"Yes," Bell answered with a nod.

"What was it?"

"I don't know," the little faery said, shrugging, although she could have sworn she saw a white feather floating around.

"It came from there," Lili added, leaving the gazebo and walking toward a group of small trees. "An owl!" she exclaimed when she saw the unconscious bird lay on the grass. "Poor thing. What were you doing flying during the day?" she asked softly, carefully picking up the still bird and cradling against her chest. "Surely it must have collided with a tree," the redhead added, turning to her small, winged friend.

Bell's eyes widened. "Lucy, the owl..." she began to say, a strange twinkle in her eyes.

"What is it, Bell?" Lili asked, while she gently touched the bird's wings. To her relief, they were unharmed. "Bell?" she insisted, raising her gaze.

Bell blinked and, seeing her friend's innocent gaze and how concern she was for the 'owl', she just could not tell her who the owl was. "Oh... nothing. Why don't you sit down?" Bell suggested instead, with her mischievous grin.

Lili looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but finally nodded. "Okay, I must admit this friend here is a little heavy," she said, returning to the bench.

"I bet he is," Bell muttered, deeply amused.

******

Slowly, Jareth began to regain consciousness, but he did not open his eyes. Completely disoriented, he had not a clue where he was, but he felt so warm and safe...

He could hear and incredible soothing sound, like a soft drum. He stirred a little now and a scent of roses, together with chocolate... and cookies reached him

Deeply comfortable he moved a wing and--

*Wing?* he thought, puzzled, and only then he remembered what had happened... and why he had fallen. But where was he?

"Ah, finally you are awake," a kind and familiar voice suddenly said, as the same time a hand gently stroked his feathered chest.

Startled, he opened his eyes... only to find his maid's tender -tender!- gaze fixed upon him. His eyes widened as he finally realized where he was! To his annoyance, he also noticed that the blue bell faery was starring mockingly at him, seated on Lucy's shoulder.

Jareth blinked. It was obvious that Lucy did not know he was the owl. Fortunately, that creature had not told her.

Unexpectedly, the young woman stroked his chest again and all his annoyance vanished. In spite of himself, he trembled in delight and melted against her, realizing that the soothing sound he had heard before was her heart beat. Perhaps he could forgive her for having called him... spoiled child...

To his disappointment, it ended too soon, as his redheaded maid carefully placed him over the bench. He stood there, as proud as he could manage... in his current form.

Lili looked at him and, after a little hesitation, she extended her arm and gently ran a hand through his wing. "Hey, I am happy you are okay," she said with a grin. Then, she turned to Bell. "He seems to be fine."

"Oh, yes he is!" Bell exclaimed, almost chuckling, earning a glare from the king, who beat his wings in a threatening way.

Deeply amused, Bell hid behind the young woman. Bell knew the girl was only the Goblin King's maid, but she could clearly tell that Jareth would never harm her. In fact, during the time she had followed them, she had noticed he was almost gentle with her... he definitely had not treated her as a mere servant. Yes, Puck had been right.

"Be careful, Bell," Lili said in a teasing voice, interrupting the faery's thoughts. "Maybe owls like to eat faeries."

"Oh if he knows what is good for him, he would never dare," Bell replied in the same tone.

Lili chuckled and Jareth shook his head, truly disgusted by the idea of eating a faery!

Then, suddenly noticing the dimming light, Lili eyed her watch and gasped, it was a quarter to nine! "I have to go now, Bell," she said, rising from the bench. "It's almost diner time. Thank you so much for inviting me here. I hope we can meet again— Hey, you can visit me at the castle. I will give you delicious things to eat."

With a last smile, Lili started to walk to the exit.

Bell blinked and quickly flew after her. "Lucy, are you not going to wait for Jareth?" she asked, placing herself between the young woman and the tunnel.

Lili shook her red head and shrugged. "No. He obviously forgot about me," she answered matter-of-factly. "I would appreciate if you show me the right secret passage, though," she added. "I don't want to end in the infamous bog."

"No, you cannot walk through the labyrinth after the sunset. You must wait here," Bell insisted, giving the owl a quick -and slightly annoyed- glance.

Jareth blinked and, as tedious as it was, he had to admit the faery was right. His labyrinth was dangerous at night... and, besides, he had not forgotten his maid. He just flew away.

"See, even the owl left," Lili said, following the bird with her gaze. "Bye, Bell."

Lili turned to leave... but in doing so, she bumped into someone... a tall someone who placed his gloved hands on her shoulders.

Startled, she raised her head and her eyes widened in surprise. "Your Majesty!" She exclaimed, jumping a step back and blushing crimson red.

Jareth withdrew his hands and looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow, briefly wondering what her reaction would be if she were to find out he was the owl... But then, he became serious as he realized he did not want her to know that he had been following her the whole time.

He cleared his throat and folded his arms across his chest. "Can you tell me what are you doing here, with that faery?" he asked, in his full Goblin King mode.

Bell just stuck her tong at him and Lili bit her lip and adopted that grounded child look that he found so amusing.

"I was waiting for you... your Majesty. Bell was kind enough to show me her beautiful garden," she said with an innocent grin.

"Yes, you left her behind, alone!" Bell added with a how-could-you-do-that look, putting her hands on her hips and flying in front of his face. "She could have been hurt!"

Jareth slightly stiffened at the faery's unusual powerful and serious tone, but quickly recovered himself. He looked at his maid. "I did not leave you behind, child. In spite of my warnings you stepped way from me," he told her, his gaze softening a bit, earning a surprised glance from her. Then, he turned to the faery. "What I do and what I stop from doing is not of your concern," he stated and looked at the girl again. "And, Lucy, this is my labyrinth, therefor this is my garden. Understood?"

"No, it's mine!" Bell exclaimed, recovering her mischievous glow.

Annoyed, Jareth opened his mouth to admonish her, but then decided that the creature was not worth the effort. He rolled his eyes. "It is time to go back to the castle, child," he said seriously.

"Yes, your Majesty," Lili agreed, mentally smiling at the king's and her friend's exchange. "See you, Bell."

"Wait, Lucy," Bell said and waving a hand, a basket full of white roses appeared at Lili's feet. "Take those with you... and yes, we'll met again."

Lili's face lit up in excitement. "They are beautiful! Thank you, Bell!" Lili exclaimed, picking up the basket.

Bell smiled, pleased. "I'm glad you like them and, Lucy, you can come here any time you want... after all, this is my garden," she added, looking pointedly at the Goblin King, who just chose to ignore her.

"Can we go now, Lucy?" He asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Of course, your Majesty," Lili said and, after a last good bye to her new friend, she entered the tunnel, closely followed by a serious Jareth.

Bell watched them leave and once sure they could not see her, her body began to glow, until a tall, slender woman, with blue hair and violet eyes was revealed.

"Very promising indeed," she whispered mischievously.

******

The young woman and the king walked their way back to the castle in a thoughtful silence.

Lili held her basket tightly and walked with her head bowed, still surprised that he had returned for her.

On the other hand, Jareth also walked with his head bowed, not understanding why the faery's words had affected him so much, to the point that he had given his maid an explanation... He, who never explained anything to anyone!

They continued like that for a moment until a cold wind suddenly blew and Lili sneezed.

Jareth rolled his eyes and, convincing himself that he was doing it because a sick maid would not do her job, he materialized a thick, long cape and, to Lili's surprise, gently placed it around her shoulders.

"Better?" he asked, as he tied it around her neck.

"Yes... thank you, your Majesty," she managed to answer with a shy grin... and red cheeks.

Jareth nodded and they continued their way.

"Do all your vic-- summoners find Bell's garden?" she asked a couple of minutes later.

Jareth lowered his gaze to her. "My garden," he began to say, emphasizing the word my, "is one of the most secret parts of the labyrinth. No one gets there unless they are invited."

"Bell invited me. I hope you don't mind," Lili said innocently. "It is so beautiful..."

"Yes," Jareth admitted, smiling back.

Lili tilted her head and gave him her best 'may-I' look. "May I... visit your garden again?" she asked hopefully, her eyes shining.

He looked at her, not at all surprised by her request. He stroked his chin, as if he were considering her question. "Yes, but only after your duties," he said at last, trying in vain to seem stern.

"Of course, your Majesty!" Lili exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "Thank you!" With that, she happily continued walking by his side.

Jareth just shook his head as he realized that more than tolerant, he was being generous with her... and the strangest -and slightly annoying- part was that he... actually liked it!

******

That night, when Jareth entered his chamber, a soft scent of roses greeted him. He could not help but smile as he saw a flower vase with those flowers placed over his desk. He chuckled. Surely Lucy would fill his castle with them now. Not that he minded it, though. He sat on his bed and tilted his head, for the first time allowing his mind to freely ponder the subject of his redheaded maid.

What was with that child that made him act almost like a human? What was it about her that... touched him? She was not stunningly beautiful; in fact, with her freckles and short hair, she was not even his type. Her temper was too soft, she was not a challenge to him -and he loved challenges. She neither was one of his summoners nor was she a dreamer. They were lots of things she was not... things that he considered necessary in any woman that should spark his interest. On the contrary, she was extremely kind and gentle, even with his goblins. She was respectful and she never complained... Not to mention her bad taste in clothing...

Jareth shook his head and sighed. *Yes... what is it with you, child?* he thought with a resigned smile.

******

In her room, Lili arranged her roses before climbing into bed. She stifled a yawn as she pulled up the covers. A dreamy grin played on her face as she thought about the past day. She had visited an amazing place, she had met a new friend, Bell, the mischievous faery; but she knew that was not the reason for her current smile. Oh, no.

Lili blushed furiously and let out a resigned sigh as she finally admitted to herself that Jareth already had a big part of her heart...

"Stockholm Syndrome," she muttered, turning off the lights and closing her eyes. "Great."

******

Time passed and everything was relatively clam... considering the ruler's bad temper, the hyperactive subjects and the frequent visits Puck and Bell paid -to Jareth's great annoyance- to their redheaded friend. One day, however, the... 'Peace' was shattered by the arrival of unexpected letters...

"Lucy, Lucy!" Pete exclaimed, as he hurried into the kitchen.

"What is it, Pete?" Lili asked, leaving a knife and the apple she had been pealing over a dish.

"This arrived for his Majesty," he informed, showing her a green, sealed envelope.

"Well? Why don't you take it to him?" she asked, even though she knew the coming answer.

"No! You take it," Pete insisted, clearly frightened by the idea of giving his king the letter. What if he... didn't like it? "He never gets mad at you, but if I go, he may... send me to the bog!"

Lili chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, just let me wash my hands."

Once she was finished, she took the envelope and, after giving it a curious look, went to the throne room.

******

Jareth lay sprawled on his throne, distractedly watching a pair of goblins run after a chicken, trying in vain to catch the nervous bird.

"Hey, come here!" one yelled.

"Stop! Lucy promised she would give us cookies if we keep you out!" The other one exclaimed.

"Chocolate cookies!" the first one added, running faster.

Jareth rolled his eyes and mentally smiled. I seemed that his subjects paid more attention to Lucy than to him.

Suddenly, the distressed bird collided with a wall and continued its erratic flight... until it landed on his Majesty's head.

The goblins froze and stared afraid at their master.

Jareth opened his mouth to admonish the stupid creatures, but was abruptly interrupted by a stifled laughter. Annoyed, he turned his gaze to the door and saw his maid looking at them with wide opened eyes and a hand on her mouth. Jareth stiffened slightly. She was shaking... with barely contained laughter!

Without a word, the unfortunate goblins and the bird disappeared. "Do you want to join them?" he asked then, a serious expression on his face.

Lili cleared her throat and, gathering all her will power, she finally could stop the laughter... but she could not hide her amusement. "Of course not your Majesty. I am sorry," she apologized respectfully.

"Good," Jareth said, trying hard to ignore her merry eyes. "Is there anything that you want?" he asked, still keeping his Goblin King mode.

"Yes, your Majesty," she said with a grin, approaching him. "This letter has just arrived for you," she said, giving it to him.

Deeply curious, he read the remittent. To his surprise, it was from Thelian, the Elven King. He was about to open it, when a goblin entered the chamber, carrying two more letters. A minute later, two dwarves came in, each one with a bag full with sealed envelopes. The strange arrival continued for a while, until Jareth had twenty huge bags full of envelopes at his feet.

Jareth blinked and looked questioningly at his maid. She just shrugged, her curiosity twinkling in her amber eyes. "There is only one way to find out," she suggested.

After a little hesitation Jareth opened the envelope he had in his hand and began to read, his face becoming more puzzled with each passing word. "We are honored and we gladly accept your invitation..." Jareth read aloud in disbelief.

Quickly he opened another envelope, and another... and another...

To his surprise, all of them were elegant notes... confirming the attendance to his birthday ball... that would be taking place the next week!

"What is the meaning of this!" he barked, agitatedly worrying one of the letters.

Intrigued to say at least, Lili dared to pick up one of the open letters. "I didn't know it was your birthday... or that you would be giving a ball," she said, looking at him.

"It is not and I am not!" Jareth yelled, getting angrier with each passing second. He threw the letter he had been holding to the floor and balled his hands into fists. Who would have dared to do such a thing? To send invitations... using his name! HIS NAME! Who--

As the answered suddenly hit him, he paled in anger.

"PUCK!" he thundered, causing Lili to go a couple of steps back and the goblins to fly out of the room.

"SHOW YOURSELF, TRICKSTER!" he yelled again.

"Okay, okay, here I am. You do not need to raise your voice, oh Screaming One," a patronizing voice said, as the mischievous Fae materialized before the king.

He gave a quick -amused- glance at Lili and then looked at the not so amused Goblin King. "What can I do for you, Oh Angry One?" Puck asked, his face the mask of innocence.

Jareth mentally counted up to ten so as not to vaporize the insolent Fae before getting his answers. "Do you have anything to do with these?" he asked, indicating the bags.

Puck blinked and took a hand to his chin. "I do not know... Perhaps you should get poor Lucy a vacuum cleaner," he said seriously.

Lili gasped and Jareth did not say a word, however, his eyes glowed and several thunderclaps could be heard in the distance.

Suddenly realizing that he was pushing the king too far, Puck bowed in respect and cleared his throat. "They are greeting cards, are they not?"

"Yes," Jareth said dryly. "A confirmation for my... birthday ball to be precise," he added in a threatening tone.

"Well, there is your answer," Puck said, picking up one of the letters. "Ah, the Lord of Darkness will come too.... Congratulations, oh Annoyed One, your birthday ball will be a great success!"

"Except that I never sent an invitation!" Jareth thundered, grabbing Puck by his collar and lifting him up.

"Perhaps... I took the... liberty," the Trickster said, gasping for air. "But if you... do... not like the idea... you can always... cancel it."

Jareth dropped him and shook his head. "You know that I cannot do that! One cannot simply... cancel the invitation to the whole Royal Court!" he barked.

Puck fixed his wrinkled clothes and gave Lili a reassuring wink. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head. "Oh, come on! When was the last time you actually attended a ball?" he asked.

"That is not your concern!" Jareth stated, realizing with a start that the last time he had been in a ball... it had been during Sarah's fantasy.

"See?" Puck said with a knowing look, "it's a ball, nothing more..." he added, clearly mimicking him.

Jareth glared at him and sighed, defeated. "I should kill you," he hissed, earning a gasp from Lili. He gave her a quick glance and then continued. "But on a second thought, you will have to take care of everything. Do not dare to fail me this time, Trickster," he said in a warning tone.

Puck's eyes twinkled merrily, as always. "Of course not! The ball will be a success, as I have told you. Besides, I already know who will be my date."

"You do?" Jareth asked suspicious, curious in spite of himself.

"Yes, Oh Curious One," he said and, to Jareth's astonishment, Puck turned to his maid and bowed to her. "Would you like to accompany me to the ball, my Lady," he asked to a startled Lili.

She blushed furiously and opened her eyes wide. "But... I... "

"Please, say yes, Lucy," Puck insisted with a grin.

"But... his Majesty..."

"You may go if you wish," Jareth interrupted her, unexplainably... uncomfortable with the idea.

Lili blinked in surprise and looked at her boss. "I... can?"

Mollified -and slightly amused- by her startled expression, Jareth could not stop the smile dawning on his face, and nodded.

"Yes. It is set, then!" Puck exclaimed happily, his eyes more impish than ever.

******

The following seven days passed by in a blur for the ones who lived in the castle beyond the Goblin City and soon the expected night of the Masquerade Ball arrived...

Completely clad in black with a long, elegant cape flowing behind him, a dragon-like mask covering his face and his pendant sparkling on his chest, Jareth the Goblin King, made his way to the ball room. He was passing outside the library, distracted, when suddenly someone steeped outside said chamber and bumped into him.

"Puck!" Jareth exclaimed, annoyed, rolling his eyes and fixing his mask. "What in the Underground are you doing here? The ball room is downstairs."

The Trickster too fixed his mask and smoothed his dark-green, elegant suit and cape. "Forgive me, oh, Dark One," he apologized and then he smiled brightly. "I am waiting for my date, of course," he said seriously, but with impish eyes, emphasizing the word date. "Or do you expect me to let Lucy arrive at the Ball alone? What kind of escort would I be then?"

Jareth shook his head and opened his mouth to tell him the kind of escort he already was, when quick footsteps and an agitated breathing interrupted him.

"Please, forgive my delay," a soft -and slightly embarrassed- voice said from behind them, "But Bell insisted... well... in... dressing me up."

Jareth and Puck turned... and their jaws hit the floor when they saw the stunning young woman that stood before them. She was disguised as a flower. Her dress was a combination of emerald green and shimmering white, forming the sepals and petals. The skirt was flowing and the bodice comfortably tight, with a heart-shaped neckline and thin straps. Her usually straight hair was slightly curled and decorated with small roses. She wore long, white gloves and a rose-like mask covered half of her face. The only jewel she wore was her ever-present medal hanging from the delicate golden chain.

For once, Jareth could not say a word. Was she the same girl who cleaned his castle and cooked for him? Was she the same child... who was not even his type?

Lili blushed furiously under their stares -especially Jareth's- and, nervous, she cleared her throat. "Well... am I... properly dressed... for the occasion?" she asked, biting her lower lip and smoothing her skirt.

Puck was the first one to recover, never had he thought she would look so... spectacular... If she were not her friend, he would--

He shook himself and bowed to her. "You look beautiful, Young One," he said sincerely, "Or should I say Lady Rose?"

Lili blushed even more and chuckled. "Puck! There is no need to tease me," she said and then, a mischievous grin played on her face. "By the way, you look cute too," she added.

"He look ridiculous and you look... presentable enough!" Jareth abruptly stated dryly and without another word, he strode away from them, his cape like a dark shadow.

Lili blinked in surprise at his violent reaction and followed him with her gaze. Her smile faded and she seemed to wilt. "I don't think this is a good idea," she whispered, bowing her head and unable to hide her sadness. In spite of herself she had had the stupid wish that he would dance with her, but now it seemed that he did not even want to see her. "He clearly doesn't want me there, Puck. I... will... not go..."

Puck sighed. His plan was going well, but why did Jareth had to be so... rude to her? Had he not realize how sweet and sensitive she was? He approached his friend.

"Of course you will!" the Fae exclaimed, placing his hand under her chin and gently forcing her to look at him. He smiled. "Listen to me, Young One. You do look beautiful and you will come with me tonight. You will see, we will have a great time together and every man present in the room will envy me," he said, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Why?" Lili asked, puzzled, still not fully convinced.

His grin widened. "Well, for being with the most beautiful woman at the ball, of course!" he answered and, before that a flushed Lili could protest, he slid his arm under her own, holding her slender hand, and happily began to walk to the ball.

******

Surrounded by a dangerous aura, Jareth strode through the corridors toward the ballroom. He balled his hands into fists as he struggled to control his dark temper.

How dare they... flirt like that in HIS presence? How dare Lucy ignore him -her King!-and call the Trickster... cute? She was his maid. She was his!

The Goblin King stopped dead in his tracks. What had he meant with that?

Jareth stiffened and gasped in shock as he suddenly recognized the feeling and the reason of his anger. He was... jealous.

"THAT IS RIDICOULOUS!" he barked and taking a deep breath to calm himself, he decided to use his magic. He simply vanished.

******

"Wow!" Lili whispered in awe as they enter the elegant chamber. It was a huge room, surrounded by alabaster columns and the roof was, in fact, a dome completely made of crystal.

She looked everything wide opened eyes. The ball had already begun and several couples were dancing in the center of the room; the ladies dressed in beautiful gowns and the men in elegant clothes.

"This is amazing," she added, allowing Puck to guide her inside.

"Yes it is," he agreed with a smile, already noticing the furtive glances the elven Lords gave his rose-like friend. He chuckled, but knowing how shy she was, he decided not to tell her. "As I told the 'gentle' Goblin King, this ball will be a complete success. Everyone who is anyone in the Underground is present here," He said, with the gossipy tone that Lili found so amusing. He became more serious and his eyes shone mischievously. "Now, Young One, let me introduce you to some interesting people."

"But what will you tell them?" Lili asked, a bit alarmed.

Puck laughed and slid his arm around her waist, as if he were stopping her from running away. "Well, the truth of course. That you are my friend!"

And so, Lili soon found herself talking with really interesting people: powerful sorcerers, Elven Lords, Fae like Puck, intelligent and beautiful Ladies and, to her delight, healers... like her. She enjoyed their company and they enjoyed hers. After a while, every one was asking who the mysterious Rose-Lady that had come with Puck was.

"Shall we dance, Young One?" he asked with a bow as a song started.

She chuckled and nodded. "It will be an honor," she said, taking his hand.

******

"Shall we dance, my friend?" Titania asked a quiet Jareth. They had been talking for a while on the other side of the room and, as the queen of Avalon had noted, the Goblin King had been unusually... distracted. "Jareth," she insisted and, as he didn't answer, she followed his gaze and a knowing smile played on her face as she saw the reason of his distraction: a Lady disguised as... a rose.

"Do you know who is the Lady that is dancing with Puck?" she asked innocently. "Jareth?"

This time, he heard her and turned to her. "Pardon me, Titania?" he apologized with his best charming smile.

Her grin widened. "I was asking you if you knew the Lady that is dancing with Puck. You had been looking at her the whole night," she said, with the same tone as before.

"I was not looking at her!" Jareth exclaimed a bit loudly and then calmed himself. As annoying as it was, that had been exactly what he had been doing. The Trickster had dared to slide his arm around Lucy's waist! If Puck--

He stiffened as an idea suddenly occurred to him. What if Lucy... met someone... an Elf Lord or a Fae to whom her social status as a servant would not matter? What would he do then? Would he just... let her go?

*And why should I care?* Jareth thought darkly. *She is only a servant. I can get another one at any time!*

"Jareth!" An amused Titania repeated.

He blinked and shook himself. "Sorry, Titania. Yes, I know her. She is my... maid," he answered seriously, suddenly feeling like a child whose candy had been abruptly stolen.

Titania tilted her head, a strange twinkle in her violet eyes. "Well, she does not appear to be a servant to me," she noted.

"No, she does not," Jareth said in a low voice, but quickly recovered himself. He smiled again and, gallantly, offered his arm to her. "Shall we dance?"

******

Puck gently made her friend sway across the room, fully aware of the murderous glances Jareth was giving him. Unable to stop himself, he laughed.

"What is it?" Lili asked, suspicious.

"Oh, nothing," Puck answered innocently, as he guided her toward the center...

******

In a couple of songs, Titania managed to take -the still distracted and annoyed- Jareth right where she wanted him...

"May I?" someone suddenly, asked behind Jareth.

The Goblin King turned and smiled when he saw who it was. "Oberon," Jareth greeted him. "I was... entertaining your wife," he teased the powerful Fae.

Oberon just rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend would never do such a thing to him or Titania. "So I arrived just in time, it seems," he said, taking his beloved in his arms.

"Indeed," she whispered in his ear.

Oberon gave her a puzzled look.

Titania just smiled. "Would you excuse us?" she asked Jareth then.

As an answer, the Goblin King bowed.

They bowed in return and walked away.

Jareth followed his friends with his gaze and sighed. All his annoyance had turned into an unexplainable sadness. Feeling suddenly very alone, he turned to leave... when unexpectedly someone bumped rather violently into him...

******

"Puck, stop, you're going too fast!" Lili begged him, trying hard not to release his hand.

"Trust me, Young One," he said with a grin, and to Lili's alarm, he just let her hand go...

"No!" she exclaimed, panicked, unable to stop herself, completely convinced that she would fall. Fortunately for her, nothing happened as she bumped into someone, a tall someone who placed his hands on her arms to steady her.

Embarrassed beyond words, she raised her head to apologize, but when mismatched -and truly surprised- eyes met her gaze, she gasped in shock.

"Your Majesty!"

******

"Can you tell me what is all this about, beloved?" a puzzled Oberon asked his wife, as he saw Jareth holding a flower-like Lady.

Titania laughed softly and -to her husband delight- she lay her head on his chest. "Would you like to hear a story, My Lord?"

******

As Jareth looked at her, he finally had to admit that this had been exactly what he had wanted to do during the whole ball... hold Lucy in his arms. Her innocent eyes stared intently at him, making his heart skip a beat. He mentally smiled, completely defeated. There was no point in denying it any longer...

In spite of himself, he had fallen in love... with his maid.

As he did not say a word, Lili assumed the worst, a quick visit to the Bog of Eternal Stench, to be precise.

*What have you done, Puck?* she thought, annoyed and desperate. She bowed her head and a sad sigh left her mouth. "I... am sorry, your Majesty," she apologized in a low voice, "I... I will leave right now."

She quickly turned to go, but Jareth just did not release her. Puzzled, she looked at him again.

"I have not dismissed you, child," he said seriously, but with a strange glow in his eyes.

"I... am... sorry," she repeated, lowering her gaze for the second time, truly mortified by now.

"Lucy," Jareth began to say in a surprisingly tender voice. "Do not be sorry," he added, taking her chin in his hand and gently forcing her to look at him.

Lili blushed furiously, completely taken aback by his tone and by the gesture. "Do you... want me to... stay?" she asked in disbelief, her heart beating faster. "But you are angry with me," she stated, biting her lip, unable now to hide the sadness that caused her.

Jareth shook his head and smiled kindly. "Of course not, child. I thought you would be used to my bad temper by now..." He paused for a moment and, before that she could say another word, he slid his arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer. "But I do owe you an apology. You do look beautiful," he added softly. "Shall we dance, Lady Rose?"

Overwhelmed by the emotion, Lili opened her eyes wide and just kept staring blankly at him. Had he just called her... beautiful? Had he just asked her to... dance with him?

Seeing her startled gaze, Jareth chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Well? Do I have to make it an order?"

Lili finally smiled and shyly took her hand to his shoulder. "That will not be... necessary, your Majesty," she said softly. "I... want to dance... with you."

Deeply touched by her obvious embarrassment, he tenderly held her free hand and, as he gently made her sway across the room, a song began...

Lili opened her eyes wide as she realized it was his voice. His lips were not moving, but she knew it was him who was singing.

"Just for you," he whispered with a charming grin.

Lili blushed even more -if that was possible- and smiled back, wondering if she was dreaming. She shook her head and decided that it did not matter; she would allow herself to be a dreamer tonight...

Oblivious to the other guests, they only danced...

Once the song was over, they stopped and Jareth guided her to the balcony. They were greeted by the blue full moon and by the spectacular sight of the labyrinth bathed in its silvery light.

"It's so beautiful," Lili whispered in awe, as she leaned her hand on the handrail.

"Yes it is," he agreed, but he was not looking at the moon, he was staring at her. He smiled. "Lucy."

"Yes, your Majesty?" she asked, turning to him.

"Let me see you," he said, taking off his mask and, before that she could answer, he carefully removed her mask from her face. He made them disappear. "Better," he whispered and, very slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her on her lips...

Lili opened her eyes wide and stiffened, as she felt his lips against hers, but then, she closed her eyes and timidly returned the kiss, trembling... as Jareth kissed her for the very first time... in her life.

"I do not know how you did it, child," Jareth said softly, a moment later, as he hold her tenderly. "But you stole my heart."

Lili just listened to him, still shaking; her head leaned on his chest. She simply could not believe this was happening to her! He had kissed her! The Goblin King had kissed his... maid--

That sudden thought brought her abruptly back to reality. She froze in his embrace. To him, she was just his maid... but what was worst, as far as he was concerned, she was Sarah's sister!

Lili simply panicked as dreadful ideas assaulted her mind. There was no way he would love her!

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Jareth asked, feeling that her body had gone tense.

As an answer, Lili broke free from his embrace and looked at him with troubled, misty eyes. "I... I... This is so wrong," she whispered and without another word, she ran away, leaving a startled and worried Jareth behind.

******

Puck watched in surprised as his friend hurried out of the chamber, as if she were escaping from something... or someone. "Jareth," he muttered, shaking his head. Deeply concerned -and curious- he started after her. A slender hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't," a soft but firm voice said. "Leave them alone."

Puck turned to Titania, a serious expression on his face. "But I..."

"Did I not tell you to be careful? Jareth went too fast. He scared her. But you should not worry, I have the feeling that our friends will be fine," she soothed him.

Puck just nodded, but his concern remained.

******

Lili ran, without looking back, until she reached the main entrance. All that she wanted to do was to leave the castle. She opened the heavy doors... and gasped in shock. Jareth was right there, waiting for her.

He walked toward her, forcing her backwards, until she had her back against the wall.

Unable to look at him, and fighting the tears, Lili bit her lip and bowed her head.

He looked intently at her for long minutes before talking. She seemed a child to him now more than ever. She was trembling, with her hands nervously clasped before her and he could tell she was about to cry. He sighed. Maybe he had pushed her too far.

"Why did you run away from me, child?" he asked softly, fighting the urge to touch her. She did not say a word, neither raised her gaze, but he knew the answer, though. She was simply... afraid. "Do not be scared, Lucy," he said, still without touching her.

"Oh, but I am, your Majesty," she admitted in a barely audible voice, clearly ashamed. "I... am."

"What is it that you fear?" he insisted, truly moved by her honesty.

Lili took a deep breath and looked up at him. She blushed and smiled sadly. "You," she said simply, tears falling from her eyes. "You will break my heart; of that I am certain."

Jareth stiffened at her answer. "Lucy, do you still not realize that I--"

"Please, your Majesty," Lili interrupted him, shaking her head. "Don't you see it? This is not me," she said, gesturing with her hands, indicating her elegant dress. "This is just a disguise. I am not a Lady... I... am only a... servant... who had the bad... luck to fall... for her... king..."

She paused for a moment to try to control her sobs, still not believing she had just admitted her feelings for him. She braced herself. "Now... if you excuse me, I am tired."

"You are so wrong," he said, drying her eyes and then placing his hands on her shoulders. "Do you really think so little of me to believe I will only be interested in... your dress?" he added in an offended tone.

Lili opened her eyes wide, but did not say a word. Could it be that he-- *NO!* She shook hear head.

Sensing her inner struggle, Jareth smiled. "Lucy, I have had hundreds of servants and maids before you and, believe me, I never treated them as I have treated you... Or do you think I am so tolerant with every one?"

Lili actually had to smile at that and looked at him with a bemused raised eyebrow, but by the stories Puck had told her, and by what she had seen, she knew he was stating the truth. He had been a... perfect gentleman with her. "Generous," she whispered with a hint of mischief.

Jareth rolled his eyes, but his grin widened. "Yes, Lucy. Since the first time I saw you and since you first called me your Majesty, my heart went to you. I admit I did try to deny my feelings for you, but... they turned out to be too strong. I love you, child. Do you believe me, now?"

As an answer, Lili threw her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his chest.

"I will take that as a yes," a relieved Jareth said, tenderly stroking her hair. "I love you," he repeated and then, unable to stop himself, he gently pulled her back... and kissed her for the second time in her life.

As he kissed her, Jareth unconsciously transported them to his room. However, he immediately regretted it as she abruptly bowed her head and started to shake. "I am so sorry," he said, as he carefully helped her to sit on his bed. "I should have not used magic on you. Are you all right?" he asked kneeling before her, a serious expression on his face.

After a couple of minutes, she raised her pale, but smiling face to him. "Yes, your Majesty... I just got dizzy, that's all. I... am allergic to magic, remember?"

The Goblin King smiled back, relieved, and then an amused twinkle appeared in his eyes. "I believe you can call me Jareth now," he said, taking her hands.

Lili blinked and flushed a bit. "As you wish... Jareth," she said softly and then, she tilted her head. "I guess I will take a time to get used to call you by your name," she added with a shy grin.

"I can give you the whole eternity," he whispered, leaning forward. "The whole eternity," he repeated, as his lips found hers.

As the kiss deepened and his hands began to slide down her shoulders removing the straps of her gown, Lili gasped and stiffened. Immediately he pulled back.

"Do not be afraid," he soothed her, tenderly stroking her now flushed face. "I would not do anything that you do not want me to."

She bit her lower lip and nervously played with a strand of hair. "No... it's okay... It's just that I... don't know... I mean I know... but I have... never... I..."

She just finished with a helpless shrug.

"I know that, child," he said softly, as he embraced her again.

"I am... not afraid," Lili whispered and, to confirm her words, this time she kissed him... and melted against him...

******

Far away from there, in Avalon...

The crystalline waters showed the soon to be lovers. The blond King gently embraced the beautiful, redheaded young woman and--

The image abruptly disappeared.

"What!" Puck exclaimed, disappointed and annoyed.

A soft chuckle made him turn. When he saw who it was, his annoyance vanished and the mischievous grin returned to his handsome face. "Why did you do that, my Queen?" he asked, a petulant look on his face.

Titania smiled and raised a hand. "This moment is only for the Goblin King and for the human child, understood?" She said gently, but with a warning twinkle in her violet eyes.

"Of course, my Queen," Puck respectfully replied. "But... are you not a bit curious? After all, Lili is our friend and--"

"Puck," Titania interrupted him in a warning tone and then shook her head. "Yes. Lili is our friend. Do you truly believe she would like you to... spy on her?"

"I guess not," the Trickster said innocently.

Titania rolled her eyes and walked away... but she had to admit that she was a bit curious too.

Puck let out a sigh and folded his arms across his chest. "I am really happy for you, Lili... but when will I get some fun?" he muttered, as he floated cross-legged.

As an answer, a musical voice suddenly spoke. "Oh... Puck..."

He blinked and smiled mischievously. "Coming, my sweet lady," he said. Not one to waste time, he vanished.

******

Back in the castle, several hours later...

Jareth lovingly watched the redheaded woman sleeping by his side. She had her head resting on his chest and her hand on his shoulder. He still could not believe he had been so blind. No. It had been his stupid pride. Why had he not allowed himself to accept the feelings he knew he had for her? "Well, now you are mine," he said softly, carefully running his hand through her short hair. "Maybe I can convince you to let your beautiful hair grow," he added, as he watched the red strands slid trough his fingers. "I can be pretty persuasive, you know."

She stirred a little and snuggled against him, a small grin playing on her face.

Jareth stroked her cheek and then lowered his hand to her shoulder. "Are you dreaming of me, child?" he asked in a whisper. He smiled tenderly as he said to himself that she was not a child anymore. "Not at all," he added, a bit wickedly, as he recalled how she had -pleasantly- surprised him once she had overcome her fear and shyness... His eyes twinkled.

It was clear to him now that there was so much more about her that he needed to know... and so much Lucy had to learn about him. He needed to demonstrate to her that he was not just a bad tempered king... or a 'big spoiled child', as she had once put it.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him. There was something very precious to her that he had taken away the first time they met. In a blink of an eye a glowing crystal materialized in his hand... her memory sphere. He smiled in delight; its glow was more intense than ever... but then, his grin faded and guilt raised within him as he remembered how much it had frightened her when he had cast that spell on her. He shook his head.

"Never again, love."

At his unspoken command, the crystal moved toward her forehead and softly entered her head. She stiffened slightly, but then she relaxed again. Pleased, he held her tightly; he could already picture her surprised expression when she learned her family remembered her again, that they would just believe that she was travelling...

Yes, she would be so happy...

He kissed her forehead and let out a content sigh. Never in his life had a woman made him feel so loved and whole. And, never in his life, he had loved someone so much... not even Sarah. In fact, now he realized what he had felt for Sarah had been just an infatuation... Nothing to do with the strong emotion he felt for the woman lying by his side.

"We are soul mates, beloved" he breathed, and after giving her a last tender kiss, he felt asleep.

******

With those amazing words echoing in her head, and feeling a strange weight in her arm, Lili slowly opened her eyes a couple of hours later. She blinked and the first thing she saw was Jareth's blond hair. He was curled up against her, and had his head on her arm. She smiled and blushed furiously as she thought of what had happened last night... and how she had behaved!

"Thanks God for Anatomy class," she whispered, but that made her flush even more. Hey, it was one thing to study and read about it, but to experience it was simply... overwhelming.

She took her hand to his head and gently began to strike his hair.

Feeling his hands caressing her body and hearing his tender words had been... magic.

Now she fully understood her friends' comments and Sarah's words. You will find your soul mate, Little one, her sister had said. At that time, Lili had not believed her, but now... well, the most handsome -and bad tempered- man she had ever met, was embracing her!

"I love you so much, your Majesty," she said softly, kissing his head. "So much, Jareth" she repeated and she could not help but smile in delight when she thought about the loving way he had said her name and--

Lili stiffened and suddenly descended from her blissful cloud as she abruptly realized... he had never said her name. Not even once...

She sighed deeply and had to fight the tears that had formed in her eyes. He didn't know the truth about her... that she was Sarah's sister.

Lili bit he lip and carefully rolled on her side, so as not to wake him.

What would she do now? She was afraid to tell him... but she knew that he would learn the truth sooner or later... and, besides, she just could not live in a lie. It was one thing for a maid to lie to her employer, but now—

She suddenly stopped as a question occurred to her. What were they now?

Lili smiled sadly. She would gladly give up her dream of becoming a doctor for him... or the possibility of ever seeing her family again... But would he be able to forget his revenge for her? Can a night of love overcome twenty-two years of hate? Would he--

Jareth, who slid his arm around her waist to embrace her tightly, abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

Lili blinked in surprise, but then relaxed and trembled in delight. Maybe she was overreacting. True, she knew Jareth would get terribly mad-- but then, he was always mad, wasn't he?

If he truly loved her, he would understand. What mattered though, was that she must tell him the truth... and the best time to do it would be when he awoke... preferably with a delicious breakfast.

Feeling a little better, and trying to ignore her rising unsettlement -and fear-, Lili gently managed to free herself from his grasp and silently rise. She picked up his black robe, put it on, and after a last look at her beloved, she went to the bathroom to take a warm shower.

*******

With his eyes closed and with the grin still on his face, he extended his arm to hold her, but to his disappointment, the only thing he found was a pillow. Jareth opened his eyes and confirmed that she was not there. Stifling a yawn, he sat and leaned back on the headboard. It was then when his gaze was drawn to a golden object over the bed. He smiled and picked it up; it was Lucy's jewel. Curious, he looked at it. The medal had the image of the Mother and the Child in one side and, to his surprise, the other side had an inscription. His grin widened as he read it. Be happy little one.

"And you will be, I shall see to it," he whispered tenderly, leaving the medal on the nightstand.

A couple of minutes passed and, as she did not return, he tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest. Where was that child? He blinked and the grin returned to his face as he realized, that in spite of everything, he still thought of her as a child. Suddenly, a mischievous glow twinkled in his mismatched eyes as an idea occurred to him. Maybe now that he had returned her the memory crystal, his magic would be able to locate her. Not sparing a moment, he raised his hand and a sphere materialized on his palm.

"Show me my love," he commanded in a soft voice.

His grin widened as the sphere complied. The image of his redheaded young love appeared. She clearly had taken a shower and now she had her hair wet and she wore his black robe, but what really had made him smile, was the fact that she carried a tray with his breakfast! Did she still not know what he wanted for her? He just rolled his eyes.

Then, realizing that she was about to enter, he quickly extinguished the sphere. He had the feeling that she would not be very happy to know that he had been... looking at her like that. As the door opened, he struggled to keep the impish grin from his face.

******

Lili silently opened the door, but to her disappointment, he was seated on the bed.

"Hi, I wanted to surprise you," she said, leaving the tray over a table and opening the curtains. She gasped in delight; the sun was setting and the labyrinth was bathed in a reddish light.

"Oh, but you did surprise me, child," he said in his deep, seductive voice, as he watched, fascinated, how the light reflected like fire on her red hair. "Come here," he said then, extending his arm to her.

Lili smiled and approached him. She took his hand and Jareth gently pulled her down toward him, holding her waist with his free arm. "There is no reason for you to keep doing this," he said, cradling her against his chest.

A blushed Lili raised her head and looked up at him. "What? Lying on top?" she asked innocently.

He looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow. "What did you do with my Lucy?" he teased her and then rolled his eyes and smiled. "Lucy, you know what I mean. You are not my maid anymore."

Lili became serious and looked intently at him. "Then... what am I to you, your Majesty?" she asked softly.

His eyes slightly widened at her question. "Well, my Queen, of course," he answered in his deep voice. He was about to kiss her again, but she broke free from his embrace and rose.

"Lucy, what--"

"Please, no. I have something to tell you first," she interrupted him as she went to get the tray and carefully placed it on his lap.

Jareth just stared blankly at the food and then at her. What kind of reaction was that? He had just... proposed to her and she... brought him breakfast! "Lucy, what's wrong?" he asked.

As an answer, she began to pace up and down the room. "I have to tell you something," she repeated, without stopping. "Something very important," she added, clearly nervous. "Something that--"

Jareth blinked, left the tray on a side, put on his black pants and then vanished... to materialize just before her.

Lili gasped in surprise as she bumped into him.

"You're cold!" he exclaimed, as he held her hands. "What is it?" he asked, truly worried now.

She swallowed. "Do you really, really love me?" she asked, deadly serious, her eyes strangely sad.

Jareth's eyes widened at the question. "You know the answer to that, child," he said softly.

Lili shook her head. "Please, tell me," she insisted.

Jareth smiled. "I love you, Lucy."

A small grin played on her face, but then she became serious again. She took a deep breath and, to his surprise, she went a step back. "Jareth, what I... will tell you probably will upset you... a bit, "she began to say. "Okay, here goes nothing," she muttered, clasping her hands tightly. I... I... I am Lili Williams. Sarah is my sister," she said at last, never taking her troubled gaze away from his...

******

Jareth's smile faded and he could only stare at her in utter shock. Time just seemed to stop for him and, slowly, a cold shield began to wrap his heart.

"Jareth?" Lili timidly insisted at his silence, her heart shrinking at the sudden look in his eyes.

"This is not funny, Lucy," he finally exploded, in his full Goblin King mode, all the tenderness gone from his voice. "Tell me you are lying!" he ordered her, grabbing her arm.

Lili shivered. For a second, she was tempted to tell him she was joking, but gathering her courage, she decided against it. She shook her red head and sighed, defeated.

"Sarah is my sister. The girl you showed me that day is the real Lucy, Sarah's maid," she quickly explained, trying in vain to ignore the pain his grasp was causing her and her rising fear. Every hope she had had that he would understand, was vanishing. "I--"

Jareth paled as the truth began to sink in. Now everything made sense. Now he knew why he had not been able to locate Lili Williams. It had been his own spell that had protected her!

"Shut up!" he barked, tightening his grasp until his nails dug into her flesh, causing her arm to bleed.

He had trusted her, how could it be that she had deceived him in such a horrible way? How could have she done such a thing to him! She was worst than Sarah had ever been!

"You're hurting me!" a now terrified Lili exclaimed.

Jareth glared at her. Blinded by the pain and rage –and with his pride hurt beyond belief- he did not see his love anymore, he saw his enemy's sister and what was worse, he saw a traitor... and a liar.

"You betrayed me!" he stated, disgusted, rudely throwing her to the floor. "YOU BETRAYED ME!" he yelled, his body glowing in anger. "YOU BETRAYED ME!"

So powerful was his scream, all the crystals of the castle exploded and a furious storm began across the entire kingdom.

"No! I never betrayed you!" Lili exclaimed loudly, desperate, looking up at him in disbelief, shaking. Was this the same man she had slept with? She knew she had hurt him, but this was too much. How could her dream have turned into such a nightmare? How could he have turned into such a... monster? She balled her hands into fists.

She painfully rose and shook her head. "Please, understand... You just appeared out of nowhere... I was scared! Please, Jareth forgive me. I--"

"Silence! What you did is beyond forgiveness!" he thundered, in the edge of losing control. "Do not ever dare to mention my name again! You are only a servant!

She stared at him, wide opened eyes. "But... but... you said... you loved... me," she whispered like a child whose promise had been broken to. "And I... do love you," she added, her heart shattered into million pieces.

For a brief second, his gaze seemed to soften, but he recovered quickly; he would not fall into her game again. He laughed harshly. "Well I guess I lie. How does it feel?" he spat. "Now, clean this mess," he ordered darkly. "I shall decide what to do with you later."

With that, he stormed out of the chamber.

Once alone, too shock to cry and emotionally drained, Lili just remain frozen in place, her head bowed, until one word screamed in her head, waking her up.

RUN!

******

Jareth materialized in the Escher room, his eyes blazing in anger and pain. He fell to his knees and violently hit the floor with his fists. How he could have been so blind? How he could have been so foolish? HOW!

She had dared to deceive him!

He opened his eyes wide and froze as a sudden, horrible, humiliating thought occurred to him. What if she had planned everything... with the Trickster's help?

How much they must have laughed at his expense!

At that, Jareth simply lost the little control he had left. His body tense and he screamed, his powerful rage felt all over the Underground...

"LILI!"

******

Oblivious to the sharp stones that hurt her feet and to the branches that tore at her skin, Lili ran through the labyrinth. She was soaked and frozen, wrapped only in Jareth's black robe and she had nowhere to go, but she did not care. She just wanted to run away from him.

Her heart was broken beyond cure and her soul was simply too tired...

Suddenly, she stumbled with a root and painfully fell to the ground. Panicked, she tried to rise, but her foot was trapped.

It was then when an incredibly loud thunder roared... her name!

She looked up... only to see a lightning striking the nearest tree.

"NO, JARETH!" she exclaimed, raising her arms in a protective way... and then... everything went black.

******

That desperate plea went right through his wrath and suddenly awoke him.

The Goblin king stiffened and, in spite of himself, a deep concern raised within him. However, he rose and shook his head, annoyed, and decided to simply ignore her. Why should he... worry about... a traitor?

As the anger returned to him, he balled his hands into fists and began to pace.

Yes, she had betrayed him in the cruelest way. She had pretended to be someone else and she had--

Jareth abruptly stopped dead in his tracks as a wave of pain suddenly shot his body. So strong it was, that he had to lean on the wall for support. Seconds later, it passed. He shook his head, as he stood straight again. He braced himself. The pain had disappeared, but the dreadful feeling he had experienced a moment ago had grown stronger...

Unable to stop himself, he materialized a crystal to see her, just to assure himself she had cleaned his room... but when he saw the requested image, he froze in shock and the magical object just fell from his hand.

Her sweet, but desperate voice now echoed in his head and in his heart...

It was then when he finally understood...

He was the real traitor.

******

Slowly, Lili opened her eyes and was not surprised to see branches and leaves covering her. She tried to move, but it was useless. For a brief moment she wondered why there was no pain, but soon the answer hit her. Being a med student, it was clear to her. She was paralyzed. She also noticed each time it was more difficult to breathe... perhaps one of her lungs was damaged...

Lili smiled sadly... so this was how it felt... to be dying...

As strange as it was, she was not afraid. Maybe this was for the better... because what other choice did she have?

Jareth hated her now and he would surely use her against her dearest sister...

Not even Puck would be able to help her...

"Sarah," she whispered, closing her eyes again, just waiting for the end... She was so incredibly tired...

******

Jareth silently appeared in the rose garden... or in what was left of it, after the violent storm. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from screaming when he saw the helpless figure crushed by a fallen tree. He approached and, with a wave of a hand, the tree immediately vanished, revealing his beloved's injured body. She was deathly pale, her skin covered with bruises and scratches and she was bleeding in several areas.

"What have I done," he muttered in despair, kneeling by her side. He carefully checked her pulse and let out a relieved sigh. She was still alive. Barely. Gently, he picked her up and rose. It was then when she opened her eyes and fixed her hopeless -and scared- gaze upon him.

"Lili..." was all that he could say.

A single tear slid down her cheek. "Why... do you... hate.... Me... if I... love you... so much?" she whispered in a barely audible voice... before she was lost to consciousness again.

That was too much for Jareth. He could not stop his own tears. "I am so very sorry, my love," he said as he transported them back to the castle and to his room.

In the blink of an eye, the chamber was clean again. Very carefully, he lay her atop his bed and began to chant a healing spell. After a moment it ended and her wounds were all gone, but Jareth knew it was not enough. No. She had been too close to death; there was something else that needed to be done...

In order to save her, he would have to reorder time...

"Do not worry, beloved," he whispered, tenderly removing a strand of hair out of her face. "You will not remember anything... but I..."

He just could not finish the sentence.

Shaking himself, he took the final step. He bent over her and, as he cast the last spell, he kissed her lips. Slowly, her body began to fade... until she was completely gone.

Consumed by guilt, grief-stricken and exhausted, Jareth just collapsed on his bed... but not before whispering one last word...

"Lili."

******

"What have you done, Goblin King!" Titania exclaimed, horrified, taking both hands to her mouth, as she watched in disbelief through the crystalline waters of Avalon.

"I will kill him!" Puck yelled angrily, balling his hands into fists.

"You will not interfere," Titania ordered him, turning to face him. "Do not interfere," she repeated sadly. "Or do you think Lili would want you to harm him?"

That seemed to calm the enraged Fae. Puck sighed and shook his head. "It was my fault. How could I have been so wrong? I should have been there to protect her! I promised her!"

Titania smiled gently. "You could have done nothing, Puck. No. We all knew he would get angry when the truth was revealed to him... Including Lili. She took a great risk in telling him..."

"And she lost," Puck interrupted her.

The queen of Avalon shook her head. "No. Jareth does love her... Unfortunately he realized that... too late."

"This cannot be the end, my queen!" Puck exclaimed, desperate, raising his hands.

"The future is not written in the stars," a sad Titania soothed him.

****************************************************************

Epilogue...

"LILI!"

Lili stirred and opened her eyes... only to find Sarah and Michael looking worriedly at her.

"Sarah, what..."

"Thank God you are fine!" Sarah exclaimed, striking her cheek like she used to do when she was a little girl.

"You give us a big fright, girl," Michael added gently.

Lili blinked, puzzled, and only then she realized she was on her bed and that she had a cool cloth on her forehead. "What happened?" she asked, feeling strange... like something was missing.

"What's the last thing you remember, little one?" Sarah asked, sitting by her side.

Lili bit her lip. "I was picking up... the cookies Lucy dropped..."

"Well, and that was exactly where I found you, unconscious, lying on the floor, wearing a black robe."

Lili blinked in surprise. "Unconscious? A... black robe?"

Sarah nodded and was about to ask her something else -especially about the robe's owner-, but when she saw her sister's tired eyes, she decided against it. Instead, Sarah smiled and patted Lili's arm. To her surprise, Lili almost jump.

"It hurts," the redheaded explained apologetically.

"Let me see it," Sarah said and gasped in surprise when she saw four parallel scars.

"I don't know how I make them those," Lili said with a shrug. "Maybe playing with Toby, you know how childish he can be sometimes."

Sarah and Michael chuckled. "Anyway, I'm glad you're okay, now we will leave you so you can rest."

Lili smiled. "Thank you... and Sarah... I love you."

"I love you too, little one," the brunette answered sweetly.

With a last smile, Sarah and Michael walked out of the room.

Once alone, instead of sleeping, Lili rose from her bed and went to the balcony. She grinned at the sight of the roses...

White roses?

She blinked and tilted her head... Why did those flowers made her feel... so strange?

She shrugged and distractedly looked her room, until her gaze was drawn to the black robe Sarah had mentioned before. Puzzled, as she had never owned one like it, Lili went to get it. She picked it up. It was big, its owner must be very tall and--

Suddenly, the room began to spin and a headache seemed to tear her apart. Shaking, she fell to her knees... and it was then... when she remembered... a name.

******

Two weeks went by and Sarah watched Lili with concern; her little sister seemed to wilt with each passing day. Lili rarely smiled now and, even though she tried to act as if nothing had happened, Sarah knew that was not the case. No, something was definitely wrong with Lili, her eyes were so incredibly sad and opaque and she was so pale...

By the end of the second week, Sarah could not stand it any more and, is spite of Lili's protests; she took her beloved sister to the doctor, who performed several exams on her.

"This was not necessary, Sarah," Lili told her, as they waited for the results of her tests.

"Sarah put her magazine down and gave Lili her best older sister look. "Believe me, Lili, it was." Then she smiled, "And, you know, it isn't wise to contradict pregnant women. Besides, as a future doctor, you can consider this a field practice."

Lili chuckled. "Well, one thing is for sure, if I ever have my own consulting room, I will keep the latest magazines. This one is five years old!"

This time it was Sarah's turn to chuckle.

Ten minutes later, the assistant told them to enter the doctor's office.

"Please, have a seat," the kind looking man invited them. "So," he began, "I am glad to say nothing is wrong with you, Lili."

Lili nodded and gave her sister a what-have-I-told-you glance.

"However," he continued, "in your present condition, I will prescript you vitamins and a calcium supplement."

"Condition? What condition?" Lili and Sarah asked at the same time.

The Doctor smiled, gave a meaningful look at Sarah's round stomach and then fixed his gaze upon the redheaded young woman.

"Well, you are pregnant. My guess is that you have two weeks. Congratulations."

******

Far away from there, in another world...

A blueheaded woman blinked in surprise as she heard the words of the human healer. A tender grin played on her face. She touched the crystalline waters and rose from the stone she had been seated.

"Quite unexpected," Titania whispered in awe. "So the end turned out to be only the beginning..."

FIN