Chapter 1, Blindside

Sarah sat in her study, combing through stacks of paperwork. In only a month she had seemingly conquered the role of Goblin Queen. She stared at the pile of papers and groaned. She'd been sitting for hours going through complaints and conspiracy's, deciding what was worthy of being viewed by the King.

Dropping the quill she had been holding, she slumped and rested her head in her palm. She looked over to Mage, who was sitting quietly in the corner. Sarah eyed her for a minute, Mage didn't look up.

"Yes, My Lady?" She asked. Sarah sighed. "Care to take a break?" She finally looked up at her.

"No..." Sarah said with a huff. "I'm on my last stack. I don't know how Jareth managed to do all this on his own." She said.

"His Majesty is quite fond of time alteration." She replied flatly. Sarah rolled her eyes back to the remaining stack of papers.

Suddenly, she felt firm hands clasp her shoulders. Light blonde hair tickled her ear, as she heard the seductive whispers of a familiar voice.

"And thanks to you, I can live in the now." Jareth purred. He had started to gently massage her shoulders, causing Sarah to smile. She tilted her head back, and gave him a welcoming kiss. "I was wondering where you've been all day. Hard at work as usual?" He asked, moving to the side of the desk. Sarah sat back in her chair.

"Someone has to get all this done. That stack is for you." She said, pointing to a small pile of papers off to the side. Jareth raised a curious eyebrow.

"And the other pile?" He asked, eyeing the mountain of papers scattering the room.

"Completely pointless, irrelevant, and an utter waste of time." She huffed, not understanding how so many people could bombard the castle with such stupidity.

Jareth smiled at her, leaning in against the table.

"Come, you've done enough for today." He gestured for her hand. She looked from him to the small stack of papers on the desk with an annoyed expression. He turned to Mage. "I think Mage can handle the rest." Mage nodded from her spot in the corner. He turned away and again offered his hand to Sarah.

She laid her palm gently on his and let him pull her to her feet. She staggered for a moment, feeling dizzy all of the sudden. Jareth wrapped an arm around her waist to help steady her. There was a churn in her stomach that made her uneasy.

"Still not feeling well, my love?" He inquired. She shook her head, trying to orient herself.

"I'm fine. Just haven't eaten much today is all." She unconsciously grabbed his arm as if she were about to fall. Jareth noticed her blind gesture and grew concerned.

"Well then we stall eat. A feast will be prepared before we even enter the dining hall." He tried to cheer her up. She gave a weak smile as they started to exit the room.

Once they were gone, Mage stood and crossed to the desk. She too was concerned for Sarah, and unsure of how to go about it. Deciding that the matter was not her place, she resumed Sarah's work.

Jareth led Sarah down the corridor leading towards the dining hall. He was growing more and more wary of her health, trying to dismiss it as his own paranoia. He handled her as if she were made of glass. Sarah noticed this behavior and did her best to convince him she was perfectly fine.

By the time they'd made it to the dining hall, her stomach had settled. Jareth watched her with a fearful look of anxiety. She returned a disapproving eye before taking her seat, which he had rushed to pull out for her.

"Jareth, really, I'm fine. You can stop acting like I'm made of paper." She lectured.

"I'll take care of you the way I see most fit." He said, taking his seat at the head of the table. "You take your health for granted precious." He added. She waved a hand at him.

"I feel fine! Maybe I'm just stressed. You do have me working day and night after all." She teased.

"If you feel it will make you less stressed, I can abstain to strictly working you during the day...or the night. Which ever you prefer." He gave a mischievous sneer. She caught on to his word play.

"You can work me any time of the day, Your Majesty." She said playfully, reaching for her fork.

The day progressed as usual. After their dinner, Jareth left to resume his duties while Sarah retired to their chambers to await his return. After his final meeting with the Council, Jareth sat in thought. Mage watched form her seat, usually he would be the first to poof away. Something was obviously wrong.

"Sire, may I ask what is bothering you?" She asked. His head shifted slightly.

"Hm? Nothing." He stood and turned to leave. Mage raised an eyebrow.

"Majesty." She muttered. He stopped in his step.

"It's Sarah...I can't help but think there's something more to this stomach bug she claims to have. I'm sure I'm just overreacting." Normally he wouldn't open up so easily, but his thoughts were frazzled with apprehension.

"Perhaps you should calm down, try to think clearly." She wanted to tell him why Sarah was anything but dying. The words were practically jumping off her tongue.

"I know. I've just...never felt such concern for another." He laughed with his own realization.

"Well, I'm sure you're right to be concerned. Maybe you're just not picking up the right signs." She spoke carefully.

"What do you mean?" He asked. She was waging a war inside, trying to find the right words as to spell it out for him.

"Just pay attention to any new...developments." She replied.

"What sort of developments?" He wasn't catching on in the slightest. She couldn't take it anymore, and started exiting the room.

"You'll know when you see it...if for nothing else." She muttered on the end. For such a clever man, she couldn't believe how dimwitted he was being.

Jareth left right after, still not sure of what to make of Mage's words.

He slowly opened the door to his and Sarah's chambers. It was dark. The light from the fire cast a golden hue over the dimly lit room. Sarah didn't notice his arrival. She was laying along a couch in front of the fire place, lost in the flicker of the flames. Her hand gently traced along her abdomen. She did however, hear the door click shut from across the room.

Jareth slowly crossed the room, kneeling down beside her. The angle of the fire cast a dark shadow across his face. Her eyes fluttered as he stroked away the hair from her face.

"Feeling better, love?" He asked, his finger tracing along her jaw.

"Yes, actually." She replied.

He lowered his head to hers, and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. Their mouths lingered for a moment, before his tongue pushed apart her lips. With their tongues firmly entwined, they deepened the kiss. His hand moved to cup her face as he moved into her. She trailed her hand along his arm in return. He continued leaning into her, so much so, he was practically on top of her.

Her free arm wrapped itself around his neck, as he moved his own around her waist. His other arm explored its way up Sarah's thigh. She sat up a bit, trying to move over so he could join her on the couch. To her surprise, he quickly pulled her from the couch and onto the floor. She landed with a gentle thud, waiting for his lips to returned to hers.

As if he'd heard her thoughts, he resumed their passionate kiss. His hands gently caressing the curve of her body. The light from the fire made her glow. He pulled away to take in the sight of her. Neither spoke a word, there was nothing to be said. The fire crackled, as they watched the shadows dance across one another.

Very slowly, he lowered his head, placing weightless kisses along her chest. She turned her head as he made his way up her neck. His kisses became soft nips as he started to move against her. He now rested perfectly between Sarah's legs, her dress rising with each undulating motion. Aside from the quickening pace of their breathing, each was silent.

She ran her leg up the length of his, locking it around his pelvis, continuing his motion. He then started to trail down her neck once more. As his mouth reached the top of her breast, her clothing started to fade away. He made a trail of kisses down the center of her chest leading to her belly button, only stopping once the remainder of her clothing had vanished. He then returned his face to hers in a loving kiss.

She ran her fingers over his shoulders and under his shirt, feeling the contours of his chest. As she pushed, his own clothing started to fade.

Jareth pulled his face away from hers once again. His hand traced the outline of her face, while his thumb caressed her chin. He stared at her for a long moment, fully appreciating her beauty. She stared back, lost in his mismatched eyes. She hadn't realized he had positioned himself at her opening, and in one gentle thrust he entered her. She gasped, and he didn't move, relishing the feel of her warmth. Bringing his lips back to hers, he started to move inside her.

It was slow, there was no holding back or restraint of passion. He wasn't thinking about his pace, he wasn't thinking about anything. All he saw was Sarah's sparkling eyes, and all he felt was the love that coarsed between them.

Sarah had never felt this before. Normally there was such heat, such passion. The slow irregularity of his thrusts were like a steady climb to the top for her. She was forced to pull her mouth away from his, and as if a cork had been removed they both let out muffled moans and heavy pants. He bore his head into her shoulder, giving light kisses along her neck. She ran her hands up and down his back.

Sarah felt him harden considerably within her, the feeling of his approaching climax making her moan louder. FInally, the spot he'd been hitting exploded within her, causing her back to arch from the immense pleasure. She let out deep gasps as a wave of ecstasy washed over her. Soon after, Jareth lost himself to her, releasing the same exasperated gasps as he let himself go.

Neither had moved for a long time, locked in a timeless kiss. After a while, they settled themselves into a comfortable position.

Jareth and Sarah laid by the fire. He had conjured an assortment of pillows and blankets to cushion the two. Her eyes were heavy, growing tired from the serenity of the fire. Jareth lay over her legs, placing gentle kisses all around her abdomen. He took in her scent, kissing the spot on her stomach just below her belly button. She ran her fingers through his hair.

He felt something tug at the back of his mind and paused.

"Sarah, how are you feeling?" He asked, not yet looking up at her.

"Wonderful." She said with a grin. Jareth thought a moment, Mage's words played through his mind, he was obviously missing something. What did she mean...she knows something, something she didn't want to say. It must be obvious, something I would never think to consider... He thought. He gently rested his face on her stomach as he thought.

It was silent, Sarah never looked down to see the light bulb go off in Jareth's mind.

"Sarah, I know why you have been feeling ill." He stated flatly. She peered down at him with interest.

"And what reason is that?" She asked. He brought his hands to hold her waist, as he turned his head to lay against her as if he were listening for something.

"Because you are with child." He wasn't sure he had actually said it, the sheer enormity of such a thought seemed to send him into a shock. She tried to move, but he wouldn't release her. He stared into the fire as the realization hit him full force.

"What!" Sarah screamed.