"Jareth?"

A warm breeze swept around me, carrying specks of magic from the mirror to the space between me and my window. There stood the Goblin King in a silk top and black breeches, no cape or medallion dangling from his neck.

"I don't suppose you called me to babysit?" he smiled a crooked smile. His mismatched eyes glistened mischievously in the moonlight pouring in behind him.

"No, I wanted to ask you something…"
His eyebrow arched, "Oh?"

"Well, this may sound stupid to you, but it's been bothering me forever. It's just…well, you're the Goblin King, but you don't look like any of the other goblins. Are you an actual goblin?"

He paused, considering my question carefully whilst searching for the answer, then chuckled quietly, "You're more perceptive than I thought you were…no, Sarah, I am not a true goblin." He replied.

A second question bubbled up before I could stop it, "What are you then?" I stepped forward, inching closer as if a nearer proximity to him would answer my question.

He returned the gesture, closing the gap between us further, "Would you believe me if I told you?" Jareth drew a crystal from the sleeve of his shirt, "If I showed you?"

"Seeing is believing, isn't it?"

He grinned, rolling the crystal from his fingertips to the palm of my hand, "Indeed it is, precious girl." The Goblin King stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around mine; taking my hands in his and bringing the crystal closer to our faces, "Watch closely…"

Though tensed by his touch, I pried my eyes from his and focused on the sphere in my hands. The image of a baby boy, no older than Toby had been, appeared inside of it and smiled up at me. His eyes didn't match one another, and it was then I knew that it was Jareth. He sat among a horde of goblins who were watching an older boy casually stride through some part of the Labyrinth.

A clock in the background struck thirteen.

The older boy looked around, and then was gone.

The goblins cheered.

A beautiful woman wearing a crown cradled Jareth in her arms joyfully.

The crystal went dark.

"You're human." Was all I managed to stutter. It wasn't a question, it was a realization. The woman was some sort of fae queen, and she had raised him as her prince. The other boy must've been his brother; they were almost identical…except for their eyes. His eyes were a cold grey-blue, where Jareth's were brighter in their oddity.

"Am, was, whatever you choose to think." He pulled away, reluctantly, and slid the crystal into a hidden pocket, "When the queen died, I was the only heir to her domain. She passed on the responsibility to me to guard the children that came through wishes, and to rule the Labyrinth. Had you failed to find your brother, he would've been next in line to the throne, but wouldn't have been made into a goblin."

Even if I had known that, I still wouldn't have left him down there, but it was comforting to know that he would have remained human, "But…why did he wish you away? Who was that?" I was suddenly furious, "He didn't even try to come after you!"

Jareth chuckled darkly, "So you do care after all…That was my father, actually. He and my mother weren't married, and she was a commoner at that. They wished me away out of shame." He sighed.

"Why was he running the Labyrinth if he didn't want you back?"

"That was the Queen's doing. When she saw how he disregarded me, she hoped that some…misfortune…would befall him, so she trapped him in the Labyrinth for thirteen hours."

I was disappointed when he didn't continue, "Did anything happen to him?"

"He went mad later on…years later. That was entirely my fault." He sneered gleefully, "I followed him in my owl form whenever I had the chance, and I jinxed him."

"I don't blame you Jareth. I would've done the same thing!" it was tempting to stamp my foot and pout, but I didn't want to seem childish.

The Goblin King laughed and smoothed my hair, causing me to jump, "No you wouldn't've, precious. You are too kind and understanding to be as vindictive as me." His gloved fingers stroked my cheek gently.

"Am not!"

"Hoggle abandoned you several times; you forgave him and called him your friend. Ludo frightened you at first; you turned him loose anyway and befriended him. Sir Didymus attacked you all; you let him join your 'quest' as your ally…" he withdrew his hand and produced a peach, "I did all that you asked, and you still danced with me."

I eyed the sweet fruit suspiciously, remembering that gown and that music and that beautiful sensation of floating on air, "Fair point…" my gaze shifted to him, "Is that peach spiked like the other one?"

"Perhaps…don't you trust me, precious girl?" he offered it to me. He smiled, mischief mingling with sincerity.

I knew I shouldn't, but I nodded 'yes' and smiled back, reaching for the peach. Before I took a bite of it, I glanced up at the Goblin King, "Jareth?"

He inclined his head toward me.

"You know how…how the story of the Labyrinth goes. Did you…really…actually…fall in l-love with me? Like it says?" I stuttered nervously. The peach was probably bruising in my grip.

His smile fell as he stepped forward, leaving almost no air between us. His hand cupped my cheek again and he leaned down to whisper, "From the moment we first met…"

And then he kissed me.

He tasted like peaches.