Disclaimer: Do I look rich? I don't own the Labyrinth or anything to do with it.
Ok guys, the final chapter. The end of it all. I'd like to dedicate this to all of my reviewers. Without the floods of review I received, I probably wouldn't have kept writing this story and I wouldn't have quite literally fallen love with the world. I hope you all have also enjoyed this little fairytale and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
September 3rd
Sarah squinted as the bright autumn sunlight streamed in her windows. The sky was a clear blue. She glanced at the clock by the bed. It said ten and she grinned. Miranda never woke her up when Jareth was staying. Not since she had walked in on them having sex. Was it really 'walking in' though, mused Sarah as she lay in bed, listening to the birds outside. More like floating in, or maybe phasing. She rolled over in the huge bed and noted that Jareth was absent.
She heard a yell and a crash as Julie's light giggling faded away. Jareth stuck his head out from the bathroom and glared at Sarah.
"Tonight, we're sleeping in my castle. You can't use the 'new kingdom' excuse anymore. Your 'staff' delight in humiliating me."
"Except for Miranda."
Jareth shuddered at the memory. "That woman can scream like nothing I have ever heard."
"They're only teasing you. They like you."
"Well they can like me when you're staying in my castle."
She laughed at his annoyance and he mock frowned. He walked over to the bed and pulled off the duvet, exposing her naked body, pouncing on her. She moaned as he kissed her neck and began to move downwards.
"Jareth…ohh…no…I have to go to work…mmm…look at the time."
He brought his head up. "We have people to do our work for us. I'm king and that's what I do."
"Yes and then you go home to a mountain of paper work that you have to do into the early hours of the morning, depriving the both of us of more enjoyable activities."
She slipped out from underneath him but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back down on the bed, turning her head so that he could kiss her mouth.
"Fine, we'll do it your way, today."
He let her up and she went to the bathroom as he got dressed. "We'll pop up the road to yours, sign anything that needs signing. Do the same at my castle and then, I think maybe a nice relaxing day on those lovely beaches of yours. They are delightful around this time of year."
Sarah grinned at him as she passed. "It might take me a bit longer than a few minutes but ok. Just remember, I have a important meeting with the King of Varn tomorrow and I'm no very popular there anyway. You are not to delay me tomorrow."
He frowned. "Is Sogoro trying to turn his King against you?"
She shrugged as she pulled on a simple sleeveless dress. "He has a lot of influence for a loony. Unfortunately the King trusts him. I have to do my best to convince him that he can at least still negotiate a trade agreement. I'm not suggesting we be best friends or anything, just an arrangement that benefits us both."
"Doesn't he want to set up a port on your coast, it being nearest to his?" Jareth buttoned up his shirt. Sarah nodded as she finished doing her hair. "Yeah, but that's not going to happen. At least not in the near future. Dara has just agreed to allow outsiders into the forest with in a three mile of the east-west passage and the town."
Jareth nodded. "He is difficult. Took me three weeks to get him to let me in."
Sarah shook her head in amusement. "If you'd just asked me to take you…"
He glared at her. "I am not a child. I don't need a nanny."
"In that forest you do. If I recall, you ended up getting a broken arm?"
"That's only because that damn forest threw me out, literally."
"I repeat..."
"Yes, yes. If only I'd asked you. Well I got in, in the end didn't I?"
"Dara likes you too."
"He has an odd way of showing it."
"Yes. He is strangely protective of me. I think it's something to with the fact that he's with the Labyrinth and she told him about everything with Fuamnach and the court and all that."
"So that's where he found out. I asked it not to tell."
She smiled at his sulky tone. "Come on. I'd say Miranda has breakfast ready for us."
The couple ate in relative silence, reading personal mail.
Sarah glanced over the table. "What have you got?"
"A letter from my friend Sturm. He's travelling the other continent at the moment, and a letter from Cassandra."
Sarah sighed and took the letter from Jareth, reading it over. "Asking you to take her back again? Not even take her back. She never had you. This girl needs a dating service or something."
Jareth nodded and went back to his letter from Sturm. "You?" He asked without looking up.
"One from Persephone and Loki. You can tell it was Loki that wrote that one, but their doing fine. One from Taranga inviting us to a small dinner in about two weeks."
"Let's do it. It's been awhile since we've been out with others."
Sarah nodded in agreement. "And I have one from…oh."
Jareth looked up, concerned at her tone. "What is it?"
"It's another one from King Xavier. He wont leave me alone. These letters have been getting steadily more abusive."
She handed it over to Jareth who looked it over. His expression darkened as he read the contents of the letter.
He looked over at her and she could tell he was angry. "How long have you been receiving these?"
She sighed and sat back. "Ever since December. He sent me one the day after Etáin's ball. Gerard composed a polite refusal and we didn't hear anything for about a month and a half. Then he started sending one every morning though it was only through the work mail, so to speak. Official documents and stuff. But recently he's started sending them to me at home. He's really starting to worry me."
Jareth 's eyes flashed. "And so you should be. Xavier is not a person you want to mess with. Ever. You should have told me about these earlier."
She shrugged. "I thought if I ignored him, he'd eventually just stop. I've stopped sending replies."
Jareth shook his head angrily. "That won't work with Xavier. His a tricky bastard."
"Had a run in, have we?"
"Well, I never liked him to begin with and now that I know that he's been sending marriage proposals to you for nearly a year, you might be able to imagine that I like him slightly less."
Sarah smiled softly and moved around the table. He pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him. "Don't worry. I promise I won't go off and marry someone else anytime soon."
He placed his hands on her wais and lifted her off him. "As much as I'd love to stay like this all day, we have work to do."
She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. "My love, don't tempt me."
They were walking up the path towards the town when they both suddenly froze.
Jareth looked at Sarah. "That was Cyros."
Sarah nodded. "Etáin called me."
"Ionnina's in labour." Was said in unison.
Sarah turned to Jareth. "I have to go and talk to Gerard. You go to Cyros now and I'll follow. I wont be long."
Jareth nodded and disappeared. Sarah rushed up into the town where her colleagues and friends were waiting. She hurriedly explained the situation. They all nodded and wished the couple their best. Sarah thanked them and disappeared in a whirl of flame. She appeared in the corridor of Cyros' castle, outside their bed chambers.
She found both Jareth and Cyros pacing. Cyros looked tired and dishevelled but still handsome. Shehugged her friend and kissed him on the cheek.
"They won't let you guys in, huh?"
"Nope." Nadír appeared behind them with three cups of coffee.
The door opened and Etáin stuck her head out. "Sarah. There you are. Hurry up and get in here."
They all flinched as they head Ionnina scream.
Cyros jumped forward. "Let me in."
Sarah moved in front of him. "Trust me on this one. You really shouldn't be in there."
She slipped in the door and hurried over to her friend, giving her a kiss on her brow. "Hey 'Nina. How are you?"
Ionnina glared up at her. "How do you think I am?"
"Right."
She looked at the midwife. "How far apart are the contractions?"
"About three minutes."
"So we have three minutes to talk to you."
Ionnina nodded. "Until the next time I have to feel that again, yes."
She crossed her arms above her huge stomach. "If only Cyros had let me go Aboveground, I could have had drugs. Lots of drugs."
Sarah laughed and took her friends hand.
Etáin came back in looking harassed. "Damn men. Don't they know we don't let them in to spare them the guilt of what they do to us?"
Ionnina giggled and the screamed again, clutching Sarah's hand so hard she thought it was going to break.
Eight hours later, it sounded like there was a war in the bedroom, to the men who stood outside helplessly.
"Push!" Said the midwife gently.
"What the hell do you think I'm doing? I tell you, if this kind isn't out of me soon there's going to be baby shish kebab!"
The midwife looked puzzled. "Shish kebab?"
"Yeah." Shouted Ionnina. "You know, baby on a stick!"
Sarah shook her head. "Hey Etáin. You want to let her break your hand for awhile, mines gone numb." Ionnina screamed again and the midwife smiled.
"I can see the head. Come on now. Yes. Just a little more." Ionnina let out a sigh of relief as the baby let out a wail.
The midwife went into a corner and washed the new born, wrapping in a blanket as she brought it to its mother. Ionnina smiled as she took her child in her arms. The midwife smiled down kindly. "Congratulations. You have a baby girl."
Sarah smiled and sat by Ionnina as Etáin went to fetch the men.
"She's beautiful. What are you going to call her?"
"Maria." Sarah nodded and grinned as Cyros rushed in.
He sat on the bed beside his wife and gazed at his daughter. He kissed Ionnina and the others left them alone for a while.
Later they all sat in a parlour off the bedroom. Etáin cooed at the child in her arms and giggled as it gurgled back.
Nadír sat by Cyros and Ionnina. "Yes. Their all cute and gurgles now, but you just wait. Your in for hell." They all laughed.
"How long was Cian's birth?"
Etáin looked up. "About twice as long as this ones. You got off lucky."
Sarah sighed as Etáin handed her the tiny bundle. "Guess I have something to look forward to then, hmm?"
Sarah sat down, cradling the baby in her arms. A pair of enormous amethyst eyes blinked up at her in wonder. She smiled as the little girl clutched at her finger.
Jareth looked over at her. It was odd, seeing his lover and friend rocking the small child, but it was not an image he was adverse to, he realised suddenly.
Sarah looked up at him, sensing his gaze and noticed the strange look he was giving her. "What?"
He shook his head and smiled. "Nothing."
She returned her attention to the baby.
Cyros smiled at his friend and clutched his shoulder. "Your time will come. Don't you ever doubt that." He said quietly.
Jareth smiled again and returned to their conversation.
Jareth and Sarah walked out into the courtyard of the huge castle, seemingly made of sand. It was dark out and the desert temperature had plummeted. Jareth pulled Sarah to him, wrapping his cloak around them both. Upon contact Sarah called upon her fire to warm the both.
She looked up at him. "So, your place or mine?"
"Mine." he said instantly and she laughed.
"Fine. Let's go."
She suddenly found her self flat on her back on Jareth's bed with one grinning Goblin King on top of her.
"Cheater."
"I would never."
He waved his hand and suddenly they were both naked. She grinned back at him and flipped them over. She grabbed his hands.
"Double cheater."
She bent her head as he brought up his. Their lips collided in the middle. Jareth flipped them over again and pulled back.
"Do you still love me?"
Sarah smiled. It had become their little ritual and they always knew the othersanswer. "So desperately." He kissed her deeply.
"Do you still love me?" she murmured against his lips.
"Forever."
END
Well, that's it. Did you enjoy?
I have a confession. It's not the end. I've already started writing the sequel. I just love writing these characters so much. Now, it's up to you guys whether I keep writing them. Review and tell me if you want to see them all again or not.
Thank you all again and I'm not going to forget them. My muses, they drive me mad but I love them dearly and this wouldn't have been possible without them keeping me up at odd hours of the morning.
Kaz: Damn straight.
Rayne: Let's get out of here. I want a vacation.
C.C: Hell yes!
Fine, fine.
Slán go foill.