A/N: Wow, I just checked the stats on this story, and my jaw dropped. I had almost three hundred and fifty hits in one day! Thank you som much to all my readers, and thank you to those who reviewed. This will be the last chapter, but I do have a tentative idea for a sequal that is a bit more centered on Rin, with plenty of Jareth and Sarah fluff, so depending on the responses, I might try to work on that.
Toby groaned at the display, and Rin chuckled. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rin pushed off the wall and breezed over to answer it. She was definitely not expecting to see her stepmother waiting there.
"Madre? What are you doing here?" she asked. Mrs. Jones was a tall Spanish beauty, with ebony locks showing only the slightest bit of white. Her warm brown eyes swept the room and she smiled widely when she saw Jareth, his arms wrapped around Sarah.
"Well, it's about time! Honestly, we expected Rin to get you two back together years ago!" she exclaimed. Rin frowned at her stepmother.
"Madre, what are you talking about?" she asked, following the older woman into the loft.
"Darling, your father and I wanted you to grow up here in the Aboveground so that you could learn about their world. Jareth helped us to realize that we needed someone who could understand the differences between our cultures. So, your father came here to raise you as a mortal. I was only here long enough to give birth to you, and then I had to return, to oversee my duties. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. That's why I made arrangements for the council to take over my duties for a little while so that I could come here to help raise you. Your father and I decided to have me become your stepmother, and we were so happy when you took to me like you did." she said. Rin was staring at her…mother in shock. Somehow, it seemed to all make sense. She had always felt a connection to her Madre, as close a bond as any mother and daughter could have. She thought back to the day that she had started to call her Madre.
Rin looked up at her soon to be step mother, who was muttering over some wedding details. She was honestly happy about having a new mother, though it was obvious that the older woman worried she would resent her. Finally, Madrea shoved the papers aside and threw her hands into the air.
"Madre di Dios! This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed. Rin came over and sat down at the table, looking down at the papers filled with pictures of ostentatious wedding gowns.
"What does Madre di Dios mean?" she asked, tilting her head. Madrea glanced over and smiled gently.
"It means 'Mother of God' in Spanish. It seems impossible to find a simple gown for the ceremony, and your father and I don't want to do anything too over the top." she explained. Rin nodded thoughtfully, looking over the papers, idly sketching a simple glade, with a woman wearing a simple summer dress next to a man in plain pants, a white shirt, and slightly darker vest. After a few moments, she looked down and smiled at her drawing.
"Madre, why don't you and Da have a simple ceremony in the park? There's a little glade I know of that is magical in the sunset." she suggested, showing her the drawing. Madrea's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and she smiled warmly at the girl.
"Rin, this is beautiful. You know, you don't have to call me Mom if you don't want to." she said, trying to keep the hurt from her voice at the thought. Rin reached over and grasped the older woman's hands.
"I want to call you Madre. It feels right." she replied. Her Madre smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. As she did, Rin felt a sense of peace wash over her, content in her mother's arms.
Rin's eyes were welling up with unshed tears, and she flung her arms around her mother's arms. Madrea held her daughter tightly, smiling gently.
"Deep down, I always knew it was you. I felt whole when you came into my life." Rin whispered. Madrea smiled and held her daughter tightly. Sarah looked up at Jareth and smiled, gently pushing him towards his family.
"Go to your family Jareth. I'll be waiting right here." she whispered. Jareth pressed a brief kiss to her lips and moved across the room to stand before his mother and sister. The pair turned and looked at him. He smiled and bowed before Madrea.
"I have missed you these last long years Mother." he said. Madrea smiled and pulled her son into her arms.
"I have missed you as well, my son. Tell me, are you pleased with how your little sister turned out?" she asked. Jareth looked over at Rin and smiled smugly.
"Of course, she had to turn out splendidly. You named her after the crowning feature of my kingdom." he said. Rin jabbed a finger at him in mock outrage.
"Then you're to blame for all the teasing I endured in grade school! I always knew any brother of mine would delight in my misery!" she moaned, the mirth in her mismatched eyes taking the sting from her words. Jareth smiled and embraced her.
"What are older brothers for?" he asked, as she returned the hug. Madrea turned to look at Sarah, who stood next to Toby, a serene smile on her face. She swept over to the two of them and gently took Sarah's hand.
"It does my heart good to see you healed Sarah." she said. Sarah blinked in surprise.
"You knew?" she asked. Madrea shrugged.
"When we first met, I didn't know you were the girl who had broken my son's heart, but I could tell that your own heart was broken. You were able to create such beautiful work based on my son's kingdom, but there was something about you that seemed dim. At the time, I thought the one you loved had died, and you were simply existing. Turns out I was half right. You weren't really living, just going through the motions. When I realized that you were the same Sarah that had beaten Jareth's labyrinth and stolen his heart, I hoped that Rin would be able to work things out for the two of you. I'm glad it finally happened." she said. Sarah smiled widely at the older woman's words. At that moment, Jareth returned to his fiancée's side. Sarah's face lit up as he slipped an arm around her waist.
"Where is Father? I would think he would be with you." Jareth asked. Rin moved closer, curious as to her father's whereabouts. Madrea sighed.
"Sarah told him twenty-four hours, so he returned to the Underground. Jareth, would you be a dear and call him? My magic is terribly limited up here." she asked. Jareth smiled and produced a crystal. He focused on it and in a moment, it vanished. Rin noticed Toby staring in awe at the magic Jareth had performed and gave him a wink. The young boy grinned widely at Rin and wrapped his arms around her legs. She chuckled and kneeled down to his level.
"Does this mean Sarah's going to go away forever?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly. Rin smiled gently and brushed his blonde hair away from his face.
"You're worried that you'll never see her again?" Rin guessed, and Toby nodded. "I promise, even if Sarah does go Underground with Jareth right away, you'll still see her again. She loves you, and nothing will keep her from visiting. Besides, I can always torment my brother if her doesn't let her visit. And I'll just have to teach her magic so she won't have to rely on him forever." she said with a wink.
"How will you teach her magic if you have yet to learn it, sister?" Jareth asked, one eyebrow raised, and a small smirk on his face. She matched his expression, and Sarah chuckled at the resemblance.
"I got you here didn't I?" she asked. Sarah, Madrea, and Toby began to laugh at the pair, just as the High King appeared with barely a sound. He turned to Sarah and bowed low over her hand.
"Lady Sarah, I find myself in your eternal debt. You have removed my daughter's ire with me, healed my son's broken heart, and gifted me with a daughter in law all in less than six hours!" he said. Madrea lightly smacked his arm.
"That is enough Arneth. Now then, it is high time that our family returns home, where we belong. Rin has a great deal to learn." Madrea said. Sarah looked up at Jareth in concern.
"Dad and Irene won't be home for three more days. I have Toby here until then." she said. Jareth smiled down at her, then bowed formally to Toby.
"Then with your permission, milord Toby, I will remain with you until you have everything prepared to return to the Underground." he replied. Toby straightened and bowed just like Jareth did, drawing a chuckle from Arneth.
"So long as you promise to take good care of my sister, I have no objections." he said, and Sarah smiled at his words. Jareth bowed his head to the young boy.
"You have my word." he promised. Rin laughed and embraced her best friend.
"I'll see you in a few days Sarah. Thank you so much." she whispered. Sarah returned the hug, and shook her head.
"I should be thanking you. You helped me to heal my broken heart, and brought the magic back into my life that I had feared was gone forever. Giving you back your family was a delightful bonus." she replied. Rin laughed and stepped over to her parents, linking arms with them.
"Jareth, send us a message when you return to the Underground, and we will begin preparations for a ball celebrating the family's return and your engagement." Arneth said. Jareth nodded to his father, while Rin rolled her eyes.
"This means I have to learn how to dance, doesn't it?" she asked with a slight groan. Madrea laughed and squeezed her daughter's waist.
"It's easier than you think, my dear." she replied, and the three of them were gone on a burst of glitter and magic. Sarah chuckled a little and turned to Toby.
"And now it is way past your bedtime, young sir." she said. Toby groaned and let his head fall to his chest.
"Do I have to?" he whined. Sarah shook her head and pushed him toward his bed.
"Yes, you do. We still have three days to enjoy, and that won't happen if you are asleep on your feet." she said. Toby nodded and hugged his sister.
"Good night Sarah." he said. She kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair.
"Good night Tobes." she replied. Toby turned and hugged Jareth's knees. He laughed and lowered himself to give the boy a proper hug.
"Good night, Goblin King." Toby whispered. Jareth smiled at him.
"Pleasant dreams, young Toby." he replied, and the little boy headed off to bed. After his door was closed, Jareth turned and pulled Sarah into his arms again.
"And now, Precious, it is high time that you go to bed as well." he said. Sarah looked ready to protest, but a huge yawn escaped her, and she bowed her head in defeat.
"Your right. Will you join me, or would you like me to fix up the couch?" she asked. Jareth grinned at her nervous question and gave her a light kiss.
"Nothing would please me more than to join you in your bed, but only if you are comfortable doing so." he said. She smiled serenely and pressed her lips to his.
"In the Aboveground, couples tend to be used to sharing a bed well before they become engaged. We seemed to skip a couple of steps." she replied demurely. Jareth grinned smugly and swept her into his arms.
"Then we have some catching up to do, don't we, my love?"
A/N: Well, this is the end, my dears. I have now begun a sequal, a crossover with Harry Potter, that mainly focuses on Rin as she becomes involved in Harry's world. Please check it out, and thank you to all my readers!