Jareth stares at the spot where Sarah stood for a few seconds after she leaves. Suddenly, he feels a wetness trickling down his side. He looks down to see his wound has reopened, blood slowly soaking his shirt. He probably shouldn't have let Sarah wrench his side open with her legs, but he can't bring himself to regret it. He swallows against the pain blooming across his skin and gestures the elves to follow him into the forest. The elfish captain falls into stride beside him and wordlessly hands Jareth his sword; the cold of the scabbard bites into his palm as he grips it. He quickens his pace and hurries toward the mountains rising up above the treetops, the light footsteps of the elves drumming along behind him. Jareth remains silent and determination floods from the set of his shoulders.

""""

Sarah's breaths come in heaving gasps as her feet slam into the rocky earth and she stares ahead without seeing. She can feel her body threatening to fissure, her love for Jareth already warring with her grief. In the same place inside her that first whispered she loved him, she knows that she'll lose him. Rough goblin voices and the light musical voices of the elves float into her consciousness and she grips Hoggle's hand even tighter. His short leathery fingers squeeze hers in response. It isn't long until Draec's deep voice pierces the fog of her mind.

"Sarah, we have to get you in position."

All at once the scene around her slams into focus. She stands facing the imposing black of the mountains, the red sun casting a sinister glow to their face. Spread before her is her army, elves garbed in reds and browns and goblins standing in groups, clutching their weapons and straightening their armor. The only sounds are the occasional clanking of spears and swords against the metal of helmets and chainmail. The soldiers themselves are eerily quiet, each of them darting glances around and listening for the sound of trolls. Sarah swallows her emotions and looks at her army through the eyes of a mother. These are her people and she's sworn to protect them. She promised Jareth that she would be their queen. She turns to Draec and nods, but keeps her hand wrapped tightly around Hoggle's.

"We've got a guard set up for you at the rear of the main force. Their only task will be to defend you," Draec says, taking her arm.

Sarah plants her feet. "Wait, you mean I won't be part of the fighting at all?"

Draec huffs in frustration. "Sarah, we don't have time for this. The object of this skirmish is very simple. We need to kill Laran whilst keeping you alive, is that clear? Securing those two outcomes is all that matters. You need to be protected. I'm not saying you can't use your magic, in fact that's exactly what you should do."

"But how am I even supposed to know what's going on? I have to see what's happening to know what kind of magic to—"

"Just send the crystals toward the trolls. Really very simple."

"But I've never done that!"

Draec takes a deep breath then grinds through his teeth, "Then I suggest we get to your position so that you can practice."

Sarah's mouth opens to respond when a muffled crash from the mountains shatters the silence of the valley. Sarah can feel Hoggle shaking as he cringes into her side. Draec's grip on her arm tightens and he says softly, "They've broken through." Sarah looks up at him, unable to conceal the fear in her eyes as she watches him concentrate. Again, she feels the air shift around her and she blinks to find herself, Hoggle, and Draec at the very rear of the army, surrounded by an outer ring of elves and an inner ring of goblins. Her guard is situated on the top of a small hill so that she can see the entirety of the army and the mouth of the mountain pass. She'll be able to watch the whole battle and hopefully direct her magic where it's most needed.

Draec drops her arm and turns to her to say, "I have to go to the front. Do what you can with your magic, but your goal is to survive. Nothing is more important." Sarah's wide eyes bore into his and Draec feels a stirring of pity for the girl. She's so young. He places a hand against her cheek and leans in to place a soft kiss against her forehead before Draec transports himself to the front lines. Sarah is left to stare into the terrified faces of her goblin guard, the elves facing away from her to scan the terrain for threats.

"My Lady!" comes a shout from behind her. Sarah and Hoggle whip around to see Sir Didymus break out of the ring of goblins and scurry toward them. "I am to be part of your personal guard, your majesty!"

Sarah crouches and gives the fox a quick, crushing hug. "Thank you, Sir." She glances behind him, confused. "Where's Ambrosias?"

Didymus shakes his head and heaves a sigh. "The coward would not leave our house. But fear not! For I am ready for battle."

Sarah gives him a tense smile and a final pat on the head before rising to look toward the mountains. She sees the elves on the front lines raise their battle horns to their lips and within seconds a screaming note rings out across the valley. The sound sends a shock through the army and hope surges through Sarah's heart where before there was only despair. She figures the elves must have some kind of magic imbibed in the horns to energize them all for battle. She's grateful for it as the first glimpse of a gray wall of troll flesh comes pounding out of the mountain pass.

""""

Jareth tries to silently shift his body so his side isn't grating against the rock wall as he stands crammed into one of the many small openings in the steep walls of the mountain pass. The other elves are similarly stuffed into the other cracks and holes of the mountainside, waiting for the enemy force to move through. The elf pressed into Jareth's back breathes deeply, testing the air for the scent of trolls. Jareth hears her utter a soft noise of disgust. "They're close, alright. Not a quarter-mile away, I'd wager," she whispers. Jareth nods without taking his eyes off the furthest point he can see down the path. Since hearing the crash of Sarah's makeshift gate being obliterated, Jareth and the elves had been staring unblinkingly down the path, waiting silently.

It isn't long until the steady cacophony of footfalls signaling the approach of the army reaches their ears. Just as Jareth had expected, the trolls come bounding as fast as they can around the corner first, their clubs held out in front of them. Jareth slows his breathing and sinks further back into the mountain, feeling the elf behind him do the same. Jareth presses the flat edge of his sword down against his leg as the trolls lumber past him, grunting and growling in exertion. Jareth is pleased to see that a few have wounds already, whether from clearing the pass or fighting amongst themselves, he doesn't know. Sounds of battle reach Jareth's ears before the trolls dwindle to be replaced by the rebel fae army. Dressed in the gold and white of the fae kingdom, the army saunters past, many with their sleeves held up to their noses to ward off the stench of the trolls. At the front of the fae army, seated upon a shimmering white horse is Laran. Horses are rare in the Underground and she must have gone through much trouble to steal it. It takes all of Jareth's self control not to jump from his perch and run his sword through that beautiful chest, but he knows that her armor is too thick and her archers would strike him down in midair. Her helmet is well designed and probably protected with magic. There's no chance of killing her from afar. Not that Jareth particularly minds; he desperately wants to see the pain and terror in her eyes as his sword pierces her body.

Jareth's eyes follow Laran as she calmly trots behind the trolls until she rounds a bend in the path and disappears from his view. Not long after, the last of the soldiers are approaching the hidden elves. Jareth stops breathing completely and his mind quiets in preparation for battle. His mind whispers instructions and maneuvers as he watches the very last of the solders pass underneath him. With a deep, silent breath, he jumps from his perch, sword held high. Sarah's bright green eyes flash in his mind as his sword connects between neck and shoulder with the thuds of elves softly landing behind him.

""""

The world around Sarah is chaos. The trolls had come barreling out of the mountains like a storm and their huge clubs swung with such force that even at this distance she saw goblins and elves being flung yards from where they were standing. The elves and goblins were shoving spears into the thick hides of the trolls, but with little effect. Once in a while, she saw some kind of fog emanate from Draec's tall form. The fog would reach the trolls and they would scratch and grip at their own throats as if they were choking, but the fog could only reach one or two at a time. The greatest offense came from the archers who would send their arrows right into the eye sockets of the trolls, causing them to flail madly and expose their soft armpits, and some perfectly placed arrows dropped them on the spot. That said, there are still elves and goblins being ruthlessly killed by the dozens. From where Sarah stands, the fighting looks fairly even, but one goblin life for every troll is still too high a price.

"Sarah, do somethin'!" Hoggle shouted from behind her. Sarah turns around and fixes her wide eyes on Hoggle's shaking form. She had been standing frozen, staring at the carnage below her. Now she squares her shoulders and nods at him. She looks back at the trolls and thinks about her love for the goblins, for the kingdom. She lets her desire to save them fill her and she visualizes what her magic should do. A crystal forms in her hand and she quickly raises it in front of her face, willing it to take flight toward her enemy. It doesn't move. Sarah lets it rest in her palm and wills it to fly, but it remains stubbornly stationary. The screams and deafening roars of the trolls fill her ears.

"Come on, come on!" she shouts, shaking the crystal. Still, it doesn't move. She tries throwing the crystal, but it shatters where it lands, the magic spent from disuse. Her eyes are glued to the now evaporating shards of crystal and she jumps when a new cry rises through her army. Her head snaps up to see a wall of white and gold appear behind the gray of the trolls. The fae army had arrived in the valley.

Sarah's wide eyes dart along her army, looking for weak spots and willing her soldiers to fill in any gaps. There aren't nearly as many trolls as there were, but Sarah knows that Laran only intended the trolls to be a battering ram. The door is open, now she's coming to finish it. Sarah heaves a few breaths into her body and spins around to shout at her guard, "Come on, we're moving!"

Didymus scurries to her side. "My Lady, we were ordered to keep you behind the main force!"

"I'm your queen and I'm ordering you to follow me." With that, Sarah takes off at a run towards the front line. She won't wait patiently for Laran to kill her people, no matter what Jareth said. She's queen and she can't ask her soldiers to make a sacrifice that she isn't willing to make. She can't. As she and her guard gets closer to the mountains, the line between "us and them" becomes more burred. There are trolls and goblins and elves and fae all mixed together in a frantic battle for their lives. Her guard valiantly cuts down every enemy that comes near her. It's obvious that Draec and Jareth have given her some of the most elite fighters. Something she doesn't wholly approve of, but can't help but be grateful for as fae with murder in their eyes try to seize her. While her guards defend her, she looks for Draec. She finally spots him as he and about five elves take on a company of ten or so fae. Sarah shouts at her guard to follow her and she fights her way to Draec's side, her guard joining in the fray around him.

His eyes fill with fury as he looks down at the girl. "Sarah! I told you to keep your ass at the rear of the army! What do you think you're doing?"

"I couldn't just stand there and watch! I can help you!"

He opens his mouth to reply when a mighty roar rises from behind her. She spins to see a huge troll in front of her, club raised with both hands above its head and a green drool running from his mouth as it roars. Her guards are shoving spears and swords into the troll's armpits and stomach, but the club rockets toward her anyway. Without really even thinking about it, Sarah throws the newly formed crystal in her hand towards the troll's face, where it explodes with such force that it's head is completely destroyed. Surrounded by war, Sarah just instinctually thought that the most appropriate weapon to have just then was a grenade, just like in one of those war movies that her father was always watching. She stands with her mouth agape as the troll falls backward in slow motion.

Draec grips her shoulder hard enough to bruise as he shouts in her ear, "Can you do that again?"

Sarah looks back at him with ice in her eyes and says, "Oh yeah."

His mouth stretches into a predatory grin and he says, "Then stay close to me and let's fucking end this."

Sarah and Draec quickly work out a system where Draec shoves forward with his sword, distracting and stunning while Sarah keeps churning out her grenade crystals. She wishes she could cause more damage, but with how fast everything is happening, she doesn't have the time to experiment. She uses the magic she already knows works. Their forces are making a dent in the fae army, but none of this matters if they don't kill Laran.

"Where's Laran?" she shouts to Draec, who had just relieved a fae of his head.

He's just engaging another as he says, "She was leading the fae out of the mountain, but I lost her when they started fighting. She was on a huge white horse."

"We have to find her!"

Draec throws his head back and laughs as his sword pierces the fae just under the neck. "Sarah, if we keep this up, Laran will run back to the fae kingdom with her tail between her legs! Look, they're already spent." Sarah follows his nod to look at the mountain pass. The last of the army appears to have exited the mountains. Obviously Laran's army has been splintered judging by the number on the battlefield. A hesitant smile stretches Sarah's mouth. Jareth's plan must have worked. Her smile fades as she reminds herself that this doesn't mean he's okay. Her thoughts turn to the more immediate threats around her as she throws another crystal.

""""

The last fae slides off the end of Jareth's sword and he stands for a moment looking at what he's done. He's never fought with such fervor, such ferocity and skill. He allows himself a little chuckle and spins his sword in a smug circle as he looks at the bodies strewn around him. He never expected any of his group to live through this, but he only lost eighteen elves while countless fae lay rotting around him, and Sarah is safe within a wall of guards with an entire army between her and Laran. Can it be possible that everything will be alright? With a grin plastered on his face, he turns to the elves behind him and says lightly, "Shall we go to war, then?"

Jareth's side is now soaked with blood, but he barely feels a twinge as he and the elves race toward the sounds of battle in front of them. Jareth's already planning for tonight when he can take Sarah back to the castle and, to borrow a phrase from Draec, fuck her senseless. As he bursts out of the mountains and into the valley, his heart lightens even more as he sees that the reds and browns of his army outnumber white, gold and gray. He laughs with abandon and he and the elves start engaging the fae in the valley with enthusiasm.

As Jareth fights further into the fray, he hears a steady boom boom from his left. Craning his neck to see above the battle, he sees an explosion of light, followed by a smattering of blood. After a few seconds, it happens again. Must be Draec, though I didn't know he could perform such magic, he thinks. He fights his way towards the explosions, but as he gets closer he sees the flash of a silver breastplate and a long curtain of dark hair. Jareth's stomach drops as he watches Sarah in the midst of battle, always just inches away from flying arrows and swinging swords. He quickens his pace, mercilessly cutting down every fae that gets in his way, never taking his gaze from Sarah for more than a couple seconds.

Draec's shout cuts through the din and reaches Jareth's ears, "That's it, Sarah! These bastards don't know who they're fucking with!" Draec laughs and he hears Sarah's lilting laugh answer him.

The sound cuts to his heart and he's terrified to know she's here, fighting. He's going to kill Draec. The fear rises up in him and escapes him as he shouts, "Sarah!"

He watches as her head whips toward the sound. As soon as her eyes lock on his, her face brightens in a shining smile. She starts to run toward him and Jareth's only a couple yards away when he sees a flash of immaculate white cloth and shimmering blond curls behind her. His heart turns to stone as he screams, "Sarah, no!" Sarah's euphoric expression turns to pained shock as a sword, glowing and pulsating with a deep purple light, shoves itself out from between her breasts. Laran stands behind Sarah, holding her up with a pale, slender hand clenched on her shoulder. The force of the sword arches Sarah's back so that her head is thrown back to fall on Laran's shoulder. Jareth is screaming a wordless howl of grief and rage as he sprints toward them.

Laran leans down so that her head is next to Sarah's and her chin is resting on her shoulder as she shouts with a manic grin, "I promised you that she would be dead by nightfall, Jareth!" Jareth reaches them just as Laran places a foot against Sarah's back and pushes her off the Spirit sword to land in a heap on the ground. Jareth can barely see past the black fury. Still screaming, he brings his sword back and lunges toward Laran, swinging his sword at her neck with all his might. She brings up her sword to block the blow, but Jareth's show of strength is so powerful that he hears the crack of her wrist breaking as she tries to hold her weapon in front of his. She lets out a scream of pain and Jareth relishes the sound. He lets loose a barrage of blows against her. She blocks him, but the pain in her wrist is slowing her down and it isn't long until she's panting and the shine of fear is in her eyes. Jareth slams his sword down on top of hers, knocking it to the ground as he spins, letting his weapon flow in a wide arc and lets it fall against her neck, severing muscle and bone. Blood sprays across him and he watches those blond curls roll away from Laran's body. He spits on her corpse before falling to his knees beside Sarah.

Her pale cheek is pressed into the red dirt, her body twisted as it lay on the ground, but her eyes are bright with pain as Jareth gently lifts her body and rests her on his knees. She stares up at him with her face full of fear as she reads the terror in in his eyes. Jareth supports her shoulders with one arm and presses his hand to the gaping hole in her chest with the other, desperate to keep her blood from spilling out. The sounds of battle fade around him as the fae realize that their leader has been killed and start to surrender. Draec drops to his knees next to Sarah and Jareth, but for once remains silent. Sarah's guard, Hoggle and Didymus included, form a tight ring around their queen. Hoggle doesn't even breathe as he watches Sarah grow pale in his king's arms and his grip on Sir Didymus's shoulder is vice-like.

Sarah's eyes fill with tears as she whispers to Jareth, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Jareth's jaw snaps shut against a sudden trembling and he growls, "Shut up, Sarah, and concentrate on making yourself well. You don't have to… damn it, you can heal yourself, just try!"

The corners of her mouth lift in a tiny smile as she says, "You know I was never very good at it."

"Yes you are, you just need to let the magic fill you and then repeat the incantation—"

Sarah weakly lifts her hand to press her fingers against Jareth's lips. "I think this is supposed to happen. I can't protect them, Jareth, not like you can."

Tears spill from Jareth's eyes, but he doesn't notice them. "Don't be stupid, Precious, all you need to do is a simple healing spell." Somewhere inside, Jareth knows that the healing spell is too intricate for her to master in time. His mind rebels against the horrible truth that this beautiful green-eyed girl that he loves is going to die. He can feel her hand growing cold as it rests against his face. She doesn't respond, but just looks at him with the sadness of eternity in her eyes. She knows, too.

The elves and goblins are silent around them as each one not holding a fae soldier stares at the scene. Jareth's head snaps up and he glares at Draec. "Do something!" he shouts.

Draec just shakes his head, "Jareth, you know I don't have the power to heal this kind of—"

"Do it, or I swear to the gods I will kill you!"

Draec's expression is resigned as he leans forward over Sarah. He places his hands above the wound and begins the same spell he tried to work on Jareth, but he doesn't have the herbs and Sarah's wound was made with the Spirit weapon. Being a human, her body just doesn't have the strength to fight the magic and she's being poisoned from within. As Draec spills his magic into her, he feels Sarah's life begin to fade. There's nothing more he can do, so he sits back on his heels and leaves Jareth to hold her. When Drace's hands disappear from Sarah's body, Jareth looks up at him and sees the hopelessness and apology in his friend's face. Without his permission, Jareth's mouth lets out a moan filled with agony and denial. He selfishly squeezes his eyes shut against the pain.

"Look at me—" Sarah coughs and blood spatters her chin. Jareth wrenches his eyes open and he tries to wipe the blood from her face, but his hand is already drenched with it and all he does is smear it across her cheek. His breath expels in something very much like a sob. He never knew he could feel such helplessness. He can't save her, he can't take her pain away. He can't even clean the blood from her skin. All he can do is hold her as she dies. Hold her as the world falls around them. He leans down to put his forehead against hers.

"Why couldn't you just do what I told you?" he pleads.

Sarah's fingers tangle softy in his hair. "I know I made a promise, but I had to break it." The tears in her eyes spill over. "Just remember me sometimes, okay?" she says, sounding for all the world like a frightened child.

Jareth's breath floods out of his body and he presses his lips to Sarah's icy ones, tasting her blood. "Always, Precious."

Her eyes drift closed as her body loses more and more strength and her hand falls from Jareth's hair. His thumb strokes her cheek in calming circles as he starts to sing softly to her. He sings the song from the ballroom and remembers how beautifully ethereal she looked. He knows the moment her heart stops beating because he feels the flow of magic into his limbs, the blossoming of power in his chest. Jareth killed Laran… and Laran killed Sarah, so the magic is his. He presses his hand against her still chest again and pours his magic inside her, willing her heart to beat. He chants the most powerful healing spell he knows and watches as a blue light flows from his fingertips into her body, but still her heart remains frozen. He feels the wound on his side knit close, but he doesn't spare a thought for it. He can barely see past the tears as he desperately tries to give the magic back, to will it from his body completely into hers, but to no avail. He crushes her still form to his chest and looses a scream filled with agony and fury. He hears the wails from the dwarf behind him and the sound makes the fury shut the agony within him away. He lays Sarah's body on the ground in front of him and reaches for his sword. Hoggle rushes forward and lifts Sarah's head into his lap as he weeps over her, but Jareth doesn't even see it. His eyes are black as he turns and marches toward the first fae he sees. The woman barely has time to widen her eyes before Jareth's sword is plunged into her belly. He yanks the weapon from her flesh and turns to the next fae prisoner. The man starts to struggle against his elf captor, but he's unarmed and is unable to escape when Jareth's sword cuts his head from his body. The shocked elf drops the body and backs away from the goblin king with fear in his eyes. Systematically, Jareth moves from fae to fae and doesn't stop until Draec's hand falls on his shoulder.

"Enough, my friend."

Jareth doesn't even turn his head when he says with a calmness bordering on insanity, "If you don't take your hand off me, you will lose it." Draec drops his hand; he's not foolish enough to doubt that tone in Jareth's voice. He knows Jareth could kill everyone in the valley with a flick of his wrist. Jareth kills every fae around him with his sword because he wants to see the fear in their eyes, wants to hear them beg for their worthless lives. He's about to cut the head off another when his sword is halted mid-swing. He glances back with dull eyes too see a dark brown hand gripping the blade of his sword. His gaze follows the hand up to a beautiful smiling face surrounded by golden hair.

"Jareth," the Labyrinth sighs happily. "I'd so hoped we could be joined together again."

Jareth glances around to find that time had stopped. Draec stands behind the Labyrinth's essence mid-step and the rest of the elves, goblins, and fae stand frozen like statues. His fury surges through him once again as he wrenches his sword out of the woman's grasp. Unfortunately, it didn't even leave a scratch. He points the tip of the sword at her throat as he growls, "And where the hell were you when Sarah needed to be healed? Where were you when Laran was coming at her with a sword!"

The Labyrinth sighs. "Jareth, you know I cannot interfere with these skirmishes. She wasn't strong enough for my magic."

He forces the point of the sword closer to her skin as fresh tears fall down his face. "I would have made her strong enough!"

"You couldn't have. No one could, not even me. She was a sweet girl, but we have a kingdom waiting."

"You could have saved her!" he screams. Jareth hauls his sword over his head and brings it down towards the woman, but he feels the blade slice through open air. He could have been swinging at a ghost.

The Labyrinth's smile fades. "Jareth… you do not feel the same to me."

Jareth falls to his knees, his sword forgotten in the dirt. He rests his head in his hands and says, "Take the damned magic back! I don't care, I don't care."

The labyrinth's hand reaches down and grips Jareth's jaw, forcing him to look up at her. "Of course you do… you care a great deal. You have a duty to this kingdom and to Sarah—"

"Don't you say her name!"

"Always so dramatic. I'm not your enemy, Jareth. We need each other, you and I. Sarah did not have the skill to protect this kingdom, and you do." I can't protect them, Jareth, not like you can. Sarah's words burn through Jareth's mind like fire. "Do you know what I think?" Jareth hangs onto the Labyrinth's words like a lifeline now. He's desperate to find meaning, any kind of reason for the pain he feels. Her voice softens as she says, "She's made you a better king. Now you know what it means to truly love, to want to protect something, and not just for your own preservation. You loved her more than your magic, or even your life. That's how a king should love his kingdom. It's a rare gift she gave you, Jareth."

""""

The funeral proceedings lasted an entire week. The kingdom was in mourning, elves and goblins alike weeping openly. Jareth made sure that Sarah was treated just as honorably as any queen should be. She looks as beautiful as the day he first saw her as she lies on the pyre amongst roses and lilies, a golden crown gracing her dark hair. Before lighting the wood, Jareth places a steady hand against her cheek, and kisses her forehead. Softly so no one else can hear, Jareth thanks her for the gifts she gave him. Draec silently hands him a lit torch and he kneels to place it under her, watching as the flames grow and lick at her silver gown. When he can no longer see her through the smoke, he falls to his knees and tells her how sorry he is that he ever took her brother. He lets the tears flow as he wishes and wishes that he'd never let her come to the Underground, that he could have been wise enough to know that someone so beautiful and innocent wouldn't understand what she was asking for.

His mind rushes backward through her first visit Underground. Sarah rejecting him in the Escher room, Sarah dancing in his arms while he sings to her, Sarah winning the love of the beast, the fox, and the dwarf, Sarah confidently walking through the maze, a frustrated Sarah wishing away her brother. He goes over and over each scene in his mind, willing each of them to disappear. His mind is in chaos and he doesn't realize it when his magic starts to churn within him. His eyes are focused on the dancing flames, but he's forced to blink as water inexplicably pours into them. When he opens his eyes, he's shocked to find himself standing on a balcony, a storm raging around him. He hears shouting through the double doors in front of him and he peers through the rain-covered glass and nearly collapses. Sarah, beautiful, innocent, young, frustrated Sarah, shouting at a screaming younger brother. Jareth's chest feels like it's being squeezed shut as his eyes drink in the sight of her. He has no idea how, but he's done it. He's always been able to reorder time, but he's never been able to undo events or force them to happen. His breathing quickens as he realizes what this means. He has a choice. He can let the events transpire the way they did before and merely try to win Sarah over from within the Labyrinth again. Or…

"Oh, Toby, stop it! I'll say the words… No, I mustn't. I mustn't say… I wish. I wish… Goblin king, goblin king, wherever you may be! Take this child of mine far away from me!" Jareth chuckles. There's my dramatic Sarah. His pulse races as she walks toward the door. She turns to look at the crib and says, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now." Jareth feels the pull of the goblins being transported to the bedroom at the same time he feels Toby begin to slip into the Underground. With a roll of his wrist, he stops both. He feels the frustration from the goblins and Toby starts screaming with renewed vigor as he feels the uncomfortable sensation of his transportation being halted. The sound makes Sarah turn back into the room, flipping the lights back on. Jareth smirks and flicks his wrist. The lights go out again. Sarah flips the light switch back and forth, but nothing happens. Sarah looks nervous as she glances back down the hall to see that the light from her bedroom is still on. She heaves a sigh and puts on a brave face as she marches to the crib. "I knew it was too good to be true," she says flippantly as she picks up her brother and starts rocking him on her hip again. "Goblins," she says to Toby. "Never there when you need them."

That's as good a cue as any. Jareth directs a gust of air at the doors and lets them blow inward, causing Sarah to shriek and Jareth's smirk to grow. He stands before her as he did before, hands on hips, his armor resplendent. His heart is bursting with joy at seeing her alive, but he maintains the façade. "You're him, aren't you?" she says, "You're the goblin king."

"Never there when you need us, eh, Sarah?"

He can see how intimidated she is, but she calls on her acting skills to save her. "Well, I did ask you to take the child," she says with a challenge.

He licks his lips and doesn't miss the fact that the girl's eyes watch him do it. He crosses his arms and says, "What if I don't want the child?" He steps closer and Sarah bravely holds her ground.

"Well then why are you here?"

Jareth chuckles. "Ah, that's the real question, then, isn't it. Let me ask you something, Sarah Williams. What is it that you want? Do you really want me to take the child?" He takes another step closer. She can smell him, spicy and masculine.

She blinks twice then shakes her head. Toby has stopped crying.

His smirk disappears as he says, "Why did you really call me here?"

Her eyes are glued to his mismatched ones and she's mesmerized. It scares her to know that she's at the mercy of this powerful being. Of course, she has no idea how mesmerized the man in front of her is as well. He steps forward again and his crossed arms brush against hers as she holds Toby to her. A pleasant shiver runs down her spine. She gulps before saying, "I wanted to know you're real."

His eyes soften before he can catch himself. Luckily, she doesn't see the expression for what it was. "Why did you want to know that?" He wants her to consider. He wants her to choose for herself.

Sarah stares at him long enough that she has to hoist Toby higher on her hip so he doesn't slide to the floor. "I don't know," she whispers. She should be terrified, but she feels… safe with him. Which is ridiculous, considering the goblin king is the villain of her favorite book.

He honestly can't stop himself as he lifts a hand to run his gloved fingertips along her cheekbone. He expects her to flinch, but she doesn't. "Of course you do," he says softly. Emboldened, Jareth presses his palm against her cheek. His mind is screaming caution at him but his eyes are flashing between the girl in front of him and the vision of the woman he'd made love to.

Sarah's eyes widen, but still she doesn't pull away. She stares at him as if she's entranced. "I think… I think I dreamed this."

He nods at her and strokes his thumb along her skin. "I think you did, Precious. Now tell me, what do you want from me?"

Sarah takes a step back from him and Jareth lets his hand fall from her face. She stares blankly ahead as she moves to Toby's crib and lays the baby down on his back where he falls asleep. Jareth watches as she leans over the crib and brushes Toby's hair off his forehead. Slowly Jareth moves to stand beside her. He glances at the sleeping boy, but his attention is completely on Sarah.

Sarah looks down at Toby for a long time before saying, "I knew you were real. I always did. My father and stepmother told me to grow up, start acting my age, but I knew that if I let go, I'd miss out on something incredible." Jareth is as enthralled with Sarah as ever. She's so open to the strange and fantastic, more so than any other human he's ever seen. It was this that first drew him to her in the park those years ago, and now it captures him all over again. He already knew he was in love with the queen, but he also finds himself enraptured by this young woman. He wants so badly to tell her everything that had happened between them, but he can't, not yet at least. His eyes wander to her lips as he remembers the night she was almost killed by a rose. How they gave themselves to each other, how they finally let go.

Sarah turns to look at him and sees an expression that both scares her and makes her knees weak with a new anticipation. She's never seen lust in a man's eyes before. Jareth hears her soft gasp and turns away before he reveals too much. He doesn't want to scare her and risk losing her. Once he's certain his expression is under control, he turns back to her with his trademark smirk. "I can show you something incredible, Sarah."

"The Goblin City?" she blurts excitedly.

He laughs and leans an elbow on the bars of the crib. "Yes, yes, the Goblin City… and more."

Sarah takes a deep breath. "I shouldn't…" she says.

"Why not?"

He asks the question like he knows she doesn't have an answer. Sarah thinks about her father and stepmother. They love her, she supposes, but they don't seem to care about making her happy. Sarah glances down at Toby. It's not his fault that she has to babysit all the time, but that doesn't make it any easier. She thinks about school, her lack of friends. She's never found a subject she enjoys as much as she loves reading her books and acting out her fantasies. She made a wish tonight and someone answered; she'd be a fool not to take this chance. She looks up at the goblin king in his armor and with his mismatched eyes and wild blond hair. "Can I trust you?" she blurts.

She expects him to make some kind of joke, but his face sobers and his eyes bore into hers as he says, "Yes, Sarah, you can."

She stares at him for a while before her face lights up into a huge smile. If Jareth were a weaker man, he would kiss her. She looks so beautiful. She says, "Will you really take me there?"

Jareth smirks at her and nods. "Yes… but you have to wish it."

"What about Toby?"

"I'll make sure he's taken care of until your father gets home."

Sarah nods, closes her eyes and says, "I wish I was in the Goblin City."

Jareth steps closer to her and puts his arm around her waist, reveling in the feel of her body being close to his again. She stiffens at first, but finally relaxes into him. He waits for her to open her eyes. She finally does, and he chuckles when he sees the disappointment on her face. He knows he has her. There's no way she would give up a chance for her fantasies to come true now, no matter what, so he allows himself some weakness. "There is a toll for crossing between realms," he says with mock seriousness.

Her face falls. "I don't have any money."

"Not that kind of toll," he whispers. He keeps his arm secure around her waist and raises his other hand to brush his knuckles across her cheek. Sarah tenses with shock as she watches Jareth's face inch towards hers. Is he going to…? Jareth sees the question on her face and he chuckles. Sarah stands completely still as the goblin king touches his lips to hers. It's a testament for Jareth's will that he keeps the kiss chaste for her, but he almost loses all control when he feels her press her lips back against his. He pulls back and smiles in wonderment when he considers that he's just given her her first kiss for the second time. Her wide green eyes stare up at him with confusion and a freshly stirring passion buried deep that truly undoes him. "Your eyes can be so cruel," he murmurs. Then, his arm around Sarah, he lets his magic take them home.

The End

Okay, that's it! Now I want your reviews so I know what to work on in the future and what works best already. Did you guys like that I brought Sarah back, or would you rather I ended it at the last story break thing and left her dead? That was originally my plan, but I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Remember, Jareth is now a better king for having gone through the war and the loss of his magic and Sarah, so that's one reason I decided it wasn't too big of a slap in the face to bring Sarah back to life and doing it at the beginning point of the story.

Now that the story is complete, tell me how you liked it as a whole.

Also, the story is set up for a sequel of sorts to see how Jareth handles taking Sarah to the Underground and whatnot, so let me know if you want me to write it. If enough people ask for it, then I will write it!

Lastly, thank you guys so much for reading. It's so encouraging to see that some people like my writing. I love this movie so much and am grateful to be able to add my own spin to it. I'll hopefully be writing more stories soon.