Jareth watched as Sarah nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said quietly, looking pensive. She sank down onto the couch, looking rather numb. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her, but she was clearly feeling defensive and on edge. He felt as if the trust they had built up had been shattered with his careless words.

Sighing in relief and hoping that maybe he would manage to salvage the situation after all, Jareth nodded. “When you defeated the Labyrinth, as no other had done since… well, for a very long time, it saw fit to claim you. By the time you reached the castle, I had been notified that I was duty-bound to convince you to stay. I made every attempt, as you will recall, but you were intent on completing your quest. When you said the lines from the book, I knew that all was lost… for that moment, anyway. Because you were so young, the Labyrinth sent you back. After all,” he paused, smiling a little, “fair was fair. However, it was made clear to me in no uncertain terms, that you had been made my wife, the Goblin Queen, and that one day when you were no longer a child, I would be sent to retrieve you.”

Sarah was staring at him in utter shock and bewilderment, and he could see a thousand questions behind her intelligent green eyes. To her credit, though, she remained silent. Whether it was out of respect for his request or because she was merely rendered momentarily speechless, he wasn’t sure.

“I had no intention of seeking you out so soon,” he went on, trying to word things logically, answering her unasked questions. “I truly was here on a calling. I knew that you lived in this state, but I had not sought you out so thoroughly as to know you lived here, in this town. I… I had desired to do so but I wanted to give you as much time here as I could. The Labyrinth, however, clearly saw an opportunity when I was called here by a wisher.” Jareth paused again, taking a deep breath as he worked out what he would say next. “The amazing coincidence of it all played well into the Labyrinth’s plans. I do not think it could have plotted for me to be shot down here and I doubt it would have taken the chance of its king being killed. Therefore, I believe that it merely took advantage of circumstances. You are now old enough to take on the role of Queen, so the Labyrinth has decided to… reclaim you.”

Sarah frowned, and he said, “You wish to say something?”

“What if I don’t want to be the Goblin Queen?” she asked in a small voice.

A sharp pain manifested itself somewhere in the vicinity of Jareth’s heart but he managed to hide his reaction and schooled his features into a mask of indifference before she looked up at him. “If you refuse to return Underground,” he said slowly, “I believe that the Labyrinth will prevent me from doing so as well, until or unless you agree. Unfortunately, I do not have a choice.”

She bristled. “But that’s not fair! What will happen to you if you can’t go back?” she asked, staring at him frankly.

Resisting the urge to smile at her use of the old mantra, he leaned back against the couch to gaze up at the ceiling. “Eventually… Sooner rather than later, I should think, I will… die,” he replied honestly, keeping his tone matter-of-fact. “I cannot survive here for very long. Unless the Labyrinth decides that it will find another queen. But it will exhaust all other avenues first. Once you are chosen, Sarah, you are… trapped. I do not know how else to explain it.”

“And you had nothing to do with its choice?” she asked, her tone oddly detached.

He wondered how he was to answer. What did she want to hear? Either way he answered, there was a measure of truth in what he would say; however, he did not want to receive her blame for her current predicament. Drawing his gaze away from her water-stained ceiling, he looked at her again. She looked rather stricken, which made him feel guilty. He didn’t want her to make her choice based on what would happen to him. He would rather die than take her Underground knowing she neither wanted nor loved him.

“Being the Goblin King has been a very… lonely existence,” he began, deciding to tell both truths and deal with the consequences, whatever they were. “Though you were so young, I was fascinated by you… attracted to your imagination and fire. I did… quite honestly… fall in love with you. The Labyrinth is in tune to my feelings and it would have been aware of my affinity for you. However, part of its decision – a huge part – is that you bested it. Though it makes the choice as to who will rule it, the chosen must be someone it can respect and obey, to a degree.”

Sarah had listened very closely to his answer, and she was not as upset as he had expected her to be, which he considered to be a very good sign. It indicated, or at least he hoped so, that she wasn’t going to blame him for this situation. “You said I was the first to defeat it in a very long time,” she replied, picking at her jeans. “You were the last one to beat it, weren’t you?”

He nodded. “Yes,” he said, not entirely surprised by her intuition. “I was not from this world as you are. I lived Underground and was a little older than you were at the time. Unlike you, who for the most part believed that the goblins were fictional, part of a story, I knew they were real and existed. I wished one of my brothers away to the goblins, and they took him. The Goblin King at that time was actually a goblin himself, and he was very tired of ruling. When I made it through the Labyrinth in the allotted time, the Labyrinth replaced him… with me. He was more than happy to give up the throne and the title. My brother was sent back to my parents, and they as well as my brother and four other siblings forgot that I had ever existed.” Though it had taken place so very long ago, Jareth had never told the story to anyone. He found telling it to Sarah to be extremely difficult, for a myriad of reasons.

The weight of it all was not lost on her. She exhaled loudly. “I’m so sorry,” she replied softly. “I never knew… Do you still miss them?”

Looking down, he nodded. “I do. Despite the fact that at the time I was eager to escape them, I soon realized that I had taken having a family for granted.” He paused and then continued. There was no reason to hide anything now. “I… ought not to have chosen to have them forget me.”

She stared at him in something akin to horror. “You… chose that?”

Cringing at her tone, he bowed his head. “Yes. I resented the fact that as the oldest, I was always called upon to care for the others. I hated that my parents showered attention on them because they were all much younger than I. I… I was a spoiled brat, you see, and I wanted nothing more than to lash out at them. Because nothing I did worked enough to gain their attention, I agreed to let them forget me altogether.”

“Oh my god,” she whispered.

Jareth looked at her, wondering if his confession of the total lack of regard for his family, his self-centered attitude, would alter her perception of him. “Though I wish with all my heart that I could, I cannot change what I did; I cannot take it back,” he said slowly. “There is a way to reverse the damage and reestablish contact with them, but even if that occurs, they will know what I did. If ever I am able to see them again and have them recognize me, I will have much explaining to do… as well as apologizing.”

She relaxed a bit, compassion in her eyes. “So you do regret what you did.”

“Very much so,” he replied, exhaling forcefully. This conversation was taking a turn he had not expected. The emotions were exhausting, and he longed to sleep. “It was the worst mistake I could have possibly made.”

Sarah nodded. “And… this reversal that’s possible,” she said slowly. “It all hinges on what’s happening now, doesn’t it?”

Jareth nodded, watching her slowly. “Yes,” he replied. “However, I do not want you to base your decision on what I have just told you, Sarah. If you do not want to—“

Sarah held up a hand and took a deep, shuddering breath. “It’s me,” she realized. “The… ‘certain powers’. I have the power to reverse the spell and reunite you with your family. Am I right?”

“Yes,” he admitted, resisting the urge to curse under his breath. He had hoped to come to an agreement with her without that particular bit of the story being out in the open. Now she would feel doubly responsible.

“Why me?” she asked breathlessly.

“I recognized myself in you, but I knew that you would never renounce your family as I did mine. The Labyrinth gave me the ability to bestow the power to reverse the spell on but one person. It was… a bit of a gamble.”

“A bit of a gamble.” She stared at him, shaking her head in wonder. Then her eyes widened in revelation. “The book. You sent the book so that I’d know about the goblins… so I’d know the story and the words and… But it says that you gave me certain powers before I ever even wished Toby away.”

“As I said, I recognized myself in you,” he explained again, keeping his tone patient. Though he knew it well, the situation was entirely new to Sarah, and she must be reeling. “Dramatic, spoiled, resentful… I was fairly confident you would wish Tobias away.” At Sarah’s pained wince, he quickly added, “But I was also certain that you would make every attempt to win him back, and you did. You were… far more noble than I was, Sarah. You could have had your dreams, and yet you gave them up to return your baby brother to your parents.”

Her voice shaky, she said, “That was one hell of a gamble, Goblin King.”

“You did not disappoint me… Goblin Queen,” he replied softly.

She gave him a small smile, and hope flared in him like a match struck in a dark oubliette. He did not allow the tiny flame to grow, however; he was not nearly certain enough about her yet. She was quiet for a very long moment before asking, “What would have happened to Toby if… I had lost?”

“I would have sent him back anyway, because you did not truly want him gone,” he replied with a small shrug. “You had wished him away, though, so I was duty bound to take him, and duty bound to have you run the Labyrinth.”

“And… those who are wished away because a parent or sibling means it? What happens to those children?” she continued, her eyes worried.

“They are not turned into goblins, as you surmised,” he said sincerely. “I never corrected you on that, but it’s not even possible. There are those in the Underground, like Above, who are unable to have children. Adoption is a viable alternative. Better that a child is given a home where they are loved Underground, then to stay in abusive or loveless homes here,” he said reasonably.

Sarah looked immensely relieved. “Jareth… Do you like children?” she asked suddenly.

“Very much,” he said softly. “Your brother was quite an agreeable little chap. I hope one day to have a family of my own. Though the Goblin Kingdom isn’t the most enviable in the kingdoms of the Underground, it is something that I am proud of. I should like, very much, to pass it on to… an heir.” There was no reason to tell her now that he didn’t intend for that heir to be their firstborn, should she accept him. There was another…

“It’s been over ten years since I was there,” Sarah said, shifting on the couch. Placing one leg underneath her, she looked down at her hands. “You’re saying that… you’ve been married to an absentee wife for that long?”

Jareth nodded slowly. “I have, yes.”

“What about… I mean, have you… You can’t have been…” she stammered, looking acutely uncomfortable.

“I have been faithful,” he stated stiffly, offended that she would think otherwise.

Staring at him, she shook her head. “Why?” she asked.

He frowned, feeling very self-conscious. “Because I am married… and bonded to… and in love with you,” he replied indignantly. Why was it not obvious to her? Did she think him a philandering sod?

Sarah blinked. “Sorry,” she replied contritely. “I wasn’t trying to imply that… I just find hard to believe that… wait. Two questions. One… what do you mean by ‘bonded’?”

“Bonding is a connection between two people, generally in connection with marriage,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes and suddenly feeling even more tired. “It is quite common Underground. Bonding can be mutual or one-sided. Because the Labyrinth saw fit to tie us together, we are, at least partially, bonded.”

“Why only partially?”

He watched her intently. “The answer to that may very well be connected to your second question, so please ask it now.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and took a deep breath. “I know you said just now, that you love me… And I know what the book said. But… ten years, Jareth. Ten years when you weren’t even sure how I felt? When you couldn’t even bring yourself to come to me again?”

“Sarah, I have loved you from the moment I saw you in the park,” he said truthfully, hearing the raw emotion in his voice. It was blissful, not having to pretend any longer. “I have held onto the hope that you might be able to love me one day. My hope grew considerably stronger today not only because of what transpired between us but because you told me you loved me. Do you really, Sarah? Do you really love me?”

She nodded, looking serious but still rather worried. “I do, yes. I love you, Jareth. I think I always have. I’ve never been able to fall in love with anyone else, and yet… in the space of what… a week… I’ve fallen so in love with you that I… I can’t imagine life without you,” she said, her voice implying the wonder she felt as she spoke the words.

“You do not have to imagine it or experience it, if you do not want to, Sarah,” he said softly, hearing the naked hope in his own voice.

Tears glistened in her eyes. “I still have questions,” she said, a warning clear in her voice: don’t get too hopeful yet.

Feeling deflated he nodded. “Go on.”

“How long do you live?” she asked. “What… exactly… are you?”

Jareth took a deep breath. “I have the potential to live unceasingly… unless I am killed. I do not become ill, and I will never age. I am nothing classified by your world, not even in folklore. I am from a race of elves unheard of here Above. We are not unlike the Faerie folk of your stories but there are vast differences as well.”

She frowned, looking as though she were fighting tears. “Jareth, if you live without dying and never age, you’d be in for a rude awakening in twenty years or so. Humans age. We grow old, get weak, fall sick and die. I couldn’t bear to become wrinkle and gray while you stay looking like this. I can’t.”

It was the first indication that she was giving serious thought to accepting him. Holding in his elation in view of her fragile emotional state, he shook his head. “Sarah, the Underground is a place of… infinite magic and is always in a state of flux, as are its inhabitants. As the Labyrinth has selected you to be the Goblin Queen, it will see to it that you become… ‘one of us forever’, as Toby would have had he stayed here.” He watched her closely, seeing the comprehension in her eyes. “You would become like me, Sarah.”

Tears fell down her face as she stared at him. “As Toby would have,” she repeated, “and which now, he won’t. He’ll grow old and die, and so will my father and step-mother. How can I agree to a life that leaves them behind to grow old and die, while I go on without them? How would that be any different than what you did?”

He winced at her words, while at the same time he was charmed by her purity of heart. “Sarah… You are the Goblin Queen. If you want your family with you Underground, all you have to do is say the word and it will be.”

“They can come with me?” she said, a slight smile on her face. “I could just… show up at their house, tell them I’m the Goblin Queen, and that they’re going to come and live with me and my Goblin King husband in a castle in the Underground?” She laughed, shaking her head. “They’ll think I’m insane!”

“Not after you transport them magically to said castle, Sarah,” he said gently.

Jareth still held his excitement in check. Sarah was still holding back for some reason, and he had no idea how to find out why.

As he was learning with Sarah, all he had to do was wait quietly until she was ready to continue the conversation at her own pace. “Jareth… how long do you have before you’re healed enough to fly?”

“A few days, no more,” he told her. “Already I am feeling the magic return. It is not strong yet, but it is strengthening. The more magic I receive, the faster I will heal.”

She nodded. “But… if I refuse, the Labyrinth might choose to leave you here. It might not allow you through the portal. Unless you… take me against my will, I’m guessing.”

Jareth swallowed over the lump in his throat. Was she preparing to refuse him? If she did, he would take whatever time he had with her, and cherish it. Nodding resolutely, he gave her a smile he didn’t feel. “That is correct, Sarah,” he said. “However, I would never take you against your will. I shall remain here for as long as I live, and I will be with you, if you will have me. I love you far too much to ensnare you and make you do something you do not wish to do. It is not…” he smiled sadly, “… fair. I do understand how maddening it is to be left without a choice.”

Sarah took a shaky breath and moved from her corner of the couch, scooting closer to him on her knees. Taking his face into her hands, she gave him a passionate kiss. He returned the kiss, pulling her into his lap. If this was what made her happy, then he was happy.

“Thank you,” she said as she broke the kiss, breathless. “I love you.”

“And I love you, Sarah,” he said, bemused. Wrapping his arms around her, he asked, “Why, precisely, are you thanking me?” He held his breath. He needed to know in no uncertain terms what his destiny was, so that he could prepare himself for it.

“For giving me a choice,” she replied simply, stroking his face with her fingers. “I rather like it when you’re demanding and forceful at times, but this was one instance where if you’d said, ‘Sorry, too bad, Sarah,’ I would’ve… well, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have been very happy with you.” She reached into his T-shirt, trailing her fingers up his skin as she pulled it over his head. He lifted his arms automatically, assisting her. Placing her palms flat on his chest, she continued. “But you’re willing to give up everything for me, Jareth, and because you’re willing to, I won’t let you.”

Jareth’s head was spinning. “Love, you’re talking in riddles,” he said, vaguely aware that she was in the process of undressing him, her fingers sliding along the waist band of his pants as they made their way toward the button. “Please, tell me straight out what it is that you are saying.”

“Hmm?” Sarah glanced up at him but was far more interested in unzipping his jeans. She leaned down and kissed his shoulder, then kissed her way up to his neck, and then his face. “You’re so adorable when you’re obtuse and nearly naked,” she said, running her hands over his chest.

Had she just called him ‘obtuse’? Maybe she was right. He had tried to sort out her comments, he had even asked her to clarify, but Sarah was determined to distract him from talking. Ah, but she had also called him adorable. Giving up for the moment, he slid his hands under her shirt only to remember she had worn her bathing suit under her clothes on their hike to the lake. Moving his hand over the smooth skin of her back, he felt her sigh against his neck as she scraped her nails over his nipples.

“What about Sherlock?” she asked, her voice trembling as he moved his hands around to lightly stroke against her stomach, above her waistband.

Taken aback, and out of the moment, he frowned. “Sherlock? What about him?”

Stilling her hands, Sarah pulled back to look at him, and he had never seen her look more beautiful. Her disheveled hair and lust-darkened eyes were a sight for sore, tired eyes. However, he had also never been more perplexed in his life. She tilted her head to one side in exasperation. “Jareth, please don’t tell me I can’t take my cat Underground with me,” she complained, utterly serious.

Jareth laughed as feelings of relief and love washed over him. “Of course you can bring Sherlock,” he replied, his voice shaking with the realization that she had not refused to come with him, after all. He had misunderstood completely… And no wonder, considering what she had been doing at the time.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded, looking every bit the Goblin Queen.

Jareth felt the pull of the Labyrinth before he had a chance to answer her. What blasted inappropriate timing! He was half-undressed, fully ready for what Sarah had begun, and now this abysmal interruption! “Oh dear,” he muttered, glancing around. “Sherlock! Sherlock!” he called. “Here, kitty-kitty!”

Sarah was the one to laugh now. “Hearing you say ‘here, kitty-kitty’ is priceless, Jareth, do it again!”

He frowned at her but was unable to look truly irritated because of the delight on her face. The large tabby cat suddenly came bounding into the living room, skidding to a halt as he saw his mistress sitting astride his new friend. Tilting his head to the side, he stared at them.

“Come here, Sherlock,” Jareth said firmly.

Sarah looked from him to the cat and back to him again. “Jareth, why do I feel so weird? What’s going on? Is the Labyrinth taking us now? What about my other animals?”

“Shh,” he intoned, placing a finger to her lips while with his other hand patting the couch for Sherlock to come. “We must return anyway; we will get them in a day or two. They will be fine.”

Sherlock had meandered over, taking his time. He leapt up onto the arm of the sofa just seconds before it was too late. Jareth pulled him onto his lap between himself and Sarah, and then took Sarah’s hands in his. “Hold on, Precious,” he told her.

.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo.

“You’re crazy, Sarah,” Toby cried, laughing as he ran to tackle his older sister. “Neat costume, though, where’d you get it? Are you going to the Renaissance Faire? I thought that was in June. Who’s this? Your boyfriend? He’s way cooler than any of your other boyfriends!”

Sarah laughed, casting a self-conscious glance at Jareth. “There haven’t been that many,” she whispered to him. To her brother, she said, “No, Toby, this is my husband. His name is Jareth, and he’s the Goblin King,” she said, looking up at her parents, who stood there looking at her quizzically.

Toby scrunched his nose. “Ew, you got married?”

“Sarah, really,” Karen said, her tone implying that there had been quite enough nonsense. To Jareth, she said, “I’m glad my daughter has found someone who can join in her odd sense of the dramatic. I’m Karen.”

“My lady.” Jareth took her hand and kissed it, and Karen twittered, glancing at her husband. “Oh, this one’s a keeper, don’t you think, Robert?”

Sarah’s father nodded slowly, shaking Jareth’s hand. “Robert Williams. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr… er, Jareth.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Lord Robert,” he replied, winking at Sarah.

Robert laughed nervously, glancing at his daughter for an explanation. “Oh, I’m not a lord. Call me Robert… or Bob.”

“I assure you that you are a Lord,” Jareth said, smiling. “And my lovely mother-in-law is a Lady, and Tobias is a Master. We have come to take you all home, you see. You’ll be living with Sarah and I, in the castle.”

“Oh, I get it,” Karen said, laughing. “Sarah… you’ve landed a role in a play, haven’t you? And this is your co-star. Oh, honey, when is it? Do you have tickets for us? Why didn’t you tell us about it before? How long have you been rehearsing?”

“A play.” Sarah smiled, feeling Jareth squeeze her hand. If her family thinking she and Jareth were in a play together would expedite matters, then a play it was. “That’s right,” she agreed. “Actually, we need a little help with a scene, and we were wondering if you guys could help us with it. Toby, we need Guinevere, too, so why don’t you go get her from the backyard?”

“In the house?” lamented Karen, looking baffled and concerned as she glanced down at her pristine carpet.

“Okay!” Toby agreed, dashing off excitedly.

Robert cleared his throat nervously. “So that’s it, huh? You two are in a play together, and you’re married in the play. Not in real life, right?”

“Actually, Dad,” Sarah began, but the explanations would have to wait. Toby had rushed back in, Guinevere on his heels. The Saint Bernard was overjoyed to see Sarah, nearly knocking her down. “Whoa, girl! Okay. Is everyone ready to go?”

“Yes!” shouted Toby.

“Oh, good heavens, Sarah,” Jareth complained. “Sherlock is one thing but this beastly, drooling thing?”

She placed a palm against his cheek. “You’re going to love Guinevere, I promise. And she doesn’t drool any more than Ludo does.”

Jareth managed to look chagrined and yet also slightly dazed at her touch; their amazing physical connection was something that wasn’t likely to fade any time soon. “Well,” he conceded. “Ambrocius will be overjoyed.”

“Let’s just go,” she whispered, anxious to introduce her family to their new home.

Karen looked nervously at Sarah. “Go where, dear? Who is Ambrocious? I thought you just wanted help rehearsing a scene.”

“Now, do not be nervous,” Jareth instructed, making an effort to focus on the task at hand and not the fact that Sarah had just reached beneath his cloak to squeeze his rear. “Everyone just relax, and in a matter of moments, it will all be over.”

“Oh, lord,” Robert replied, his forehead creasing with worry. “He’s going to blow us all up.”

Sarah laughed, taking mercy on Jareth and wrapping her arm around his waist. “No, he’s not. We’re just going home.”

And then they were there, standing in the great hall of the castle beyond the Goblin City. Sherlock was there to greet them, tilting his head curiously at Guinevere, who had taken the situation in her stride and was running around in circles barking excitedly.

“Oh dear,” Karen whispered, squeezing Robert’s hand tightly. “Sarah… what’s going on? How did we get here? What is this place?”

“We are Underground in the Goblin Kingdom,” Jareth explained. “Sarah has consented to be my wife and Queen and to rule by my side, but she could not bear to give up her family and leave them behind to grow old and die Above. I love her all the more for her wanting you here. I assure you that none of you will want for anything and that this is a Kingdom with much beauty and many wonders to experience. I also realize that this is a lot to take in, so be assured that you will find out more as time goes on. I have a family of my own again, thanks to Sarah, and I very much wish for you to meet them, so they will be joining us for dinner tonight.”

Robert stopped looking around the castle’s great hall to stare at Jareth. “Why do I have a feeling there’s a lot more to this story than the two of you are telling us right now?”

“Oh, Dad,” Sarah laughed. “You have no idea. Like Jareth said, you’ll soon know everything. But… do you remember a night, a long time ago, that I was late coming home and it was raining, and the two of you were going out and had asked me to watch Toby?”

“Actually, I do remember that night,” he said, frowning in confusion. “What does it have to do with what’s happening right now?”

Karen nodded, smiling. “I remember it too,” she replied, speculation lighting her blue eyes. “That was the night that you changed so drastically by the time we came home that I wondered if you’d been abducted by fairies, and a replacement Sarah left in your place!”

“Well, that’s where the story begins,” Sarah said mysteriously. “But you won’t hear the rest of it until tonight, when Jareth’s family is here, because they haven’t heard it either. Now. Follow me and I’ll show you to your wing of the castle.”

Robert glanced at Jareth dubiously. “This is all too much. I keep expecting to wake up to find this has all been some sort of bizarre dream. We have a ‘wing of the castle’?” he said incredulously.

“You do,” Jareth said, leaning down to pick up Sherlock, who had started winding his way around Jareth’s legs. “It is no dream, I assure you. And… you’d best follow your daughter. You do not want to annoy the Goblin Queen… trust me on this.”

Jareth grinned as he watched his in-laws follow his wife and queen, who was excitedly talking a mile a minute. She held Karen’s and Toby’s hands in hers as her father rushed to catch up.

“Mo chomraich,” he whispered. “My sanctuary… my Sarah.”

.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo.

Sarah lay flat on her back, her fingers toying with those of her husband who lay panting at her side. The sound of him breathing heavily brought a smile to her face. He had to be as completely exhausted as she was, and still she suspected that he was no more ready for sleep than she.

“That was…” She paused, frowning. Stupendous? Amazing? Incredible? Outstanding? No word that came to mind was quite enough. “Jareth, there are no words to describe what that was.”

He chuckled. “What that was, Precious, was me at full capacity,” he informed her smugly. “Until now, even though I had regained my magic, I was still not quite back to normal. I assure you that I am fully and exuberantly functional now. However, I must add, my queen, that I find you quite indescribably delicious as well.”

Sarah grinned at the haughty tone of his voice. Rolling over onto her side, she propped herself up on her left elbow and placed her right hand on his chest. “I see,” she replied seriously. “Well, Your Highness, allow me to humbly say that you, at full capacity, are quite extraordinary.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied airily. Then he grinned darkly at her. “And you, my lovely wife, look as though you would demand still more of me. How fortunate I am to have a mate as fond of these sort of activities as I.”

She nodded, running her fingers from his waist, where she had been toying with the sheet, up to his chest. Lightly circling one of his nipples with her forefinger, she said, “Oh, you are most fortunate,” she agreed airily, trailing her hand back down, down, down. “And you’re also right about me, because… about that demand…”

He gasped as she reached her target. “If this is the thanks I receive for bringing people Underground and for hosting enormous and completely chaotic family dinners, I shall have to do it more often,” he said, obviously struggling to keep his voice level.

“I’m sure that I’ll prove to be a grateful, thankful wife no matter what kindness you bestow,” she teased, drawing her right leg over him and pushing herself up to straddle him. “You’re not the only one who can be… generous, my darling king. You waited ten years for me, Jareth, and I intend to make that up to you.”

“I look forward to it,” he said hoarsely. Shifting beneath her, he smiled. Reaching for her hips, he caressed them. “We are indeed well-matched, my queen. We fit together…”

Sarah rose up and came back down. “Perfectly,” she finished with him, leaning down to kiss his lips hungrily.

Epilogue

The dining hall roared with voices, laughter and the happy squeal of children. Present were Sarah’s family, who were adapting well to life Underground after nearly a year there, as well as Jareth’s parents Jarek and Ardeth, his two sisters and three brothers, their spouses, and a dozen nieces and nephews.

His father leaned over. “My son, I do not mean to complain, but you are the only one of our children who has yet to produce a grandchild. Now, I am perfectly satisfied with the twelve we have. But your mother…”

Ardeth turned her head, her attention momentarily diverted from her conversation with Karen. “Excuse me? I heard that, Husband,” she interrupted. “Jareth, my boy, ignore your father. You and Sarah have plenty of time to start a family of your own. And it is not I only who was speaking of a desire for another grandchild; your father is eager to see the offspring of his eldest child.”

Jareth smiled fondly at his parents. How could he ever have resented them, or his brothers and sisters? “All in good time, Father, all in good time.”

His mother smiled and turned back to Karen, and his father patted his hand. Jareth picked up his goblet of wine and glanced across the table where Sarah sat between two of his brothers. She was laughing at something one of them had told her; in fact she looked up and met his eyes and started to laugh again. Clearly they were sharing childhood secrets, and he wondered what it was she would be teasing him about later tonight. Of course, it hardly mattered, for after these family dinners, Sarah was always in a remarkably good mood.

He winked at her and raised his glass, then drank deeply from it. It had been a very long time since he was this happy. Indeed he had nearly forgotten how to feel happy, so deeply immersed in self-pity had he become. Now, however, he had everything he had ever wanted… everything. Smiling to himself, he could scarcely wait until after dinner was served.

His mother and Karen had their heads together and were whispering back and forth. Frowning, he wondered what was so important and secretive, but he quickly forgot about it when his father asked him whether it would be possible for some land to be allotted so that members the family could move closer.

“All of you?” Jareth asked, his lips twitching to smile.

“Eventually, yes. Your mother and I are free to move at any time. Atriana and her family are also prepared to move.” Jarek nodded in the direction of Jareth’s brothers, who were all three entertaining Sarah now; they had her in peals of laughter. “Your brothers won’t be able to come right away, of course, because of various responsibilities, and Ariadne is due to give birth at any moment, so it will be a while before she and Lon can come. I mean… That is, if you’ll have us,” he replied, suddenly uncertain. “We are so pleased to have you back in our lives, Jareth; it would be a shame to go on like this. I mean, it is lovely to get together as we do occasionally, but we would like to see you and Sarah more often. Your siblings feel the same way. So… although we are all rather spread out at the moment, we would consider relocating. That is… if you… feel it would be…” He trailed off.

Jareth grinned. “It is a marvelous idea, Father,” he replied. “Simply marvelous. There is a great deal of land sitting vacant to the east of the castle. There is plenty of room to build several homes. I confess I had thought about it, but I didn’t feel that I had a right to ask you all to give up your lives and homes in order to be closer to the son who so flagrantly disregarded you all.”

“Nonsense,” Jarek replied, his eyes shining. “We all believe that family is what is most important,” he said. “And since you are a monarch and can hardly relocate an entire kingdom, it makes far more sense for us to come to you.”

Nodding wordlessly for fear of becoming to emotional, Jareth smiled and slapped his father on the back. “I am prepared to offer position of authority to you as well as Javin, Jax and Jalek, right here in the kingdom. Lon and Remos as well, if they so desire.”

Jarek grinned. “Well, I think you’ve just knocked down any reason for hesitation any of them might have had by your generous offer, my son.”

“I am pleased to hear it,” Jareth replied, knowing he felt far more pleased than he sounded. It was still difficult for him to express his emotions, especially joy, but Sarah was teaching him.

As if reading Jareth’s thoughts of his wife, his father said, “She is a lovely girl, Jareth, and her family is wonderful. We are quite pleased to call her ‘daughter’ and to have them as in-laws.”

Jareth nodded, an uncomfortable lump forming in his throat. Taking another sip of wine, he smiled across the table at Sarah, who grinned back at him. She was now sitting next to Ariadne, who was giving him an impish look. He had a bad feeling he knew exactly what stories she was going to tell Sarah, and tried to send her a warning look. She laughed at him and lightly touched Sarah’s arm to get her attention.

A brief glance at Karen and his mother told him that the two were still in conference together. “Really, Mother,” he said, directing his voice a few chairs down to where to sat – honestly, wasn’t anyone in their assigned seat? “What is it you and my mother-in-law are discussing so earnestly?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Nosy git,” she scolded him. “Watch your tongue and be respectful, my boy. You may be a king but you’re still my son!”

“Yes, Mother,” he replied teasingly, still burning with curiosity as he saw them go back to their conversation.

An hour later, dessert had been served and everyone had retired to the drawing room, which Sarah referred to as the ‘family room’. Most of the children had fallen asleep in their parents’ arms; only the oldest ones were still awake, and those few were obviously but moments from giving in. Jareth sat in a high-backed chair; Sarah was in his lap.

The family would stay overnight and then travel to their respective homes. Soon, though, most, if not all, of them would be but a walk away, right on Goblin soil. Jareth was eagerly looking forward to that time, as was Sarah. She had been genuinely pleased when he had whispered the news to her after dinner. Looking up at her now, he noticed that she was positively beaming with happiness. In fact, it looked as though she could hardly contain herself.

“What are you up to, Precious?” he asked her, tugging at her sleeve.

She glanced at him and smiled. “Just wait.”

“For what?” he demanded, trying to sound imperious. She ignored him and continued talking with his sister, Atriana, about gardening, of all things. Still, he was pleased that she liked his family and that they liked her. His hand was well-hidden in the folds of her skirt, so he gave her a gentle squeeze and felt her squirm slightly.

His father said, “So, Jareth… When you tire of ruling, are you going to pass the Goblin throne on to a wisher-away? Or to your own heir, once you have one?”

“I already have an heir,” Jareth announced, his fingers continuing to tantalize his wife’s thigh through her garment. What he had to say would be a surprise to Sarah’s parents, but he had already informed her of his purpose. “I have had since Sarah wished Tobias away,” he said, indicating the boy, who took no notice. He was engaged in a game of chess with Javin’s oldest son. “When he comes of age, I should like very much to pass the throne on to him.”

Approving murmurs were heard throughout the room. Karen looked a bit dubious, but Robert patted her hand and soothed her. Soon there was much discussion about the houses that would need to be built for the family, including Sarah’s parents. Jareth took advantage of the chaos to increase his private attentions. He moved his hand around to her rear and noted with smug satisfaction that Sarah’s eyes were glazed over, her mouth slightly open.

“You know, however, that you are welcome to remain here,” Jareth replied. “We’ve more than enough room… Father and Mother, you too are welcome to rooms within the castle while your house is being built.”

“Yes, of course,” Sarah agreed readily, smiling at everyone. “Well,” she said, standing and smoothing her skirts down. “Please forgive me, but I’m really tired. I think I’ll go to bed early.”

Jareth rose as well, taking her hand. “I believe I will join you, my dear.”

While they said goodnight to their family, Jareth’s brothers gave him knowing looks, grinning and waggling their eyebrows. He ushered Sarah out of the room before she could see. They had barely closed the door when she pushed him up against the wall and attacked him.

“Precious,” he gasped. “Can we not take this upstairs, seeing as we have guests in the house?”

She nipped at his throat, her hands pushing his jacket down, yanking it off and draping it over her arm as she reached for the buttons of his shirt. “Not feeling very daring tonight, Goblin King?” she teased him.

“What has gotten into you?” he demanded, reaching down to pick her up in his arms. “These are not ordinary houseguests who will stay where they ought while we frolic in the hall or on the staircase, Love, these are family who already know that you are not at all tired, and who know precisely what we left to do.”

Undeterred, she began undoing his cravat. “Yes, I saw the looks your brothers were giving you,” she said calmly, pushing his shirt off his shoulders even as he carried her.

“Speaking of my brothers, what exactly where they telling you?” he asked, trying to sound kingly.

She bit his shoulder. “Never mind that right now. If you insist that we go upstairs, you’d better hurry about it. You’re the one who was getting me all revved up in there!”

He chuckled as he took her up the winding staircase to their room. “I promise you that when we have the castle to ourselves, we will enjoy every single room one at a time,” he said with dark intent. He set her down and she pulled his shirt off, then reached for his waistband, pushing his breeches low on his hips. “Until then, we are free to explore various other possibilities as you see fit.”

“Such as?” she asked, outside their bedroom door. Sarah now had him almost completely undressed and they were yet in the hallway. He couldn’t help but feel rather exhilarated. She herself was still fully dressed, and he looked forward to remedying the situation.

Still, as he sought to articulate to her the possibilities offered by the bath, the window sill, the armoire and the thick rug by the fire, he heard a snicker from down the hall. “Who is there?” he demanded.

A cross-eyed goblin stepped around the corner, followed by one wearing one wearing a baseball cap that had seen better days. “Just us, Kingy,” they chorused, their eyes bugging out of their heads at the sight of their king, looking rather undignified and nearly naked.

Frowning, Jareth adjusted his pants and stooped down as the two goblins stepped closer. “Why are you spying upon your King and Queen? And… just where have you all been lately?” he asked suspiciously. “You’re the first goblins I’ve seen around in almost a week. Normally I can’t get rid of you.”

“We not spying,” the baseball-hat goblin said. “Sorry! You can go back to nooky now.”

The other one nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, go back to nooky! We’s here now but we’s headin’ back to de Goblin City. Too many ungoblins around lately, we no likey.”

“I see,” Jareth replied, placing a hand over his mouth. “Well, then, I suggest you both go back, and tell the others that they’d better get used to there being a lot of ‘ungoblins’ around here, and that you’re all expected to be cordial and well-mannered.”

“Eesh,” the cross-eyed goblin said. “Good ting we have de goblin sanctuary,” he said as the other one nodded vigorously.

Raising his eyebrows, Jareth then frowned and shook his head. “I don’t even want to know,” he said, shooing the two hapless goblins away. Rising, he turned to Sarah. “Now, where were we, Precious? Care to assist me with my 'kinky' boots?”

She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask,” she replied. “You were going to share with me some possibilities we could explore,” she prompted. “As we engage in various forms of… nooky.” She tugged off the sinful footwear and her hands moved to push at his waistband once again.

“Oh, that is right,” he said, snapping his fingers as if just now remembering. “First, though, I wish to know what has you smiling so much this evening, not that you don’t always look radiant, mind you. And what has your step-mother and my mother twittering about when they think no one is looking?”

Sarah moved into the room, still pulling at his clothing. “Later,” she said.

“Now,” he rejoined. “Or I shan’t grant you access to what you are after.”

Opening her mouth in mock outrage, she said, “That’s blackmail, Jareth!”

“Indeed, and generally quite effective,” he agreed calmly.

She relented rather quickly, and he felt his chest constrict with a barely held-in breath. “Okay, you win,” she said, sounding slightly annoyed. “I wanted to wait until we were in bed, warm and sated, before telling you.”

Jareth grinned darkly. “That would have taken far too long, Precious. If you will think for a moment, you will admit that completely sating ourselves can be rather time consuming and exhausting. Perhaps I would not be awake upon meeting your expectations of me.”

Sarah frowned and rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess you do have a point.”

He grinned as she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his bare middle, her hands creeping lower as she slid one inside his breeches. “Jareth…”

“You have a thing for my posterior, don’t you?” he asked lightly, enjoying the feel of her hand kneading his flesh.

“Oh, it’s a lovely one, Jareth,” she agreed, squeezing gently. “But that wasn’t my news. My news is far more exciting and probably a bit more of a surprise… I hope you’re ready to be a father, because I’m pregnant.” She glanced up at him under her eyelashes hoping for a positive reaction.

Jareth’s grin widened. “I suspected as much,” he told her.

“You did not!” she cried, removing her hand and swatting him. “You’re supposed to be surprised!”

He shook his head. “Precious, your behavior of late has been more mercurial than ever before. And when my mother said earlier that we have plenty of time to start a family, I knew something was afoot, for she is not a patient woman where grandchildren are concerned,” he said. “I knew then that though my father was in the dark, both my mother and Karen were aware. Why, though, Precious, did you share your news with them before me?” he asked, trying not to allow her to see how hurt he was.

“Oh, Jareth,” she said with a sigh. “I didn’t purposely. First Karen guessed, and then she asked Ardeth what her opinion was. After discussing my moods and my skin tone and a multitude of other ‘proofs’, they asked me point-blank. They were so excited, I just couldn’t lie.”

Jareth nodded, smiling. “Typical grandmothers-to-be,” he commented. “Interfering, opinionated and quite smug.”

“I know,” Sarah sighed, wrapping her arms around him. “Isn’t it great?”

Kissing the top of her head, he nodded. “It is, indeed, very great, Precious. When are we going to announce it to the rest of the family?”

“Oh, I thought tomorrow night at dinner,” she sighed happily, her finger lightly tracing his chest, sending delightful shivers through his body. “Although, I’m pretty sure that by then, our fathers and possibly your sisters will already know,” she added with a frown. “Jareth, do you think…”

He sighed reluctantly. “I do. I shall redress and we will go back and tell them now, before it spreads like wildfire throughout the kingdom.”

“You really think it’ll happen that quickly?” she asked dubiously, watching with obvious reluctance as he pulled on his shirt and buttoned it back up.

With a short laugh, he leaned forward to kiss her. “Oh Sarah, you have no idea…”

.oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo..oOo.

One hour later, the two goblins, called Smudge and Grappy, rushed into the newly proclaimed ‘Goblin Sanctuary: Retreat from the Ungoblins’. “The heir is going to be young Tobias!” they announced breathlessly, covering their ears as the hordes of goblins cheered noisily. “We heard it from the King hisself!” Smudge cried.

“I coulda toldja that,” Hoggle replied waspishly, using the ‘R’ in Ludo’s spelling of “ROX” to make his play of ‘RAT’. “There,” he said to Didymus. “Triple word score gives me a gran’ total o’ nine.”

Didymus added Hoggle’s score, still perturbed that Hoggle hadn’t allowed him to challenge Ludo’s play. “Verily, I cannot say that I am surprised, either,” he agreed, studying his tiles.

“And,” Grappy added, “the Queen is wit’ child! They jus’ made the announcement to all the ungoblins!”

“Hey, that was my news, you dirty cheat!” Smudge complained. His grumbling was drowned out, however, by the sound of immense cheering and stomping of feet.

“Careful,” Hoggle complained loudly, “this so-called Sanctuary is nothin’ but a buildin’ o’ rocks. It ain’t even cemented, ya know!”

“Yeah,” Ludo agreed shortly, glancing around with no little amount of concern. As he glanced back at his two brothers, the building groaned mightily as a rock dislodged and fell from the top of the ‘sanctuary’. It landed atop the head of a helmeted goblin, who looked a bit dizzy but remained standing.

The last thing heard before the entire structure crumbled was Ludo’s very succinct, “Uh-oh.”

The End