Revelations...

Jareth placed Aryanna's sleeping body gently on the back seat of Toby's Firebird. The night was chilly and he made a blanket with his magic for her. He could hear Sarah laughing with her brother and with Cheryl.

"Sweet dreams, little one." He whispered to Ary and he quietly shut the car door. He made his way to Sarah and stood behind her. The night had grown very cold and the wind that whipped off the lake didn't help matters any. He could see that Sarah was trying to hide the fact that she was cold as she laughed and talked, but he didn't miss a thing. He casually slipped out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She looked up at him and nodded her thanks to him. She really had changed. Long ago she would have bitterly opposed him and had he offered his coat to her, she probably would have tossed it back at him. He knew that she was older now, more mature and she obviously didn't have little temper tantrums as she did in his Labyrinth.

"So we'll have to get together again, maybe next weekend?" She was saying.

"That would be awesome. I had a great time tonight. We really should do this again." Toby told her.

"Well someone is turning 21 next week so I thought it would be fun to get together and celebrate. 21 is a big step in your life Tobe."

"Yeah yeah, as far as I'm concerned I already feel 21. It's not a big important thing to me anyway. I don't drink."

"And I'm very glad that you don't. Because you speed in that car of yours and alcohol and speeding don't mix."

"Ach, Sarah not this..."

"You stay under the speed limit when my daughter is in the car."

"You know that I do."

"I know, I just want you to be careful."

Toby stepped forward and hugged her. "I will be careful. I can drop Ary off tomorrow afternoon. Cheryl has to visit her mom's to pick up something so I'll be in the area."

"That sounds great. At least you won't have a problem getting her to sleep tonight. She danced herself out."

"That's for sure. Well dinner was fun. Call me and let me know what time is good to get together and where."

"Ok I'll call. G’night."

"Bye Sarah." Cheryl waved and she and Toby started toward his car.  Toby turned back at the last second.

"Remember what I said Goblin King!" He yelled back.

Sarah looked up to Jareth who was standing beside her. His blond hair was nearly white in the moonlight. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing for you to worry about." His voice was crisp and firm and she dropped the subject. They waved as Toby and Cheryl pulled away.

"Ready to go home?" She pulled his jacket closer to her as the wind blasted her.

"Not just yet. You go on home. I'm going for a flight."

"A flight?" she looked confused for a moment. "Oh yeah, the whole owl thing. I'd forgotten about that. Are you sure now is the best time for a flight? It's so cold?"

"The cold doesn't bother me."

He began to move away from her and she stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. He turned to face her. "Please be careful." He could see the worry in her eyes and it touched him deeply.

He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "I will. I won't be late." She watched as he stepped into the woods and a few moments later a white barn owl was gliding over the tops of the trees. It was strange to watch it and to realize that it was Jareth. Watching the owl fly made her realize how different the two of them really were.

She got into her car and started it up, letting it warm and then she started for home. She smiled as she thought about how the evening had gone. She was a little worried about what Toby had said to Jareth when they had all parted for the night. She prayed that her brother had not said anything rude to Jareth. She thought about him and how wonderful it felt to be in his arms again as they danced. This time there had been no awkwardness. No other dancers, spinning around them and sneering and laughing. They had been just two people, two friends dancing together.

She pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door, driving the car in. She was about to get out when she glanced at Jareth's leather jacket which he had given her to wear. She had folded it on the seat beside her after the heat had kicked in and she no longer needed it. She reached over touching the soft brown leather with her fingertips. She had driven home alone and had been away from him only about twenty minutes and already she missed him. With a deep sigh she realized something that made her heart beat wildly. She was falling for the Goblin King.

Jareth soared over the tall pine trees that surrounded the lake with ease. It was a cold night, but in owl form he was cold blooded and cold didn't bother him as much as it bothered him in humanoid form. He needed to get away from Sarah. He needed to think. He loved her so much that it hurt sometimes and as much as he wanted her to love him in return he would not force the issue upon her. She was well aware of what he felt for her. Perhaps she didn't know the sheer magnitude of his feelings, but she did know that they existed. He shuddered to think what she would say if she knew how he dreamt of her every night since she left him. He became obsessed with her and he still was now. He had not looked at another woman since she had captured his heart. He kept his lonely, insolent vigil over his kingdom. As King he was expected to do no less. And now he was staying with her. With her and her beautiful daughter. He would have smiled if the form of his beak would have allowed it. Aryanna was a charming girl, a little too bubbly at times, but that didn't change his feelings for her. She was the child he always wanted and never had, just as Sarah was the woman he had waited his entire life for.

He wanted nothing more to allow both of them into his life permanently. Then there was the issue of Sarah's brother of course. How dare the little mortal. He dared to threaten the Goblin King? Jareth felt the rage build within him. Wasn't it obvious to the boy that he had only good intentions where Sarah and Aryanna were concerned? But then again Toby was only trying to protect his family. Before Jareth had shown up Toby was the only man in Sarah and Ary's lives. Jareth knew that their father had died as well as Sarah's step mother or Toby's mother. He didn't know the circumstances, he just knew that they had passed on. He shook his head and tried to settle his anger. The boy had good intentions as he did.

He took a deep breath and then turned the far perimeter of the lake. It was growing later and Sarah would no doubt be worried if he stayed out too long. The wind felt good as it touched his feathers. It had been so long since he had flown, had even used his magic. He was growing out of touch with his own realm and that was dangerous. He would return soon, perhaps he would stay a few days and show his subjects that he had not abandoned them for the mortal world.

Sarah sat on the couch and then less then a minute later she got up and began to pace the length of the living room. It was after 1 o clock in the morning and Jareth had still not returned. She was worried out of her mind and was ready to jump in the car and search for him. He could be anywhere she realized but she didn't care. She'd waited long enough. She rushed to the hall closet and reached for her coat when she heard a crash out on the back patio. She froze in place. She prayed that someone was not trying to break into the house. She heard the back door rattling, but she realized to her relief that it was locked. She heard a groan that caught her attention and she rushed into the kitchen, flipping on the lights in the room as well as the patio lights. She unlocked the door quickly, her fingers slipping from the lock as she moved too fast. Finally, unlocked she pulled the door open and Jareth fell towards her. She let out a muffled cry as her hands covered her mouth. He caught himself at the last second and balanced himself on the doorframe. The white sleeve of his right arm was soaked with blood and it was torn from his shoulder to his elbow.

He was clearly in terrible pain as he balanced himself. She reached for him quickly pulling him into the house so that no one would see him and to her horror she saw Linda standing on her deck watching the whole scene.

Once Jareth was inside she helped him steady himself. He was terribly weak and he wobbled as she tried to support him. He was covered in sweat, his long hair matted to his face and the front of his shirt soaked with it.

"Jareth what happened to you??" her voice was full of fear, of absolute fear and panic.

A whimper was her only reply. She slipped under his left arm and helped him walk slowly up the stairs. She kicked the door to his room open and helped him lay down on his bed. She rushed into the bathroom pulling out pans, grabbing gauze, towels, medicine, anything she could find to help him. She went quickly back to his room and reached for his injured arm. She griped the flimsy silk of his shirt into her hands and pulled. The shirt ripped easily and she gasped when she saw his injury. There was a giant gash running from his shoulder to his elbow. He needed stitches and medical attention. She couldn't do anything about this!

"I'm calling an ambulance. You need to go to the hospital, right now!" She turned to dash out of the room and get the phone but stopped when she heard his anguished voice.

"No...I...can't go there...."

She spun at him, anger and grief all over her face. "Jareth I can't take care of this. It's too serious."

 His head was lifted from the pillow as he spoke to her. "Sarah you must....I ...I can't..." he groaned and a shudder wracked his body. His head fell back and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Jareth!!" she rushed to him. Her hand settled on his forehead and she pulled it back quickly. He was burning up with a terrible fever and he was going into shock. She turned to her attention his injury and quickly set to the task of stopping the bleeding. He groaned as she dabbed it with towels and wrapped it to put pressure on it. She put a damp cool cloth on his forehead. She pulled his boots from his feet, throwing them out of her way and she draped blankets over him to keep him warm. She checked the wound and the bleeding was thankfully slowing. She would have to wrap it in fresh towels as she didn't have large enough wrap to cover it. She'd have to drive the pharmacy in town as soon as they opened in the morning.

She desperately wished she had something to help take his pain away, but she didn't have anything strong enough to help him. He was barely conscious and she panicked. Then she remembered the crystal that he had given her for her headaches. Perhaps it would help him. She rushed down the stairs nearly falling and breaking her neck. She reached for her purse and slipped her hand inside finding the smooth glass sphere sitting at the bottom. She rushed back up the stairs and slid into his room.

She reached for his hand under the blankets and pulled the black glove from it, placing the crystal in his fingers. He seemed to relax instantly, the furrows in his brow disappearing. She let out a sigh and sat beside him on the bed. He was sleeping now. She touched the damp strands of hair that hung in his eyes. The fever still burned within him and that worried her. But there was not much else she could do. She wanted desperately to bring him to the hospital, so she would know if he would be ok, but she realized she couldn't. They would realize that he was different... that he wasn't from her world.

She touched his face with the back of her hand, tears stinging her eyes. What the hell had happened to him? How had he been injuried? Tears began to stream down her face and she didn't bother wiping them away. She brushed his hair back from his face and then fell softly onto the bed beside him. She buried her face into the pillow by his neck and began to sob.

She picked up her head, tears still streaming down her face as she touched his face, pleading with him. "Please...." She choked. "Please don't...leave me...you said you....wouldn't leave me...."

Her face fell forward against his chest and she let her tears flow freely. He couldn't leave her now...not now that she knew that she loved him.