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Oh, Now Why the Concern?	By : jinx1764 Category: G through L > Labyrinth Views: 11163 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, don't make any money, this is a work of fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 18
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- 20
Oh, Yer Majesty…

.
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Tobias was calling him. Jareth heard his frantic voice screaming his name, over and over, but couldn't wade through the morass of hurt and shame. He'd done the unthinkable. He'd harmed the one person he'd sworn to protect above all others—his champion and his love. He couldn't save Sarah. He'd tried. All his magic was useless to bring her back. If he hadn't deserved this punishment of self-inflicted disconnection, he would've responded Tobias to tell him as much.
Jareth shuddered. His magic had caused her injury. He wished to die. Maybe if he lay very still and pulled far enough away, he would cease to exist. He'd heard of fae willing themselves through the veil before. Could he join Sarah there? Was she there? He had no idea if fae and mortals ended in similar places. He'd no cause to wonder before now.
Please, Danu, let it be so. The thought of spending an eternity without her …
"I wish someone would help Sarah! I wish the Goblin King would help Sarah! Jareth! Please! Jareth, I hate you, I hate you!"
Tobias' plaintive cries arrowed deep into Jareth's heart, so pained they melted past Jareth's all-consuming ignominy. Though he could not save Sarah, Tobias needed him and he should not retreat from this self-imposed duty—the other person he'd sworn to protect. His young friend had no one now. Would he leave him to the Aboveground authorities?
Unthinkable.
Unforgivable.
Mustering all his strength and willpower, Jareth reconnected with his magic—shoved far from him since his inability to heal Sarah—and incarnated as mortals' nightmares, power personified, the Goblin King in all his excruciating, dark glory. A burst of glitter filled the room causing all the adults to cough and sputter.
"Jareth!"
"Toby!" Franks said. "Get bac-what the…? Fu…" Franks stopped mid-scramble after the slippery nine-year-old suddenly enveloped in voluminous, towering black crackling with supremacy so palpable Franks' ears popped and his lungs burned.
"You will remove yourself from our presence, mortal," the figure above Franks said in deep and commanding bass.
The officer shrank back, hands up in front of his chest. "Now look," Franks said as he slowly stood, eyes flicking to Tobias' huddled form barely peeking from the huge cloak swirling in some mysterious wind affecting nothing else.
The enigmatic man, borne from someone's nightmare LARP weekend, swept his right arm towards the detective and said, "Begone!"
Franks yelped, struck by a crystal; both disintegrated into a cloud of silver glitter. A silent beat, then the remaining medical and security staff rushed from the doorway in a mad clamber. A shiver and tender sigh pulled Jareth's attention down.
"Tobias?" Clinging to the rear of his legs, the young boy fisted Jareth's tunic and buried his face into the fine cloth. "Look at me, Tobias," he said softly, and received a brutal head shake into his back.
"You promised you'd help and it's worse!" Tobias said, his voice muffled. "She's like Mom now."
"Tobias."
"Why didn't you help her?" Tobias' fists punched his hip and lower back; his sobs filled the air. "What did you do?"
Jareth turned and wretched the crying boy away, tangling both Tobias' shoulders and his own arms in the actively swimming cloak. "Tobias, stop this instant!" Tobias hitched a startled sob as he finally met Jareth's sad gaze.
"I'm sorry," Jareth said with a frown and a lighter touch to his young friend's face. "I was selfish and didn't think of the consequences."
"So I was right? You didn't mean it?"
"You were right."
"Good. That's good." Tobias studied his shoes, sniffing, calming. "I'm sorry about what I said. I don't … hate you."
"I know."
Tobias looked back up, his lips twitching. "You can help her."
Jareth swallowed, mouth pinching at the unquestioning certainty. "I cannot." Tobias inhaled sharply as Jareth continued, "But … there is perhaps another way. Take me to her."
Tobias nodded and wiped his nose. "She's not far."
Jareth followed Tobias—his little hand held firmly in Jareth's gloved one—through the unfamiliar area. The sterile blues and greens hurt Jareth's eyes, but didn't keep the ducked heads of the mortals hidden from him. Whitened knuckles around corners preempted wide-eyes of the medical staff, and he heard their frightened whispers. Ah, but it felt good to inspire fear once again. He'd allowed his time with Sarah and Tobias to soften his true nature. He'd forgottenwho and what he truly was.
Though Jareth was certain his show of intimidation would keep the mortals at bay long enough for their purposes (the one annoying man he'd vanished should be reappearing in a few hours—give or take a few for the time adjustment between realms—Jareth wasn't truly evil, just morally compromised most days not matter what those elves claimed). Nonetheless, Jareth preferred completing their business forthwith. Always better to avoid trouble with the locals, and he wasn't exactly in the mood to compromise, play nice or blend in.
"Nurse! I need blood work on this pati-ah!" Jareth flung out one arm, hand upraised, to block the fast approaching doctor with a force field of energy, while his other arm pulled Tobias close. The man smacked to a stop, plastic clipboard clattering to the tile floor a half-second before he landed on his back, white lab coat fluttering like mutant butterfly wings.
"Wh-?"
"Do not speak or move, mortal, and you will be spared," Jareth said. "Understood?" The man may have released a gurgle of air with his emphatic nod, fingers clawing at the smooth floor. "Excellent." Jareth turned away. "Proceed, Tobias."
"This way!" Toby leaped forward, yanking with as much strength as Jareth allowed (which was just enough to guide, but not enough to cause their procession to appear undignified—this mortals must maintain proper respect!) But his regality was wasted the moment Tobias parted the curtain blinding him from her. His love. His Sarah.
Tobias dropped his grip and ran to her bedside, while Jareth's steps stuttered on an invisible stone someone had deliberately placed in his path (he would deal with the prankster later). Struggling to regain his composure, Jareth stood next to Tobias and gripped the bedrails with both hands. Leather creaked and groaned.
How pale she looked. Insipid and wan, lying beneath the faded green blanket and framed by crisp white sheets. Her dark hair was a stark contrast; someone had brushed it smooth. One of the medical staff perhaps? Surely not… he glanced down at Tobias who had reached through the rails to stroke her arm. He whispered reassuring words in his tiny voice, then met Jareth's eyes.
Total faith and devotion shone within Tobias' tears. "What do we do?"
With one hand on Tobias' shoulder, Jareth leaned down and caressed Sarah's forehead. "We have to take her to my castle for safekeeping first. I dare not think what might happen to her here."
"Okay." Toby watched, stepping aside, as Jareth removed the blanket, bent down and slipped his arms under Sarah's torso and legs. "Watch out for the tubes and stuff," Toby said.
"They are of no concern. Only Sarah will be coming with us," Jareth said as he gently lifted her from the narrow hospital bed and over the rails. Some of the wires stretched and strained, while others popped off causing machines to squall. "Hold close to me, Tobias. We travel between realms."
Tobias clamped around one of his legs. "I won't let go."
Jareth smiled down at him, shifting Sarah to glimpse his hesitant expression. "Good. It will be quick."
"I'm ready."
Jareth took one last, lingering look at Sarah's too relaxed face nestled to his chest, her brown hair streaming over his forearm and mingling with his fluttering cloak. Though she breathed and her heart beat, he sensed her soul had fled far from her body, beyond the reach of his magic. And yet… there might be a way.
"Wait for me, Sarah," he whispered, kissing her brow as he cast the spell propelling them to the Underground. In a few seconds (with a surprised gasp from Tobias) they materialized in a room draped in burgundy damask over ebony wood.
"Is this your castle?" Toby asked, releasing his circulation-stopping grip from Jareth's thigh.
"It is, in fact, my personal chambers within the castle," Jareth said, keeping his voice both neutral and emotionless, regardless of the tumult swirling inside.
"Wow. Where do you sleep?"
"This is merely the sitting room, Tobias. The bedchambers lie beyond that door." Jareth nodded towards the opposite side of the room, past the Gothic, carven fireplace, around the middle-sized sitting table with matching, upholstered, high-backed chairs and at the intimating door closed to them.
"You like to read, huh?" Toby pointed to the grandiose shelves packed with books of varying sizes and ages, most quite ancient. Jareth tilted his head and nodded once as they walked through the room. "Sarah does, too," Toby added, then frowned. "But not so much anymore … since the accident."
"I suspect she hasn't the time."
"Yeah, probably not."
Jareth fanned his fingers off Sarah's torso, and the door to his bedroom eased open with a cavernous groan. Jareth slipped through and Tobias followed in the wake of Jareth's twisting cloak—it clung to the door frame and ebony edges until forced to release its grip with a slithering hiss. Multiple candelabras ignited as they entered, retreating the hazy gloom filtering in from the large balcony. The damask sheen of the immense bed glowed with the flickering flames.
Tobias shrieked with the glee of a young boy and raced to the bed, one leg half over the edge before he paused and looked over his shoulder at Jareth, who shook his head. "This is neither the time nor the place. Sarah is to rest here, not be disturbed by your antics."
Leg slowly gliding back to the floor with a thud, Toby blushed heavily and ducked his head. "Sorry. I've just never seen a bed this big."
Another wave of Jareth's fingers and the duvet pulled itself back revealing matching bedclothes of silken burgundy. He laid Sarah, ever so gently, upon the undressed bed. Upon contact, her tasteless, over-exposing hospital gown dissolved into a full length, cream nightgown, and her hand healed from the previous IV site. If only he could heal her mind as easily as her skin. Jareth sat next to her, and Tobias crawled over from the opposite end to curl into her side, his head resting on her shoulder.
"Now what, Jareth?" he asked, eyes so serious but trusting as he angled them from Sarah.
Jareth inhaled deeply, then released it gradually, keeping a hand entwined with Sarah's lax one. "We must speak to the wise one; he will know our next step."
"And Sarah?"
"She will remain here, in safety."
"By herself?" Tobias sat up.
Jareth stretched out and touched his shoulder. "No, of course not, my boy."
"You called for me, Yer Majesty?"
"Ah," Jareth turned on the bed, "Higgle, I have a new task for you."
Hoggle shuffled into the room, grumbling, then gasped and gripped a wide bedpost with a trembling hand. "Sarah?" he whispered, then his grip tightened until the bedpost of densest ebony shook and creaked. "Whadya do to her, you rat?"
Standing with a brow arched and disdainful sneer, Jareth said, "Have a care, Hogbreath. How quickly you forget yourself in my presence."
Hoggle pointed to Sarah as he went nose to crouch with his monarch. "You're no good for her. I knew you'd cause her nothin' but trouble!"
Jareth growled, drawing himself to his full height, arms akimbo and cloak spreading.
"He didn't mean it!" Tobias said, scooting closer.
"What?"
"What?" They both turned to Tobias, who'd crawled closer.
"It was an accident. Jareth is really sorry and is going to fix it. Right, Jareth?" Hoggle's brows of bushy consternation rose in tandem. Jareth's shoulders braced further back to the point he nearly bent reverse, while his face hardened. "Jareth?" Tobias asked.
Jareth could restrain himself no longer. Not in front of the boy. Not even for Hoggle's sensibilities. "Tobias speaks truth," he said though taut lips.
"But, Yer Majesty, she's … she's …"
Jareth's crop appeared and he smacked the bedpost above Hoggle's head. "I know very well what condition she suffers!" Tobias jumped and yelped, scrambling away on the bed, mouth clamped shut and eyes wide.
Hoggle merely scowled and crossed his arms. "Threating me won't help her."
Jareth flung the crop into the fireplace with a growl, spinning from all three to face the wall. "Perhaps not, but I already feel much improved."
"Do you?" Hoggle asked quietly.
The room pulsed with silence.
Jareth's shoulders drooped and his head bowed. "Don't be a fool, Hogshead," he said softly.
Another beat of tenseness passed. Nothing moved but the candle flames.
"Whada need me to do?" Hoggle asked.
Jareth breath was shaky, and he knew he would later regret showing such emotion to the dwarf. But if it benefited Sarah…
He turned around, expression firm but no longer imperious. "Care for her; keep her safe until our return."
"Of course." Hoggle's brows furrowed. "Our return?"
"Tobias and I journey to discover the secret to bringing her back."
Hoggle followed Jareth's discrete hand wave to find Tobias cowering on the bed, huddled into Sarah's side again. "Tobias," he said, closing his eyes and dropping his chin to his chest with a sigh. "Her brother."
"The very same," Jareth said.
"Oh, Yer Majesty, what have you done?"
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Oh, Now Why the Concern?