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Chapter Text

Jareth seductively ran his hand up and down Sarah's bare arm, coming down to land on her left ring finger where a jade stone was set in a ring of silver intertwining branches.

He never took his hooded eyes off her face as he took her left hand and kissed the ring.

"You have made me blissfully happy, Precious. I never thought I could be more happy than the first time you told me you loved me. I keep surpassing that moment. I can scarcely believe it, just as I can scarcely believe you said yes to me tonight."

Sarah, in turn, toyed with his feathery hair that had become so messy after their most recent lovemaking.

Her eyes were equally dark and playful.

"Silly you. Of course, I said yes. How can I not? I love you and we've discussed this at length. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"It's more that I never believed I could have this happiness, is what I meant," Jareth explained.

He snatched her hand from his hair and lightly kissed it, his lips moving up to her shoulder.

"I've offered dreams to so many and now, I can have mine."

"The very definition of poetic justice," Sarah agreed.

The blanket slipped off her other shoulder as she leaned for a kiss.

Jareth returned it with equal ferocity, pulling her back to the bed with intent to make love to her all over again.

Sarah whined and gently pushed him off and regretfully slid off the bed.

"Sorry, Jareth," she apologized, "Greg is going to be back with Ben soon."

Jareth grumbled. "I could just turn back time-"

"No," she held up a firm hand, "it depletes your energy. I don't want you to have to deal with that."

Jareth got out of the bed, holding Sarah around her waist from behind, and kissed her ear.

"Considering how rough you can be in bed, I don't think turning back time is what will deplete my energy."

He swerved away just before she could swat him, catching her wrist.

"See? Roughness."

"Hmm," she made a noise of disapproval, putting her clothes back on, and motioned for him to do the same.

He relented, wearing Aboveground apparel.

After Jareth transported them back to her house, Sarah took a moment to admire her new engagement ring before taking it off.

Jareth tried to hide the hurt and confusion from his face.

Deep inside, he was very fearful of rejection, especially from Sarah.

Sarah could see through it easily and gave him a comforting kiss to quell the disappointment.

"I don't want Greg to see it first," she explained. "I think it's only right that we talk about it with Ben first then the rest of our families before anyone else."

Jareth nodded. Yes, of course, it only made sense that she would want to tell her son first.

"I understand. You must realize that I want to tell the whole world."

"Me too, Jareth."

She held both of his hands, gazing lovingly at his beautiful blue eyes.

"And we will. I'm just as happy as you, and I want everyone to know how happy I am. I'm going to marry the literal man of my dreams."

Jareth thought his new betrothed was positively glowing. She was always beautiful, but there was something different in her happiness today.

Could she be truly this happy just because of him?

He kissed her cheek.

"I am proud to be yours. I want to always be that man of your dreams. When would you like to tell Ben?"

She was about to answer, then paused thoughtfully.

"What about you, Jareth? I don't want to be the one solely deciding. You'll be his stepfather, after all, and the other half of this newly engaged couple." She gestured to them both.

Jareth ran a hand through his hair, the strands coming back down perfectly.

"I want to tell him as soon as we can. I'm ecstatic, and I want him to be as involved as possible."

The little nervous twitch in his pinky didn't go unnoticed by Sarah.

"And you want to get it over with, so that you can stop worrying about his reaction too, huh? It'll go wonderfully, he loves you."

He eyed her seriously.

"And I love him very dearly. I love him for who he is, beyond my relationship with you. I don't want this notion of him thinking that he will be replaced should we have more children. He is our family. I also want him to realize that his late father is not replaced either."

"And you won't replace him. Not ever," Sarah whispered, a gentle hand on his chest, resting on the lock of hair she gave him as was the Underground custom for starting a courtship.

"Jareth, I never looked for a replacement for Ethan. Hell, I wasn't even looking. Like I told you last year, I love you because of you. The same thing is true for Ben. You aren't replacing Ethan, you are someone he loves because of who you are."

She held his face, kissing him again. "It's going to be okay."

"I know." He put her hand over his heart. "I am anxious, but deep inside, I know that everything is fine and will continue to be fine because I have you. I would not have proposed otherwise."

With a little more discussion, they agreed that they would speak with Ben that very night. Their parents and siblings would be informed at a later date.

Speaking of the child, the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of the young boy.

"Hey, you!"

Sarah opened the door to greet her now seven-year-old son with a large hug. "How was it with Uncle Greg?"

"It was AWESOME!" he yelled.

He was positively beaming, eager to tell his mother about his time with his Uncle Greg.

"I hit the baseball THREE times in a row!"

"You totally did!" Greg came to the door, holding a small baseball bat that was the perfect size for Ben. "Kid's a natural, unlike his dad."

Sarah laughed. Her late husband might be dead, but apparently the brotherly rival was still ongoing.

"Ethan would absolutely have words for you for saying that in front of his son."

"Speaking of Ethan," Greg handed the bat over to Ben. "This was his baseball bat when he first started out. Well, it was mine, but then it was his for a long time after that. It's yours now."

"I can have it? Really?"

Ben looked like he just won a thousand dollars as his uncle placed it in his hand.

The rough edges of the wood showed how much it was used. The silly writings like "Ethan was here" proved just how dear it had been to both brothers.

Now placed in Ben's hands, the bat had a new life.

"Yeah! My brother would have wanted his son to have it, so of course." Greg beamed with pride. "Okay, kiddo, I gotta go. It was great seeing you."

"Bye Uncle Greg!" Ben shouted and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for bringing him home safely." Sarah also reached for a hug. "I'm glad you two had a good time."

"Of course, Sarah. Nothing like having fun with my nephew."

He ruffled Ben's hair, who giggled.

After waving good-bye to Greg, Sarah and Ben went to the kitchen where Jareth was waiting for them.

"Hi Jareth!" Ben held up the bat, beaming at the Goblin King. "Look at this cool baseball bat that belonged to my Daddy! You swing it like this!"

He gripped it tight and swung it from right to left. "Hi-ya!"

"That's wonderful!" Jareth clapped enthusiastically. "What do you do with it?"

"Nuh uh, not in the house," Sarah warned her son. "You'll knock over something."

"Hit baseballs." Ben seemingly ignored his mother. "Hey, can we hit goblins with it?"

Despite Ben looking exactly like his father and even carrying on similar mannerisms, his mischievous smile at that very moment was nearly identical to Jareth's.

It made Sarah take a step back, and she forced herself to not laugh out loud, lest it undermine her authority.

Jareth carefully observed Sarah to gauge her feelings on the matter, so he wouldn't contradict her.

"Well, not in this house. But, should your mother permit, perhaps in the castle when they are being too rambunctious."

"What would that accomplish? They'll keep being rambunctious because it'll just keep feeding their craziness," Sarah countered.

"Soooooooo, yes?" Ben's smile grew. "Please?"

Sarah sighed and waved dismissively. This was a battle she didn't want to deal with.

Besides, Jareth would be an official parental figure soon. She wanted Ben to see him as another parent and that meant he should have a say in things as well.

"You and Jareth can figure it out. Just make sure things don't get broken."

"Yeah!" Ben made a fist pump. "I can use them as target practice for baseball!"

Sarah face-palmed while Jareth howled at the ingenious idea.

"Can we do it now?"

"Well, before all that," she sat Ben down, "Jareth and I have some news to share with you."

Ben cautiously sat down. He looked at both adults back and forth, recognizing his mother's serious tone.

"What is it?"

Sarah looked to Jareth with a bright smile, slipping her engagement ring back on. She held it out for Ben to see.

"Jareth proposed to me earlier, and I said yes. We're getting married."

It took a second for the news to settle in.

When it did, Ben's mouth flew open, making Sarah and Jareth laugh at his antics. He grabbed her hand to observe the shiny new ring.

"Woah! That's awesome! I like this ring. It's not just boring diamonds."

He bombarded them with questions.

"Does that mean we'll live Underground? In Jareth's castle? Will I see goblins like Evie, Blaggerspout, Iglepus, and Oatie every day? Will I go to school there? Will Mom be a queen? Will I be a prince? What about Uncle Toby, will he stay in this house? What about my friends here at school? Can I still visit Uncle Greg, Grammy, and Grampy? Do I have to dress differently? Can we bring the TV? What about video games?"

"Most of those answers are yes, Ben."

Jareth could not have been happier with his response.

"We will discuss the details more as we plan. Your mother becoming Goblin Queen means that this is no small matter."

"Yes, a lot to discuss," Sarah concurred. "But we'll be together. We can come up here often to visit."

She took Ben's hands into hers. "How do you feel about this?"

"I'm super happy!"

Indeed, he looked incredibly happy. This was not him faking happiness for her sake, as he often did after his father passed.

He asked more questions.

"Will I be a big brother? I've always wanted to be a brother but thought I wouldn't have any siblings when Daddy died."

Jareth and Sarah shared a look, squeezing each others' hands.

"We hope so," Jareth's voice lowered, barely a whisper. "You will be the most wonderful oldest brother, Ben. Any child will be lucky to have you as their brother. Just as we are lucky to have you as our son."

They could already picture it: Ben doting on his siblings whilst teasing them. He would stand proudly next to them and teach them all the things he could.

"Yeah!" Ben bounced. "When is the wedding?"

"Not totally sure yet." Sarah got out of the chair, pulling the calendar off its place on the wall.

"I'd like to do it in the spring, maybe next year since there's a lot of planning involved and other customs for Underground that I have to prepare before becoming queen. Jareth and I were discussing a few different places to hold the actual wedding. You can help us!"

"Does Uncle Toby know yet?" Ben asked.

"No. You are the first person we've told." She bopped his nose.

Toby was currently in his last year of college and decided to live with Sarah and Ben until he did. At this very moment, he was still in class, hence Jareth's haste to let Ben know about the engagement before Toby came home.

Ben's chest puffed out in pride in being told such important information before anyone else.

"We are planning a dinner to tell the family first, so don't say anything yet."

Sarah could not stress how important this was. She wanted her parents to hear it from her.

"We're just not sure when."

Ben shrugged. "What about Thanksgiving? Grammy, Grampy, and Uncle Toby will be here anyway."

The couple exchanged looks of approval.

"What a fantastic idea, Ben," Jareth complimented him. "Sarah, shall I invite my parents and siblings here?"

It was an important holiday for her family and one his family never partook in before. It would be the ideal way to tell everyone.

"Please do!"

She bustled around a bit, making a list of what to do.

"It'll be perfect, yours and their first Thanksgiving."

All three danced in the kitchen, excited in anticipation for the upcoming nuptials and for telling the rest of their family.

Everything was going to go as perfectly as they pictured. They were sure of it.

Chapter Text

"Damn!" Jareth cursed, running to the bucket of cold water and dunking his hand inside. This was the third time he burned his hand.

"Brother?" Ruben rounded the corner, chuckling at seeing his elder brother.

"Your advisor told me that you would be here. I scarcely believed him. The kitchens of all places?"

"Yes, the kitchens," Jareth snapped. The last thing he needed was for his brother to judge him. "I am baking."

"Baking?"

"Macarons, to be precise."

"Macarons?"

"Are you going to continue to repeat my words like some sort of useless parrot?"

Jareth applied some ointment on his hand. "If only I could use Sarah's oven," he complained to himself.

Ruben peeked over Jareth's shoulder, seeing the burned batch of what was supposed to be macarons.

"Why are you baking macarons?"

"For the Thanksgiving dinner with Sarah. To surprise her. You do remember that you're invited, don't you?"

He folded his arms accusingly.

Ruben clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Save your breath, Jareth. Of course I remember, it's why I'm here."

"Could you clarify?"

Ruben sat in a chair, waving his arms for emphasis. "I'm coming with you, aren't I?"

Jareth paused, raising an eyebrow.

"Not with Mother, Father, and Ava? That plan of yours sounds so final without even discussing it with me, the person you are evidently planning on going with."

"You didn't hear?" Ruben draped a lazy leg over his armchair, knowingly drawing ire from his brother by displaying Jareth's signature move.

"Stop acting so smug about some information you apparently know already. Just tell me."

"Ava is in trouble, and the parents are dealing with it."

He plucked a small cube of sugar and popped it in his mouth. "And I'd rather not go with a bickering entourage."

Jareth groaned, massaging his temple. "What did she do this time?"

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know, but he was going to find out eventually. Might as well learn about it now.

"Had an explosive argument with Aunt Reatana when she looked down on Ava's new… fling? Lover? Who knows. She did it at Cousin Horolin's wedding, and Father had to profusely apologize for it."

Jareth groaned but quickly stopped it. He couldn't be too upset. After all, he would've been livid if someone said something nasty about Sarah. The difference was that he, as king, would be held accountable much more than his sister ever would.

At this point, Jareth was too immersed in his own concerns for Sarah to concentrate on family drama.

He flipped through the pages of the recipe. "Hmm."

"No witty response, Brother?" Ruben egged him on.

"I have things to do, if that wasn't obvious already," Jareth waved dismissively at him. "Leave me be."

Instead of listening to him, Ruben joined Jareth by his side.

"Perhaps, I can help?"

"You? Cook?" he scoffed. "Weren't you the one who found it odd for me to bake not two seconds ago?"

"Just let me try, you fool. I'm bored."

"Fine. Only because you're irritating me. If you burn this kitchen down, I'm making you pay for it."

"And you said you didn't need my help, didn't you, Brother?"

Ruben's flashy smile made Jareth want to punch his perfect teeth out of his skull. He loathed to admit that somehow, his brother had an actual knack for cooking while he struggled greatly.

On top of that, the young prince would not stop boasting.

"Shut up and mind your manners," the Goblin King retorted.

He wanted this Thanksgiving to go perfectly. He needed to show his future-in-laws that he meant his love for Sarah and wanted to continue their good impressions on him for whenever he made the decision to reveal his true identity.

Ruben stared unblinkingly at his older brother. Jareth's teeth were grinding, he could tell. His shoulders were tense and eyes intensely staring at Sarah's front door. What was going on with him?

"You seem quite agitated. More than your usual, irritating self, I mean."

"I just want this dinner to go well," Jareth said shortly. "This is an important holiday for Sarah and her family."

"Jareth," Ruben slowed his voice, lowering his tone, "I only mean to tease you. It will be fine. None of us will jeopardize your relationship with her or your relationship with her parents. We know how much she means to you."

Jareth's harrowed voice when he saw Sarah gravely injured from nearly a year ago still haunted Ruben. The violence of his vengeance still made Ruben's stomach turn.

He almost pitied anyone who tried to take Sarah from his brother.

Almost.

Jareth breathed in a cleansing sigh and knocked on the door, remembering to not ring it or it'll wake her parents as they flew in quite late last night from their delayed flight.

Toby answered the door, his hair in disarray and still in pajamas. He rubbed his eyes and leaned over to get a better look at Ruben.

"Mornin', guys. Wasn't expecting to see you yet, Ruben. Sarah's gonna freak at seeing you so early."

"Why's that?" Ruben inquired, coming into the house with Jareth as Toby closed the door

"Because she's trying to make things as presentable as she can for you, Ava, and your parents. Not gonna lie, she's a bit of a nightmare wrapped in jittery stress."

"I'll see to her."

Jareth handed the macarons to Ruben.

True to Toby's description, Sarah had her hair up in a bandana with the most frantic movements he'd ever seen on her.

Ingredients galore were set out on the counter along with various cooking appliances, such as measuring cups and bowls.

"Precious?" he called when she didn't seem to see him there.

She jumped slightly as he came to hug her from behind, planting a kiss under her ear.

"Jareth! You're here early. Twenty minutes early to be precise."

"I wanted to be with you, Love."

He kissed her again, the scent of her hair immediately calming him. "I missed you."

Sarah put her hands on his arms with a smile. "I missed you too. I'm glad you're here."

She turned in his arms to properly embrace him. Finding his lips, she sighed in bliss as Jareth's hand tangled with her hair.

"I hope you two aren't planning anything untoward near the food."

Sarah squeaked in surprise, while Jareth scolded his brother.

"Must you continue to aggravate me?"

Ruben casually sat at the counter, leaning against the wall as if he was observing some zoo exhibit.

"I'm your brother. It's what siblings do."

"What's he doing here?" Sarah hissed angrily in Jareth's ear. "He isn't supposed to come until later! Now he'll be bored waiting until dinner."

"You worry too much," Jareth said pointedly.

"Whispering sweet nothings to each other?"

Ruben dipped a finger in the powdered sugar, enjoying egging them on.

Sarah extracted herself from Jareth. Strolling over to Ruben, she sat in the chair next to him and folded her arms.

"Hi, Ruben. If you recall, this is my house, and I can kiss my man whenever the hell I want."

Jareth smirked. Now this was the fire he so loved in his lady.

Ruben winked at Jareth, showing approval. He always liked how Sarah spoke her mind. There was no doubt that this was a trait Jareth fiercely loved too.

"Would you like some water or anything else to drink?"

Sarah went to fetch a glass for him.

"Water would be lovely. I appreciate it, thank you," Ruben replied gratefully, taking the drink.

Toby strolled in and, likewise, sat himself at the counter with droopy eyes.

"I'm so tired. I'm gonna go back to bed."

"No you won't, Mister," Sarah chastised him. "Mom and Dad aren't going to cook with us since they're exhausted."

"Stop acting like you're such a considerate person," Toby rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that because of Mom's anal attitude and how she likes to micromanage everyone."

Sarah couldn't really deny that. Karen was a wonderful person, and she loved her stepmother very much, but there was no denying that the woman was bossy in the worst of ways. She absolutely had a selfish reason.

"Shut up."

Ruben pushed himself in between the squabbling Williams siblings.

"What can I do to help?"

Sarah shook her head, making a sweeping motion with her hand to the couch. "Make yourself comfortable. You're our guest."

"No," Jareth said firmly, "Ruben will help us. He chose to be here early, and he will make himself useful. Sarah, you must accept the help you need when it is offered."

"Not to worry, Sarah," Ruben said reassuringly as he held out the box of macarons. "You can trust my cooking. I made these last night."

"You mean we made them," Jareth emphasized the "we" with a brotherly smack to the back of Ruben's head. "Must you take credit for everything?"

Sarah opened the box and gasped in delight.

"Macarons? These look amazing! Thank you for bringing them."

"Did you not hear that I said that it was a team effort?"

Jareth was in disbelief when she set them aside. "It was my idea to make it when he barged in the kitchen yesterday."

Sarah walked back over to him. She put a hand on his cheek and turned his face, so she could kiss his other cheek.

"Yes, I know, Love. I meant that compliment for the both of you. I know how hard you must have worked for this on top of making sure your royal duties were done. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Just like that, Jareth's whole demeanor changed. His smile grew carefree, and he seemed to be skipping when she complimented him.

Knowing that she made him feel so light the same way he did for her made Sarah even more happy that she accepted his proposal.

Ruben made a gagging motion to Toby, earning another swat from his brother.

Sarah pretended to not see the swat.

"Now," she started, pulling away from Jareth, "first, I need help with the turkey. Good thing I have three strong men here to help me."

After a few disasters, such as Ruben nearly cutting the tip of his fingers, Toby dropping a cup of flour, Sarah burning herself from the stove, and Jareth nearly dropping the turkey as they were trying to brine it, it was time to make everything look nice and neat.

"I'm surprised Mom and Dad are still asleep to be honest," Toby remarked. "Those two usually get up so early. Typical old people."

Sarah couldn't help but snort. Her brother was quite full of snark today.

"Well, waiting in the airport because of delays for nearly a whole day would do that to you."

She placed some dirty dishes in the sink for Toby to clean.

"I'm surprised that it's Ben who's not up yet."

"Would you like for me to check on him?" Jareth asked. "Or would you like me to continue cleaning?"

"You can stay here." She untied her apron and let her hair down. "I have to shower anyway."

Jareth's lecherous smile grew as he picked her up, making her squeal.

"In that case, let me join you."

"You two are nasty!" Toby called as Jareth led her up the hallway, the two giggling with mischief.

They stopped by Ben's room first. When they stepped inside, it was obvious why he stayed inside and didn't come out to join them.

"Hi!" Ben called, showing off his scattered toys to the goblins. "I'm being a good host."

"Hi Kingy! Hi Queenie!" Evie, one of the goblins, greeted. She was especially enamored with a dinosaur.

"What are you building?"

Jareth liked the large lego tower Ben was building. There was a moat, archers, spears, dinosaurs, canons, slingshots with pizzas, and more.

"Some impressive artillery. What is your military strategy?"

"Jareth," Sarah felt bad stopping him from bonding with Ben, but they really didn't have a lot of time before her parents would wake and the rest of Jareth's family would show. "We have to go soon."

"It's okay," Ben said good-naturedly. "I can show you later."

"And show me, you shall," Jareth agreed.

He took a careful glance at the goblins.

"Evie, Blaggerspout, Iglepus, Pickle, Oaty, I have an assignment for you lot."

"Oh, boy!" Blaggerspout pushed the other goblins and came to the front, bowing to Jareth. "At your service, Kingy!"

"Me too!" Pickle saluted.

"Me three!" Blaggerspout spouted with such an exaggerated bow that he fell over.

"Oooh, an important mission!" Iglepus clapped.

"Count me in, Kingy!" Evie declared.

Jareth nodded once, very serious.

"Good. Now, tonight, Lady Sarah and I are having an important dinner here. Very important; I cannot stress it enough."

He was going to close the portal anyway, but thought that it would make the goblins more agreeable that way.

The goblins hung onto every word.

"Why not at the castle if it's important?" Evie asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Iglepus folded his arms.

He scrunched his eyebrows and frowned in an attempt to look intimidating.

Of course, Evie would ask such a smart question. Jareth couldn't decide if he was proud or irritated. Naturally, he did not show his true emotions and spoke lightly.

"Good question, Evie. I will tell you later. For now, just know that this is of the utmost importance. You must remind the other goblins not to come here tonight. I shall reward you all."

"With what? Snacks?" Bloggerspout could not resist food.

The Goblin King made a dramatic pause.

"I'll consider it."

Once the goblins and closing of the portals were taken care of, Sarah made sure that Ben would get dressed.

"As soon as you're done, go meet Uncle Toby in the kitchen."

"Okay!" He pulled out a shirt. "Can I wear my Spider-man shirt?"

"Again, your obsession with a man who has spider-powers is unfathomable to me," Jareth commented.

Sarah elbowed him a little.

Ben wasn't the least bit offended.

"Ha, you're funny! If spiders scare you, I can wear a different shirt."

Jareth appeared thoroughly offended.

"Who says I'm scared? I'm just repulsed by them."

Sarah rolled her eyes.

Ben chose a shirt with a man in a green suit and a ring the same hue of green.

“He’s the Green Lantern and he’s a hero!” Ben declared. "Can I wear it?"

"Go ahead, Sweetheart," Sarah approved. "I'll go take my shower. See you later."

"Bye!" Ben waved.

Sarah made a rather exaggerated sigh when Jareth followed her to the shower. "Jareth, I'd love to, but we don't have a lot of time to be showering together-"

She stopped in her tracks, blushing as he put his hand on the doorframe, leaning into her.

His other hand came to hold her chin, his thumb brushing her bottom lip.

"We haven't been alone since the night we got engaged."

Sarah didn't move. Couldn't move.

Didn't want to move.

He may not have set any spell on her that would prevent her from doing so, but he didn't need to. His charisma was stronger than hypnosis.

"We… we need to-to-"

"To make love in the shower? I quite agree."

He put his hands on the wall, kissing her deeply. Sarah couldn't control herself as she kissed him back, her body reacting naturally as he gently pressed onto her.

"Jareth…" she moaned his name, his lips finding her neck.

"Yes?" he moaned back, his hands sliding all over her body now.

"But… time."

She was trying to be the reasonable one, but how could she when his touch made her crazy?

Her hands found his chest, half aching to drag him in and half trying to steady herself from falling to the ground in pure pleasure.

"My precious Sarah," he crooned, his hands on her pants, but he didn't make a move to remove them quite yet.

A kiss on her collarbone.

"I am the Goblin King. I have time in abundance. Let me adjust it for you."

"Isn't it frivolous?" she questioned. "I don't want you to abuse that power."

"Sarah, the power is mine to use. That means, I am the one expending the energy to use it. I am not using it to harm anyone, and it is one of the few benefits of my position as king."

He pulled back slightly to meet her eyes.

"Let me fulfill my promise in giving you your dreams, my future bride."

Heavy was the crown upon his head. Jareth felt it was only fair that he had the ability to use at least some of his powers for his own enjoyment.

Sarah ran out of reasons to say no. Besides, she never wanted to say no in the first place.

"Okay…"

After being refreshed in more ways than one, the two strolled down the hallway to find that Robert and Karen weren't in their rooms, but taking a shower.

"See?" Jareth argued. "Even your parents are doing it."

"Ugh, I don't need that image in my head," Sarah replied with a vomiting motion.

"Admit it, wasn't it nice?" he winked. "The day you, me, and Ben can finally live together will be a very nice one."

He put his arm proudly around her waist.

Sarah admitted that, yes, she would very much like that.

No more trying to figure out their schedules. No more disappointments of not seeing each other for a week. Now, even if they were busy, they would still see each other and share a bed every night as husband and wife.

"That was fast," Toby commented. "You were gone for five minutes flat."

Jareth gazed at Sarah lecherously while she blushed profusely.

Ruben immediately caught on.

"All right, no need to flaunt, you two."

Sarah made a "you-better-shut-up-because-it's-not-a-kid-friendly-conversation face", her eyes darting to Ben, who was coloring.

"What are you up to?" she addressed her son.

"We need decorations." He held up a drawing of a turkey. "It's not enough."

"Not even with the leaves and pumpkins?" Sarah gestured to the festive table.

"Nah. We need a turkey too."

He sounded so serious talking about turkeys that Sarah couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

"May I?" Jareth joined him, sitting down to color himself. "Such a soothing activity."

"Toby, go get dressed," Sarah ordered, realizing that he was still in pajamas.

He rolled his eyes.

"You're not my mom. You can't tell me what to do," he stuck his tongue out at her. "Bossy."

Sarah glared at him. He was acting almost as bad as her when she was a teenager.

"Hi everyone!"

Robert and Karen greeted from the hallway, both nicely dressed.

"Ruben is already here, I see. How are you doing, Son?"

Robert clasped a firm handshake and clapped his shoulder.

"Very well, Sir, and yourself?" Ruben returned his warm greeting.

"Toby! Get some actual clothes on!" Karen adjusted her earrings. "It's bad enough Jareth's brother is already here. Don't be dressed like this when his parents arrive!"

Sarah stuck her tongue out at him from behind Ben's head.

"I'm not your mom, but she is."

"Spoil sport." He got up. "It's not like his parents would actually care."

"They may not, but I do, actually," Jareth added to the conversation.

He wanted everyone to dress nicely today for when he and Sarah would announce their big news. The only exception was Ben in his T-shirt, as he was still a child.

"They're aristocrats! Nobles!" Karen flitted about, straightening decorations. "We have to be presentable to them. They know the queen!"

"Who cares about that?" Robert rolled his eyes.

"They're just people, and we should care about them just as we would any normal person. We're Americans. Why should we care about a bunch of land-owning British people when we fought a whole war to separate ourselves from them? No offense," he nodded at Jareth.

"None taken," Jareth reassured him.

They never claimed his family came from England: they just never corrected Robert and Karen on the fact. It was easier for them to believe this for now.

The irony of Karen believing that they simply knew "the queen" while knowing full well that not only was he the Goblin King, but great-nephew to the current High Queen was hilarious.

Jareth was doing a much better job at hiding his amusement than Sarah. He raised a finger to Ruben, signaling for his silence.

"Dad, let's keep politics to a minimum," Sarah pleaded.

Her one consolation was that at least they wouldn't be having Thanksgiving dinner with her former in-laws. Carol in particular was a nightmare.

"I'm so sorry we didn't help, Sarah," Karen apologized. "I so wanted to make my pumpkin pie too."

"It's okay, Karen, don't worry about it," Sarah reassured her. "We had four adults cooking. I am sad that we won't have your infamous homemade pumpkin pie this year and that you can't share with Jareth and his family. Maybe next time."

Karen gratefully patted her hand.

"You flatter me, Dear!"

Meanwhile, Underground

"So, NO GOING TO QUEENIE'S HOUSE!" Evie declared, standing on top of Kingy's throne.

She took his commands quite seriously. She was not about to let him down.

"Awww," the rest of the goblins complained.

"Kingy says there will be a reward if we are good!"

"YEAH!" they yelled in unison.

"Will there be snacks?" one goblin wondered.

"What about no Bog duties?" Another chimed in.

"More chickens?"

"An ice-skating rink!"

"SNACK SNACK SNACKS FOREVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

It got louder and louder to the point where Samuel, Jareth's secretary, appeared in the doorway.

"Is everything all right here?"

"SNACKS FOREVERRRRRRRRR!" Blaggerspout shouted.

Evie shoved him away.

"I was telling them about Kingy's orders to not go Above. He says he has important dinner."

Samuel scratched his head, remembering this. He hoped they understood and would listen because he did not want to wrangle them up.

The goblins were still arguing, pushing each other over, and were generally being chaotic.

Samual facepalmed.

"I need a raise. No, forget that. I have all the money I need. What I need are reinforcements and more days off. I must discuss this with His Majesty."

He walked off to continue his duties before he could be confronted with more crazy goblins.

As they kept shoving each other, throwing each other, hugging chickens, and drinking ale, a few goblins were suddenly catapulted by an unseen force.

Staring to the direction of the origin of the "invisible catapult", the goblins found a lopsided but functional portal appearing.

Right into Ben's room.

"So, Queenie's house? For snacks?" a misunderstood goblin piped up.

Evie froze in panic.

"Uh, Evie? This is bad." Blaggerspout shook her.

Once the goblins realized what was happening, they celebrated.

"SNACKS AT QUEENIE'S HOUSE!"

The chanting grew louder and louder, until every goblin heard that they were to go to Queenie's house.

Blaggerspout shook Evie. "Umm. Evie?"

"Bog damn it," she swore.

Chapter Text

"Mother. Father. Ava."

Jareth greeted the rest of his family with a kiss on the cheek, taking the berry pie from his mother.

"Behave, all of you," he warned the three of them with a whisper.

"Good to see you, Son." Julian, his father, held a tray of bread rolls. "Of course, we'll behave. At least your mother and I will."

He shot a dirty look at Ava.

Ava did not look one bit pleased. She held up a bottle of wine and sparkling apple cider.

"Aunt Reatana is a vile woman, who eggs everyone on."

"As is most nobility; this isn't new!" Iliana released an exasperated sigh that she had clearly been holding for quite a while. "You haven't reacted so badly since you were a child. Others will act as they will, and we must not let them control how we act either!"

"She has no right to insult Roselyn! She is a kind woman, who doesn't deserve to have her reputation smeared from such an odious creature."

Ava's eyes had never been so aflamed before.

Jareth found this incredibly interesting. That incident must have riled her up indeed. He had never known his sister to defend anyone's honor so publicly.

Jareth put a finger to his lips.

"Save this heated debate for another time, please."

"Fine," Ava rolled her eyes.

"Our guests have arrived! Hello!" Karen greeted excitedly, her voice high-pitched.

"Sister," Jareth leaned towards Ava. "I've never seen you so worked up over someone before. She sounds important. More than a mere friend or a fling."

He bumped shoulders with her.

Ava blushed.

"Roselyn is… certainly different to me than anyone else I've ever acquainted with in that form. She is important to me."

He smiled. "I look forward to hearing more, and I wish you happiness."

"Hello everyone!"

Sarah came into the room. She kissed their cheeks and hugged them in the same familiar way Jareth did.

"Let's sit and eat. You must all be famished."

"Indeed!" Julian pulled out a chair for his wife. "The meal smells divine."

"I helped cook!" Ruben proudly announced.

"Aww, would you like some sort of prize for that?" Ava mocked, ruffling his hair.

Ruben shoved her away. "You have no say! You can't even chop vegetables!"

"Those two are far too comfortable here with their rough manners," Iliana remarked privately to Jareth. "I can't decide if it worries or relieves me."

Jareth couldn't agree more. He wanted his siblings to see Sarah as their own sibling and be at home in her presence, but when they were comfortable, they could be too rowdy.

He was only half grateful that they were no longer children that broke too many ornamental decorations.

"Everyone, come sit!" Sarah ushered the ones who were still standing to take their seats.

She handed her father the large knife.

"Dad, would you like the honor of carving the turkey?"

"Of course, I would!" Robert excitedly took the knife and large fork. He turned to Jareth's parents. "Now, have you eaten turkey before?"

"This shall be our first time!" Julian replied, as excited as Robert.

Robert pulled his sleeves back, excited to show off.

"Well, there's an art to carving the turkey, so you don't waste any parts of it."

While Robert was slicing the turkey and explaining the art of carving, everyone was serving food for themselves and the person next to them.

Karen asked Jareth's parents if the trip was long and arduous, to which they replied that it felt like it only took a few seconds to get there.

Jareth couldn't stop smiling. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about, after all. Their parents got along with each other and with them. Nothing would ruin today-

-until he saw a strange shadow.

It was only for a moment, but it looked to be the shape of a very small person.

Or a goblin.

Just as he was barely comprehending it, Ben pointed to the deviled eggs.

"May I have some?"

"Here you go, Buddy!" Toby plopped a few onto his plate.

"Jareth, Love?" Sarah was holding the mashed potatoes. Apparently she had been standing there for a while. "How much do you want?"

"Oh, um, that portion is perfect," he smiled, shaking his head slightly.

Perhaps he was imagining things. He must be stressed if he was seeing goblins when it was only Ben's shadow.

"Serve some to Ben first," he told Sarah.

Sarah gave him a puzzled look. "You already served it to him earlier and forgot to get some for yourself."

He blinked. "Oh, right."

"You okay?" She he put a hand on his arm. "Something wrong?"

"I don't think so," he mumbled. He took up his silverware. "I am famished."

Sarah was sure that wasn't it but wouldn't push him. He was probably just nervous about announcing their engagement, which they would do after dinner but before dessert.

She squeezed his hand.

Jareth squeezed it back. "Thank you, Love."

"Strange," Ruben inspected the plate of green beans. "I could've sworn I made more servings than that. And that there was more cranberry sauce."

"We have more in the fridge; I'll get it."

Sarah got up before anyone else could. The last thing she wanted was for Karen to make comments about the state of her kitchen.

Opening the fridge, Sarah blinked at the lack of cranberry sauce.

"We can't be out already, can we? I'm sure I bought two containers for this very reason."

"Hehe!"

She whipped around, ears in tune for the sound of goblins. She thought she caught a flash of metal in the shape of the dome, but it was gone before she could even think about it.

She scratched the back of her head.

"Weird."

She came back to the dining table, finding that no one was asking for the cranberry sauce anymore and the conversation directed towards asking Ben about Christmas presents.

"What would you like for Christmas, Ben?" Karen asked him. "Some nice toy?"

"I want the new Super Mario Galaxy video game!"

He bounced excitedly, making the sound video games make when Mario hits a question block.

"Yeah! High five, Buddy!" Toby raised his hand up.

"No, high ten!" Ben raised both hands.

Uncle and nephew hummed the Mario theme song together.

"Sounds like someone is influencing you, Ben." Karen eyed her son knowingly, taking a bite of turkey.

"Aww, come on, Mom!" Toby argued. "Get it for Ben and me. Two in one Christmas present!"

"Young people these days," Robert rolled his eyes. "Wasting time on video games that rot your brain and introduce violence and other inappropriate content for children."

"Jareth?" Sarah discreetly nudged her fiancé. "Maybe I'm just tired from working, but I thought I saw Beetun earlier. Or maybe Blaggerspout. It sort of looked like the goblin was wearing my colander."

Jareth kept his expression deathly empty.

"Damn it."

"That's a terrible argument!" Toby countered his father. "Especially when you showed me movies like Terminator, Robocop, and more. I'm just pointing out the discrepancy in your logic."

"Now, now," Karen held a bowl of Mac and Cheese in between them.

She agreed much more with her husband but also didn't think it was a debate worth having.

She spoke between gritted teeth, "I'm sure things are better enjoyed in moderation."

"Mario is a game that helps with reflex," Toby continued. "It's fun! And other games involve puzzle solving and are just as rich of stories as movies. Look at the Zelda games!"

Another flitting of a shadow passed before Sarah's eyes, leading to the kitchen.

There it was, clear as day. There was no mistaking that this was a goblin.

"There's another," Sarah nodded towards the kitchen, where one was climbing on the stove.

"I'll go and deal with it."

Jareth excused himself, not that anyone else noticed.

Jareth swept his eyes around the kitchen and even checked the cabinets. There was nothing to be found, and he desperately hoped that he and Sarah were just seeing things.

He turned to go back to the dining room, only to pause at the open oven.

He went to close it and found none other than Ghsu, a goblin of his, with a handful of his mother's berry pie. He was patting his happy belly and humming songs to himself.

"Ghsu!" he hissed, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him down so that the rest of the family couldn't see either of them. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ghsu squeaked.

"Kingy! You said I could have snacks if I came here."

"I most certainly did not!" Jareth scolded. "Did I not tell you all that you are not to come to the house?"

"But- but Evie said snacks!" Ghsu tried to wriggle out, quickly changing his mind when the Goblin King pulled even harder and held him upside down.

He didn't believe Ghsu one bit. There was a reason he entrusted Evie with this task. She was one of the goblins that didn't have the attention span of a gnat.

However, he should have anticipated misunderstandings. Still, he knew without a shred of doubt that Evie would have tried to tell them what actually happened and none of them would listen.

Jareth dropped Ghsu.

"Go home. Now. And tell any goblin you see that I will bog each and every one of you if you step foot here."

"What's going on?" Ava came in right as the goblin disappeared.

Great, now his sister was sure to judge him.

"Why are you here?"

"I asked you first."

"I am king."

"Your point? I still asked you first."

He took a few breaths to calm down. It wasn't worth fighting her.

"A goblin was loose, and I am surveying the area to ensure that there aren't more. Now answer my question."

"You're bossy." She put her hands on her hips. "Sarah kept looking in this direction, and I don't think it's because she can't stand to be without you for a minute."

She helped him check more nooks and crannies. "I came to help."

"I don't need your help. I can take care of my subjects just fine."

Right after he said it, he realized that perhaps, he shouldn't be so sure about that.

He remembered that he definitely barred any portals anywhere in the Aboveground (with the exception of a wished-away child) for the goblins.

Shaking, Jareth lifted his hands to examine them.

Was something happening to him?

Was he being targeted?

Could other nefarious creatures infiltrate Sarah's home?

Were they safe?

If he couldn't control the portal, could he protect her family?

He had promised their safety. Would he stop being a man of his word?

"Jareth!" Ava nudged him hard. "Another one!"

Snapping out of his anxious thoughts, he caught sight of Reiu sitting on a lamp.

"Hehehehe!" She bared her teeth.

"Well, fine," Robert huffed. He turned to Iliana. "Iliana, Julian, what's your opinion on video games? I say that it's fine but Ben is too young-"

"You were the one who told me that video games were for kids," Toby interrupted.

Robert huffed again. "Not for kids as young as him. As I was saying, video games are fine but so much of it is now taking over the time and energy of children. And there's some bad ones out there."

"Isn't it obvious that Toby wants to be an attorney like his father?" Karen commented to Iliana and Julian lightly, taking another bite of food, all the while elbowing Robert. "These two and their silly debates."

Robert grunted and turned back to Jareth's parents. "So, what are your opinions?"

"I haven't had the chance to ever play one, so I wouldn't know the contents of them to make an informed judgment," Julian replied diplomatically.

He mentally congratulated himself on giving an honest reply without taking sides or reviewing his true identity.

What he didn't realize was that Robert had had enough. While he liked Jareth and his family, there was something very odd about them all.

He noticed it right away when they first met, all posh and nearly alien.

His wife may be easily impressed by claims of aristocracy, but he wasn't. Being married then divorced to Sarah's actress mother, who always chased after some celebrity status, turned him off from such attitudes.

He liked people who made a name for themselves in a respectable way that wasn't through some arbitrary title or from crazy paparazzi that chased after them just because they were attractive.

Furthermore, he was afraid that Sarah was buying into it too. While he didn't think his daughter was superficial, he feared that she believed Jareth too easily in his claims of aristocracy and supposed social working with refugees.

Come to think of it, didn't his daughter snap at him the first time he tried to ask what Jareth did for a living and didn't answer him until much later?

Being defensive made sense, but avoiding answering his question entirely?

"Hmm, interesting."

He angrily shoved a large piece of turkey in his mouth, not caring about speaking with his mouth full of food.

"I'd expect people of your 'caliber' to be aware of the newest, shiniest trends. I guess being rich doesn't give you knowledge."

"Dad," Sarah warned him quietly but deadly.

She wanted to have a nice, relaxing dinner after all that cooking. Instead, her brother engaged their father in arguments about video games and now he was all riled at the people who would be her future in-laws.

"You know what?" Robert put his silverware down and folded his arms. "It's time we talked about this."

"Could you please clarify, Robert?"

Iliana did not hide her disapproval of his behavior.

"I like you guys. All of you." He gestured to Jareth and his family. "I like you all so much to the point that I ignored the nagging feeling in my head that you're lying about who you are. I mean, what's the proof that you guys are English and are nobles or whatever? How do I know you're not scamming my daughter? She deserves better, especially after all she's been through already."

"Scam? I am a respectable woman, Robert!" Iliana raised her voice to a venomous level.

How dare he call her such an insulting thing?

"And how dare you accuse me of hurting Sarah of all people? I will not tolerate your insults in such a manner."

Karen put her hand on her husband's arm, trying to calm him down.

"Robert-"

"No, Karen!" He pulled his arm from her, ignoring the hurt look she gave him. "I want the truth, and I want it now!"

*SPLAT!*

Everyone screamed, chaos erupting from all sides.

Mashed potatoes scattered everywhere like a bomb. Gravy colored the floor like paint. A piece of turkey got stuck on the ceiling.

Smack in the center of the Thanksgiving dinner was none other than Reiu, the Goblin.

"Yum!" she exclaimed, scooping up a handful of mashed potatoes and stuffed it in her face. "More snacks!"

Chapter Text

Jareth and Ava ran into the dining room right as the catastrophe hit.

"Shit," Jareth swore.

"What is that?!" Karen screeched, pointing at Reiu. "Monster!"

"Monster? Where?!"

Reiu sat up, screaming too. She scrambled up, seeing both Jareth and Sarah. "Kingy! Queenie! There's a monster! That lady says so!"

"That's not a monster, Grammy!" Ben tried to tell her. "That's a goblin!"

Robert held Karen in his arms as she continued to scream. "Sarah! Give me the turkey knife!"

"What? No!" Sarah protested, pushing Ben behind her whilst trying to put herself between the knife and her father.

"Dad-"

"Can you not argue with me for once?!" Robert demanded, lunging for the knife.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Iliana and Julian each grabbed one of Reiu's arms to move her off the table.

Ruben ran towards Ben, carrying the boy out of the way.

Karen stopped screaming and crumpled to the ground, fainting.

Sarah ran towards her stepmother, tending to her.

Toby grabbed the knife first, only to have it knocked out of his hands by his father.

The knife ricocheted at full speed towards Reiu's direction-

-And freezing in midair.

All eyes turned to Jareth. His blue eyes glowed with magic and his arm stretched out with an aura of power surrounding it.

Flicking his wrist up, Jareth sent the knife back onto the table as far away from Robert's direction as possible.

No one moved, save Sarah and Toby, who were trying to revive Karen.

Jareth waved again, forming a crystal that he threw towards their direction, sending it high into the air to surround everyone but himself.

The Goblin King spoke to everyone except Robert and Karen.

"I know that I closed the portals after you arrived. I don't know how someone was able to open it somehow without my knowledge to let goblins through. I need to call reinforcements and investigate to make sure that we aren't in danger. It shouldn't take but a moment. Make sure everyone stays unharmed."

"Jareth!" Sarah ran towards him, slapping against the barrier that he created. "No!"

He disappeared into the hallway, leaving her sliding down with tears of panic.

Memories of the previous year rushed back where he had almost died, where his body had been limp, and her heart might as well have been torn from her chest.

She couldn't bear it if she lost him now.

Ava held her back.

"He'll be fine, Sarah. He's calling reinforcements. Shh."

Jareth's mind whirled as he cast a portal.

He should have anticipated Robert's keen insight. He and Sarah severely underestimated her father, despite the telltale signs of his suspicion.

He couldn't blame the man for acting the way he did. All he wanted to do was take care of his family that he so fiercely loved.

As a man of his generation, Robert would have believed that the men of the family were paramount in protecting their kin from harm.

That was something he understood deeply. Now their hands were forced to reveal the truth of the Underground to her parents much sooner than they would have liked.

That could also affect the announcement of their engagement.

He knew that Sarah loved him and would still be happy to marry him, but he could not bear it if she felt clouded by rejection, especially from her father.

He blocked out Sarah's screams. No doubt she was furious and heartbroken that he didn't involve her in investigating the portal issue. Her past trauma was likely exploding from beneath the sound of her crying.

All those thoughts were pushed aside. He had an emergency to deal with.

The portal opened to reveal a woman in the middle of teaching. She wore all-black, save for a sapphire necklace. Her eyes, lips, and nails were decorated with black makeup and her high black boots made up for her small stature.

She gasped when she saw him.

"Your Majesty!"

Her students gasped at seeing their king. It took a second for them to realize who he was as he was wearing a human disguise and not his usual royal regalia.

Jareth held up a hand to stop them from bowing or curtsying. This was no time to display court etiquette.

He turned to the woman with an outstretched hand.

"Sorceress Mara, I need your help. Urgently."

The sorceress did not hesitate for a second. She took Jareth's hand and went through the portal.

"I closed every portal before I came Above," Jareth started, not wasting any time, "and yet, my goblins were able to appear."

"You fear that someone has breached your barriers and that there's danger to this world," Mara deduced.

They entered Sarah's bedroom first. As the Labyrinth's Champion, her magic had been hijacked before, and it made sense to check it again.

"Hmm." Mara inspected Sarah's mirror, a common object to use for portals. "I see none here. Are you positive that you closed all the portals to the Above?"

"Absolutely. My parents and siblings are here as well. I have made precautions and should have noticed if someone created a portal."

Mara didn't doubt him.

"Let us check every room before we venture outside."

After checking Sarah's room, Toby's was next. When nothing was found there, they went into Ben's.

To their surprise, a large, glowing portal was in the middle of the room. It was not a perfect circle with its jagged edges and inconsistent boundaries, but it was definitely a portal. Whoever made it was an amateur.

Jareth created a crystal to encase remnants of the magic then immediately closed it.

Thoughts swirled around his mind.

Who was the perpetrator?

Did they hurt Ben?

Where were they now?

Were they still Underground?

What if they-

"Sire?" Mara interrupted his thoughts. "Might I examine Ben?"

"I- yes, that would be wise," he agreed.

"Oh!" Karen finally woke up. "Oh, my goodness!"

"Grammy!" Ben ran to her with open arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she hugged Ben.

"No thanks to that thing that you're all in league with!" Robert pointed at Reiu, who was now sleeping away her food coma.

"It is a goblin, not anything dangerous!"

Julian looked offended on behalf of the goblin.

Sick and tired of this whole situation, Toby stomped his foot on the ground and blew a whistle with his fingers.

"Everyone, calm down! Freaking out isn't going to help. Let's focus on one thing at a time!"

Iliana nodded. "I quite agree with him. Let us all settle and focus on making sure everyone is safe."

Sarah tried to wretch herself out of Ava's arms.

"What about Jareth? What if he's hurt?"

Gone were the fears of today being a disaster of a dinner. Now all she cared about was seeing that he was fine and whole again.

He had marched off without looking back, and she couldn't forgive herself if anything happened to the man she so dearly loved.

Iliana motioned for Ava to leave, so she could tend to Sarah. She held the young woman in her arms.

"Dearest girl, he will be fine. I know how horrible last year was for you all. I do not blame you for worrying the way you do. I would react the same if all those things happened to me."

Tears no longer fell from Sarah's eyes, but Iliana didn't stop her soothing motions.

"As a mother myself, I worry for him so much. I have faith that he will be fine. I trust in him. He is a respected king for a reason."

Sarah slowly sat up. "Thank you, Iliana. I'm sorry, that was a lot. I shouldn't have fallen apart like that."

Iliana gave her a warm, motherly smile.

"You have done spectacularly, Sarah. You do well in a crisis."

"Speaking of a crisis, I'll see to Karen," Sarah gently touched Iliana's shoulder. "Thank you."

"You okay, Mom?" Toby asked his mother.

"Umm, light-headed."

Karen indeed looked a bit pale. Possibly green too.

Sarah laid her stepmother back down.

"Dad, can you elevate her feet? Maybe get some pillows?"

She hoped that directing Robert would get him to stop being so… intense.

Robert nodded, grabbing some cushions from the couch.

"Here you are, Dear. Here's a blanket for you."

He lovingly tucked it around her.

"Let me help too," Julian offered, but was quickly stopped by Robert.

"I don't know who you are or if I can trust you. Please step back," Robert implored.

Julian held his hands up in defeat and scooted back as he was asked. At least the man was honest and no longer hurling passive-aggressive insults.

"What is happening?" A low voice asked.

Everyone turned to see Jareth and Mara strolling in, the latter holding a crystal.

Sarah wiped her eyes. Her smile was back in full force, seeing that not only was he fine, he was just as put-together and unharmed as he was before he walked away from her.

"Jareth, you're okay."

Jareth carefully dispelled the barrier and held his arms out for the embrace.

Toby nodded, giving Sarah the permission she needed to approach him. "Go, Dad and I will take care of Mom."

Grateful to her brother, Sarah ran to Jareth and engulfed him in the largest hug she could muster.

"I'm glad you're here. Please, just stay here with me for a moment."

"Love, I will give you all the moments you want."

He rubbed the back of her neck, feeling her quickened heartbeat slow.

A moment with him was all she needed. She grounded herself in his warmth, his comforting arms, his scent, and his love.

"Don't leave me behind like that again, please. Stop putting yourself in danger like that."

Jareth sighed, kissing the top of her head.

"I was not alone. I made sure of it. And I cannot make that promise, Precious. Ever. I love you too much. I cannot apologize for it either."

He pulled apart, holding her by the shoulders.

"But, when your powers get stronger from more consistent practice, I will take you with me to investigate any dangers. You would have been a liability today."

Sarah knew that as a king and a man, who had so much love for her, he couldn't make any promises to not be in danger. It was his duty, and he took few things more seriously than his role as king.

Since she was marrying him, all she could do was learn to deal with it. At least, he tried to make a compromise.

"Then I'll have to train diligently to be as strong as you."

Jareth wholeheartedly agreed. "I have no doubt that you will be as strong as I one day."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Robert interrupted everyone as he helped Karen up. "And who is that lady with Jareth?"

As if on cue, everyone looked to Jareth and Sarah for guidance.

In turn, Sarah and Jareth made eye contact with Toby in understanding.

While they couldn't approve of how aggressive Robert was earlier, Sarah completely understood the fear that went through him.

He was in deep distress, and she was just glad he wasn't yelling anymore.

Turning back to her father, she answered him.

"Yes. I think it's finally time we tell you everything you want to know."

Chapter Text

"This is Sorceress Mara," Jareth introduced the lady he had brought with him. "She is a scholar and a powerful magician. I have asked her here to help me discern if there was any danger, and we've ascertained that there is likely none. She is my employee. Mara, these are Sarah's parents, Robert and Karen."

Robert and Karen just nodded enough to not seem rude but not friendly enough to invite further conversation.

Mara curtsied hello and proceeded to sit next to Ben, who was by Ruben's side.

"Hello, Brave One. How are you?"

Ben beamed at the compliment. "Hi Mara."

"May I have your hand? I just want to check something."

Ben did as told. Everyone watched, intrigued by the elegant magic Mara used to examine Ben. She wove her fingers as if untangling a string, pulling some magic from the boy.

She was done within a moment. Her comforting smile made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"Good. The portal in his room seems to have sprung up entirely from Ben."

Jareth shook his head with disbelief.

"How is that possible? He only has traces of magic, doesn't he? And why would I not have been informed of the creation of said portal?"

"Well, yes, but it seems that his proximity with his magical mother and the goblins has only fed him more magic." Mara nodded towards Reiu."It's very possible that it happened without his knowledge."

"Ben, is that so?" Jareth crouched next to him. "You're not in any trouble. We just want to make sure you're not hurt."

Ben shook his head. "No. I didn't do anything. I promise."

"Did you make a wish in your heart for goblins to come through?"

"I- umm, yes? But I didn't wish for it because you said no."

"May I take your hand as well?"

Though he did not have the same skillset as Mara, he could indeed tell that Ben had some magic within him.

"How is it strong enough to create a portal?"

"That would be a rare occurrence that happens with a strong spark of magic," Mara explained. "I recommend we do something to dampen his magic unless he's Underground where it's easily controlled."

"I have magic too?" Ben looked down on his hands. "Cool!"

"Magic doesn't exist," Robert mumbled, losing his patience.

Toby face-palmed. "You just saw it in action, Dad."

"Robert," Karen held his hand. "Please. If nothing else, for my blood pressure."

Instantly, Robert seemed more grounded. More calm. Even if his view of the world was completely shaken, the love from his wife sure wasn't.

"Let's hear what they have to say, okay?" Karen insisted.

Robert swallowed thickly. "Okay." He faced Jareth and his family. "But I want proof of this magic claim. No weird illusion tricks."

Jareth bowed his head politely. "Of course."

Sarah addressed Mara. "And what of Jareth not knowing about the portal Ben made?"

Mara was in thought for a moment. Then, her eyes went wide, as if a light bulb just went off in her head.

"Sire, is it possible that you made sure to set alerts for portals being made Underground instead of Aboveground?"

Jareth hadn't thought of it. His cheeks reddened in shame.

"I should have thought of that. I was so focused on danger and portals coming from Underground, I neglected to create alerts for portals made from Above. This world has been inhabited by humans for so long."

Mara nodded, satisfied. She clapped her hands together. "That settles it then. It seems my work here is done."

Sarah went to hug her friend. Whispering in Mara's ear, "I will properly introduce you to our parents another day. I'm so sorry-"

Mara held a hand up. "Please, Sarah. Do not apologize, I understand."

She turned to include Jareth in their conversation. "I would like to head back to my class, if that is permissible?"

"Take your leave, Mara," Jareth nodded. "Thank you for coming with me without notice."

"Of course, Sire."

Sarah nodded towards Reiu. "And you too, little one."

"Awww, Queenie!" she complained. "I'm sorry! I will not make any more messes!"

"You should be grateful I'm not using the bog today." Jareth waved his hand and the little goblin was back in the throne room.

He took Sarah's hand and faced the crowd. "Now let us discuss."

They all gravitated to the living room where it was most comfortable with the couches and blankets.

To keep Ben occupied, Sarah took out coloring books. Seeing as everyone else was also on edge, she offered it to the rest of them and included an option of jigsaw puzzles.

Her father and Jareth gravitated towards the puzzles, making her smile as they worked on it together through their discussion.

"You would like proof, Robert and Karen?" Jareth confirmed their desires. "I shall give you proof."

He signaled to his family.

All five of them waved away the human illusions and donned on clothing from their world that was much more comfortable for them.

"That's more like it," Ruben remarked, stretching his legs. "I have no qualms with the style of this world, but I do miss my own."

Karen nearly fainted again at the sight of the otherworldly features, such as their long ears and eye markings, reappearing.

Robert just stared in disbelief before adjusting his face to express neutrality.

Jareth sat up straight. When he first addressed Robert and Karen today, he was a man who loved their daughter.

Now he addressed them as a king in his own right.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself and my family. I am Jareth, King of Goblins. My parents are Princess Iliana and Prince Julian of the High Court. My siblings are Princess Ava and Prince Ruben. We are from an alternate plane of existence called the Underground where magic is the norm and creatures of your fairy tales exist. We refer to your world as the Aboveground."

He explained his role as king and why it was important. He and Sarah both recounted the story of the night she ran the Labyrinth after wishing Toby away.

It was Karen who mostly asked for clarification and gave her opinions. She was very much in awe at knowing she was in the presence of royalty, looking much more antsy that they were so well acquainted with her children.

Robert was nearly silent through it all, though he did raise his eyebrows at Sarah when he learned she wished her brother away and at Jareth when he learned Sarah was only sixteen when they first met.

"Nothing untoward happened, I promise you," Jareth said. "And as a fae, I cannot make false promises. I do not lie."

"And we didn't see each other again until last year. It was a while before anything romantic happened," Sarah added.

Robert paused for a long moment before signaling for Jareth to continue.

Both Goblin King and Champion took it as a positive sign.

Sarah took over to explain their meeting on Halloween of last year after Ben made a wish that "The Goblin King can come say hello."

She recounted their tense meeting and their invitation to the Underground, which led to her discovery of her magic.

She did not discuss the traumatic events of the Erlking. There was enough for her parents to process right now without such a dreadful tale looming over them.

Jareth anxiously chewed the inside of his cheek.

"Robert? You have been extremely quiet. May I answer any questions you have?"

He started to shake his head when Karen gave him a certain look. He nodded, conceding to his wife's silent nudging.

"I have many. I am curious as to where you get your wealth from as a king."

Toby groaned quietly. He dreaded hearing his father go into politics sometimes.

Jareth was happy to oblige his future father-in-law.

"I have income from different sources. Some from taxes, some from inheritance as the grandson of the former High King and great-nephew to the current High Queen, and as an investor of the technology sector of my kingdom."

"Taxes?" Robert's critical tone didn't go unnoticed by anyone. "So, you're profiting off the people who do hard work? It's one of my main gripes against monarchies in general. Not necessarily the people in them. Mostly that we tolerate that system itself."

Julian leaned towards his wife. "I see where Sarah gets her forthright demeanor from. Of course, Jareth liked that about her."

"The same trait that drew Jareth to Sarah may be one that makes him struggle to get along with her father," Iliana quipped.

She wanted to admire the man but it was difficult when he was interrogating her son, though she would do the same in his position.

Jareth fitted another piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

"I understand that. Believe me, Robert. As I've mentioned about the nature of my work, I come across refugees and children. Think of me less as a rich noble and more as a leader of my kingdom. Similar to your president and even other public employees like teachers, do they not receive income through taxation?"

Robert did not relent.

"It's not as if they get opulent paychecks to have fancy balls and pretty tiaras."

"Does your president not hold state dinners? Does the First Lady not wear fashionable clothing? Do they not have butlers at their beck and call to cook at odd hours of the night if they so wished? Is that not important to have, so that they may focus on their work?"

It was one thing for Robert to learn of a new world with different sets of rules and creatures living in it. It was an entirely different thing to have his world view be questioned.

Ruben blew a whistle and mouthed, "Well done, Jareth."

The rest of the family agreed.

They hardly saw Jareth's diplomatic skills in action and found it fascinating to see him in such a manner. It was a strong reminder that he was not simply their son or brother.

He was a king, who earned his position.

"Then I stand corrected." Robert chuckled, seeming more and more impressed by Jareth. "And your investments?"

"What of them?"

"Are you not concerned about conflicts of interest or having ulterior motives where laws and decisions are made for your benefit as opposed to the people's?"

Jareth scratched the side of his head in thought. This was an intriguing question.

"I can see how it can be used this way. My kingdom has many checks and balances, but there is something to be said about choosing to direct funds or make other decisions for our own benefit. I will propose drafting a law that prevents such actions from being made."

Robert was taken aback. "That's it? You'll just… do it?"

"It must go through the other branches of government, and I will leave the task of writing the law itself to someone experienced in such matters, but yes."

Robert smiled for the first time since the dinner started.

"If only it was this easy to convince our world leaders!"

Everyone laughed, following suit. The tension in the room melted away to a familial warmth.

"But what of democracy? How do people choose policies and their leaders?"

"My kingdom cannot ever fully have that. I am the Goblin King. Goblins are a rare set of creatures that need a ruler. They are not animals of the wild where they fend for themselves. Their inherent nature demands for one. As I've explained earlier of my role in a kingdom that is both part of the Dreamworld and Faerie, it's much more complicated. That said, my subjects do have a day in their lives in their smaller villages and governments. I hold court where they can personally speak to me. It is not a perfect system, but I do try my best to give my subjects the opportunity to lead happy, fulfilling lives."

Robert nodded. "Well, thank you for answering my questions and humoring me."

"Of course."

"Am I supposed to call you Your Majesty or something like that?"

"You are welcome to visit my world, and if you do, it would be the protocol, and I would appreciate it. It would give more respect to my station and prevent others from using it against me. But here, I am just Jareth."

He held Sarah's hand in his lap. "Here, I am simply a man who loves your daughter with all that I am."

Despite Sarah being fully grown for so long and having been married before, Robert couldn't help but think of her as that little girl who snuggled up to him for stories.

"Then I have one more question."

"Please ask away." Jareth welcomed his curiosity.

Robert's jaw hardened as he pushed forth his last question.

"What are your intentions towards Sarah?"

Everyone held their breaths.

Ben stopped coloring.

Toby scooted towards Ava and Ruben.

Iliana held tightly to Julian's arm.

Karen nudged her husband a little. "Robert, this is the 21st century. And Sarah has a noble title of her own. Besides, she's nearing forty years old."

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder of how old I am, Karen," Sarah joked.

Karen shrugged sheepishly.

Robert held his hands up. "I know, I know. I'm not asking as a control thing but because I want to know as a father. As someone who loves her too. Where can your relationship lead? I know that so often, nobles have… side people. Is that the expectation for Sarah? I just want my daughter to be happy."

Sarah squeezed Jareth's hand.

It was time.

"Are you quite sure, Love?"

Jareth had to make sure that they were doing the right thing.

"What better time than now?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the crystal.

Ben giggled with delight.

Everyone gasped as the crystal was opened to reveal a beautiful ring. They all leaned over for a look.

Jareth slipped it on Sarah's left hand.

"I asked Sarah for her hand in marriage with the intent of not only making her my wife, but my queen. As champion, she has the right to rule independent of me, and we could co-rule, even if we weren't in a relationship. As I've said, I love her with all of my very being. I would do anything and everything for her. She will never be pushed to be a 'side person.' Nor will we have any 'side people' of our own. We will be each other's one and only."

He held an arm out to Ben, signaling for the boy to join them. Ben happily settled on Jareth's lap.

"Ben will be my son in every way possible. He will have all the rights and privileges of any prince. If by some horrible circumstance, Sarah and I split, I will continue to love him and care for him as if he were my flesh and blood. That said, his late father will never be forgotten. I am another person who has chosen to love Ben."

"I love you, Jareth." Ben snuggled into Jareth's chest as he often did.

"And I love you, my boy." Jareth kissed the top of his head.

"Finally!" Iliana grabbed Sarah, so she could kiss her cheeks. "When I first met you last year, I knew instantly that you were special to Jareth and even questioned if marriage was on the table. I am so pleased to hear that you will marry. You two are such a match."

"I am pleased to count you as a daughter."

Julian could not have been happier to see his son choose such a wonderful woman. "May you two always be blessed.

Robert wiped his eyes. "You've never been anything but good to us, and I can see how much you mean to her. I got skeptical of you all because I couldn't pinpoint why you all seemed so different. I can see now that you really, really love her, and Ben. A father couldn't have asked for more."

He addressed everyone else. "I apologize for how brash I've been today of all days. You all have the right to be upset at me. I shouldn't have lashed out and instead should have just asked straightforwardly."

He pulled Sarah, Jareth, and Ben in for a hug.

"Congratulations, you guys. Just make sure to visit your old man often."

"You'll be glad to hear it'll actually be easier to visit you now that you're aware of Jareth's magic!" Sarah was happy to share such news.

"Were you ever going to tell us?" Karen asked. "About the truth of the Underground?"

"We always were," Sarah replied. "We just weren't sure how to go about it. We wanted to share the news of the engagement and then more information at a later time."

"May I see the ring?" Ava inquired. "My goodness! It is beautiful."

"I dare say; this is a piece of art indeed," Julian held it up to the light. "And very shimmery."

"Much like your son!" Iliana laughed.

"Congrats, man." Toby clapped Jareth's shoulder. "Should I call you Big Bro now?"

He tried to recreate Jareth's mischievous grin.

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Keep that up, and I'll have you call me 'My Lord.'"

"Whatever, Dude." Toby winked.

Ruben couldn't stop laughing. "I shall call you that from now on as well, Jareth. Or shall I say, Dude?"

Jareth shoved both of them. "You are awful."

Robert looked around, sighing at the crazy mess Rieu made. "It's crazy to think that goblins are actually real."

Ben pouted. "I told you they were real! You just didn't believe me!"

"That you did, Bud," Robert smiled apologetically.

"Oh, Honey." Karen pulled him onto her lap. "We're so sorry we didn't."

"We still have to clean up the mess the goblins made."

Toby grabbed a mop and started to wipe the mashed potatoes off the floor.

Jareth took initiative, moving dishes off the dining table to retrieve the tablecloth for a wash.

"It's good to see royalty still doing mundane things such as cleaning, don't you think?" Karen asked Robert pointedly.

"As they should when Sarah doesn't have servants serving her hand and foot," Robert replied playfully. "Yes, I agree. It is nice to see such down-to-earth people with such high statuses."

"I'm sad about the pie," Julian frowned.

Iliana lovingly put a hand on his arm. "I will make it for you another time."

Ben helped to pass another paper towel to his mother. "What will we do with the goblins?"

"Such naughty things." Sarah shook her head. "Well, no treats for them, sadly."

"It's crazy to think that goblins are actually real," Robert commented. "My head is still reeling from it all."

"It does seem a shame that they can't spend the rest of the holiday with us though," Jareth remarked.

Sarah chuckled at this. "You? Having mercy towards the goblins?"

"I hope you don't plan on telling them this."

"My lips are sealed, Sire."

Sarah did a fake curtsey. "Can't we still involve them in some way?"

Jareth shrugged. "Well, we can't give them snacks. So, what would we do?"

"I know! Be right back!" Ben zoomed to his room.

When he emerged from the hallway, he held the baseball bat in his arms.

"Ta-da! Can I hit them?"

"What are we doing?" Robert and Toby were very interested in the bat. "Are we playing baseball, Ben?"

"More like goblin-ball!" Ben giggled.

Sarah turned to Jareth with a large smirk. "I like that idea. How about we all enjoy eating your macarons while watching Ben play goblin-ball?"

"You? Suggesting that we inflict punishment on them?" Jareth teased her back.

"Only if it's outside though." She gave him a serious look. "And look, it's not raining!"

Jareth set up a dome of illusion, so that the neighbors wouldn't see or hear them.

As it turns out, goblin-ball was a hit.

Literally.

Each goblin was lined up for Ben to hit, giggling as they flew towards the rotating adults, who would kick them.

"You have to move your whole upper body, Ben!" Toby shouted.

"I'm trying!"

He hit Beetun towards the fence instead of Jareth. "They're heavy!"

"The young lad will grow some strong muscles if he keeps this up!" Julian chomped down on a marshmallow that Sarah had in her cupboard.

He could not resist the sweets she had. "Ben, you are doing fantastic!"

Robert smacked his camcorder. "This old thing is driving me crazy. It's not working."

"Late me take a look, Dear," Karen inspected it.

"Karen, I don't know how you're going to fix it when you know next to nothing about cameras, whereas I-"

She took off the cap and handed it to him. She raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?"

"Uh-"

She pushed him towards the tripod that he had set up.

"Now go ahead and record your grandson hitting goblins."

"WHEEEEEEE!" Tewz screamed as he hit the dome. "Benny hit good!"

"Ten points for Ben!" Oatie held up a one and zero in the wrong order.

"Hit me next!" Blaggerspout pushed Iglepus out of the way.

"No, MEEEEE!" Iglepus pushed him out.

Ben threw his bat down. "No! Get in line, all of you! And no cutting!"

Jareth's family watched in amazement as the goblins listened to Ben's instructions.

"My goodness. I never thought anyone other than Jareth could do that," Iliana remarked.

"What can I say?" Sarah popped some popcorn in her mouth. "My kid's a natural at goblin discipline. Maybe he could start coaching some people for it."

After Ben got tired, everyone pitched in to play goblin-ball.

Julian and Jareth had a competition to see who could hit them the farthest. To Julian's disappointment, his son was much better than he was. He blamed it on the fact that Jareth had many chances to practice.

"Kingy?" Evie approached her king. "I don't want to be kicked today."

Jareth patted her head. "Then you will not get kicked. I understand that you tried your hardest to keep everyone at home."

"I did!" she sighed in relief and beamed at the acknowledgement from him.

Jareth looked around. He gave a piece of marshmallow to her.

"No one else gets a snack but you. I believe you deserve it because you listened to my orders. Do not let anyone see it."

"Thanks, Kingy!"

She hopped away and sat on the grass, laughing at her fellow goblins that enjoyed getting hit or kicked.

Long after Jareth's family had left and Sarah's was in bed, the two decided to go for a walk under the stars.

"Well, today was a disaster," Sarah remarked. "But it was also a huge success."

"I agree, Love." Jareth wrapped his arm around her, loving the feel of his body close to his.

"From your descriptions of your parents, you lead me to believe that you are more like your mother in personality. After seeing your father today, I disagree. You are quite like him."

"Is that a good thing or bad?" She laughed.

"Good, of course. He was…"

He dragged out the last word humorously. Sarah laughed at the dramatic flare.

"…less diplomatic than he should have been, but he was only worried for his daughter. I understand that. And I am no person to judge anyone for their tempers."

He spun her around, dipping her over his knee before bringing her up for a kiss.

"I am pleased that everyone was so happy for us all."

"As am I." Sarah hung onto his neck, kissing him quickly on the lips. "And, I have a surprise for you."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crystal.

Jareth grinned, shaking his head.

"You don't have to purchase me jewelry just because I gave you the engagement ring-"

He got quiet when Sarah popped the crystal open.

Her eyes sparkled with pure delight.

"No, no shiny jewelry today. Maybe Christmas. I thought you'd like this better."

She lifted the dried mistletoe out of the crystal and held it above both their heads.

"It's the same one from our first kiss," she explained.

Jareth didn't say anything. He didn't need to.

His eyes said it all.

That night, between the streets of the neighborhood, Jareth and Sarah shared the first of their many mistletoe kisses of the year with no one but street lamps and the stars to witness.