~Chapter Three~

So that was the chill Sarah felt. She remembered then the simple words Trevor had spoken. He wouldn't do nothing to you, Auntie Sarah. You're his bestest friend. They echoed in her mind, but seemed not to mean anything now. "Give me your crystal, Sarah," Jareth demanded, trying to hold back his anger.

"No, Jareth. I'll help you find Trevor! I want to get him back just as much as you do! I-"

Before she could blink, Jareth seized her arm and pulled her to him.

"Give it to me, Sarah." He repeated, looking into her eyes and tightening his grip on her arm.

"You're hurting me…" Sarah whispered weakly, swallowing.

"I'll do more than that, believe me!"

"Sarah, please just give it to him." Ana slowly released Jareth's hold on her friend. "Please."

The woman obeyed; she pulled the crystal from the air and handed it to the King.

"I'm sending you back." Jareth told her. "You've caused enough trouble already!"

Sarah was about to protest when a bright light forced her shield her eyes.

A small cry escaped her lips when she found she was back in her room at the orphanage.

* * * * *

"Sarah?" Ellie knocked on her door, then poked her head in the room. "Honey, do you need to talk? You've been in here for awhile." When she got no answer, Ellie added, "The children miss you."

A quiet sob came from behind Sarah's bed; Ellie went around it and there she was. "What's wrong, Sarah?" She asked, sitting down beside her friend.

Sarah faced her and swallowed. Ellie was so motherly, and not just with the children. Anthony, Keisha, and Sarah herself always benefited from her knowing advice. She only hoped Ellie could help her this time as well.

"I've lost one of my best friends," Sarah spilled out. "I know it shouldn't be such a big deal…"

"Are you kidding me? Of course losing a best friend is a big deal." She let Sarah rest her head on her shoulder and sighed. "What happened? Wanna tell ol' Ellie about it?"

"You're only a year younger than me." Sarah reminded her, attempting a smile. Ellie shrugged slightly.

"Anyway…?"

"Anyway," Sarah repeated, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, "I…lost his child…"

"Lost?" Ellie blinked. "Define lost, Sarah."

"The boy was kidnapped." Sarah elaborated. "I was supposed to be watching him…we…we played hide-and-seek and he hid…and I couldn't find him…" She began to sob again; Ellie got to her feet slowly.

"How come you didn't go to the police?" She asked logically.

"Oh, the police would never find him!" Sarah argued, shaking her head.

"Well, do you know who kidnapped him?"

"Yeah. Fairies."

"This isn't a time to joke, Sarah." Ellie frowned.

"Who's joking?" Sarah mumbled, then sighed and wiped away more tears. "Besides, my 'friend' doesn't want my help. He'd kill me as soon as look at me."

"It was an accident." Ellie's was appalled that Sarah would say such a thing. "He wouldn't do that."

"That bastard told me to my face he'd kill me!" Sarah screamed. Ellie stepped back slightly and blinked again. Sarah remembered that position; she'd been just as confused and frightened when Jareth threatened her. "I'm…sorry, Ellie. I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"Just try and keep your voice down, Sarah." Ellie ordered in a low, angry tone. "There are kids nearby."

With that, she walked out quickly, slamming Sarah's door behind her.

* * * * *

"When do we get to kill the little brat?!" Lydia folder her arms across her chest. "I can't stand Jareth and that family of his!"

"We must only wait but a little longer, Lydia."

The younger of the now two fairies turned and looked up at her queen.

Mystina had a regal manner about her; her head was always held high. Midnight black hair, piercing green eyes, extremely fair skin. Unlike any of the Fae. The queen was not one to be crossed. But Lydia knew how she really was.

"Your Highness, with all do respect, this plan of your is…well, stupid."

"Lydia, shut up."

"No. And I want to kill him now!"

Mystina sighed and shrugged, brushing lightly past Lydia.

"Gee, and they made me queen, instead of anyone else, because? It must be," she faced her companion again, "that I have more than adequate plans!"

"Well, might as well go over it again." Lydia rolled here eyes. "I mean, since I'm going to have to help you regardless of whether I protest or not." Mystina sighed once more.

"We kidnapped Prince Trevor to kill him, so we can take over our own lands. But first, we hold the child a few days. Jareth already knows we have his son, so we offer ransom. And when he's just about to get the boy back, we kill him, at the King's expense."

"Yeah, so what do I do in the mean time, Mysti?" the young fairy asked. Her queen raised an eyebrow. "I mean, your Highness." Lydia said between clenched teeth.

"Keep an eye on the human, of course." Answered Mystina.

"I thought you told me she wouldn't be a problem…"

"Yes, well, I have an odd feeling that she'll interfere somehow."

"And I have to make sure that doesn't happen?" Lydia put her hands on her hips.

"Just watch her, Oh Demanding One." It was the queen's turn to roll her eyes.

* * * * *

Sarah lay on her bed, starring up at the ceiling. It had been two days since Trevor was kidnapped. Ellie basically ignored her. But what bothered Sarah most was that she could do nothing to help. As a tear rolled down her cheek, then another, Sarah turned onto her side and slowly cried herself to sleep.

A hand shaking her shoulder awoke her a few hours later.

"Sarah, get up. I know you want to help find Trevor."

At this, the woman sprang up and whirled around.

Catrina stood beside her bed, a worried yet serious expression on her face.

"Catrina!" Sarah hugged her tight and began to cry again. "I didn't know you knew."

"Daddy told me. When he had time, between his plans for revenge." She lowered her voice. "For you, as well as the Fae."

"Do you…blame me, too?" Sarah pulled away and looked Catrina in the eye.

"Oh, Sarah, no! Mom doesn't, either! If either of us had been playing with Trevor, we'd have been the one to lose him!"

"But it wasn't you or your mother. It was me." Sarah got off the bed slowly; Catrina barely had time to catch her as her knees fell out from under her.

"Sarah!" she screamed suddenly.

"I haven't been out of my room for days, I guess." Sarah admitted as her friend helped her back onto her bed. "I haven't eaten or slept much, either."

"Then my plan may be useless." Catrina sat down next to her and sighed.

"Plan?" Excitement welled up in Sarah. "You know a way to get Trevor back?"

"It might not work." Catrina bit her lip.

"I'll do anything to get him back!" Sarah argued, taking a deep breath when slight dizziness hit her. Catrina noticed this, and shook her head.

"I can't ask you to help now. You're too weak."

"I'm going with you." Sarah protested. Catrina sighed and stood up, then pulled something from the air.

"Fine, but eat this first."

"Ohhh, no!" Sarah, taking one look at the peach, backed up on the bed and waved her hands. "Not a chance in hell!"

"For God's sake, Sarah, daddy didn't make this; I did!" Catrina held it out to her demandingly.

Sarah hesitantly reached out and took it; another deep breath and she bit into the peach.

Nothing happened. Sarah chewed and swallowed. It was a normal, juicy peach. "See?" Catrina half-smiled.

"What's it supposed to do?"

"It's supposed to make you feel better." Catrina grabbed Sarah's free arm. "Let's go!"

Sarah opened her mouth to say something, but by then, they were gone.

* * * * *

The next thing Sarah knew, she and Catrina were just outside the Oubliette.

"What are we doing here?!" She inquired, her voice echoing.

"Shhhh!" Catrina put a finger to her lips. "Now, the reason we're here is because there's a back way to Fae." She pointed to a dark space past a false alarm. "Just follow that path for a bit, and you'll be there in no time."

"Can't you come with me?" Sarah asked, sounding like a child on the first day of school.

"I want to, but I can't." Catrina said sadly, bowing her head. "The Fae would sense my presence and kill Trevor and I both. But you're human; they've not had any humans in their land before."

"What do I do when I get there?" Sarah wondered, her expression full of fear.

"Fae is huge, from what daddy told me, but there's a large, green cave there, called The Cavern of Thought, which you'll find easily. Once inside, focus only on Trevor, and the energy in the cave will bring you to him." Catrina looked hopeful.

Sarah took another deep breath and turned toward the dark path. She'd get to help the Prince after all, and that gave her new strength. "Goodbye, Catrina."

"Good luck, Sarah." Catrina wrapped her arms around her waist as she watched her friend go. "Bring my baby brother back safely."

And they both went their separate ways.