The Wee Folk

Jareth paced, barred from his own chamber, as his wife yelled in pain.

He had been allowed with her before she became fully dilated, but then had been ushered out by the midwife and her healers.

Tryvik was standing beside him, at the ready in case of the worst happening, and the midwife needed an extra healer.

"It sounds like she's dying." Jareth spoke quietly to his father, worry etched in his face and body. Oberan and Rosal had reappeared, angry at the fact that they had been duped, to find that their daughter in law was in labor.

"It will pass." Rosal spoke from her seat guarding the chamber doors. Fae tradition dictated that males were not allowed within the birth room, or in this case Jareth's bedroom as it was where Sarah had wanted and Jareth had no arguments.

Though truly at the time he was unable to deny his beloved anything.

"It sounds unending." Jareth worried as he began to pace once more, first on the floor, than walls, ceiling and back to floor. His boots clicking again and again on the marble as he walked.

"Jareth that is not helping!" Sarah screamed from their bed chamber and Jareth froze, unsure of what to do, before he began to pace once more.

After what seemed like days, a high pitched wail was heard from the room and this time Jareth paused, back on the floor, and then froze.

He could not take his eyes off the door to his rooms and, when the midwife opened the door, he bolted in.

Sarah laid exhausted on their bed, a tiny swaddled bundle resting in her arms.

Pavo sat at the end of her bed, ever her guard, as Jareth rushed over to them and looked down at his son.

"Would you like to hold him?" Sarah questioned in a tired voice, and suddenly Jareth had never looked more frightened.

"Oh, honestly! You have held hundreds of children and none of them were harmed!" Sarah admonished as Jareth sat on the bed beside her.

"But none of them were my son." Jareth spoke quietly and, before he could react, Sarah sat up and placed their child in his arms.

Almost at once the babe began to cry.

"Well, at least he is a good sense of character." Sarah teased as she smoothed down her son's small fuzz of light hair, he stilled and promptly went back to sleep.

"Oh bugger, he's as fickle as his father." She muttered before laying back against the pillows.

"Jareth?" Her beloved had not said a word and Sarah was beginning to be concerned. She had been, almost, certain that he would have been boasting about their child around now. Or the fact that he now had a son without having to do the dirty work.

"He is perfect." Jareth whispered as he stared unblinkingly at the child in his arms.

"He is our son, would you expect anything less?"

"No." Jareth laid back next to his lady love, their son back in Sarah's arms, and Sarah in Jareth's.

As was costume Oberon and Rosal were the next to see the babe.

After what felt like hours more, the in-laws were chased from the bedroom to give the new mother and child rest. Though Jareth refused to leave her side.

Oribsean stirred in his mother's arms, making both parents groaned. Already they had learned that their son had strong lungs.

"Deep peace of the running wave to you, deep peace of the flowing air to you, deep peace of the shinning stars to you, deep peace of the son of peace to you." Sarah sang softly as she gently rocked Oribsean in her arms and he settled.

Sarah and Jareth shared a look of complete relief...and then the crashing began.

"Willy! Rob 'I tols ya to go AROUND the mettle thinga, not threw it!" Cried a desperate voice and Oribsean began to wail once more.

"What idiot allowed those creatures in my palace!" Jareth roared as several small, seemingly (because of their clan tattoos) blue men entered the royal chamber.

"We comes to bring a...what had the hag called it?" The clam chief questioned as he turned to the closest companion.

"Peace sacrifice?"

"No, ya idiot. A peace OFFERING." Commented a third as he punched the second and a brief fight broke out among the small creatures.

"Really? That does no' sound right. Perhaps the wee hag should hav' come along." Oribsean quieted as he spotted the funny looking creatures and began laughing.

"Wee free men, what are you doing here? My husband had you lot banished from Faire ages ago." Sarah spoke softly as she held Oribsean close against her breast, not trusting the little men as far as she could drop kick them.

"We wished to sees the babe, an the wee hag tols us to bring offerin." The clan leader, Rob Anybody, explained.

"Where is your hag?" Sarah questioned for she knew Miss Aching would be easier to speak to than the goblin-like (in mind and drinking abilities) creatures.

"Busy with the lambing, and the makin of sheep ligament." Rob said with a conspiratorial wink as he leaned closer to the royal couple.

"Very well then, we accept your offer of peace, but would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourselves." Sarah said, her eyes never leaving Rob's, but also aware of the free men attempting to steal from her jewelry box.

The Wee free men, as they called themselves, moved extremely fast and could carry a full grown man without breaking a sweat.

They were good at five things drinking, fighting, stealing, getting into ANYTHING (including dreams or death, it was actually harder to get out again then to get in), and being banished. Jareth had exiled them into the between ages ago for...well no one actually knew some say they plotted to over throw him and some believe they got just a little too drunk.

The Wee free men claimed it was their choice to leave and, as they said, "No kings, no queen, no lords, no masters! We are the Wee free men!", or something along the lines of that. Sarah honestly could never remember.

The Wee free men suddenly gathered close together to show that they were all accounted for (and not stealing anything).

"How did you even get into my palace?" Jareth demanded and the small men all gave their best expression of innocence. Which was even worse than Jareth's.

"I don' like bein the knees." One muttered and had several elbows jabbed into his side before he could next draw breath.

Beside her, Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers before glaring at the little imps.

"I want you all out immediately. We accept your offering, now just get out."

"Er...well, you sees the issue bein it's easier to get in than out-"

"You lot are extremely durable, correct?" Jareth questioned and Rob nodded quickly.

"Oh, yes! Wee hag tossa us abou' all the time for readin her lock book, but I says what's the point of lockin a book if the lock ain't meant to be picked? So she-" Sarah never found out what Tiffany did next for Jareth had promptly summoned a wind and tossed the whole lot out of the chamber windows.

"The witch deserves a medal." Jareth muttered as he drew Sarah closer and nuzzled her hair.

Sarah could not help feeling that she also deserved a medal for dealing with him, but was wise enough to not voice her thoughts since he was warm and she was comfortable.

The newly forged family fell asleep in the giant bed of the king.

A/N: I could not help but add in the disc world terrors since I love the Tiffany Aching series and wish they would get reprinted to make them easier to find. I know he made more than just three; except I cannot find the one after Wintersmith. So instead I barrow them and toss them out windows.