Title: Forever and a Day (1/1) Sequel to 'It's Only Forever'

Author: Elixie

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own any of it. Joss and who ever he's working with own the Buffyverse and those wonderful people at Henson own my beloved Goblin King. I just wish to see all of the men in this fic in tight pants *slap*

Dedication: morrwyn: Eli!!! I love the fic so far!! Do you have more of it?

elixie0: that's all there is too it

morrwyn: but

elixie0: but?

morrwyn: I want more.

elixie0: lol

elixie0: i'll see if i can come up with something

And with that conversation this story was born. With Morr and Sav as my muses, and with several viewings of "Band Candy" and "Labyrinth", I hope I was able to at least make it interesting.

****************************************

Giles woke up with a headache. That was always the result of having to deal with Ethan. But this time it was worth the pain. He thought back to the previous day. He had been sitting in a pub, feeling sorry for himself. He had left behind the other half of his heart and she was angry with him. She never returned his calls, nor would she let the others tell him how she was when they talked to him. While he was wallowing in self-pity, Ethan had come along.

The next thing he knew, Ripper had taken over. Ethan, never missing the chance at making Giles' life hell had brought him out, using Giles' depression to get around his defenses. And Ripper, being the want-take-have type, had come up with the idea of how to get Buffy to in his arms.

Ethan it turns out had also seen the movie that Bowie chap had done, and thought it was perfect. So they had conjured up the Labyrinth and set a pack of goblins on Spike. Then somehow, they were able to get Buffy to say the right words. Once they had started the illusion Giles had returned to himself, and found Ethan had locked them into it. He had no choice now but to play it out.

He still had to explain it to Buffy. When they had reached the ballroom fantasy, Giles saw a weakness in the spell that had made it possible for them to escape. Once back in the safety of the real world, Giles had gone back long enough to tell Ethan to let Spike go. He looked down at Buffy's sleeping form and smiled.

Yes for once, Ethan had done something good.

**********************************

Ethan watched as the lumbering form of Ludo closed in on the bleach blond vampire on the floor. What Ripper didn't know wouldn't hurt him. When Giles had told him to let Spike go, he had simply replied that he'd take care of it. He hadn't lied. He just left out some details. Just as the ginger coloured monster was about to snack on the quaking vamp, there was an explosion. Ethan leapt up from the throne and spun to see a tall, blond man. He looked almost to be made of marble, and his mismatched eyes were ablaze with anger. Ethan almost laughed at the fact the man's hair reminded him of a surprised dandelion, but the eyes cut it off before he could make a sound. Ethan started to tremble.

He had forgotten that there really was a Goblin King.

**************************

Jareth was pissed. He had gone to take care of something in one of the far corners of his kingdom when he felt it. Someone had invaded his castle. Calling up a crystal, he had watched the scene unfold. Who ever it was had decided to use his Labyrinth to play matchmaker.

How dare they!

He had changed into the barn owl that was his animal, and flown back. Upon entering his throne room, he had seen a man dressed as if he was the king and one of his subjects about to eat a vampire. This was the last straw. Vampires had been banned from the castle for the last thousand years and somehow this man had managed to get one in. And it was in his throne room no less. His anger getting the best of him, he had conjured a crystal and thrown it, causing an explosion that took out part of one wall.

"What in the nine levels of hell do you think you are doing?"

Ethan thought quickly, but before he could even try to lie, the man was upon him, holding him by the throat.

"I should throw you into the Bog of Eternal Stench for this!"

"Y-your Majesty let me explain." Ethan gasped. "It wasn't my idea. It was Rippers."

"But you are the one who is here. Yours is the magic I feel. Tell why I should believe you."

"If you can feel my magic, then you know I am not strong enough to have done this on my own."

Jareth considered this for a moment then released his hold on the wiry sorcerer.

"You're right. You couldn't have done this on your own."

Ethan started to relax thinking that he had managed to get out of this rather easy. That relief quickly went back to fear as the look in the Goblin Kings eyes changed to one of smug cunning. "Since you had company to invade my castle, you may have company while you rot in an oubliette."

Suddenly he vanished. Ethan felt a chill and realized that he had just sealed not only his, but Rippers fate as well. He wasn't sure who he'd rather have angry with him.

********************************************

Giles was just about to go back to sleep, when a cold wind ripped through the room. He and Buffy sat up. There at the foot of the bed, was the irate Goblin King.

"Foolish mortal. You dared trespass in my lands, and expected not to pay? You were wrong." He threw a crystal at Giles, who vanished. Buffy sprang out of the bed and went for the Fae's throat. He vanished and reappeared behind her. Buffy turned to face him.

"Where is he? Bring him back here."

"He is mine to punish, girl. He and his friend used their powers to take what was not theirs."

"Giles didn't do anything. He was being played by Ethan too."

Jareth sneered. "Is that what you think? Hah. Then you are foolish as well. Not only did he aid in the crime, he was the one who thought it up."

Buffy was stunned. Giles had been behind the whole thing? She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. Jareth looked at her. Perhaps he could use her pain to make the punishment even more effective.

Feigning sympathy, he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes.

"To show I am not entirely without compassion, I shall give you the chance to save them."

He held up yet another one of his crystal balls. In it Buffy saw the remains of the Factory.

>Why do they always go there?< she thought.

"They are here. You must rescue both of them. And I will even be generous. You may have this crystal to try and find them. They will have similar ones to watch you in. But be warned they will not be together." He turned to leave but stopped and faced Buffy again.

"Remember. You have to save them both or I get to keep all three of you. You used six of your thirteen hours to run my Labyrinth. The fact that you never finished it I will overlook. Therefore you have seven hours left in which to finish this task. It would be a pity if you lost your love so soon after finding it."

Then with another burst of wind he was gone. "And you might want to put some clothing on before you go," came drifting to her in the wind. That's when Buffy realized she had faced the King of the Goblins with out a stitch of clothing on her.

**********************************

Giles and Ethan sat in the dark. Jareth had told them that they would be separated once Buffy reached a certain point of the test. But for now he was letting them remain in the oubliette. He had left a crystal for them to see what was going on. And had even given Giles some clothes.

Giles watched as Buffy got dressed and made her way to the burned out remains of what was once Spikes lair. That got him to wondering where the vampire had got to.

"Ethan, you did let Spike go like I asked didn't you?"

Ethan shifted uncomfortably, "Er well, his Majesty showed up before I could finish him, um finish. So I have no idea where he is."

Giles groaned. It was bad enough that Jareth had told her what Giles had done before he could explain. Now he had the added burden of trying to figure out where Spike had gone to so that Buffy wouldn't hate him forever. It didn't help that he still had a headache. He looked into the crystal ball again, to find that Buffy had reached the building and was about to face the first of her challenges.

*********************************

Buffy looked at the building before her. It seemed the Goblin King had restored it to its pre-fire condition. But he had also removed the doors. Remembering that the Goblin King was known for playing tricks, she felt around the wall where the doors had been, hoping he had just made them invisible. As she ran her hands along the blank space in front of her, her hand suddenly went through.

She grinned and muttered to herself, "This isn't so hard. It's just like the Labyrinth." And went through.

To find herself back outside. Buffy stood there in shock for a moment. With a determined look on her face, she felt for the opening and went through once again and once again found herself outside. She let out a frustrated sound and leaned back against the wall forgetting that the opening was right behind her. She fell in and as she lay on the floor she realized she was in the building. It struck her that this was how she had gotten into the hedge maze.

"You could at least find something more original," she said to the air as she started to search.

*********************************

Jareth watched her with a grin. "So you want original, hmm." He pondered for a second. With a mischievous look in his eye, he let the crystal hover in the air, and vanished. He reappeared a moment later, Spike next to him. The vampire had a look of disgust on his face. The smell clinging to him gave a clue as to where he had been.

"Bollocks, that place stunk worse than a B'gathra demon, mate. And let me tell you, they are pretty ripe. So why am I still 'ere. I was a powerless pawn in their little game." He sounded cocky, but Jareth could see the fear in his eyes.

"I have a job for you."

"What makes you think I'll help?"

Jareth gestured to the crystal hanging there. In it Spike saw Buffy on her search. "You have feeling for this girl. How would you like to have her." He chuckled as the lustful look in Spike's eyes took over. This was going to be easier than he had thought.

******************************************

What force and strength cannot get through, I with a gentle touch

can do.

And many in the street would stand, were I not a friend at hand.

What am I?

Buffy stared at the poem scrawled on the door. Was this another of the tests? She tried the knob and found the door was locked. She stepped back and gave the door a karate kick. It wouldn't budge and now her foot hurt. She stared at the poem some more. The answer seemed to tease her for a moment. Then, as if it had been whispered to her, she had it.

"A key. I need a key to open this door."

"Which I happen to have right here, pet." Buffy turned to see Spike right behind her.

*************************************************

Giles and Ethan watched Buffy in the crystal that hovered before them. When she was trying to figure out the riddle, Giles couldn't help but whisper "a key"; desperately wishing she could hear him. Just as Spike had shown up, Jareth returned.

"Time to separate you, I'm afraid." With a wave of his hand, Ethan disappeared. He then grabbed Giles by the arm. They were suddenly in darkened room. Jareth released him and started to fade. "You may keep the crystal for now. Since you don't know how to use it's magic, it won't help you get out. All it will do is let you observe. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used to being here. " And by the last word he was gone completely.

***********************************

"What are you doing here, Spike?"

"I came to lend a hand. Or two if you want. Or even…"

"Ok Spike, I get the idea. Now give me the key." Buffy held out her hand. Spike leered at her for a moment. "Don't even think about saying it Spike."

Spike got a disappointed look on his face and handed her the key. "If you're gonna be that way about it, I'll just go away and let you try to figure out where you're going by yourself. It not like this wasn't my lair for god knows how long when me and Dru were together."

Buffy paused, her hand ready to turn the key. "What are you trying to tell me, Spike?"

"I know my way around here like the back of my hand. I thought you could use a little help in finding all the hidden nooks and crannies." Spike turned to leave. "But if you want to go it alone, that's fine too."

Buffy was torn. On the one hand, Spike had a way of getting on her last nerve, but on the other, he did know this building better than her. "Fine Spike. You can come with me. But if you try anything, I'll stake you." Then she turned the key and opened the door.

There sat Ethan, still in his goblin king costume. As soon as the door opened, he stood up and ran towards Buffy. He skidded to a stop when he saw Spike behind her. "Um, Thanks for rescuing me, but I think I'll be going now." He said.

"No way buster. I have to get both of you out of here. And the only way I can be sure you get out is if you stay with me." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. "Ok Spike, where's the most likely place to find Giles."

"Probably the way you came. There's a room off the main floor that had a cage in it me and Dru used to keep our snacks in."

"That's disgusting."

"I am the Big Bad remember, pet."

"In your dreams," Buffy muttered as she went back the way she had come from.

"Yours too I hope." He grabbed Ethan before he could follow Buffy. "And you, I'm not done with you mate. As soon as she fails to get her Watcherman back, I'm gonna enjoy repaying you."

"Word is you got neutered and can't hit humans, so I'm really shaking in my tights here."

"But I can hit bad guys, and you, my friend, qualify." Spike punched him in the stomach and immediately groaned and grabbed his head. "Bloody hell, you'd think they'd give me a break on this one."

Ethan doubled over for a second then stood up with a stake in his hand. "I may not be able to use my powers, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Buffy turned around and stomped back to them. "Guy, you can have the 'Battle of the Bads' later. Right now we're going to find Giles. Now let's go before I kick both of your asses."

*************************************************

"No Buffy, he's leading you back to the beginning. Don't trust him." Giles whispered frantically to the crystal in his hand. He had to find a way to get her to hear him, but the Goblin King had been right, the Underground magic was not something he could get control of. He had tried several spells to see if he could use the crystal to his advantage and all he'd achieved was a gradual worsening of his headache. He closed his eyes and lay back on the bed.

Jareth had put him in the room that still housed many of Drusilla's dolls. Along with the rest of the building, Jareth had restored them to their pre-fire state. Tiny eyes stared at him, almost seeming to laugh in the light the glass sphere cast into the room. "What do you think Miss Edith? Is there a way to let Buffy know?" Then he chuckled. At least he wasn't expecting an answer, he thought as he closed his eyes for a moment.

>You're using the wrong magic< a voice whispered.

Giles sat up like he had been pinched and stared at the dolls. Then he shook his head. "This headache must be worse than I thought." Giles muttered and lay back down. But it got him thinking. When Buffy had been trying to solve the riddle, he had been making a wish when he had whispered the answer. She had immediately responded. Perhaps she had heard him, but just didn't realize it. He looked into the crystal to see where they were; hoping that he could get through to Buffy before the vampire had led her too far away.

********************************************************************

Buffy opened the door Spike had led them too. She could just make out the cage in the center of the darkened room. While it seemed the cage was empty, Buffy could see something moving farther into the room. As she moved in closer to investigate, something brushed her ankle. Looking down, she saw nothing, so she kept going. About halfway into the room, her 'spidey senses' started to tingle. She was about to turn around when suddenly it felt like a rope had been thrown over her. Looking down, she saw that it was a vine of some kind. She struggled to get loose, but only got drawn in further as more vines wrapped themselves around her.

Spike watched from the doorway in horror as the vines started to choke the life out of her. He sprang forward with a shout. Just as he reached Buffy, a vine shot out and pierced him in the heart. Buffy watched as he turned to dust, stopping in her struggle for a moment. Stunned by what she saw, she didn't realize that the vines had loosened slightly when she had stopped fighting.

***********************************

Giles however had seen it. "It's like a Chinese finger trap!" He looked into the crystal. "I wish Buffy could hear me." He felt it grew warm in his hands. Taking this as a sign that it would work, Giles called out to Buffy. "Don't fight the vines. The more you fight the tighter they'll get. Try to relax and you should be able to get out." He watched as Buffy looked around in confusion.

*******************************************

Jareth sat up in his throne. This was impossible. Somehow, this Giles fellow had figured out how to use the Underground magic of his crystal. Jareth had to think quickly. If he could use it, then he would be able to tell the girl where to find him. The Goblin King got a smile as he thought. Giles had a headache. That much was obvious by how he would hold his head and groan every so often. Jareth could do him a favour by offering to rid him of that headache. After it got worse that is. Such a pity about the vampire, though. He had possibilities.

******************************************************

Buffy was looking at the dust that had been Spike, when she suddenly heard Giles' voice telling her to stop fighting. Not sure if it was another of Jareth's tricks, she willed herself to be still anyway. The vines suddenly fell away, causing her to lose her balance and lurch forward. She regained her balance and ran as quickly as she could back out the door. Surprisingly, Ethan was still standing there waiting for her.

"If you're finished playing, I'd like to get Ripper and get out of here."

Buffy stood there with her mouth hanging open. "Playing? You…I…oh!" she groaned in frustration and stalked away with Ethan following her, chuckling the whole time.

*********************************************

Giles lay back on the bed. He felt like his head was about to explode. Suddenly, Jareth appeared next to the bed.

"I can make the pain go away if you like."

Giles squinted at him. He didn't trust the Fae, but if the pain didn't stop soon, he felt he would go insane. Giles looked warily at him and nodded, that slight movement making the pain worse. Jareth smiled.

"Very well." He waved his hand over Giles, who suddenly felt himself falling asleep. He struggled against it, but it was no use. As sleep claimed him, he heard the Goblin King chuckle. His final thought was a wish that Buffy would be able to find him in time.

************************************

As Buffy walked, she thought about what had happened in the room with the vines. She was sure she had heard Giles voice, but had not heard anything more form him. She and Ethan had checked every room they came across. Buffy sighed as she opened another door. It seemed that when he had restored the building, Jareth had made it a labyrinth as well. There were more rooms than she remembered, and they had been searching for hours. There had been no more surprises, but there had also been no sign of Giles.

"I wish someone would tell me where Giles is." As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt something warm in the pocket of her jacket. She reached in and pulled out the crystal that Jareth had given her. With everything that had been going on, she had forgotten about it. Ethan looked over her shoulder at it.

"Why is it glowing?"

Buffy was about to say she didn't know when a voice made them look into the room she had just opened.

"The cheese is not what you seek. But the cheese will give you a clue."

Buffy and Ethan looked up to see a strange man standing next to a tray of different cheeses. Buffy recognized him as the cheeseman from the dream she had after defeating Adam.

"The cheese will give me a clue? Who do I look like, Daphne from Scooby Doo? What kind of clue can cheese give me?"

"Look to the cheese. It will tell." Then the cheeseman faded away, leaving behind the tray. Buffy looked at it. The cheese had been formed into shapes. As Buffy stared at them, she realized that they were shaped like people. No not people, she thought, dolls, it's shaped like dolls. Suddenly, it hit her. Dolls. Drusilla's bedroom. One of the places she hadn't looked yet. It had been too obvious a place to look so she hadn't been there yet. Grabbing Ethan's hand she took off.

"Why Buffy, does this mean you want me?" Ethan said as he tried to keep up.

Buffy didn't even dignify it with an answer. She just kept going, hoping she still had time.

*******************************************

Jareth watched them run. Did everyone know how to work his crystals? He sighed. But then he remembered that even if she got there in time, she still had to get him out of the building. Since he was asleep it would make it more difficult. He looked at the thirteen-hour clock. Only fifteen minutes left. She'd never figure out how to wake him up and he was too heavy for her to carry. He decided to wait with the sleeping Watcher.

Just in case.

************************************

Buffy and Ethan reached the door of the bedroom and burst in. Giles was asleep on the bed, his crystal held loosely in his hand. She leaned over him and tried shaking him awake. He didn’t stir.

"Is that how you wake your Prince Charming? No wonder you have such bad luck with men."

Buffy saw Jareth step out of the shadows; a smirk on is face. She started to go over the bed after him when he gestured toward a clock.

"We really don't have time for this you know. If you want to save him, you still have to get him out of here."

Buffy looked back at Giles. Something Jareth had said teased her brain. Waking Prince Charming. Usually Prince Charming woke the princess with a…

Suddenly she leaned over and kissed Giles on the lips. Jareth frowned as Giles stirred. The clock started to strike the hour as Giles stirred. Buffy took Ethan's hand again and put hers on the crystal that Giles held.

"I wish we were out of here. Right Now!"

"NO!" Jareth cried as the three of them disappeared. He too then vanished in a swirl of glitter. They all reappeared outside the building, which had now resumed its burned out look. Buffy was helping Giles stand. "You have beaten me. Very impressive. They are yours. I will leave you to deal with them, for they have wronged you as well." Then he was gone.

Buffy looked at Giles, then slapped him across the face. "How dare you lie to me. You made me think that Ethan was behind the whole thing." Giles looked at the ground, pain on his face.

"Buffy, I was going to tell you. I just wasn't sure how."

Ethan groaned and rolled his eyes. "I don't know why I'm doing this, but it wasn't really his fault." Buffy glared at him.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan smirked. "Do you really think that he would do anything to make you hate him more than you already did? I found him being a depressed mess, so I decided to cheer him up. I put a spell on him to make him Ripper. And since Ripper will do stuff that Giles won't, well, you know the rest."

Buffy didn’t even waste words on the wily sorcerer. She just hit him.

Several times. Hard. Giles grabbed her arms.

"Buffy please. Let him go."

Buffy stared at him. "Let him go? After everything he put us through? Why should I let him go?"

"Because if he hadn't, we would still be apart. Even if his methods were twisted and perverse, something good came out of it. That is if you still want to be with me."

Buffy stood there and looked from one to the other. "Fine. I'll let him go. I'm not happy about it, but you have a point. He did a good deed for once."

"Don't remind me." Ethan muttered as he slowly got up off the ground. "So, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave the two of you to kiss and make up. Unless you'd like me to help?" He winked.

Buffy made to move toward him. Ethan put his hands up in front of him. "Ok I was just kidding. I'll go away and let you do whatever it is you're going to do." Then he turned and walked away. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He called back over his shoulder.

"Is there anything he wouldn't do?" Buffy mused aloud.

Giles grinned. "Not much, but I could show a few things he would do."