"I can bring you another slice of pie if you want," Lili suggested, as she watched wide-eyed how Puck almost... inhaled the pie.  As he had told Jareth, they were in his Majesty's study, seated on the comfortable armchairs.  Puck had a dish with pie on his lap and a fork in his hand. "On a second thought, I can bring you a whole pie," she added. "Delicious," he said, patting his stomach in a funny way.  "Are you being serious?" he asked with a wide smile. Lili chuckled.  "Yes." "Then, my Lady," Puck said solemnly, rising from his seat and bowing to her.  "I will be forever your most humble servant." This time, Lili blushed and laugh aloud.  "I don't want a servant... but I would be honored to consider you my friend." Puck looked intently at her and, completely defeated by her kindness, he nodded.  "We shall be friends," he said sincerely, his eyes twinkling merrily.  Then, he sat cross-legged, floating in the air before her.  He tilted his head.  "How does he treat you?" he asked, still surprised by the almost gentle tone Jareth had used with her. Lili stiffened a bit at his question and then smiled.  "In spite of his temper, he is not that bad.  At first I was very afraid of him, but now... I’m not.  Let's say that... he must be... handled with care," she answered with a hint of mischief. "Indeed," Puck agreed with a chuckle, noticing a brief tender glint in her eyes.  "That leads us to my second question.  How is that you became the old man's maid?" he asked with curiosity, for an odd reason he could not believe she was one of Jareth's summoners. A sudden sadness clouded her eyes.  Lili sighed and shrugged.  "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she answered, quoting Jareth and, at his puzzled glance, she told him what had happened that day... except for a little detail... that she was actually Sarah's sister.   "And the most annoying thing," she said, once she was finished, "is that I don't even know why he hates Sarah so much." Puck shook his head.  "He had no right to bring you here," he stated. Lili seemed to wilt.  "As I told you before, he is not that bad... but I do miss my family and friends," she whispered, bowing her head.  "It was not my choice," she added, looking at him again, a small grin on her face. Puck blinked and, not wanting her to be sad, he smiled impishly and leaned forward.  "Do you want to know what happened between the all mighty Goblin King and Sarah?" he inquired in his best gossip mode. "Of course!" Lili exclaimed, deeply interested. With his eyes twinkling merrily, Puck began his narration.  "Twenty-two years ago..." "Wow," was all that Lili managed to say -twenty minutes later- when the faery finished his tale.  She knew Sarah had been jealous when Toby had been born, but this was simply... unbelievable.  "That's why... he hates her so much?  That's why he wants to hurt Sarah's sister?  Because she... rejected him?"  Lili asked in a low voice, feeling something strange in her heart.  She shook her head, annoyed.  "But that’s ridiculous!  He kidnapped her brother and he wanted her to... love him?" she added in disbelief. "My friend," Puck began to say, a bit surprised by her serious -and slightly annoyed- voice.  "He is the Goblin King.  What else did you expect?  But no, he did not love her; maybe he was infatuated with her, but what really angered him -and still bothers him, as you may know- was that Sarah solved his precious Labyrinth.  The powerful Goblin King was defeated by a mortal girl!"  Puck explained, enjoying Jareth's predicament.  "He was--"  The mischievous faery abruptly stopped at the redhead's sad expression.  He tilted his head, obviously he had not succeeded in cheering her up.  "What is it, Young One?" he asked in an unusually concern voice. Lili mentally shook herself and choose not to be depressed.  She bit her lip and smiled at the nickname.  "I... am just impressed, that's all.  Did you say the Royal Court?" she asked then, with her best tell-me-a-story look. Noticing that his new friend really did not want to talk anymore about the incidents that indirectly had caused her presence in the Underground, Puck gladly decided to... enlighten her about the Royal Court.  He sat on the armchair and, with an impish smile on his handsome face, he started in his best narrator voice.  "The High Court of Avalon..." A couple of hours passed and a certain King began to regain consciousness... The sound of soft laughter reached to him.  He stirred on his bed and opened his eyes.  As he heard the laughter again, together with a loud “YES!” He sat bolt upright. Annoyed and worried to no end, and fully recovered, Jareth rose, magically changed his wrinkled clothes and hurried to his study with long strides. "Stop!" he yelled as he rudely opened the door... only to find Puck eating a pie and his maid seated by his side. They both turned to him.  The young woman looked at him with a puzzled, but relieved expression on her face and the faery with a mocking twinkle in his green eyes. "You’re okay!" she exclaimed with a grin. "What is the meaning of this?" Jareth asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest.  His previous concern turning into anger. Lili blinked and her grin faded.  Indeed he was fully recovered.  "I am sorry if we wake you up, your Majesty," she apologized, misunderstanding his reaction.  "It's just that I promised Puck blackberry pie and--" "Blackberry... pie?" Jareth interrupted her.  "You promised him... blackberry pie?" he repeated in disbelief, his fury slowly vanishing. "Of course.  What else did you think?" Puck asked innocently, eating a bit of pie. "Your Majesty?" Lili insisted with curiosity. "No... Nothing, of course," an uncomfortable Jareth said, sending a quick murderous glance to Puck and mentally kicking himself.  He cleared his throat.  "Lucy, you may retire... and no, I do not want you to bring me anything." Lili smiled and nodded at the king.  Then she turned to an amused Puck.  "Don't forget your pie." "Of course not, Young One," he answered in his merry mode.  "Not even an army of goblin kings would be able to stop me," he added with a wink. Lili chuckled and after a little bow, she finally left them alone. Jareth followed her with his gaze and then stared at the faery.  "The deal was blackberry pie?" he insisted, still not believing that the powerful Trickster had accepted such a simple thing... and that he had kept his part of the deal. Puck laughed and began to float across the room, as if he were swimming.  "Yes.  I admit I was tempted to ask her for something else... but her eyes..." "Are too innocent," Jareth finished for him with a small grin, but quickly recovered his kingly mode. "Ah... so you have noticed it too," the faery replied with a knowing look -that Jareth choose to ignore.  "I wonder what else have you noticed..." he added, but at the king's icy glare, Puck wisely decided not to press any further.  Even he knew when to stop teasing the bad tempered Goblin King.  "Anyway," he continued in an unusually serious voice, almost in a warning tone.  "For reasons beyond my comprehension, Lucy cares for you.  She is very special and she is now my friend... so do not dare harm her." "Yes, she cares," Jareth admitted in a faraway voice, but then shook himself.  "Are you... threatening me, Trickster?" he asked with a bemused raised eyebrow.  "Let me remind you that she is my maid... and no, I have no intentions to harm her." Puck blinked and shrugged, Jareth's possessive tone not lost on him.  Then, unable to keep his serious façade, he smiled mischievously again.  "By the way, do you know who attacked you?  Maybe a jealous husband... or an angry father...  You have been busy lately." Ignoring his last comment, Jareth shook his head and cleared his throat.  "No one attacked me," he said, as serious as he could manage.  "It was I who cast the spell." Puck cocked his head.  "You?  But--" he began to say and then opened his green eyes wide.  "Are you telling me that your spell... bounced?  That you... failed?" he asked and, at Jareth's embarrassed expression, he burst into laughter, floating all around the room.  "Your spell bounced!" he exclaimed, laughing.  "Bounced! Bounced! Bounced!" he repeated... bouncing around the chamber. Jareth flushed and then paled in anger.  He balled his hands into fists.  "ENOUGH!" he thundered.  In the blink of an eye, Puck fell at the king's feet, wrapped in chains.  "So," Jareth said with a dark tone and an equally dark smirk, looking down at him.  "My spell bounced.  Do you have any problem with that?" "No, oh Mighty One," Puck answered in an unusually humble voice... but still with impish eyes. Jareth's grin widened sinisterly.  "Good.  Now that we have that point clear, I want you to do something for me." "And in what thing this poor -and tight- faery could be of assistance, oh Greatest One?" Jareth rolled his eyes at Puck's tone and, not without regret, he snapped his fingers.  The chains vanished and the Trickster began to float again.  "I want you to locate someone for me.  Her name is Lili Williams." "Lili Williams?" Puck repeated, puzzled, and then it hit him.  "Lili Williams as in Sarah Williams?" he asked with a hint of mischief.  At Jareth's nod, he understood.  "The spell!  She was the aim!" "Yes," Jareth admitted, dryly.  "Well?" Puck tilted his head and took a hand to his chin.  Slowly, a smile spread on his face.  "As I asked your lovely maid-- what would you give me in return?" Jareth's grin mirrored the Trickster's.  "Oh, just a one way trip to the bog of Eternal Stench; cockroaches and mice included," Jareth answered with a shrug. With the impish smile still on his face, Puck shook his head and landed before him.  "That will not be necessary, oh Generous One.  I will do it for free," he said solemnly.  "Now, if you excuse me, there is a redheaded lady and a blackberry pie waiting for me."  With a final bow, Puck disappeared. Jareth let out an exasperate sigh and sat.  "I should have sent him to the bog anyway," he muttered, smiling at the thought.  However, his grin soon faded.  He could not do such a thing, because -in spite of himself- he did feel... grateful.  Unfortunately, he had the annoying feeling that he would be seeing the trickster a lot... and so would Lucy.  Jareth blinked in surprise and cocked his head.  Why did that particular thought bother him so much? The rest of the day passed quickly and, just like every night before going to bed, Lili went to the library to get a book.  To her surprise, she found the Goblin King seated by the fireplace.  He had his head leaned back and his eyes closed.   She blinked and quietly turned to leave. Just then, Jareth opened his eyes.  "Lucy," he suddenly called her. A bit startled, she looked at him and smiled apologetically.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." Jareth shook his head and rose.  "I was only resting." "Are you not feeling well?" Lili asked.  "Puck told me you were fully recovered." "And I am," he admitted with a small grin.  "What else did the Trickster tell you?" he asked then, interested, as he knew they had been talking for a while. Lili's grin widened and her eyes shone with amusement.  "He told me about the Royal Court and Avalon.  I‘ve never laughed so much," she answered. Jareth folded his arms across his chest; for some strange reason her comment bothered him.  "You did enjoy his company," he stated, becoming serious. "Oh, yes," Lili said, "he’s cute." Jareth slightly stiffened at that and an unexplainable anger began to rise within him.  "Cute?" he repeated dryly. Still lost in Puck's tales, Lili did not notice his icy tone.  She nodded.  "Yes.  He reminds me of my brother, they both have the same impish gaze." Jareth blinked and suddenly all his anger vanished.  "Your brother?" "Yes," Lili said and then, finally noticing something odd about him, she tilted her head.  "Is it something wrong, Your Majesty?"  She asked. Jareth quickly shook his head, briefly wondering why her previous words had upset him.  "No.  It is just that I do not like the Trickster.  He is powerful and dangerous.  You took a great risk in trusting him, child.  You should never make a deal with the Trickster of Avalon." "Or with the Goblin King," she said, unable to stop herself.  At his annoyed look, she apologized.  "Oh, I am sorry your Majesty... but did you realize that the same description... applies to you?" she added, for a second her eyes just as mischievous as Puck's. Jareth looked at her with a raised eyebrow and, in spite of himself; he smiled, amused. "Beware, child, I can still send you to the bog." Lili became serious, but she knew that he would not do such a thing -for the time being, at least.  "Anyway, what else could I have done?  I couldn’t just sit there and watch you suffer.  I can't stand other people's pain.  That's why I want-- well, wanted-- to be a doctor," she explained.  "There simply was no choice... I had to help you." Truly touched by her words, Jareth's gaze softened.  "And you did help me, child," he said softly, meeting her amber eyes, "but you were lucky.  He could have asked you for far more than a piece of pie..." Lili blushed under his stare -as always- but she did not lower her puzzled -and sweet- gaze. "I had nothing else to give... and I am not... a child," she managed to say. "Yes, you are," he whispered with a grin, but then he shook himself and recover his kingly air.  "What else did he tell you?" He asked again, still curious.  It was well known that Puck was Oberon's best information resource. Lili blinked and bit her lip.  "Well, he..." she started to mutter, smoothing her apron. At her grounded child look, Jareth immediately got his answer.  He stiffened and became serious.  "He told you about Sarah, did he not?" the king asked coldly. Lili nodded and lowered her gaze.  "I wanted to know," she admitted, stepping back, as if she wanted to remain near the door... just in case. Seeing her scared demeanor, Jareth's annoyance melted away.  "Well, now you know," he said, unable to hide his discomfort. Lili raised her head and looked at him with surprise.  He had not yelled at her!  She cleared her throat and, noticing his sadness, she sighed.  "I am so sorry, your Majesty," she said softly, "but you have to admit ... that kidnapping babies -not to mention turning them into goblins- is not the best way to win a woman's heart...  And from what I've heard... you don't seem to have any... trouble... with that," she added, blushing a bit as she remembered what the goblins had told her about his Majesty's girls. Jareth tilted his head and seemed amused for a second, but then he turned serious.  "I am the Goblin King!" he stated, as if that alone explained everything. "No one is telling you otherwise," Lili replied respectfully, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes, "but that happened twenty-two years ago.  Don't you think it is... enough time?" she dared to ask, almost sure that he would yell at her.  To her surprise, he didn't, he just shook his head. "Time means nothing to me, Lucy.  Sarah must pay and she will su--" he abruptly stopped at the sad-exasperated look his maid gave him.  He rolled his eyes and returned an exasperated gaze of his own.  "I will have my revenge!" he exclaimed, like a spoiled child. "But that will not make you happy!" Lili replied, a little bit louder that was customary for her. "Seeing Sarah in pain will make me incredibly happy," he insisted. "No, it won't," Lili repeated stubbornly, distractedly smoothing her apron. Jareth shook his head and could not help but smile.  It seemed that his maid was a bit... obstinate.  "Anyway, it is none of your concern," he stated, ending the subject. Lili only rolled her eyes.  If only you knew. Jareth just looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow.  Was she annoyed with him?  His grin widened at that strange thought.  Well, he knew how to fix that and besides, he did owe her something.  "You came for a book, did you not?" he asked then. Lili blinked, waking up, and nodded.  "Oh, yes.  I’d forgotten," she said, the smile returning to her face.  She approached one of the bookshelves and was about to pick up a book, when Jareth interrupted her. "Wait, try this one instead," he said, materializing a green book in his hand and offering it to her. Curious, she took it and when she saw the title, her eyes lit up. "Medicine Plants of the Underworld," she read.  She looked up at him in wonder, unable to say a word.  "Open it," Jareth said, strangely pleased by her grateful expression. Lili did so and gasped in awe.  Every time she turned a page, a perfect tridimensional image of the plant appeared, floating over said page.  "It’s beautiful," she finally whispered. "It is just a book," Jareth said, shrugging.  "I have hundreds of them, you can keep this one," he added in a bored voice, but with eyes twinkling in satisfaction. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Do not fool your self.  It is not a gift... all that happened is that I needed some room for more books," he said in the same tone as before. "Oh, of course not, your Majesty," Lili replied with a hint of mischief, playing his game. "Everybody knows that kings don’t make gifts to their maids." "Of course.  Now, go to sleep child.  I want to read." "Yes, your Majesty," she said with a smile.  "I want to read too.  Good night."  Lili made a little bow and left. Jareth watched her leave and smiled back.  Never had a woman thanked him so sincerely for such a simple gift... and never he had enjoyed giving one so much.  "Sweet dreams, child." Far away from the Goblin King’s realm, on the mythical island of Avalon... In the middle of the night Puck materialized in the most magical place of Avalon, a small and beautiful forest glade, where the Pond of Sight was located.  As its name suggested, the waters could show the past, the present and the future, but only the greatest faeries could summon its powers...  And, in spite of his mischievous nature, Puck was one of the greatest. Humming one of his favorite melodies, he sat on one of the stones that circled the pond and lowered his gaze.  As always, no reflection could be seen.  He extended his hand to touch the water and ask for Lili Williams -at Jareth's request- but he hesitated and withdrew his hand.  He knew the Goblin King would show no mercy to the poor girl, just for being Sarah's sister.  Puck blinked in surprise at his own feelings.  Why the concern?  He tilted his head and rested his chin on his hands.  Perhaps he unconsciously associated that girl with his new friend, Lucy... after all, they would be of the same age...  or maybe, he knew that Lucy would not like that girl to be harmed. He shook his head. "I am sorry, my friend," he whispered sincerely as he touched the smooth surface.  "Show me Sarah's sister.  Show me Lili Williams." At his command the water glowed and, slowly, an image began to appear... a sleeping girl... a redheaded sleeping girl... "What!"  Puck exclaimed in disbelief, once the girl's face was clearly visible.  He shook his head, and refusing to believe it, he repeated his order, but the result was the same: Lucy. The faery tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest at the unexpected revelation.  Now he understood his friend's sad -and slightly scared- expression when he had told her about Sarah and Jareth.   Poor child, living under the constant threat of the Goblin King!  "Well, I shall not let him harm her," Puck said to himself and then resumed his pensive pose.  How could it be that Jareth did not know?  The trickster's eyes twinkled and he touched the surface once again.  "Show me the past," he said. The magic water complied, allowing Puck to see what had bought about Jareth's mistake.  In his arrogance and haste, he had confused Sarah's sister with Sarah's maid!  The Trickster chuckled and rolled his eyes, but his amusement only lasted a couple of minutes before he sobered.  What would happen to his redheaded friend now?  True, during his brief visit, he did notice that Jareth did not treat her as a mere servant and that he seemed to like her, but...  Would it be that enough to override his hate for Sarah Williams?  Would the Goblin King forget about his revenge? Puck sighed and shook his head.  No.  Jareth would show no mercy.  Unless-- The Trickster suddenly stopped that dreadful thought as an idea hit him.  He smiled mischievously as the perfect solution occurred to him.  Yes, Jareth did seem to like her.  In fact, he had been... concerned for her.  And, on the other hand, Lu-- Lili was incredibly kind to him... even though she knew that he wanted to hurt her. "Yes!" he exclaimed, recovering his usual good mood and rubbing his hands.  "It is the perfect solution." "What is it that you want to solve?" a soft voice suddenly asked from behind him. A bit startled at the voice, Puck immediately rose and bowed respectfully to her owner, the queen of Avalon, Titania.  She was tall and slender, with silky blue hair that reached her waist and violet eyes that could see through lies.  She wore a simply white gown with a golden belt and had an expression of curiosity on her beautiful face. Puck tilted his head and smiled.  "Would you like to hear a story, your Majesty?" "A story?" she repeated a bit suspicious, as she sat on one of the stones.  "Does it have a happy ending?" she asked then, smoothing her dress. The Trickster sat by her side and touched the water.  "It has not an end yet," he answered enigmatically, lowering his eyes to the pond. Curious, Titania followed his gaze and saw a sleeping redheaded human girl.  "Who is the human child?" she asked, interested. Puck's grin widened.  "She is my friend..." The next day dawn found Lili in the library, as always.  She was seated on a couch, with her legs fold up beneath her and she held a book open in her hands. He silently appeared floating crossed legged before her.  He cocked his head and smiled, amused.  She was so focused on her book, that she had not noticed him.  He cleared his throat. Startled, the book fell from her hands and she looked up.  "Puck!" Lili greeted him, picking up the book.  "Do you want more pie?" she asked, bemused, raising an eyebrow. "I am offended!" he exclaimed in a mocking hurt tone.  "Do I need a reason to visit my friend?" Lili smiled.  "His majesty told me not to trust the trickster of Avalon," she teased him. "Oh!  The final blow!" Puck said and, taking both hands to his chest, he fell 'dead' at her feet. Lili chuckled and bent over him.  "Would a slice of chocolate cake be enough to comfort this suffering faery?" she asked solemnly. Puck opened his eyes and fixed his impish gaze upon her.  "Ah... so now you know what I am," he said, sitting crossed legged on the floor. Lili nodded and gave him her book. He read the title and grinned.  "A midsummer night's dream.  Good book, but I think William did not do me justice," he said, leaving the book on a side table. "It was very... enlightening," she replied in a mischievous tone, leaning back on the armchair.  "So, what brings you here?" she asked, looking at him with curiosity. Puck rose and stood in front of her, an unusually serious expression on his face. "What is it?" she asked, a bit concerned now. The faery's eyes glowed tenderly and he let out a sigh.  "We are friends, are we not?" Lili blinked.  "Yes." He smiled and knelt before her.  "In spite of what Jareth told you, you can trust me," he said.  "I will never let him harm you," he added sincerely. Lili stiffened at those words and, as she met his eyes, she realized that he... knew.  As if confirming her thoughts, Puck snapped his fingers and a flower materialized on her lap... a Lily. She held it and smiled sadly.  "I guess that sooner or later someone would have learned the truth," she whispered, bowing her head. Puck took a hand to her chin and gently forced her to raise her head.  "Do not worry, Young One.  I shall not tell him.  That is a promise.  Please, do not be sad." Lili's eyes widened and, to Puck's deep surprise, she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, my friend," she said softly, unable to stop the tears.  "He has never been... rude to me, but I am afraid... that if he learns who I am... he will..."  She just could not finish the sentence. "Hey, calm down.  If I were you I would not be so sure about that.  I too have noticed he has not been rude to you and, believe me, such a thing is truly strange," a moved Puck soothed her, gently stroking her hair.  "As I told you before you can trust me... Lili." Surprised by hearing her name, after so long, and by his words, she finally released him and smiled at him.  "Thank you," she repeated, drying her eyes. Slightly embarrassed, Puck smiled back. "There is something that I don't understand, though," she said then, a puzzled expression on her face.  "How did you... find me?  Since my arrival he has been trying to locate Lili Williams without avail." Puck's eyes twinkled.  "In Avalon there is magical pond that can show the past, the present and the future." "But his Majesty has his crystals.  I’ve seen him use them." The faery chuckled.  "Yes, but I know that he cast a sphere spell on you to erase your existence from your world." "Yes, he did," Lili confirmed, biting her lower lip. "Well, ironically, in doing that, he protected you... from himself," he explained, clearly amused. Lili blinked.  "He once told me that magic doesn't recognize me.  I have no magic." "Exactly!" Puck exclaimed.  "As long as his magic does not recognize you, you will be safe." Lili nodded and then she rose and went to the window.  She distractedly lay a hand on the pane.  "I still can't believe Sarah has solved that maze," she whispered, "but then, she’s always been so strong and brave," she finished, the admiration she felt for her older sister present in each word. Puck smiled and followed her.  "You are brave and strong too, Young One," he said.  "Or do you think there are a lot of people who can stand before the 'sweet' Goblin King without fainting?" he asked, emphasizing the word sweet.  Lili chuckled and turned to him.  "You really know how to cheer people up," she said. "Of course, my lady," Puck said with a bow and then he took her arm.  "Now, sit down with me and tell me about you." "About me?" she repeated, tilting her head. "Yes," Puck said, walking to the couch. Once they were seated, Puck materialized a bowl of popcorn on her lap.  Lili gasped in surprise, but then she smiled.  "Every body likes pop-corn," Puck said with a wink, taking a handful of popcorn.  "Now tell me about you, the real you, Lili Williams."