Labyrinth 1. Chapter 1

**A/N Okay so, this is my first Labyrinth fic and I've been working on it for a while but there is still a lot to go! I haven't written much so far so you will have to bear with me regarding updates, plus am at university so I kinda need to put my work before this but we'll see. Any suggestions etc are appreciated. Enjoy!**

_**Forever You**_

_Three years on and Sarah Williams is still plagued with thoughts of her time in the Labyrinth. Yet, as her memories begin to fade she cannot help but question her sanity and wonder if the events in the Underground actually happened at all. Jareth, on the other hand simply watches on, counting down the hours until he can finally make the champion of the Labyrinth his._

**CHAPTER ONE**

_"Give me the child," the words fell effortlessly from her lips, a line spoken a thousand times before._

_"Sarah, beware, I have been generous until now, but I can be cruel."_

_"Generous? She asked, incredulous and her tone bitter "What have you done that was generous?"_

_"Everything!" He snapped. "Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken; I took him. You cowered before me; I was frightening." Moving closer, he drew her attention to the thirteen-hour clock floating in the air beside them. "I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?"_

_Her comeback became lost in her throat as she realised he was right, of course he was. He had only done these things because she had asked, if not demanded them from him. But she could not falter, not even for a second – Toby needed her. Closing her mind, Sarah continued almost robotically with the monologue, determined to come out of this the victor._

_"Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours -"_

_"Stop!" Jareth demanded, holding his hand out to her. "Look at what I can give you." A crystal ball appeared in his outstretched hand. "Your dreams."_

_" – and my kingdom is great."_

_"I ask for so little, just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want"_

"_My kingdom is great..." Sarah's heart began to sink as she once more struggled to remember the final line. But there was no book to check this time, and there was everything to lose. "Damn, I can never remember that line"_

_The Goblin King's eyes flashed with glee at the sight of the young girl struggling before him. He was so close._

"_Just fear me, love me," the Goblin King spoke softly, only the slightest trace of desperation hidden in his voice "do as I say, and I will be your slave."_

"_My kingdom is great...my kingdom is great..." Toby was slipping away from her, her baby brother was to be lost forever and it was all her fault. She needed more time, more control, more power._

_Power._

_And for the final time, Sarah's deep brown eyes locked with Jareth's manic mismatched pair, a weak smile of triumph emerging on her lips. She had won._

"_You have no power over me."_

"Sarah, are you even listening to me?"

Rousing slowly from her stupor, it took nearly another thirty seconds before Sarah realised her stepmother's annoyed words were directed at her. This wouldn't be the first time she had unintentionally ignored her and it would not be the last.

"Sorry, sorry," she garbled apologetically, hoping her eyes showed sincerity. "What were you saying?"

"I was _asking_ you whether you'd given any thought to what you want to do for your birthday next week Sarah, but quite clearly your thoughts are elsewhere"

Pausing for a second, Sarah's mind worked quickly in order to come up with a half decent answer to give to the woman before her. Unfortunately, it came up short.

"Oh..I, er..not yet, no."

Sighing loudly, Karen Williams turned away from her spacey stepdaughter to return to the half kneaded dough waiting for her on the opposite kitchen counter. She knew Sarah was a bright girl with a "good head on her shoulders" as her husband had mentioned once but she still could not help but feel exhausted with frustration at her lack of organisation and her reluctance to pay attention.

Karen had been present in Sarah's life for nearly ten years now but there was still an element of awkwardness between them and no matter how hard she had tried, Karen and Sarah had never really bonded.

_Like two positive ends of a magnet_, Karen thought bitterly. What had confused her more is that in the past three years Sarah had really come into her own, lost the brattish attitude and had matured substantially. She was to be an adult in a mere matter of days yet still Karen knew they both could not come to accept each other as friends, just simply tolerating each other for the sake of Robert, Sarah's father. Frowning, Karen turned back to Sarah, flour snaking up her arms, threatening to soil her pink sweater.

"Well, you don't have much time left Sarah so don't forget."

An awkward pause followed as Sarah bit back a sarcastic comment, feeling that she would perhaps be crossing a line. She couldn't blame her stepmum for trying to help her, it _was_ thoughtful but she just wasn't as fussed about everything as she was. Seconds passed in silence before the phone rang in the hall, its shrillness distracting the both of them. Hastily washing her hands, Karen went to leave the room but stopped just short of exiting through the white wooden door. Her tone was far more serious than before, not scolding or annoyed like before but almost one of concern. Sarah couldn't be sure.

"You really need to get your head out of the clouds, you spend half your time up there nowadays. No good will come of it, you know."

"Yes, Karen." she sighed, defeated but she was already alone in the room, her words heard by no one.

As she sat in silence, her mind reverted back to before she was interrupted - what had she been thinking about? Images of a blonde haired man with mismatched eyes and a manic smile swirled around in her head.

_What was his name again? _

Three years ago, Sarah Williams had defeated the Labyrinth, saving her baby brother and gained some valuable friends along the way, however she had been more than glad to find herself returned to her room once more.

For months after she had stayed in contact with her friends, letting them know how her day at school went or what her plans were or what she had chatted to her mother about on the phone during the rare occasions she got in touch.

However, as the time passed and schoolwork mounting, Sarah's chats with Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus became less and less frequent. Her excuses were always that she was _too busy right now_ or _she'd do it later_ –but later never came.

And then one day, sat at her dresser applying makeup for a party, a memory stirred in the back of her mind. She had used this mirror for something other than her reflection...but what? But Sarah did not give it another thought and simply left for the evening.

With her only real evidence that her adventure in the Labyrinth existing now gone, her memory began to fade rapidly too. She had now come to accept that whatever she could remember was simply the broken fragments of an unusual dream and she'd gain little from trying to remember it.

However, whenever she found herself zoning out at school or home, her mind wandered involuntarily back to this strange dream, thoughts of a labyrinth, her brother and a strange man dancing through her vision. Surely it was not normal to dwell on a dream that she had experienced three years ago? Most people could not remember their dreams from the night before, let alone years ago. Her thoughts were interrupted by her stepmother returning into the room.

"Sarah, that was Stevie. She said she and Helena will be here to pick you up for shopping in half an hour."

Her tone was non-chalant as she resumed her bread making on the other side of the kitchen, somehow oblivious to Sarah's expression of disbelief.

"Why didn't you let me speak to her?"

"Because I know what you're like when you start gossiping away to your girlfriends, you are on the phone for hours on end and its getting expensive."

She turned away from her once more whilst Sarah silently fumed, her gaze boring into the back of her head. Sarah rarely phoned her friends and if they phoned her at all she would keep the conversations short in a bid to avoid any awkward silences. Karen was far too controlling for her liking.

Rising from her seat at the kitchen counter, Sarah left the room without another word and headed towards her room to prepare herself for the impending shopping trip. A few hours out of the house would do her good, _a distraction from my imagination_, she thought.

* * *

><p>"What do you think of this one? Too revealing? Or not revealing enough?"<p>

Several hours of walking round a shopping mall and trying on countless dresses had finally defeated Sarah and a simple head nod was all she could muster in response to the stupid question. Homecoming was growing steadily closer and the time for buying a dress was running out just as quickly. Stevie, ignoring Sarah's half hearted response, stood before the large mirror posing silently before her reflection. Hot pink was definitely not her colour.

"Maybe something less..pink?" Helena interjected. Sarah was thankful she had not been the one to say it. Pouting, Stevie returned to the changing room, the swish of the curtain loud in the empty store. Rolling her eyes, Helena resumed her absent minded browsing through the near-by sale rail, speaking over her shoulder as Sarah continued to lounge.

"It's alright for you, you've already got your dress."

Technically, she did. However it was not one of the expensive ball gowns surrounding them, but an old dress of her Mother's that her Father had never thrown out, most likely for sentimental value.

"Where did you say you bought it from again?"

"I didn't buy it. My Grandmother bought it for me and sent it from England" Sarah replied. She knew her friends would talk her out of wearing second hand, so the lie was born.

Finally sick of sitting down, Sarah rose from her position and began to walk aimlessly around the store, her eyes raking up and down the princess style dresses trying to imagine herself in one of them – but failing. She had always felt plain, which was made even more painstakingly obvious when compared to her closest friends. Stevie, tall and blonde looked more like a Barbie doll than a teenage girl but the male attention seemed to be non-stop. Although quite intelligent, she could not resist a high pitched giggle and a 'goo goo eye' expression when a good looking boy paid interest, something Sarah truly despised.

Helena, on the other hand, was the other end of the spectrum. Small and petite, she sported ginger curls which she constantly wore up, framing her pale face. She had been bullied through middle school for being a red head, but after puberty had kicked in, the ginger worked to her advantage. Gone was the awkward, freckled girl and instead remained an auburn beauty. Sarah was not fat and Sarah was not ugly, but compared to her companions, she may as well have been.

Sighing, she turned a corner and her gaze fell upon the shoes before she noticed a dress she had not seen when they had first arrived. Displayed before her was a bright white hooped ball gown, embellished with beautiful clear and amber stones. The sleeves were puffed at the elbow, almost resembling butterfly wings and narrowed down until they reached the cuffs. Under the harsh store lights, it seemed to glitter, a silver sheen woven into the material. As Sarah's jaw fell open further, a memory stirred – she had worn this dress before.

"I've worn this before."

"Can I help you, madam?"

Taken by surprise, Sarah turned to see a store clerk looking at her intently, unsure by Sarah's vacant expression. She knew what she was about to say would sound crazy, but her voice had already begun to speak before she could give it another thought.

"This dress – I've worn it before."

"Perhaps a similar dress madam, this is a brand new design."

"Brand new? _This_ is the newest fashion? It looks disgusting."

As Stevie's voice joined the conversation, Sarah could not help but resent her. This dress was beyond beautiful, it had once made her feel like royalty.

"I mean, look at the sleeves! It looks like that dress from that children's film with the mermaid in it. Why would you wear that?"

"Because it's beautiful, that's why," Sarah bit back, throwing a glare to her 'friend'. "And I'll have you know, I wore that when I –"She stopped. When _did_ she wear it?

Seconds passed in silence before the sales clerk , one eyebrow raised in scepticism, spoke.

"Like I said madam, you must have worn something similar – it's a brand new design"

"No really, I ha-"

And with that, she turned around and left.

_Why did I just do that?_

"Sarah? Are you ok?" Helena reached out to touch her, her face concerned. Sarah's outburst was not normal behaviour. She forced a weak smile out of confusion and embarrassment before replying.

"I'm fine, just tired I guess." she lied "I think I'm gonna go home."

"You sure you don't want to eat with us first? You look a little pale."

Sarah was grateful for Helena's concern, she was truly a lovely person. Unlike someone else she could mention who had now resumed her shopping, unaffected by what just happened.

"No, I'll be fine – really. Go choose a dress and tell me all about it tomorrow, okay?"

* * *

><p>It was near dark by the time Sarah had left the mall and begun the long walk home but it did not worry her, being scared of the dark was a childish trait that she had discarded many years ago. As she walked, her mind began to reply the events in the dress shop. She clearly had never worn that dress before if it was brand new, so what on earth possessed her to say it?<p>

But she could see herself in it, clear as anything, looking beautiful. Her long, chestnut hair was backcombed and silver vines and leaves intertwined themselves perfectly amongst the curls. Ornate silver earrings hung from her ears and a lavishly jewelled necklace rested flawlessly around her neck. And of course, the dress on her was picture perfect, as if it had been made just for her. But it hadn't because it was displayed for all to see back in the shopping mall. She may had ridden herself of the childish fear of the dark, but clearly not her over active imagination.

A faraway hoot of an owl shook her from her thoughts and she broke into a run as the last glimmers of sunlight disappeared in the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Time passed quickly after Sarah's trip to the mall and soon enough she found herself less than a day away from her eighteenth birthday. However, she could not let her impending adulthood distract her from her studies. With finals creeping closer day by day, her free time was consumed with learning - no time to think of anything else.

Closing the front door quietly behind her, Sarah listened for the tell tale signs of her family but was greeted only by an excited Merlin, tail wagging eagerly at her arrival. Sarah could not help but smile at her dog's enthusiasm as she bent down to give him a cuddle

"Hello boy, are you all alone?"

Getting nothing in reply but a wet cheek, Sarah's attention focused on the sound of music coming from the kitchen, clearly someone else was home. Dumping her school bag by the door, Sarah made her way over to the kitchen whilst Madonna's "Like A Prayer" filled her ears – along with Karen's singing. This was a rare moment when Sarah actually felt closer to her stepmother. Her awful singing almost humanised her and the way she got embarrassed if she was discovered brought a little bit of dark glee to Sarah, however harsh that was.

"Er..Karen?"

The singing stopped. And a perfectly made up face poked its head around the kitchen door, a frown beginning to form upon it.

"Sarah...I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

Sarah raised her eyebrows.

"I always get back now, it's 4 o'clock."

"Oh. Well, I was going to try and keep this a surprise but you're here now so you may as well come and see."

_Typical Karen, trying to make her mistake mine_. Sarah rolled her eyes at the thought but followed her stepmother through the door regardless. The kitchen was not in its usual spotless state but instead was filled with propped open recipe books, ingredients and baking utensils. The smell was heavenly.

"You've been baking?"

"Well I haven't been curing cancer, now have I. Anyway, I know you told your Father that you didn't want a fuss for your birthday but we couldn't let you turn eighteen without at least having a cake."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Sarah's eyes widened at the sight her stepmother presented her with. A large chocolate iced cake, beautifully piped and with sugar roses on each corner and the words "Happy 18th Birthday Sarah" was enough to make her heart melt – she had obviously gone to a lot of trouble.

"Wow Karen, I don't know what to say."

"Well thank you would be a start, but it's for tomorrow, so no touching."

Sighing inwardly at her stepmother's ability to make her feel like a naughty child as opposed to a young woman, Sarah went to go retrieve her bag from the hallway when the high pitched voice of her little brother filled the room.

"Mama I'm hungry!"

Now four years old, Toby was a whirlwind of energy, having the constant need to play, investigate or just chatter away and Sarah couldn't suppress a laugh at the sight of her baby brother demanding food.

"And hello to you too! How about a kiss for your beautiful big sister, Toby?"

Scooping him up into her arms, she unleashed a sea of kisses onto his chubby face sending the small child into fits of giggles as he squirmed to get away.

"Stoppitstoppitstoppit! Mom, help me!"

"Sarah, put him down you're exciting him."

"I'm not excit- oh never mind."

Moment ruined, Sarah put Toby back down, leaving him to pull on the skirt of his mother, insisting he needed to be fed. Grabbing her bag, she made her way up to her room, careful not the slam the door behind her – no need to give Karen another reason to be irritable.

"Ugh, it's a dump."

Looking around, Sarah found she had forgotten the state she had left her room in this morning. Clothes from days gone by were left carelessly on the floor, copies of 'Teen Beat' and '16' were strewn over her desk along with forgotten school work and different nail polishes, mascaras and eyeliners littered her dresser. Sighing, she got to work.

The days following Sarah's 'Labyrinth experience', she had set her sights on not only decluttering her room, but ridding herself of anything childish, including her teddies and costumes. However, she could not bring herself to throw away the book she loved so dearly, so her copy of Labyrinth was hidden away in the depths of her desk to soon be forgotten about.

"Sarah? Are you in there?"

Now six-thirty, Sarah could actually see the floor and the sound of her Father's voice at the door dragged her away from her work.

"Yes, come in."

A cardboard box under one arm and laundry in the other, Robert Williams entered his daughter's room, a smile painted upon his tired face. Although only forty-six, the years had not been kind to him, something Sarah always thought was a result of her Mother leaving him.

"So, Karen tells me you ruined your surprise."

"I didn't mean to, I mean I always come home at-"

The man laughed.

"Sarah, darling I'm teasing. I'm glad you like it."

Laughing at her Dad's stupid idea of humour, Sarah's gaze fell upon his full arms.

"What's in the box?"

"Just some of Toby's old baby clothes. I've been meaning to throw these out for a while now, just never had the time I guess."

Setting the laundry on the floor, Robert used his free hand to open the tired brown box, pulling out an all too familiar red and white striped babygro. As she registered the clothing her heart began to beat erratically in her chest.

"Hard to believe he fit into this once, isn't it?"

Passing it to his daughter, Robert Williams failed to notice the look of incredulity upon her face as she fingered the soft material. He smiled gently as his eyes swept the room.

"You've cleaned."

Sarah could just about mention a 'uh-huh', her attention still focused on the item of clothing . She had seen Toby wear this before, of course she had it was one of his babygros after all, but why was it so important? Frustration began to flow through her at the crappiness of her memory, did this also have something to do with the manic eyed man from her dream? Or was she just being ridiculous and over thoughtful as per usual?

"You know Sarah, Karen and I are very proud of you."

Sarah looked up, confused. It was not like her Father to say something like that.

"Proud? Why?"

"In the last few years, you've changed so much and you've really matured into a young woman. Sometimes I hardly recognise you."

Unsure how to respond, Sarah simply smiled and played awkwardly with her fingers. She loved her Dad, she really did, but he was not one to get sentimental very often. It was a little unnerving.

"And I guess you won't be up at 6am tomorrow jumping on the bed and shouting that it's your birthday?"

"Probably not." Sarah could not resist a laugh.

Retrieving the laundry and the box of Toby's clothes, Robert went to leave but not before stealing one final glance at his child.

"You look just like your mother, you know." And then he disappeared.

Sarah stood in silence for a few seconds after the door clicked shut. She knew that her Dad meant that as a compliment but to her, it was an insult. Why would she want to look like a woman who abandoned her only child for fame? There had once been a time where Sarah had everything but worshipped her mother, keeping her newspaper clippings, hanging on her every word during phone calls and bragging to her school friends that her mother was famous. But as she had grown older her naivety had faded rapidly.

She realised that she only rang on important days such as birthdays or Christmas and any time Sarah rang, the calls would be short or nonexistent. She also realised that her mother had not left 'to pursue her dream' which she always told herself –she had left her, nothing more. Sarah destroyed her dreams of becoming an actress soon after her realisation, there was no way in Hell she wanted to be like Linda Williams.

But tomorrow she would call, and Sarah would pretend to be pleased and ask her how she was getting on and would listen as her mother gushed about her new boyfriend or her 'next big break'. And then it would be over - simple as that. Sighing, Sarah gathered up the last of her old magazines, threw them in the trash and made her way downstairs for dinner.

It wasn't until gone 9 o'clock Sarah returned to her room, dinner ate and dishes done. However, as she eyed her bed and the novel on her bedside table, the little voice of reality began yelling at her and her attention was directed to the calculus textbook and worksheets lying silently upon her desk.

"Come on brain."

Unfazed by the subject and amount to do, Sarah began to write. Unlike most people, Sarah liked calculus as there was either a right answer or a wrong answer – no in-between. She couldn't find herself getting lost in 'what if's' in calculus which was one less distraction for her to think about.

Lost in numbers, it wasn't until she heard the chime of the church clock that she realise how late it was. Midnight, she was eighteen. Yawning, Sarah closed the book and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Happy Birthday to me."

"Happy Birthday to you indeed, Sarah."

Instantly she spun around at the sound of another voice but nothing in the world could have prepared her for the sight she was met with. Standing tall with long blonde hair, mismatched eyes and a complacent smirk, Sarah could not believe what she was seeing. If he was the man from her dream all those years ago then that would mean–

"You're real?"

Jareth's eyes flickered for a split second, unaware that she had ousted him from her mind so soon but it passed and instead laughed cruelly at the girl's naivety.

"Of course I am Sarah, don't you remember?"

Sarah stared dumbly at the beautiful man, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the sides of her chair harder, willing her mind to make sense of the situation. It must have been a dream, there was no way it could have actually happened.

"It was a dream." Sarah spoke to herself more than to Jareth. "I was 15...I had a very overactive imagination."

Jareth could not help but smile at her reasoning.

"So explain my being here now."

"I...I'm still asleep. I must have fallen asleep at my desk."

Jareth cocked his eyebrow up in doubt, watching Sarah's face falter as even she did not believe her story. It was strange to him how one person could change so much in such a short space of time. The Sarah he remembered was a young girl, still carrying the tell tale signs of baby fat on her face, so innocent and naive. The woman before him was breathtaking, yet her eyes still held questions – perhaps his Sarah was not completely gone.

"The Sarah I knew would never say that."

Sarah said nothing as she mustered up confidence and met his unfathomable gaze. Her mind was now working furiously in order to piece everything together. For the past three years she had put memories of the Labyrinth, the Goblin King and her baby brother's kidnapping to the back of her brain and tricked herself into believing they were nothing more than an elaborate dream, but now the evidence of its existence was stood right in front of her.

"Why are you here?"

Silence.

"Are..are you here for Toby? Because I beat you! You have no right –"

"No, I am not here for Toby, Sarah."

Unconvinced by his words, Sarah rose slowly from her seat, her eyes darting quickly to her bedroom door.

"Then _why_ are you here?"

"I am here for you, Sarah."

"For me? But why – wait!" Sarah had run the Labyrinth, she had bested him – she could see it now. The look of desperation in his face as she recited the right words, the crystal gripped tightly in his gloved hand. _You have no power over me._

"You have no power over me!"

Jareth laughed darkly, his eyes lit up with sinister glee. This was almost too easy.

"I'm afraid that no longer applies Sarah, but I am glad to see you remember."

Jareth began to move closer to her as he spoke, watching Sarah intently as she herself moved backwards in order to keep the distance. Her back was met only by the chair she had sat on before and her mind began to whirl as she asked herself how she would get out of this.

"You see Sarah, when you ran my Labyrinth three years ago, you were nothing more than a child meaning that however much I wanted you to remain in the Labyrinth, I could not do so without your willing consent. Old Magical Law meant that I could not so much as even touch you without your will, so of course I had no other option than to send you back to the Aboveground."

He laughed again, the sound piercing the silence.

"But of course, as of midnight, the law of the Underground is no longer applicable therefore I am free to take you."

Whatever fear Sarah had felt beforehand slowly began to ebb away as he finished speaking. Waves of anger began to flow through her body at the sheer sight of him and she spoke finally through gritted teeth. How dare he walk all over her like this again.

"I am not yours to take."

"Sarah, you seem not to have listened -"

"No, I remember now, you are a horrible person. You stole my brother, made me run your stupid Labyrinth and drugged me with fruit. I would rather _die_ than go with you."

But before she could even think about placing one foot in front of the other to leave, a force seemingly from nowhere pressed her up against the wall and the sight of the Goblin King engulfed her vision.

A smirk of power emerged on his lips as his eyes roamed over Sarah's now colourless face. She felt sick. Worse than sick. It was as if she had been punched in the stomach so many times that there was now a gaping hole in her delicate torso. But those eyes, so cold yet so alive but so deadly. They travelled down slowly to her chest which was heaving with fear and lack of oxygen. Trying to force back a whimper Sarah finally found a voice and prayed it would not betray her.

"I'll scream and my Dad will hear you and-"

In her mind Sarah was prepared to scream the place down and rip that bloody smug look off his pale face, yet she could not find the strength to do so. Moving his mouth to her ear his tone became hushed and menacing yet sickly sweet at the same time. The "hole" in Sarah's stomach twisted painfully flooding not blood but suffocating fear.

"Be my guest. Although I am not sure your Father will hear you from here, but by all means give it a try."

Jareth waved his left hand lazily, opening the bedroom door revealing the same castle backdrop she had seen three years ago.

"Welcome home, Sarah."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"I'm dreaming, I have to be. This can't be real...I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming..."

Near trembling, Sarah's hands crept up to her face shielding her sight from the familiar landscape before her. She knew it was childish, but perhaps if she wished hard enough maybe the universe would take her side for once and she'd wake up, head on the desk with a question sheet stuck to her face.

"Come now, Sarah I thought we'd already established that you're 'not in Kansas anymore'."

Whipping around at near lightning speed, Sarah glared heatedly at the Goblin King as he laughed. Hands now by her side and fists clenched, she could barely find the words to speak. Too much had happened at once for her to think straight and she could all but physically feel her emotions pulsing through her.

"You think that's funny?" she hissed through gritted teeth "Take me home. Now."

Simply smirking in response, Jareth studied the young woman before him, her anger mere amusement to him. He watched in silence as she attempted to stare him out but could not help but take sideways glances to her surroundings. It was surreal –like a memory from a dream and almost exactly how she remembered it.

"I'm waiting."

"Well you may be waiting a long while then, my dear."

Sighing inwardly in frustration, Sarah turned, moving closer to the naked tree nearby tempted to reach out and touch it, just to prove that it was real. However she could feel Jareth's eyes on her and not wishing to give him even the slightest inch of satisfaction, she simply stared into the distance, her gaze falling upon the castle situated in the centre of the vast space. _Surely he can't expect me to run his Labyrinth again? _The thought ran through her head silently. But would that be the better option? At least the Labyrinth was somewhat familiar and she wouldn't be going anywhere with _him_. Tucking a piece of windblown hair behind her ear, Sarah could not help but let her mind wander to thoughts of the Labyrinth the first time around. So many twists, turns and traps she was surprised she had managed it at only fifteen. _Well, I did have help I guess_. Heart sinking, her mind stopped dead. _I had help...Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, how could I have forgotten?_

"My friends, wha-"

"It's warmer inside, you know."

Finally breaking his silence, all mirth from Jareth's expression had faded and was replaced with one of slight boredom, if not intrigue- she was so very interesting to watch. He did not look in her direction as he walked past her waiting only for the confused gasp that she would emit within the next five seconds. Unsure as to what would happen next, Sarah turned as he walked and found the sight she was greeted with was not the castle in the distance, but the stone throne room she had seen once before towards the end of her climactic journey.

"How did you..?"

Ignoring her, Jareth simply sat upon his throne, leg cocked up on the arm in arrogance leaving her to stare at him, dumbfounded. Unlike most of the time, the room was now empty, with Jareth ordering away his minions in light of the arrival of his visitor. However, he also could not help but notice how clean it was whilst it was lacking goblins and small animals. His thoughts were broken by Sarah's words, her jaw now off the floor and her gaze hard.

"What happened to my friends?"

Feigning ignorance, Jareth's lips upturned slowly into a cold smirk. It was just too easy to torment her, something he would gladly continue.

"Friends?"

"Yes, Hogg-"

"Oh, you mean Hedgewart, the monster and the little dog?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. Clearly he was just being difficult.

"They have names, you know."

"_Had_ names."

Certain she had heard him wrong, Sarah said nothing as her mind worked slower than her ears.

"What do you mean? " _Had names?_ Surely he couldn't mean- "Where are they?"

Jareth's eyes flashed with amusement at her desperation, a sneer forming upon his face as he faked indifference.

"Calm yourself, Sarah."

Resenting the fact he was enjoying her ignorance, Sarah tried in vain to tame her agitation, eyes closed as she controlled her breathing. _He is playing with you Sarah, trying to see what will make you tick – don't give into his torment._

_But what if he isn't? _Her mind replied unwillingly. Her words were slower now, more composed. She was no longer a child and therefore would not act like one. She prayed he would do the same.

"Where are they?"

Rising from his seat, Jareth stood upon the top step looking haughtily downwards.

"Well, they committed treason by helping you didn't they?"

"So?" Sarah exclaimed, exasperated at his demeanour. He was like a cat toying with a mouse before eating it and the last thing she wanted to be right now was the mouse.

"Well you see Sarah, in the Underground treason is punishable by death."

"You're lying."

"You underestimate me, Sarah."

Blinking like a deer in headlights, Sarah struggled to comprehend the words just spoken at her. He was lying, he had to be. But the wide eyed expression and foul smirk painted on his face spoke otherwise. It was at that moment when Sarah begun to feel pure hatred bubble up inside her, something like she had never even dreamt of feeling before – how could he possibly be so cruel?

If only she could have spoken, or even just seen them one last time - _then what?_ Her mind asked her. _You forgot them, you let them down._ Was she any better than _him_? _They'd still be alive if I had my way, s_he thought, angrily. But they may as well have been dead to her - the last contact she had made was nearly three years ago, no way to treat friends. Finally, she found the words to speak.

"You're a monster."

Jareth could not help but ask himself why he was enjoying this so much. He had brought her here for her to adore him, yet all he was doing was angering her further. But he knew that he loved the fire inside her and after all, total submission from her would mean no fun for him. He descended down the stone steps with ease and more grace a prima ballerina would show in her lifetime and stopped short of Sarah. He relished in her involuntary steps backwards, his installation of fear sending jolts of electricity through his veins.

"Come now Sarah, you are being ungrateful. Please understand that you are my guest and I will give you everything you could ever want. "

He extended a hand to reach out to touch her hair but thought better of it, turning his attention to the nearby window, his gaze falling over the city below them.

"You will live like a Queen in a world you've always dreamed of and all I need from you is to bow to my will.

"I won't."

Jareth laughed coldly.

"Is that so?"

And finally, Sarah snapped. Eyes blazing and mind on fire, her words fell out of her mouth a tinge of hysteria hidden in their syllables.

"You're a cruel, vile man who acts like a spoiled child and seems to care for no one but himself. Hell will have to freeze over twice before I'd even consider staying here and I certainly will never 'bow to your will'. You disgust me."

Jareth's eyes flashed with anger but it subsided as quickly as it had been created and was replaced with the familiar self satisfied smirk the he was so accustomed to. Sarah's defiance was childish but understandable, of course she had no idea what lay in store for her.

"You are still mine, Sarah."

"I am not YOURS!"

Anger clouding her judgement, Sarah reached out to slap the man before her, eager to cause him pain, but Jareth was too quick; grabbing her wrist sharply, inches away from his face. Eyes wide in disbelief and fury, Jareth simply stared down, tightening his grip and unable to speak.

Unsure of what she had just attempted, the sinking feeling in Sarah's stomach had just intensified beyond belief leaving her a shadow of the wilful person she thought she was moments ago - even she recognised that she had crossed a line. After what seemed like a lifetime Jareth finally released her yet he did not drop his gaze, his unequal eyes boring into hers.

"Fine. If you wish to act like an animal, then you will live like one. Tolbas!"

Jareth's stare lifted and looked beyond Sarah at the new arrival in the room, Sarah turning to do the same, a small choke of terror caught in her throat as she did so. Stood behind them both was a person she had never seen before, not during her first time in the Labyrinth anyway. He was dressed in chainmail with an armoured shoulder plate and a sword attached to the holder on his waist.

He was easily as tall as Jareth but unlike Jareth's svelte physique, Tolbas seemed to be nearly twice the size – chest broad and arms wide. His hair was blonde also, but a more normal shade and cut short resembling the Second World War soldiers Sarah had seen in her history textbooks. But what perhaps was his most intimidating feature was his face.

He could have been perceived as handsome, maybe even beautiful but the thick, ugly, red scar that descended angrily down the left side of his face, dragging the corner of his mouth slightly down with it prevented it for being so. And his eyes; so cold and gray, for some unknown reason Sarah almost felt pity for him.

"Take Sarah-" her name sounded forced, like acid on his tongue and as if he were fighting back another word "-to the West Oubliette. Three days will perhaps teach her a lesson or two in manners."

And suddenly Sarah could feel a less than gentle grip on her arm, her body being dragged away from Jareth and the smug look painted onto his face. Before she could even comprehend what was happening or even try to form a coherent sentence she was being led through the stone archway, the door closing loudly behind them.

As they walked Sarah could feel the grip on her arm loosening slightly, but not enough for her to breakaway just simply enough to lessen the angry bruises that would appear the next day. Sarah tried to keep her gaze ahead of her, making mental notes of the twists, turns and steps they had gone through but after 15 minutes she knew she had attempted the impossible. The silence was thick, only the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the walls – it gave her a chance to think. She was sure she had been to an oubliette before and it had been Hoggle who had explained it to her. _It's a place for people to forget about them._ Was he just going to leave her there?_ Weren't you listening? He said three days,_ her mind scolded. But still, three days was a far too long time to be left alone in the dark. Would it be cold too? As her brain began to kick into survival mode she had missed the fact that they had come to a stop, an open door facing her. She looked up to Tolbas beside her, trying in vain to meet his eye, perhaps to appeal to his more human side but he simply kept his stare ahead pressing his hand in between Sarah's shoulder blades and pushing her through the open door and into the darkness.

She did not fall, but Sarah stumbled awkwardly into the shadows as he pushed her, whipping back around at the last small glimmer of light.

"Wait, no-"

But the door slammed shut. She did nothing for a few seconds, listening carefully for returning footsteps but soon sadly realised they were not coming back.

The darkness was horrific.

Even as she stood motionless she could feel it beginning to creep around her, swirling like an ocean, rising higher and higher until it began to choke her. Moving blindly, Sarah took small tentative steps in the hope of orientating herself but came quickly into contact with a wall any direction she chose. It could not be bigger than the pantry back at home. Sarah sat down slowly upon the stone floor and wept. She had not cried for years, she had not even cried at the death of her grandpa, something her stepmother had branded her 'stone cold' for, but this was too much. And what of her Father? How would he feel when his only daughter had just disappeared for no reason whatsoever?

_It's not fair._

As the time passed, her eyes dried and began to adjust to the tiny space thanks to a small ray of light descending from above her. _That must be the other way in,_ she thought sullenly. She had come through that way last time after receiving little help from the so called 'helping hands'. Falling on her knees sure did hurt a lot. Her mind began to backtrack over those events, the image of two strange two headed creatures behind shields appearing. Rubbing her face in fatigue, Sarah could not help but laugh weakly at the ridiculousness of the two door riddle. _One of them leads to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth, and the other one leads to certain death. _

And then it struck her, she _had_ chosen wrong all that time ago. The door she had chosen had led to an oubliette which, after time would have led to certain death – if not for Hoggle. Sarah winced inwardly at the thought of her friend, she would need actual proof before she would believe Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus were gone but still, the idea chilled her to the bone.

Three days passed without event, Sarah finding that the only way to crush the boredom and lack of social interaction was by going over her calculus notes in her mind. She would get an A for sure if she left this place. _If_. But three days without food or water had made for poor concentration with Sarah discovering her head span more than it stayed still. With a stomach ache like she had never felt before and a mouth dryer than the Sahara desert, Sarah laid sprawled out across the stone floor, too weak to move simply watching the strange shapes dancing in front of her in the dark. She could see Toby playing with a toy fire truck, eyes lighting up as he did so. His 'vroom vrooms' and 'neenaws' couldn't help but put a smile on her face, she did love her baby brother so.

"Come here, Toby.."

But then he was gone and instead, she was presented with light, too bright for her eyes. She found she was no longer cheek down on the stone floor but propped up, an arm snaked around her waist preventing her from being united with the ground once more.

She could hear voices too but they were muffled. Sarah was sure she was underwater, but why? Was she dead? What happened last that she could recall? There was her room, then her Father, then Jareth..

"I think that's enough. Please take her to a room in the East wing."

Sarah was sure she was being spoken about but it did not matter anymore, her head felt like it was made of lead and her body was no longer within her control. Her eyelids began to droop and then, nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I have been overwhelmed by the amount of favourites and story alerts, literally cannot thank you guys enough! I am off to Ireland now until Monday for a wedding (in which I am singing at, eep!) and will start on chapter 4 when I return. Please don't forget to review, I'd love to know what you think :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Sarah awoke, bleary eyed and confused, the bright, morning sunlight streaming mercilessly through the nearby open windows. Shielding her face from its rays, she rubbed her face wearily trying in vain to ignore the dull pounding in her head that was growing steadily stronger as she awoke. The rub of cotton sheets were soft against her exposed skin and she'd had loved nothing more than to snuggle back down again and sleep forever but the pain in her mind was beginning to reach breaking point. Sighing, Sarah licked her paper dry lips and brought her hand away from her face, fully expecting to see her messy room before her just like every morning but was greeted with the sight of a room she could never even have dreamed of.

"Oh.."

Slowly, her mind began to work and the memories of the past few days crept slowly back. Instead of her own little single bed, Sarah found she was lying in a large four poster bed, the sheets and curtains coloured blood red with fine golden trim no doubt worth more than her house. To her left was a fireplace like no other - grand and ornate, it was spotless and a gold clock too similar to Jareth's for her liking sat proudly upon the mantel piece.

Sitting upwards, Sarah began to feel goosebumps form on her pale skin and her gaze fell upon the nearby open French doors leading out to a balcony. Curiosity getting the better of her, Sarah swung her legs off the bed and ignoring her painful stomach, dry throat and aching head she began to walk across the cold, stone floor towards the sunlight, anxious to see just exactly where she was in this twisted land. But something else caught her eye. Directly ahead of the end of her bed, against the far wall was a vanity and like the fireplace, it was beyond detailed and perfectly formed but sat silently upon it was a silver tray of the best looking food Sarah had ever seen.

A small mountain of fruit, cheeses and pastries along with a clear jug of juice and white pot of tea sat unmoving and without thinking, Sarah rushed towards it, stuffing whatever she could grab first into her mouth not caring of the taste, just desperate to put food inside her starved stomach. Next came the juice and ignoring the small glass sat waiting next to it Sarah brought the jug to her cracked lips and poured the cool amber liquid on top of the half chewed food in her mouth. Swallowing was painful but also a beautiful feeling – never would she take food and drink for granted again.

Her hand greedily reached out once more to grab another pastry but her brown eyes caught sight of herself in the mirror before she could do so, her reflection stopping her dead in her tracks. A bird's nest of brown hair lay awkwardly around her pale face with dark rings overshadowing her eyes. Her mouth was smeared with crumbs and tinged with orange and suddenly she did not feel quite so hungry anymore. Staring down as the disturbed tray of food, Sarah mentally kicked herself for her stupidity – clearly she had learnt nothing about eating food from this place since the last time she was here.

_But you hadn't eaten in days! You needed to eat!_

_Well, no more…I'm not falling for anything this time around._

_So you're going to starve to death? _

Sarah's brow furrowed as she battled with her mind, this was something that she would need to think about carefully – no one could live without food. Sighing, Sarah wiped her mouth clear with the back of her hand and stared slowly around the rest of the room, her eyes falling upon the near ceiling high mahogany wardrobe that was to the left of the bed. This room was too grand to comprehend and her still being stuck in the Underground was beginning to frustrate her more and more – she didn't belong here.

Unsure what to do next, Sarah returned to the vanity in an attempt to sort out her appearance, brushing crumbs off her chest as she did so. Yet as her fingers came into contact with pale pink silk, her mind began to work finally putting two and two together. She was no longer wearing the jeans and shirt she had arrived in and instead was sporting some sort of silk nightdress.

_But that means-_

Sarah shuddered at the thought. Someone had undressed her and she hoped to God it had not been Jareth.

_Or that weird guard that didn't speak…_

She shook the thought from her head, deciding it was not good to dwell on it – it had happened and nothing could change it. Continuing her exploration, Sarah opened a nearby door revealing a large porcelain bathroom, so strangely beautiful it took Sarah's breath away. The claw footed tub, decorated with luteous coloured leaves climbing steadily up it cried out to her and Sarah's skin prickled at the thought of warm water. It seemed too inviting to ignore…

_No! Not until you get your bearings on this place…or at least learn how to lock the door…_

The click of the door in the other room roused Sarah from her thoughts and her blood ran cold. Was _he_ here? Wait, was it fear she was feeling? Or still annoyance at his arrogance and demeanour in general? She hoped the latter as once she admitted fear he'd have won and that was something she did not plan on happening. Sucking in a deep breath, Sarah walked slowly from the bathroom, painfully aware of how little she was wearing. But it was not Jareth waiting in the room, but Tolbas with his face just as hard and stare just a steely as before - she could not feel more uncomfortable if she tried. But he said nothing.

"…Can I help you?" Sarah spoke slowly, trying to keep to edge off her voice. He definitely creeped her out.

_The scar_…it sent a shiver down her spine.

Again he said nothing, simply gazing down at her before motioning towards the oversized wardrobe. He walked towards it briskly, pulling the heavy doors open with ease and pulling out a dark blue, almost gray linen robe and placing it upon the messed up bed sheets. Confused, Sarah stared in silence at his actions not sure what to make of what she was seeing.

"A blue dress?"

Tolbas nodded, his eyes raking over her less than modest form before darting back to the dress lying motionless upon the bedspread. Finally, a switch flipped inside Sarah's head.

"You want me to change? Why?"

But she was greeted with silence once more. Inside she had a million questions and arguments to throw at him, but his silence was more unnerving than anything she'd ever known before. Why wouldn't he speak? Mimicking his silence, Sarah went to walk towards the bed mindful that he was still watching her, but before she could turn to ask him to leave she heard the door click again and she was alone once more.

_Huh. _

Why was she doing this? Surely it would make more sense for her to stay in her room until she was forced out – she had essentially been kidnapped, there was no need for her to comply with anything.

_And look where that got you last time. _

_Giving up already, Sarah?_

"Shut up." She muttered under her breath before rolling her eyes in realisation. "Great, I'm not five minutes in and I'm already going nuts."

She studied the garment before her. It was not fancy nor did it look expensive and was simply V-necked with elbow length sleeves and was floor length. But, as she slipped out of her nightwear and pulling the robe over her head, it was not as scratchy as she thought it may be and actually fit her quite nicely. Heading back towards the vanity, Sarah hastily attacked her chestnut mane with a hairbrush her mind wandering over why she had been told to dress. Was Jareth coming? Or was she going to see Jareth? Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, a strangled "come in" escaping from her throat.

Once more, Tolbas entered the room; his gray eyes fixated on Sarah. Noticing that she was now decent, he motioned with his gloved hand for her to follow him out of the room.

"Wait, where are we going?"

She knew her question was foolish seeing as he had said not one word up until this point, but she tried regardless. But, instead of answering, he simply continued to stare until Sarah could take no more and she admitted defeat, slowly walking past him and out of the room into the dark stone corridor. He approached her quickly, not walking much ahead but enough to keep her in his eye line, something Sarah became very aware of. Her breathing began to become more rapid as her thoughts went back to the last time she saw him. Surely he was not taking her back to the oubliette? Chest rising and falling painfully, Sarah tried in vain to compose herself and not even bothering to take in her surroundings.

_Calm down! You don't know what is about to happen is bad! Act your age, Sarah._

After what seemed like a lifetime, Tolbas finally came to a stop outside a small wooden door, nothing like to entrance to the oubliette she had been imprisoned in before. He opened it swiftly, revealing a large near empty room, almost under the cover of darkness thanks to blinds on the other side of the window blocking out the sun. The only light came from a few weak candles in each corner of the room. The smell of dust and grime hit her immediately – clearly this room was filthy. Like before, she felt a familiar push in-between her shoulder blades and she stumbled inside the room, the door closing heavily behind her. She was alone.

"At least it's a step up from the oubliette. " she sighed.

_You idiot, you're obviously here for a reason. _

Her mind was right, for nearby upon a small wooden table was a bucket of water and a rag alongside it.

_He wants me to clean? _

"Absolutely not."

The sound of a throat clearing in the darkness caused Sarah to jump clean out of her skin, grabbing the rag and holding it out in front of her, like a weapon ignoring the stupidity of the situation. She called out, sounding braver than she felt.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

And slowly from the shadows emerged a boy no older than sixteen, a crop of messy red hair upon his head and eyes so green they almost seemed unreal. Sarah's breath stuck in her throat at the sight of him – had she found another human? As his appearance strengthened in the light, her jaw fell a little at his height; he was easily over 6 foot, perhaps even 6 foot 2 or 3 but the gangliness of his stance indicated he'd grown a lot in a short time. He reminded her a little of Bobby Jenkins, the shy, awkward boy who lived next door who looked far older than his 13 years thanks to an unexpected growth spurt.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Realising she was simply gaping at the poor boy, Sarah shut her mouth and composed herself as he smiled sheepishly at her.

"No, that's okay…I mean, I wasn't expecting anyone else..I'm Sa-"

"Sarah. I know. I'm Cilan."

He spoke matter of factly, the grin still painted on his face. Sarah blinked rapidly, unsure she had heard correctly.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Everyone here knows who you are, Sarah. You're the only person to ever beat the Labyrinth and you _left_ the Underground! Well...now you're back I guess."

Sarah could not help but dislike his sunshine-y demeanour. How could he be so upbeat in a place like this? She muttered darkly in response.

"Not for long I hope."

Cilan seemed to be oblivious to her lack of enthusiasm and carried on chattering away, his face over animated as he spoke. She may have found it endearing if she didn't feel so awful.

"Of course, Jareth was pretty angry that he lost to a human."

Sarah could not help but smile gleefully at the thought.

"He was?"

"Yeah…no one went near him for weeks for fear of him hurting them. He doesn't take well to rejection. There's a first time for everything I suppose!"

A small laugh of triumph escaped her lips, she could almost picture the look of rage on his face after he sent her back. It was just too good. But her thoughts were disturbed as they reverted back to the boy in front of her – who was he?

"So wait... Cilan?" she spoke carefully, hoping she had his name right. "Who are you? Did Jareth take you too?"

He shook his ginger head, his smile fading slightly.

"Probably not the same way as you but something along those lines, yes."

Sarah raised an eyebrow at the silence that followed his response, rolling her eyes when he finally realised he probably should continue.

"Oh right, yeah. Jareth is my uncle."

And once more, Sarah's hopes were shattered like glass. He was not human, she really was alone here. She sighed inwardly but could not help a tinge of intrigue slip into her voice. She had always imagined the Goblin King to be alone, one of a kind so to speak. It seemed strange to her that he may have a family.

"Your...uncle?"

"Yeah, my Father was his brother. But he's gone now."

Sarah swallowed awkwardly, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that."

Letting out a noncommittal noise, he shrugged; a small smile returning to his freckled face.

"That's okay, it's been a while now anyway."

A few seconds passed in an uncomfortable silence before Sarah spoke again. This just didn't make sense to her - Jareth had family, but he treated him like crap?

"Hang on, if Jareth's your uncle… why are you in here? Surely the King's nephew would be out with the King sitting upon a golden throne or something?"

"Nah, Jareth doesn't like me very much."

"He doesn't?"

Cilan shook his head once more, leaning against the nearby wall. He did not look at Sarah as he spoke.

"When my Father and him were younger, Jareth had an irrational fear that my Father was going to usurp him and take the Kingdom. Of course, he had no interest in that but Jareth wasn't convinced so he banished him to the outskirts of the Labyrinth in order to get him as far away from him as possible. "

Sarah did not say anything in response; she was not surprised Jareth was a jealous and paranoid man. It was just two more traits to add to the list of his horrible personality.

"It was there he met my Mother and then they had me."

Cilan smiled sadly at the thought.

"But then she died and it was just Dad and me, which was fine for a while until he disappeared. I just came in one day and the house was empty, no note no nothing."

_Poor kid. _

"So, you were orphaned?"

"Pretty much I guess. A few days later there was a knock at the door and I was dragged to the castle by Jareth's guards. Apparently old magical law states you cannot abandon your own kin, so due to me having no one to care for me until I was of age he was bound by law to look after me."

Sarah smirked once more at the thought of Jareth not getting his own way, hoping that within her short stay here she would be able to take him down a peg or two in a similar way.

"But I guess-" Cilan continued, "-he's just as paranoid now as he was with my Father as I've been doing goblin work ever since."

Sarah's brow furrowed slightly.

"How long until you are of age?"

Cilan grinned.

"Not much longer."

_Damn, that smile is infectious. _

Sarah could not help but smile too. This boy had seemingly been to hell and back but was unfazed by it all. Why couldn't she act more like that? But his story had put things into perspective causing a little more of her hope to slowly ebb away. He had been here for a long time, surely he could have found a way to escape by now? Maybe there was no chance for her to either…

_Positive thinking, Sarah! _

Shaking her head clean of her thoughts, her attention focused back on the bucket of water and dirty rag still in her hand.

"So, what are we cleaning?"

* * *

><p>Sarah found time passed quickly whilst she was with Cilan as he did most of the talking and kept the conversation going, regardless of her less than satisfactory responses. She was just grateful for a friendly face and every day for the past week had been the same routine: She awoke to breakfast waiting for her, she'd eat, dress, wait for Tolbas and be escorted to the same room and get set on cleaning it with Cilan - but still no sign of Jareth. This unnerved her a bit. He had gone to all the trouble to bring her here yet did not even speak to her? It was strange. But she did not complain as, for the moment she was contented with her situation – it was easy and enjoyable (even if she felt her fingers would fall off every evening). It wasn't until a few days later when something changed.<p>

After another day of scrubbing an unruly floor, Sarah was escorted back by Tolbas to her room only to find a dress lying alone upon her bedspread along with a note. Frowning, she approached it with caution, slowly fingering the smooth material between her fingers – it was a beautiful dress. Unlike her plain robe, it was a shocking white and floor length, with a halter neck made from thin, golden rope and had a dark green, labyrinth like pattern weaving its way slowly up from the hem, stopping just short of the chest. Placing it back carefully, Sarah picked up the note, heart thudding in her chest knowing all too well who it would be from.

_Sarah,_

_Please put this on and await my arrival. _

_Jareth_

The handwriting was looped and extravagant, nothing less to be expected of him but Sarah had no time to admire it and found the hand that held the note was shaking. What did he mean – put this on and await for his arrival? It had been foolish of Sarah to think that she would not see him, it was his castle after all and it was only a matter of time when she would be confronted with him again. Letting the piece of parchment fall to floor, Sarah weighed up her options. On the one hand, she could do what he wanted and just brace herself for whatever was planned or on the other hand, she could refuse to and see what happens with that.

_What's the point in fighting him, you won't win._

Sarah scolded herself under her breath "Stop it."

Sighing, she moved the dress to one side and sat on the edge of the mattress waiting for his inevitable arrival. She would at least put up a fight, no matter how fruitless it would be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So it's finally here! I just spent a good four hours in the Library rewriting it :'D My Laptop is still on the fritz and am not sure just how long it will be so chapter 5 may take a while. BUT - 5 and 6 are all planned out and just need to be written, so perhaps not that long! Let me know what you think of this one, and again - thanks so much to those of you reviewing/story alerting/favouriting. It means a lot.**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Sarah fidgeted nervously as she sat waiting for Jareth to arrive and sure enough, within moments of her defiance he appeared, once more seemingly from nowhere. His beauty was not something you could get used to but there was always something off about it, not quite sinister but not quite friendly at the same time. His platinum hair lay gently upon his shoulders, the pale colours of his makeup doing nothing more but accentuating his insane eyes. Sarah scolded herself for focusing too much on his appearance - now was not the time to act like her teenage self. Trying her hardest not to react to his sudden appearance, Sarah simply stared at him her mind asking her how he had gotten there so quickly.

_I bet he's watching me._ She forced down a shudder.

Jareth's expression was almost unreadable as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly at the woman before him. His eyes raked over her form and the dress pushed haphazardly to one side. Finally, he spoke.

"You are not dressed." His tone was casual, perhaps teetering on indifference as if he were simply pointing out the weather.

Unsure what to make of the situation, Sarah ignored the wave of fleeting panic that was beginning to grow inside her. Instead she attempted to mimic his tone, keeping her voice steady and seemingly uninterested.

"No, I'm not."

Mouth finally giving in to a smirk, Jareth was amused by Sarah's words. Clearly, she was still as insolent as ever. He decided to play her game.

"Were my instructions not clear enough?"

Sarah's eyes narrowed as she spoke through gritted teeth. She knew it would not be wise to let him infuriate her again but as the anger rose slowly within her, she could feel her control ebbing away.

"They were perfectly clear, thank you."

"Then why did you not follow them?"

Jaw set firmly, Sarah rose from her seated position but kept the sizeable distance from him. She enunciated every word, eager for him to get the message.

"You do not control me."

Jareth's eyes flashed menacingly but subsided almost instantaneously, his smug air still as strong as before. Mouth turned upwards in a smirk; he feigned picking at a non-existent thread protruding from him glove. A short, sharp almost musical laugh escaped from him lips.

"Wrong, Sarah. I do."

Unable to control herself any longer, Sarah let out a more than audible sigh of frustration. She knew she was acting like a child but she had long gone past the point of caring and yanked the nearby dress off the bed, throwing it across the other side of the room.

"I am not putting that _thing_ on, and there is no way I am going anywhere with you."

But she did not receive the reaction she had predicted. Or wanted. He simply stood motionless; his voice just as calm and level as before with only the slightest hint of mock innocence at her expense.

_But how do you want him to react?_ Her mind questioned. She couldn't answer that.

"You are perfectly happy to follow my other orders; Tolbas informs me that you are compliant with him every morning and evening."

Sarah scowled at his reasoning.

"Yes well, I have no choice in that."

Jareth's expression had hardened now along with his tone of voice - he was in no mood to carry this charade on any further.

"And you have no choice here." He sighed in irritation, eyes twinkling ever so slightly. "You are being ungrateful again, Sarah."

"Ungrateful?" Sarah all but shrieked, a tinge of hysteria unmistakable in her voice. "Stop acting like I want this!

Jareth raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her outburst. Why was she being so damn defiant? If she paid the slightest bit of attention she would come to realise his actions were all going to be for her benefit.

"Don't you want to be treated like a Queen?"

She let a moment of silence pass before speaking again, her voice weaker and almost defeated. She could not let her thoughts wander back to her family – it hurt too much.

"I _want_ to go home."

Jareth rolled his eyes as her childish manner but could not help but smile as he spoke, sarcasm dripping off his tongue.

"I want never gets."

Sarah's cheeks flushed in anger. She was not a naughty child and manners would be wasted on him. She would not ask nicely.

_I am not saying please._

_But what if he agrees?_

_Get a grip, that's never going to happen. _

She swallowed her pride.

"_Please_. I want to go home."

Jareth's expression became slightly mischievous as a sneer grew on his face.

"Beg."

_Stop now Sarah._

She sighed, her eyes pleading.

"Please. I beg you. Let me go home."

Jareth paused for a painfully long time as if he were considering her request at great length. Of course, this was the man who freely took younger siblings from frustrated humans regardless of their pleas for forgiveness. He would not say yes.

"Well-" he responded curtly, "-we can't always get what we want. "

Sarah, unable to produce a quick enough response simply glared at him in her embarrassment, letting her hatred flow freely through her.

_One day I will wipe that stupid smug smile off your bloody fa-_

"Change now-" he interrupted, "-and we will leave. Or this-"Jareth gestured lazily to the room around them, "-will be no more. I can easily place you in less…comfortable quarters if that is what you prefer?"

Biting back a scathing reply, Sarah kicked herself mentally for being so damn materialistic. She wasn't stupid, she knew what he was implying but she also knew that swallowing her pride again for just a little bit was worth a few more nights in an actual bed. Besides, it made no sense to suffer for something that was inevitably going to happen anyway.

_He may not control me, but he does have the advantage_, she thought resentfully.

Desperate to regain some form of control, she demanded after him as he made his way out of the bedroom door.

"Where are we going?"

He stopped but did not turn to look at her.

"I will return shortly. Please be ready to leave when I do."

The door shut silently behind him leaving Sarah alone.

"Stupid Goblin-man, thinks he's so amazing..." Sarah's mumbled rant trailed off as she walked to the other side of the room to retrieve the dress, pulling off her bland gray attire and pulling the white beauty hastily over her head and her body. She hadn't noticed that it the back of it came up only to her lower back, leaving the rest of her pale flesh on show. Sarah had not felt so self-conscious in clothing since –

She didn't want to think about it. Real or not, dancing with Jareth had ultimately not been a great experience for her. Sighing, Sarah went about quickly detangling her hair, paying little attention as to what she looked like in the dress. That was not something she cared for too much right now. As she brushed out her curls, a thought crossed her mind -shoes? She hadn't worn shoes in weeks and had simply grown accustomed to the cold stone upon her soft feet.

Clinging to the poster of the bed, Sarah raised her left foot to examine the extent of the dirt on her soles, her eyes widening at their near blackness. _No time to deal with them now, most of it will be hidden anyway_. Sarah rifled through one of the bottom drawers of the wardrobe until she found a pair of shoes that weren't likely to break her legs if she were to walk in them. Settling on a pair of roman sandals with criss-cross straps that reached just below her knee, Sarah stood motionless in the room, waiting for the tell-tale sounds of movement from outside the door, informing her of Jareth's presence. And of course, in less than three seconds of her finishing dressing he had reappeared. Saying nothing, his eyes raked over her appearance before he beckoned for her to follow him.

"Come."

For a split second Sarah did not move, considering another act of defiance as her inner self yelled at her to stand up for herself. But soon enough, rational Sarah kicked in and caused her to come to the conclusion that for this occasion, compliance was necessary.

_When will you say no, though? _

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Sarah struggling to keep up with Jareth's graceful strides; the click of his heels echoing in the stillness. Without thinking, she voiced her silent thoughts.

"Why are we walking?" The moment the question left her lips she felt ridiculous. What was it about this place that made her act so childishly? Once more, Jareth did not turn to look at her as he replied.

"What do you mean?" His tone was causal and in no way mocking as she expected it to be.

"I mean-" she said slowly, trying to regain herself without shaming herself anymore, "-why don't we just get there by magic?"

Jareth's light chuckle filled the corridor and Sarah could feel a scarlet blush creeping up her neck. He had no right to make her feel like that.

"You are quite naïve, Sarah."

Her gaze narrowed as it bored into his back, her jaw tight in annoyance.

"I am not naïve! How do you expect me to know-"

Her words were cut short by Jareth's hand held upwards, silencing her immediately. They had arrived at a set of tall, wooden double doors which Jareth opened with ease revealing the last thing Sarah ever expected to see. A ballroom, easily the size of a football pitch filled her gaze.

"Are we still in the castle?" Sarah's voice was a mixture of awe and fear, her words coming out no more than a whisper.

"No." His response was quiet as his eyes raked over the scene ahead of him.

They were now stood at the top of a very luxurious and long marble staircase that wound precariously downwards until it hit the floor below them. Sarah swallowed hard – she never had been a fan of heights. But, what scared Sarah the most was how similar this was to the ballroom of her dreams, yet how different it was at the same time. When she was fifteen, it had seemed shabby, neglected and filled with arrogant masked people sneering and laughing at her.

_This can't be the same one._

For one thing, it was far larger and grander with rich tapestries hanging from the walls and a crystal chandelier suspended from the high ceiling. Her neck protested in pain as she craned it upwards. The whole affair seemed far less gaudy and cheap than her memory. Jareth gripped her arm just above the elbow proceeding to lead her down the staircase. His hold wasn't tight, but still firm enough to keep control but for the moment, this did not bother Sarah as her mind was going into overdrive.

As they descended she could see the graceful dancing figures more clearly – they were stunning. But even that would be the wrong word to describe them; she had never seen people so beautiful in her life. Sighing inwardly, she added another feeling to the list she would be experiencing tonight: inadequacy. Along with panic, fear and confusion, Sarah was not expecting to enjoy whatever was ahead of her. But what exactly was ahead of her? Was she supposed to dance? More importantly, why was there even a dance? Just as the thought had entered her mind she felt Jareth's warm breath on her ear, his voice low as her murmured.

"Once every few hundred years, the elders of the Underground convene in order to discuss its running and ensure that every kingdom is behaving accordingly. This is the celebration to note the end of their meeting."

Sarah was confused – every kingdom? There were more? Jareth continued before she could voice her concern.

"You will meet a lot of people tonight, Sarah many of which will know who you are. Remember, most will be royalty so there is no room for tantrums."

Fuming once more at his treatment of her, Sarah bit down on her lip to prevent herself from proving him right. Instead she simply kept her eyes forward, eager not to trip over the hem of her dress and send herself tumbling stupidly down the remaining stairs. But with Jareth guiding her, they reached the bottom with ease and were greeted by many heads turning to stare. Sarah felt like a freak show, a blush creeping onto her face suddenly realising how plain she was in comparison to those around her.

She made a small sideways glance to Jareth beside her but he was simply looking over the room before them, his expression slightly bored, a small crease forming in his perfect brow. Was he worried? Sarah had no time to consider this as she was guided forward in the direction of a flawless couple stood nearby, so beautiful her chest ached.

The man was tall with a slim build, bigger than Jareth's but still graceful and he wore his shoulder length chocolate colour hair in a neat ponytail which clung to the back of his neck. His face was hard yet his eyes were gentle, a soft ocean of blue as opposed to a glacier.

The woman on the other hand was smaller, coming up only to the man's shoulder. She was willowy with a waterfall of ice blonde hair that fell effortlessly down her back and had diamond gray eyes that came alight when they fell upon Sarah. Jareth began to speak but Sarah could not pay attention, the words going over her head as she threw her gaze elsewhere, feeling sufficiently awkward.

"So _this_ is the human?"

Sarah's mind snapped back at the reference, ignoring the annoyance in her mind of being spoken about instead of to. She could feel the woman's eyes boring into her, studying her intently and she glanced quickly at Jareth for some sort of aid but his expression was complacent, offering nothing. The woman's silvery voice chimed in once more.

"Come now, Goblin King she is obviously scared. You should not have brought her here. Shilo?"

The woman said the final word so quietly, Sarah was almost sure she had not said it at all. Unsure of what it mean, Sarah nearly had a heart attack when another woman, more of a similar age to herself joined them, appearing almost out of thin air. Like the older woman, she was tall and svelte but instead of blonde, wore elegant curls of strawberry blonde hair and shared the same eyes at the man beside her.

_Are they related?_ Sarah couldn't be sure but her question was answered for her.

"Yes, Mother?" Shilo's voice was just as dainty and Sarah was sure the moment she opened her mouth to speak she would sound like a man in comparison.

"Shilo," she spoke slowly as if for Sarah's benefit, "_this_ is Sarah and no doubt we are boring her with our conversation, so why don't you take her and perhaps show her around? I'm sure that'll be far more interesting for her."

Sarah fought to keep a neutral expression as the woman's tone became increasingly more patronising – she was eighteen for God's sake, not eight! Once more, all four pairs of eyes were upon her and Sarah kept her gaze firmly to floor and she followed meekly behind the young woman, away from the others. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Shilo spoke, not looking behind her.

"So you're Jareth's human." It was not a question.

A flash of rage passed through Sarah as she was referred to once more as belonging to Jareth. She was her own person and would gladly die before she belonged to anyone, least of all Jareth. However, it rushed through her quickly and passed, her mind telling her to remain polite. No need to cause a scene. Jaw clenched, she spoke.

"I am not Jareth's."

Amused by Sarah's annoyed tone of voice, Shilo stopped to turn and face the girl behind her, an eyebrow raised in scepticism.

"No, of course not. You _did_ outsmart him after all, and I must applaud you for that. It did not however do anything to lessen his arrogance."

Sarah said nothing in reply, unsure if she was being mocked or not but she was also painfully aware there was nothing really to say in response. She'd have given anything for them just to stand there in silence. Yet the Princess continued but Sarah could not help but notice she was perhaps talking to herself more than her; her voice sounding faraway and dreamlike.

"Yes, you were quite the talk of the Underground for a while. Your actions were so very…_extraordinary_."

Sarah gave a non committal murmur in response.

"Of course, in my Father's kingdom we get many humans paying us a visit. Not quite for the same reason as Jareth's though."

A small voice of curiosity popped into her mind, a million questions wanting to be answered. Up until moments ago Sarah had no idea that there was anything beyond Jareth and his Kingdom but now she had learned that everything she had read about as a child was quite true. It was mind blowing. Sarah bit her lip before speaking hesitantly. _It would be rude not to ask_, she decided.

"Your Father's Kingdom?"

Immediately she realised she'd decided wrong. Shilo's gaze narrowed and Sarah was unable to make out if she looked offended or just confused. After a second her expression changed to one of wide eyes and a little of patronisation, as if Sarah should already know.

"The 'Realm of Eternal Light'" she said simply, "or as some humans have called it - 'The Garden of Eden'"

"The Garden of Eden?" Sarah asked, incredulous, "Like in the bible?"

Rolling her eyes, the princess gave a bored sigh.

"That is one trait I have never liked in humans – you like to steal. Surely you cannot believe that one being created the entire universe, including my world? No, it was two humans that stumbled across us and decided to claim the idea of it as their own."

Sarah felt idiotic as she forced back an argument defending her intelligence. There was no point in fighting with the woman, she was at a humungous disadvantage. Instead she simply looked back at the flawless couples dancing before them, muttering her reply.

"I guess not.."

Sarah let her gaze travel the room until they fell upon the couple who had been identified to her earlier as Princess Shilo's parents but they were alone, with Jareth nowhere to be seen. Feeling a small wave of panic rise in her, Sarah opened her mouth to raise her concern but Shilo was already speaking; her stare equal with Sarah's.

"Yes, he disappears like that a lot, you will know this of course. I did find it ever so irritating"

Confused, Sarah wondered for a brief second whether she could read minds but dismissed it almost immediately, feeling stupid. But one question that did make sense was whether Shilo knew Jareth or not. She looked back to the Princess.

_Maybe she could help me get home? _Thethought flitted through her mind.

"You know him well?" she asked cautiously.

Shilo's mouth opened in preparation to speak but apparently thought better of it, closing it and giving a small smile, looking on the verge of a grimace.

"We were betrothed once."

_Jareth was betrothed? _Her mind automatically dressed him in a morning suit and top hat, standing at a church altar; a nervous smile on his face. It didn't look right at all. The Jareth she 'knew' was jealous, selfish and apparently incapable of love. Sarah knew she probably shouldn't pry, but the subject seemed to interesting not to question it. She decided to risk it.

"What happened?"

The look Sarah was given indicated clearly that she had definitely asked the wrong question. A murderous, manic glare replaced the dreamy far off look that was nestled in her blue eyes before causing Sarah to suck in her breath in fear, unease running through her. Shilo all but spat her words at her.

"_You_ happened, my dear."

Sarah felt sick to her stomach. But before she could even begin to comprehend the woman's words, she was speaking again; a smirk painted on her face.

"And it looks like you've done it again, Sarah."

Following Shilo's eyeline, Sarah's gaze fell upon a man on the ballroom floor, in the arms of another woman yet his cold stare did not move an inch from her. _What the-?_ Her chest constricted uneasily as she registered his appearance in her mind. Tall and well built, his long hair fell past his shoulders with some gathered into a small ponytail on the back of his head. Although the majority of it was brunette, Sarah could just about see the odd streak of red and blue hidden amongst the brown. But what confused her the most was the way he was dressed. His eyes were dark and heavily shadowed, with a deeply rich purple colouring his lips. _What is it with men and make up in this place?_ Clearly he was royalty but leather coat trimmed with fur seemed almost shabby but still expensive at the same time. It made her head hurt. Before Sarah could even open her mouth to ask who he was, the man had joined them, his wide eyed gaze still unmoving from Sarah.

"King Xavier. How nice to see you."

Shilo's bored voice was low, sarcasm all too obvious in her tone. Xavier's head cocked to one side as he finally tore his stare from Sarah.

"Princess Shilo." His voice was an American drawl, smooth as velvet. For some reason she felt a shiver travel quickly down her spine. "Still as beautiful as ever."

_What a creep. _

Immediately as the thought entered her mind, Xavier looked back to Sarah, the corners of his mouth upturning in intrigue. Sarah blanched.

_Crap! Did I say that out loud?_

"And who is this?"

The princess simply smirked haughtily.

"Jareth's human."

All but used to being talked over, Sarah said nothing as she was introduced and swallowed down the rising fear in her. The man before her, like Jareth was beautiful, but beneath the beauty something quite sinister was plainly evident. It unnerved her. Whilst her face betrayed her fear, his simply lit up in excitement as his voice grew softer, tinged with intrigue.

"So you're Sarah."

Turning to Shilo for some form of familiarity, Sarah felt her stomach drop as she saw nothing but an empty space next to her. She bit her bottom lip awkwardly as she stared at her knotted hands. A split second passed in silence before the smooth voice, now far closer to her, filled her ears.

"Would you care for a dance, _Sarah_?"

Placing an unnatural emphasis on her name, the man bowed a fraction, his hand held out in offer. More than reluctant, Sarah looked around desperately for Jareth – why the hell would he abandon her like this?

"Oh, I don't-"

But before she could get her stuttered response out, Xavier had taken her hand and was lightly guiding her to the centre of the ballroom floor. Lightheaded with panic, Sarah grit her teeth and told herself calmly that it would be over soon and all she needed to do was keep her mouth shut and everything would be fine.

_Everything will be fine. _

But would it? Not only was she in a strange place with a strange man, the one person that was even remotely familiar to her was nowhere to be seen. Anything could happen. Scolding herself for her dark thoughts, Sarah turned her attention to concentrating on the waltz but found she need make little effort with Xavier gliding her effortless around the crowded room. She tried in vain not to look at him but even so, Sarah could feel his glare aiming for her eyes causing unease to run through her. His hand travelled up from the small of her back to between her shoulder blades pressing firmly so her face was now inches from his.

_Oh God, what is he doing?_

Her mind was screaming but her mouth could only find the will to utter a helpless "uh". He span them around once more, Sarah's gaze travelling upwards to the bright ceiling, the lights and colours almost blinding her. Stomach clenching, she forced down the bile rising in her throat as she inhaled the man's musty scent, it was all too much – her head began to throb before –

"Oh!"

Letting out a gasp of surprise Sarah realised the room had stopped spinning and now stood next to her, finally, was the Goblin King. Her heart leapt a little as he first registered in her mind but this quickly dissipated as she took in the look of pure anger etched into his features. But he wasn't looking at her. Sarah looked at the man still holding her from the corner of her eye, him being seemingly unaffected by Jareth's expression. His own was mirthful and cocky.

"Come now, Goblin King, we haven't finished dancing."

For some unknown reason, a stab of shame pierced Sarah and she shied away from the King, gravitating herself towards Jareth. She would be glad to forget this strange evening as soon as possible.

"Sarah." Jareth did not look at her as he spoke but still, she flinched involuntarily at his expressionless voice. "It is time to leave."

Nodding meekly, she turned to follow but was stopped as she felt a hand upon hers, pulling it upwards.

"Until next time."

Xavier pressed his warm lips against her hand before turning his attention to Jareth, a small laugh emitting from his mouth.

"I trust you have not forgotten our arrangement?"

Sarah heard a sharp intake of breath before a forced "no" came from Jareth's direction. Clearly he disliked this man more than she did.

"Good. Then I shall see you very soon."

Without warning, Sarah then felt a tight grip around her upper arm and in next to no time they had reached the top of the marvellous marble staircase and were now walking down the same dark, stone corridor as before, the sweet melodic music fading quickly behind them. Finding no more reason to remain dignified, Sarah fought against his iron grip.

"Hey, ow, get off me-"

"You are never to speak to him again – do you understand me? How could you be so stupid?"

Jareth's thunderous voice rang out in the stillness but he did not pause to look at her and simply carried on forward. For a moment, Sarah felt a rush of fear at his livid tone but this was soon replaced with her own anger at the entire situation he ultimately had put her in.

"Stupid? What the? How do you expect me to know who to talk to or not? And besides, I had very little choice in the matter – where were you?"

Suddenly they came to a complete stop, Sarah tripping over her feet slightly at the loss of momentum. They were outside her door.

"Sleep."

Jareth opened the door wordlessly and left without even so much as a glance in Sarah's direction. Confused and exhausted, Sarah closed the door behind her and climbed straight into the plush bed, falling immediately into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I am so sorry this took so long! I have been super busy lately and on top of that, I left my chapter notes at home when I went back to uni after Christmas D: But it's done now :) I understand am introducing a lot of new characters but they all have their part to play in the story, I promise :P Hope you guys had a great Christmas and New Year :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Sarah spent the next couple of weeks in the confines of her bedroom, at first surprised and somewhat happy that Tolbas had stopped coming to collect her. But now she found herself bored out of her mind, restless and wishing he'd return just to give her something to do. However, her time alone had given her the chance to think over of the strange events of when she had seen the Goblin King last, the images of the people she had met still very much fresh in her mind. Sarah had not appreciated the way she was spoken over or referred to or the annoying fact that Jareth left her alone with not only people she didn't know but people she knew weren't even people..or real for that matter.

_Please, not this again._

Not too long ago, a scary thought had managed to creep it's way into the forefront of Sarah's mind causing her to not only panic, but question her sanity completely. Was this place even real? Or had she finally succumbed to madness and her overzealous mind had created a comfortable fantasy universe for her to live out the rest of her pointless existence in? Sighing, Sarah stared motionless upwards at the dark canopy over bed. Everything felt so real, so how could it be in her mind? But at the same time, everything was so ridiculous – perhaps she had made this up and the first time she came to the Underground at fifteen, it had been nothing more than an elaborate dream. It made her brain ache. At this point Sarah had learnt that for the moment, it did not do well for her to dwell on such a harrowing thought. Until she was proved otherwise, this was really happening. A knock at the door distracted Sarah, her mind thankful for the other focus of attention. Frowning, she left the bed and headed for the door, the floor too cold in comparison to her cosy sheets.

_I wonder if its _him_?_

_Do you want it to be?_

_Yes._

_No._

_Goddammit. _

Ignoring the internal battle of her brain, Sarah slowly opened the door to the sight of an ever silent Tolbas looking down at her. Not sure if she was feeling relief or disappointment, she garbled that she'd get ready right away, grabbing her clothes at lightning speed and locking herself in the bathroom. Contrary to the rush she had made to get changed, Sarah put on her work clothes leisurely, taking in her appearance in the mirror as she did so, dabbing at her face intermittently as if to change what she saw before her. She had grown paler since she'd been here but this was highlighted only by the dark shadows resting under her eyes – she did not sleep well in this place. Once ready, Sarah exited the room and stood expectantly by the man waiting for her who once again, tried to avert his gaze by any means possible and strode quickly from the bedroom leaving Sarah awkwardly trying to catch up. They walked longer than normal, Sarah craning her neck behind her in confusion as they walked past the door he usually stopped for. As they continued forwards, Sarah's heart began to pump uneasily at the thought of going somewhere new as familiarity was really all she had to cling to at the moment. She knew there was only one other place he could be taking her and she scolded herself inwardly for managing to fall into a state of panic every time this scenario came around.

_Get a grip. _

But just as the thought has entered her mind, it was gone again as Tolbas stopped abruptly, causing Sarah to trip over her feet at the lack of warning. Muttering a choice few of rude words, Sarah did not look at Tolbas as he opened the new door, leaving the alien room free for her to enter. Unlike the other she was accustomed to, this room was far lighter with many windows on the south wall letting in copious amounts of sunlight and blue sky. It seemed like it might have once been a library, with ceiling high wooden shelves occupying most of the space yet they were bare – only one or two dusty books now remained on each set of shelves, lying haphazardly, clearly left behind. Sarah frowned as she took in her surroundings; she loved to read more than anything and to see such grandeur reduced to-

"Hey, Sarah!"

Letting out a squeal of surprise and pure fright, Sarah tumbled awkwardly backwards as the owner of the voice appeared in her sight. Ginger, freckled and unnaturally tall, Cilan now stood a meter away from her, a sheepish look upon his face.

"Sorry, I didn-"

"No, that's okay." Sarah interrupted, not in the mood to hear his apologies, "Need to pay more attention I guess."

Grinning, the boy headed back towards a small stool half hidden by a book shelf sitting amongst a large pile of what looked like cutlery. Sarah could not help but let a smile spread across her face as she watched him sit down as he was clearly far too big for the piece of furniture. It was endearing in a way.

"So, where did you disappear off to then?"

Joining him, Sarah sat cross legged on the grimy floor, grabbing a rag and a knife and getting to work.

She shrugged. "I didn't disappear anywhere. No one came to collect me so I stayed in my room."

Cilan chuckled as she spoke.

"Alright for some."

Minutes passed in silence as she watched the boy's face darken with concentration as he tried in vain to banish a stubborn mark on a fork. Although hilarious, the noises that were coming from his mouth could only be described as less than human and were becoming annoying so she intervened.

"Why are we doing this anyway?"

"What, cleaning the silver wear?" Sarah nodded, unwilling to produce a sarcastic response to his innocence. "It's Goblin work really," he continued, "but I've been doing this sort of stuff for a few weeks now. Usually when Jareth is angry about something all the goblins disappear for a bit, you know so they don't get picked on or whatever so guess whose workload hits the roof."

He looked back to his fork, finally admitting defeat and throwing it away. Sarah frowned as she noticed the unmistakable bitter tone in his voice.

"Don't suppose you know the cause?" He joked feebly.

Biting her lip Sarah wondered if she should inform him of what happened the last time she had seen Jareth or just let it go. But she couldn't deny her curiosity and if she was ever to get out of this place, she knew she'd need to know more about it. No good would come of burying her head in the sand.

"Well I guess he was pretty mad the other night."

Cilan raised an eyebrow.

"The other night?"

Sighing, Sarah began to recount the strange tale of the ballroom, absentmindedly toying with the filthy rag as she did so.

"..and then this man came over, with long hair and a strange name, 'Zay-vi-uh' or something I dunno-"

"Xavier?" Cilan repeated incredulous, his green eyes wide.

Sarah's expression faltered as she was corrected in her pronunciation. She did not like feeling stupid. "Uh, yeah I guess?"

"I'm not surprised Jareth was mad. He is seriously not good news."

Sarah sighed in frustration at once more being treated like a naïve child, her words reflecting that fact. The knife she had been holding fell to the floor, the clatter echoing out in the silence.

"It's not like I had a choice!" she exploded, "Besides, I should be allowed to talk to whomever I want. Jareth does not control me."

Exhaling loud and indignantly, Sarah tore her angry gaze away from Cilan's expression of disbelief, ashamed at her outburst at the only person willing to listen to her. Trying to regain some control, Sarah levelled her voice, hoping it showed some sincerity in her question.

"Why is he so awful then?"

Simply blinking, it took a couple of seconds before Cilan realised he could continue.

"Uh..well,..Xavier is the ruler of the 'Realm of Eternal Darkness'. It's a place where humans go if they have led bad lives."

"Like Hell then?" Sarah asked simply.

"Um, where?"

Sarah opened her mouth to explain but shut it hastily, as a confused expression spread across his face. Unwilling to go off topic, she shook her head.

"Never mind, carry on."

"So, being the ruler, he spends his time punishing humans for the bad deeds they have done."

"Like Satan?" She asked again, almost bored.

"..Who?"

Again, seeing it useless to stop and explain Sarah shook her head and motioned for him to continue.

"He's ruthless and although he has the same amount of power as many of the other Faes in the Underground, he is regarded with caution."

_With caution? So he was dangerous? _Sarah slumped a little in her position as a realisation washed over her. No wonder Jareth had been so angry with her, this guy sounded like a madman. But then again, why would he care so much? As she battled with her thoughts, Sarah noticed that in her silence, Cilan had gone back to work, his pile of shiny pieces of silver wear steadily growing bigger. Eager to find out more about this man, Sarah found herself remembering the last bit of conversation she had heard before Jareth had whisked her away.

"He said something to Jareth about an arrangement?"

Cilan furrowed his brow in thought for a couple of seconds. Sarah could almost see the cogs turning in his brain in deep thought.

"An arrangement? Maybe Jareth is planning an alliance?" He stared down at his tired hands and laughed. "That's probably why we're polishing the silver wear…guess its tonight."

Shaking his head, Cilan began to polish harder whilst mumbling angrily to himself

"He could have done this in a moment with magic but no.." Ginger head down, Cilan descended into an almost inaudible rant. Frustrated that he had once more gone off topic, Sarah interrupted

"Wait! Go back. If no one likes him then why would Jareth want an alliance with him?"

"Like I said," Cilan began, his attention still on his lap. "the other kings and queens are wary of him so not only will Jareth have a certain power on his side, he would hopefully not have to fear any attack or invasion from him seeing as they'd be on the-" Cilan brought his hands up into the air slightly, motioning air quotes but forgetting his hands were already occupied. Sarah did not attempt to stifle her laugh as his cleaning rag and a half clean fork rained down on him. "-same side." he winced. "You really wouldn't want to start a war with Xavier. He has a lot of dark magic at his disposal. Or at least that's what my Father told me."

"Oh.."

Sarah reverted back to silence as her head began to swim with thoughts of the man she had let get so close to her that strange night. Up until the other night Sarah had never dreamed there was the possibility of other kingdoms in this place or that Jareth felt any other emotion than arrogance. She always knew she didn't know much about the Underground as for most of the time in the past three years she had thought it to be nothing more than an extension of her elaborate dreams. But this conversation had set her back even more. It made her feel vulnerable – how was she supposed to escape a place she knew nothing about? Whatever small light of hope that was inside her was extinguishing fast.

_Stop it Sarah, none of this is relevant to you. Just focus on getting home. _

Reluctantly agreeing with her mind, Sarah cleared her mind and picked up the closest piece of silver to her and begun scrubbing furiously at a stain, wishing her own memories and thoughts could be wiped away so easily.

* * *

><p>Several hours later and with fingers that felt as if they were about to fall off, Sarah was finally escorted back to her room. Wanting nothing more to just collapse into bed, Sarah unfortunately caught sight of herself in the vanity mirror, an immediate sign that the bathroom would have to be her first stop before the luxury of sleep. Her once clean skin was now marred with grime and she didn't need to touch her chestnut locks to know they were in dire need of a wash. Yet as much as she yearned for sleep, Sarah could not deny that a nice, hot bath would be just as good right now.<p>

She did not take long. Once free of the dirt and now had squeaky clean hair, it was only a matter of seconds before Sarah could feel her eyelids drooping and her head lolling and she hastily exited the warm water. But as she headed for her bed, like always, the night sky caught her eye the sheer number of stars never ceasing to amaze her. The stone of the small balcony was cold on her clean feet but she ignored the change, simply staring up into the black and white abyss above her.

"I wonder if Dad, Toby and Karen are looking at the same stars." Sarah spoke almost inaudibly to herself, before laughing. "Of course they aren't, you're nowhere, remember." Deflating at the thought, Sarah found herself resting her arms on the stone ledge before her, head in her hands. Did they even know she was missing? Jareth could do pretty much whatever he wanted so taking her existence away completely seemed like a plausible thing he would do. But would that be better, she asked herself. No pain, no heartbreak, no never knowing if she was dead or alive.

_But I would know. _

Deciding she was being selfish, Sarah banished the thoughts from her mind and headed straight back to the bed, hoping desperately for an easy and dreamless sleep.

Sarah found herself sat on a riverbank, a brilliant blue sky quiet above her and the summer sunshine warming her skin. It was pleasant. Breathing in the smell of grass and a summer breeze, Sarah let a smile grow on her face as she leaned backwards, taking in the perfection around her. The sound of children laughing filled her ears and as her gaze travelled down to the shallows of the river, she could see three children with their back to her, playing innocently in the river. Whose children were these, she wondered. Were they all alone? Deciding they seemed too happy to be lost or alone, Sarah simply watched on as they splashed each other but she could not help but notice that one of the children was different to the other two. The little boy and little girl were both red heads yet this little boy had blonde hair, a world away from his siblings. Without warning Sarah was suddenly filled with the deepest of yearnings to reach out to this small child. She felt like she knew all three of them, but from where? Springing up in an instant, Sarah stumbled down the riverbank, the two redheads watching in silence as she did so but the blonde boy too preoccupied with the water to turn around. Sarah needed to call to him, to hold him, she was so close-

_Click. _

The soft shutting of a door roused Sarah from her dream, confusion filling her mind.

_Did someone just come in? _

Disorientated by sleep, Sarah sat up slowly, her eyes adjusting slowly to the dark room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but Sarah could not help but call out just to be sure, ignoring how stupid she felt.

"Jareth?"

The lack of response had the opposite effect, the silence beginning to unnerve her. Why would she wake up for no reason? Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Sarah spoke with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Jareth? Please..this isn't funny. I…I know you're there."

A familiar silky voice rang out in the darkness, but not the one she had been expecting.

"It is not Jareth, I'm afraid, Sarah"

Sarah froze as her breath caught painfully in her throat and her stomach dropped to her feet. She knew who that voice belonged to. Before she could say another word, a weight was forced upon her, crushing her back down into her pillows.

"Still as beautiful as ever."

His intoxicatingly sweet scent filling her nostrils and heavily made up face just inches away from her made her want to gag. . Without thinking, Sarah simply tried to duck under him in a bid to escape but in an instant she was met with strong arms pushing her back into her original position.

"Come now Sarah," he purred, a dark smile spreading across his lips. "there is no need to be scared."

Sarah sucked in her breath as a pair of soft lips began to trace her neck and throat, his hot breath poisoning her skin.

"Please Xavier," she whispered, surprised she could speak at all. "Don't."

The man laughed quietly at her weak response, sending his right hand trailing slowly across her chest. As panic began to rise within her, Sarah realised she needed to lie – scare him away if possible. Breathing in deeply, she spoke as steadily as she manage.

"J-jareth'll see you. He's..he's always watching me." When Sarah had first arrived that had been the nasty thought that stuck in her mind but she never had been sure if it was true or not. But right now she found herself praying to any God that would listen for it to actually be true.

Xavier laughed again, clearly not believing her. His knees slipped in between Sarah's, pushing them apart with ease as his hand travelled southwards.

"Jareth's magic is trivial. I prepared for it without problem."

A manic grin grew on his face as Sarah tried in vain to recoil from her captor, his voice no more than a low whisper.

"Fear not, Sarah it will be just you and I."

On his final word, Xavier's cold fingers found their way into Sarah's opening and she could not help but let out a cry of panic at the invasion.

"Do you like that, Sarah?"

Biting down on her lip to prevent the tears that were threatening to leak from her eyes, Sarah wished that she could find the strength to do anything but just lie there. But would it do any good? The sound of material being ripped filled her ears as she stared helplessly upwards to the canopy above her and Sarah forced down a wave of sickness as her nipple entered his mouth but without warning, he clamped down hard, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Please! Please stop!."

Hearing nothing more than a dark chuckle, Sarah was briefly released as his hands went to his trousers. Tears finally begin to fall from her dark eyes at the thought of what was coming next, she shut them tight and waited silently for the inevitable pain she was about to experience but instead felt the crushing weight being lifted from her entirely, the sound of person coming into contact with stone engulfing her hearing. Tentatively, Sarah opened her eyes to the sight of Jareth with his hands around Xavier's neck, pressed firmly against the opposite wall. She could hear shouting but it took a moment or two for her to realise Jareth was shouting about her, but as she stared helplessly at the pair, her gaze fell upon the open door and with no need to think twice, Sarah wrapped the ripped remains of her nightwear around her and ran from the room. Not knowing or caring which direction she was running or where she was going, Sarah ran down the empty stone corridors, taking every corner she could, only realising that this point her vision was obscured because of her sobbing. Tripping over her feet on occasions sent pains shooting through her arms and legs and blood dripping from her knees but she was beyond caring at this point. Unable to find an exit, Sarah all but threw herself into the nearest room, being greeted with nothing but emptiness but the room had a balcony, just like hers. Slowly and without thiking, Sarah followed the night breeze and hesitantly looked over stony ledge, seeing nothing but darkness below.

. "I want to go home." she whispered through her tears but as she raised her hand to wipe the wetness away, Sarah stopped herself. Why should she be strong anymore? Why should she have to spend another minute in this place? The darkness seemed so inviting…it would be warm, it would end it all. Reaching out to pull herself up onto the ledge, Sarah felt a force wrap around her waist sending her to the ground. Lying there stunned, bleeding and crying, the pale face of the Goblin King entered her vision, his mismatched eyes livid, his lip curled in anger.

"What did he do to you?" His normally calm voice was thunderous but not like how she had heard it before, it was mixed with something else- something Sarah did not recognise. Still too dazed to reply, Sarah simply stared at the man as he crouched to her level, his hands gripping her shoulders. She couldn't help but let out a cry.

"Nothing! I mean, he tried to.." Sarah trailed off and Jareth's grip loosened and his face slackened as he took in the mess of the girl sat before him. His gaze traced over her ripped nightdress, bloody knees and blotchy face before looking back to her trembling face. He sighed quietly.

"He is gone now and will not be returning."

Sarah nodded slowly, her head feeling like a lead weight.

"Come."

Jareth held out his hand for her to take but released it the moment she was able to stand. He took her back to her room in silence and Sarah could do nothing but stare at her now remade bed.

_As if nothing ever happened. _

"Sleep Sarah."

Swallowing hard, Sarah turned to face the Goblin King, her voice quiet.

"T-thank you…for.." But she could not find the will to finish her words. Gaze unchanging, Jareth said nothing as he left the room, leaving Sarah alone in the dim light. Making her way slowly over to the bed, she curled up in the top blanket, her mind and body numb. With little tears left to cry, Sarah finally fell into a reluctant sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh my God, I am SO sorry this took so long! I don't even have a good excuse, it was a mix of university, lost chapter notes and pure laziness. Ugh. But here it finally is :L However it is at this point where I have no more chapter notes and the rest of the story is in my mind. I know how I want the whole thing to go, but it's just not on paper yet :/ So there might be a few more "bear with me's"! Also, I will post updates about this story on my page (set backs, when to expect the chapter etc) so don't hesitate to check it out to see what's going on. Once again, sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I understand it's a little dark but it's all needed for the story - trust me! Thanks guys!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

**A/N: Apologies to those who thought I had put up another new chapter. I have rewritten this one because upon re-reading it I was horrified at how terrible it really was. This one isn't miles better but it'll do!**

_I can't escape him, not even in my dreams._

Tolbas didn't come for Sarah again.

Sarah wasn't sure how much time had passed since that night, a clock was mysteriously absent from her room and she had gotten lazy with counting the days. Boredom crept in very quickly and Sarah found herself sleeping or wasting the hours staring over the balcony and scrutinising the Labyrinth in the distance. For so long she had convinced herself that her time in the Underground had been nothing more than an elaborate dream and to see it before her, clear as day was still a little more than she could handle. Which bits had she been in before? What areas had she missed? Or was the entirety of the Labyrinth nothing more than an illusion puppeteered by Jareth himself? The thought of it made her head hurt. Sinking to the floor, Sarah let her gaze drift to a small spider scurrying past her, the gold of its skin sparkling in the sunlight.

_Even the insects here are weird. _

A knock at the door disturbed her .

Flinching at the intrusive sound, Sarah instinctively backed away from the door, her arms outstretched in a poor attempt at a defensive stance.

"...who is it?"

Any shred of confidence was lost the instant Sarah opened her mouth, leaving her words quiet and unsure. However, the response she was given was a world away from what she had expected.

"Cilan!"

She could almost hear the smile in his tone of voice. Relaxing, Sarah exhaled loudly before hurrying over to the heavy oak door, her head still peering round in apprehension as it opened. She was unsure how long she had been shut away in her room after the incident but the young man still looked as adorable as ever. Sarah could not help but break out into a smile as she let him in - but this was short lived. Behind Cilan, as silent and surly as ever stood Tolbas, arm folded and his piercing, unmoving gaze directed at Sarah.

"Cilan..' her voice faltered as she took in the second presence. 'What's going on?"

His grin stretched wider over his freckled face. "We're going into the Labyrinth."

_The Labyrinth? Why?!_

It was only natural for Sarah to have misgivings about what she had just been told. After all, the Labyrinth for her, served as a reminder of the time she very nearly lost her baby brother forever. But why was she going back?

_Probably Jareth's idea of a sick joke, _she thought bitterly. _But he's not here, so why should I go?_

Taking in a deep breath, Sarah ignored Tolbas' looming presence and focused solely on Cilan.

"No, I'm fine here. Sorry."

Cilan's face faltered a little, not so much in offence but in confusion. Tolbas' rolled his eyes.

"I don't think we have a choice, Sarah" he said quietly, cocking his head obviously in the direction of the large body behind him.

"But I don't understand' she began, ignoring the fact she was beginning to sound like a whiney child, 'why does he want me to go back in there..surely he's not expecting me to.." Sarah trailed off, unable to complete her sentence at the thought of her last experience within the Labyrinth walls. The memory of Toby made her heart ache.

_Toby!_

"Does he have Toby?! He can't, he just can't!, It's not fair! Let me talk to Jareth, let me talk to him right now!" Sarah attempted to push past the two men who had been patiently waiting for her panic to end. Her efforts were stopped almost immediately when two strong hands were slammed onto her shoulders. The action of it almost took the air out of her lungs.

Sarah looked upwards at Tolbas, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Please, does he have my brother?"

Seconds passed before Tolbas slowly shook his scarred head and Sarah could feel all traces immediate panic leaving her body at once. Maybe Jareth just wanted them out of the castle? Whatever his reasons were she knew she wouldn't find them out right that second so it was futile to try. Sighing loudly, she turned back into her bedroom and hastily put on the first pair of shoes she set her eyes on. Cilan's smile was as wide as ever.

They walked down the dimly lit corridor in silence whilst Sarah's thoughts whirled in her mind. She wasn't sure if she was feeling excitement or sheer panic at the thought of re-entering the Labyrinth trying desperately to remember something, anything of her first encounter that might help her this time around. Finally, she found the courage to speak.

"We're not...running it..are we?" Sarah cursed inwardly at the stupidity of her question. Cilan turned to her, his face paused in thought before grinning.

"No, I think it's more of a day out."

Not totally at ease, Sarah remained quiet for the remainder of the journey, trying her best to ignore her own thoughts. No need to become any more worried than she already was. Finally, they approached a small stone door and Tolbas raised his hand, indicating them to stop. Sarah knew there was an entire town out there before even reaching the outskirts of the Labyrinth, where could this door possibly lead? Slowly, Tolbas pushed against the stone with ease and daylight flooded in, blinding Sarah momentarily. Shielding her eyes, Sarah found her feet moving involuntarily forward, curiosity getting the better of her. The sound of the door closing behind her was the only thing to drag her out of her stupor. She was really there. She was back in the Labyrinth. Gazing around her in awe, Sarah tried her best to take it in all. It looked just as she remembered it. 8 foot high yellow walls surrounded her and Cilan with vines of ivy spiralling their way in and out of the bricks. The air was sweet and fresh and the sun warm on her exposed pale skin. Taking a deep breath, Sarah turned to Cilan.

"So, where do we go from here?"

Cilan shrugged almost comically.

"That way..maybe? I dunno, you're the one who's been here before."

Sarah found herself smiling, pushing the boy playfully before starting out on the twisting trail ahead of them but a brief glint of silver in Cilan's hand caused her to stop.

"What's that?"

Cilan raised an eyebrow.

"What's what?"

_Really?!_

"In your hand!"

"Oh!" Cilan opened his hand to reveal a small, old fashioned looking key with a yellowing note dangling from it. "Guard man gave it to me before he shut the door on us. The note says 'red for return' so.." he trailed off, frowning.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at the boy clearly failing to understand and began walking ahead, calling behind her at a still confused Cilan.

"It'll turn red when we need to go back."

Sarah rolled her eyes at the exclamation of "oh yeah!" but could not help but laugh at the sound of heavy footsteps catching up with her.

_What a goofball. _

The duo walked for a long time, following the path slowly, alternately choosing whether to take the left or right path. Sarah found herself at ease simply listening to Cilan's chatter and him, equally happy with Sarah's half interested responses.

"So how come you've managed to get out of helping me again?"

The question almost froze Sarah where she stood.

"W-what?"

The playful grin on the boy's face began to fade slowly at Sarah's reaction. He had only meant it to be a light-hearted question. Cilan scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke.

"Well..the last time I saw you was when we cleaned all the knives and forks and that was ages ago."

Sarah knew it had been a while but when there was nothing to do but sleep, eat and stare out of the window, the days just seemed to blur into one. She almost didn't want to know the answer.

"How long ago was it?"

"Two weeks? Maybe three."

Three weeks? Sarah's mind raced as she tried in vain to not think about the reason why she had been kept in her room for all that time. For days after that horrible night with Jareth and Xavier, Sarah had taken to sleeping under the ornate wooden bed as opposed to on it, wrapping herself deep down into her duvet and staying awake until she could fight off sleep no more.

"What did you do with yourself for all that time?" Cilan asked innocently.

_What _did_ you do with yourself?_

"I don't know. Sleep I guess."

Cilan didn't press the matter and simply stared ahead, grabbing a leaf every now and again from a stray branch and destroying it with his long pale fingers. Sarah quickly became lost in her own thoughts and as she tried to compose herself, she failed to realise the sound of Cilan's footsteps behind her had disappeared. Hearing nothing but silence, Sarah stopped dead, turning around to be greeted only by a wall that had not been there before.

_Are you kidding me?! _

"Cilan?"

_Weird. _

Pondering what to do next, Sarah turned away from the new dead end but instead of more Labyrinth, stood before her was a lake so full of beauty it almost took her breath away.

_That definitely wasn't there before. _

Stretched so far she could only see a strip of green in the distance indicating the other side of it, the mirror like water rippled gently in the nonexistent breeze. Sarah frowned as the sudden overwhelming desire to enter its waters filled her - it was just a lake, big deal. Bending down to brush the water's edge with her hand, Sarah was surprised to find that it was pleasantly cool.

_Pretty._

The sound of the water being disturbed halted her thoughts and Sarah's head snapped upwards to see a lone woman stood waist deep in the clear water. Long silver hair cascaded down her naked body, her pale porcelain skin almost glittering in the light of the setting sun. Her ruby red lips were parted in a sweet smile, showing two rows of perfect pearl white teeth whilst her arm extended towards Sarah, her hand beckoning.

Sarah wanted to call out to the woman and ask her what was going on but no words came, all she could think about was touching this perfect woman. Without asking it to, Sarah noticed her own hand mirroring the action, her fingers stretching out in the hope of closing the gap between the woman and herself. Ignoring the fact she had not commanded her body to reciprocate, Sarah could feel nothing and her thoughts were quiet bar the burning desire to join the woman in the crystal waters, and every second she spent on the dry land was almost too much to bear. Still no words had been exchanged and only the sound of Sarah's feet breaking the still water could be heard. The woman beckoned again and Sarah knew only the unending want of touching her. More women appeared from under the water and Sarah exhaled softly at the loveliness of the sight.

She had to join them.

Now almost neck deep, Sarah's hand finally came into contact with the woman's and her smile..it was the most perfect smile she had ever seen, she couldn't help but smile back. They waded in deeper together, the cool water washing over her head and for a moment there was sweet nothingness, just her and the flawless women in the clear liquid of the lake.

But then everything changed.

The woman's face swiftly turned from a picture perfect smile to a manic grin, eyes wild and her pearl white teeth now jagged and bared. Sarah began to panic, her arms and legs thrashing as she suddenly realised her lungs were screaming for air. Hands from all angles grabbed her flailing limbs and she could feel herself being dragged down and down, the light from above fading rapidly, the darkness from below rising. Sarah tried to scream out but realised instantly her mistake - water flooded her lungs and just as he vision began to fade, the sound of high pitched laughter rang in her ears as she went further and further...

Coughing and spluttering, Sarah gasped for air, whilst trying to push her sodden hair from her face.

"Sahwrah."

The familiar gruff voice of the friend she once knew caused her to look up immediately. Looming over her was the same mass of ginger fur she had thought she would never see again. A look of concern was painted onto the beast's face.

"Ludo save Sawrah."

Without hesitation, Sarah clung to Ludo's stumpy legs, choking out sobs in shock and utter confusion.

"Ludo, you're alive!"

A large grey hand came clumsily down onto her head and Sarah could not help but laugh at the force of it.

"Sahwrah wet."

"Y-yes Ludo, Sarah wet."

Finally finding some composure, Sarah tore herself away from Ludo's soft fur and had a look at her surroundings. The lake was gone and all that remained was the Labyrinth wall indicating another dead end.

_I hate this place_.

But with Ludo right there in front of her, clear as day, Sarah realised Jareth had lied to her -so did that mean..

"Ludo, where are Hoggle and Sir Didymus?"

The beast shrugged and Sarah felt any hope she had previously drain from her. Her smile came effortlessly, however.

"It doesn't matter, at least you're here. "

With Ludo's help, Sarah managed to get to her feet and she relayed in her mind what had just happened. She was still dripping with water so there was no doubt the lake had been real but why had it disappeared? Potentially another one of Jareth's tricks, but why? What did he stand to gain from half drowning her? Or maybe this was just another 'perk' of the Labyrinth. Sighing heavily, Sarah looked upwards at the giant before her.

"Come on Ludo, help me find my friend."

It didn't take long for Sarah to hear Cilan's voice yelling out for her and took even less time to see his freckled face appear around a corner. Sarah couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh at the way his face went rapidly from concern to elation then to confusion.

"Sarah I found you! Why are you wet?"

Cilan's eyes travelled upwards as his face paled.

"And who is that?"

'My friend Ludo.' she said matter-of-factly as there would be time to explain later and quite honestly, Sarah wasn't sure if she had the patience or energy to right now.

"Ok..well I think it's time to go, this thing has been going crazy." he held up the now bright red key.

"Go with Sahwrah?"

Sarah's smile faded as the realisation of her losing her friend again to the Labyrinth hit her. The thought of trying to sneak Ludo inside the castle wasn't even worth entertaining.

"No Ludo..you can't."

It all but broke Sarah's heart watching his face crease in confusion. She placed her tiny hand in his giant one.

"I will come and find you when they let me out here again - ok? That's a promise."

But as Cilan fumbled with the key in a lock which had seemingly appeared in the nearest brick wall to them, Sarah reviewed the promise she had just made. Who knew if she was even going to be let out her room again, let alone in the Labyrinth. But Ludo was alive which meant Hoggle and Sir Didymus were out there somewhere too, which was something to hope for..wasn't it?

_Not hoping to go home then?_

Sarah shook her head in order to rid the thought from her mind, of course she wanted to leave this horrible place but small victories..

Tolbas was waiting on the other side when Cilan finally managed to get the key to work. He raised an eyebrow at the state of her and Sarah could do nothing more than give the man her best death glare. As they walked, she ignored Cilan's concerned side glances and let herself be guided back to her room, only murmuring a goodbye to Cilan before letting the door slam shut, listening to it being locked from the outside. Having no idea how to even begin processing the events of the day or to question the reason why they had been sent off into the Labyrinth in the first place, she simply stripped herself off her wet clothes, crawled onto the top of the bed and effortlessly fell into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
