Labyrinth 1. Chapter 1

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_LABYRINTH, (THE TRANSCRIPT - IN PART)_

_"You have understood nothing," Jareth told her. "You have answered none of the Labyrinth's riddles. You don't even know what the questions were." _

_"That wasn't our bargain." _

_Jareth threw back his head and laughed. "There, just as I told you. You have understood nothing." _

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_Sarah's lips were parted. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City --" _

_"Listen!" said a goblin, one of a nest in a dark corner of the castle. _

_Jareth was retreating step by step up a staircase behind the archway. _

_Sarah continued to advance, into the archway. "-- to take back the child you have stolen," she repeated. "For my will is as strong as yours --" Sarah took another step. "-- and my kingdom as great --" _

_"She's going to say it," a goblin hissed. _

_"She's going to say the words," gabbled another, agitatedly. _

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_The stairs behind Jareth were descending now, and he backed slowly down them as Sarah stood above him. "I ask so little," he said, spinning the crystal. "Just believe in me, and you can have everything you want ... everything you have ever dreamed of ... your dreams, Sarah ..." _

_She was frowning, and had halted her advance. "... and my kingdom as great ...," she said. "Damn!" _

_A goblin shook his head decisively. "That's not it. Never." _

_"Shhh!" said another. _

_Sarah's fists were clenched white. She was thinking frantically. What were her right words? _

_Jareth took a step toward her. He needed her belief in him. "Just fear me and love me," he told her in a gentle voice, "and do as I say, and I ... I will be your slave." He stretched his hand out toward her, and took another step back up the stairs. Jareth's fingers were close to Sarah's face. _

_She stood where she was, and swallowed. "Kingdom as great ...," she muttered, " ... kingdom as great ..." She saw the crystal spinning in his fingers, and felt on her lips the warmth of his outstretched hand. She gasped, and, from some inspired recess of her mind, the words came out, blurted out. _

_"You have no power over me." _

_"No!" Jareth screamed. _

_"No!" the goblins exclaimed, astounded. _

_A clock began to strike. _

_Jareth tossed the crystal ball up into the air, where it hovered, a bubble. Sarah looked at it, and saw Jareth's face, distorted, on the shifting, iridescent surface. Gently, it drifted down toward her. She reached out fascinated fingers for it and, as she touched the bubble with her fingertips, it burst. A mist of water atoms floated down the air toward Jareth. But Jareth had disappeared. She heard his voice, for a_

_last time, moaning, "Sarah ... Sarah ..." _

_His empty cloak was settling onto the ground. A beam of light picked out a little cloud of dust motes rising from it. _

_The clock continued to strike. _

_With a last, slow flutter, the cloak lay still. From beneath it, as the clock struck for the twelfth time, a white owl flew out and circled over Sarah. _

_Tears were trickling down her cheeks. _

_The white owl was still flapping above her, but in other respects the scene had changed. She was standing on the staircase of her home, and it was dark outside. She raised her eyes to look at the owl. It circled her for a last time, found an open window, and flew out into the night._

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_Outside the dark window, the white owl had been perched with his claws hooked on a branch, an effigy of watching and waiting. Now he swooped away over the park, on silent velvet wings, up toward the full moon. Nobody saw him, white in the moonlight, black against the stars._

And here the story continues…..

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

Chapter One

"Brian," Sarah greeted with enthusiasm. "I'm glad you called," she continued, giving him a hug. "I was starting to think you dumped me!" She laughed.

"No," He chuckled, returning her affection. "I've just been so busy with this new job I'm lucky I have time to piss."

"Good to know I'm on the list with bodily functions," she laughed, linking her arm through his as they started following the path into the park.

It had been five years since that frightful night in the labyrinth. Sarah had found Toby sleeping contentedly in his crib, had said goodbye to the friends she had made in the Underground, and had cried herself to sleep for weeks afterward over a broken heart she knew wasn't hers.

Her dealings with Jareth had forced her to grow up when she hadn't been ready to. She had thrown away all the useless fanciful junk she had cluttering her room; only keeping certain keepsakes of her mother and specific trinkets for nostalgic purposes.

The sudden turn around in her behavior and maturity had made her parents' heads spin, but they had seemed pleased with the changes that had ensued. She had finished high school and gone on to college, collecting a few friends along the way. Gone were the lonely days of solitude and fantasy with only one small reminder that constantly followed her.

"Sarah, I'm not sure taking this job was such a good idea," he confided.

"Why? What are you talking about? You've already been promoted after only five months of working there."

"I know, and I love it, I really do, but… I just feel like I'm drowning. I never have any time for … anything!" he stressed, raking his hand through his sandy blonde hair. "I honest to god don't know how you do it. You have a full time job plus your classes. You go to the reading club every Wednesday night, you volunteer at the 'Y' every Sunday, and you have a high grade point average on top of everything."

"I only have three classes, Brian," she countered pleasantly, "and the work I do at the publisher's company doesn't restrict me to a desk. I can edit the publications from most anywhere at anytime as long as I get them finished by their deadline dates."

"Still," Brian contradicted. "How do you manage your time so damn good?"

"So damn well, actually." She laughed, looking over at him slyly. He smiled back at her as she finished. "I don't know, I just figure that time doesn't stand still for anyone. I do what I have to and get things done."

Brian stopped and turned her to face him, taking both her hands in his. "Sarah," he started, looking apprehensive. He opened his mouth to say something, changed his mind and closed it, only to open it again. "God, I have no idea how to even start this."

"Try the beginning," Sarah offered, already having a feeling she knew what was forthcoming.

"I'd be so lost without you," he stated, his green eyes fixed on her intently. "You have been my best friend for almost three years and you know that I love you, but…"

'_Here it comes_,' Sarah thought, '_why am I not surprised_.'

She smiled sweetly at him and squeezed his hands with hers. "I think I know what you're trying to say, and it's okay. We can just go back to being friends if that's what you want."

"You're not mad?" Sarah shook her head with a patient smile. "You're not hurt or anything, are you? Cause I swear the last thing I'd want to do is hurt you."

"You'd hurt me more by not being honest with me, Brian," she explained calmly. "We said we'd try dating and see what happened. We've done that and I don't regret it, but lets be honest, we're really not what either of us is looking for."

"But we did have fun, right?" he said with a sly grin.

"Oh, we definitely had lots of that." She grinned back at him.

They both laughed and Brian leaned forward to touch her forehead with his. "I do love you, you know," he said sincerely. "You really are my best friend."

"Same here, Brian," she replied, widening her eyes jokingly to stare into his, causing them both to start laughing again.

Turning to head back to the entrance of the park, Brian paused to look over at the trees. Sarah followed his line of sight.

"I thought I saw…" Brian started hesitantly. "Yep, there he is. It amazes me how that bird finds you no matter where you're at."

Sarah's eyes instantly landed on the white owl that Brian was referring to. "Yea, well, that's what I get for taking pity on him when he was wounded."

"It's okay," Brian chuckled, taking her hand again as they walked along. "I got used to your 'pet' a long time ago."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

The impending storm had cut Sarah and Brian's night together short. The concert they had waited months to attend had been held outdoors and was canceled immediately when lightening streaked the skies close to the stage.

Deciding to simply call it a night, Sarah and Brian had went their own ways but agreed to have lunch together later in the week.

The rain started pouring down steadily as Sarah pulled into her driveway. Rushing from the car to the front door, she slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open just as the sound of fluttering wings came up behind her.

She instinctively ducked as the white owl flew over her head and into the house. He landed on the banister at the foot of the stairs and turned his head to glare at her with mismatched eyes, fluffing his wet feathers irritably.

"Well, it's a damn shame you don't have thumbs to hold an umbrella, isn't it, Jareth?" she quipped as she closed the door and walked past him into the kitchen.

He screeched at her loudly, ruffling his feathers to let her know he was pissed for being locked out of the house, then flew into the kitchen to land on the back of a chair.

After her experience in the Labyrinth Sarah had found that her stepmother, Karen, really wasn't that bad of a person after all. In fact she was quite loving and generous and had bought Sarah a small two bedroom house as a graduation present. It was only fifteen minutes away from the college Sarah had chosen to attend.

"I hope you found your own food," she told him. "I didn't have time to stop by the pet store for more mice."

The owl opened his beak at her, his eyes glaring angrily. Sarah half laughed at the mental image of Jareth hissing at her to 'not defy him!' when he had been in human form. She went over to the cellar door and opened it.

"I'm sure there's some downstairs for you to catch, Jareth. You know they always come through the broken window when it rains."

With another dissatisfied screech he took flight towards the open doorway to the cellar, making sure to fly past Sarah close enough to make her jump back from his wing.

"And you wonder why I lock you out!" she yelled down at him and slammed the door closed.

She turned to raid the fridge hoping she still had something left over that she could just heat up quickly. She really wasn't all that hungry but had to eat something none the less. She grabbed the dish of spaghetti from the top shelf, unwrapped the tin foil from it and tossed it into the microwave. Grabbing a couple of bread sticks she sat down at the small table while her food heated up.

She jumped slightly at the sound of something being knocked over in the cellar, most likely the box of books Karen had dropped off a week ago. She took another bite off a bread stick and chewed thoughtfully while ignoring the little squeaks and fluttering of wings that filtered into the kitchen.

It was her fault that Jareth was cursed like this and she knew it. He had told her, just before she had turned his world upside down, that "she had understood nothing", and he had been right. Somehow she had cheated the labyrinth. She hadn't been asked any questions in order to answer or understand anything, and that wasn't her fault.

She'd fought her way through the labyrinth, she had defied everything Jareth had thrown at her, she had made it to the castle, and she had rescued her little brother. That's what the challenge had been. That was what she had succeeded in doing.

She had no idea that there were consequences on Jareth's part until she had noticed the snow white owl outside her window the next morning. She had known immediately that it was Jareth. His mismatched eyes had glared at her with hatred through the closed window.

He had swooped down at her, screeching at her with his talons open to claw at her whenever she had left the house. Though he had never harmed her, she knew that he had wanted to. Then one morning Karen had shot him with a twenty-two rifle as he swooped out of the tree in front of their house.

Sarah felt a part of her die as she watched him fall to the ground, helplessly flapping around on the lawn. He shrieked in pain, his eyes looking at her for help as Karen raised the rifle for another shot.

To this day Sarah wasn't sure what happened next. She remembered yelling for Karen to not shoot him again as she ran to the fallen bird. She remembered dropping to her knees before him and grabbing him into her arms to protect him from more harm. His right wing was completely blood stained when she wrapped him into the bottom half of her t-shirt.

She heard Karen yelling for her to not touch it and get back, but she didn't listen. She carried him into the house, at Karen's horror, and took him to the small bathroom, locking the door after her.

Sarah unwrapped her blood stained shirt from around him, then, gently eased him into the oval sink. He simply stared at her as the tears poured from her eyes to drop onto his blood splattered feathers.

She remembered talking to him, asking him why he would risk being hurt like this as she turned on the water in the tub and took a warm washcloth back to him. She never gave it a second thought that he simply laid there, a wounded animal on his back in a sink with a bloody wing. He made a small noise when she pressed the cloth to his wound but otherwise allowed her to help him unhindered.

The pounding at the bathroom door would always be in Sarah's memory. The screaming to get that wild animal out of the house. The demand for her to open the door or else.

Sarah's eyes hardened into cold pools of ice. They reflected in the owl's wide orbs as he watched her. She took the warm cloth and wrapped his wing with it, gently picked him up and tucked him once more into the folds of her shirt before opening the bathroom door.

She met Karen's eyes with cold determination and told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to drive them to the vet right now. She walked past her step mother as the woman simply mumbled about getting her keys and she'd be right out.

The vet cleaned the owl's wing and bandaged it, giving Sarah pills to feed the bird twice a day for ten days to avoid infection. "Just place it inside his food," the doctor told her. 'Right,' she thought, 'you try to feed a bird a pill when he understands everything that is going on_._' She glanced at the owl and bit her lip at the knowing glare he was giving her. 'Try it,' that glare stated.

As it turned out he didn't give her any trouble what so ever while she nursed him back to health, including swallowing the pills, with or without the food. Karen was even nice enough to let Sarah keep him in a crate in the garage.

After he healed, the owl took to following her wherever she went. Then after she moved into her own house, he invited himself inside whenever it pleased him to do so. Over the years Sarah learned to just accept that he was always around and didn't think twice about talking to him as though he were still human.

The sound of the microwave brought Sarah back to the present. She rose from her chair, got her food and placed it on the table just as Jareth started screeching from the other side of the closed door.

"Too bad," she told him, sitting down before her plate. "You can wait until I'm done eating."

Before she took her first bite, however, she heard the small cooing sounds and his feathers rubbing against the back of the door.

"Won't work, Jareth," she said, popping a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.

The sounds didn't stop, the cooing alone was enough to touch a soft spot within her, but added to the feathers rubbing against the door… she couldn't stand it.

Pushing her chair back she stood and stalked over to open the door. "I hate when you do that!" she chastised as he flew past her to land on the table. "And don't you dare… Jareth!"

He landed on the table by her plate and took a noodle of spaghetti before she could stop him. Flying up to land on top of the fridge he looked back at her with innocent eyes, the string of spaghetti dangling in his beak.

"You've been getting a bit out of hand lately, Mister," she grumbled irritably, sitting back down to eat her dinner.

He screeched at her with annoyance until she turned to look at him.

"What? When you stop acting like a common barn owl, I'll stop calling you by common titles."

He glared at her silently as he swallowed down his piece of spaghetti.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

A low cooing noise interrupted Sarah's peaceful sleep. Reluctantly opening her eyes, she rolled onto her back to see the silhouetted form of an owl perched above her head on the headboard. Raising herself to a half sitting position, she craned her neck back to glare at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

One blue eye popped open to focus on her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

The brown eye popped open to look at her innocently.

"Don't give me that look," she continued, getting up on her knees. "I don't know where you've been sleeping for the past five years, but you're not going to start sleeping in my bedroom!"

He glared at her so intensely that his eyes almost crossed.

She took hold of him with both hands, ignoring his indignant squawk, lifted him from the headboard and shimmied herself to stand on the floor. Walking out into the hallway she looked from left to right before deciding to place him on the banister at the top of the stairs.

"Good night, Jareth," she stated firmly and went back to her room.

She heard the flutter of wings as she climbed back in bed, listened for a minute, then shrugged when she didn't hear anything after that. Laying down once more and getting comfortable she heard the sound of tapping coming from the hallway. She lifted her head to look just as Jareth came into view at the doorway, walking along the hardwood floor.

"Jareth!" she exclaimed.

He stopped in mid stride, turned his head around almost backwards to look at her and hooted in a questioning manner.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

He tilted his already backwards head to the side, making him look absolutely grotesque.

"Please don't do that, it's very disturbing."

He cooed and turned his head forward before continuing along the hallway.

Sarah flopped back into her pillows, slapping herself in the forehead in exasperation. She had no idea why he was acting so strange lately and he didn't seem to be forthcoming with even trying to make her understand. She seriously hoped it was simply a phase and he'd get bored with it very soon.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_**Sarah slowly walked through the library, running her fingers along the bindings as she went. The place was huge and had books that she'd never heard of before. Picking an aisle to wander down next, she heard a book fall to the floor behind her. Thinking she had somehow bumped one off its shelf, she turned around to find nothing on the floor. Nothing was out of place. With furrowed brows she turned back in the direction she was heading when a sudden shrill screeching blared in her ears.**_

Bolting upright in bed, she was faced with a screeching owl flapping his wings over her as he swooped down then up and circled around the room for another assault.

"Dammit, Jareth!" she shouted at him angrily. "I swear to…"

The owl swooped down over her side table and grabbed her alarm clock in his claws, dropping it on her lap as he whooshed overhead. Picking it up, she looked at the face and made a screeching noise of her own as she scrambled from the bed.

"Shit! I'm late!"

Sarah broke her own record of showering, getting dressed, throwing her hair into a pony tail, slapping on a bit of make up and stampeding down the stairs all within twenty minutes. She grabbed her purse, books, and the portfolio with the scripts she had read before turning for the door.

Jareth was perched on the banister at the bottom of the stairs near the front door, holding her car keys in his beak. She grabbed them without thinking and was halfway out the door when she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around cautiously to look back at him, a sudden uneasy feeling coming over her.

"Since when have you become so helpful?" she whispered.

He made a muddled hooting noise, ruffled his feathers then turned his head the other way indignantly.

"Thank you, Jareth," she said in a quiet voice.

The owl spun his head around to face her once more, blinked one eye, then opened his wings to take flight through the door before he got locked inside.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah and Brian met at a café downtown where you could sit outside to eat. Having already ordered, they caught each other up on the last few days. Sarah kept Jareth's odd behavior as of late to herself, while Brian talked about wanting to join a gym but that he didn't have the time.

Their food was served but before either of them could touch any of it a ruffle of white feathers dropped from the sky to land directly on the table in front of Brian's plate.

"Sarah, what's he doing?" Brian questioned cautiously, pushing his chair back away from the huge white owl. The owl stepped closer to Brian's plate intimidatingly.

"Jareth," Sarah sing sang is name.

He turned his head to look at her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked in the same tone.

He turned his attention back to Brian, took another step closer to his plate, hooted loudly, jumped up with wings flapping, grabbed the Rubin sandwich from the plate and flew off high above the heads of everyone in the café.

"Son of a bitch!" Brian yelled, jumping to his feet, but it was too late.

The owl had already flown over the building and was out of sight.

"Sarah, dammit, what the fuck is wrong with that thing? Since when does he get that close?"

"He's been acting a little weird lately," she answered behind her hand, finding it hard for some reason to keep a straight face. "I'm going to do some research on owls, maybe it's a phase they go through."

"A phase?" Brian asked incredulously. "It just stole my lunch right off my plate, Sarah. That's dangerous coming from a bird that size. I think you should call someone, game control or someone, and have them catch him and take him away."

"I don't have to be that dramatic, Brian. It was only a damn sandwich. He's never done anything to make me think he'd hurt me, or anyone else for that matter."

"Here, take my sandwich if you're going to be such an ass about it." She shoved the plate across the table towards him.

"Do you hear yourself?" He threw his hands in the air dramatically. "You're getting defensive over a wild animal that just got way too close."

"And you're overreacting when the poor thing only wanted food," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "He's seen you with me many times over the years, Brian. I don't think it was as random as you think."

"That makes him even more dangerous, Sarah. Don't you see that?" he stressed, leaning on the table. "He's gotten used to being close to people. What if he goes after a child with a sandwich? Then what?"

Sarah took a deep breath before answering. "I'll check into the behavioral habits of owls, and I promise that if he does anything like this again, I'll call the game commission or whoever. Okay?"

"Yea," he answered, finally reseating himself. "At least you're thinking about it seriously."

"I was only kidding about giving you my sandwich, by the way. Hand that back to me, will ya?" she said in a lighter tone, reaching for the plate again.

"How about we split it?" He grin slyly. "I have to be back at work in fifteen minutes."

"Fine. But I get the pickles," she conceded playfully.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah glanced up into the tree in front of her house as she got out of her car. She didn't see the white owl where he normally perched while waiting for her to return home, but she knew he was nearby. Unlocking the front door, she pushed it open wide and stepped back.

"I know you're there, Jareth," she said calmly into the semi darkness. "Please come inside."

A few seconds later she heard the fluttering of wings before the familiar form swooped down from the tree and glided into the house to perch on the banister. He turned his head around backwards as she walked in behind him and closing the door firmly.

"What the hell were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that?" she asked with more control than she thought she had, her hand still resting on the closed door.

"Brian is now convinced that you're some horrific threat to society, not to mention every small child within a five mile radius." She moved away from the door to stand in front of him, meeting his gaze at eye level as he glared at her from the banister.

"I know it's bullshit, Jareth. You don't have to glare at me as though I'm addled." She placed her keys, bag and books on the end table. "But he's right about one thing; you've gotten too used to being around me out in public." She shrugged off her jacket and hung it in the closet.

"I don't think you realize how intimidating you still are. Even as an owl, you're a bird of prey, and a very sizable one at that." She crossed her arms. "But just because I'm used to you, doesn't mean everyone else would be so tolerant of you flying around their heads."

She turned with a tired sigh and walked into the kitchen. The owl followed her and perched on top of the fridge to watch as she moved around getting herself something to eat.

"Personally, and I do mean this literally, Jareth," she stressed, looking at him pointedly. "Just between you and me, I thought it was funny to see the look on his face when you made off with his sandwich." She smirked when he hooted in response. But her humor faded, leaving a somber expression in its place.

"I don't know how to protect you if someone calls the game commission, Jareth," she continued, turning to poke holes in the frozen dinner she had taken from the freezer. "You freaked out quite a few people today."

The fork in her right hand clanked on the counter top as she slammed it down. She bowed her head, her hair just long enough to cover the sides of her face. With a controlled intake of breath she raised her head and met his watchful gaze.

"You can't fly around like that." Her eyes teared up slightly. "They'll hurt you, put you in a cage." Her voice cracked at that last statement and she turned her head quickly. The thought of him being taken away, being treated like a common animal, hurt more than she wanted to admit.

She'd gotten used to him always being with her. She liked talking to him, knowing that he understood every word. How he ruffled his feathers and squawked at her when he was irritated. How he cooed when he wanted to suck up. He didn't deserve living like this but there was nothing she could do about it, except keep him with her and take care of him for as long as need be.

He flew across the room to land on the counter. Strutting over to where she stood he took the liberty to stand on her frozen dinner and looked up at her in an upside down fashion to see her face.

She turned away to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. She kept telling herself that this was 'Jareth, the Goblin King' she was getting all upset about. Only that reasoning had stopped working a long time ago.

She turned back around to face him, her eyes shifting slightly from one watchful orb to the other.

He stared back at her unblinkingly.

"Sometimes I wish that…"

He suddenly emitted an ear piercing screech, his feathers all puffed out and wings spread wide.

It startled her enough to make her jump back from him a few feet. She stared at him for a minute, her hand over her heart as she caught her breath.

"I'm sorry. Wrong choice of words. I was merely going to share a desire for you to be able to speak to me sometimes."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Did you hear that?" One goblin whispered to another in the darkness.

"No, what?" the other answered.

"She said, 'I wish…'"

"Did she say the words?" a third goblin asked.

"Shhh!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER TWO**

Sarah pulled into her driveway earlier than usual, not even sure if the owl would be outside her house or not. Getting out of the car she searched the tree in front of her house.

"Jareth?" she called, feeling a little stupid in case someone should see her talking to a bird in a tree. So far she hadn't had to call him or make his presence so obvious since he would just fly inside when she opened the door.

She was relieved to hear the sound of feathers and flapping wings. Glancing upwards again, she saw him land on a lower branch, looking at her curiously.

"I need you to follow me," she told him, returning to her idling car. Glancing back after pulling out of the driveway, she saw him take flight as she put the car in drive and headed down the street.

Taking into consideration that she didn't know how fast Jareth could fly, she forced herself to adhere to the speed limits as she drove. Finally getting to her destination, she parked the car and got out as a man came out of what appeared to be the main building to greet her.

"You must be Sarah Williams," he said, holding out his hand.

"Pete Yunder?" Sarah asked, holding her hand out for them to shake.

"The one and only." He smiled. He glanced over at her car and his smile faded, but not unpleasantly. "Uhm, you were supposed to bring the owl with you," he commented.

"I did," Sarah replied.

Pete had just enough time to frown when the familiar sound of flapping wings was heard from above. Pete looked up, blocking the sun with his hand as he caught sight of the white owl coming in for a landing to perch on a wooden fence nearby.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed. "You can't do that!" He turned his gaze to Sarah with absolute amazement. "That's against almost every regulation in the book!"

"How else was I supposed to get him here?" She shifted uncomfortably.

"Put him in a cage," he answered matter of factly.

"I don't need to, he follows me on his own."

Pete turned his gaze towards the Snow Owl, recognizing the bird's look of unease right away, and then noticed his eyes.

"Oh my god, I remember you," he said, still in awe. "You brought him to me five years ago with a gun shot wound." He pried his gaze back to Sarah. "You were supposed to register him right away back then. How the hell you slipped under our radar, I can't even imagine."

"I wasn't told that I had to register him back then. And as you can see, he's fine," she said, gesturing towards the owl.

"Do you have any idea how rare this bird is?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," she replied, sounding more than a little defensive.

Pete looked pointedly at Sarah then at the owl. "I assume you gave him a name?" he asked in a softer tone, realizing he had stepped on a nerve. Shoving his hands in his pockets.

"His name is Jareth."

"Jareth?" he asked, looking at her again. "That's an odd name for an owl. Where'd you come up with that one?"

"It's the name of an evil king in a fairy tale," Sarah answered, glancing over at Jareth to see him ruffle his feathers.

Pete also noticed the growing agitation of the bird. "How about we try to get him in a cage? The last thing we want him to do is fly off on us."

"He doesn't need a cage. Right, Jareth?" she stated, pointedly looking at the owl.

The hateful look in Jareth's eyes belied the smoothing of his feathers. This was definitely noticed by Pete. "If you don't have a cage, what have you been keeping him in all these years?"

"Wherever he wants to be, I guess." She shrugged. "Lately he's been perching on the banister outside my bedroom door."

"You keep him in your house?!" he exclaimed in astonishment.

"Where the hell else would I keep him?" she replied, getting really irritated. "Look, you told me on the phone that all I had to do was bring the owl with me to fill out some forms, pay some fees, and that would be it." She put her hands firmly on her hips.

"I didn't know this was such a complicated case when we spoke on the phone," he said, scratching his head while watching the owl with awe. "I've noticed that he reacts to your tone of voice. Almost like he understands what you're saying."

'You have no idea,' she thought, glancing at Jareth with a small smirk. Aloud she said, "I've noticed that too. So believe me when I say that he can fly off and disappear with one small command by me."

Pete looked back at her, his eyes filled with horror at the thought. "No, please don't do that." He held his hands out is a staying manner.

"He's the most beautiful White Owl I've ever seen. Let me get the forms and we can see how we can get this all taken care of both legally and in your favor."

"We'll wait right here." She crossed her arms and watched him turn away.

Pete ran back inside the building and Sarah walked over to Jareth. "I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't come with me. And we both know that you're not getting into my car. But we have to do this, you do realize that, don't you?"

He looked over at her and blinked pointedly, though his eyes told her that he didn't like it.

"I don't like it either, but it's either this or them taking you away from me." She leaned against the fence next to him. "It's going to be your decision though because I have no idea what kind of restrictions he's going demand of us."

Pete came rushing outside with a thick booklet, a clipboard, and a duffle bag.

"I won't let him hurt you, Jareth, but be ready to fly just in case."

Jareth hooted in response.

Pete paused a few feet away from them when the owl hooted and decided that was close enough for him to get. He put the papers and the clipboard on the ground and dropped the duffle bag, bending on one knee to unzip it and reach inside.

"I thought I'd help you out by showing you how to train him."

"What do you mean, train him?" Sarah asked warily. "He already shits in the tub, what more do you expect from him?"

"He shits in…" Pete laughed in a choked fashion. "No, I'm talking about proper aviation training. Teaching him to come to you when you call him, how to perch on your arm, and…"

"Excuse me. Do what?" she asked incredulously, stepping away from the fense. "He already comes when I call him, and what makes you think I want to touch him?!"

Sarah was too annoyed to notice the blazing look in Jareth's eyes at her refusal to touch him, but Pete wasn't. Though Pete thought the owl's reaction was from her tone, not her words.

"Sarah," he addressed calmly, patiently, and matter of factly. "If you can't learn to train him properly then you won't be granted permission to keep him. As it is, right now, I've already covered up some answers on those forms so the wild life reserve doesn't just take him for the hell of it." Pete pointed at the clipboard with the forms.

"Why would you do that? What have I done that is so wrong that you have to lie?" She ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's not you, so to speak, Sarah." He stood to talk to her directly. "It's your owl." He pointed towards Jareth.

"His eyes alone are rare. So rare that I've never heard of an owl having mismatched eyes. Second to that, the fact that he has stayed with you for so long is just amazing." He ran his hands through his hair. "And third, nobody has ever called to report an owl his size flying around wild it's just unheard of." He splayed his hands wide at arms length.

"Sarah?" he continued in a softer tone to get her attention as she turned her gaze towards the owl, who was half glowering at her. "You obviously care for him very much, and he knows it."

Pete extended a hand to touch her shoulder reassuringly, but thought better of it. "I don't know what you've been doing so far but obviously something happened to make you call me. I want to help."

She looked at Jareth, silently asking him what to do. Should they trust him or not?

Jareth fixed her with his gaze and pointedly blinked at her.

"Fine, what do I have to do?" She turned her head, giving Pete her full attention.

"Great!" he exclaimed with a smile and bent over the duffle bag once more. "Okay, first of all you have to understand that handling birds such as Jareth here takes a lot of devotion, loyalty, and dedication."

Pete paused to look over his shoulder as the owl began hooting and shifting from one foot to the other excitedly.

"Don't get too excited, Jareth," she stated dryly. "You'll molt."

The owl squawked at her but didn't sound malicious at all. Though, he did settle down enough for Pete to continue.

"Yea, anyway," Pete continued warily with his smile plastered on his face. "I'll let you keep this just because you're already knee deep with fines and fees."

He showed her a long, thick leather sleeve that started at her palm and covered her arm all the way to her shoulder.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked as he slipped it on for her, adjusting it in certain areas to fit her arm better.

"It's okay," Pete reassured her. "I know his talons are intimidating, but this leather is thick enough that they won't penetrate your skin."

Sarah glanced at the talons in question and blanched as though she had never noticed before how sharp they really were.

Jareth made a cooing noise, bringing her eyes up to meet his. She looked away as an uneasy feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.

"There," Pete announced, stepping back from Sarah to leave the space between her and the bird open. "Now just raise your arm and…"

Jareth didn't wait for further instruction. As soon as Pete stepped back far enough, he pushed off from the rail he'd been perched on and reached out with talons first, wings flapping majestically, to land on Sarah's arm.

"Jareth, no!" she screamed and raised her arm defensively in the air as she ducked the rest of her body as far away from his wings as possible.

In a flash it was over.

Sarah opened her eyes and turned her face towards the weight on her arm. She swore with every part of her that he was laughing at her. She brought her right arm up to re-enforce the left. He was as heavy as he was big.

"That was beautiful," Pete said in awe. "Judging by his eagerness, I think he's wanted to perch on you for a while, Sarah."

"Yea, I'm sure he has," she mumbled dryly.

Jareth gleamed at her triumphantly.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Eww, disgusting!" Sarah exclaimed, walking away from the mini ice cooler Pete had brought out for the next lesson. It was half full of dead mice.

Jareth, however, looked on hungrily from his perch back on the fence.

"I am not touching them," Sarah stated defiantly. "I don't give a damn what requirement this would fulfill, I refuse to have anything to do with handling dead things and watching him eat them!"

"So, he's been hunting for his own food all this time, too?" Pete asked, even more perplexed by these circumstances.

"Not entirely," Sarah said informatively, shifting her weight uncertainly. "I buy a dozen or so mice and let them loose in the cellar for him to hunt."

Pete exhaled slowly with exasperation, wiping his face with his hand. "Of course you do." He put the lid back on the cooler then stood straight again. "Should I even bother to ask what you give him for treats?"

"Treats?" her eyebrows rose high on her forehead.

"Never mind." He walked away, shaking his head, picked up the cooler and headed back toward the building.

"He likes spaghetti!" she called after him with her hand in the air. "Is that a treat?"

Pete ignored her and just kept walking, shaking his head.

"Jareth, I have a feeling that this isn't going so well," she commented when Pete was out of ear shot. "If it gets any worse just take flight and keep going."

Pete returned, pushing a cart carrying a cage. Not just any cage either, a cage fit for a king. It was at least four by five feet; complete with a perch bar on top, two perches inside, food and water dishes the size of cereal bowls, a rope with knots in it, a mirror- yea like Jareth would like that- a drop tray, and it glinted like gold.

Sarah stole a glance at Jareth to see his reaction and found him looking at it with mild interest. 'He misses being king with all the furnishings_,_' Sarah thought to herself as an old stab of guilt poked her in the gut.

"I've decided that we'll just skip most of the training sessions since you've been handling things just fine without interference. Second to that it's starting to get dark and I'm sure we're all hungry." He stopped the cart in front of Sarah and reached in his back pocket for something. "Now all we have to do is teach you to clip his wings."

"What?" Sarah exclaimed, instinctively stepping between Pete and Jareth.

"For you to have a license to keep him, you have to keep his wings clipped so he can't fly if he gets loose."

"Over my dead body will you touch his wings," Sarah growled, advancing on Pete threateningly.

"You told me I had to fill out forms and I did that." She poked him in the chest. "You told me that I had to pay fines and fees and I agreed to that." She got in his face. "You told me I have to have a cage to put him in and I picked the best one you had." She stood almost nose to nose to him. "I have agreed to most everything you have told me that I need to do to meet the legal requirements to keep him with me. But I will NOT clip his wings!" She growled in his face.

"Somehow I had a feeling you were going to say that." He grinned at her uncomfortably, taking a step back. "But I had to suggest it none the less. I'll put a notation on the paperwork that he has a bum wing, from the gunshot wound five years ago, and that should take care of it."

"Good," she stated with finality, crossing her arms. "So, how am I expected to get this cage home?"

"I'll follow in my van with the cage and the bird."

Sarah glared at him for the umpteenth time within four hours.

"I can't shirk on this one, I'm sorry." He looked at her for understanding. "If you can't get him in that cage then all this was for nothing."

"You could've mentioned that before, Pete," Sarah said curtly.

She turned to look at Jareth wondering what sort of command you would use for a bird to get in a cage. After a minute of thinking about it she gave up. "Jareth, get in the damn cage so we can go home."

By this point in time Pete wasn't sure why he was still surprised when the bird did exactly as she commanded.

He swooped down from the fence just in front of the opened cage door then strutted himself inside to hop up on a perch and look at Sarah backwards.

Sarah chuckled at his expression, then turned to Pete. "Happy now?"

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah pulled up to the curb in front of her house so Pete could back the van into the driveway as close to the front door as possible. The cage was heavy enough without the owl in it and they had almost tipped it over getting it into the van in the first place.

Walking along the driveway, Sarah passed the van and went to open the door. "If you can ignore one more thing," she called to Pete. "We can just let him out of the cage from inside the van. He'll fly right into the house on his own. It'll make the cage lighter at least."

"Sorry, Sarah," he began to answer as he walked to the back of the van to open the doors. "I've already ignored so many things that I have to insist…"

He pulled the van doors open to find the owl sitting on the top perch 'outside' of the cage. The cage door was open wide. He knew damn well he had slid the bolt in place after the bird went in, he had even double checked it before closing the van doors.

"On second thought, it would make things lighter, wouldn't it? Just call him to you."

Sarah wasn't stupid. She had a feeling that Jareth hadn't stayed in the cage very long, no matter how pretty it shone. "Jareth?"

The owl hooted and flew out of the van, circled in the air once to show off, then glided through the open doorway to perch on the banister inside.

Sarah stepped up into the van to help Pete with the cage.

"Just put it down over there," Sarah told him, nodding her head towards a corner in the living room near the kitchen.

"Extraordinary," Pete voiced as he looked around the downstairs of her house with a trained eye.

"What is?" she remarked, looking around for what Pete was referring to.

"Owls are known to be very destructive to indoor habitats." He raked his hand through his hair in awe. "Except for a few certain areas I'd never guess you housed one here."

"I guess, I'm just lucky." Sarah shrugged with a shy smile.

Pete looked at her pointedly. "You have no idea." He glanced at the owl perched comfortably in what was obviously his favorite spot then turned back to Sarah. "I'll make sure the paper work goes through with no problems. And if you ever need anything, just call me."

He smiled and held out his hand for Sarah to shake. Sarah shook his hand, her smile wavering only a little at his parting comment.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Did she say the words yet?" The third goblin asked.

"Shhh!" the first goblin hissed. "He'll hear you."

"I wish she would make the wish," the second goblin whispered gloomily.

"Shhh!"

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah rushed from the car to her front door in an attempt to not get wet in the down pour. Swinging herself inside the house as she opened the door, she barely remembered to pause for Jareth to fly in behind her, but he was nowhere in sight.

She was about to peer out into the rain for him when the sounds of running water, flapping wings and an owl squawking filtered down from upstairs.

"Jareth!" She breathed his name in panic.

Slamming the door, she dropped all her belongings and took the steps two at a time. She reached the top of the stairs, not bothering to pause before running down the hallway in a blind rush. She slid in the hallway outside the bathroom and grabbed the knob so she didn't completely fall to her knees.

With her momentum still in check she shoved her weight into the door, simultaneously turning the knob, and bounded into the small room.

Jareth was excitedly flopping around in the tub, water and soap splashed all over everything, having the time of his life.

"Jareth!" she screamed.

He screeched louder than she'd ever heard him before with startled surprise at her sudden appearance. He stopped all motion to stand stock still and looked up at her from inside the tub.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed at him incredulously.

Lathered shampoo streamed down his feathers between his eyes, dripping off his beak as he stood in shallow water, staring up at her.

He collected himself quickly and craned his head to look down and around himself then back up at her as though she were daft.

She sunk to the floor, her knees drawn, and covered her face with both hands. "I can't take this shit. This is just too much to deal with."

She heard him splashing again and peeked through her fingers to see that he was washing the suds off his feathers by standing under the water pouring from the faucet.

"Would you like to be blow dried, too, your majesty?" she said with heavy sarcasm.

She snorted at the cold look he gave her in response and got up off the floor. She turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel from the linen closet next to the doorway.

He was not only glowering at her when she turned back to face him, but he had his chest puffed out in agitation, his wings spread threateningly.

She snorted again. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of running my hands over your body, Jareth." She tossed the towel to the floor by the side of the tub. "That's for you to clean up your fucking mess!" She turned and slammed the door shut behind her, trapping him in the bathroom.

Reaching the bottom step, she purposely ignored his low screeching noises and picked up her things from the floor. 'He's acting more human every day,' she thought with dismay. 'What the hell am I going to catch him doing next?' she sighed tiredly as she settled herself in the kitchen to work on her editing.

It was about eight-thirty when she realized she hadn't heard any noises from upstairs for a while. Deciding to go check on him, she put her work aside and headed upstairs. She knew damn well that he hadn't cleaned any of the mess he'd made. One reason being that he was an owl. Another was that, well, he was Jareth. But it was a good threat on her part anyway, or so she thought.

She opened the bathroom door to find him lying on his back with his feet in the air in the center of the tiled floor.

"Very funny, Jareth. Get out so I can clean up in here."

He didn't move.

"It won't work, Jareth, I'm well aware of your trickery, playing dead isn't exactly your best effort."

He still didn't move.

She stared at his chest for signs of breathing and didn't notice any movement. "Jareth, get up," she said, her tone not as confident.

Still no movement.

"Jareth?" Now there was fear in her voice.

She stepped into the room and was about to kneel next to him when he moved.

He was so quick that he was nothing more than a blur of feathers as he rose from the floor. Swooping out the door, he making clicking noises with his beak as he flew downstairs.

She stared after him, ready to yell and get all upset for him tricking her, then realized that was what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to fear him, but that wasn't so easy in his current form. She had the power to simply kill him and he knew it.

So, he found a way for her to not fear him per say, but to fear 'for' him and she'd already done that more times than she could count.

With renewed resolve Sarah stood up and quietly closed the bathroom door. She cleaned up his mess, took a nice hot shower to relax, put on her pajamas, then went downstairs to finish her editing before going to bed.

He was perched on top of his cage when she returned downstairs. She didn't look at him but noticed a gleam in his eyes peripherally as she bent to collect her papers. He cooed light heartedly as she sat down on the sofa, making herself comfortable before putting her nose to the pages on her lap.

He cooed again then flew across the room to land on the arm of the sofa opposite from where she sat.

"I'm not playing your games, Jareth," she stated coolly, glancing up to meet his gaze. "Thank you for another lesson learned. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

She lowered her head to focus on her work, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulders to block him from her peripheral view.

After a few minutes he flew off to rest on the banister. He watched her for a while before tucking his head under his wing and falling asleep.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_**It was pouring so badly that Sarah couldn't see anything as she ran down the street. The tears that filled her eyes didn't help. She was soaked to the bone, running scared, and had no idea what she was running from. Finally she saw her house. She slammed herself upon the door, but the knob wouldn't turn. She started pounding on it with both fists screaming and crying to be let inside.**_

"_**Sarah"**_

_**She turned around at the familiar voice and froze. The rain suddenly stopped as Jareth stepped out of the darkness to stand before her. He reached a hand out to her face and gently wiped away her tears.**_

"_**You still understand nothing, Sarah," he said softly, his eyes full of sadness. "It's not your fear I want. I have enough of that for both of us every time I look into your cold eyes." **_

_**He let his hand slowly drift from her face, caressing her cheek with the motion. **_

"_**I need your touch, my Lady. Please…" **_

_**He was gone before his hand was fully back at his side.**_

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah awoke with a start, having fallen asleep on the sofa while editing.

Lightening cracked loudly outside, followed by a rumble of thunder. She stared blindly towards the window, her breathing ragged as the dream repeated itself in her mind.

Swallowing hard she turned to look towards the banister. It was empty.

Another slap of lightening briefly lit the room. A shadowed silhouette on the floor by her side caused her to jump once more.

She forced herself to turn her head, to face him once again in his human form.

"Jareth?" she whispered so low she barely heard her own voice.

A soft cooing sound came as a reply from the corner near the kitchen.

She choked a nervous laugh, repeated the sound, then chuckled outright at the absurdity of her own paranoia. She leaned back into the sofa, relaxing after her frightful moment. With a deep sigh she felt around in the dark, and collected her papers.

She slowly made her way to the kitchen and put everything on the table just as the lights came back on. Blinking into the sudden brightness of the overhead light she turned to look at the owl perched on top of his cage.

For one split second her fear returned at the sight of his expressive eyes. For another split second she thought he sensed her fear by the way he gazed at her intently. Then her resolve set in and she squared her shoulders.

"I'll never cower before you again," she said to him bluntly.

She turned off the kitchen light, then the living room lamp, before making her way to her room to try to go back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER THREE**

It had been three days since Sarah had had that dream with Jareth speaking to her in human form. Since then she all but ignored the bird whenever he tried to get her attention. By Sunday he hadn't even cooed at her as he usually did whenever she walked near him. As soon as she opened the front door he flew out over her head and disappeared into the tree.

Coming home from the 'Y' she tossed her things on the end table as usual, leaving the door open wide for the owl to come inside as she removed her jacket and hung it up. Turning back to the door she looked out and up into the tree and saw him still perched on a lower branch.

"Suit yourself." She shrugged at him and closed the door.

She spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and getting her wash done, only thinking of 'him' when she got to the bathroom. After scrubbing everything to her satisfaction she went downstairs to get something to eat.

She nibbled at the sandwich she had made for herself then just pushed the plate away. Glancing forlornly through the house towards the front door she was about to go check on him and see if he'd come inside, then second guessed herself. Why bother letting him in when she'd only ignore him anyway? She turned for the cellar instead.

She immediately saw the box of books that Jareth had knocked over during one of his hunts for mice. They had sprawled out onto the concrete floor showing Sarah that there were more books in there than she had thought. Bending down, she picked them all up and put them back inside the box to carry upstairs to the living room.

She leisurely sat on the floor, her legs outstretched with her ankles crossed, as she piled the books around her by subject. Having placed the last book on the biographies pile she got up, stretched, and grabbed the box to flatten it to reuse again.

When she flipped the box upside down, another book fell out, landing at her foot. Raising the box over her shoulder to look at the book, she then looked inside the box to make sure there wasn't anything else in there. There wasn't.

Tossing the box aside, she bent to pick up the small, dusty hardcover book. Straightening her back, she rubbed her palm over the front cover in an attempt to dust it off.

She heard Jareth start squawking from outside.

Ignoring him she blew on the book to see if any more dust would come off of it so she could read the title. It didn't help much.

Jareth began screeching earnestly all of a sudden, sounding as though he was right outside the door.

She continued to ignore him while turning the book in her hand to see if she could read the back binding, only to discover there was no print there at all. With a frown she opened it to the first page as she distractedly walked to the front door.

The writing inside was so faded she could hardly see that there had been any to begin with. What she could make of it looked like it had been hand written, and Sarah wasn't even sure it was in English. At Jareth's persistent screeching she held the book at her side and opened the door.

"What the hell, Jareth?" she asked annoyed as he came swooping into the living room.

He circled the living room twice before trying to land on the empty box in the middle of the floor. His weight tipped it over to its side and he ended up flapping his wings and circling around the room once more. Finally, he landed on the floor between the stacked books.

"Don't you dare knock those books over," she warned. "And what the hell is your problem anyway?"

She watched him for a few seconds as he seemed to read the titles on the side bindings of the books. Shaking her head, she closed the door and lifted the book in her hand to re-examine it. She blindly walked over to the sofa, flipping the pages for some clue as to why the writing was so faded.

It didn't look old enough to be an antique. The hardcover was in very good condition, except for the dust that wouldn't come off of it. It was a short novel to be sure with only about a hundred pages in it. And not one of them had a single legible word on it.

She absentmindedly sat on the edge of the sofa completely fascinated with where it could have come from. Her eyes caught a phrase as she thumbed through the pages once more. Flipping backwards she searched for it again and found it near the last page.

"I wish," she read aloud, squinting her eyes to try and make out the rest of it.

Jareth seemed to go ballistic all of a sudden and swooped up at her from the floor.

She screamed and ducked away from him as he settled on the back of the sofa where she had been sitting.

"Dammit, Jareth!" she yelled at him. "I'm about ready to lock you in that cage if you don't knock off your shit!"

She had used the book in her hand as emphasis to point towards the cage as she ranted, then let it hang by her side. Sarah suddenly became aware of how he stared at the book she held.

His eyes had an odd look in them, his beak hung open as his chest puffed out and heaved harshly with his erratic breaths.

Slowly, she raised the book from her side, watching him watch it. She slowly moved it across her chest then back near her hip again.

His eyes followed it as though in a trance.

"Jareth?" she whispered in a low voice, a heavy feeling settle in her stomach. "Does… does this book belong to you?"

He tilted his entire head upwards just enough for his eyes to meet hers. He stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. Then he slightly turned his head from left to right then back again, opening his eyes once more to reconnect their gazes.

"Oh shit," she whispered, having never seen him do that before. "It's got magic in it, doesn't it?"

He pointedly blinked once.

She unceremoniously dropped it to the floor. "Take it. Get it out of my house," she commanded him, rushing to the door for him to get out.

When she turned around with the door open wide she saw him settle himself on the back of the sofa to stare at her calmly.

"I'm not kidding, Jareth. I want it out of here now!" she shouted, her voice tainted with panic.

Their gazes locked; his calm and patient, hers frantic and bewildered.

"Fine," she huffed after a minute.

She stalked across the room to retrieve the book herself when Jareth was suddenly airborne.

He reached it first, landing only an inch from where it lay and screeched at her threateningly with his wings spread wide.

She jumped back instinctively then regained her composure and continued forward with determination.

"You can't stop me," she muttered between clenched teeth. She dropped to her hands and knees and snaked a hand out in an attempt to grab the book.

He turned his body, filling the house with a piercing screech, and snapped at her arm with his beak.

She pulled her hand back, the book firmly in her grasp, and scurried to her feet. "I said you can't stop me," she repeated, using the book to point at him. "I'm done being afraid of you, Jareth."

"You have no power over me!"

She cried out in pain and dropped the book.

Jareth flew from the floor to perch on the banister, putting some space between him and Sarah.

She looked at her hand in bewilderment. It felt like she had been burned, but there were no marks.

She glanced at the book on the floor. It no longer looked as dusty as it had moments before. She hesitantly bent down to pick it up again.

Jareth made low clacking sounds in his throat as her fingers reached for the hardbound.

Bringing it up to her face, she could clearly read the slanted engraving on the front cover.

"Curse of the Labyrinth."

She felt the book become warm in her hands.

Jareth became extremely quiet behind her.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

A pair of eyes suddenly popped open in the darkness, then another pair.

"What was that?" the second goblin whispered.

"She has awakened the book of power," the first informed quietly.

"The book of… But how is that possible?"

"Nothing is ever what it seems, remember?" the first goblin answered.

"Is our king coming home now?" the second goblin asked, sounding hopeful.

"Only if she says the words."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She'd been lounging with her feet up on the sofa for over an hour just opening and closing the book in rapid succession. A deep frown marred her face.

Finally Jareth flew across the room and landed on the arm by her head. He watched her for another minute before hooting softly.

"When I first open the book I can see the script boldly but then it fades as I focus to read it," she readily explained to him. "So I've been trying to read bits of it, a word or a letter, before it fades." She quickly opened the book once more. "But it's just like your labyrinth, every time I open it, even though it's the same page, the writing looks different."

"Ahh, it's no use." Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back to the arm of the sofa. The hand holding the book rested limply on her lap. "I am so tired," she said, her tone matching her words. She took a deep breath and felt her body relax.

Jareth cooed softly and sidestepped closer to rub his head on her cheek.

She raised her empty hand high above her shoulder then slowly brought it down to caress the feathers on his back.

"I wish," she murmured sleepily before her hand fell limp behind her head.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_**Sarah felt like she was on a ride at a carnival as everything spun around her in a blur, though she didn't feel sick from it. Then the sound of a grandfather clock rang in her ears. She turned around and saw the clock. Everything stopped spinning, it was striking twelve.**_

_**A warm hand was suddenly on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Jareth standing behind her. She turned completely to face him, stepping back from his touch. **_

"_**I have one hour given to me," he said. "The hour lost to you while in my Labyrinth." **_

"_**What's that supposed to mean?" she asked warily but without fear. **_

"_**You have taken everything from me, I am your slave, and still you understand nothing," he replied, his tone defeated. **_

"_**The book will only reveal what you ask of it. But I will warn you, Sarah, be very, very careful what you wish for." He turned away from her, starting to dissipate. **_

"_**No, wait!" she yelled, taking a step forward to try and grab at his translucent arm. **_

_**He turned his head back to look at her then faded completely. **_

"_**What do you have an hour for?" she called into the nothingness.**_

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

A steady rapping on the front door finally broke through her sleep. Opening her eyes, Sarah found herself on the sofa exactly as she had fallen asleep the night before. She stretched languidly and turned her head towards the door to find the owl positioned next to her.

He had gotten one of her t-shirts from the hamper and arranged it on the sofa next to her side, sitting on it like a nest at an odd angle that made him look lopsided. He turned his head around backwards to look at her.

"I'll deal with you later," she stated gruffly. Getting up to answer the door, she heard him fly over to his cage.

She opened the door to find Brian turning away. He turned back around at the sound.

"Sarah." He sounded almost surprised. "I'd almost given up. I've been knocking for about five minutes now."

"I must have been more tired than I thought," she said as an excuse and stepped back to the side of the doorway. "Come on in."

Brian stepped through the door and turned to close it behind him as a fluttering noise filled the room. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the owl landing on the banister nearby.

"You're keeping it in the house?" he asked, sounding slightly put out.

"Huh?" she voiced, picking up a pile of books from the floor to have more room to walk. "Oh, yea. I had him registered and got a cage and all that."

"Registered it where?" he asked, sounding more perturbed.

"At the wildlife reserve. Was there a reason you stopped by Brian? I've seen you more since we broke up then I did when we dated."

"Olivia Stevens asked me to tell you that your reading night will be canceled until further notice."

"Oh, no," she whined with disappointment, putting the stack on the floor against the wall out of the way. "Did she say why?"

"Something about renovations to the recreation center." He shrugged uncaringly. "Besides, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She paused to look at him, another stack of books in her arms. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "You've just been acting strange lately."

"What do you mean, I've been acting strange?"

"Well, you haven't returned my calls," he started explaining. "You completely blew off Ted and Nancy's dinner the other night, you cut your classes- something you've 'never' done before- and now you let that bird in your house like it's some kind of pet!"

Jareth screeched menacingly from the banister, causing Brian to jump back a step.

"That thing needs to be caged!" he yelled angrily, reacting to the owl's threatening stance.

"Well if you didn't yell at me he wouldn't act like that!" she defended, stepping in the space between the two males.

"There you go again defending a fucking wild animal that has no business being here!" He advanced upon her, arms waving in the air.

"What the hell do you have against my owl, Brian?!" she shouted back at him, finally getting angry herself.

"Your owl?" he asked. "_Your_ owl?" he repeated. "You need to stop being so damn fanciful about that bird! It's not some tamed parrot to let roam inside your house, Sarah!"

"Fanciful?" She questioned through thin lips. "So now I'm being fanciful?" she started laughing without any humor. "The only thing I fancy right now is for you to leave, Brian."

"Bullshit." He circled in place, throwing his arms up again and turned back to her. "I don't believe you!"

"No, I mean it." She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "I don't know what your problem is about me having the owl around but he's always bothered you for some reason."

"It's wild, Sarah!" He pointed at Jareth. "A killer, it doesn't belong here, and if you'd stop deluding yourself you'd see that I'm right."

Jareth leaned his body forward, making threatening noises at Brian's aggressiveness.

"The only thing I see is you walking out that door," she replied in a flat tone.

He paused for a moment to look at her. Her eyes were set determinedly, she wasn't kidding. The owl was still making low clacking noises and looked as though it would attack him at any given second.

"Fine," he conceded, tossing his arms in the air. "Have it your way. But don't call me when the fucking thing rips your throat out!"

She watched him stalk out of the house, slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later the sound of his car was heard, then screeching tires as he sped down the street.

The ironic thing was that her friendship with Brian had been her rebound from her experience in the labyrinth, particularly from dealing with Jareth. She wasn't surprised that he didn't like the owl around, but he didn't have to fly off the handle like that.

She turned her gaze to meet Jareth's mismatched eyes. He was watching her very intently. She had the sudden feeling that he knew something she didn't and then remembered her latest dream.

"I know you're up to something, Jareth," she told him, walking over to stand only a foot away from him. "And that book has a lot to do with it. But don't think for one second that I'm going to make anything easy for you." She turn away and went upstairs to get showered and dressed, never noticing the unnatural glow emanating from the book on the sofa.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She was about to leave to go shopping when a car pulled into her driveway and parked behind hers. She put her bag and keys back on the end table and held the door open to wait for them.

"My stepmother is here, Jareth," she said over her shoulder, knowing he was behind her somewhere.

Without pause he took flight and swooped out the front door over Sarah's head to perch in the tree out front.

Ever since the rifle incident Jareth wouldn't be anywhere near Karen, not that Sarah blamed him. Karen had, with a single shot, put fear into the goblin king himself and it amused her on some level of satisfaction.

"Sarah!" Toby yelled and ran up the drive to slam into her bodily, wrapping his little arms around her hips. "I miss you!" he said, looking up at her.

"I miss you too, squirt." She smiled and bent down to hug him better.

"Sarah!" Karen greeted warmly with a smile, her arms outstretched as she approached.

"Hey, Karen," she responded, returning the hug.

"I hope we're not dropping in at a bad time, but we had to go to the mall for school supplies and thought we'd swing by to see if you were home."

"It's fine," Sarah said cordially. "I was going to go food shopping but I can do that later."

"Oh," Karen nodded. "Are you okay? Do you need any money? I knew I should have brought the extra bag of potatoes with us," she criticized herself.

"Karen, I'm fine."

Her dad stepped up near the door and looked at Sarah sternly.

"Hi Sarah." He tried to sound pleasant.

"Dad," she replied, hugging him. "Is everything okay?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," he replied tight lipped.

"Honey, at least wait till we're in the door, for crying out loud," Karen chastised lightly.

"Mom! Dad! Sarah still got her owl!" Toby called excitedly from inside. "Come look at the big cage!"

Sarah noticed Karen's eyes shift automatically into the tree. A low clacking noise was heard in response.

"I'm not even going to say anything," Karen stated matter of factly, looking back at her stepdaughter. "You've been fascinated with that thing since it showed up all those years ago."

She walked into the house expecting Sarah to follow. "I still can't believe it didn't attack you for manhandling it the way you did," she continued reminiscing. "Damn thing must have been in shock that's all I can say."

"We're never going to hear the end of that story." Her dad shook his head as he stood in the doorway near Sarah. He glanced into the house and saw the cage that Toby had been ranting about and was now trying to crawl into. "I assume that was the emergency?"

Sarah nodded. "I'm sorry, daddy," she said with a shrug. "I had to. They were going to take him away if I…"

Her dad held a hand up to silence her. "It's okay, Sarah. I just wish you had called. I thought you had gotten into trouble and were afraid to come to us for help." He stepped forward and took his daughter in his arms. "I love you."

"Love you too, dad," she smiled up at him. "I will pay you back," she added as she broke away to walk into the house.

"That would be appreciated," he replied lightly, following her inside and closing the door.

"I see you went through the books I dropped off," Karen said when Sarah was finished speaking with her dad, who bee lined across the room to wrestle his son from the bird cage.

"Yes, thank you. I just got around to sorting them last night."

Karen glanced over to the sofa and saw the small hardbound book lying there. Picking it up, she read the title. "Was this in the box too?"

Sarah nodded, feeling slightly apprehensive about someone else touching the book.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I don't remember seeing this one. I know you don't like reading fantasy anymore."

"It's okay," she assured with a smile. "I find it intriguing. I just wish it was written in English."

"What are you talking about?" Karen asked, thumbing through the pages. "It's in English, though the script is italicized and very faint, but it is English."

"Let me see that, please?" she requested, reaching out to take the book from her stepmother as quickly as possible without seeming as though she were grabbing it from her hands.

Sarah opened the book at random and paled at what she read. The ink was still very faint but she could make out two words that repeated over and over on every page. 'I Wish'. She clapped the book shut and gave her stepmother an uncomfortable smile.

"I must have been more tired than I thought last night when I first looked at it."

"Well that would make perfect sense," Karen replied with a wave of her hand. "It's not very legible to begin with, and if you were tired I could see how it would look unreadable."

"Karen," Sarah's dad called. "Could you help me over here?"

They glanced over to the corner near the kitchen where Toby had a hand stuck between the bars of the cage.

"Toby, how the hell do you manage these things?" Karen asked exasperated, walking briskly over to them to help.

Sarah glanced inside the book once more while her family was distracted. It hadn't changed. Jareth's warning to be careful what she wished for came to mind as she closed the book and slipped it into the drawer of the end table near the front door. She then stepped across the room to help get Toby's hand free.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

The goblins sucked in their breaths, holding it as they waited for the rest of the words to be spoken from afar. After a moment they released their breath.

"That's it?" the first goblin voiced. "She didn't even say anything," he added with agitation.

"She's never going to say the words," the third goblin said gloomily.

"We'll be stuck in darkness forever at this rate," the second goblin complained.

The goblins all sighed deeply and returned to waiting in silence.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Her family had left after visiting for only an hour. Toby had insisted on repeatedly getting some limb caught in the bars of the bird cage and Karen had had enough of it. Sarah followed them out of the driveway to go shopping, Karen insisted on giving her some money towards food while her dad pretended not to notice.

She returned home and put her groceries away, grabbed something to eat and settled herself on the sofa with Jareth's book in her hands. She pieced together a few things while she stared at it as if in a trance.

Jareth had started behaving oddly after Karen had dropped off the box of books. The dreams with Jareth talking to her, touching her, started after she had touched the book for the first time. And the book reacted to the words, 'I wish', as though it were a command and not a wayward request.

She had no idea how long she stared at it, wondering how far the power of a wish could go. If only it would tell her more than two simple words. Sarah thought for sure that Karen had noticed the repetition, but apparently she had seen actual words though hadn't taken the time to try to read any of them. Sarah concluded this when Karen had told her to enjoy her novel as she was leaving.

Jareth's warning rang loud in her mind but she wanted to see what would happen if…

"Sarah."

She blinkingly lifted her eyes from the book and landed them on Jareth who was perched on the banister watching her intently. She assumed she had imagined hearing him say her name, and shrugged it off.

"I've noticed that you get very quiet when I'm holding this book, Jareth. Do you plan to invade my dreams again with another cryptic message?" she smirked when he pointedly blinked at her.

She lowered her eyes to the book again. "It feels warm when I hold it like this," she told him, her voice trancelike. "I feel as though I should say something, but I don't know what." She met his gaze again. "I'm not stupid. I'll adhere to your warning." She let her eyes drift down. "Only because I can feel the power inside and I don't understand what it is."

She shifted her position, swinging her legs over the side of the sofa to stand up and stood in front of him. "I…" she tilted her head slightly to the right, her eyes glassy and dreamy. "…want … you to tell me about this book, Jareth."

He blinked at her before she placed the book in the drawer of the end table and turned off the lights, then headed upstairs for bed.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

_**She was back at her parents' house. The grandfather clock was striking midnight, a wind whipped around her like a tornado but nothing was being disturbed in the room. She ran up the stairs to her old room, slamming the door behind her, and braced it with all her weight as the force of the wind pushed from the other side.**_

_**A bolt of lightening zigzagged outside the double balcony doors. The light blinded her for a moment. Then she felt his presence like something tangible. She opened her eyes and choked on a scream. Jareth was standing right in front of her, his eyes bore into hers as he reached out and pulled her away from the door.**_

_**She tripped and landed on the floor. The wind whipped into the room, blowing the door off its hinges. Covering her face, she screamed for him to make it stop, to tell her why this was happening. **_

_**He took her by the arm and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his other arm around her back to hold her close against him.**_

"_**It's time to wake up, Sarah," he said.**_

_**And then there was silence.**_

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah bolted upright in her bed. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She instantly glanced out her doorway to find the owl not perched there. A fleeting surge of panic gripped her, but she pushed it aside. 'He's probably downstairs on his cage,' she thought, trying to reassure herself. But something wasn't right, the dream had felt different from the ones she'd had before.

"Jareth?" she called out, waiting with bated breath for the sound of a soft coo in response.

"Sarah."

Her eyes darted to the doorway. There was no imagining his voice this time. It was too bold, too loud. Too real. She pushed back her blankets and stepped to the floor, her eyes never leaving the doorway. 'The owl will come fluttering up the stairs at any second', or so she told herself.

Fear gripped her insides as she drew closer to the hallway. She told herself it was just the dream that made her hear his voice. It was the power in the book that messed with her head.

But something told her that this time was different.

"Jareth?" she called tentatively.

No sound came back to her.

She stopped just inside the doorway and peeked into the hall.

Jareth stood not two feet away from her, leaning casually against the wall, in his human form.

"Hello, Sarah," he said, keeping his gaze diverted to the floor in front of him.

It was enough to allow Sarah to respond. She took a sharp breath and pulled back into her room, standing poker straight just out of his sight.

"I don't have much time, Sarah," he said, his tired voice drifted through the open doorway. "You want me to tell you about the book, and I will. But first I need to get something straight between us, something that I'm sure will be my doom. But I can't help myself."

He was suddenly standing before her.

Sarah took another sharp breath but remained unmoving.

He wore a simple peasant shirt that showed most of his chest and neck, his tan breeches were worn, his black boots almost dingy looking, even his hair didn't seem as luxurious. But the owl feathered cape clasped at his neck was as white and beautiful as the bird he was cursed to be.

He stepped closer to her, so close that she could feel his warmth.

"I… I've tried my best, Jareth." She tried to look into his eyes but found herself looking away after brief intervals.

"I know, and for that I am grateful. It's your weakness, caring for me as you do. But as I've said, I don't have much time."

"One hour," Sarah voiced, and met his eyes unwaveringly for the first time. "You only have one hour before you turn back into the owl."

"Yes."

Hearing him say it gave her more confidence. Her shoulders squared slightly, her chin rose defiantly. "I need you tell me about the book, Jareth. Where did it come from? How did it get here? Why do I constantly have the urge to hold it?"

"Sarah," he interrupted as she took a breath.

She stared up at him suddenly feeling a little light headed holding his gaze. But she refused to look away. Her questioning eyes became determined. To her chagrin he smiled at her and she thought her knees would buckle.

"The book holds my power, my magic if you would," he began to explain, brushing his hand over her shoulder without touching her, running a lock of her hair through his fingers.

"You want to hold it because it is the essence of everything I was." He bent lower to whisper into her ear. "In short, Sarah Williams, you can't keep your hands off me."

"I… no." She shook her head to clear her mind.

He was too close, she wasn't used to him like this, a man, tall, lithe, his breath was on her cheek, his hair brushed the side of her face. His shoulders were broad before her eyes, his neck, chest, bare skin she ached to touch. But no... she couldn't, he was… he was going to be gone soon. A bird, an owl that she fed and took care of and…

"I want you, Sarah," he whispered seductively, caressing the lobe of her ear with the tip of his nose.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The scent of him was intoxicating, natural, primitive, and alluring. She couldn't think straight. She wanted him to touch her, to feel his lips on hers, his hands on her skin.

Opening her eyes, she stared at his chest and wondered what was different, what was missing that… his medallion. She reached her hand up between them and placed her fingertips lightly on his skin.

He took a sharp breath at her touch and leaned in closer.

She traced a mental outline of the medallion with her fingers, where it should hang around his neck. The old stab of guilt coursed through her. She turned her head to the side, brushing her forehead to his cheek.

"Don't tease me, Sarah. I couldn't bear it."

She heard the anguish in his voice. The want, the need, the longing for her touch. She ran her left hand up the side of his body, starting near his waist while snaking her right hand over his shoulder to the back of his neck. His breathing was nothing more than short gasps for air, his eyes closed, his hands by his sides.

"Touch me, Jareth," she whispered.

He moved so fast it took a full minute for her mind to catch up with what happened next.

He grabbed her bodily to push her back against the open door as his lips found hers with such longing it made her head spin. His body pressed against hers, moving erotically with unbridled desire. His hands grabbed her shoulders, ass, and waist seemingly all at once.

Passion flooded her senses, her desire spurred on by his own. She linked her hands around his neck, arched her back to grind her hips into his. He pulled her knee around his hip, Sarah wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her from the floor.

He ground into her, his mouth ferally assaulted her neck. She grabbed his hair to pull his face from her neck and meet his mouth with her own ferocity. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, he growled low in his throat and pressed her harder against the door. He moved his mouth back to her neck, biting and sucking wildly.

She threw her head back, gasping for air. She pulled his shoulders closer, thrusting her hips forcibly into his. Her desire screamed for release, she called out his name, she grabbed at him wanting more, her body ached to feel him inside her.

"I wish we were naked," she murmured in an aroused frenzy.

Jareth pulled his head back from her throat to look at her. Her face was contorted with wild passion.

Their clothing disappeared from their bodies.

He opened his mouth to make a remark about her careless words when she slipped her body down over him, gasping at the feel of him inside her.

All thought fled at the feel of her. He thrust into her forcibly, reclaiming her neck with his teeth. His hands grabbed her ass, pulling her onto him as he met her savage thrusts. Her legs tied around him, he was vaguely aware of her nails clawing his back as she screamed and gasped in pleasure.

He moved away from the door as she clung to him, turned to cross the room and landed her on the bed. He slipped himself between her legs, ravaging her neck with lips and teeth, and pushed into her fast and hard.

She gasped and cried out his name. She grabbed at him to pull him in harder as another wave washed over her. She cried out his name in passion as Jareth moved within her, his body trembling in release. He collapsed on top of her, both of them gasping for breath in a tangle of limbs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER FOUR**

They lay exhausted, a thin sheen of sweat covered them both. She rested her head on his chest, his hands idly caressed her body lying on top of his, her hand feeling the lean muscles of his arm. She could hear his heartbeat slowly return to a normal rhythm, hers doing the same, when the sound of a grandfather clock could be heard chiming the hour.

She picked her head up and stared down at him with anxious eyes. It couldn't have been an hour already, it wasn't enough time, he still needed to tell her what to do with the book, how to control the magic in it. She wanted him to hold her, touch her, stay with her.

"I have no regrets, Sarah," he said calmly, sounding content with what they had just shared and with what was about to happen.

The clock was obviously the one from the labyrinth as she didn't own a grandfather clock. It would stop at thirteen tolls. She had four left before he turned back into an owl forever.

"I wish…"

"Sarah, no," he warned urgently, tensing physically. "Be very careful what you wish for. It could destroy us both."

"I wish for you to have the choice between being a man or an owl whenever you want."

His shocked surprise showed clearly in his eyes as the clock chimed the final toll for the hour. The silence in the room, in the house, in the very air was almost stifling as they stared at each other for a moment.

"What's said is said," Sarah voiced, settling herself back to her former position with her body over his, her head on his chest.

"I'm humbled by your generosity, my Lady." His hand tentatively rested on the back of her head to caress her hair.

"Don't make me regret it, Jareth. There's too much that I need to understand and you're the only one who can help me."

"As you wish," he replied after a thoughtful pause.

She lifted her head to look him in the face. "That wasn't a wish, that's a request." She lowered her head again with a deep sigh. "I also ask that you remain an owl except for when we're alone." She looked up at him one last time. "It would lead to too many questions if you were seen."

He slowly blinked, turning his gaze off to the side as he reopened his eyes.

Sarah understood his reluctance to abide by such a request and accepted his silent response. Placing her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and fell into a restful sleep that she had never known before.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Wake up! Wake up you worthless things! Wake up!"

"What's gotten into 'him'?" the second goblin asked.

"Our king was granted a wish," the first goblin answered.

"How'd he do that?"

"I don't know, I'm a goblin same as you!"

"Did she say the words yet?" the third goblin asked.

"If she said the words we wouldn't still be in darkness, Dummy!" the first one answered.

"She must have said something to get 'him' all fired up." The second goblin observed.

They became quiet once more and waited.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah awoke to find Jareth's eyes already open. She hated the morning after thing to begin with, but these circumstances made it even worse. What do you say to a man you slept with who's been living with you for the past five years as an owl? A man who doesn't play by normal rules, but those of magic and lore?

Luckily she had her classes to attend, then had to stop by the office to pick up the next script to edit. She had an excuse to get dressed and get out, even if he would be waiting for her to come home. But that didn't help at this moment when nothing feasible came to mind to say to him.

He'd been staring up at the ceiling with Sarah tucked under his arm, his other arm wrapped around her waist. She had one leg thrown over his and an arm across his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder. He tilted his head to face her when she woke up but didn't say anything at first.

"Well?" he voiced expectantly, after a minute of her remaining silent.

"Well, what?" She blinked, raising her eyes to meet his.

"You're normally running for the shower at this time, cursing and screaming."

She glanced at the clock. "Oh shit!"

She jumped from the bed and enacted exactly what he had just predicted. Returning to her bedroom a few minutes later she glanced around the floor curiously, holding her towel firmly in place.

"Where are my clothes?"

"You wished them away," he answered simply, still lying just as she had left him. "Mine as well."

"You're kidding," she said rhetorically.

"No, I'm not kidding. You wished for us to be naked and we were. I have no idea what you did with them."

"What do you mean, what I did with them? You just said I wished them away." She clutched the towel close to her body.

"Yes," he drawled with a hint of impatience. "But you have to wish them 'somewhere'. Things just don't disappear without having a place to turn up in."

She bit her lower lip as a frown creased her brows. "I don't even remember saying it."

"Understandable, you 'were' preoccupied at the time." He smirked.

She grinned slyly. "Yea, I was, wasn't I?" Her frown returned as her hand paused at her dresser.

"I'm not going to find all my clothes gone, am I? I mean, I was referring to THAT moment, not permanently."

"Open it and find out." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I've warned you to be careful with your words, you insist on not listening to me."

She opened a drawer to find it full of her clothes. With a deep sigh of relief she grabbed a bra, panties, and a pair of nylons before stepping over to the closet. Picking out a dress, she closed the door again.

"You may want to wear pants today, it's going to rain again." He leisurely clasped his hands behind his head.

"How do you know it's going to rain?"

He quirked an already arched brow at her indignantly.

"Oh, right. Never mind," she added, reminded of exactly who she was talking to.

Not only would the owl part of him be able to sense rain, but so would the kind of being he was naturally. She went back to the closet and switched her dress for a slacks outfit.

"Are you just going to lay there while I get dressed?"

"I've watched you get dressed every other morning, why would today be different?" he asked, sitting up in the bed to lean back against the headboard.

She had never given the owl's presence a second thought in matters such as this. It was like your pet cat or dog following you into the bathroom, being in the room with you when you changed, lying on the rug while you have sex.

"It's just different, Jareth." She couldn't think of anything better to say.

"How so?" he asked naively.

His question put her through a mental loop. For everything Jareth was, sometimes he just didn't understand things the way normal people would. In that regard, Sarah envied him for viewing things so simply.

"Things are just different after you have sex with someone," she said, starting to get dressed. "Besides, I didn't pay attention to an owl that followed me around the house, watching everything I did."

"And yet you talked to me regularly. Told me about your schooling, your friends, your boring schedules. Interesting how you didn't pay attention to me, yet you always knew I was nearby."

"I didn't say I ignored you, I said I didn't pay attention. There's a difference."

She slipped her slacks on over her nylons, grabbed her blouse and headed for the bathroom. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when Jareth stepped into the doorway. Leaning against the frame, he crossed his arms and watched her quietly.

Spitting out the toothpaste, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand with the toothbrush in it.

"I'll pick up a few things for you on my way home," she told him. "Unless I can just wish stuff for you," she proposed, thinking of how much money she'd just spent on him being an owl.

"I wouldn't advise that," he stated dryly.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."

She rinsed out her mouth, dried her hands and took her makeup basket from its shelf. Leaning over the sink to get closer to the mirror, she started to apply her eye liner.

Jareth moved to stand behind her, watching her from behind.

Sarah paused, the eye pencil hovering at her eye. She couldn't continue to put her makeup on while he was standing there, naked, and staring at her. Straightening her back, she turned and grabbed a towel from the closet.

"Would you at least put this on?"

He took it from her and blatantly looked at it for a moment before draping it over his shoulders.

She stared at him blankly, not having a clue as to what to say. He couldn't possibly be that daft to not know how to wrap a towel around his hips. Her eyes shifted up to meet his.

He was grinning at her, his eyes were full of mischief.

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the mirror.

"I did as you asked, why does this annoy you?" He grinned.

She could hear the factiousness in his voice. "You know damn well that that's not what I meant," she said irritably, looking at him via the mirror.

He stepped up behind her, his hands on the ends of the towel. "Perhaps you should be more specific when you want something." He turned away from her, taking the towel from his neck to wrap it around his hips as he left the bathroom.

She carelessly tossed her eye pencil into the sink with frustration. Leaning on her elbow, she rubbed her forehead. 'I had to give him a choice, didn't I?' she thought.

Then a different thought popped into her head. 'Oh, shit. What if I phrased the wish for him to change back and forth wrong, too?'

She all but ran down the short hallway, stopping short at her bedroom door.

He wasn't there.

"Jareth!" she called urgently, heading downstairs to find him. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she saw him in the kitchen. "Show me the owl," she demanded without an explanation.

His eyes turned on her, briefly turning cold before softening again.

"Just do it, now."

"What if I don't want to?" he asked with mild curiosity with a bored expression.

Sarah's heart jumped into her throat. She stared at him wide eyed. 'Oh shit.'

He placed the glass he'd been holding onto the counter before bringing his arms up from his sides.

There was a sudden flash of light, making Sarah turn her head and cover her eyes.

She heard the sound of fluttering wings before she opened them again. The owl was flying past her, heading for the living room as she took her hands from her face. The towel lay on the floor in a crumpled heap.

She turned around to go into the living room and almost smacked right into Jareth, who had come up behind her after changing his form again.

Sarah suppressed a startled yelp and took a step back.

"Satisfied?" he asked knowingly.

"Yes, thank you." She ducked past him without looking at his face. She still had to finish her makeup and do her hair and now she was even later than she was before.

"Sarah," he called with a casual lilt.

She paused at the bottom step and looked back at him.

"I would have been more concerned if you hadn't asked for proof."

She nodded slightly then skipped up the stairs, knowing his statement needed no reply.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Finally dressed and ready, Sarah rushed down the stairs, and grabbed her bag, books, and keys from the end table. She paused before turning to the door, looking at the small drawer in the end table. Opening it, she took the book out and slipped it into her bag.

"You don't need to worry about that," Jareth stated from the sofa. He got to his feet and walked over to her. "I can't touch it." A lost look entered his eyes as he stared at her bag.

"But it's yours. Why wouldn't you be able to touch it? That doesn't make any sense."

"Because it can't be taken, it must be given."

Sarah glanced down at her bag, having the sudden urge to hand him the book. She stepped back from him instead.

"We'll talk about this later, I have to go."

She stepped outside, closing the door quickly, jumped into her car and backed out of the driveway. As she shifted into drive she glanced back at her house, knowing he was watching her from the window.

By the time she arrived at campus she'd missed her first class. Having a few minutes before her next class started, she walked to the small park and sat down to think about things.

She felt bad for leaving him alone while she lived her life, even more so since he wasn't an owl, but there was nothing she was willing to do about that. She took the book out of her bag, feeling the warmth of it as she held it in her hands.

Jareth had already proven to her twice that she wasn't careful enough with wording things. But she couldn't help wanting to ask it something, to make a wish, whenever she held it. She tentatively opened it and stared at the first page, the words 'I wish' were still there in solid repetition.

"I wish to know what happened because I beat the labyrinth and won my brother back." she whispered.

She watched as words boldly scribbled across the page, replacing the previous words. It wrote out how the goblin king had fallen in love with her and offered her everything he had, in hopes of her accepting him. It wrote how the curse of the labyrinth was put upon the king when she had refused him and returned to her own world with her brother. It wrote how the labyrinth lay in dormant darkness until either the king returned or the successor took his place.

Sarah was overwhelmed at how easy it was to get an answer from the book, but not so overwhelmed as to risk asking it another question. She'd ask Jareth to fill in the blanks she had questions for. And if he refused to tell her, then she would ask the book another question. Slipping the book in her bag she headed to her class.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"What's that noise?" the second goblin asked the first.

"Sounds like chickens cooking on a fire," the third goblin observed.

"I don't smell chickens cooking," the second goblin replied, sniffing the air.

"It's not chickens cooking, dummies!" the first goblin spat. "It's the Book of Power. She's using the magic."

"Ohhh," the other goblins voiced with understanding.

"I wish we had cooking chickens, though," the third goblin said. "I'm hungry."

"Shhh!"

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

After her classes, she stopped in at the publisher's office and was given another script to take home. From there she headed to the mall. She'd heard some girls talking that there was a big Fall Sale and decided to go there to buy Jareth some clothes. While there she also picked up a toothbrush, deodorant, socks, and boxers. She liked men in boxers and hoped he didn't mind wearing them. Considering he was wearing a towel when she had left the house, she figured he probably wouldn't care.

She also added hair products, laundry detergent, trash bags, and dishwasher liquid to her cart. She had a feeling Jareth wasn't going to be a neat houseguest, judging by the condition of the castle when she'd been there. As an afterthought, she grabbed a pack of vacuum bags as well.

She was actually excited by the time she got home. She'd bought him jeans, shirts, and everything else she could think of that he would need as a man in her world. Pushing through the door with a ton of bags, she stopped dead at seeing him in human form on the sofa. She dropped a couple of bags before quickly closing the front door.

He was sitting on the sofa with the remote control in his hand, a bag of chips by his side, and wearing her clothes.

'Within one day he turned into a typical male,' she thought, stunned. 'Well, except for the ruffled silk blouse and a pair of stretch pants.' Seeing him like this was disturbing, and she realized that she didn't like it at all.

"What are you doing?" she asked, not sure that she wanted an answer.

He spared her a glance from the TV. "I'm anxious to see if Rachel actually leaves Brad to be with Marcus, who is having an affair with Stephanie who is pregnant with Tom's child."

"You're kidding me, right?! You're watching soaps?!" she asked exasperated. "And you're wearing '_my'_ clothes!"

All of a sudden she realized that she sounded just like her teenage self with her hands on her hips and the high lilt of her voice. All that was missing was the phrase, 'It's not fair'.

Jareth smirked at her knowingly as he rose from the sofa. Striding over to her he took the bags from her hands.

"Should I assume I was supposed to go naked all day?" he asked, putting the bags on the sofa.

"No," she voiced, still processing him wearing her clothes. "No, I guess not." She blinked up at him as he came back to stand in front of her. "How did you learn to use a remote control?"

"By watching you," he answered simply, then added in a facetious tone, "I also know how to use the microwave, the can opener, the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, the telephone, and…" He paused dramatically. "The DVD player."

She couldn't wrap her mind around it all. He wasn't supposed to be like this, to know these things, to… fit in. He was supposed to be dark and mysterious and… She shook her head realizing how ludicrous her thoughts sounded, even to herself.

"Was I expected not to touch any of your belongings?" he asked defensively, his head tilted back and to the side as he waited for her reply.

"No, I … I never thought about it." She finally looked up at him. "I didn't think about what you would do. I'm just so used to you being an owl." She touched her hand to her forehead. "I didn't expect this to be so complicated."

"Perhaps you'd prefer your pet instead of a companion." He said tight lipped. "At least then you'd know where I am and what I've been doing."

"You're kidding me, right?" she asked, her tone slightly incredulous. "You fly around here as you please, in or out, half the time I don't know where the hell you're at or what you're doing." Her hands gestured randomly around the room. "Always knocking things over, and what the hell was with the bath, Jareth?!" she put her hands on her hips. "Never mind, don't answer that." She paced in a tight circle, hands once again flailing in the air. "You squawk at me all the time, feathers – constantly all over the place, and you fucking snore with pathetic little cooing noises!"

He patiently stared at her with his brow arched higher than usual until she was finished with her ranting. "I am, yet again, humbled by your generosity, my Lady. I'm surprised you tolerated such insolence from me."

"It's not insolence, Jareth," she replied suddenly sounding tired, her steam diminished. "You were just being an owl."

"An owl that you talked to, confided in." He sniffed haughtily.

"I knew you understood what I was saying," she defended.

"An owl whom you fed, sheltered, and took care of despite the inconvenience."

She looked at him warily, not liking where he was going with this.

"And yet you touched me more last evening than you have in the five years I've stayed with you." He crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head back slightly.

"I doubt that very much." She turned away disgruntled.

"Four." He informed her simply. "Four times have you touched me with your hands. First being the day I was wounded. You took me in your arms and promised me that you wouldn't let anyone hurt me again. You've kept that promise. The other three times were more recent; the night you removed me from resting on your bed post, and the night you were trying to read from the Book of Power, you caressed my back as you fell asleep then continued to do so during the night."

"What's your point?" She turned to face him again.

"I'm curious if my sacrifice wasn't in vain after all."

"Don't get your hopes up, Jareth. Just because I sleep with you doesn't mean I'm going to make you king again," she answered carelessly.

The look of absolute defeat that washed over his face as he looked away tore her apart from the inside.

"I didn't mean to sound so cruel, Jareth," she whispered, silently wishing she could take back the hurtful words. She wondered if he'd allow her to touch him or if he'd shy away from her.

He looked back at her, his eyes filled with despair. "Why would you curse me more than I already was, Sarah? At least as an owl I couldn't feel the pain of your rejection."

She gazed up at him with empathy. "Can I make you king again? Is that what the book wants me to say?"

He met her gaze mournfully for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "No, you can't make me king again."

"Can I 'ask' the book to take back what I said?" she asked, not wanting to use the word wish.

"I wouldn't suggest it," he answered softly, though he looked at her intently. "That's altering time, if you phrased your words incorrectly the effect could be disastrous."

"I'm sorry," she whispered after a long pause.

She tentatively reached her hand out towards his face, stopped in mid air, and pulled it back again. She turned her head away as she backed away from him and hurried up the stairs to her room, firmly closing the door behind her.

'How could I say such a thing to him?' she cried into her pillow. 'It's not his fault he's like this.'

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She couldn't get the devastated look in his eyes out of her head. He even apologized for being a bother for the past five years. Then she thought of something that might help. Rising from her bed, she went to the bathroom and washed her face before going back downstairs.

She found him sitting in the kitchen, still in her clothes, as she reached the living room. "I half expected you to change," she stated uncomfortably from the kitchen archway.

"How so?" he asked dejectedly, not looking at her.

"Into an owl."

"I'd rather not," he said, looking at her. His eyes showed his reluctance.

She nodded at his reply and tucked her hands into her jeans back pockets. "It's easier for us to ignore each other that way, I guess."

He made to stand up, apparently taking her words as a request, but she quickly stepped over to him and handed him a piece of paper. "What would happen if I said those words?"

He took the paper from her hand. It read, 'I wish that I had never hurt Jareth'. He stared at it for the longest time with Sarah anxiously shifting from foot to foot next to him.

"Well?" she prompted when he took too long to answer her. "What would happen?"

"It's too vague, Sarah," he replied, looking at her with an odd expression on his face. "It could reverse time all the way back to the labyrinth. You would be somewhere in the oubliette if I remember correctly."

"Oh," she voiced dejectedly. "How about if I phrase it differently?"

"How about you simply be more careful with your words?" he countered shortly.

Suddenly rising from the chair, he handed her back the piece of paper.

"Hold onto that, you just may change your mind yet." He brushed past her to head for the living room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She turned with him as he walked past.

"Maybe you should be more selective with your questions as well." He tossed the words over his shoulder.

"What's 'that' supposed to mean? I feel horrible about what I said and am trying to make it up to you and you have the nerve to get arrogant? What the hell is your problem?"

He stopped short and turned fully around to face her with narrowed eyes. Keeping her eye contact, he lithely strode back to where she stood.

She took an involuntary step backwards, then another, as he drew closer. The look in his eyes, the way he moved towards her, she felt like the prey with nowhere to run.

He advanced upon her until he had her bodily pressed against the wall near the cellar door.

"I am tired of hearing you ask what the hell my problem is every time I irritate you." He voice was tense with irritation. "I think I'll never get used to how easy it is to offend you, my Lady." He continued with softer lilt to his tone.

"But to answer your question: my 'problem', as you call it, is that you refuse to give me what I want the most."

"What's that?" she asked, her breath caught in her throat.

He was so close, looming over her threateningly. His right arm propped on the wall just above her shoulder. She placed her hands on his chest as he leaned in even closer.

"Your attention," he whispered in her ear, touching her lobe with his lips, his breath fanning on her neck. He glanced down at her hands on his skin and smirked knowingly.

"But I've finally figured out why you're so reluctant, why you get angry with me at times."

"Why's that?" she whispered, swallowing to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. Her eyes stared unseeingly at his neck.

"Because there's a little fantasy left in you yet, Sarah Williams." His voice was deep and sultry. "You like it when I'm frightening, I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your heartbeat, in the shallow breaths you take when I get too close."

He caressed her neck with his lips and smiled at her sharp intake of breath. "See, I am right."

"You've been watching too much TV," she whispered, trying to sound objective.

"Possibly," he stated, positioning his body in front of hers. "But I've been watching you longer." He wrapped his hands around her shoulders. "Tell me you don't want me, Sarah," he whispered, touching her neck with his lips, his teeth nibbled gently on her skin.

She took a shallow breath and her eyes slipped closed. "Tell me to stop." He kissed her neck, "Tell me you haven't dreamed of this." He slid his hands down her back.

"It's not fair," she whispered very low within a breath.

Her body melted against him. His lips on her skin made her head swim. His deep voice seductive, his hands tantalizing.

"What's not fair?" he asked, gathering her into his arms, pulling her away from the wall.

"That you're right." She looked up at him with impassioned eyes. She snaked a hand around his neck and drew his head down to kiss him hungrily on the lips.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She lounged on the sofa with a script to edit while Jareth went through the things she'd bought for him. He examined each item with a curiosity that amazed her. Her heartbeat quickened as he tried on every stitch of clothing she'd given him.

The way he moved, graceful yet masculine, self assured, and lithe; he distracted her from thinking of anything else.

His mismatched eyes were breath catching, even more so when he'd get that feral look in them. The timbre of his voice was like a caress up her spine whenever he spoke softly to her, usually whispered directly into her ear.

Her reaction to him was like none she'd ever felt for anyone before. It was something she'd have to come to terms with, considering their new circumstances.

"Do you like everything?" she asked, watching him pull a pair of jeans up his long legs with more coordination than she usually managed.

"Everything is acceptable." he replied pleasantly, looking over at her, the pair of jeans resting unzipped at his hips.

"I bought three different sizes of jeans," she explained, nodding her head in reference to the denim. "I wasn't sure which size would fit you best. So if that pair doesn't fit right try the other ones on."

"It's not very pliable, is it?" he asked, moving around uncomfortably. He didn't even try to close the zipper.

"Try on another pair," she chuckled, getting up to find a larger size. "And they soften up after you wash them a few times."

Finding the larger sized pair she wanted, she handed them to him. "Here, these should fit you better," she said, sitting back down with her papers.

He shrugged off the 'offending' pair of jeans and pulled on the ones Sarah had handed him. He seemed just as reluctant with this pair, though according to Sarah's keen eye he looked fine in them. Very fine actually. He adjusted himself and zipped them up, pushing the button through the eyelet.

Sarah met his gaze after running her eyes up the length of him appreciatively.

"Judging by the look in your eyes, I'll assume you approve." He squared shoulders regally.

"Oh, yes," she replied huskily, reminding herself to not drool. "I definitely approve."

"Then I'll try to get used to them."

She put her paperwork to the side and rose to her feet. He watched her intently as she came up to him and placed her hands at his waist.

"These fit you really nice," she told him, running her hands on his bared skin just above the waist line.

She ran her hands up his bared chest, over his shoulders and down his arms, before coming back to the denim. She tucked her hands into his back pockets and pulled him to her as she stepped closer.

"I really like how they fit on you."

"I've noticed," he replied in a tense tone of voice.

She began to randomly kiss his chest, as her hands slowly glided over his skin. She noticed a small star like scar on his left shoulder and was about to ask him about it when she realized that it was from the gunshot wound when he was an owl. She caressed it briefly with her fingertips before continuing with her intentions.

"I want to ask you for a favor, Jareth." She starting to kiss and tease his neck.

"Yes?" he drawled casually, though not immune to the effect she was having on him.

"Don't ever wear my clothes again. That's just too disturbing."

He didn't reply but closed his eyes as she teased his flesh with her mouth.

Her hands roamed from just under the waistline of his jeans to travel up his back. She pressed herself against him and heard his sharp intake of breath.

His hands grabbed her hips with strained control.

She reached down and around to undo his zipper and smiled when he groaned low in his throat.

"Jareth," she whispered into his ear, flicking her tongue over the lobe.

"What?" he asked hoarsely through closed eyes.

"You got my attention."

He groaned and dipped his head to her neck. His hands pulled her harder into him, rubbing and grinding.

Suddenly he held her away from him, his eyes aglow with arousal as he tried to rip the jeans from his body with impatience.

Once he had them off and kicked to the side, he took her by the shoulders and eased her down onto the sofa.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

A feeling of unease settled over the labyrinth as a steady wind whistled through the chasms and corridors. Dead leaves and debris swept up into little whirlwinds within the darkness.

"What's happening?" the third goblin asked, sounding afraid.

"I don't know," the first goblin whispered with apprehension. "Something is not right."

A lone figure sat apprehensively in the throne room, jumping at every sound as the winds rushed through the castle. The Book of Power had been awakened, its magic had been summoned. But the king hadn't returned.

"Something terrible has happened," the creature fretted to himself, clasping the talisman close. "Damn you, Jareth, for making this mess!"

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"There's lasagna, pizza, four boxes of chicken fettuccini, three boxes of roast beef with potatoes, beans, and… Ohhh, a brownie for dessert," Jareth rattled off as he peered into the freezer.

"Grab the pizza," Sarah told him, closing a cabinet door on the other side of the kitchen and preheated the oven.

"Are you certain you wouldn't prefer some lasagna?"

"It takes too long to cook, Jareth. Unless you're a chef among other talents, we're having the pizza," she said, taking the box from him then stepped over to the oven.

"What did you eat in the labyrinth anyway?" she asked as an afterthought. "The only food I remember is that damn peach."

He remained quiet until Sarah turned to look at him, and even then he seemed reluctant to answer. "I simply wished for whatever I wanted." He shrugged, trying to sound casual. He folded his arms across his chest as he leisurely leaned back against the fridge.

"Really? Can I…"

"I wouldn't advise it," he cut her off.

"You know," she started, leaning back against the counter, her hands resting at each side of her hips. "I've noticed you say that a lot. Are you afraid that I might learn how to use the magic, or are you just waiting for me to mess up so bad that the curse will be lifted completely?

"It's not called the Book of Power without reason. You don't understand nearly enough of its power to make wayward wishes. I'm simply trying to prevent you from making a big mistake."

"Right," she replied skeptically. "Well, the book doesn't seem to share your opinion." She turned her back to him and continued to unwrap the frozen pizza.

"What have you done, Sarah?" His tone was full of dread and uncertainty.

"I asked the book a question today," she told him matter of factly. "I was going to talk to you about it." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Only because it seemed too willing to give me an answer." She turned back to the counter and put the pizza on a cookie tray. "But seeing how reluctant you are about me even touching it, I've decided not to mention it."

"Then why bother mentioning it now?" His voice was tight with condescendence.

"Because you refuse to tell me anything!" she spat at him, giving him her full attention. "You promised to tell me about the book and so far you haven't said one damn word about it except that it's your magic in it and what I can't wish for or what not to say!"

"And when, exactly, was I expected to tell you anything?" he asked calmly, arching his brows higher than they were naturally. "I've only been able to talk to you since last evening, and we didn't talk all that much if you remember correctly." He folded his arms resolutely. "Since then you've been away all day, you return to insult me, locked yourself away for over an hour, begged me to frighten you shitless, then we went through the gifts you had purchased for me."

"When, Sarah, was I supposed to mention the Book of Power? While you writhed under me and clawed at my back?"

The expression of stunned shock was replaced by fury as she stormed from the kitchen. "Fuck you, Jareth!"

She wasn't sure where she was going, she just needed to get away from him. He pointed out the truth and she didn't like it. What made it worse was that he spoke to her with such calm patience that it grated every nerve she owned.

Not wanting to 'lock herself away' as he so eloquently put it, she plopped down on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest.

"It will mislead you, Sarah," he called to her, pushing away from the fridge to follow her. "It will give you confidence to make wishes, to use the magic, to bring itself to life again."

He smirked at the glowering expression on her face as she pointedly turned her gaze towards him as he entered the room.

"How is that misleading?" she asked angrily. "If it belongs to me now, why shouldn't I use it if I want to, if the book wants me to?"

"The book holds the very essence of what I was magically," he explained with patience. "It retains everything that has been taken from me. Just as our clothes that you wished away are 'somewhere', the book is merely a vessel of containment."

He walked further into the room.

"Nothing just disappears without having some place to put it," he reiterated. "The book will allow you to use it, only because I have given you everything I had with the hope of keeping you with me. When you left you took it all with you."

"But, Sarah, the power is still mine, borne to me for what I am in my world." He explained calmly. "You can't understand it, nor control it. For you it's borrowed magic."

The weight of what he was telling her began to seep into her consciousness. She was finally starting to understand everything he'd ever said to her.

She shook her head in denial.

"That's ludicrous, Jareth. Why would you give me…" Her voice trailed off as the answer entered her mind, the answer that he himself had told her, the answer that was written in the Book of Power.

'Because he loves me.'

The full realization of how deep his feelings were for her scared her.

"Haven't you ever given yourself to someone you thought was worth everything?" he asked lightly.

"No," she whispered, her voice sounding far away. "I've never loved anyone like that."

"Are you certain?" he asked, making her raise her eyes to look at him. "I seem to recall a young woman who defied a king and all his power to rescue her little brother, who defied her parents very adamantly to protect an owl after it attacked her on the front lawn, who heatedly stood up to anyone who was a threat to my well being. Those could be acts of love in my kingdom."

"Toby is my brother, that's different. I betrayed him by calling you. I had to fix the wrong I did to him," she defended rationally. "As for you attacking me as an owl, that doesn't count. I knew you wouldn't hurt me, whether you wanted to or not." She waved her hand as though it didn't matter.

"As for defending you, I refuse to let anyone take away the little bit of freedom you've been granted by that curse!" she stated unwaveringly, her voice rising with emotion.

She rose to her feet as she continued her rant.

"You're bound to 'me'! I'll be damned if I let anyone touch you or treat you like a common barn owl! And 'love' has nothing to do with it!"

She sagged back down to the sofa, covering her face with her hands. She was beginning to understand how she had turned his world upside down. Now the shoe was on the other foot, only she wasn't willing to lose everything for a love she didn't feel.

Her mind raced with the ultimate question, 'What am I supposed to do now?'

"Sarah?"

She glanced up at him, blinking her eyes into focus.

"I smell something burning."

"Oh, shit!"

She darted out to the kitchen, grabbed a pot holder and opened the oven door. A puff of gray smoke rose to the ceiling. She waved the pot holder to clear the air then took the pizza out and put it on top of the stove.

Jareth stepped up behind her, though not too close.

"Are you going to order take out now?" he asked, wrinkling his nose at the burned 'thing' on the stove.

She sighed tiredly and tossed the pot holder onto the counter.

"Yea," she conceded tiredly. "You do that, since you obviously pay more attention to my life than I do. I'm going to go take a shower."

She turned the oven off and headed out of the kitchen.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

The hot water cascading down her back wasn't helping. Usually a nice hot shower relaxed her enough that she could focus better, get things done, keep everything in order. But that was the problem, nothing was in order anymore.

She was arguing with Brian, her reading club was canceled indefinitely, and she missed the stupid soothing cooing noises the owl always made when she was upset.

She turned her face into the spray letting the water mix with tears as she cried softly. As much as she missed the owl she liked Jareth being able to talk to her, touch her, have sex with her.

That was a big part of the problem and she knew it. Having sex with Jareth whenever the mood struck wasn't exactly a good idea, considering how he felt for her.

But she couldn't help wanting him. She was drawn to him like a moth to the flame, and this entire situation would probably end just as badly.

But she wasn't that distracted by him to believe everything he said as truth and planned on getting some answers from the book, as soon as she figured out how to phrase her words to get the answers she wanted.

"Sarah," Jareth called from outside the door.

"I'm almost done, Jareth."

She heard the door open anyway, then the shower curtain was pushed to the side.

"Can't it wait until I'm done?" she asked, her palms pressed on the tiled wall as the water poured over her downcast head.

"I made a decision and I want to share it with you," he stated decively.

She turned her head to the side, stood straight, and wiped the water from her eyes to look over at him.

"I upset you while in human form, so I will remain an owl unless you ask for me."

"Fine. Perch over on the towel bar and make those damn little cooing noises you always make." She pulled the shower curtain closed again. "No, Jareth, wait." She contradicted herself immediately.

She shook her head at her own confusion. She wanted him to hold her. She wanted to hear the cooing noises. She wanted him to go away and leave her alone. She wanted to pretend none of this was happening. She didn't know what she wanted.

She pushed the curtain back a quarter of the way to find him standing exactly as she had last seen him.

"How much of the magic controlled who you are as a man?"

"You think I deceive you and pretend to be powerless?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

"Well, there's that too, but that's not what I meant. I want to know if losing your magic made you lose part of who you are… no, that's not it either."

She shook her head and took a deep breath to try again.

"There've been brief moments when you reminded me of who you were as the goblin king. Forceful, frightening, demanding, arrogant, all that. How much of that is you compared to it being your magic?"

"If I understand correctly, you want to know if my magic controlled me or if I controlled my magic."

"Yea, I think that's what I mean."

"I controlled my magic. But you must understand that having such power affects certain aspects of who I am. In short, it's one and the same."

"That didn't help."

She wanted him to just go away and be alone for a little bit, but knew that he wouldn't, unless she told him to.

"You use the power the same as I did," he added matter of factly. "You are forceful, frightening, and demanding towards me as an owl far more than you are towards me as a man." He crossed his arms with his chin raised slightly.

"You like that control, that power over me, that's the effect of my magic. Which is why I'll return to owl form while you sort through your confusion."

"You think I'm frightening? How am I frightening?" she asked with bewilderment.

He smirked slightly. "You can be very passionate when you believe strongly in something. Downstairs, for example, while you defended yourself, you were very forceful with your words, demanding my attention, and you were very frightening."

"Huh, it didn't seem to bother you though."

"I share the same sentiment as you. I know that you wouldn't hurt me, whether you wanted to or not."

He stepped away slightly while he asked another question.

"Was there a reason for your question about my magic being controlling?"

She rested her forearm on the wall below the shower nozzle and put her forehead on it.

"I wanted you to make a decision for me. But you don't do much of anything without me telling you its okay. And right now I don't feel okay to tell you to do much of anything."

She tilted her head to the side to find him simply staring at her.

"I want to hear the cooing noises of the owl," she explained further. "But I also want you to hold me in your arms. Then again," she shrugged. "I want everything to just go back the way it was before I messed it all up with a wish!"

His eyes hardened decisively just before he reached into the shower and turned off the water. Grabbing a towel he wrapped it around her before swooping her up into his arms.

She gladly relaxed in his arms, putting her wet head on his shoulder as he carried her to the bedroom.

Once there, he let her legs drop to the floor for her to stand. He removed her towel as she clasped her hands at the back of his neck. He began patting her body dry with the cloth, then attended to her hair.

"You'll be the death of me yet, my Lady."

She looked up at him curiously.

"I'm not supposed to have choices," he informed her. "The curse won't allow it."

"I allow it," she said with mild conviction. "And right now I like the choice you made."

He towel dried her hair until it was merely damp, then picked her up to place her on the bed. He climbed in from the other side and pulled the covers up over them.

"You're going to lie here with me with clothes on?" she asked, sounding almost disappointed.

"Considering your mood at the moment, yes, I'll remain clothed."

He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled against chest. He lightly kissed her temple.

"Go to sleep, Sarah."

He no sooner said the words when her eyes felt heavy and she completely relaxed within his arms.

With a sigh of contentment, she was soon asleep.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Cold winds blew unmercifully throughout the Underground Kingdom, tearing down anything in its path, whipping around stone and trees with vindication.

The rains froze, covering everything in ice, then the snow started to fall.

The inhabitants burrowed deep down into the darkest recesses of the oubliette as a last chance to survive.

The lone figure in the throne room barricaded himself in a small alcove off to the side of the great chamber.

Fear shook him more than the cold ever would. The self destruction of the labyrinth meant only one thing, the king was dying and all hope was dying with him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER FIVE **

Sarah became aware of velvety kisses along her back, a hand firmly cupping her butt.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly in the dim lit room.

"Making a decision," he replied, his voice deep and sensual.

"And what if your decision is not to my liking?" she teased in a sultry voice.

He paused, but only briefly, then slid his body over hers.

"I have nothing to lose," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

She pushed herself up under him and flipped onto her back.

He raised himself up at arms length to give her more room.

She stared up at him, mesmerized by his eyes, his striking features, his…

"You need a hair cut," she blurted out. "I'm sorry if that upsets you, but something has to be done to fix that mess."

He stared at her stoically, barely blinking in response. Then, finally, he slowly lowered his head.

"Do what you want with it," he whispered before touching her lips with his.

She returned his kiss, letting the heat between them build to desire.

He moved his head lower and captured a breast in his mouth, sucking and teasing the nipple, before he shifted to the other breast.

She arched her back, gasping in pleasure as she reached down between their bodies and took hold of him.

He gasped a ragged breath and thrust his hips in rhythm to her hand.

Rolling him onto his back, she straddled is hips. Bending over his chest she nipped at his neck, then kissed his mouth urgently.

His hands were on her hips guiding her to meet his rhythm. He closed his eyes when she sat upright on him, rocking and gyrating.

Suddenly he took her forcibly by wrapping his arms around her and tossed her over onto her back. Repositioning himself, he picked up the momentum she had started with fervor.

She felt his need build up in him, grabbing his ass she pulled him into her harder and faster.

Their gasps and sounds of pleasure echoing in the quiet room was like an aphrodisiac to their ears. They grabbed at each other, kissing, biting, nipping, wherever their teeth met skin.

Sarah threw her head back, she clung to him with her fingers digging into his shoulders as he pushed deeper. She cried out with release, her body trembled with her orgasm.

He lowered his body to hers, pushing himself harder until he too climaxed.

As he rolled onto his back, Sarah slipped an arm over his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her back to rest his hand on her hip.

"Damn good decision," she said breathlessly.

Jareth smiled contentedly as they fell asleep.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah arrived home after her classes in time to hear the phone ringing. Her answering machine clicked on as she closed the front door and she listened to see if the caller left a message.

Jareth turned the TV off and watched her with curiosity.

"Hi, Sarah, this is Pete Yunder at the wildlife reserve. I hope you don't think I'm an idiot, but I forgot to put a leg band on your owl. If you want, I can come over to your place so you don't have to drag him out with the cage. It should only take a minute to put the band on his leg. Anyway, give me a call and let me know when would be a good time for me stop by. My number is 555-4127."

Sarah had been ready to pick up the receiver until Pete mentioned the leg band. She stood frozen, staring at the blinking light that told her she had one message on her machine.

"He's very eager to see you again, isn't he?" Jareth sneered, coming up behind her.

Sarah slowly turned around with an indiscernible expression on her face.

"It's a metal leg band that doesn't come off, Jareth. I've seen them on birds at the pet store."

"Permanent jewelry, how fanciful," he voiced dryly, his hands on his hips.

"Jareth," she stated resolutely. "I don't know if you'd be able to change with it on. It's not magical and I wouldn't trust trying to wi… ask for it to be. I don't want to risk you losing a foot trying to transform."

"Perhaps you could wish it away altogether," he suggested, crossing his arms aloofly. "Put it on a pigeon or a crow," he added sarcastically.

"I can't." She huffed in exasperation. "If Pete's going to be a problem by just dropping in, we can't risk him seeing you without it. We have to come up with another idea."

She moved past him to go back into the living room.

Putting her keys and handbag on the end table, she stared distractedly in the direction of the birdcage.

Jareth walked into the room to stand in her line of vision.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his as a sly smile formed on her lips.

"You thought of something?" he observed by her changed expression.

"Yea, I did." She walked over to meet him in the center of the room.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this," she told him sincerely, placing her hands on his chest in a caressing manner.

"I was only trying to protect you from being hurt. But we have to let the owl go free, and, hopefully, get rid of Pete in the process."

"I'm not sure I follow your intention," he replied tight lipped with a frown, his hands hesitating in the air near her hips.

"We make Pete think you're a very unhappy owl and you fly off the first chance you get."

"You're telling me I must leave," he stated with a dead pan expression.

"Not 'you', the owl!" She took his cheeks in her hands, trying to explain her idea more clearly.

"You can still change, if you want, while at home, just don't be seen as the owl anymore after Pete watches you fly away, that is."

"First you ask that I remain unseen," he reminded her with his arms crossed. "Now you don't want me to transform at all?"

"Only around Pete," she answered. Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty. 'Was this too much to ask of him?'

"Just how do you suppose I do that, when I'll be trapped inside a cage while he is here?" he asked with a sneer.

"He won't be here," she told him, sounding more confident. "I'll take you out to the reserve first thing tomorrow morning. The first chance you get, you fly off and out of sight, making him think that you've flown away."

"Oh, Sarah," he drawled with understanding.

"You can be so cruel at times." He cupped her face in his hands.

"I had a good teacher." She grinned up at him.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Okay, are you ready?" she announced, keys and handbag in hand.

After they had gone over Sarah's plan of how to fool Pete in fine detail, Sarah had worked on her editing while Jareth heated something up for dinner.

Of course, the food would have been done a lot sooner, if he hadn't insisted on stopping the microwave continuously just to push the buttons again, and again, and again.

She simply ignored his little fascination with an amused chuckle.

"Ready for what?" he asked curiously, turning from the kitchen window he'd been gazing out of.

"For a private appointment with a hairstylist," she informed him simply.

"You were serious," he stated flatly.

"Yes," she told him, rolling her eyes. "I was serious."

He nodded reluctantly and followed her out the door.

Once outside, Sarah locked up and headed towards the street by foot, cutting across her lawn.

"You're not driving?" Jareth asked, sounding disappointed.

"No," she called back over her shoulder.

"Patty doesn't live far from here. She has her own salon in her house. We can walk."

He quickly fell into step beside her as they walked along the sidewalk.

They reached the hairstylist's house within a few short minutes.

Sarah was hit with second thoughts as soon as the woman answered her door.

Patty stared at Jareth almost exactly the same way Sarah had the first time she'd seen him.

"Hi, Patty," Sarah greeted pleasantly. "This is my friend, Jareth. You can see why I had trouble trying to explain the problem over the phone."

"I'd say!" she replied, stunned. "Well, come on in," she added with a sudden smile and wave of her hand. "And we'll see what I can do to help."

She led them down a few steps that took them to the private salon area of her house.

"You must spend a fortune in hair products to keep it stiff like that," she commented towards Jareth.

Sarah poked him in the ribs to let him know he was being spoken to.

"Not really," he answered quickly, looking around at all the pictures and pieces of art the woman had in her home. "It just stays like this of its own accord."

"You're British," Patty commented pleasantly, looking more at ease at hearing his accent.

"That explains a lot in itself, Sarah. You should have just told me he's a British rocker."

"I didn't think it was relevant." She mumbled with a smile, hoping that Jareth went along with the lie.

"Well, let's see what we have to work with. You can sit here," she directed at Jareth, patting the back of the salon chair in emphasis.

Once Jareth sat down she brushed the hair on top of his head with her fingers to see how much product he had in it.

"Oh, wow," she exclaimed with surprise when her fingers slid right through. "It's not stiff at all."

She ran her fingers through his hair more liberally, enjoying the feel of it.

"In fact, it's very soft and healthy, considering what it looks like."

By the time they left, Sarah was in a foul mood from Patty touching and fawning over Jareth so much. And him enjoying every minute of it didn't help.

"You wanted to tame my hair," Jareth voiced once they returned home. "Now you don't like it and you're upset."

"I'm not upset," she ground out, throwing her keys and handbag onto the end table.

"No, of course not. I can't imagine what I was thinking," he retorted dryly, closing the front door behind him.

She glared at him but remained silent.

Taking her editing to the kitchen table, she sat down to finish her work.

"Is it that horrible that you can't bear to look at me?" he asked, raking his splayed fingers through his new hair style.

Patty had chopped all the longer strands to just above his shoulders, then combed the top thoroughly to make it stay down on his head, trimming it to have an uneven yet stylish effect.

By the time the stylist was finished, Jareth's hair style wasn't just acceptable, it made him even more irresistible.

Sarah, once again, was faced with the fact that he could fit into her life with no one the wiser that he wasn't even human.

"It's fine, Jareth. Stop making a big deal out of it," she stated curtly, keeping her eyes on the pages in front of her.

"Good," he stated matter of factly, crossing his arms with his head tilted back. "Then you won't be upset when it returns to the way it was after I transform."

"What?!" she asked incredulously, whipping around to look at him.

"You mean to tell me that after spending more than an hour of watching that woman touching you, fawning all over you, and making you look like some god in a magazine, it will go right back to… poof?!" She splayed her fingers out from both sides of her head.

She realized too late that he had been goading her by the pleased smirk on his face.

"I think you're starting to love me after all, Sarah Williams," he drawled smugly.

"I didn't ask what you thought," she grumbled irritably.

She turned back to the table, cupping her hand at the side of her face to block him from her view.

"Go watch TV or something, I have work to do."

"You want to touch it, don't you?" he taunted seductively close to her ear.

Sarah jumped slightly at him being so close unexpectedly.

"You want to run your fingers through it," he continued suggestively.

"I know you find its softness to your liking. You run your fingers through my hair while you sleep, Sarah. You've done so since our first night together."

"Would you stop!" She turned a sharp glance at him, ready to tell him off, but the difference the hairstyle made to his features, his eyes, his cheeks, his jaw line… her breath caught in her throat.

He was simply gorgeous.

She briskly turned back to her paperwork, trying to ignore how her heart thumped wildly in her chest and the heated rush at him being so close.

"If you insist, my Lady."

She caught the side long grin on his face as he turned away from her and headed into the living room.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she tried, once again, to focus on her work.

After she read the same three paragraphs twice and still didn't know what they said, she chanced a glance in his direction.

He was slouched comfortably on the couch watching TV.

'Good.' She thought and flexed her neck and shoulder muscles to refocus on her reading.

Two lines into the same paragraph as before she gave up. She couldn't concentrate for shit.

Rising from the chair, she strode into the living room and stood by him just out of the way of the TV.

He looked up at her immediately, a grin still on his lips.

"You are just so pleased with yourself right now, aren't you?" she asked indignantly, her arms crossed in front of her.

"That depends on if I'm right or not," he managed to say stoically, though his eyes were far from stoic.

She shook her head and motioned to turn away when he was suddenly on his feet, taking hold of her arm.

She looked back at him and saw all the changes she had forced upon him.

His hair was, for the most part, short on the sides with uneven wisps from the top falling over his ears to give him a sort of grungy look.

The bangs were cut and styled to cover one eye, hiding their different colors at first glance, while giving him a more seductive appearance.

The blue t-shirt he had chosen to wear fit snug enough to tease that there was muscle tone underneath, but not so tight that he looked too thin.

His jeans… Sarah didn't even want to digest how good he looked in jeans, but found her eyes traveling down the length of him anyway.

The new sneakers were the icing on the cake. He looked so normal, it pissed her off and scared her at the same time.

'He's a woman's dream,' she thought.

Suddenly, white hot fury consumed every particle of her being as she replayed in her mind how Patty had fawned over him.

Her blood raced, her heart pounded fast against her ribs, and a surge of uncontrolled power consumed her senses.

'He's bound to _me_!'

"If you 'ever' let a woman touch you like that again there will be hell to pay, do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," he grinned, pulling her in closer.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, snaking her fingers through his hair to clasp them at the back of his head.

She kissed him soundly, the overwhelming feeling of jealousy ebbing as soon as his arms closed around her, only to be replaced with a desire that made her head swim.

He bent slightly to scoop her up into his arms. Turning around, he glanced up the staircase, frowned, then eased her down on the couch instead.

"Not one word," he warned, covering her body with his.

Dipping his head down to her neck, he nibbled at her skin playfully, making her giggle.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

They woke up with the alarm the next morning and got ready to make the trip to the wildlife reserve.

Jareth invited himself into the shower with Sarah. Which thrilled her that he'd taken the initiative himself.

He didn't like the water as hot as she preferred it. But he made up for it by soaping the washrag and running it over her body with slow caressing strokes.

She returned the favor, leading to an extended shower that caused them to run out of hot water completely before they were done.

Finally dressed, they grabbed a quick breakfast of toasted bagels. Once again, Jareth insisted on 'playing' with the toaster.

His fascination with the simplest things made Sarah chuckle warmly. It enthralled her how he could be forceful, determined, and sexual one minute and then as carefree as a little boy the next. His enthusiasm to have fun with the most stupid things captivated her.

After they grabbed a bite to eat they headed for the car. Sarah couldn't help but notice how antsy he'd become as they headed outside and she finally commented on it.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she unlocked the car. "You're acting really strange."

"I'm fine," he answered defensively, pointedly meeting her eyes over the roof of the car, waiting for her to unlock the passenger door.

"Are you nervous about meeting with Pete?"

"Not particularly, no," he stated firmly. "I simply give him false security that I am calm until he reaches for me. I then…" he frowned with thought. "how did you phrase it? Ah, yes." His features became clear once more. "I freak out– without hurting him- and fly off in the opposite direction of where your home is."

She nodded at his simple reiteration of the plan but continued to stare at him. He took a quick anxious glance at the car and it dawned on her.

"You've never been in a car before, have you?"

"No. But it seems like it could be fun."

His eyes shone brightly when he met hers again.

Sarah realized it wasn't trepidation she was picking up from him, it was excitement. He was totally enthused with the idea of riding in the car. She grinned, once again reminded of how boyish he was sometimes.

"It can be fun, I guess. I don't really think about it anymore," she replied, getting inside and unlocking his door.

He opened the door and closed it behind him. He reached under the seat and readjusted it for his long legs, then reached around his shoulder for the seatbelt.

"Are you 'sure' you've never been in a car before?"

He looked at her steadily, his hands resting on his knees.

"I watch what you do everyday," he replied simply. "As well as your father when 'that woman' decides she is driving home. I've seen him reach down between his legs and shift his position. I wasn't certain of what he did exactly until just now."

"Damn," she breathed, ignoring his venomous referral to her step mother. "You really watched everything I did, didn't you?"

"Of course I do."

She chuckled to herself when he used the present tense.

He'd been watching her, learning from her, this entire time. A warmth spread through her, it made her feel special, wanted, …loved.

"We better get going," she mumbled, a slight flush on her cheeks when she realized where her thoughts were leading.

She turned the key in the ignition and the CD player came to life along with the engine.

"What 'is_'_ that noise?" Jareth shouted over the obnoxious sounds coming from the speakers.

"Angry White Boys," Sarah answered with a smile, turning the volume down a few notches. "I love driving to their music."

"They need to be transformed," Jareth muttered staring at the offending radio console.

Sarah laughed as she pulled out of the driveway.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"You son of a bitch!" Sarah shouted, hitting the brakes as a car pulled out in front of her from the right lane. "Oh great! Now you're going to fucking drive slow after cutting me off! You're an asshole!"

"Sarah," Jareth voiced tight lipped with his white knuckled hands clutching the dashboard. "If I'm correct with reading your gadgets, I think you were moving faster than you're supposed to."

"Really?" she said with heavy sarcasm, glancing at him very briefly. "So now you're going to tell me how to drive?"

"I was merely… Sarah!" he shouted with panic as a big truck making a turn from another street overlapped the lane Sarah was driving in just ahead of her car.

Sarah swerved, causing the car in the right lane near her bumper to lean on his horn.

She hit the gas pedal to get ahead of the car on her right, swerved further over into the right lane to drive around the front end of the turning rig, then went back to her own lane again.

"I hate rush hour traffic," she grumbled and turned her CD player up so loud the speakers vibrated.

"Stop!" Jareth roared over the radio, then hit the CD's off button. "I want you to stop this instant. I'm no longer interested in riding in the car with you and I want to get out of it immediately!"

"You've got to be kidding me?" She laughed nervously at him.

He hadn't been this demanding and authoritative since back in the labyrinth.

His commanding attitude stirred something deep within her but she didn't have time to reflect on it as the traffic light just ahead turned red.

"I am most definitely not kidding," he seethed evenly.

She stared at him with a shocked expression. For one fleeting moment she felt like she was fifteen again, standing before him in the tunnels of the oubliette.

Then she noticed the white knuckled grip as his hands clenched the vinyl of the dashboard, and that he was shaking.

"I have not asked you for anything, Sarah. I am asking you to let me the fuck out of this 'thing', now!" he gritted out through his teeth. Facing forward, he glared out through the windshield.

"Alright," she conceded, feeling bad for upsetting him like this. "I'll pull over."

She flicked the turn signal on and eased over to the left turn lane to pull into a parking lot nearby.

"And watch your language," she told him as an afterthought. "It sounds wrong coming from your mouth."

He fixed her with a heated gaze. "As it does from yours as well."

She ignored his retort and quickly made her turn before the opposing traffic had a chance to move when the light turned green.

"Could at least have a delayed green for people to turn here," she grumbled more to herself.

She pulled into a parking lot away from all the traffic.

The car wasn't even at a full stop before he was pulling at the handle to get out.

Fighting with the seatbelt, he finally managed to escape.

Once on solid ground he didn't stop his pacing until there were several feet between him and the vehicle.

"Damn, Jareth." Sarah laughed, standing at the open driver's door with her arms on top of the roof of the car.

"For someone with your background, you scare way too easily."

He stormed across the distance towards the car, rounding the back of the vehicle before Sarah realized he was actually coming after her.

With a murderous look in his eyes, he took hold of her by the shoulders and pinned her between the car and its open door.

"If 'ever' you doubt my lack of power," he growled in a low voice. "All you need to do is force me into that… 'thing' and your proof will be apparent!"

His fear inspired fury scared and aroused her at the same time.

After an initial intake of breath she started laughing and couldn't stop. The more she tried, the harder she laughed.

'He was actually scared shitless!'

"Is everything alright over there?" a man passing by asked.

"Yes," Sarah replied with mirth, slipping her arms around Jareth's neck to look at the man from over his shoulder.

"He just doesn't like my driving," she explained laughingly.

"Yea, well… I just seen your driving and I don't blame him," the man replied, nodding his head with understanding.

"Take it easy on her, buddy," he said to Jareth as he kept going.

"I'm flying home," Jareth growled close to her ear, though he wrapped his arms around her to return her hug.

"And nothing short of magic will make me get in that thing with you ever again."

Sarah smiled and nuzzled her face into Jareth's neck.

"Jareth, we still have to drive out to the wildlife reserve," she reminded him.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Come on, Jareth!" she yelled out the open car window as Jareth flew above her as she drove.

Within the blink of an eye Jareth had transformed in the middle of the parking lot as soon as she mentioned that he'd have to get back in the car.

She had grabbed his clothes from the ground and tossed them into the back seat before heading out towards the reserve.

He was being insistent about not getting in the car as he followed her from above.

"You need to be in the car when I drive up the driveway!" she insisted.

"I PROMISE I'll drive slow!"

She swerved suddenly to miss going off the road at a bend. She'd been looking up at the sky instead of where she was going.

"That don't count!"

Jareth screeched down at her.

"You can't fly in, it would mess up the entire plan!"

Suddenly she slammed on the brakes, the turn for the Wildlife Reserve being just up ahead.

Jareth circled back around to the car as Sarah got out.

"We can't make this work if you're still following me around, Jareth," she projected her voice but wasn't shouting at him.

"He has to believe you're ready to fly off on your own. Unless you 'want_'_ to wear a metal leg band," she added suggestively.

He swooped over the car, screeching at her angrily, then circled back around to land on the roof.

At least that was his intention until his talons touched the metal and he slid, with wings flapping haphazardly, off the roof, down the windshield, and landed precariously on the hood.

With a sigh of relief Sarah walked around the open car door and gently took hold of him with both hands over his folded wings.

"If you're going to be this adamant about it, I'll never ask you to ride with me again," she promised him.

He glared at her with his beak open in agitation but made no other threats against her as she carried him into the car.

Sarah chuckled as she let him go onto the passenger seat.

"I've missed you as an owl," she admitted softly, touching the feathers on his back.

"It's so much easier to talk to you when you're pissed."

She sat down in the driver's seat and closed the door.

"Probably because you can't scare the shit out of me when you're an owl."

She glanced over at him with a big grin.

"You're too small."

He made threatening clicking sounds at her with his beak.

She smiled and put the car in drive, hearing the distinct sound of Jareth's talons puncture through the material into the seat.

"I'll drive slow," she told him, reaffirming her promise.

She pulled back onto the center of the road, taking it slow as promised, and turned into the driveway.

"I'm sorry I frightened you so badly," she said sincerely, glancing at the ruffled ball of feathers in the seat next to her.

"If it makes you feel any better, my dad won't ride with me either."

She frowned thoughtfully.

"Come to think of it, neither will Brian, and I'm forbidden to ever drive with Toby in the car."

She smiled warmly at his hooting response, noticing his feathers smoothed down.

"Don't forget to look pissed off in front of Pete."

He turned his head and glared at her.

"Perfect," she grinned. "Let's hope this works."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Parking the car off to the side as she had before, she hurriedly got out and slammed the door quickly behind her, just in case someone was watching from inside the building.

Apparently her performance wasn't in vain.

"Sarah," Pete called to her with surprise as he stepped outside. "Are you alright? What's happened?"

"I am so glad you called me yesterday!" she yammered, sounding upset as she walked around the car to meet him. "I don't know what the hell's gotten into him!" Sarah exclaimed. "Ever since we came here he's been almost unbearable."

"How so?" Pete asked with a worried frown, glancing into the car to see an extremely agitated owl glaring back at him with a puffed chest, open beak, and ruffled feathers.

His expression turned bland.

"You brought him without the cage." He observed in a monotone voice.

"The cage?" Sarah exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?! I had to let six mice loose in my car just to get him inside of it!" She waved her arms excitedly, glancing at the car nervously.

"I was paranoid that he missed one the entire drive over here!"

She backed further away from the car.

"I kept looking down at my feet, almost ran into a truck, and he's tearing up the upholstery in my car!"

"Alright," Pete stated calmly, walking over to Sarah with his hands held out reassuringly.

"Calm down. I've noticed before that he's attuned to your tone of voice. Have you been overly stressed lately that he might be picking up on it?"

"Stress?!" she exclaimed at him. "My boyfriend dumped me, my father is pissed to all hell about his credit card bill," she yelled, waving her arms in agitation.

"My stepmother is beside herself about 'that owl' being in the house!" She began pacing in a tight circle.

"It doesn't matter that it's MY house! She just comes waltzing in and…"

"Sarah!" Pete called in a raised voice to get her to stop ranting, holding his hands in front of him, open palmed, in a stop gesture.

"Ok," he stated more calmly when she became quiet.

"Why don't you go inside and help yourself to some coffee. There's some donuts on my desk, help yourself if you want. I'll see if I can get him to calm down while you're out of sight."

Sarah nodded compliantly, glancing at Jareth knowingly and winked as she walked between Pete and her car to go inside the building.

She wasn't surprised when, about thirty minutes later, she heard Pete yelling and shouting for her to 'come quick'.

She ran outside to see Jareth flying off out of sight, the car door open, and Pete in full gear getting up off the ground to stare flabbergasted at the retreating owl.

She smirked knowingly before stepping up behind Pete, putting a very believable stunned expression on her face as he finally turned to face her.

"Sarah, I… I don't know what went wrong!" he stammered, his fingers plunging in his hair in bewilderment.

"He was fine within minutes after you went inside. He was cooing at my talking to him, even seemed excited when I put the arm guard on."

He finished running his hand through his hair, looking into the sky in the direction Jareth had flown off in.

"I didn't have a chance," he whispered hollowly. "He flew up into my face as soon as I pulled on the door handle."

He looked back at Sarah, who had maintained a shocked expression the whole time.

"Why would he fly away?" she asked numbly. "What did I do wrong?"

She let some tears come to her eyes as an extra effect.

"All these years and he just flies away."

She let the thought enter her mind as the truth and a sob choked in her throat.

"Sarah, I'm so sorry." He placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sure he's heading back to your house," he told her reassuringly. "That's where he feels safe. He's familiar with being there. He'll go where there's food and shelter."

"But," she turned tear filled eyes from the empty sky to Pete. "I live in the other direction."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

About an hour, later Sarah finally came around the bend on the road and saw Jareth leaning against a tree, completely naked.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked through the open window, stopping the car next to where he stood. "Someone could've seen you!"

She glanced into the back of the car, saw his clothes still on the seat and frowned.

He confidently strode from between the trees to the side of the car, leaning on his forearms on the car door.

"You forgot to mention my clothing in your wish for me to switch my appearance," he informed her, sounding more amused than agitated.

Sarah sucked in her bottom lip to clamp it between her teeth.

"Oh, shit," she voiced.

"Yes, oh shit."

"Well, that's an easy fix," she announced with a wayward wave of her hand.

"Sarah, no!"

"I wish for Jareth to have his clothes back on."

Instantly Jareth was fully dressed, in his original clothes from the labyrinth that she had wished away the first night he had appeared to her in human form.

"Now where the hell did 'they' come from?!" Sarah exclaimed.

Jareth smirked with pleasure as he smoothed his feather cape, fixed his laced sleeves, smoothed his hands down his breeches clad thighs, dusted off his black boots with his palm, and then looked back into the car at her.

"I'm still flying home," he told her in no uncertain terms.

"But would you mind gathering these for me after I transform? I am actually particular to this outfit."

She was shocked speechless for a few seconds. He was absolutely stunning, regal, perfect.

She gave herself a mental shake.

"What about 'my' clothes that I wished away?" she asked poutingly, meeting his amused gaze.

He smiled and quirked a brow at her, shrugging his shoulders as his only response.

"Anyway, you can't fly," she informed him, still frowning over the clothes.

"Pete's called every bird watching society within a fifteen mile radius to look for you. He feels really bad for letting you get away."

"Oh, dear," Jareth voiced with mock sincerity, his fingertips raised to his lips.

He gazed down the road in the direction of the reserve.

"Should we go back and tell the man everything is alright?"

"Jareth," she chastised lightly, slumping her shoulders slightly.

He laughed aloud, his head tilted back at his own humor.

Her stomach tightened at the sound. Sarah hadn't heard him laugh like that since back in the Labyrinth.

She also realized that his laughter wasn't as condescending as she remembered, it was vigorous with humor and amusement.

"I'm still flying home," he reiterated, his eyes shining with his good mood. "And there's only one way you can stop me."

He was already transforming as he finished his statement, his voice trailed off into thin air.

Seconds later he was flying off into the sky, leaving Sarah idling in the middle of the road.

"Dammit," she muttered, getting out of the car.

"Must be nice to just fly off whenever you want."

She ran around to the other side of the car to pick up his clothes and boots.

She paused for a second at feeling the body heat in them despite him only having them on for a minute or two.

Disregarding it, she tossed it all into the passenger seat and got back in to drive home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER SIX **

She arrived home to find Jareth lying naked on the couch with an arm draped over his face.

"I was outside for the past ten minutes calling you, you know," she accused lightly at seeing him.

"My apologies," he mumbled, unmoving.

"Are you alright?" she asked with concern, placing her keys and bag on the end table. "How'd you get in the house anyway?"

"I'll be fine in a moment," he replied, sounding tired. "And I got in through the broken window in the cellar as an owl."

She walked over to him and instinctively placed her hand on his forehead.

"You feel a little warm. You're not coming down with anything, are you?" she asked with concern. "I mean, 'can' you get sick?"

Then a thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Oh shit, have you ever been vaccinated?" she asked, panic rising within her.

"What if you get smallpox, or the measles, or the flu… Oh my god, the common cold wiped out thousands…"

"Sarah," he voiced tiredly, still unmoving. "I'm fine. I'm not capable of contracting human diseases, cursed or not, I simply need to rest for a bit."

His words were reassuring to a certain degree and she calmed down again.

"Does this have to do with you switching back and forth?"

"It does," he answered in a low voice. "Without the magic to regulate my human body, the transformation makes me tired."

"You didn't look tired when you were flying out of sight at the reserve." She grinned, brushing his hair from his forehead.

"You were very convincing, by the way."

He lowered his arm from his forehead to rest it on his stomach.

"It doesn't affect me as much as an owl."

He opened his mismatched eyes to look up at her.

"And you were very convincing, too. I especially liked the tears."

She felt an instant pull in her gut when he looked at her.

The admiration in his eyes tugged at her insides, she felt guilty that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. And yet, she had the sudden urge to crawl onto the sofa with him and just lie in his arms.

Instead, she leaned over the sofa, took the throw blanket from the back, and placed it over him.

"I'll need you to help me phrase correctly for you to be clothed when you shift back to human form," she told him, tucking the blanket under his arms.

"Because as nice as you look naked, you need to have your clothes on." She kissed him lightly on the lips then smiled.

He nodded ever so slightly as his eyes fell closed in sleep.

She gazed down at him for a long time, caressing his hair, his cheek, and neck, simply admiring how attractive he really was when he wasn't being threatening or difficult.

In fact, she realized upon thinking about it, he hadn't been difficult much at all.

He continuously spoke to her politely, often called her by the formal title of lady, and hadn't refused her anything she'd asked or demanded of him.

Well, except for getting back in the car, but she could allow him that one, she did drive very aggressively.

'Allow him?' she thought pointedly to herself.

"I really do have power over you, don't I?" she whispered, still running her fingers through his soft hair.

She leaned over him and gently rested her forehead on his.

"But what if I want…"

'you to be like you were before? To be demanding and forceful and…'

"…more?"

The heat emanating from him concerned her. She glanced over her shoulder towards the end table, then back down at Jareth.

"I'll figure this out, I promise," she whispered softly as he slept.

Taking the book from the drawer, she went upstairs to her room and sat cross-legged on her bed.

She felt slightly light-headed as she held the book in her hands and her vision blurred with brief dizziness.

Blinking her eyes, she got her focus back and looked at the book pointedly.

"We need to talk," she whispered to the journal sized hardbound in her hands, not feeling weird or strange in the least for talking to a book.

The book became warmer in response.

"I need to understand the rules of the labyrinth, and the laws of Jareth's world. I can't help him if I don't know what went wrong."

She jumped suddenly and whipped her head up at a shadow that fluttered past her window.

Realizing it was just a robin landing in the tree outside, she relaxed again.

She watched as it flitted on a branch for a minute then flew away.

Sarah let the first night she had met Jareth refresh itself in her mind: how he came barging into her parents' room, how he had taken her to the labyrinth with a wave of his hand, how he had threatened her, laughed at her, and put a spell on her.

He had frightened her so badly that she couldn't breathe, she hadn't been able to think straight whenever he had gotten too close to her.

Jareth had known, even if she hadn't, that she was attracted to him. It had been easy for him to manipulate the ballroom dream.

He still had that knowledge even more so now that she was older and that she's having sex with him.

She let her gaze fall back to the book and secretly smiled.

She found it ironic how sometime during the past five years she had forgiven him for how he had treated her, for all the pain and confusion he'd caused her.

Somehow it all just didn't seem as terrible.

But the curse was still in effect, and she only made things worse with her wishes.

He told her that she would be the death of him, that the curse wouldn't allow him to make decisions.

She hadn't taken him seriously until she found him lying on the sofa with a temperature.

"Giving him a choice is hurting him," she whispered at the book. "You're supposed to protect him, you're a part of him, why would you grant me a wish like that?"

She opened the book to find all the pages blank, not even a faint script in another language was visible.

"That's not fair," she whispered within a shocked breath.

"He deserves another chance. I owe him at least that much. It's my fault that this happened to him. I wish to know how to lift the curse!"

The book felt as though it exploded in her hands as an electrical heat surged through her.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she slumped onto her side, the book still in her hands.

_**She saw herself back in the labyrinth with Jareth standing before her, pleading for her to love him, fear him, do as he says, and he would be her slave. **_

_**He held the crystal containing all her dreams in it up to her face, his eyes pleading for her to accept it. **_

_**Sarah knew that at that point she had been wracking her brain, trying to remember the next line from the book. The only thing she was focused on at that time was saving Toby and defying Jareth the only way she knew how. **_

_**Already knowing how this scene turned out, she looked at Jareth more intently and noticed something in his eyes, and in the crystal, that she hadn't noticed the first time. **_

_**A woman, with feature's like Jareth, had been standing behind her with her arms outstretched and a look of pure anguish on her face as Sarah had spoken the words that had turned the labyrinth upside-down.**_

She jolted into a sitting position with a silent scream in her throat.

Her heart beat erratically, her breathing was labored, and her eyes burned as they did after being in chlorine water.

She glanced down at the book still in her hands and blinked repeatedly when she thought she saw it glowing, but it was gone in an instant.

She put the book down and swung her legs over the side of the bed. With her elbows on her knees she gently rubbed at her burning eyes. After a couple of minutes the irritation went away and she breathed easier.

Reaching behind herself, she picked up the book and opened it.

The pages were still blank.

"Why can't anything from that damn place be simple?!" she growled, tossing the book on the bed.

"Sarah?"

"What?!" she snapped angrily, spinning half sideways towards the doorway, then took a deep calming, breath.

"Sorry," she said in a softer tone. "I was having an argument and for once it wasn't with you."

She grabbed the book from the bed and moved past him to go downstairs.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked as an afterthought at the top of the steps, trying to sound more pleasant.

"Yes, much better."

He gazed upon her curiously.

"What were you wishing for that the book refused you?"

"Answers," she replied gruffly and turned to go downstairs.

She paused, thinking of the woman she'd seen in her dream vision and turned back to ask Jareth who she was, but something told her not to mention it.

A feeling of deep secrecy filled her soul.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked in turn.

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "Pissed, but I'm fine."

Someone knocking at the front door made both of them turn their gazes in the general direction of the sound.

"It's Brian," Jareth informed her simply.

She was going to ask how he knew that then decided not to.

She glanced undecidedly from down the stairs back to Jareth.

She wasn't ready to let Brian meet Jareth, but she didn't have the heart to ask Jareth to hide either. That would be too much to ask of him.

"I'll remain upstairs," Jareth volunteered, turning to walk into the bedroom.

"Thank you," she whispered.

A warm fondness filled her at his understanding.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah put the book back in the drawer of the end table, then opened the door wide as Brian was about to knock again.

He stepped back and held up a bag of Chinese take-out in front of his face.

"I brought a peace offering," he said behind the bag, then lowered it to his nose to peek at her.

"I'm sorry. Can I come in so we can talk?"

"How could I possibly refuse Chinese take-out?" She smiled and stepped to the side for him to enter the house.

He stopped just inside the door and looked around nervously.

"Uhm, maybe you should take the food," he said warily, holding the bag out to Sarah as she closed the door and stepped next to him.

"I don't want to get attacked for it."

Sarah sighed deeply.

'Might as well stick to the story,' she thought to herself.

"He's not here," she said, hoping she sounded glum enough.

"He flew off this morning when I took him to the wildlife reserve to have a leg band put on him."

"No," Brian breathed with disbelief, looking at her with shock. "After all the trouble that thing caused, he honestly just took off on you?"

Sarah nodded, keeping her head bent to avoid looking at him. She didn't want to lie to him, not Brian, but what choice did she have?

"Ah, damn, Sarah," he stated sympathetically.

Brian put the food on the end table and took her into his arms to hug her.

"I'm so sorry," he said sincerely. "I hated that damn bird being around, but not enough to wish for it to fly away."

She looked up at him and met his eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. "That means a lot coming from you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." He grinned down at her.

Brian grabbed the food as he ushered her towards the kitchen.

"Maybe he just wanted to get laid," he speculated after a short silence.

"Brian!"

"No, I'm serious," he stressed, looking over at her. "You said yourself he was acting weird." He shrugged.

"Maybe your theory of him going through a phase wasn't so far off. Could be time for him to settle down, find a female, make a nest. If you think about it, it would make sense."

"I guess," she replied demurely, inwardly trying not to laugh.

"I just hope he doesn't come back with a wife and a shit load of babies."

He frowned as he placed the food on the counter.

It was the excuse Sarah needed to laugh and she took full advantage of it.

Brian joined in with the mirth as they got plates to dish out the food.

Sarah poured some soda for them both while Brian scooped food onto the plates. He handed her a set of chopsticks from the bag as they moved to the table.

Sitting down, the mood between them was dramatically lighter than it had been in weeks.

"I missed this," Brian stated around a mouthful of food, waving his chopsticks from himself to Sarah and back again.

"We weren't really friends there for awhile, were we?" he added after he swallowed.

"No, I don't think we were."

She finished chewing and took another sip of her drink. "I think we were trying so hard to be boyfriend and girlfriend that we forgot to just be friends."

"Yea, I think so too." He nodded.

"I owe you an apology," he said quietly staring at his food.

"I don't know why I flew off the handle like that the other day. Now that the dumb thing flew off on you I feel even worse."

"And yet you haven't mentioned that he might come back to make me feel better," she smirked at him.

"Do I 'have' to say that?" he asked her, his face scrunching up with reluctance.

"No," she laughed.

"Good," he smiled. "Cause you know it would be a lie."

He drank some soda and looked at Sarah knowingly before speaking again.

"My boss had me run out to the west office today for another training session," he mentioned, changing the subject.

"That's great!" she exclaimed. "Do you think he's considering you for that other position?"

"I'm not sure," he replied nonchalantly.

"But guess who I saw in a parking lot getting very friendly with some blonde guy I've never seen before?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

Sarah's eyes widened and she stopped chewing.

Brian laughed at her reaction.

"So, who is he?" he asked with interest, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

"Uhm..." She stalled, chewing what was in her mouth slowly before swallowing.

"His name's Jareth," she answered uncomfortably.

"Jareth," he repeated, mulling the name in his mind. "Never heard you mention him before."

"He's not exactly someone I talk about," she said in a low voice, diverting her eyes to her plate.

"Why not? Who is he?"

"He's just…" she took a deep breath, searching her brain for something feasible to say. "Someone I met a few years ago." She shrugged.

"Wow, could you be more vague?" He joked.

"Where'd you meet him? '_When_' did you meet him?"

All of a sudden his face lit up with realization.

"That's why you've been acting weird lately! Why didn't you just tell me you were seeing someone?"

Sarah stared at her friend as the easy answer for everything was handed to her on a silver platter.

"I wasn't sure how you'd take it since we just sort of broke up," she lied easily.

"Oh," he voiced in a flat tone.

"I guess that would make sense," he remarked quietly.

They ate in silence for a minute.

"So how'd you meet him?" Brian pushed.

"Why does it matter?" she asked almost defensively.

"Wow, I really hit a sore spot, didn't I?" he asked, leaning back in his chair with an intrigued expression.

"You've never been this reluctant to talk about your boyfriends with me before."

"He's not my boyfriend," she stated firmly. "And if I wanted to tell you about him then…"

"Hey, it's okay," he interrupted, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I was just curious about who he was, that's all." He crossed his arms casually. "I mean, he's not even your type and there you were hugging him like he meant something to you."

"What do you mean, he's not even my type?" she asked, sounding defensive again.

"Well," he started facetiously, ignoring her curtness.

"First of all," he raised his hand to point to his fingers.

"I've never seen you with a blonde before. Second of all, you don't usually go for men who are that much taller than you, and thir…" he paused as his eyes grew wide.

"Whoa… oh shit, he was your first crush wasn't he?"

"What?!" Sarah laughed uneasily.

"Don't be stupid," she added, getting up to refill her glass.

"Damn, I'm right!" he said with an exuberant smile, turning in his seat to keep her in sight.

"You said you met him a few years ago. But I've known you for three years and you've never mentioned him. So, you must have met him when you were… what… sixteen?"

"Fifteen," she grumbled, not liking how this conversation turned on her.

Never mind the fact that the man in question was upstairs, probably listening to everything they were saying, especially if he changed into an owl to hear better.

"That's why you never really dated anyone, isn't it?" He persisted. "And when you did, you went for shorter guys with dark hair."

He facetiously leaned on his arm on the back of the chair with a smirk.

"I bet Jareth's got blue eyes, doesn't he?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Brian," she said firmly with her back turned.

"Wow," he voiced in a subdued tone. "You really love this guy, don't you?"

"Love has nothing to …"

She turned to put the soda back in the fridge and saw Jareth walking through the living room, thankfully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

"…do with it."

Brian followed her line of sight just as Jareth came into view at the doorway.

"Hello, I'm Jareth," he greeted Brian pleasantly, holding out his hand.

"Brian," he replied dumbly, being caught completely off guard. He shook hands, saying, "I didn't realize Sarah had company in the house."

He glanced sideways at Sarah with a knowing smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Neither did I," Jareth replied smoothly, then looked at Sarah.

"You weren't in bed when I woke up." He said in a lightly accusing tone, a smirk firmly on his lips.

"Well, that's my cue to leave," Brian announced as he stood up. "It was nice to mee…"

"Don't leave on my account," Jareth interrupted. "I merely wanted to introduce myself."

"Right," Brian replied, dragging the word out with a knowing smirk, then glanced at Sarah.

"You might as well stay," she conceded extremely uncomfortable with the turn of events.

Knowing Brian as she did with his outspokenness, and Jareth for the same, she wasn't sure she wanted to be in the same room with them both. But her greatest fear was that Jareth might say the wrong thing, and he was capable of saying a lot.

"Do you like Chinese?" Brian asked Jareth enthusiastically, gesturing toward the food on the table.

"I love Chinese," Jareth answered with a mischievous smile and seated himself in the third chair at the table.

"I'll get you a plate," Sarah told him stiffly, barely moving her lips.

She gave him a pointed warning look when he glanced up at her.

"So, uhm… what do you do for a living?" Brian asked Jareth, purposely ignoring Sarah's obvious discomfort.

"I'm in theater," Jareth answered easily.

Sarah dropped the plate in her hand and spun her head around to look at Jareth with shock.

Both men turned their gazes towards her.

She smiled weakly and shrugged as she turned back to the counter. The plate hadn't broken, and she proceeded to scoop food onto it for Jareth.

"That would explain the whole make up… eyebrows… look," Brian stated choppily, turning his attention back to the other man.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" He smiled, looking over at Sarah triumphantly as she turned from the counter.

Sarah came to the table and put the plate before Jareth, handing him a set of chopsticks to eat with.

She noticed his smug expression and chose to ignore it.

"You want more soda, Brian?" Sarah asked with forced casualness. "Jareth, do you want any soda?"

Both men said yes and please, and Sarah busied herself once more.

She was grateful for the distraction as they talked amongst themselves behind her. So far this was going better than she had thought it would.

Jareth's easy response to his choice of career had been a shock. He'd obviously thought about a few things before boldly coming downstairs.

"So, how did you meet Sarah?" Brian asked, snickering over his shoulder.

He laughed when she half turned to glare at him.

"Why are you so obsessed about 'how' we met?" she asked with frustration.

"Because you won't answer me!" He laughed and turned his gaze to Jareth expectantly. One way or another he was going to get answers!

"I happened to be in the park one day and saw her rehearsing her lines for a play," Jareth answered readily.

Sarah's jaw dropped, again shocked at his thoughtfulness towards being questioned.

"Unfortunately, she didn't get the part, though I thought her performance was brilliant, but she gave up her dreams of acting."

He used the chopsticks adeptly and placed a gravy covered broccoli spear in his mouth. Chewing and swallowing before he continued.

"I've only recently reacquainted myself and was fairly put out when she refused to stay with me and further her acting."

"So, you thought sleeping with her would change her mind?" Brian laughed, thinking this was funny as hell.

"Something like that," Jareth said off-handedly. "She can be very obstinate, can't she?"

"Oh yea, very obstinate when she sets her mind to something," Brian agreed readily.

"I always wondered why she had a distaste for theater and fantasy. Maybe she has some regrets for decisions she's made in the past," Brian insinuated with tongue in cheek.

"I'm standing right here, you know," she said irritably with her arms crossed.

Her heart was beating too fast. Jareth was so close to the truth she almost had a panic attack, and Brian sucked up every word like a sponge, not leaving any room for errors.

"You're food's getting cold," Brian said looking over his shoulder at her, his eyes dancing with enjoyment.

"You should finish eating before you don't want it."

She wanted to smack him upside his smug head, both of them as a matter of fact. Then she decided to give into that urge.

"Get your own damn soda," she snapped.

Slapping Brian soundly in the back of the head she walked around the table and sat down at her plate.

Brian chuckled and stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "She's also very temperamental in case you haven't noticed."

"Yes, I've definitely noticed that."

He looked over at Sarah as Brian poured the sodas for them. He nudged her leg with his when she ignored his steady gaze.

She glanced over at him, her eyes flared with irritation.

He winked at her and smiled.

She quickly lowered her head back to her food. His smile alone caused a flash of heat to course through her. Picking up her glass, she took a healthy gulp, then another one as Brian turned around to rejoin them.

Brian paused with a glass in each hand to glance between the two people at the table.

Sarah was too quiet and the smirk on Jareth's face suggested some silent communication had been exchanged behind his back. He found this very interesting and sat back down, putting the glasses on the table.

"So how long do you plan to stick around?" Brian asked Jareth.

"Dammit, Brian," Sarah voiced exasperated. "Why can't you think of something else to talk about?"

"Because in all the years I've known you, I've never seen you this flustered about anything." He grinned at her. "Well, except for that damn owl," he added as an afterthought.

"Damn owl?" Jareth questioned, not quite sounding pleasant.

Brian didn't seem to notice.

Sarah quickly glanced from one to the other.

'Oh, no,' she thought. 'Here it comes. Jareth's going to lose it.'

"I took care of an owl that had gotten hurt a few years ago," she explained quickly for pretense purposes. "And Brian had a problem with him being around, that's all."

She pleaded with her eyes for Jareth to let it drop but he wasn't paying attention to her.

"Damn right I had a problem with it," Brian affirmed. "It was a wild animal that she insisted on treating like a pet." He pointed towards the living room.

"Look at the size of that cage." He met Jareth's gaze head on. "That bird filled that cage with barely any room to spare." He glanced over at Sarah. "Not that I ever saw him in it because she let him roam wherever he wanted to go."

"Brian, please," she said with exasperation, placing her hand to her forehead.

'Jareth is going to flip.' She thought with dread.

"Jareth," Brian directed pointedly, flicking the back of his hand towards the fae to gain his undivided attention.

"Would you honestly feel comfortable knowing someone you cared about had a fierce wild animal roaming in her house?" He waved his hand grandly in the air.

"I mean just last week the thing swooped out of nowhere and stole food right off my plate in a public place!" He splayed his hands out in front of him to emphasize the table and his food.

"Would you feel at ease with it in the house, flying free while she slept?"

Jareth was quiet, too quiet.

Sarah lifted her hand to peer over at him, afraid of what she was going to see in his eyes.

"Absolutely not," he answered finally.

Sarah let her hand drop to the table with another bout of shock.

Jareth turned his head to look at Sarah. "Where is this owl now?"

She was too stunned to answer him.

"See? He even agrees with me," Brian directed at Sarah.

"He flew off on her this morning," Brian answered for her in a calmer tone. "She's still upset about it. I'm sorry, Sarah," he apologized quietly.

"I didn't mean to shove it in your face again." He turned his head towards Jareth. "I think the owl is the only thing we've ever fought about during our entire friendship. But I could never make her see how dangerous it was."

"He never hurt me, Brian," Sarah voiced, reiterating an old argument just in case Jareth had to be an owl again, especially since being human was taking its toll on him. "Why can't you understand that?"

"Perhaps," Jareth voiced calmly, "the owl was simply indebted to Sarah for saving his life. Even wild animals know when they are cared for and will return the affection."

Jareth leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

"I've recently watched on TV; a man and woman camped near wild wolves. Before long they were able to pet them and play with the pups. I'm not suggesting for Sarah to let in wild owls, but that one in particular obviously trusted her as much as she did him."

"Yea, well, that sounds good on TV, but this is my best friend I'm talking about." He gestured towards Sarah.

"And the only thing that makes me feel better about that owl is that he's not around anymore."

Sarah stood suddenly and walked out of the room. She couldn't take it anymore. Brian would never accept Jareth in owl form, no matter what, and with the way things were looking the owl's return might be inevitable.

The men quietly assessed each other as Sarah left the room, each waiting for the other to go after her, or at least say something.

After a moment of silence, Brian pushed his plate away with disinterest.

"Damn owl," he muttered under his breath.

"From what you've both said regarding the owl," Jareth said to Brian nonchalantly, "I think Sarah's driving is much more dangerous."

"You 'rode' in the car with her?" Brian asked astounded, leaning forward in his chair. "Ah, man, I wish I could've warned you about that."

"Warn him about what?" Sarah asked with paranoia as she returned.

After she had left the room she had realized that their conversation could take a serious turn for the worse and decided to go back to the kitchen.

"Your driving," Brian answered simply.

"What about my driving?" she asked defensively.

Jareth leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with an amused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sarah." Brian chuckled apologetically. "But everyone who knows you, knows better than to let you drive them anywhere!"

"My driving is not that bad!" she defended herself. "In fact, I've never had an accident, a speeding ticket, or a moving violation of any sort!"

"Yea." Brian chuckled, looking over at Jareth. "That's either an act of god or one helluva magic spell!"

Sarah snorted. "Some friend you are," she said irritably, but an uneasy feeling crept into her gut as she looked at Jareth, wondering if Brian wasn't far from the truth.

'Did he put a magic spell on me?'

"Anyway, I'm going to head out," Brian announced, getting to his feet.

"Oh, why bother?" Sarah asked snidely. "You're insults are just getting better and better."

Brian chuckled good naturedly and stepped over to give her a hug.

"I feel like a third wheel. Besides I have a date tonight." He smirked at her.

"Really," she voiced with interest, stepping back from him. "Who is she? How did you meet?"

Brian laughed aloud.

"I'll fill you in later in the week."

Turning around, he addressed Jareth who had also stood up.

"It was nice meeting you, Jareth. Hope to see you around."

He inclined slightly towards the blonde to whisper not so discreetly behind his hand, "I think she likes you more than she wants you to know. Never seen her so uptight around a guy before."

Jareth smiled at the information while Sarah was too embarrassed to rebuke his comment.

Her feelings for Jareth were complicated and there was no way she could ever explain them to Brian.

Brian headed towards the front door.

"Oh," he said as an afterthought, spinning around to face Sarah again. "Tell Karen that something came up and I can't make it. Give her one of my excuses for me."

Sarah looked at him blankly, not knowing what he was talking about.

"The barbeque on Saturday," he said pointedly, refreshing her memory. "That 'we' were supposed to go to?" His finger was waggling back and forth in the air between them.

"Oh shit. I forgot all about that."

"You can take Jareth instead." Brian smiled at Jareth. "Wait till you meet Karen." he beamed affectionately. "She's just great."

Sarah saw Jareth's back stiffen and stepped closer to him.

"Don't," she whispered very low as a warning without moving her lips much.

"I can't wait," Jareth replied with a convincing smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

A/N: Due to conflict of schedules, this chapter wasn't properly proofed by my beta reader. Please excuse any grammatical (or otherwise) errors. Plus: A big THANK YOU for those who have given reviews and added this story to their faves! I hope you continue to enjoy!

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

**CHAPTER SEVEN **

"I'm not going anywhere near that woman." Jareth growled.

"Did you put a spell on me?" Sarah exclaimed heatedly.

They had both spoken simultaneously as soon as Brian had closed the front door, then stared at each other for a moment before they both answered each other at the same time.

"I don't expect you too."

"Of course I did."

"When did you put a spell on me?" she asked, frowning at him in her confusion.

Jareth let her speak, having his desired response from her.

"Did you put other spells on me too?" she continued heatedly with hands on hips.

"Is that why I couldn't let you go and took care of you all these years? Because you put spells on me?"

"I put a protection spell on you while you were in the labyrinth," he informed her calmly, sounding bored. "As I have done with all the wishers, to prevent severe accidents from happening to them."

He leaned forward to meet her gaze pointedly.

"I hadn't had the chance to lift it from you afterwards."

"As for the rest," he continued with haughtiness. "I had nothing to do with your decision to keep me near you as an owl or otherwise. You made those choices yourself."

"Wipe that smug look off your face," she snapped, aiming to brush past him.

It unnerved her that every time she thought he was being deceitful he proved her wrong.

He grabbed her by the elbow as she moved past him.

"I have so little to cherish for myself." His tone slightly anguished. "Would you honestly take away the small tidbits I have left that amuse me?"

She stared up at him, his hand on her elbow, her arm raised in mid air.

His hair was cut and normal, his new clothes casual and in style, his eyes… his beautiful mismatched eyes lacked the starlight, the glitter, the magic that had once made them sparkle with life.

Her heart constricted and she wet her suddenly dry lips. It was her fault he was like this, a shell of who he had once been. She pulled her arm free from his grasp.

"Well, you don't have to enjoy it so much," she conceded, her tone losing its sharpness.

She turned for the stairs, not seeing the pleased smirk on his face as he followed her.

"I've misunderstood Brian's animosity towards me." He spoke as they walked, sounding casual again.

"Hearing him defend for your safety gave me better clarity. If I must return to my owl form then I will abide by Brian's expectations."

He stepped next to her as she reached the hallway.

"I don't need to be seen when I fly, I have that much magic left to my disposal. And I will remain in captivity when others are in your home."

"I can't ask that of you, Jareth," she stated, turning to face him. "I won't treat you like a common…"

"Barn owl, yes I am aware of that," he smiled, cutting her off.

Sarah paused at the bathroom door.

"But I'm far from a common barn owl, and as long as you know this, then I can live contentedly."

"I'll fix this," she whispered solemnly. "Somehow, I will. I promise."

They held each other's gazes for a long moment, hers full of determination, his with sad regret that she wasn't capable of keeping such a promise.

"Are you going to stand here all night, or let me use the bathroom?"

He stepped back into the hallway, chuckling softly as she closed the door for privacy.

She no sooner opened the door and stepped into the hallway when she was grabbed forcibly by the shoulders, spun around, and pressed up against the wall.

His lips were at her neck before she could catch her breath.

She let her eyes slide closed, tangled her fingers in his soft hair, and wrapped one leg around his knee to pull him closer.

With a guttural sound in his throat, he grabbed her in his arms, and walked the short distance to her bedroom.

"No wishes," he breathed against her lips after laying her on the mattress under him.

His fingers toyed with the buttons of her blouse.

"I want to do this myself. I want to kiss every inch of flesh as I uncover it slowly."

He started his self appointed task, touching his lips to her skin as each button was undone. When her blouse was opened, he slipped it from her, kissing her arms, shoulders, ribs, waist, and stomach.

The tip of his tongue glided over the flesh of her breast just above her bra, his hands caressed her smooth skin.

Sarah's patience ran out. She couldn't stand his slow torture any longer and pushed his shoulders up while rolling him onto his back.

Making quick work of his clothes, she showed him how patience wasn't always a virtue.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Another storm raged outside as they lay in each others arms. Neither had any idea of what time it was since the power went out again, but they both agreed it had to be close to midnight.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you finish what you started," Sarah stated softly, curling beside him with her head on his chest. "You just bring out the animal in me."

"I've noticed," he whispered, his breathing still ragged.

"Why is your heart still beating so fast?"

"I'm not used to exerting myself so much."

She raised her head to look at him crossly.

"Well, I'm not," he defended.

"Things are more trying without my magic. I'm not used to doing things without it; getting dressed for instance," he elaborated indignantly. "Walking up stairs, walking anywhere for that matter."

"You lazy sod," she accused lightly.

"When you're king, you can be as lazy as you want."

"Then where'd all the muscle tone come from?" she asked, squeezing his subtle biceps then poking at his upper chest.

"I shouldn't have to answer that question," he replied flatly, closing his eyes tiredly.

"Too bad, I'm curious." She waited a moment. "Jareth, answer me."

She grabbed one of his nipples and held it tight.

He cried out at the abuse, grabbing her offending hand but refused to try and pull her hand away.

"I took care of the children!" he shouted.

Sarah let him go with a pleased smirk on her face.

He rubbed his offended nipple, glaring at her profusely.

"I never taught you to be that cruel."

"No, I learned that in high school," she beamed at him self assuredly. "Jocks use it as a form of machismo. Just be grateful I didn't do a corkscrew."

She resettled herself on his chest while he wrapped an arm around her back.

"So, how does taking care of children give you muscle tone?" she asked curiously. "I took care of Toby all the time and I didn't get muscles from it."

"You're stronger than you realize," he ground out, still rubbing his chest.

"Human children can't handle too much magic for some reason," he explained informatively. "It changes their bodies sometimes, so once a child is taken to the labyrinth I must care for it myself. Entertain it and so forth."

"Nope." She shook her head. "Still don't see where muscle tone comes into this."

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes again.

"I'm not as lazy as I led you to believe," he admitted with a weariness that caused her to frown. "May I sleep now, my Lady?"

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, watching his features relax.

"Jareth?" she whispered after he didn't answer.

His chest rose and fell with deep even breaths.

She rested her head on his chest and waited for his heart rate to return to normal before falling asleep herself.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Tell me again why you changed your mind?" Sarah asked Jareth as she took the potato salad from the fridge. She added it with the other items on the table to take to her parent's barbeque.

"I'd like to see Toby again," he answered simply, handing her a big pack of napkins from the cabinet to add to the table.

"To see him with my own eyes and not as an owl, play games with him, hear him laugh." He turned his eyes towards Sarah. "He's always had a contagious laugh, wouldn't you say?"

"I can arrange to bring him here," she offered. "We can have him stay a weekend or something, without subjecting yourself to Karen."

She began placing items into a bag, Jareth being helpful by holding it open for her to fill.

"This has nothing to do with Toby, does it?" she asked, a sudden realization dawning on her.

"Your conversation with Brian really bothered you, didn't it?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and placed the full bag on the floor near the doorway.

"Would your opinion of the little worm be any different for knowing that he caused you ten hours of grief and hardship?"

"What are you talking about?" she laughed, glancing at him briefly as she moved around the room gathering things.

"That sweet little thing that offered me tea?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "How could he have possibly caused me grief and hardship?"

She took another bag to start filling it with picnic supplies.

"If he hadn't showed me how to find the doorways, I'd probably still be sitting in the outer alley of your labyrinth."

"You're right, of course," he replied stiffly, trying to ignore how she still referred to the labyrinth as his.

He knew she didn't mean those wayward comments to be hurtful, though they were none the less.

"Okay, I'll bite," she directed at his silence. "What don't I know about the little worm?"

He took the bags of plastic ware from her hands and placed them on the table. Taking her wrists in his hands he gently urged her to back up until she was pinned between him and the fridge.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes grew dark, she wet her lips in anticipation as he bent his head lower, only for him to whisper in her ear.

"If you had continued in the direction you had first chosen, before the worm turned you around, you would have arrived directly at the castle within three hours."

"Bullshit," she accused, her expression laced with shocked denial.

"But, it's not the worm's fault, now is it?" he continued, pulling back far enough to look at her.

"He was only protecting you from the fearful goblin king, never to know that you 'wanted_'_ to get to the castle, because you never told him."

"You're right," she agreed after a minute of thinking about it.

"I also wouldn't have made friends along the way," she added thoughtfully. "And I wouldn't have known how deceitful you were."

She gazed up at him with wonder.

"I wouldn't have been prepared to face you to get my brother back if I had went straight to the castle."

Her expression changed with dawning.

"I wouldn't have won," she added barely above a whisper. "You knew that."

"Yes."

He took a step back from her, releasing her wrists.

"What's done is done. Neither of us can change that, even if we wanted to."

He turned his back to her, picking up where she had left off with packing picnic supplies.

"Karen acted no different than the worm," Jareth continued firmly. "She was protecting you without knowing that I wouldn't have hurt you, because you never told her."

"You 'wanted' me to win, didn't you?" she asked quietly, only hearing half of the last part of his sentence.

"I wanted 'you'," he stressed, meeting her gaze intently. "And at the time, nothing else mattered."

He turned his attention back to his task.

"I miss hearing the laughter of children, Sarah," he admitted softly. "I'm willing to subject myself to Karen's presence to hear Toby laugh and play."

"I'll take you to a playground, for crying out loud!" she told him, stepping up behind him.

"You don't know Karen, Jareth." Sarah placed her hands on his shoulders. "She won't let you just sit alone like grandpa Jones and watch the children."

She kneaded his shoulder muscles gently as she spoke.

"She'll want to talk to you, fix your collar if its crooked, add food to your plate whenever your not chewing on something… you have no idea what she's like!"

He turned around to face her, his eyes set with resolve.

"Fine," she conceded, tossing her hands in the air.

"Have it your way. But don't say that I didn't warn you."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah pulled her car to the curb just past the main windows of her parent's house so no one would see Jareth swoop down from the sky as an owl and walk away as a man.

His obstinacy to not get in her car again made Sarah think about her driving skills as she drove alone.

Everyone hated her driving. But, she was a good driver, really she was.

She admitted that she could be a little aggressive sometimes, but honestly, she didn't understand why everyone made such a fuss.

Turning off the ignition, she whispered a wish for Jareth to have his clothes back on. The pile of folded material and his sneakers disappeared from the passenger seat.

Seconds later he stepped out from some shrubbery at the side of the house.

The front door of the house opened as Jareth was helping Sarah get the bags and bowl of potato salad from the back seat.

As it happened, he had his hands full when Toby came running out the front door at full speed.

"Sarah!"

He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him across the lawn and leapt into the air into his big sister's open arms.

The force of his weight knocked her back a step or two while Toby hugged her tight around her neck.

"I missed you!"

"You just saw me the other day," she laughed, squeezing him back and spun in circles on her heels.

He squealed in delight.

Karen appeared then in the open doorway and saw them by the car.

"Honey, Sarah and… uhm, Sarah's here!" she called over her shoulder into the house.

Sarah put Toby down and took the bowl from Jareth, leaving him to carry the two bags.

The little boy ran ahead of them as they made their way across the lawn to the front door.

Circling around with his arms out making airplane noises, Toby suddenly stopped in front of them with is legs and arms outstretched wide making angry growling noises at them.

"Roawerrrr! I am a goblin and you can't enter without the password!"

Sarah and Jareth both stopped dead in their tracks. Sarah was stunned speechless while Jareth chuckled with amusement.

"Toby," Karen chastised wearily, placing her hand to her forehead. "Go around back and help daddy."

"Oh, alright," he sing-sang dejectedly, bringing himself up to his full height and turned to go around back. "I can never have any fun."

"Don't say it," Sarah whispered as loud as she dared, hoping Jareth heard her.

She caught the glint in his eyes as he watched her brother slump away.

"I'm sorry," Karen apologized on behalf of Toby. "They read some book in school and I swear I can't get him to stop with this goblin fascination."

"Pickles," Jareth suddenly announced aloud.

Sarah turned incredulous eyes at him while Karen stared dumb-founded. But Toby squared his little shoulders as he turned back around with surprise on his face.

"How'd you know the password?" he asked in wondrous awe.

"Don't say it," Sarah repeated through unmoving lips.

She didn't like the smirk that came over Jareth's face as he squatted down to her brothers level.

"Jareth," she warned a little louder. "Don't..."

"I'm the goblin king," he replied, his voice light and playful.

Sarah closed her eyes and cringed.

"I know all the passwords in the kingdom," he announced confidently.

"Wow!" Toby exclaimed with awe, his blue eyes shining bright with fascination.

"Toby, go around back and play," Karen repeated. "You can play goblin with Sarah and her friend later."

"Alright!" the boy exclaimed excitedly, and ran around the side of the house towards the yard.

"He'll expect you to play goblin, I'm afraid…. uhm…?" she directed questioningly at Jareth.

"Jareth." He introduced himself. "And it's no problem. I enjoy the imagination of children," he added with a winning smile.

Karen nodded, her eyes filled with odd curiosity, then looked at Sarah again who was in the middle of rolling her eyes.

"Brian couldn't make it?" she asked simply, not sounding surprised. Though she kept glancing at Jareth out of the corner of her eye, trying to be subtle about it.

"No," Sarah answered. "He said to tell you that he'll definitely make the next one but something came up that he couldn't ignore."

She moved a step forward as she continued.

"And I'm expected to take some of your apple dumpling home for him."

"You tell him that I'll hold him to that," Karen stated with feigned sternness, waving her finger at Sarah.

All of a sudden she laughed and took the bowl from Sarah's hands before turning towards the house.

"Come on in. Robert's out back starting the grill," she called over her shoulder as she walked along.

"I bought extra ribs this time," she added in a lower voice as though it were a secret. "You know how he always burns them to a crisp. Maybe Jareth can help with that," she added with an upward lilt.

Sarah looked over at Jareth when Karen's back was fully turned.

"After you, _goblin king_," she whispered facetiously.

He grinned broadly and followed Karen into the house.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?" she accused in whispered tones, poking him in the back as she followed him inside.

"So, Sarah," Karen called over her shoulder as she headed towards the kitchen. "How long have you and Jareth been dating?"

"We're not dating," Sarah replied shortly. "We're just… friends."

Sarah didn't see Jareth's expression as he briefly narrowed his eyes at her comment.

Karen placed the bowl on the table in the kitchen and looked back as Sarah and Jareth entered the room behind her.

"Really?" she voiced, sounding surprised. "Oh. I thought you were dating, you normally don't bring men to family things. Well, except Brian, but he's almost family at this point so he doesn't count."

Karen casually took the bags from Jareth but kept staring at him in a way that made Sarah a little uneasy.

"Do you recognize him or something?" Sarah asked a little shortly.

"Oh… uhm… no," Karen answered quickly, shaking her head, then turned away from him altogether.

"I… uhm… no, no I don't think I've ever seen him before," she added. "Why, should I know him from somewhere?"

"I do theatre work," Jareth offered, making a mental note to tell Sarah about the unprecedented attraction that some human females displayed for Fae men.

"You may have seen one of my performances."

"No, I doubt it," Karen replied sweetly. "We make it a point not go to theatre productions."

"Hey, Pumpkin," Sarah's dad announced, stepping through the sliding patio doors into the kitchen. "How's my girl?"

"Hey dad," she greeted, going over to give him a hug.

"What's this I hear about the goblin king being in our house?" he laughed, looking over at Jareth.

"Dad, this is Jareth." Sarah introduced. "A friend of mine." She stressed, then glanced at Jareth.

"Jareth, my dad, Robert."

"Nice to meet you," Jareth stated, offering his hand.

"Like wise," Robert said, shaking on it.

"So, are you an actor or a musician?" he asked, gesturing for Jareth to follow him outside to talk.

"I do theatre, but I also play music," Jareth answered easily, following the man's lead out to the patio.

"Yea," Robert nodded agreeably. "You look the type," he stated, sliding the glass door closed behind them.

"Sarah?"

"What?" she replied distractedly, snapping back to what Karen had been saying.

Her stepmother slightly slumped her shoulders at Sarah not hearing a word that she had said. She glanced from her stepdaughter to their guest outside, then smiled knowingly.

"You like this one, don't you?"

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" she asked incredulously. "He's a friend, that's it."

"Okay, okay," Karen smiled, holding her hands up in surrender. "No need to get hostile. Besides," she grinned broadly. "Brian already called and filled us in."

Karen turned her back as Sarah's face went slack.

"Oh, and the two of you may want to get Brian's excuses right," she added amicably, facing Sarah. "He told me he had to visit his aunt who broke her leg."

"Yea," she said indignantly, crossing her arms. "That's something that came up that he couldn't ignore. I just didn't get into the details."

"Sarah," she laughed, then her gaze shifted outside. "Ohh, no, not again," Karen voiced hurriedly and rushed over to the glass doors.

Sliding them open she yelled outside.

"Toby! Toby, don't you dare jump into… that mud."

The last past of her warning faded into silence as the little boy plunged bodily into a muddy spot near the garden.

"I'll get him," Sarah volunteered and slipped past her stepmother out to the patio.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

The food was served, the wine was chilled, and Toby was clean, again, for hopefully fifteen minutes at least.

Her little brother had as much a fascination for that mud spot as he had for playing goblin with Jareth.

Sarah wasn't sure who was worse, her brother for insisting on running through the mud or Jareth for following him! Though Jareth came out of it a lot cleaner.

Hearing Jareth laugh and watching him chase Toby around the yard, catching the boy and tossing him carefully into the air only to catch him with strong arms, did things to her stomach that had nothing to do with eating too much.

He was absolutely magnificent to watch. Sarah had to admit that when it came to kids, Jareth had a stamina that out did every other adult at the barbeque.

She could fully understand how his body was so muscle toned by taking care of the children himself.

He didn't just sit around and keep an eye on them as she had thought, he dove right in with them, became one of them, as they played game after game for hours on end.

She was suddenly uncomfortable sitting next him as they ate, idly chatting with the other people at the picnic table. She had seen a side of him that had completely mesmerized and fascinated her.

His elbow brushed hers as he reached for a napkin and she felt a rush of heat course through her like electricity. She scooted a little to the left, gaining his attention.

He glanced at her questioningly.

She met his eyes, hoping he could see why she had moved over, then noticed that Karen, her dad, and the neighbor lady were all watching her intently.

With a thorough flush in her cheeks she bowed her head to her plate again.

He grinned before picking up another rib, that he had helped prepare to guarantee they didn't get burned.

He'd seen the look in her eyes when she gazed up at him, then her blush at being caught by her family with said look in her eyes.

"Robert," Karen addressed. "Pass this down to Jareth, he didn't get enough the first time," she dictated, passing the bowl of potato salad.

Jareth glanced up the wooden picnic table to see Robert trying to grab the big bowl with only his palms, his fingers covered in barbeque sauce and ribs juice.

"I'm fine at the moment, Karen," Jareth stated politely. "I've already had two helpings."

"Exactly my point," Karen directed. "No wonder you're so thin, you need to eat. Robert. Pass the potato salad."

Robert managed to pass the bowl as directed, giving Jareth a sympathetic look in the process.

"So, Jareth," Karen started. "How did you and Sarah meet?"

Everyone turned curious eyes to the couple, Sarah glared daggers at her stepmother until her attention was diverted to her little brother running through the yard and heading directly for the mud puddle.

"Toby," Sarah called casually.

The boy either ignored her or didn't hear her call.

"Toby!" she yelled louder.

Still the boy bee lined for the mud.

"Toby Williams! Don't you dare!" Sarah shouted, standing up.

"Toby, stop." Jareth called out in a moderate voice, his tone authoritive.

The boy halted so fast that his arms flailed in circles to stop his forward momentum.

Unsuccessful, his one foot squished halfway into the mud. He turned fearful eyes toward Jareth at not stopping in time.

Jareth laughed.

"Well, go on," he drawled with amusement. "Stick the other foot in, no sense in having mismatched shoes."

With a big grin the boy did as told.

"Now wander elsewhere," Jareth told him then returned his attention to the food.

Four pairs of adult eyes were fixated on Jareth with awe, their mouths gaping at different stages as the boy trotted off to play near his swing set.

Sarah sat back down though didn't remember doing so.

Karen was rendered speechless, probably for the first time in her life, while the neighbor lady waved herself with her napkin.

Only Robert seemed to collect himself with dignity.

"Well, I'll have to start playing goblins with him if it gets him to listen like that!" he laughed.

Everyone at the table laughed easily.

"Thank you," Karen managed to say graciously. "I don't think I have another clean outfit to change him into."

With Karen's question forgotten Sarah changed the subject so she wouldn't remember it not being answered.

"Didn't you say you made key lime pie?" she asked Karen.

"I was waiting to see how long it took you to ask," Karen grinned. "Come on, help me get the dessert."

Once inside the kitchen Karen made for the fridge while Sarah grabbed the pie knife and extra paper plates.

"He's very energetic," Karen commented.

"Yea," Sarah voiced, gazing out the glass doors to watch the blonde as he kept her dad and the neighbor completely enthralled in some conversation.

"He's definitely something special," she whispered softly.

Karen grinned broadly, turning with the pie in her hands.

She closed the fridge with her elbow and stepped next to her stepdaughter with the dreamy eyes.

"I told you, you liked this one," she nudged Sarah fondly.

Sarah snapped out of her reverie and blushed, not being able to deny her attraction this time.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Sarah replied, removing the tin foil from the pie.

"I don't think he'll be around for long. He only came here for a convention of some sort and happened to bump into me." She shrugged as though it didn't matter.

"I'm sure he'll fly home soon," she shrugged indifferently. "Not like I have anything to offer someone like him to make him want to stay." She added with a sadness in her tone.

"Don't say that," Karen chastised sympathetically. "You always put yourself down like that."

She took another pie from the fridge then turned back to the table.

"Besides," the woman added with more flare. "You don't see how he watches you when you're not looking. That's not the look of a man who's planning to leave any time soon."

Karen stepped to the glass doors. "Come on, open the door for me so we can dig into this pie!"

Sarah followed her stepmother outside and closed the door behind them. A somberness washed over her as she reseated herself on the bench next to Jareth.

She had to find a way to lift that curse. Watching him laugh and having fun made her more determined than before to right the wrong she'd caused him.

"Why so glum?" he asked, his eyes looking at her curiously.

She smiled suddenly and waved her hand nonchalantly. "Old haunts, that's all. Stop hogging the pie and pass it over!"

He smiled back at her and handed her the pie dish, but he knew something had been said while she was in the house. It didn't take magic to clearly see the sadness that had filled her eyes.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah barely had the front door closed when he caught her up in his arms to kiss her deeply. Skillfully maneuvering her towards the stairs he lifted her from her feet and carried her upstairs to her room.

"Wow, aren't you the energetic one?" she laughed, enjoying his amorousness.

"I wanted to clear that damn wooden table and have you outside under the trees with the sunlight," he informed her, his lips at her neck and jaw.

"I'm glad you didn't!" she chuckled. "Karen would've had one hell of a time explaining THAT to Toby!"

"Toby would not have seen anything," he stated seriously, looking down at her. "I would have distracted him to play hide and seek and simply taken my time to seek him out."

The grin on his face was priceless.

"You really enjoyed yourself today, didn't you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Immensely." He dipped his head to her neck after laying them both on the bed. "And I plan to continue to have fun, if you'll allow it."

She gasped as he playfully nipped at her neck, snaking her fingers through his soft hair.

"Don't you dare stop."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

_**CURSE OF THE LABRYNTH**_

A/N: Please excuse any and all grammatical errors, this chap wasn't beta read either. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Please review!

**CHAPTER EIGHT **

Picking her head up suddenly, Sarah glanced towards the hallway as though she'd heard a sound. Slipping from the bed, she covered Jareth with a blanket and headed downstairs.

Not bothering with a light, she went to the end table by the door and took the book from the drawer. Quietly, she went to the kitchen, flicked on the light, and sat down at the table.

She closed her eyes as she held the book in her hands, the warmth it emanated was soothing and she'd swear she could hear a low humming sound.

Her mind felt like she was in a dream, light and hazy. Images floated behind her eyes, some she recognized from the labyrinth, most she didn't recognize at all.

Faces of people like Jareth, The Fae, they called themselves, came to her mind one or two at a time. It seemed as though they were introducing themselves to her. Some glared at her with hatred, some with mild indignation, while others smiled warmly at her.

'Sarah Williams, female, human mortal, North American location.'

She heard Jareth's anguished voice from the pages of the book. She turned her minds eye to look behind her and saw him standing in the middle of a circle of other Fae.

He looked as he had that night in the Labyrinth, just before she spoke her final words to him.

The Fae were much older than Jareth, making him look like a teenager among them. They were chanting something, touching him at specific points of his body. He tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes as a lightly colored mist swirled around him.

"Sarah... Sarah…" He cried with anguish.

The Fae chanted louder with more meaning, their foreign words had such intensity that Sarah felt its effects just by being a witness in a dream. She felt a tear run down her cheek as she watched a tear fall from Jareth's eye.

Then the woman Sarah had seen in her dream the last time stepped up to Jareth. She was beautiful and graceful. For some reason Sarah had the impression she was Jareth's mother.

She reached out and touched his face as a mother would before taking hold of the talisman that hung at his chest, with a sudden jerk she ripped it from around his neck.

Jareth cried out as if in excruciating pain. His body fell to the center of the Fae, Sarah stretched her neck to see between them but couldn't. Then a white owl emerged and flew out an open window.

The woman then turned to a robust yet very old looking Fae and handed him a book. Sarah's breathing increased at recognizing the same book that she held in her own hands.

Sarah's fingers clutched the book in her hands with eager anticipation. She watched intently as the Fae continued to chant words she didn't understand. The lightly colored mist that had surrounded Jareth swirled and danced in the air within the circle.

The older Fae held the book high above him. His hand released it and it floated of its own accord to hover within the mist.

Slowly the mist soaked into the book, the book glowed an unearthly color, then fell to the stone floor with a resounding clap.

One by one the Fae stopped chanting and left the circle, just disappearing from the room magically.

The woman was the last to leave. She knelt over the book on the floor, the talisman still in her hands as the light faded around her.

A sudden noise echoed in the darkening room. The woman looked up startled and rose to her feet. A figure stopped short at seeing the female Fae, and remained within the boundary of the shadows. Sarah saw the shadowed form bow very low to the woman.

She was speaking to him but Sarah didn't understand the language. The figure dropped to his knees and began pleading to the woman.

Sarah tried to see the figure better, he seemed awfully familiar, but was too deep in shadow to see any details clearly.

The woman's tone became forceful and authoritive, the figure nodded and bowed to the floor before her.

She stepped closer to him and held out her hand. He rose to his feet and nodded once more before taking the talisman, then disappeared into the darkness.

The woman turned as the shadows fell over her face. She moved to stand once again before the book in the center of the diminishing light. She waved her hand over it and the book faded from sight.

Suddenly Sarah's eyes met the woman's when she turned to face her directly. Sarah physically jumped but continued to hold the contact of the strange eyes from another world, one blue and one brown.

"Protect him."

The whispered words echoed then faded like they were spoken in a cathedral. The woman raised her finger to her lips, an ancient gesture for secrecy, just before she faded away and darkness enveloped the room.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

"Sarah_."_

Sarah became aware of someone calling her name. She looked around but saw nothing but darkness.

The sound of howling winds whistled angrily, giving her the chills. She saw a door and went to it. She placed her hand on the handle then drew it back quickly when the freezing cold of the metal painfully bit into her hand.

"Sarah."

"Sarah!"

The forceful tone of his voice snapped her awake.

She looked around disoriented at first, then saw Jareth standing close by.

The book was still clutched in her grasp. She looked over at him, confused.

"What did you wish for?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Nothing," she replied, her voice groggy. She cleared her throat and stared down at the book again. "I didn't even open it."

She glanced up at him again, blinking in quick succession. "Turn the light off, it hurts my eyes."

"I need to show you something," he told her matter of factly.

"What?"

"Come upstairs with me."

"I thought you were tired."

"Please, put the book down for now."

As soon as the book was out of her hands he took her by the arm and gently pulled her to her feet. He ushered her with a firm grip on her shoulders up the stairs and into the bathroom.

"Look into the mirror."

She did as he told her and saw an unnatural glow that had turned her eyes into a such pale sea green that they were almost translucent.

"Wow, how'd I do that?" she asked in amazement, leaning closer to the mirror for a better look.

"You made a wish, Sarah, and my magic coursed through you to grant it."

"No," she denied, turning to face at him. "I didn't wi.. ask for anything, I swear I didn't. I was just holding it. It was so warm and I heard humming sounds, they were so melodic that I closed my eyes to hear it better. Then…" she looked away from him, the feeling for secrecy surged through her, causing her breathing to come out in short pants for a moment.

"Then, what?" He prompted.

"Then you woke me up," she said in a rush. "What time is it, I have to get ready for class."

She turned for the door to escape him, but he grabbed her by the arm.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Sarah?"

"I saw nothing!" she spat at him defensively, trying to pull her arm free.

He blanched physically. "_Saw_?" he repeated astounded.

He took her by both shoulders, careful to be gentle, to make her look at him. Her eyes were slowly returning to normal.

"What did you see, Sarah?"

"No! Nothing!"

She pushed at him in an attempt to get free.

He turned her around and pulled her back against his chest. Restraining her arms with his, he let her kick and scream all she wanted. After a few minutes she wore herself out and settled down, crying and hiccupping for him to let her go.

He released her but blocked the doorway so she couldn't leave.

"Sarah, I don't understand how this could happen," he said in a perplexed but calm tone. "In fact, I've never heard of such a thing happening in the history of magic."

He moved to sit next to her on the rim of the tub. He glanced over at her, his back straight, hands on his knees.

"What is it about you, Sarah Williams, that enables you to break all the rules?"

"Rules," she whispered dreamily. "They're not rules," she corrected in the same tone.

She met his gaze, her eyes almost normal again. "They're laws. I'm breaking every law in the book, one by one."

"You don't have the power to …"

"Yes, I do," she nodded. "You gave me that power in the labyrinth."

She shifted her gaze to stare unseeingly at the floor.

"You altered time for me, you changed the course of the labyrinth because of me, and you were punished… because of me." A tear ran down her cheek as she glanced at his bared chest.

"Sarah Williams, female, human mortal, North American location." She raised her eyes to meet his.

He was looking at her with shocked astonishment.

"I saw what they did to you. I now understand what the book is, what you've been trying to explain to me. It was never supposed to leave the Labyrinth, Jareth."

Then her eyes hardened with another realization. "And you were never supposed to be human again."

"I came to you with the hope that you despised me enough to kill me by your own hand. That was my intention when I attacked you. I never expected for you to save my life, to shed tears for me. It was at that moment that I became bound to you."

"I was as surprised at you having the Book of Power as you were confused," He continued. "I used the last of my resources to try and warn you of its power, the dangers involved. I never expected for you to use the power to make a wish on my behalf."

"My wish is destroying you more everyday, whether you're a man or an owl."

"I have no regrets, Sarah. You've fulfilled my wish more so than I had ever dreamed."

"What would happen if you returned to the Labyrinth?"

"I can't, it's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," she said curtly. "How did you get from here to there?"

"Sarah, you can't."

"Jareth, either you tell me or the book will!"

"I enter this world by being summoned," he answered with obvious reluctance. "As I had when you wished your brother to be taken. I am magically transported to the location to retrieve the child. Returning home is…" He shrugged. "It's hard to explain. I simply return to where I come from."

"So, if I were summoned to the labyrinth, then I'd be able to return home whenever I want?"

"Hypothetically, yes. But, you can't be summoned to the labyrinth, Sarah. You have no connection with both myself and the book being in the Aboveground."

"Yes, I do," she whispered, remembering her dream vision. "And you're going back with me."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She made her way through the house to the cellar with determination and purpose, Jareth followed in silence. Once in the dim lit basement she headed to a far wall in the back, and began moving boxes stacked against the wall.

"Could you help with these? Some of them are pretty heavy."

He helped her clear a space to expose a plain wooden door held shut by a simple latch. She opened the door and waved at the cobwebs that were disturbed.

Tugging on a string hanging from the ceiling, a light came on. Sarah stepped inside the small closet area and removed a dust-covered sheet from a mirror leaning against the wall.

"This is the mirror from my old dresser," she explained. "I kept it hidden in case it was still a portal between our worlds."

"You had truly buried everything from that night, hadn't you?"

She glanced at him. "Everything except you," she said softly, then cleared her throat. "Help me carry this upstairs."

"It won't help, Sarah. There's no one on the other side to call. The labyrinth is dormant, as is all its inhabitants."

"Not all of them," she said cryptically with mild conviction. "Are you going to help with this or not?"

He brushed past her and picked up the mirror himself. Careful to not hit anything, he carried it upstairs to the living room and placed it on the floor in front of the sofa.

She busied herself with cleaning the mirror, ignoring the humming she heard emanating from the book on the kitchen table.

She was starting to second-guess herself at this being a good idea, though the thought of it failure never entered her mind. Her only concern was what the consequences would be for Jareth.

"Do you have any idea what effect returning to the labyrinth would have on you?" she asked, voicing her worries. "Or on me for that matter."

"I would expect the worst," he stated softly. "For myself at least. I may not make it through the portal, Sarah."

"Well, don't give up just yet," she told him with conviction. "Either we both make it or neither of us will, I'll see to at least that much."

"Sarah, this is ludicrous. You can't…"

"I can!" she shouted. "I will 'not' let you destroy yourself, when will you get that through your thick skull? There 'has' to be a way to lift the curse, there always is. And I will find it!"

"Fine," he conceded. "I'll tell you."

"You'll what?" she asked, her tone deep and threatening. "You 'know' how to lift the curse and you haven't mentioned it before now!"

"I wasn't certain you would want to know before now," he stated with mild conviction.

"Oh, really?" she said with heavy sarcasm. "Well then, please, tell me, Jareth. How do I lift the curse to save your sorry ass from dying?"

"You must return to me everything I've given you."

"I tried giving you the book, you said you couldn't touch it," she accused.

"You must return 'everything' I've given you, Sarah, including my love for you."

"I can't do that," she whispered very low. "I can give you everything else, but I don't love you, Jareth."

"Now you see why I wasn't forthcoming with telling you. You're incapable of saving me, Sarah."

"Maybe if I had more time… maybe I would eventually…" She knew by the look in his eyes, by the tightness in her gut, that there was no more time.

"But, I care about you, Jareth. You know that right? The book knows it, wouldn't it? I want you, doesn't that count?"

He looked away from her dejectedly. "That's more than I hoped for, Sarah, but it's not enough to lift the curse."

"Then we go to the labyrinth and I find another way," she grit with new determination. "I might not love you, Jareth, but I won't let you die because of me!"

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

She stood in the living room, the Book of Power in her hands, the mirror propped up against the wall, and Jareth by her side donned in his clothes from the Underground.

"Now what?"

"Even if I knew that answer, I couldn't tell you. Every decision I make weakens me. I don't think I have enough strength to withstand another decision."

She turned her gaze towards him, her eyes full of regret and sorrow before they hardened once more with determination.

She looked at the book in her hands. "I wish to know how to get to the Labyrinth."

The book scribed what she already knew in response. That she had to be summoned from the other side.

"You are no fucking help whatsoever!" she yelled at the hardbound angrily. "You were supposed to help me protect him, not destroy him!"

"Sarah," Jareth gasped. "Stop, you don't know what you're saying!"

"You give me nothing but cryptic messages and visions of the past when you know damn well that I don't understand what they mean!" she continued to rant, ignoring Jareth's warning.

Her anger built up inside her like lava from a volcano.

The book grew warmer in her grasp.

"You're nothing but a worthless piece of recycled trees!"

"Sarah!" Jareth pleaded urgently. "Put it down! Do NOT provoke the power in anger!"

The book started to glow in her hands.

"Every wish I've made has done nothing but cause him pain! Was that your intention?" she yelled heatedly.

"I won't do it! Do you hear me? I will find a way to fix this and you're going to fucking help me!"

"Sarah, please, listen to me! You don't know what you're saying!"

The book glowed brighter, emanating its power from its pages.

"Yea, that's right, come on, give me what you've got! Prove to me how powerful you are! For my will is as strong as yours! Take us to the castle beyond the goblin city, NOW!"

"Sarah, NO!" Jareth yelled and lunged forward with his hand outstretched to knock the book from her grasp.

As he projected himself forward the power within the book coursed through Sarah's hands, up her arms, and throughout her body.

She screamed as a searing pain enveloped her and clasped Jareth's outstretched hand tightly with hers.

The Book of Power consumed them both within its blinding light.

Sarah screamed with more intensity, Jareth bellowed in pain along with her as they suddenly vanished from the living room.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Their agonizing screams preceded their appearances in the frozen throne room of the castle beyond the goblin city.

The bitter winds whipped around them, biting at their flesh unmercifully.

Jareth was physically thrown from Sarah to land bodily on the stone floor halfway across the room.

Sarah fell to her knees in the cold darkness. Her breaths were ragged gasps as the power seared through her entire being. She cried out in agony with clenched fists and gritted teeth as it consumed her completely.

She felt it course through her veins like a burning hot liquid, her muscles felt as though they turned to gel then solidified themselves again, her mind filled with knowledge that didn't make any sense to her, her eyes burned as though she had gotten soap in them.

She couldn't breath, her lungs refused to let in air, her throat constricted and she couldn't swallow, she thought for sure she was going to die and choked one final request with a voice that didn't sound like her own.

"Save Jareth."

She collapsed to the icy stone floor on hands and knees, her head hung low to the floor, as the rhythmic sound of a drum or a heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears.

She listened to its steady cadence; felt it beat in time with her own pulse. But instead of it getting weaker with death as she expected, it grew stronger and louder.

She felt the air around her become easier to breath, her lungs expanded to full capacity. Her ears drummed with sounds she'd never heard before, her eyes focused with such intense clarity she swore she could see the very air. Her body felt lighter, her skin tingled, and her slightest movement was effortless.

She suddenly became aware of the biting winds raging throughout the castle as she raised her head from the floor. All the pain from moments before subsided; she felt warmth surround her like a second skin, soft and comforting.

Raising herself to her knees she breathed deeply with closed eyes. She felt the power, magic, and emotions run rampant throughout her body and mind.

She felt overwhelmed with so many things hitting her at once and was surprised, no, intrigued, that fear wasn't one of them. She felt confident, self assured and even arrogant about herself.

She felt invincible.

Her hair whipped around her in the wild winds, stinging her face and arms. Opening her eyes, she could see Jareth on the floor nearby, huddled in a defensive position with his arms over his head, his knees drawn tightly to his chest.

"Cease!" she commanded loudly, finding herself irritated by the biting gales.

The winds died instantly within the throne room and the ice that covered everything began to magically dissipate.

She turned her head to the side, cocking it as Jareth often had done when he was king, to listen to the sounds that hummed in her ears like background sounds.

They were cries for help, tormented and scared, coming from the very walls around her. She could hear the destructive winds that continued to rage outside.

She felt the fear of the inhabitants, and the hopelessness that had filled the kingdom with an inner perception that was strange and yet familiar at the same time.

She glanced towards the open stone window and saw the winds blowing fiercely outside. Slowly she rose to her feet, her balance coming to her with more ease than she had expected, and gracefully tread over to the window.

She gasped in horror at the frozen wasteland that was the labyrinth. The destruction of the goblin city, and the landscape beyond was devastating. It was all buried under thick shields of ice, there was no sun penetrating the gray/black skies. Her heart leapt in her chest knowing that somehow she had caused this.

Suddenly, reminded of Jareth being in the room, she tilted her head to the side once more and knew exactly where he lay in the darkness.

Her heart skipped a beat as she briskly made her way to his side, frowning at the gown she found herself wearing as she strode forward.

"Sarah," he called weakly as she bent next to him. "You have no idea what you've done."

A strange voice came to her ears, distracting her from what Jareth was saying.

Walking back to the window she peered out to look over the labyrinth once again. With her hands resting on the stone wall, she felt an urgency rise within her that she knew wasn't hers. Renewed hope poured through her hands from the very stone.

She stood motionless, as the feeling grew stronger within her. She had the sudden urge to command the very forces themselves and knew exactly what to say.

"Cease this destruction," she commanded in a strong voice. "Make the cold winds turn warm, make the ice melt to the streams, let the sun shine and bring life back to the labyrinth."

She clutched the edge of the stone window as a wave of dizziness washed over her. After it passed, she watched in amazement as the labyrinth changed before her very eyes.

The winds ceased to blow, the sun washed over the land and flooded everything below in its light, and the ice melted completely within minutes.

"Sarah," Jareth called to her, his voice full of despair as he weakly rose to his hands and knees.

"Jareth," she acknowledged flatly, still watching the transition of the labyrinth below.

"Sarah, I have no magic. I… I think I'm mortal."

She turned from the window as the sunlight flooded the throne room, silhouetting her from his perspective on his knees.

He lifted a hand to his eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness, and staggered to his feet.

"I know," she stated regally, feeling the surge of power course through her entire body. "It was the only way to save you from death."

He staggered backwards with stunned shock at seeing her in full light. She was radiant.

She squared her shoulders, her back straight and proud, her chin raised regally. She looked down upon him as she walked across the room, and silently let him stare at her in shocked disbelief.

His breath caught in his throat at seeing her translucent green eyes that regarded him coolly. Her hair was thicker, longer, and hung almost to her waist in lustrous waves. Her skin was perfectly pale, and she emanated power and authority.

The Book of Power had truly claimed her.

"It's impossible," he whispered, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Come now, Jareth," she smiled coldly at him with a tilt of her head. "You knew perfectly well what you were doing when you gave me everything five years ago."

"I risked everything for you," he whispered, backing away from her.

He'd never been this overwhelmed in his life, nor as powerless. He had the taste of fear in his mouth, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Of course you did," she sneered, taking a step closer. "Do you regret causing your own demise?"

She laughed for no reason except to hear it from her own lips. She liked the sound of it. Her eyes sparkled with her own mirth.

Jareth fell to his knees as the feeling of complete defeat washed over him. 'This can't be happening,' he thought to himself. 'This can't be right. Never, in the history of the Fae, has anything like this happened before.'

Sarah turned her attention to the empty throne room to survey its condition. It was void of all filth and debris, only the royal throne itself and the circular pit before it remained. It definitely needed some work, if not a feminine touch at least.

"Jareth." She called in a whimsical voice.

"Yes, …my Lady," he whispered barely audible.

"I need you as much now as I ever had before." She turned her gaze back to him and quirked a delicate brow at having to look down. "Get up off the floor, Jareth," she told him impatiently as though speaking to a child.

He slowly staggered to his feet, watching her with uncertainty.

"Magic or not, Jareth, I expect you to be the same…" She cut herself short, her eyes filled with realization. "You lied about that too," she said softly with contemplation.

"No," she contradicted, as thought came to her. "You didn't lie about controlling your own magic, you've never known anything else." She regarded him with contempt. "You have no idea how alien it feels, how commanding and strong your magic is."

The look in her eyes softened as she gazed upon him. He truly had nothing left but his own beating heart, everything he had ever known had been taken from him.

"I won't be cruel like you were, Jareth," she told him in an attempt to be reassuring.

Her eyes shifted distractedly around the room as though she had heard something and was looking for the source.

"At least not towards you." She added in a distracted tone.

Giving him her full attention once more she stepped closer to him, noticing how his shoulders went rigid at her approach, the fear in his eyes stabbed her heart.

"You can feel it, can't you?" she whispered, reaching out to lightly caress his chest between his open shirt.

"Now you know how I felt when I stood before you. You want to be closer to me and get far away from me at the same time."

She pulled her gaze from his to look around the room again. "What '_is_' that noise?" she asked with impatience.

"It's the labyrinth speaking to you," he whispered in a shaky voice. "You may want to listen to it." He tentatively reached out and touched her hair that hung well past her shoulder.

She turned her attention back to him, her pale green eyes hardened ever so slightly at his touch.

He withdrew his hand, hating himself for feeling so cowardly.

She stared at him for a moment before a half smirk formed at the corner of her mouth. She reached out and gently ran her fingers through his wind-tousled hair.

"Unlike you, Jareth, I don't want you to fear me. Ever."

She cocked her head to the side yet again, this time with a frown. "There it is again, do you hear that?"

She started walking away from Jareth then paused to look down at the gown she wore.

"And where the hell did this come from?" she asked in agitation.

It was indigo in color with a deep cleavage and tapered waist, a black bodice, and a high collar at her neck that fanned behind her head like the wing of a bird.

"And why do I look like Maleficent?" she demanded, grabbing at the long satiny material that touched the floor.

"You look nothing like Maleficent," Jareth replied cautiously, and took a step back when she spun on her heels and fixed him with sharp eyes.

"How would you know?" she asked sharply.

"I am familiar with your world's childhood stories."

She noticed his involuntary withdrawal then proceeded towards him with slow precise steps.

"I'll have to keep you very close to me for awhile," she told him. "Because if you don't stop shying away from me every time I look at you, I'll be tempted to hurt you."

Her statement eased some of his uncertainty and he smirked at her. "Ahh, Sarah. You're finally starting to understand things."

She quirked an eyebrow at his flippancy but chose to ignore it.

"How do I get rid of this?" she asked, grabbing a handful of material as emphasis.

"You have to know what's available to you," he answered in a cautious but casual tone. "Then picture it in your mind, and command it to do your bidding."

She thought this over for a full minute. "Would your clothes still be here?"

"Yes," he replied, looking at her curiously. 'She wants to wear my clothes?'

She smirked mischievously and looked upon him more intently.

Within the blink of an eye Jareth's outfit was replaced with a white shirt, a black vest, leather waist jacket, and blue tight fitting breeches with shiny black boots.

"I liked that outfit on you a lot better," she stated, and turned towards the center of the room.

"So it would seem," he muttered, looking at himself as though expecting something to be missing.

The fact that she remembered him wearing it five years ago made an impression in his mind. It was also soothing to have his own clean clothes again.

By the time she reached the throne her gown was replaced with a pair of tight black leather pants with the bodice to match, and black knee high boots.

Jareth refrained from asking where she conjured 'that' outfit from, and made a mental note to remind her that she needed to send and retrieve things from specific places.

"Hoggle," she called out, standing by the side of the royal chair. "Stop hiding."

The door off to the side of the main chamber opened tentatively. "Sarah? Is… is that you?"

"Yes, Hoggle," she replied in a friendly manner, almost sounding like her old self. "It's really me."

The dwarf came bustling out of the closet only to stop short when he was blinded by sunlight, noticing that all the ice was gone in the throne room.

"Is… is 'he' with you?" he asked tentatively, looking down at something in his hands with confusion.

"Don't worry about Jareth right now," she told him matter of factly. "I need the medallion, Hoggle."

Jareth looked on with trepidation and curiosity at what the dwarf held in his hands. 'How the hell did he come to have that?' Jareth thought to himself. 'And how did Sarah know he had it?'

Hoggle raised his eyes with surprise at Sarah knowing what he was holding, then buckled backwards at seeing Sarah in full view for the first time.

"Oh. Oh, my goodness! How… Where… Forgive me your Highness!" he rambled and dropped to his knees in front of her.

"I had no idea that it was you. I mean, I knew 'someone_'_ had taken the power but I never thought… I didn't know that…"

"It's okay, Hoggle," she reassured him, realizing how annoying his rambling would be on a continual basis. She bent down to his level. "Its good to see you too," she smirked.

"Awe, now don't be starting all that again," he said, shuffling his feet shyly.

"I need the medallion, Hoggle," she whispered for only him to hear. "I know it was given to you for safe keeping, and I know who made you take it."

Hoggle held the medallion in his open hands for Sarah to see it.

"I was told specific instructions, Sar… your Highness. I isn't allowed to just give it to anyone. I'm suppose to give it to…" He raised his eyes with realization. "To the one who holds Jareth's power."

"I know, Hoggle. It's okay, trust me."

He held up the medallion for Sarah to take.

With her hand hovering over it, she stared at it intently for a moment before taking it in her hand.

She slowly moved towards the throne in the center of the room, staring at the medallion intently as she walked.

"You!" Hoggle exclaimed, noticing Jareth for the first time.

"How is you here if Sarah holds the power now?" he asked, striding towards his former king with confidence.

"Why ain't you cursed? And… What you cut your hair for? That was the best thing you had going for you!"

"Nice to see you too, Hogwart," Jareth sneered, though his stance became defensive.

"I wanted Jareth with me, Hoggle," Sarah answered distractedly, frowning at the medallion. "And he's mortal now."

"But, your Highness, why would you want this rat around after alls he's done to you?"

"Stop calling me your highness, and he's here because I wish him to be here," she snapped curtly with waning patience, barely glancing over her shoulder before staring back at the medallion.

She didn't notice the hurt yet fearful expression on Hoggle's face.

"You may notice her temperament has changed just slightly," Jareth informed the dwarf with a sardonic smirk. "Just think, all that power coursing through her, and she doesn't know what she's doing."

He chuckled at the horrified expression that filled the dwarf's face.

"He's mortal you say?" Hoggle mused aloud.

Sarah could feel that something wasn't right. The medallion was supposed to be an integral part of whomever held the power of the labyrinth, but it didn't feel right in her hands.

She continued around the throne to ask Jareth about it just as Hoggle kicked his previous king hard in the shin.

"That's for never gittin me name right!" He spat with satisfaction.

"Hoggle!" she reprimanded hotly, and within the blink of an eye found herself standing directly in front of her friend with Jareth hopping on one foot behind her, trying to ease the pain in his leg.

Hoggle jumped back at her sudden appearance and cowered just as he had done towards Jareth before he was cursed.

"Forgive me, I couldn't help meself!"

Sarah was momentarily disoriented and dizzy and looked around to get her bearings, not paying much attention to either of them at first. Then a feeling of contempt washed over her as she looked down upon the dwarf.

"You hurt him again, Hoggle, and I'll be force to retaliate." She put her hands on her hips, and bend slightly over him. "Returning him to the labyrinth was my idea, I need him whether you like it or not." She continued, pointing at the dwarf. "If you can't control yourself in his presence then don't be around him."

"Yes, Sarah," he mumbled humbly, digging his toe in the stone.

"As for you," she said pointing, turning on Jareth who still rubbed at his shin. "Get his damn name right."

"Fine," Jareth grumbled, standing straight. Sarah arched a brow at him expectantly. "Yes, my Lady," he corrected, and then shot Hoggle a hateful glare as Sarah turned away.

She paused and looked back at Jareth from over her shoulder.

Jareth watched her stoically, his chin rose slightly with defiance.

She smirked and turned around to step up to him. "I saw that little flash of anger." She informed him with a knowing smirk. "Actually, I '_felt_' it."

She pressed herself up against him enticingly, her hands held the medallion between their bodies.

"Were you as empathic as this, Jareth? Is that how you knew that I was attracted to you when I didn't realize it myself at fifteen?"

Hoggle dramatically slapped himself on the forehead and groaned. Turning around he shuffled out of the throne room before he witnessed anything that would make him sick.

"Wimen, never understands them."

"I wasn't quite as sensitive as you seem to be," Jareth replied casually. He could feel the power emanating from her. It fascinated and frightened him simultaneously.

With her words to not fear her prominent in his mind, he slowly reached a hand up to her face, his fingers resting at her neck while his thumb caressed her cheek.

"I told you to be careful of what you wished for, you insisted on not listening to me."

He bent his head to kiss her lips while his heart slammed in his chest wildly with uncertainty and desire at the same time.

She returned his forwardness, her senses spinning as his kiss deepened. She needed this, to feel him touching her, to hold him after almost losing him.

She had felt the power try to rip him away from her as they returned to the labyrinth. She held onto him with everything she possessed, screaming along with him when the last bit of magic had been taken from him, the price he paid to still live.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: THE ONLY THING I CLAIM TO OWN IS THE INSANE IDEA THAT FORMED THIS STORY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BORROWED FROM RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

A/N: I apologize for yet another chapter not being properly beta read, but I wanted to post this for you before for the Holidays. I hope everyone who celebrates during this season has a joyful, safe, and heart warming Holiday.

**Curse of the Labyrinth**

**CHAPTER NINE**

He deepened his kiss, pulling her tightly against him. She lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, when she suddenly felt the ground leave her feet, the sensation of falling hit her hard, she felt pain in her shoulder, and the room spun all around her in a blur as she struggled to focus.

She screamed for Jareth to help her but all she heard was a piercing shriek in her ears.

Then she felt his hands on her shoulders, heard his voice talking to her, but she couldn't understand him. His voice was distorted as though speaking under water.

She turned her head towards his voice and screamed in astonished fear at how much larger he had become. He was literally a giant, holding her entirely in his two hands! She struggled against him in panic.

"What's happening?" She screamed in terror. Again she heard the shrieking noise in her ears. "Jareth!"

He hunched down to one knee and held her in his hands, cuddling her close to his chest. "Sarah, calm down," he said to her patiently, knowing she wouldn't understand his words at first.

She scratched his arm with a talon in her wild struggle to get free.

"Sarah, you've transformed," he explained in a calm voice, speaking in between her piercing shrieks. He ignored the laceration on his arm with patience, knowing that she didn't understand what had happened to her.

"You're a beautiful falcon, actually. It suits you. You'll most likely be bruised on your right arm from hitting the ground." He caressed her wing gently, noting how soft her feathers were.

"You'll learn to stay airborne soon enough I suppose." He chuckled slightly. "You're breaking more rules, Sarah. You shouldn't be able to transform at all."

He gently caressed her back then repeated his words a couple of times until she started to settle down in his arms.

"Why aren't you answering me?!" she screamed at him, her eyes ablaze at him with fear and anger.

"What is that shrieking noise?"

"Why are you a giant?"

"Why won't you help me?"

She gave up trying to fight him and cried inwardly.

"What's happening to me?"

"You shouldn't be able to transform at all_." _She heard him saying in a calm tone of voice.

"Transform? Who, me? Did I?"

She glanced down at herself and saw the grey and white feathers, the wings, the talons, and the blood on Jareth's forearm.

"Oh no."

She looked up into his blue mismatched eyes, full of patience and understanding. She sensed his love for her in this form. She heard it in his voice, felt it in his touch.

"Why do you love me so much? Why can't I love you back?"

"You're a beautiful falcon, actually. It suits you. You'll most likely be bruised on your right arm from hitting the ground. You'll learn to stay airborne soon enough I suppose. You're breaking more rules, Sarah. You shouldn't be able to transform at all."

"Didn't you just say that?" She frowned and shook her head, unknowingly ruffling her feathers in her agitation. "I seriously hope you're going to tell me how to change back again, Jareth."

When she looked at him again she noticed the smirk on his lips, his eyes shone with amusement.

"This isn't funny!"

He laughed openly at her ruffling her feathers, how she glared at him with an open beak. He knew when she started to understand him by the way she looked at him. He briefly wondered if his eyes had been half as expressive while in owl form. It would explain quite a lot if so.

"Picture yourself as a woman, Sarah." He explained in a calm voice.

He chuckled when her eyes almost crossed, looking at him as though he were daft.

"You needn't be too specific. Simply think of yourself as human and the magic will do the rest."

There was a shimmer in the air around them as Sarah filled his arms in her womanly form.

"Welcome back," he smirked at her.

"That was not funny!" she ranted, slapping him squarely on his chest as she scrambled to her feet. "I never want to do that again! Do you understand me? Never! And what the hell caused that anyway?"

"You thought of flying," he replied simply, continuing to smirk while rising to his feet.

Her mind raced for an answer. 'I wasn't thinking of flying! Jareth was kissing me and…'

"Oh, shit." She raised her eyes to his with astonishment.

"Yes, that's my conclusion as well," he remarked, trying to contain the inner satisfaction of her reaction to his kiss.

"Oh, no. No." She started pacing in a tight area. "I won't have 'that' taken from me!" She stopped and faced him. "Is that going to happen every time you kiss me?"

"Only you can answer that," he replied calmly, folding his arms to regard her knowingly. "But if I effect you that strongly then you may want to learn to control it."

"Control it," she repeated flatly. "I didn't know I could even do that! How am I supposed to control it?"

"Practice," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"No. I don't want to do that again." She began pacing again. "I couldn't see straight, I couldn't hear anything except that damn shrieking noise…" she paused with realization. "Oh, that was me, wasn't it?" she looked back at him. "I heard myself as a … what did you say I turned into?"

"A falcon." He replied casually. "Which is also very interesting."

"What is it with the labyrinth and birds?" she asked exasperated.

"How else would we soar to the Aboveground?" He lowered his chin slightly from his arrogant stance. "Though I might mention that only a very few of my kind transform into a falcon." He informed her.

"They are all female, and they are all queens." He paced a couple of steps before turning back towards her. "Most of us are owls to fly during the night, and only royalty has the power to transform at all."

"How is that relevant to me? I'm not a queen."

"Apparently," he shrugged, trying to seem casual when his entire being was shaken to the core. "You are."

She turned away from him to think, chewing her bottom lips while in thought. Ignoring the background noises in her ears, she sifted through her mind as though remembering every script she'd ever read trying to find one character.

Her mind raced through ancient knowledge, it weeded through the current confusion from the habitants of the labyrinth, the shifting of the labyrinth itself, the passing of kings and queens. Then, finally, she found the significance.

Only women of high stature who were destined to be seated as the queen of a kingdom were granted the falcon as their alter ego. She is deemed as sleek and graceful, vicious yet loyal, beautiful and slender, and swift in flight if the need arises.

Sarah was now known as the thirteenth falcon to currently abide in the Underground.

"Why would I be granted this?" she asked Jareth, though the answer came to her just as he replied.

"You challenged the Book of Power," he answered simply, stepping closer to her. "You commanded it to 'give me what you've got' I believe your exact words were. It obliged you."

She faced him with fear in her eyes. "Why didn't you stop me?"

His reply was to simply raise an arched brow higher above his eye.

She chuckled without humor. "Right, you did try. I ignored you." She glanced around the room distractedly again, her eyes shifted as though listening to something.

She turned back to him, showing him her fear. "Jareth, hold me."

Her request surprised him after what she just went through at his touch, but he stepped closer and took her in his arms without hesitation.

Standing with Sarah in his arms was, so far, the closest thing to normalcy since they had dug that mirror out of the basement of her house. He closed his eyes and relished the moment.

The power raging within her was making her unpredictable and extremely frightful, and she hadn't even skimmed the surface of what she was capable of. She trembled within his embrace, whether it was the magic or her fear he wasn't certain.

Losing his magic was having its affect on Jareth as well. He felt empty, unsure of everything, the very air felt different, his vision wasn't as clear, his hearing not as sharp, and the wound on his arm burned tremendously to the point of almost bringing tears to his eyes.

His body felt sluggish and heavier, weighed down somehow. The simplest gesture of raising an arm or using his legs was more of a burden. He felt clumsy and uncoordinated with every movement.

In short, if it weren't for the beating of his heart and the warmth emanating from Sarah, he would think himself dead. Which, in truth, a part of him was.

Sarah leaned back slightly within his arms and looked from his one forearm to the other. She 'felt' that he was in pain like some inner intuition, and remembered seeing the blood on his arm.

Finding his wound, she turned within his embrace to rest her back against his chest and raised his injured arm in front of her. It had stopped bleeding, but needed to cleansed and bandaged.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said quietly, running her fingers alongside the minor laceration with regret.

"I know," he whispered, his chin over her shoulder, his other arm firmly wrapped around her stomach. He wasn't surprised when the wound began to heal at her gentle touch. The tingling feeling felt strange, yet pleasant.

"Did I just do that?" she whispered in awe, seeing his skin pull tighter around the laceration.

Not waiting for him to answer, she ran her fingertips alongside the wound once more, than again until all that remained was the stain of dried blood on his healed skin.

"Wow, that would've come in handy with all the times Toby's gotten hurt."

She choked a sob at the sudden reminder of her brother, her family, and friends. She turned in his arms, burying her face into his chest.

"I'll never see them again, will I?"

He wrapped her in his embrace, refusing to answer a question he didn't know the answer to. She should be granted travel between the worlds, just as he had, but considering their rare circumstances, he just wasn't sure.

She rested her head on his chest just below his neck and closed her eyes, letting him comfort her with caressing hands.

Hundreds of voices ran through her mind in a jumbled noise, not allowing her to think about her lost family. Then suddenly the image of Jareth's mother smiling at her kindly appeared behind her eyes in another vision.

"You've brought my son home, I thank you," Rhiannon said to Sarah in an ancient language that Sarah now understood.

"He's not the same, my Lady, I'm so sorry," Sarah thought with regret, using the same ancient language with ease.

"The power didn't want him back in the Underground," Sarah continued. "I had to hold onto him with everything I had to keep him with me. It took away the last of his magic to get him through the portal."

"That was expected, Sarah." The older Fae said kindly. "But all's not lost. Things aren't as they seem in the Underground, remember this and it will turn for the better in the end."

"But, I don't know what I'm doing," Sarah confided humbly. "I've already wounded him when I didn't mean to. I changed, and was so scared, and he was trying to help."

Her eyes pleaded with the other woman in the vision. "What if I hurt him again? What if I can't heal him the next time?"

"Give him the medallion," Rhiannon instructed with patience. "I've felt you trying to draw upon it's magic, but that's a power you can't claim, Sarah, for it holds my protective magic granted to my son at his birth. It will protect him against all other magic that would inflict harm upon him."

"Can I add more magic to it and make it stronger for him?"

Rhiannon was taken aback by the girls request, was insulted. Then realized that Sarah didn't understand that the power in the medallion was from a mother to her child, one of the strongest bonds of protection. She smiled at the girl's naivety.

"You may, but it must be subtle. Too much power in the talisman would hurt him in his current state."

"Do I have to speak certain words?" Sarah asked with sudden reluctance. "I haven't done so well in that regard so far."

"Let your feelings guide your intentions," The Fae smiled. "Simply be specific and you will do fine." Rhiannon's image started to retreat as though she were stepping backwards.

"Sarah," Rhiannon called as the vision started to fade. "He mustn't know of my involvement. You will learn why soon enough. For now you must trust me."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah opened her eyes with a waking breath and pushed herself from Jareth's arms. She glanced around the floor frantically then saw the forgotten medallion. Picking it up she now knew why it hadn't felt right in her hands.

She turned and went back to Jareth, who watched her guardedly as she approached him with his talisman.

She thought for the chain to be fixed from when it had been ripped from his neck, and watched in amazement as the links rejoined.

"I can't wear that, Sarah," he warned cautiously, his tone having a hint of trepidation.

"Yes, you can. It's a part of you that shouldn't have been taken away." She raised her arms to place it around his neck but he stepped back from her.

"Your will isn't that strong." He argued, moving back from her further. "I cannot wear it unless the curse is lifted. It would destroy me."

"It's not by my will that you wear it." She informed him firmly.

"You are mortal, Jareth," Sarah reminded him matter of factly. "You are powerless, defenseless, and weak. You are far beyond the limitations of that curse. You 'need' this."

Her words stabbed through him like a double edged blade. It was one thing to know the truth, it was completely different to hear it spoken in such a calculated manner.

Resigned, he bowed his head for her to slip the medallion around his neck.

He would have never guessed that being mortal was so trying. To constantly have emotions battling within oneself until the strongest one consumed the rest. Fear, he surmised so far, was the strongest emotion mortals beheld.

She raised her arms with the chain splayed in her fingers to go over his head then stopped.

He met her eyes curiously as she stepped back from him, still holding the medallion.

She focused on the amulet for a moment, the center stone glowed briefly in response, then she focused on his chest where the medallion should rest and smiled when it magically went from her hands to around his neck.

He felt the surge of magic burn through him like hot liquid through his veins as soon as the metal touched his skin. It took his breath away as he staggered from the effect.

"What did you do to it?" he breathed in alarm, staring at it against his skin.

After a moment the burning subsided and the medallion felt warm against his chest. Comfortable. His.

He touched it with nostalgia. It had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. He found himself breathing easier with it just being around his neck again.

"I was told it will protect you. Plus I added a thing or two." She laughed at his alarmed expression. "Don't worry, I was granted permission."

"By whom?" he demanded with narrowed eyes.

Already he felt stronger, not as powerless and weak. Though he knew he remained barren of magic, a mortal, at least he felt a little bit like his old self again.

She raised her brows and chin indignantly. "By someone I shall not mention."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Jareth sighed in exasperation, raking his fingers through his hair with impatience.

Sarah was insistent on learning how to create a crystal with no more success now than she had over an hour ago when she had first broached the idea to him.

"Sarah, I'm exhausted. I'm hungry. And I'm starting to hear the labyrinth in my own ears because you've obviously been ignoring it all this time."

"I can do this!" she answered with determination. "I know I can, I can 'feel' it!"

She stared intently at her fingertips as she had seen Jareth do years before and focused once again as Jareth had instructed her to do.

The echo of a roaring dragon suddenly filled the throne room. Within seconds, a dragon, about the size of a model airplane, came whizzing through the open space to fly out through the stone window.

"Well, that almost worked," Sarah said hopefully, blinking at the empty crystal that suddenly appeared in her hand.

"Enough!" Jareth bellowed, rising to his feet and grabbed her by the arm. "You need to address certain things 'now' or the labyrinth will retaliate." In a much softer tone he finished, "Trust me, my Lady, you do not want to deal with that."

"Fine," she conceded, pulling her arm from his grasp and stepped back from him.

His authoritive nature had always taken her breath away, that he continued to be commanding towards her despite their circumstances sent a pleasant shiver up her spine. Unfortunately, she no longer had the luxury of giving in to him when he became forceful, frightening, and sexual.

She was now faced with having to control the head spinning effect he had on her so she didn't transform. She resented this predicament. She resented that Jareth now knew exactly how much power he had over her with just a simple kiss.

Taking a deep breath she focused on the background noise she'd been ignoring. After a moment she shook her head.

"There's too many voices. I can't understand any of them!"

"You must focus on one at a time," he told her, still sounding perturbed. He seated himself on the step in front of the throne.

He had seen her eyes darken with instant arousal when he had pulled her to her feet. He noticed how her lips parted, and heard the sudden rush of her breath. That had always been her reaction to his aggressiveness. That was the extent of her fear of him.

But it wasn't him per say that she feared, it was what he made her feel, and that was just as good in his mind. That she had transformed while in his arms, while his lips were sealed to hers, had nearly blown his mind.

'One at a time he says,' Sarah thought irritably. 'That's like distinguishing one blaring car horn in the midst of a traffic jam.'

The thought of a nice hot bath popped into her head and she closed her eyes to savor the wishful idea.

"Sarah," Jareth called whimsically.

She opened her eyes to see an iron wrought tub full of steaming water and bubbles in the center of the throne room. She smiled and giggled. "Sorry."

Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose with exasperation, then suddenly snapped his head up as he looked at her, his eyes lit with an idea.

"Take your bath."

"What?"

"Yes, take your bath." He rose to his feet. "You always took a shower when you needed to focus on your work. This is no different, Sarah." He stood in front of her, touching her elbow lightly.

"There is a deadline, we just don't know what it is. So far you've done nothing but release the labyrinth from darkness but you're not attending to the needs of the inhabitants."

He let his hand drop to his side and stepped back. "Most of them probably just want to see who my successor is."

"I'm not your successor." She stated flatly.

"You're the holder of the power, you are my successor."

The weight of what she had gotten herself into was really sinking in. She nodded in acceptance to his idea.

"Keep watch for me?"

"Of course," he replied agreeably, knowing that she would sense someone's approach before he would, but she'll figure that out on her own soon enough.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

What started as a wayward thought turned out to be a great idea. Sarah sunk deep into the hot water letting it soothe her.

With closed eyes she listened to the hum of background noise, but didn't try focusing on it just yet.

Taking a deep breath she caught the fragrance of the bubbles that surrounded her up to her chin. It was a soothing fragrance that she'd smelled before but couldn't remember where.

With another deep breath she felt her body relax, the noises in her ears became subdued to a soft melodic hum.

Jareth stood near the royal throne feeling empty. This chair had been his for most of his life, and now he'll never sit upon it again. He reached his hand out and lightly touched the curved arm with his fingertips.

It felt cold and foreboding.

He dropped his hand to his side with a pain in his heart for what he'd given up. He glanced over his shoulder at Sarah. Her eyes were closed and she sighed deeply, relaxing in the steaming water.

He was as surprised at the current circumstances as she was. He thought for certain that the power would have destroyed them both, not claim her as a queen and spare him his life in turn.

Once again he was reminded that he owed his life to Sarah. First as an owl when her tears mixed with his blood that fateful day he'd been wounded, and again as they transported to the labyrinth; her will alone opposed the power that tried to rip them apart.

She had refused to let him go.

He smiled secretly and sat on the step before the great chair.

He was beginning to understand so many things since Sarah took over his powers. He may not be able to deceive her as he could before, but he was becoming aware of her deceptions in turn. How strong her feelings for him were being the utmost.

Her transforming into a falcon was shocking in itself, her timing for said transformance made him smile even broader.

As an owl he had ached for her touch, but no matter what he had tried she had never granted him so much as a kind caress. After he was human he had been so consumed that she wanted him physically that he hadn't thought on it much deeper.

Her attraction for him was definitely much deeper than he'd ever hoped, or realized until now. She may rule over him, but she was granting him so much in return.

She allowed him to frighten her, she expected it from him. She was finally seeking his counsel and heeding his advice, more or less at any rate, and her feelings for him were deeper than she was willing to admit, even to herself.

He heard her take another deep sighing breath and moved to check on her. As he neared the bath he caught the fragrance of lavender and peppermint wafting from the tub and quickened his pace in alarm.

It was the scent of a sleep spell.

"Sarah!" he called to her, reaching the tub.

He took her chin in his hand to lift her face. She was deep in slumber.

"Sarah!" he shouted again. "Dammit!" he yelled at the room in general. "Not even you are so cruel!" he shouted at the very walls. "There is no challenge when she doesn't know what you've done! Give her a fair chance!"

"Jareth?" She slowly opened her eyes, blinking in rapid succession. "What the hell is your problem?"

Before he could answer she sat up in the tub with a sudden look of apprehension.

"I have to go," she said in a trance like voice. "Wait for my return in your chambers." With that said she vanished.

"No, Sarah!" Jareth exclaimed, punching the top layer of bubbles from the empty bath, splashing water onto the floor. "I have 'never' been sent to my chambers! Don't ask this of me."

His voice trailed off into silence and he was met with the harsh reality that he must comply with her bidding.

He turned from the tub, his shoulders slumped, and quietly started the trek to his chambers by foot. Something he hadn't done since he learned to transport himself.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah appeared in total darkness with the pre-thought to cloth herself as she stood still for a moment.

She had been summoned here by the voice she'd been hearing since her arrival in the labyrinth. There was nothing she could do to refuse it and barely had time to warn Jareth.

Telling him to wait in his chambers was the safest place she thought of for him to wait for her, though she knew afterwards that he hadn't taken the command too kindly.

A cool wind swept around her steady but gentle. Her hair gently whipped around her face and she could smell the distinct odor of dank dampness.

She heard noises, little shuffling sounds, all around her and decided to put some light into her surroundings.

Remembering what Jareth had told her about knowing where to take or send things, she pictured one of the candles she'd noticed in the throne room and felt it appear in her hand, in another second a small flame grew from the charred wick.

Holding it above her head she peered into the darkness but the light wasn't strong enough. With a small thought the light grew and spread several feet around her.

She was standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking a cavernous abyss and took an involuntary step back from the edge.

She heard a soft amused chuckle echo all around her.

"Would you like some more light?" the voice asked from within the darkness.

It had a hint of femininity, though could be masculine at the same time. It had a soothing tone, old, patient, and wise.

"Yes, please."

The glow from her candle spread brighter and wider until it flooded a deep wide cavern that towered above, around, and below from where she stood.

It looked as vast as the labyrinth had from the hill top when Jareth had first brought her to the Underground.

"What is this place?" Sarah whispered in awe.

"This is the oubliette, Sarah." The voice replied.

"It can't be," she whispered. "I was in the oubliette and it wasn't like this at all."

Another amused chuckle echoed around her.

"You were merely in one of the many tunnels that lead to the oubliette. This is where the labyrinth begins. It is the heart of the Underground. It reaches as far as the farthest kingdom and is as deep as the earth itself."

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, feeling extremely uneasy and insignificant all of a sudden.

"So that I may speak with you." The voice explained with ancient patience. "You are very adept at ignoring what you do not wish to hear. Even Jareth knew his limits in this regard."

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her fear at bay, relying on the soothing tone of the voice for courage.

Another soft chuckle. "Finally, you ask the first question. I am the Labyrinth."

"The Labyrinth? How can you be the Lab…"

Her mind brought forth an old myth of the Fae. It claimed that the labyrinth was a living thing that had its own pulse, its own mind, and its own voice. It was the keeper of all magic in the Underground, though it had never been proved beyond myth.

"The myth is true," she whispered in awed wonder.

She noticed movement within the uneven crevasses and rock ledges. It reminded her of ants swarming over their nest. "What are those creatures?"

"The forgotten ones." The voice replied simply. "Mostly children who were not reclaimed by the one who wished them away."

Sarah gasped in horror.

"Do not distress, Sarah. They all have been claimed by me. They do not suffer. They never age, are never hungry, and never die."

"But, why do you curse the children? They didn't do anything wrong."

"Some are returned," the Labyrinth offered as appeasement. "If the correct words are spoken by the one who first made the wish. Otherwise they are forgotten and remain with me until one who holds power speaks the correct words and they are claimed."

Sarah gazed out in horror. "There must be thousands upon thousands of them."

The light slowly grew dim throughout the oubliette except for her immediate surroundings, blocking her view.

"Not all forgotten ones are children,' the Labyrinth explained softly. "The army of mages for example, roam the shadows of eternity waiting to be commanded."

"Are you telling me that I can command this army?" Sarah asked. "Why would I need an army?"

"If the correct words are spoken by one with power, the army of mages will come forth. As for why, there is a shift taking place in the Underground. An end is near. Old ways will soon be remembered, new ways will be born, and order will be restored."

"I don't understand."

"You will in time." There was a pause. "Sarah, I accepted your challenge."

"What challenge?" she asked cautiously.

She was answered by her own voice repeating words she had already spoken, echoing in anger.

'_Yea, that's right, come on, give me what you've got! Prove to me how powerful you are! For my will is as strong as yours!_'

"I have given you all of which the Book of Power held," the Labyrinth whispered. "And I grant that you have a very strong will for a mortal so young, otherwise the heir of kings would not still live. Do you still wish for me to prove how powerful I am?"

She started to shake with trepidation. This was the power that ruled it all. One wrong word and…

"Sarah?"

"Y… yes?" Sudden, absolute terror gripped her. "No! I wasn't answering your question! Please! I answered your calling of my name!"

The amused chuckle soothed her fear somewhat, though she wasn't sure why.

"I see why the heir of kings loves you. So innocent and eager. Brave though fearful. Kind with just enough cruelty. I await your answer, Sarah. Do you still wish for me to prove how powerful I am?"

She gazed out into the cavernous darkness and a calmness settled over her like a warm blanket.

She thought of Jareth being cursed then made mortal. How he had accused her of understanding nothing just before she had turned his world upside down. How he had risked everything for her… and lost it all.

She thought of the forgotten ones, children and mages alike, to live in darkness forever. She thought of the power that coursed through her entire being.

"You already have," Sarah whispered humbly, bowing her head with closed eyes.

A gust of warm air whistled throughout the oubliette like an enormous breath.

"That, Queen Sarah, is the most precious thing anyone has ever said to me. Go, and protect everything I have given you."

Sarah opened her eyes to find herself in a luxuriously decorated room in the castle. She side stepped to catch her balance as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Breathing heavily she looked around to see Jareth reaching for her.

"Sarah." His voice was filled with alarm. His hands grasped her shoulders to support her. "Where did you go? You've been away for hours."

"I was summoned… to the heart of the Labyrinth."

Jareth froze astounded until she weakly fell into him.

"Hold me."

He gathered her into his arms and carried her to his bed. Putting her down gently, he then climbed the high frame to wrap his arms around her as she nestled against him in exhaustion.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Jareth held Sarah loosely as she slept. Her body was half draped over his as she always slept while sharing a bed with him.

He caressed her shoulder and arm, and idly ran his fingers through her thick long hair. He felt the tingle of magic like static when he touched her, something that hadn't happened before she had vanished.

He took a long deep breath at the claim she had made before nearly passing out in his arms.

The Heart of the Labyrinth was a myth as old as time among the Fae. The very few who had claimed to have seen it hadn't been very creditable to begin with.

That Sarah claimed the same had frightening validation for the simple reason that she was a mortal from the Aboveworld, a mortal who should not have magic emanating from her very soul.

She also shouldn't be able to transform nor 'add a thing or two' to a mystical talisman and yet she had done both. These powers weren't those of an average Fae, they were the powers of royalty.

But then Sarah had obviously been chosen by the Labyrinth itself. Her alter ego of a falcon was proof enough.

It was also obvious that Sarah wasn't alone, she had someone helping her, advising her.

Jareth felt anxious as to whom was assisting her. Whose identity was she protecting so strongly, and trusted so completely?

Who helped her enchant his medallion? Whoever it was used magic that was far older than his own, and that narrowed the list dramatically.

A feeling of fear consumed him. If the Labyrinth favored Sarah enough to show her its heart, then Sarah's magic would be greater than his own had been, and that thought alone was very unsettling.

For Sarah didn't know what she was capable of, and now neither did Jareth.

Sarah opened her eyes, languidly stretched her body alongside of Jareth's and settled back in place within his arms. She felt a whole world better for having rested, and felt ready to begin the tasks that she could now sensed were required of her.

The Labyrinth had done something to her. The magic within her felt stronger yet not as alien as it had before. The humming in her ears wasn't as demanding now. It sounded calmer, more patient to wait for her attention.

With a deep sigh she let her thoughts turn to the Labyrinth and all that it had told her. It had asked her the ultimate riddle to survive, and she had passed the test. Somehow, though, Sarah had a feeling that she hadn't even begun to prove herself.

Something old and yet more recent nagged at her personal memories. She let her mind find it and the memory of the dream spell that Jareth had put on her with a cursed peach played out behind her eyes.

She ran her fingers idly over his chest, lightly tracing the details of his talisman, as she danced in his arms at the enchanted ball.

There was a message in this memory, something the Labyrinth wanted her to realize, she just had to figure out what it was.

"I tried to remove the medallion while you were gone," Jareth stated, breaking the silence. "I thought to take advantage of the bath you left in the throne room."

She remained silent though he knew she heard him as she traced imaginary patterns over his chest.

"Would you explain why I could not remove it?"

"It can't protect you if you're not wearing it," she whispered simply. "It's one of the spells I added when I placed it around your neck. When you gain your magic back, Jareth, you can remove it yourself. Until then it stays were it is."

"Sarah," he breathed in anguish. "The curse is beyond retraction. You're consumption of my powers can not be revoked. I'm nothing but a mortal man, I cannot have my powers returned to me."

"Nothing is as it seems, Jareth."

She rose to brace her weight on her elbow, looking down at him. "Something's been nagging at me and I want you tell me the truth."

His brows rose expectantly, though he felt the sensation of uncertainty just from her questioning.

"When you gave me the peach my first time in the labyrinth, were you really there dancing with me or did I dream the entire thing myself?"

That, was the breaking question of all time, and he wondered how it came to her mind to ask it. But he answered her honestly none the less.

"You summoned me into your dream, Sarah. You called to me in your confusion, your need to see someone familiar. I appeared to you only to appease that need, letting you glimpse me from afar before taking my leave."

She stared at him with unseeing eyes as she processed his answer, knowing that he was telling her the truth.

"That's why it seemed so strange," she whispered to herself, gaining a curious expression from Jareth.

She'd often wondered why he had seemed different while he danced with her, but had never put too much thought into it considering everything else that had happened.

She now saw with clarity why his voice had lacked its normal condescendence. Why his eyes had lacked their usual dominance. And, more important, why she'd been able to push away from him, and escape when his mere closeness had previously held her spell bound, as it still did when he took her in his arms.

She'd dreamed the whole thing. She had envisioned him taking her in his arms, singing to her a soft love song, and swaying her around the dance floor, while he wasn't even there.

Her eyes shifted, focused on his, and became cold. "But you set the theme. You gave me breadcrumbs to follow."

His mortal heart drummed quickly in his chest at the sudden coldness in her eyes, how her body became warmer next to his from her ire.

She was handed the truth and she didn't like it. He refused to give in to the cowardly feelings coursing through his blood just to humor her.

"It was what you wanted to dream. I merely provided the means." He swallowed harshly, remaining still as she removed herself from the bed.

"If I hadn't left you," he continued carefully, letting his voice follow her across the room. "If I hadn't been so damn confident that I had won, you would still be dancing through all your dreams, and I would still be king."

She wanted to hurt him, slap him across his face, throw him in the bog, something, anything, so that she didn't have to admit that even back then she had wanted him! That she had, quite possibly, made the wrong decision by refusing him.

Toby would have never been harmed, she knew that now. It had always been her that he had wanted. She turned her head away from him, closing her eyes as she disappeared from his chambers.

Jareth breathed heavily with relief, and sunk back into his mattress.

It wasn't fun being mortal, not fun at all, when he felt the terrifying emotions that she had emanated. He felt the static of magic as it built up within and around her, and knew without a doubt that she could cause him harm with a single thought.

His hand reflexively went for the medallion resting on his chest and wondered if her spell included her own magic as well, a safe guard against herself in case she was tempted to cause him serious harm.

"It would be a very smart decision if she had."

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah set out to begin her task of answering every summons that had been called to her since her arrival, finding herself before various habitants throughout the kingdom who cried out for their king.

She was met with many surprised faces when she appeared instead of Jareth. She also spread fear throughout a quarter of the kingdom until she calmed down enough to not be so damn terrorizing.

Oddly enough it had been a small goblin child that had knocked the anger right out of her. Her presence by that point had been announced faster than she was transporting from place to place.

By the time she appeared in the goblin city itself most of the inhabitants ran screaming in fear.

The goblin child had been left behind to cry in the street not two feet away from where Sarah stood. Not one adult would come out of hiding to claim him. His little tears and fearful eyes shattered her sour mood into a thousand pieces.

It wasn't these creature's fault that, what she thought had been repulsion for the goblin king, had been quite the opposite. Being attracted to him while he was looming over her was one thing, she'd always told herself that he had used his magic to make her feel that way.

But to summon him into a dream that she had created… and knowing how he effected her even now… no, she wasn't willing to admit that anything other than physical attraction existed.

She did, however, find it ironic how she still felt obligated to protect him. First as an owl, because he was defenseless and small, and now back in the labyrinth because, yet again, he was defenseless without his magic.

'You weren't defenseless without magic,' her inner voice reminded her.

'I didn't live my life with magic at my fingertips like he did, either,' she rebuked that voice. 'He's scared and defenseless whether he wants to admit it or not.'

'You keep telling yourself that, Sarah.'

She gazed upon the crying goblin babe and felt the power ebb back into a calmer demeanor.

"Come here, little guy," she said softly, gently picking him up from the ground. "I won't hurt you."

She looked around and noticed many faces peeking out at her with fearful curiosity.

"Where's your mommy, hmmm?" she asked the crying thing in her arms and looked around again.

A goblin woman appeared from behind a cart nearby and tentatively stepped in Sarah's direction. Sarah smiled at her and walked over to hand over her baby.

"Don't ever leave a child abandoned like that again." Sarah dictated sternly but without malice.

"Yes, Queen Sarah," the goblin woman replied in a high pitched voice. She curtsied and scurried off into one of the buildings with her child.

Sarah willed herself to the next voice that caught her attention and found herself before the Fierys. She cringed inwardly thinking how she appeared to them 'after' she had calmed down.

The Fierys turned their attentions to her when she had appeared.

"You summoned me?" she questioned in a flat tone.

"Hey little lady!"

"That ain't Jareth,"

"No, man, Jareth ain't king no mo, remember?"

"Oh, yea," snickering. "That's right."

"Hey, I remember you! You owe us your head!"

"Yea, that's right!" Most of them chimed in agreement.

They advanced upon her laughing and striking up their shenanigans until they got closer and realized that Sarah was neither scared nor impressed.

"I suggest you tell me what you require," she told them haughtily. "I don't have all day."

"Sure you do!"

"Yea, we wants to party down with the new king in town!"

"Or queen, as the magic flows!"

More hearty laughter.

They started to sing and dance around her, though Sarah noticed they were careful not to get too close.

With a deep sigh of boredom Sarah turned her focus at the group of mischievous creatures and waved her hand in the air, picturing them all rounded up and contained.

She was delightfully shocked when a crystal appeared in her hand with all the Fierys tucked nicely inside still dancing and singing their hearts content.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.**

**Curse of the Labyrinth**

**CHAPTER ****TEN**

Sarah returned to the throne room, excited about creating a crystal and getting rid of the troublesome Fierys at the same time, only to find a woman standing close to Jareth, too close as far as Sarah was concerned.

Jareth was leaning back against the stone wall, his one leg bent casually with his foot on the wall behind him, and his arms crossed over his chest.

A stance that told Sarah he was merely tolerating the female fae as she pawned over him with a seductive voice and touchy fingers.

"I'm not sure I like the hair, but I can get used to it," she purred seductively, running her fingers through his soft locks.

Sarah was instantly standing behind the woman with a stoic expression on her face.

The woman casually glanced over her shoulder when Jareth's gaze shifted pointedly behind her.

"Oh, my!" she exclaimed startled, and stepped away from Jareth immediately. "I didn't feel you enter. My apologies for intruding, your Highness."

"Who exactly is seeking my forgiveness?" Sarah asked coldly, letting the overwhelming feelings inside her flow to the surface once more. She was going to be thoroughly exhausted by the end of this day, she just knew it.

"I am Melinda," she replied, and curtsied. "I'm from the Fairy City, and was asked to come on behalf of Torlaine, the Fairy King, and his wife, Queen Helannah, to introduce our kingdom to you as our neighboring borders exist along the labyrinth."

"Tell your king and queen I return their greeting. Kindly introduce me as Lady Sarah."

"Lady?" she questioned, glancing at Jareth with confusion. "But you are the ruler of the goblin city, you are it's queen."

"Not quite yet. There's still one thing to be done before I claim such a title." Sarah smiled with feigned sincerity, folding her arms regally. "Now, explain to me what interest you have with the former goblin king."

Melinda became very uncomfortable and started wringing her hands in front of herself. "I was… uhm… he was well missed these past years, your Highness. I was merely catching him up on events during his absence."

"Is that so," she replied sounding bored. "In the future, I suggest that you speak to Jareth with mere words and not physical contact."

Sarah glanced at Jareth who hadn't moved nor tried to interrupt in the slightest.

"Jareth, was that subtle enough, or too vague?"

"I believe your intended message is clear, my Lady," he smirked, amused by her reaction to Melinda being so close to him.

"Good. I hate repeating myself." She turned her cold gaze back to the servant. "Melinda, extend my message to all others who would want to 'catch up' with Jareth."

"Yes, your Highness." She answered readily, bowing submissively while diverting her eyes from Jareth altogether.

"As a token to you personally, I shall give you this." Sarah held up the crystal she had already created.

"I couldn't possibly..."

"Are you refusing my gift?" Sarah demanded indignantly

"No, of course not, your Highness." With a trembling hand Melinda took the crystal from Sarah's fingertips. "May I ask what it holds?"

"Hmmm," Sarah hummed with contemplation. "Fuzzy little pets." She said with finality, and a serene smile.

"My Lady," Jareth interjected cautiously, having a suspicion as to what 'fuzzy little pets' Sarah referred to.

Sarah frowned and waved at him to be silent.

"It may not bode well," he continued, ignoring her subtle command for silence. "To bestow such a gift to one not worthy enough to appreciate it."

Sarah slowly turned her head to catch his eyes with her steel gaze.

He hated the lump that formed in his throat. "May I suggest…"

"No, Jareth, you may not." Sarah turned her gaze back towards Melinda, feeling Jareth's heated glare at her back.

The servant's eyes grew wide at the pleased smirk that formed on Sarah's face.

"He's much more interesting when his feathers are ruffled, don't you think?" she asked the woman rhetorically.

Jareth snorted and stalked off, putting much space between himself and 'the queen'.

Sarah laughed, though her eyes remained cold.

"You may refuse my gift if you wish, Melinda," she told the woman, holding out her hand for its return. "I rarely ignore Jareth's counsel. If he deems you unworthy, then I shall agree with him."

The woman readily placed the crystal into Sarah's palm with a shaking hand.

"You may take your leave now."

Melinda was gone without another word.

Sarah turned her gaze to Jareth. "Must I remind you what I said about you letting women fawn over you?"

"No, I remember your warning distinctly," he stated, managing to sound indifferent, though he wasn't certain how irritated she was and thought adding to his defense wouldn't hurt.

"She caught me off guard in my chambers. I was able to stall her obvious intentions by leading her back to the throne room." He leaned back against the wall with his palms flat behind him. "Another minute and I think she would have resorted to magic to get her way."

Sarah stepped closer to him and touched the medallion around his neck with her forefinger finger and thumb. She smirked up at him.

"I assure you that she would have paid dearly if she had tried to use magic on you." She walked away from him still talking. "If I ever catch you with another woman than I'll know it was by your own choice and not another's interference."

"A bit protective for someone who doesn't love me, wouldn't you say?" He pushed from the wall to follow her but she was suddenly directly in front of him, facing him with cold eyes.

"You belong to me and don't forget it. You willingly gave yourself and everything you owned to 'me'. I will protect what's mine at all cost."

His temper got the better of him, despite everything else. He grabbed her forcibly by her shoulders and spun her around to pin her against the wall. "You neither fear me nor love me, yet you expect my servitude. How do you come to that reasoning?"

"You don't have a choice anymore," she ground out smugly. "Now let me go."

"What if I refuse?" he asked, smiling when he saw the desired flash of uncertainty in her eyes.

For all the power and magic she held at her fingertips, he now knew without a doubt that she wouldn't use any of it against him.

"You like it when I frighten you, remember?"

"Jareth, don't," she warned warily, remembering what happened the last time she lost herself to him.

He ignored her plea and crushed her lips with his.

She returned his attentions and grabbed his shirt in her fists, pulling him closer.

He deepened the kiss as her hands grabbed at his shoulders before she tore her lips away from his.

"Stop. Please, I don't want to change," she gasped with uneven breaths, her hands couldn't hold him any tighter.

"Stay in my arms," he whispered, kissing her on her neck.

She was afraid of changing, and he was determined to show her how to control that problem.

"Feel my hands on you, Sarah. Focus on staying with me."

"Stop," she breathed. "It's not working… oh shit…"

"Sarah!" he suddenly shouted in an authoritive voice.

Her eyes focused on his at his forceful tone.

"Take us to my chambers," he told her in a softer tone.

She struggled to think for a second, then pictured his chambers in her mind and they appeared there within a heartbeat. Jareth staggered for a second or two, holding her to keep his own balance.

"Transporting obviously has a different effect on mortals," he commented.

"Yea, it makes you feel dizzy for a few seconds."

"You could have mentioned that to me sooner," he accused lightly.

"You could have mentioned a lot of things to me," she countered.

Refusing to allow her to become upset again he took her lips in his. She tried to pull back but he held her fast, ignoring her small protests until she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He eased her backwards towards the bed, grabbing her bodily when her heel hit the bottom step of the high frame of the poster bed.

She raised her foot to the step, her breathing uneven as they savagely fought to claim each others mouths. Once she stood on the step she was level with him in height.

He pulled his lips from her mouth, scooped her up in his arms and tossed her bodily onto the bed, plunging himself after her to land more or less at her side.

Her eyes grew wide at his unexpected action then laughed at the thrill of it as he settled himself on top of her.

Her eyes glowed with passion and amusement. Her laughter, though brief, echoed in his mind and caused a surge of desire to course through his body.

It was the first time that she had ever laughed for him.

He lost all thought as he crushed his mouth down on hers, his hands grabbed and roamed her body, blindly trying to get the damn bodice off to reveal her full breasts.

Then suddenly it was gone as well as their other clothes. She'd done it again, wished their clothes away, only this time she hadn't uttered one word. She was using the true form of the magic.

He moved to pull his head back and look at her. Did she realize that she had merely thought her command?

But she refused to let his mouth leave hers with her hands snaked through his hair, her fingers clasped at the back of his head.

He moaned in response. Sarah broke the contact of their mouths, holding his head to hers while she gasped for breath with closed eyes.

"I want you, Jareth," she whispered softly, chanting to herself as she held his face in her hands, his forehead against hers. "I don't want to change. Stay human… don't change, don't change…"

"Think only of me, Sarah." He told her within ragged breaths. "Feel my hands on your skin," he whispered, nipping at her neck when she moved her hands to his shoulders.

His hands grabbed her ass, then trailed down her body to her legs. "Feel my body over yours, feel my lips on your skin."

She was consciously fighting the light-headedness he was causing. She felt the shimmer just waiting to be summoned. "No." She pleaded against the magical effect.

She gasped and clung to his shoulders pulling him down on her roughly. "Don't let me go, please, don't let me change. I need to feel you, don't… let it…"

He couldn't hold himself back any longer. Her cries for him drove him beyond coherent thought.

He pushed between her legs with desperation hoping that she didn't transform under him. She cried out his name passionately when he plunged into her, her nails raked his back viciously. She wrapped her legs around his hips meeting his thrusts in a crazed frenzy.

She cried out his name over and over again, spurring him on like she'd never done before. He felt her body convulse, the warmth that flooded her insides, and growled as ecstasy flooded his senses. He collapsed on top of her, refusing to disengage.

Her trembling arms weakly wrapped around him, holding him close, her legs entwined around him as though to guarantee he couldn't leave her.

He pressed his face to the crook of her neck, his head on the pillow next to hers. "I won't leave you, Sarah." He reassured her, snaking an arm around her back.

She laid with his body covering hers, breathing heavily as their heartbeats slowly returned to normal.

She refused to let him go, the shimmer to change had been so close to the surface. But she managed to stay with him and that was what mattered at the time. Having sex with Jareth had always been fulfilling beyond anything she'd ever experience before, but this time it had been even more so.

With the shimmer being so close to the surface she not only felt her own emotions raging through her but she felt his as well. It had almost sent her soaring, the only thing that had stopped her had been the joining of their bodies.

His desire for her had shaken her to the core of her being, wrapped around her like silk, and almost caused her to cry out more than just his name.

"I know," she whispered contentedly, her eyes slid closed as she drifted to sleep.

He slightly raised his head at her delayed response. He smirked at the pure contentment he saw on her face, at the hand that remained possessively on his ass, the other hand on his back.

Feeling his own surge of contentment, he lowered his head back to the pillow somehow knowing that he had finally claimed her heart.

_* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *_

Sarah entered the throne room with Jareth by her side and stopped dead in her tracks at seeing a vulture sitting on the back of the royal throne with a dead thing in its claws.

"What the hell is that?!"

"That would be… a vulture," he answered demurely.

Sarah had awoke from her nap invigorated while Jareth had been plagued with old memories, horrible dreams, and an uncertain future.

"I can see that, Jareth. Why is it perched on the throne?"

"He took to nesting there quite a while ago." Jareth shrugged nonchalantly. "I left him alone. I found him to be very amusing to watch."

"Where you seriously that bored?"

The indignant look on his face was answer enough.

She turned her eyes to the bird and waved her hand gracefully. The bird and its nasty mess disappeared.

"Was that really necessary?" Jareth asked quietly, staring at the void where the creature vanished from with melancholy eyes.

She looked at him with her own indignance. "Since when are you so sentimental?"

She sensed something was wrong with him, he seemed depressed and lethargic ever since their round of sex, and his sour mood was getting stronger with each passing moment.

She hoped he was able to shake it off soon, her tolerance towards his silent moping was getting thin very quickly.

He turned his eyes towards her and after a pause, licked at dry lips while diverting his gaze.

Sarah's heart leapt to her throat. His mood was lower than she had thought. She fixed her gaze thoughtfully into the air for a moment, staring off into nothing, then turned to him again.

"Follow me," she commanded, and walked towards the open stone window overlooking the labyrinth and city below.

He gazed at her dejectedly, unable to shake his overwhelming feeling of insignificance, as she turned her gaze out the window.

She looked at him then stepped back so that he could stand by the window at her side.

Stepping forward, he peered down at the city wondering what she wanted him to see. Then it came into view, soaring over the little huts, to land on a dialect pillar by the gates of the city.

She hadn't destroyed the vulture as he had thought, she merely relocated its nest outside the castle.

"Thank you," he whispered, meeting her eyes.

"Don't thank me, Jareth. Snap out of this reverie your in. I don't care how you manage to do so, but make it soon.

"I'm sorry." Bowing his head to his chest.

"Stop it!" she said forcible, pushing him back to the wall with her palm on his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

An overwhelming feeling of tension slowly filled the throne room, the static of magic made the hairs at Sarah's neck stand on end. Someone powerful with very old magic was coming.

She glanced over her shoulder, her hand still on Jareth's chest, as several people magically appeared in the throne room.

"That would be the curse of being mortal after having magic his entire life," a robust Fae with snow white hair answered.

Sarah recognized him from her first vision. He had been the one who had put Jareth's magic into the book of power, who had overseen the removal of Jareth's medallion, he was the oldest of the Fae High Counsel.

"Sarlic," Sarah almost sneered, turning bodily to face him and his consort.

Jareth's eyes darted to Sarah in surprise at her knowing the name of the man who stood in her presence. 'Was it Sarlic himself who helped her?'

"Sarah Williams," he addressed stiffly with an insignificant incline of his head. "You've made quite an impression in such a short time in the Underground."

He wasn't surprised she knew who he was, her companion had most likely instructed her on who was important in the Underground. He waited briefly for her response then raised an inquisitive brow at her collective silence.

"In answer to your question, the boy is simply overwhelmed by his mortality." He chuckled without humor. "Poor lad can't cope with all those horrible emotions flooding his senses."

Jareth felt the static of magic starting to emanated from Sarah as anger boiled within her, though her outward appearance was nothing but calm collectedness.

'It's definitely not Sarlic,' he thought to himself, answering his own question. He had the urge to back away from her as the magic in her grew stronger. Already having his back to the wall, however, was in his favor as he remained very still and watchful.

Sarah steadily held the elder's mismatched gaze.

Apparently, being borne to royalty in the Fae society was genetically marked by the heir of a kingdom having different colored eyes. It alleviated any uncertainty of who would be king, or queen, at birth and prevented many wars among those who strived for power.

It did not, however, guarantee that every heir would be wholly accepted socially, as was Jareth's case.

"Interesting how Jareth was coping with all those horrible emotions just fine until you turned your attention toward him, Sarlic."

"Mind your tongue!" he spat crossly. "You are addressing the highest power in the Underground, girl. It would do you good to remember that."

Sarah laughed, the sound tantalizing and pure.

Sarlic's entourage shifted uncomfortably while Sarlic himself became red in the face.

"My, my, how we forget where power truly comes from in this world," Sarah remarked in a light tone.

Her words gave Sarlic pause. He scrutinized her with narrowed eyes.

"I await your apology," she told him airily.

"I owe you nothing of the sort," he gritted between clenched teeth.

The air in the room was charged with magical energy waiting for release.

"Then, it is permissible to enter another's castle without warning nor invite," Sarah stated, counting her accusations on her fingers. "To insult the queen of said castle, and demean those who serve her trustfully?" she clasped her hands behind her back and raised her chin defiantly. "I shall remember this the next time I deem to visit my neighbors."

"Insolent!" he shouted, then forcibly regained control of himself. "You may feel magic coursing through your mortal veins but you are not a queen of this castle nor it's kingdom." He informed her smugly with his hands clasped in front of him. "The magic you hold has no power for you to consider such nonsense."

Sarah was suddenly standing directly under Sarlic's nose, only the barest of space between them. A round of gasps expelled the air while Sarlic stumbled back from her in surprise.

"Tell me again of my insolence, Sarlic," she sneered through thin lips, her eyes bore into his. "Tell me again how powerless I am, after I just stepped through your protective barrier as though it weren't there, highest power of the Underground."

Her sarcasm as she addressed him was heavy enough to give him pause.

"It is impossible," he whispered, staring at her with wide eyes. His gazed shifted toward Jareth.

Sarah sidestepped protectively to block the direction his focus had taken.

"Touch him again, whether by magic or otherwise, Sarlic, and you will find out exactly how much power I have within these mortal veins."

There was no mistaking her threat nor her protectiveness over the former king of the goblin city.

"Release your hold on him, now." Sarah commanded in a threatening tone.

The overbearing feelings of dread, uncertainty, remorse, and cowardice lifted from Jareth as easily as removing a shirt from over his head.

He took a deep steadying breath and then another as he felt more like himself. Within seconds he crossed the room with piercing eyes, squared shoulders, and a defiant tilt of his chin to stand to the side of Sarah's shoulder.

"Feel better?" she asked off handedly, glancing at him peripherally over her shoulder.

"Yes, remarkably better," Jareth replied confidently.

"You are still not the queen of this kingdom," Sarlic insisted.

"Let's see about that, shall we?" She walked passed him to the throne. "If I was informed correctly, Sarlic, only the ruler of the kingdom may sit upon this throne."

She paused on the step of the royal chair, caressed her fingertips along an arm, then turned and seated herself into the plush cushion, lounging back comfortably with crossed knees, bobbing her foot up and down as though bored.

"This is more comfortable than I thought it would be."

Her eyes roamed the room distractedly. "Do you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, her eyes drifting unseeingly as she listened to sounds only she could hear.

All present in the room knew what she was listening to. The voice of the labyrinth directing her to her duties as it did with all kings and queens of power.

"Sarlic, I can't say it was a pleasure, because it wasn't. Now if you'll excuse me I have more important things to attend to than a misguided mage who deems himself all powerful."

She smirked regally as Sarlic's face fumed with incredulous anger.

"Jareth, accompany me, please."

Jareth stepped forward with an outward smirk, his posture full of confidence. Inwardly he worried of what retribution Sarlic would demand for Sarah's insolence.

The fact that Sarlic had been taken aback by Sarah's claims, of both power and as queen, meant that, for some reason, her magic wasn't detectible, as is normal for his kind. Which also explained why Melinda had been caught off guard when Sarah had appeared behind her.

Reaching the throne Jareth held out his hand as Sarah stood and stepped down. Halfway over the step she placed her hand in his then paused briefly, her attention suddenly elsewhere.

Glancing to her face he noticed a look of recognition in her eyes, and turned his head to follow her line of vision. A shudder went through him when his eyes were met with his mother's distant gaze.

As suddenly as she had paused, Sarah continued forward to disappear before her foot reached the stone floor, taking Jareth with her.

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

Sarlic was beside himself with fury, demanding that Sarah return immediately, his mood worsened when it became apparent that the girl was somehow immune to his authority.

The members of the counsel had had a suspicion that Sarah would prove to be more than what met the eye, and their suspicions were proven correct.

The use of her magic brought her presence to their attention, though they were unable to confirm her location. Only by detecting the mortal's presence were they certain that something unexplained had occurred.

Sarlic had bidden Torlaine to send a messenger to find out what was going on. The report of accounts that had gotten back to the high counselor had been most unsatisfying.

"Find her!" Sarlic bellowed. "It is impossible to hide from the High Counsel."

The entourage gathered in a circle to magically search for Sarah and Jareth. If they couldn't detect her magic, they could at least detect his mortality. There was nowhere in the Underground for them to hide for very long.

Rhiannon smiled secretly knowing that no one paid her any attention at the moment. She inwardly felt great pride towards her son for withstanding all the trials he had faced since being cursed.

Her heart had soared at seeing how protective Sarah was over her son. It soothed a mother's worry that she had made the right, if not rash, decision to trust the mortal girl with everything her son had held claim to.

She wondered briefly if that was why the Labyrinth accepted Sarah as queen of the Goblin City, granting her all the magic and power that Jareth had had rights to, if not more so. Something unheard of had transpired as Sarah transported to the Underground, bringing Jareth back with her as a mortal.

Rhiannon's instincts and knowledge told the respected Fae that the girl obviously held Jareth in high regard despite the loss of his magic. She had been surprised when Sarah had asked permission to add some of her own magic to Jareth's medallion, to ensure that no one could hurt him or lead him astray with spells or enchantments.

Rhiannon smiled to herself, making sure no one could see her face. Sarah's protectiveness of her son showed that there was love that ran so deep that the girl hadn't even realized it yet.

"Curse them both!" Sarlic sneered at their failed efforts. "They are in the Underground somewhere, let us return to the Castle of Counsel where our resources are stronger than this decapitated eye sore."

Rhiannon pushed aside her personal feelings to join the counsel. With one last glance around the throne room, it suddenly dawned on her that it seemed much brighter than she remembered it, cleaner for the lack of goblins, but the very walls themselves seemed more lively.

Shaking her head to focus on what was expected of her, she disappeared along with the small group.

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

In an instant Jareth felt a mild wave of dizziness as they reappeared in a small dark alcove. He wasn't sure where they were exactly but the resounding voice of Sarlic could be heard clearly as he ranted for the counsel to find them magically. They obviously weren't far from the throne room.

Sarah stood in front of him with her back at his chest pressing him firmly against a stone wall. With a graceful gesture of her hand a crystal appeared at her fingertips.

Jareth watched silently as the image of those in the throne room came into view. By the light of the crystal he could see the pleased smirk on her lips.

"Poor king of kings," she whispered sardonically, but it wasn't Sarah's voice that he heard. "He is realizing that he is not the ultimate power after all."

"Sarah?" he whispered into her ear, placing his hands at her hips.

He felt her body shiver as though cold, then she leaned heavier against him.

"Shh," he sounded in her ear not knowing if she was aware of her surroundings while the Labyrinth had spoken through her.

The crystal vanished as she turned in his arms and flung her arms around his neck. She placed her head at his neck and closed her eyes, wishing they were in his chambers. She knew when they had reappeared in Jareth's room by his slight shift for balance.

"I doubt I'll ever get used to that as a mortal." Jareth commented off handedly. He stood still just holding her, giving her a minute to gain some strength.

"You'll have to explain to the Labyrinth that her using you like this is making you weak."

"It's only temporary," Sarah replied, then picked her head up to look at him. "Sarlic must have had a hold on you before I gave you the talisman. It should have blocked his harmful magic." She stared at the medallion, touching it lightly with her fingertips.

"I'm sure he used a much more subtle approach that wouldn't be recognized as harmful until it was too late."

He knew she was weaker than she would admit by how heavily she leaned into him for support. With his arms wrapped around her tightly, he ventured to ask another question.

"Does it protect me from you as well, Sarah?"

She looked up at him suddenly, clearly hurt by his question. "Have I become so frightening that you would have to ask me that?"

"Only because you don't understand the power given to you. It shouldn't weaken you like this." He wrapped his arms securely around her, letting her rest her head on his chest once more.

"Did you ever get exhausted like this after using your magic?" she asked in a small voice.

"No, never." After a moments pause he spoke again. "Except in the Aboveground, when you allowed me to be human when I wasn't supposed to be."

She half snorted, knowing that he suspected the Labyrinth of using her to the point of killing her. "There's too much expected of me, Jareth, the Labyrinth wouldn't hurt me."

He knew without asking that she knew what she spoke of, though the uncertainty of it all made him uneasy.

"What has the Labyrinth asked of you, Sarah?" he whispered.

"To protect all that has been given to me." After another short silence Sarah spoke quietly. "I really overstepped myself concerning Sarlic, didn't I?"

"That, would be an understatement," he breathed, his anxiety for her safety evident in his voice.

He felt the magic slowly subside around her as he held her against him. Her heartbeat slowed to normal, and her head grew heavy against his chest.

Sarah lifted her head suddenly, and turned her gaze sharply toward the closed door. "Oh, now what?" she voiced rhetorically, and without a word to Jareth she vanished.

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

Sarah appeared in the throne room as the female goblin she had spoken to in the city tentatively entered the room, a few dozen goblins behind her. They bowed low before her with reverence.

It was almost a comical scene, seeing a goblin humble itself.

"We… we've come to give you assistance, Queen Sarah," the female goblin addressed.

"How so?" she asked regally.

"We are the servants of the castle, your Highness. But… you… you didn't…"

"You didn't tell thems to get back to work," Hoggle's gruff voice filtered into the hall just as the pudgy dwarf entered the room.

"Hoggle," Sarah smiled warmly at her friend. "I thought you abandoned me."

"Yea, well, as much as I'd likes to do that, I can't being we's friends and all." He stopped close enough to be respectful. "An you being queen now sorta puts things in a different perspective too." He shuffled slightly on his feet.

"I figures you could use some help being as you don't knows nuthin about how this place runs when your not running for a wished away."

"I could definitely use more than a little help, Hoggle." Sarah looked over at the female goblin. "What's your name?"

"I am called Brae, your Highness."

"Brae," Sarah repeated. "That's a pretty name," she complimented. "Should I assume you were in charge of the castle servants?"

"Yes, My Queen."

"Then you shall continue as such." She turned to look for Hoggle who was staring around the room as though lost. "What's the matter, Hoggle?"

"Oh, … uhm… nuthin. I jist never seen it so clean in heres before. It's brighter too."

"This is the way I expect the castle to be at all times from now on," Sarah announced, turning back to Brae. "Will that be a problem among the goblins?"

"No, your Highness," Brae assured her, seeming affronted at Sarah's instruction.

"She don't understand, Brae," Hoggle said, moving to stand next to the female goblin. "Queen Sarah was only heres before as a wisher."

A collective sigh of understanding filtered among the group of goblins.

"I knew yous didn't knows nuthin," Hoggle winked at Sarah.

"Right," Sarah voiced slowly, letting knowledge come to the front of her mind.

The labyrinth changes while a child is taken, giving the kingdom an illusion of despair and obscurity to give the challenged one more incentive to save the child.

Sarah stepped over to the elegant throne and seated herself comfortably.

"Brae, introduce to me the others who work in the castle, and tell me what they do."


	11. Chapter 11

**Curse of the Labyrinth**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Jareth hadn't been aware that he had been transported until he was suddenly in complete darkness with the dizzying aftereffect.

He had the suspicion that Sarlic and the High Counsel were behind this, until he began to hear strange noises all around him, rustling sounds, and the air itself felt alive. The hairs on his mortal body prickled. He was being watched and didn't know by whom, or what.

"Would you like some light to see with?" An ancient, wise, and patient voice whispered from the darkness all around him.

He suddenly didn't need to be told where he was, nor who spoke to him, and the overwhelming emotion of trepidation had nothing to do with being mortal.

"I have no right to ask you for anything." He replied humbly.

A soft glow of light surrounded him, only enough to dispel some of the darkness, but Jareth felt more at ease none the less.

"Your fear confuses me, heir of kings." The ancient voice stated with infinite patience.

"I have done nothing to draw your attention, my Labyrinth."

A light laughter filled the darkened chasms. "You amuse me greatly, child. Ease your fears, Jareth, it is unwarranted. I am, after all, the one who has granted you everything you've ever wished for."

"Somehow, my being cursed, then turned mortal, wasn't on my wish list." He mused aloud in a solemn voice, feeling more at ease as the familiarity of this being surrounded him.

"Are you certain?" the voice asked with an amused lilt. "You wanted the chance to meet the mortal girl, and so you did. You wanted her to love you, fear you, and do as you say; and so she does. You offered her everything you were, does she not reign as your queen?"

His breath was knocked from his lungs at this revelation. His head swam with having to deal with the truth of what was being said to him. "Yes," he whispered in anguish.

"Then, your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, heir of kings. You worry for her safety needlessly." A warm breeze caressed around him soothingly. "She is strong enough to handle the power given to her. She merely needs to accept it as a part of herself, only then will she cease to tire from using her gifts. Even now she contemplates and schemes to find a way to return what you have given her."

"I've told her repeatedly that it can't be done," he stated, shaking his head. "She refuses to listen."

"She also refused to let you go. Not even I could break her bond over you. Keep that knowledge in your heart for what is to come."

"Why have you forsaken me so, my Labyrinth?" Jareth asked remorsely, his eyes beseechingly searched the darkness. "To strip me so completely? To banish me from your sight only to bring me to your very heart and speak to me of things I can not control?"

"I have never forsaken you, heir of kings." The ageless voice replied patiently. "I have always showered my generosity upon you, granting your every want and desire. It was your queen I attempted to isolate. By not releasing you, she had caused herself greater pain than was necessary. I could not consume her until she broke free of her bond to you."

"Would you grant the return of my immortality, my Labyrinth? To allow your power to once again flow through my veins?"

"You desire the destruction of your queen, my child?"

"No! I merely hoped…" he bowed his head down and to the side, truly feeling lost and inadequate.

A soft warm breeze caressed his face like the gentle touch of a woman's hand. Jareth closed his eyes and breathed deeply, tilting his face into the Labyrinth's caress.

"She wants you as her king, Jareth," the voice whispered softly. "She will stop at nothing to return everything that has been taken from you."

"She'll destroy herself trying," he said with an anguished, heavy heart.

The glow of light slowly dimmed into darkness.

"Allow your queen to discover her gifts. Help her to use what she already knows, believe in her when she becomes lost, and we all may be surprised what she does with the power given her."

He felt himself being transported once more.

"Trust in her, heir of kings, as I do."

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

The sun was setting by the time Sarah returned to Jareth's chambers. She had been told, in full detail, all that needs to be done within the castle for proper upkeep. Something that Jareth had never concerned himself with, since there was no prior knowledge to be found within her magical mind.

She had met with every goblin who would be granted access to the castle, the ones assigned to private chambers, and the ones who served in the kitchen. She'd met the gardeners, the laundry maids, and was told they have a stable, though no one was willing to tell her what animal they stabled there, except that they weren't horses.

Sarah was finding it hard getting used to answers already being in her head as soon as she would think of a question. Yet, for some reason, she didn't have the headaches she had expected to have.

She felt exhausted, though, and all she wanted to do was rest while food was being prepared for dinner. She went to the bed and stepped up to lay next to Jareth, who lay peacefully with his eyes closed.

Halfway through meeting every servant she had wondered why Jareth hadn't come to find her, and was instantly aware of his whereabouts. She had been concerned, at first, that the Labyrinth had summoned him without her, but The Being reassured her that her worries were for naught.

She slipped her arm around him as she slid closer. He automatically rolled to his back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her rest her head on his chest. With a sigh of contentment she closed her eyes to rest.

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

The servants moved about the castle on silent feet, fixing things that had been broken during the storms of destruction, cleaning everything in general, and setting things back in order.

Sarah and Jareth had been served food in the dinning hall, well past any respectable dinner hour, since they had slept until late evening. But no goblin dared to complain to the new queen without knowing what to expect from her.

"Either this is really fabulous or I'm just really hungry," Sarah commented, shoving another forkful of meat into her mouth.

Jareth was already on his second helping. "You're that starved for decent food," he remarked. "But not as much as I am."

She watched him eat for a minute, wondering how anyone could shove so much in at one time, and not choke on it. Not even Brian could…. She sighed heavily gaining Jareth's attention.

"Are you alright?" he asked delicately around a mouthful of food.

"I'm fine," she replied lightly, pushing the depressing thoughts to the back of her mind. "What kind of meat is this?"

He regarded her closely for a moment. Something was bothering her, he'd watched her for too long not to recognize when she fretted over something. His contemplation had given him time to swallow what was in his mouth before answering.

"I'm surprised you don't already know," he replied casually. "You seem to ask about things that are fairly simple, yet know of things that are much more complex."

"I'm quickly learning that despite all the knowledge stuffed in my head, I still don't know everything," she replied with slight annoyance. "So, what is it?" she repeated, pointing to the food with her fork.

"Beast," he answered simply.

"Beast?" she repeated, looking at him pointedly. "What kind of beast?"

"Uhm… beast of burden, oxen, bull. It's steak Sarah."

She looked at him with raised brows. "Really?"

"We do have similarities between worlds," he explained bluntly. "Without proper livestock and vegetation we would die as much as you would in the Aboveground."

"You have cows here?" she asked, not bothering to hide her surprise. "Don't look at me as though I'm daft, Jareth."

A smirk formed on his lips, then was replaced with an inquisitive expression. "You've said that often to me during the past five years. What expression, I wonder, does an owl have that made you think that I thought you daft?"

"You were very expressive with your thoughts," she told him. "I could tell your mood by how your feathers laid on your back." She stabbed at a piece of meat on her plate. "The different sounds you made when you were bored, agitated, or just wanted my attention. And you do snore." She reiterated, pointing the fork towards him for emphasis. "Well, you did as an owl anyway." She remarked in a lower voice, putting the meat in her mouth.

"But not as a man?" he smirked.

"No. I don't think so," she replied around the food in her mouth, frowning slightly. "I'm usually exhausted by the time we go to sleep, so I've never noticed if you do or not." Swallowing her food, she reached for her goblet and took a sip of some wine.

"I don't, by the way." He stared at her pointedly as thought this was very important information.

She felt her cheeks get warm at the expression in his eyes and she wasn't sure why. They were talking about whether he snored or not for crying out loud.

"I don't, do I?" she asked, placing the goblet back in its spot on the table.

"No."

"I miss those soft little cooing noises you always made," she admitted softly, looking at her plate to poke at her food. "They always made me feel better when I was upset." She met his eyes again. "They also let you get away with some really annoying shit, Jareth," she chastised lightly, then smiled fondly. "But you figured that out very quickly, didn't you?"

"Yes," he smiled triumphantly, realizing that she had been taken by him more than he had thought during that time. His expression changed to be more contemplative. "I was actually surprised at how well you reacted to those words," he informed her cautiously. "And I used them shamelessly."

"What were you saying?" she asked with pure curiosity.

Having transformed into a falcon, she now understood how her thoughts actually came out as bird sounds. Her curiosity was peeked at what he had been saying all those years that had soothed her so much.

He lifted his chin and regarded her with his head slightly tilted to the side for a moment then answered her simply.

"I love you."

She couldn't divert her eyes fast enough to hide her surprise. Her entire being reacted to actually hearing him say those words for the first time, that she could understand anyway.

All those years he'd been telling her he loved her, and she had unknowingly reacted to those words with acceptance. They had soothed her, made her give in to his little owlish demands, and she missed the sounds of those words so completely that it felt as though there was something missing within her.

She felt the flush grow hotter in her cheeks knowing that he was watching her. Taking in her reaction with quiet intensity. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she had to consciously think to keep her breathing regular. She also had to consciously think to not simply disappear from the room, which wasn't all it was cracked up to be when you could literally vanish whenever you were uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, Sarah," he told her in a clipped tone. "You won't hear that sentiment from my lips ever again. I was merely answering your question, not professing my feelings for you."

His comment only made her feel worse. Her heart constricted as an overwhelming feeling consumed her. A feeling that she couldn't define. She slowly put her fork down and laid her hands flat on the table to prevent herself from transporting just to avoid him.

Something had gone terribly wrong five years before, something that she had missed, something she simply didn't remember. There was no way he could love her so unconditionally. He had given her everything, his very life, so completely… it wasn't right. No one in their right mind would give up so much just for her.

There had to be something to make him 'think' he felt this way, and Sarah was determined to find out what it was. She would stop at nothing to return him to his former self, to give him his magic back, to make him cruel and powerful once more.

Then he would see that she was just a simple mortal with nothing special to offer him. Then he would know how his own feelings were false, and hopefully, he would have enough pity towards her knowing how she had done her best on his behalf, and not truly hate her when all this was over.

She could hear the shuffling of goblin feet as the servants mulled around doing their chores, her heart thud loudly in her ears, and it was suddenly hard to breath normally.

"Are they always so damn loud when they shuffle around?" she barked irritably.

Every goblin in the room froze in place to look at their queen with fearful uncertainty.

Jareth raised an elegant brow at her questioningly. He had watched her intently as she fought with her internal struggle. The last thing she had wanted to hear from him was the first thing she had admitted to missing, more than once, after he couldn't transform. Why she wouldn't accept that he truly loved her, he didn't understand.

"Only when you pay attention to them," he answered curtly, pushing his chair back to leave. "I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable, my Lady. I'll leave you to your meal."

"Sit down, Jareth." She commanded him curtly, lifting her gaze in his direction, though not looking at him directly. "You're not going to make me feel worse than I already do by leaving me by myself."

She studied her plate with unseeing eyes and waited for him to sit back down. For a minute she thought he was going to ignore her and leave anyway, but then he slowly reseated himself again.

"I never heard you actually say it before," she told him in a quiet voice. "It just caught me off guard."

She chanced a glimpse in his direction, he had returned his attention to eating his food, seemingly ignoring her completely. She glanced around the room realizing that no one had moved since her comment about the noise.

"Carry on with your duties," she addressed them impatiently with a slight wave of her fingers, then in a whispered voice. "I'm sorry, Jareth. I can't…"

He dropped his fork to his plate and wiped a hand over his face as soon as she vanished. The thought of putting one more morsel into his mouth almost made him sick. Her reaction to his admission was worse than he had anticipated, though she had fought to not just suddenly leave. She had even tried to explain herself.

But it hurt none the less that she couldn't see how deep her own feelings for him were. He didn't understand why she refused to love him when everything she's done on his behalf proved it beyond a doubt.

He glanced around the room and noticed that the servants weren't sure how to act around him either. They regarded him with cheerful, yet wary, expressions.

"Well, you heard the queen, carry on!"

Half of them tripped over themselves in their rush to do his bidding. The rest just seemed happy to be able to follow his command as they continued with their chores.

The head servant, Brae, entered the room and paused just inside the door. Her eyes searched the room airily, her ears perked as she tilted her head before landing her hazel gaze on Jareth. She gave him a sorrowful smile before she curtsied towards him out of age old respect.

"The queen requests your presence in your chambers, your maj… my lord."

"Thank you, Brae."

It was just another upset, a reminder of what he'd given up, when the servants didn't know how to address him after being their king their entire lives.

He rose from the table with dignity while mentally cursing her for making him, yet again, walk step by step to his own chambers. He had taken two steps away from the table when he suddenly found himself standing in his rooms.

"I summoned Brae to give you the message to make sure you'd want to be in the same room with me, Jareth." Sarah said to him quietly, standing in the center of the room with her hands folded before her. "I refuse to let this change things. I still need you, and I want you with me."

He took a steadying breath and blinked his eyes repeatedly to shake the slight dizzying effect of being transported, noticing that the aftereffects were starting to lessen the more he was exposed to it.

He turned around to face her, his expression that of surprise when his gaze fell upon her. She was wearing her blouse and skirt outfit from the Aboveground.

"I found where I sent my clothes." She smiled weakly, making an attempt for humor as she smoothed a hand nervously over her skirt.

"I see that," he responded flatly, folding his arms over his chest. "Have you considered what to tell the servants, as well as the inhabitants of the kingdom, of how to address me now that I am no longer their king?"

"Not particularly, no," she answered with a frown. His coldness bothered her, but she ignored it considering the circumstances. "I'll let them show their loyalty to you, in whichever way they are comfortable with."

"That doesn't help the uncomfortableness when a servant realizes she can no longer call me by the title majesty," he stated pointedly, his body language aggressive and commanding.

"Oh," she murmured demurely. She thought she was doing him a justice, not realizing that it would be hurtful instead. "How would you like them to address you?"

"Strictly speaking," he stated with indignance. "I no longer have a title. I am simply Jareth, the queen's play toy."

"That's not fair," she whispered, her hurt showing clearly in her eyes. "I've been extremely gen..." She stopped, realizing what she was about to say.

"Generosity seems to be a matter of perception in the Underground, '_isn't it'_?" he sneered.

Sarah moved to a divan near an open stone window and sat down heavily. She covered her face with her hands, her elbows on her knees. "I didn't expect any of this, Jareth," she admitted quietly through her fingers. "I thought that all I had to do was wish us back to the labyrinth and…" She let her hands drop to her lap but kept her head bowed. "… well, honestly, I half expected things to be the other way around. You being king and me begging you to let me go home."

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes.

"I thought all I had to do was wish the curse to be lifted." Her shoulders sagged tiredly. Her head bowed, her hands covered her face once more. "And I did, I wished… but nothing happened."

The sight of her tore at his heart despite her reaction to his words spoken in the dining hall. She was trying so hard to control something that couldn't be controlled.

He then realized that that was what the Labyrinth had meant by Sarah not accepting her gifts. She had to realize that they flowed within her as a part of her, not something to turn on and off and be controlled. It was time to help her as the Labyrinth asked of him.

"My Lord." He voiced in a softer tone, breaking the quiet.

She looked over at him questioningly.

"Have the servants refer to me as their lord."

"I'll make it known," she said in a quiet voice, nodding as she passed the message magically to the goblins. "Anything else that I'm messing up?"

"Stop using magic so much until you're more comfortable with it." he told her, stepping a few paces across the room as he spoke.

"That's easier said than done," she stated cynically. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to sit at that table for as long as I did. This isn't even where I wanted to go!" She rose to her feet, still facing him. "But somehow the thought of you… of what you said… just popped in my head and… and poof here I am looking at mahogany and gold!"

He moved across the room and sat her back down with his hands on her shoulders, seating himself next to her on the divan. "Let your hair down, Sarah." He told her in a quiet patient tone.

She blinked over at him with confusion. "Do you mean that rhetorically or literally?"

"Literally. You're tying your hair back with magic, it's a constant thought in your mind that you don't need."

She looked away from him, and after a moment her hair fell softly down her back and over her shoulders to touch her thighs.

"It won't stay short," she complained quietly, pouting slightly. "Why is it so damn long?" She grabbed a handful and shook it for emphasis. "I've never had my hair this long in my life."

"It think the Labyrinth has a fetish for long hair," he replied with a grin. "Did you use scissors or magic to cut it?"

She met his eyes pointedly, silently telling him the answer.

'_Of course she would use magic_,' he thought, understanding the look she was giving him. '_She hasn't done much of anything manually since being here_.'

"Have Brae cut it for you," he suggested.

"Is she the one who cut your hair?" she asked, looking at him timidly. "I'll cut it myself if she was."

His heart constricted at seeing her vulnerability. Why hadn't he realized that she felt so alone with everything that was happening?

'_I need you_.' She had told him so many times.

'_Damn_,' he thought to himself with realization. '_It's so easy to hide the vulnerability while retaining so much power._'

"No," he smirked at her. "That was the handy work of a few goblins, whom I won't mention."

"A few goblins, heh?" she smirked knowingly at him, visibly relaxing. "That wouldn't happen to be Snot, Sleaze, and Bog would it?"

"Was it that obvious?" he asked with a humorous lilt in his voice.

"Just a little bit." She briefly scrunched her face with sarcastic humor.

He silently rose to his feet, taking her hand for her to stand with him. Having her face him, he generously ran his hands through her thick tresses, pushing her hair behind her shoulders to fall all the way down her back.

"I think you're hair is beautiful this way, but there are ways to contain it without magic if you want it pulled up."

He was still amazed how she allowed him to touch her despite everything else. She simply stood before him, allowing him to run his fingers through her luscious locks.

"I don't have the right to tell you to stop transporting yourself within the same room," he stated casually, watching how the candle light in the room reflected in her hair. "I've over used that luxury my entire life." He caressed her face with his fingertips. "But perhaps you should restrain yourself until you get better acquainted with the magic within you."

"How can I do that when I'm constantly fighting 'not' do things to begin with?" She gazed at him with beseeching eyes. "I get these urges, and I can feel the magic boil up inside of me."

"You can't control it, Sarah. You…"

"No shit I can't control it!" she burst out suddenly, then squeezed her eyes tightly with a few deep controlled breaths. "Why do you think I get tired so quickly?" she asked softly, opening her eyes. "It's from holding it back, containing it, and …aughhh, '_not_' doing things magically!"

He cupped her face in his hands, stepping closer to her. "It's a part of you, Sarah," he explained patiently. "Like your limbs. If you want to pick something up you simply reach out your hand and take hold of it. The magic within you is the same concept. You wanted to be across the room, and you were. You wanted the Fierys contained and captured them in a crystal."

"But, I'm not sure how I did those things." She admitted in a small voice.

"Let me show you," he whispered, gliding his fingertips down her neck to her collarbone then along the silky material of her blouse. He undid the first button, then the second, and the next.

"How is undressing me showing me how I use the magic?"

He smirked at her, undoing another button. "You haven't allowed me to undress you yet. Something I've been wanting to do for a long time. It was the first wish you made." He bent his head to her neck. "I always start a challenge at the beginning." He brushed his lips across her sensitive skin. "I want to make love to you without using magic."

He trailed hot kisses down her neck and around her throat. She tilted her head back for him to continue, reaching an arm out to clasp his shoulder.

"No transporting to a bed." He told her, moving his lips along the other side of her neck. "No turning off the lights or closing a door." He gently nibbled on her ear. "No undressing us both. Only think of me and what I'm doing to you, what I'm going to do to you."

"What if I change?" she asked breathlessly, his minor attentions already having an effect on her.

His hands undid the last button and he slipped her blouse over her shoulders. She dropped her arms for the material to slip to the floor.

"Let it happen if that's what you feel." He slipped the button of her skirt open. "That's not a part of the magic. That's part of being a Fae." He slowly undid the zipper, and let the material fall from her hips. "The Labyrinth has completely taken you into her, Sarah. She's changed you to be one of her children."

His hands engulfed her sides, pulling her to him as his lips slid over hers seductively. She opened her mouth to him expecting the dueling of tongues, but he took her bottom lip in his teeth instead, pulling on it gently until it was slowly released then captured her lips again with slow expertise.

He deepened the kiss, his hand unclasped her bra with ease, then cupped a firm breast. He moaned at being able to touch her, his idle hand grabbed at her panties thankful that she hadn't put on those deplorable nylons, then slid them down over her hips within seconds.

He pulled back from her to take her in with hungry eyes. His hands cupped both breasts, his thumbs teased her hardening nipples.

She reached for his shirt, gathering it at his waist to pull it up over his head. Adding it to the small pile on the floor, she made no hesitation for his breeches to be next.

He grabbed her hands and denied her for now. "My way," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. He kissed her soundly, letting her wrap her arms around his neck. His hands roved over her body hungrily, needing to feel her as though starved. He broke the kiss only long enough to collect her in his arms and carry her to his bed, not leaving her mouth unattended longer than it had to be.

Once she was under him on the bed he leisurely caressed every part of her. He tantalized and teased her with his lips, tongue, and mouth from her jaw to her navel. Her breathing was erratic and twice he had to hold her legs down from encircling his hips. He moved lower down her body, tasting the core of her for the first time.

She gasped and writhed under his attentions, her hands grabbed his hair by the fistful. She did what he had told her and focused on everything he was doing to her, what he was making her feel. The sensations he awoke in her with the slightest touch of his tongue, the softest caress of his hands on her body were sending her through spirals, and yet she felt no urge to soar, to change, to leave him, or stop him in any way.

He was being more gentle and patient with her body than she'd ever had anyone do with her before. He seemed to know exactly when to moan deep in his throat to make her senses heighten more and more with each passing moment. Then his tongue was on her and she felt like she was on fire. She writhed under him, thrust her hips in the air when his teeth gently grabbed her and sucked with a lolling tongue.

She cried out and felt herself explode. Grabbing his hair she cried out his name as her body trembled in ecstasy. But he wasn't done with her. He refused to let her unclasp his breeches, to touch him, or wrap her legs around his waist.

"Please, Jareth. I need you!"

He groaned but otherwise took his time with her, making her body shudder twice more before placing himself between her thighs.

She grabbed at his back and threw her head back deep into the pillows, whimpering for him to ease her desire.

"No magic, Sarah," he reminded her, knowing that this was the point when she would become impatient for total release.

She whimpered against his lips, frustrated at the clothes he still wore. She reached between them, returning his kiss feverishly as he let her push the trousers past his hips and over his rear.

He shrugged them the rest of the way off then settled himself atop of her.

She raised a leg and wrapped it around him, grinding herself against him, trying to make him move just that little bit to feel him inside her.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold himself back. She was so demanding, so vivacious and arousing. That he'd gotten this far without her using magic surprised him. He thought of teasing her just a bit longer but took the pleasure of sliding into her instead.

It took all he had not to give in when she grabbed him with everything she had. Her arms around his shoulders, her legs around his hips, her mouth at his neck, biting and nipping slightly roughly. She thrust up into him, her warm breath fanning his skin in short pants.

"Please." She begged in a whispered voice.

It was his undoing. He pushed harder into her, grunting along with her cries of passion as they climaxed and collapsed upon each other.

She refused to let him roll over, to assume their usual sleeping position. Instead she held him to her with her legs still wrapped around his hips. Her arms rested firmly around his shoulders, urging him to rest his head at her breast as she idly played with his hair.

The blankets suddenly covered them before sleep overtook her completely.

Jareth smiled covertly. '_She just had to do 'something' magical_,' he thought as he too fell asleep.

* x* x* x* x* x* x* x*x *x *

Jareth awoke to find himself alone in his chambers. The sun was high and shining right through the open stone windows, flooding the room with its warm light.

Rolling to his back he laid in silent contemplation for a few minutes before getting out of bed. He no sooner touched the floor when the door opened and Brae entered, along with several male goblins toting large buckets of water.

"Good day, my Lord," Brae announced cheerfully, taking no notice to Jareth's lack of dress, any more than she had in all the years of servitude to the Fae. "Our queen ordered you a bath upon your rising."

"I always had a bath upon rising anyway," he remarked with a frown.

"Aye," she grinned slyly. "Tis very generous of the queen to think of your well being, is it not, my Lord?"

Jareth chuckled. Brae obviously hadn't told Sarah of his daily habits, and the servant thought it amusing to be given orders for chores she'd been performing for over a century.

"Where is our lovely queen?"

"I know not, my Lord. She has not been in the castle since the first touch of sunlight."

Jareth frowned at this information. '_Where could she have gone?_' Stepping to the tub, he shoved a foot in the water and pulled it out yelling.

"Augh! How many times must I tell you one bucket of hot for every two of cold?"

"Bu… bu….but we did!" a male goblin stuttered fearfully, then looked at Jareth with dawning. "Hey, wait a minute! You ain't king no more. You lost your magic! You can't tell me…"

Jareth grabbed the goblin by his shirt front and lifted him up to meet mismatched eyes. "No, but I can still cause you serious harm with one hand."

"Good point, my Lord," the goblin croaked agreeably.

Jareth dropped the creature and frowned at the water in the tub. Dipping his fingers in the water he still felt it was too hot to his liking.

"Perhaps, my Lord, you are a bit more sensitive to things these days," Brae suggested cautiously, seeing how he was in a tender mood. "The queen has shown irritation at her bath not being warm enough," she continued. "Yet we added twice the amount of hot water for her than we had for your maj… lordship."

He had to fight with himself to ignore the servant's slip. "There's no basis for comparison," he replied evenly. "The queen likes her bath just shy of boiling to begin with."

He strode to his wardrobe and pulled out a robe to wrap in while the bath cooled more to his liking. "But you may have a point about my being more sensitive as of late. I've never felt it so chilled in the castle before."

"Human's have thinner blood," Brae remarked, then froze with wide eyes to stare at Jareth. "Or… or so they say, my Lord. But I wouldn't know fer sure."

Sitting heavily on the divan he raked his fingers through his tousled hair. "It's not the blood that's thinner," he stated in a low voice. "It's the lack of magic that makes the body more vulnerable to… everything."

He sounded so tired, even to Brae's ears. She looked upon her former king with empathy, noticing for the first time how… defeated… he seemed. He didn't look as tall, his shoulders not as broad, his eyes not as radiant. With a heavy sigh she turned away from him to do her chores.

Jareth finally slipped into the tub when the water had cooled some. Listlessly he rested his head against the marble rim, closing his eyes as he thought about all that has happened. And how it was entirely his fault.

If he hadn't offered Sarah so much on a whim, he'd still be king. Somehow he would've won her heart.

If he hadn't tried to force her hand in harming him, he wouldn't have gotten shot, and her tears wouldn't have mixed with his blood. How was he to know that she would become protective?

If he hadn't appeared to her in human form… for what could _possibly_ go wrong within one hour? He never, ever, would have anticipated her giving him power like she had done.

That had been the catalyst that started the downfall. That was the beginning of his end. And now he suffered not as a cursed king, or an exiled Fae, but nothing more than a common mortal.

"You should have let me go," he whispered remorsely with closed eyes.

Sarah silently appeared in the chambers in front of Brae. The goblin jumped slightly at being startled but recovered quickly.

The smile on Sarah's face faded at seeing the sorrowful pools in the head servant's eyes. She was about to ask what had happened, when Jareth's whispered musings reached her ears. She turned to the inset marble tub, and went to him on silent feet. Sitting on a stone step by his side, she reached out her hand and caressed his hair from his forehead.

A smile cornered her mouth when he jumped at the unexpected touch, his eyes flying open to meet hers.

"Stop tormenting yourself," she whispered. "I'll never give up on you, or let you go."

She seemed different, he noticed. Her skin almost glowed, but in a human healthy way not magical illumination. Her eyes, though still translucent, were not as wild and heavy with distractions. The magic, the power he knew she possessed, was barely detectible, even by him.

Her touch didn't send surges of energy through his body as it had before, though her warm hand running through his hair, and the look in her eyes as she gazed down at him, caused his heart to skip and his pulse to race.

"Where were you?"

She smiled at him with amusement. "Was I gone so long that you missed me?"

"I awoke alone. Yes, I missed you."

"Of course you would," she muttered softly with heavy consideration, still playing with his hair. She bent over him and kissed him gently on the lips. "Finish your bath, Jareth. I'll wait for you to have breakfast. I have a few things to share with you."

"Such as what had taken you from my bed before dawn?"

She smiled and laughed lightly, caressing his face as she turned to address the servants. "Brae, you and the others are dismissed. Return later to finish your chores."

"Yes, your Highness."

Brae had taken notice of how the lord's eyes sparked, how he raised his chin higher with the queen's attention on him. Meeting the three other goblin maids at the door, Brae made sure it was closed firmly behind her after they stepped out.

"You needed the rest as much as I did, Jareth," she continued saying after they were alone. She picked up a soft cloth from the side of the tub and dipped it in the water near his ribs. "That water is absolutely frigid," she exclaimed, frowning with disgruntlement.

"I like it like this," he reassured her, watching her expression soften somewhat.

"Are you sure? I can heat it up for you."

He took hold of her wrist when she made to dip her fingers in the water again. "Please, don't. I had to wait to even get in the damn thing."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Your language is honestly getting out of hand, Jareth," she smirked at him.

"I had a good teacher," he smirked, and reached a wet hand out to cup the side of her face.

She pulled back from him, chuckling. "Don't you dare get me all wet. It took far too long to get my hair to stay like this."

"Did it now?" he remarked, his eyes gleamed challengingly as he sat up in the tub, holding her wrist in a firmer grip.

"Jareth," she warned in a crisp voice. "I'm not kid… Oh!"

He blatantly pulled her into the tub to land on top of him.

"Damn it, Jareth! I said I didn't want to get wet!" She slapped at his chest playfully. "Look at this," she sighed, grabbing folds of her dress that floated all around them.

He chuckled with amusement as she fussed over her wet clothes. "And yet, you're hair is as beautiful as ever." He grinned at the expression on her face as she realized that, somehow, her hair hadn't gotten wet at all. He encircled his arms around her, and found her lips with his.

"Shoo!" Brae whispered urgently, realizing she wasn't the only one listening through the door. She waved her hands at the others. "Off with ye! Go help in the kitchens for now. Tell cook to prepare breakfast for our majesties."

She glanced back at the door after being left alone in the hallway. A smile curved her thin lips, which would've made her look grotesque by human standards, but her heart swelled with hope for her king.

Yes, he was still their king as far as she and her clan were concerned. And, it seemed, the queen felt the same way, judging by how she all but bowed to him. Brae would make sure to pass the word among the servants. Their king may not have his magic, but he still had his power over the queen. There was hope for them yet.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I seriously hope this chapter holds up to expectations, it's only been re-written five times because I just couldn't get it to flow the way I wanted it to. Please review and let me know if I did okay or not.

**Curse of the Labyrinth**

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Sarah and Jareth had no sooner seated themselves in the dining hall for breakfast when Sarlic and the High Counsel suddenly appeared in the grand room.

"You've been busy, I've noticed." Sarlic commented with distain.

"Yes, well, one can't fornicate all the time," Sarah remarked casual, sitting back in her chair.

"Insolent…" he muttered under his breath, as a vain pulsed at his throat. He breathed deeply and squared his shoulders with obvious reluctance.

"What do you want, Sarlic?" Sarah asked nonplused, popping a small piece of fruit into her mouth.

"The High Counsel is curious as to whether you are aware," he directed haughtily. "That by scouring your borders with armies, it could be taken as a declaration of war."

Sarah noticed how the said counsel members seemed stand-offish, giving her the impression that they didn't wholly agree with what Sarlic was up to.

"Scouring my borders with armies?" Sarah laughed outright. "How is my becoming familiar with the kingdom, and having reports sent back to me, considered a declaration of anything but being thorough as the ruler of this kingdom?"

"The labyrinth does not run by order and dictation, it never has. It is the bane of chaos and we expect it to remain as such."

Sarah noticed peripherally how Jareth clenched his jaw at the insult.

"Sometimes even the most unruly of kingdoms requires a gentle hand once in a while," she replied calmly. "But I can assure the counsel that my intentions are far from being confrontational towards anyone."

She stared at him for a long moment before leisurely reaching for her glass on the table. She took a sip of her juice, delicately dabbed at her lips with her napkin, and then returned her gaze to the High King. "I am merely familiarizing myself with my kingdom, and nothing more."

"You would be wise to use caution in your methods of familiarizing yourself in the Underground," Sarlic warned.

"Is that a threat, Sarlic?" Sarah challenged him, meeting his gaze steadfastly.

"It's merely advice for caution, and nothing more," he stated smoothly, though his eyes remained cold and foreboding.

Sarah noticed how the counsel members became uneasy as she continued to stare Sarlic in the eyes. Suddenly rising to her feet, she smirked secretly at Sarlic stepping back from her, and walked around the table to address the counsel in its entirety. "I would like to make a request, since you are all here," she addressed pleasantly, with hands folded before her. "Thank you for saving me to the trip to your side of the boundary," she continued. "Fates forbid my presence anywhere outside this castle to be misinterpreted."

"What is your request?" a veiled counsel member inquired with forced nonchalance.

"I would like to have a celebration," she announced, smiling as they tried to hide their shock by her request.

"A celebration," Sarlic voiced indignantly. "What do you mean, a celebration?"

Sarah turned her gaze to the dislikeable king. "A celebration, Sarlic," she stated simply, as though to a child. "A party, a feast, a gathering." She turned her attention to the rest of the counsel. "I'm sick of all the stress I've been dealing with, and I want to have some fun. I want to meet my neighbors, share food, have music, and dancing."

She stepped back to the table and took another piece of fruit from a plate. "I would have the celebration here, of course, in Jareth's Castle…"

"This is not 'his' castle," Sarlic informed Sarah bitterly. "It is the castle beyond the Goblin City."

"Which is, Jareth's Castle." Sarah simplified, taking a bite of the slice of fruit, while meeting the High King's gaze once more.

"That name is no longer spoken in this realm!" Sarlic fumed. "Even when he had ruler ship, the castle was not within his title."

"Oh. Then your castle is the Castle beyond the Great Big Mote?" Sarah asked, looking at him with feigned innocence. "And my neighbor in the west is the Castle in the Middle of Gardens? Then I would suppose…"

"Your tongue is far too sharp for your own good," Sarlic seethed. "My castle is the Castle of Counsel! To the west is the Castle of Torlain, and to the north is the Castle of Bevelee, all ruled by honorable and respected kings!"

"I see," Sarah voiced, seeming to mull that in her mind. "Then this castle shall be known as Jareth's Castle for that's how I wish it to be addressed formally."

"Explain to 'your queen' how that is unacceptable," Sarlic sneered at Jareth, pointing at Sarah while glaring at Jareth.

"Explain it yourself," Jareth replied with outward indifference. "I no longer hold loyalties to you."

"I've warned you a day such as this would come," Sarlic stated snidely towards Jareth. "The day I would crush you under my thumb!" He carelessly took a step forward, his eyes boring into Jareth's indifferent stare with loathing.

Sarah sidestepped to block his progress. She raised her hand at shoulder level, a crystal appearing within her fingertips. "I would take serious consideration of your actions, Sarlic," she warned him in a threatening tone. "They may be deemed as an act of war, after all."

He scoffed at her, though stepped back a pace or two. "You think you can stop me with your silly crystals?" he mocked, finding humor in her attempt to defend the outcast.

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I think," she responded confidently. "You see this is no ordinary crystal." She began spinning and twirling it around her hands just as Jareth had done, only this crystal turned black from the contents inside. "This is what we would call, in the Aboveground, a stink bomb."

"You dare threaten me with black powder!" he accused heatedly.

Sarah laughed, putting Sarlic on edge even more. "No, not black powder. It's filled with the essence of the bog of eternal stench." Sarlic, along with all the counsel members, all took quick steps away from her. "Now why don't you explain to me why you object to my naming the castle after its former king."

"He has no sire name to honorably claim a title to the castle," one of the male counsel members responded. "He was considered a bastard among the kingdoms."

"He had become king to the goblin city by defeating the labyrinth and the goblin king before him," another male counsel member added.

"He is still a king," Sarah voiced firmly, pointedly meeting Sarlic's now haughty gaze.

"He 'was' a king," Sarlic corrected with a pleased sneer. "Of goblins, nothing more!"

"Really?" Sarah inquired with raised brows. "I was informed that Jareth is an heir of kings, which would make him, not only a king of his own kingdom, but with a reserved seat on the High Counsel."

"Your informant lies, I assure you," Sarlic stated bitterly. "And it is all for naught now that he has been denounced completely."

Sarah menacingly stepped up to Sarlic, twirling the crystal in her hand, noticing how defensive he became at the gesture, and then the crystal vanished from her hand. "I will undo what you have done to him, Sarlic," she sneered at him in a challenging tone. "I will return everything that has been taken from him, and then, we will see who is the ultimate power in the Underground."

"You may try! But in the end, you will come to understand things my way!" he ground out between clenched teeth, and then vanished from the room. After a moment of confusion, the High Counsel members followed suit and vanished into thin air.

"Sarah, he'll kill you before he lets you get in his way," Jareth stated unnecessarily with trepidation. "He wants this kingdom under his rule."

She walked over to him at the table and placed her fingertips under his jaw, caressing his cheek with her thumb as she looked upon him with soft eyes. "Trust me. I may not know what will happen next, but I know that Sarlic will not win, no matter what he throws at me."

She slid in her previous seat and dropped her eyes to her plate, wrinkling her nose. "I lost my appetite, how about you?" she asked casually.

Jareth stared at her with fearful eyes, not able to speak just yet. She didn't understand the ruthlessness of the High King. How powerful he was, not only magically, but also politically. He ran his court by means of fear and threats. He could destroy Sarah within the blink of an eye and she wasn't concerned about it one bit.

"I really need you to trust me, right now, Jareth," Sarah whispered, sensing his plight on her behalf. "I can't tell you half the things I have running around in my head, but…" she met his eyes beseechingly. "Just trust me?"

"I'm trying to, Sarah. But it's not that easy for me when I know what Sarlic is capable of."

"Then trust the fact that I'm aware of what he's capable of, too, and that he has no idea what I'm capable of."

She stood up again and walked around behind him, sliding her hands from his shoulders down to his chest. "I'm not even sure of what I'm capable of," she whispered in his ear. "But I have you to teach me, to guide me, isn't that something for you to hold onto?"

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her peripherally over his shoulder. "Where were you this morning, Sarah?" he asked, not having had a chance for them to discuss it yet. "What happened that had changed you in such a short time?"

"I'll show you," she smiled beside his ear. Planting a kiss on his cheek before she straightened her back, she then held out her hand to him. "Come with me. I'll show you why Sarlic is in such a snit."

Having his curiosity peeked, he accepted her hand and prepared himself for the uneasy shifting of being magically transported.

XxXxX

They stood high on a mountain flat amidst the ruins of a derelict castle. The low winds tossed their hair about them as they stood overlooking the entire kingdom, the labyrinth, and the castle below.

"I was drawn to this place while flying around this morning," Sarah informed Jareth quietly as they stared out over the kingdom. "You came here often, didn't you?"

"Yes," he replied, his voice strangled with emotion. "I would stand here for hours admiring all that I had ruled."

"I could feel your energies here," she stated, looking over at him. She saw the pained expression on his face and decided to make her point and take him back to the castle as quickly as possible. "But yours aren't the only energies here, Jareth. Something lingers in this place that is still powerful. It is resentful and desperate. Yet, I sense regret and sadness, too."

"The mages once reigned over this kingdom," he informed her in a quiet detached voice. "But, they had grown careless with their powers, and allowed their magic to escape over the kingdom. The Labyrinth absorbed this magic and the denizens rebelled against the Mages."

Sarah moved to stand closer to him, letting her presence soothe him as he continued speaking.

"The other kingdoms refused to assist the Mages, much to their surprise, which led to their downfall. Eventually, they had been defeated. Hundreds perished, while others fled in hopes of being accepted by neighboring kingdoms. The kingdom below had become overrun with chaos and disorder. The Goblin City below grew, a new castle had been erected, while other inhabitants breeched the borders to wreak havoc upon the surrounding territories."

"In an attempt to regain control of the kingdom, the High Counsel appointed a prince, destined to be a king, to challenge the self appointed Goblin King for the throne. But as soon as the young Fae prince crossed the border into the kingdom, the Labyrinth erected high walls of stone, trapping the young prince in a maze that was ever changing, and never still."

Only after dangers untold and hardships unnumbered did the prince finally fight his way to the castle beyond the goblin city, and defeated the Goblin King. From thence forth, only the ones worthy to defeat the maze and reach the castle would be granted to sit upon the throne."

He collected himself and looked over at her. "I often came here to remind myself of my own limitations, to recount in my mind the day when I too had defeated the labyrinth, and bested the Goblin King who had ruled before me."

"It was you who started taking wished aways from the Aboveground," Sarah stated in a gentle tone.

He nodded, lowing his gaze slightly. "Yes," he replied quietly. "The Labyrinth required magic to sustain herself. With the Mages desertion she had no resources available to her. I was a dreamer, much like you, and the Labyrinth discovered the magic within those dreams. I had been gifted with the ability to see others dreams to keep my kingdom alive."

"Then, one day, a fanciful girl had called upon the Goblin King, and beseeched me to take away her hated sibling. She had been terrified and regretful when I had obliged her." He took a deep breath and turned his gaze to meet Sarah's. "You know the rest of that story."

"You found out that by bringing the wisher here, their dreams were much stronger," Sarah added knowingly.

"Yes. Fear, anger, and love are the strongest emotions mortals possess. I've learned to bring out those emotions quite easily in mortals over time. The Labyrinth has been able to flourish with the abundance of magic the children and wishers expelled while within her maze."

"Jareth," Sarah voiced tentatively. "I wasn't the first to make it through the Labyrinth, to reach the castle, so why was I granted all this when there have been others before me?"

"The Goblin King can only be defeated when he wishes to resign his title," Jareth replied quietly, staring out unseeingly. "I grew tired of the repetitiveness, of being lonely, and was prepared to step down, allowing you to be the first queen to rule this kingdom." He turned his focus to meet her eyes. "But, you touched my heart as no other had ever done before. Your dreams were so vivid, your innocent desires, your determination, everything that made you unique." He turned his gaze to overlook the kingdom once more. "I wanted you for myself. I no longer wanted to resign my title, but to share everything I had with you."

"But you didn't understand what I was offering you," he continued in a matter of fact tone. "And instead of speaking the words to become Queen of the Labyrinth, and accept me as your king, you spoke the words that rejected everything you had won. Including my feelings for you."

She remained quiet and thoughtful for a few minutes; absorbing everything he had just told her. He had actually wanted her with him. He wanted her love, her fears, and her dreams, to keep the kingdom alive. But he wanted her acceptance, too. He wanted her affection, for her to be his queen; he wanted to have someone for himself. It hadn't been a trick, he hadn't been trying to be deceitful. Something seriously went wrong five years ago, and it was her fault. She had caused all of this by rejecting him, by rejecting her rightful place by his side, the title that she had earned fair and square.

Tears swelled in her eyes, and she closed her lids to prevent them from falling. All this time she fought to make things right, when she had been in the wrong all along. She glanced towards him from the corner of her eye, noting that he gazed straight out over the kingdom, allowing her to make sense within her mind, within her heart.

He had lost everything, but gained all that he had wanted just by staying with her; while she had gained everything, and wanted none of it without him by her side. She turned her face to look up at him, realizing for the first time that none of it mattered if she lost him. She would go ballistic if he wasn't by her side. She would resort to magic to keep him if she had to, and in a way, that's exactly what she had done.

"How were you able to transform this morning?" he asked simply, cutting into her thoughts as he gazed forward. "You said you found this place while flying."

He knew she was trying to come to terms with herself, struggling with an inner turmoil over her own feelings for him, while accepting what he had just told her. He heard her unsteady breaths, and knew without seeing her directly that her eyes watered with emotion.

"I've said a lot of things that I shouldn't have," she quipped without thinking, then cleared her throat as he turned his head to look at her. "I kissed you before leaving you this morning," she answered, her voice having an odd quality as she continued to figure everything out. "You responded in your sleep." She diverted her gaze away from him. "I didn't fight the feelings your kiss stirred within me, and was able to change." She looked upon him once more. "I'm surprised I didn't wake you up with all the flapping around I did before I figured out how to fly."

He could see it in her eyes, in the foreign tone of her voice that she had come to some realization that had completely overwhelmed her. His heart soared with hope that she had finally accepted her feelings for him, but remained as calm and impassive as possible so as not to discourage her.

"You also mentioned showing me what happened to you this morning, that had changed you so drastically."

"Oh, right," she stated, being reminded of why she had brought him up here to begin with. "It was this place," she replied, twirling once in a tight circle with her arms out wide. "The energies that linger here just flowed through me as I flew over it. I spent most of the early morning allowing myself to just 'doing' whatever I felt like, and it felt exhilarating!"

She stepped closer to him, her expression flushed, her eyes sparkling jovially. "I found out that I was having those urges so I would know my powers better, that they weren't destructive or harmful things like I thought."

"And yet you admit to not yet knowing what you are fully capable of?" he asked pleasantly, a grin on his face as he placed his hands on her hips. He was relieved that she had put aside her turmoil for now, that she could still smile and look upon him with her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Jareth," she addressed with excited exasperation. "Everything changes so quickly, with my moods, my very thoughts, that I have no idea what would happen if I was really pissed off, or so fucking happy that I would burst!"

"I'll assume you were experimenting with your powers till your hearts desire," he surmised. She nodded, grinning up at him broadly. "That would definitely explain why Sarlic was in a snit this morning. I'm sure he was sensing the disruption of the energies from this place, and took it upon himself to call it an act of war."

"He can call it whatever he wants," Sarah quipped in a suddenly deep, defensive tone. "He only wants control of this kingdom because it's the most powerful source of natural magic. He has no idea what he's up against if he continues to be a thorn in my side."

Jareth gazed down at her, pride for her determination swelling inside him. "Just remember that his power is the strongest in the Underground, Sarah. It's not just his magic, but politically as well. He rules with intimidation and fear upon those who serve him, and he is very adept at using one's weaknesses against them."

"That's where he'll fail," she smiled up at him, shifting closer to wrap her arms around his neck. "As long as I have you with me, he doesn't stand a chance." He met her lips halfway as she tiptoed to kiss him, the low winds blowing around them with increasing force. Jareth shivered suddenly, breaking their kiss. "Are you cold?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"It was an unpleasant chill up my spine," he answered, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in these surroundings.

"We should get back, anyway," Sarah stated casually, stepping back slightly. "There are a few changes I want to oversee in the castle."

"Changes?" he asked indignantly, frowning down at her. "What sort of changes?"

She simply smiled up at him as they vanished from the mountaintop.

XxXxX

Sarlic stepped away from his gazing pool with a sardonic smirk fixed on his lips. "Everyone has a weakness," he mused aloud to himself. "And the invincible queen's is her mortal pet. She will rue the day she returned to the Underground, and then the I shall claim the book of power for myself!"

He stepped into the main chamber of the counsel hall, ignoring the wary glances and shifting of feet from the counsel members. "Come," he addressed them, seeming too jovial all of a sudden. "I feel our visit to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City had gone terribly awry. Let us assist the new queen with her request for a celebration, a gesture of atonement on my part. It has been far too long since the Labyrinth Kingdom has held any sort of social benefit. We shall pass the word to all those of high power in the Underground to come join the festivities!"

The High Counsel gathered to the table with grave misgivings, knowing that Sarlic had something sinister planned for the new queen, but not a clue as to what it could be. Sarlic had become too powerful, too deviant, and the counsel members secretly looked upon the mortal made queen as a new hope for the entire Underground.

XxXxX

"I've overseen to the hanging of the tapestries, just as you asked," Jareth announced, coming to stand behind Sarah at the bottom of a winding stairwell. "Though, I should remind you, once again, that by hanging them during this season will cause the castle to become stuffy and overly warm."

"I expect cold winds to turn this way," Sarah replied with slight distraction. She stood before the stone steps with her hands held out before her, her eyes closed in concentration. "Did you instruct them to roll them up for now, as I explained?"

"Yes," Jareth replied with impatient exasperation. "You aren't the first to think of such a thing, you know," he quipped rhetorically. "What are you doing now?" he asked with hands on hips. Every time he turned around she was 'fixing' this or changing that throughout the castle, his castle!

After expelling a deep sigh she turned to face him, her eyes alit with the magic she had been using. "If you must know," she remarked indignantly. "I am leveling the steps. They are uneven, and they sag drastically from hundreds of years of usage." She closed her eyes briefly, reopening them to focus on Jareth fully, the magical glow dissipated. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"I was told they are flamingos," he replied arrogantly, pulling on the shirt to show her the decal. It was a yellow short-sleeved button up shirt with two pink flamingos imprinted on it, one on each side of the front panel of the material.

"You look like a tourist from Florida,' she remarked with distain. "And it doesn't look right… well, it doesn't look right at all, but it really doesn't go with those tight pants and boots."

"I like it," he argued defensively.

"You look ridiculous," she stated curtly, pushing past him to head down the long stretch of hallway. "Either you go change, or I'll change it for you."

"I like it," he reiterated strongly. "It's colorful and cheery."

She paused to look back at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Then maybe I should put you in the crystal with the Fiery's," she mused openly. "You'd fit right in with them, now, wouldn't you?"

"If I still had my magic you wouldn't dare question my attire," he stated irritably.

"If you still had your magic, you wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like that! Now get rid of it!" she commanded him heatedly.

He advanced upon her with defiance in his eyes just as a servant came running along the corridor behind them.

"My Queen! My Majesty!" an out of breath goblin called in a panic, leaning his hand against the wall in an attempt to catch his breath. "You must come quickly! The guests are arriving!"

"What guests?" Sarah asked with dread in her voice.

Sarah hadn't even noticed that the goblin addressed Jareth as his majesty, but Jareth had, and suddenly Sarah's distaste for his attire seemed all too clear. He quietly stepped back into the shadows, then followed the stairs to his chambers to change.

"The guests for the celebration, My Queen," the goblin replied, catching some of his wind by now. "They say they were sent by the High Counsel." He got a wary expression on his face before continuing. "They don't look pleased, my Queen, at not being received properly."

"Dammit, Sarlic!" Sarah seethed, striding down the hallway with angry brisk steps. "I didn't mean today!" she seethed angrily. "I'm not prepared for this! I have no food! The castle is a mess!" She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and considered her own words. "Which is exactly what Sarlic wanted," she mused quietly, more to herself.

Her gaze met that of the goblin messenger. "Call all the goblins from within the city," she commanded. "I want them clean, dressed, and unarmed! Twenty of them are to line the entrance of the castle, ten on each side. I want any adult female without small children to report to the kitchens immediately!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the goblin responded with enthusiasm. He found all of this very exciting, and ran off on quick feet to do the queen's bidding.

Sarah realized that Jareth had slipped off unnoticed, mentally frowning at how he could still manage that little trick very adeptly. She inwardly smiled fondly though. Finding out these little things about him was exhilarating. She liked discovering aspects of Jareth that were simply a part of him, and not his magic.

Bringing her thoughts back to the matter at hand, Sarah set her jaw with determination, her eyes becoming steely orbs of translucent green as she allowed the magic to flow through her freely. She magically appeared in the kitchen, and commanded the cook to start preparing anything that would suffice as banquet food for the honored guests. He immediately began scurrying around the multiple kitchens to fire up the ancient looking stoves and huge fireplaces.

Slipping into a quiet recess in a hallway, so she could concentrate better, Sarah called upon the denizens of the labyrinth to come to the castle, unarmed, but immediately. She then made her way to the throne room, where the unexpected guests had been taken to await the presence of the Goblin Queen.

XxXxX

Sarah silently beseeched the Labyrinth to guide her and give her strength as she stepped through the high archway into the throne room. She had no idea how to behave as a queen before other kings and queens. Should she be overbearing and regal, or simply politically correct, yet friendly? Would they frown upon her if she was condescending, or would they welcome such behavior from one of their own status? Maybe it wouldn't matter at all what she did or how she behaved, maybe they would scorn her just for being from the Aboveground.

Having felt no obvious help whatsoever from the Labyrinth, she squared her shoulders slightly more, and strode towards the throne with outward confidence, her head held high, her eyes focused and kept forward. Once she gracefully seated herself upon the cushions, she directed her gaze to the few people who littered the hall. She counted four royal guests, along with several hand servants among them. They regarded her with detached gazes, neither condescending nor accepting, but simply gauging her with open regard.

"I seem to be at a loss as to the proper etiquette among royalty. You are all aware of my background, and recent ascent to the throne as the Goblin Queen. However, I am at a loss as to who any of you are, but I welcome you all to Jareth's Castle."

She watched the royal guests as they turned startled and questioning gazes towards each other at the mention of the previous ruler of the kingdom. Apparently Jareth's name truly was no longer spoken in the Underground, something Sarah was determined to change. Waiting for the soft murmurs to quiet, Sarah continued.

"I am, unfortunately, caught unawares by the sudden decision of the High Counsel to assist with my having a celebration," she informed them with haughty pleasantness. "However, upon your arrival, I have begun preparations to see this through. If you would be so kind as to indulge my tardiness, I can assure you that your patience will be rewarded."

"Perhaps, your Majesty," one of the kings addressed. "Another time would be better suited."

"May I ask your name?" Sarah inquired, not knowing what title to use so simply left her question stand. She already knew who he was since Melinda, the servant who had dared to touch Jareth, stood behind her sovereign with a bowed head. But Sarah wanted to avoid assuming anything, so therefore asked for introductions.

"I am King Basil Torlain," he answered regally, jutting his chin in the air proudly. "This is my wife, Queen Freesia Torlain." He added, placing his hand to the Lady's elbow. "We share borders towards the west of the Labyrinth."

Sarah smiled warmly, her eyes softening pleasantly. "It is an honor to meet your acquaintance, King and Queen Torlain," she addressed, inclining her head ever so slightly. "Your subject, Melinda, has extended to me your welcome. I thank you for your thoughtfulness. However, I deem this as good a time as any to hold a celebration. It has been brought to my attention that there are many questions unanswered by my presence. I would hope to alleviate any wrongful information on my behalf this day."

Sarah rose to her feet, though remained standing on the top step to address everyone in the room. "At this time I would ask for a little of your patience while I oversee to the preparations for this evening. If you would, I shall have you shown to the ballroom. Refreshments and entertainment shall be brought forth with haste, and I shall return after seeing to my own personal preparations."

She received slight inclines of the head from each person in the room. Smiling with satisfaction, she snapped her fingers, making Hoggle appear in the room without warning. "Hoggle, show my royal guests to the ball room and all others who may arrive before my return."

"Yes, your Majesty," he replied with a bow. Making Sarah's heart soar with pride towards her friend. Upon hearing about the royal visitors to the castle, Hoggle just knew that he would be summoned, and had changed into the best clothes he owned so he wouldn't embarrass Sarah. His cheeks filled slightly with color at the pleased and heartfelt expression on her face.

"Please," Hoggle addressed the handful of people. "Comes this way."

XxXxX

As soon as the royal guests were shown from the throne room, Sarah transported herself to the ballroom. She sighed with exasperation at the condition of the grand room. She hadn't gotten to this room at all to air it out and refurbish it. Closing her eyes, she pulled upon the magic within her, then opened them as she slowly swept her hand, palm out, around the room. She watched as the dull, stale atmosphere magically changed to sparkling crystal walls, shining candle chandeliers, gold-laced tapestries, and elegant long tables surrounding the marble dance floor. Satisfied that it was ready to receive her royal guests, she vanished from the room just as Hoggle opened the grand double doors to give entrance to the guests.

Reseating herself upon the throne, she called forth the goblins that mulled around in the entrance hall. "We have much to do and no time to do it in. Consider this very important, do you understand?"

"Yes, your Majesty!" they responded as one voice full of excitement.

In a firm but pleasant tone, Sarah then commanded Brae to organize the cleaning staff and prepare all the bedchambers for their guests to use at their disposal during their stay. Quickly, Brae herded at least two dozen female goblins to do her queen's bidding, Sarah turned her attention to a group of male goblins, and instructed them get wine from the winery and bring in their private store of goblin ale. She then reiterated her orders to the royal guards, telling them to switch their position with others of the goblin army every half an hour, because everyone knew that goblins just couldn't stand still much longer than that, not even the trained army.

In quick succession, she summoned the fairies from the front gates of the Labyrinth, and instructed them to cast their magical light while flying around the castle gardens and outer balconies, terraces, and patios, giving light to those who would step outside for some fresh air after the sun went down. She specifically ordered them not to bite anyone, under any circumstance.

Giving her attention to the small but numerous horde of Brownies, she instructed them to roam underfoot and clean up anything that was dropped or lost, with further instructions not to steal or pilfer. She then appointed specific goblins to guard all doorways to areas of the castle that Sarah restricted from the guests, strongly enforcing that only she or Jareth were to enter those areas while guests were in the castle.

She assigned dwarfs to be the servers of the food and refreshments, reminding them to be polite to the royal guests. And lastly, Sarah brought forth the crystal she had previously made containing the Fierys, releasing them from their crystal imprisonment, and commanded them to serve as entertainment in a behaving manner.

"As your queen and ruler of the Labyrinth," she addressed them in a firm, authoritative voice. "I command you to provide tasteful and appropriate entertainment for the guests within the castle this evening. You are prohibited to start fires, or remove any body parts from yourselves or others. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hey," one of them drawled in response. "That's a lot to remember."

"Yea, man," another spoke up. "We're not sure we can handle all that stress."

"It was better in the bubble!" They all cackled and laughed heartily.

"You 'will' do this!" Sarah shouted, rising to her feet with agitation. She needed some sort of entertainment, and these fuzzy headed things were the only ones she knew she could call upon. They 'had' to listen to her, they just 'had' to!

The Fiery's sobered instantly at her agitation, feeling her power emanating as she grew angry. "What's in it for us, our Queenliness?" one Fiery asked more cautiously, the others remaining quiet.

"You can return to the forest afterward," she offered as appeasement. "I release you from your imprisonment."

"Nah, that's old news," one of them waved off.

"We had more fun in the bubble," another one chuckled.

"We want a wish," yet another stated, his eyes rounding on her wildly.

"A wish?" Sarah repeated dumbly. "Fine," she agreed readily, not noticing the extremely pleased grins on their faces. "One wish will be granted among all of you. But only after you entertain tonight, and only if you are proper, and behave yourselves! This is important, not just for me, but for the kingdom as well."

"You got yourself a band, our Majesty!" They agreed as one, bowing before her respectfully.


	13. Chapter 13

Curse of the Labyrinth

CHAPTER THRIRTEEN

The royal guests felt snubbed, slighted, by Sarah's cool and collected manner towards them. Her ignorance was almost insulting, only the fact that she was a mortal child from the Aboveground cooled their indignance, and convinced them to stay at all.

"This is a complete shambles," Queen Bevelee remarked indignantly, watching as goblins bustled about to prepare the room they had been shown to. "Nothing is prepared, there are no rooms available for freshening up, there is no food to be served, nor drinks to even dull the audacity of inviting us in the first place."

"I would wager the last dragon, that Sarlic had planned this," King Torlain replied, gaining reluctant nods of agreement from the others. "The mortal made queen appeared to be willing, had even stated she had not been given notice of our arrivals, and this would be something his High Majesty would do."

"We all know he covets this kingdom," King Bevelee added. "I say we be patient with the girl, let her try to meet our expectations, and see for ourselves how much of what we've been told by Sarlic is true."

"I feel for the child," Queen Torlain remarked, jumping slightly as a dwarf approached her with a goblet of ale, smiling at her grotesquely. She took it from him, though with obvious hesitation. "She has no guidance whatsoever, and is left to her own devices."

"I'd say she's assumed her new found authority very well," King Bevelee commented, looking around the room. "Look at the improvements made in such a short time. These subjects are tripping over themselves to do her bidding."

"Not to mention seeing so many different clans working together," Queen Bevelee stated with mild awe. "I have never seen dwarfs and goblins work side by side before, have you?" she asked the others in general. A round of negative responses were emitted. Suddenly the woman gasped, placing her hand at her throat in alarm. "Husband," she choked. "There are Brownies present in the room!"

"Calm yourself, my dear, I'm sure they are instructed here for a reason."

"Why, look at them," Queen Torlain pointed out. "They're… helping."

"I've never heard of Brownies being put to service," Queen Bevelee remarked, containing her fear of the small creatures. "They are too unpredictable"

"I give her due respect for trying. And trying she is, we can all see that much for ourselves." King Bevelee stated. "I think her actions here discredit what was told to us. She has war on her mind no more than I would consider needle pointing."

"I say we stay and assist her as the others arrive," Queen Torlain suggested, being impressed with the authority the new queen used to rule these wayward subjects. "We are all aware that something spectacular happened upon her return to the Underground. Something spectacular enough to have the high king jumping at his own shadow."

That, and I am curious as to what she would say for herself." King Torlain remarked casually.

"I've heard that she's very protective of… '_him'_," Queen Torlain mentioned, whispering the last word. "You don't suppose she would have him in attendance tonight, do you?"

"Oh my, that would be terrible," Queen Bevelee chimed in. "We are forbidden to so much as acknowledge his existence. How are we to do that without insulting the new Queen?"

"Melinda," Queen Torlain called, squaring her shoulders regally as the servant girl obediently approached the small group. Pausing to curtsy deeply before the royal members, she waited for her instructions. "I am curious as to your observations concerning Queen Sarah's intentions towards the one we can't name."

"Her Highness is most taken with him, my Queen. If I may be so bold, I would say that she holds no regard to his being outcast in the least. She favors his company and his counsel completely. She is also very protective of him, your Majesty."

"May the Fates help us," King Bevelee mumbled.

"Don't be so rash, Bevelee," King Torlain remarked with familiarity. "If there's any chance for us at all, it would be by '_his'_ counsel for her to accomplish anything."

"True that," Bevelee corrected himself. "He was the only one among us to thwart Sarlic's influence."

"He was also the only one who had the power to stop him."

"Yes, well," King Bevelee quipped dryly. "We see how that turned out, haven't we?"

"I beggins your Majesties pardons," Hoggle interrupted, folding his hands nervously as all eyes turned down straight noses upon him. "We's is ready to serve your Royalnesses with food and more accommodating refreshments."

The group of royalty glanced at each other warily, not completely certain that they wanted to dine within the castle. "Direct us to our table," King Torlain responded, shrugging at the others who gave him reproaching looks.

XxXxX

"How about this one, then?" Jareth asked impatiently, quickly becoming perturbed. Everything he had taken from his closet to change into, she had disapproved of. Sarah turned her attention towards him, and shook her head with pursed lips.

"Hmm, no." She snapped her fingers, having enough of Jareth insisting on wearing some casual garment. He was instantly donned in his royal finery. "Now that, I like," she quipped, sounding as though it had been his choice.

"Sarah, I can't wear…"

"No!" she shouted forcible, turning to face him from across the room. "You will not disagree with me on this matter, I won't allow you to!" She turned her head to the side, avoiding his impassive gaze. "I know what you will say, and you're wrong," she added in a quieter tone. "You have every right to wear your finery." She met his eyes with a determined stare. "And it's just too damn bad if they don't like it," she told him venomously.

He couldn't help but divert his gaze, the power she was emanating reached him from across the room. She refused to accept that he no longer held a title, that he had been outcast. They would mock her for allowing him to even attend this celebration. And she insisted that he be by her side none the less.

"_She will stop at nothing to return everything that has been taken from you_." Jareth glanced peripherally towards Sarah, not sure if he was remembering what the Labyrinth had said to him, or if the Being was repeating Itself for his benefit. "_Even now she contemplates and schemes to find a way to return what you have given her_."

"_They're not rules, they're laws_." He heard Sarah's voice in his head, recapping what she had said to him while in her bathroom Aboveground. "_I'm breaking every law in the book, one by one_."

"_Trust in her, heir of kings, as I do_." The Labyrinth's voice spoke again in his mind. "_And we all may be surprised what she does with the power given her_."

"Now is not the time to be defiant and ignore me, Jareth!" Sarah was yelling at him, standing before the full-length mirror wearing a silver and black-laced gown while holding a velveteen green one in front of her.

"The green one," he answered decisively, hoping she had questioned him about which one to wear.

"You really were ignoring me, weren't you?" she accused him. She snapped her fingers and the green gown was instantly donning her body, the other one completely vanished. "I said this one makes my hips look big," she chastised with her hands firmly on said hips.

Jareth quirked an elegant brow, and took a silent deep breath. "Why stop there?" he asked flippantly, folding his arms, and looking at her indignantly. "Your breasts are practically spilling out of it, your waist is squeezed into the thing far too tightly, and…" he tilted his head to the side. "Shall I dare mention your ass?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, her chest rising and falling with deep controlled breaths. "Why can't you just say that you like it?"

"I already had, by choosing it." He answered dryly. He leaned into his wardrobe closet to retrieve another outfit, and then strode across the room to stand in front of her. "I'd prefer this one," he stated matter of factly. She looked at the outfit with a critical eye then smiled. With a snap of her fingers, his attire had changed, leaving him holding the one he had had on only seconds before. "Thank you." He quipped airily.

"Don't thank me, Jareth," she told him, gathering her skirts to head towards the vanity. "Just remember what you're wearing." She paused to look back at him. "And don't you dare divert your eyes from anyone." She turned her attention back to her vanity, mumbling under her breath. "It's just too damn bad if they don't want to see you, and the Labyrinth better help anyone who outright shuns you in front of me."

He smiled secretly as she put on her jewelry by hand. He would have expected the same from her, if the shoe were on the other foot. He would have expected her to hold her head proudly and be his equal by his side, despite all else, simply because he would deem it so.

He wondered if this was how she had felt while standing before him five years ago, trying to live up to his expectations, to prove herself just as important as he was, to be his equal while he ruled over her. He diverted his gaze from her direction, never before thinking about their situation in that perspective.

"How do I look?" she asked nervously, standing up and turning to face him. She wrung her hands in front of her, her eyes showing how uncertain and fearful she was.

"I lied about the gown," he told her in a serious tone. She was stunningly breathtaking. "You will be the envy of every female present this evening." He walked over to where she stood, took her face in his hands and kissed her fully upon her mouth. Breaking the kiss, he raised a bent elbow for her to take. "It's my pleasure to be by your side, my Queen."

"That's good," she stated haughtily, all her doubt and insecurities subsiding as she slipped her hand in the crook of his arm. "Because I wouldn't be able to do this without you."

Leading her from the bed chambers, Jareth wondered if she realized that he was just as nervous as she was, with both of them finding comfort from the other.

XxXxX

They entered the ballroom, Sarah's hand held high in the air by Jareth's, to find things in full swing. Many more guests had arrived during Sarah's absence, causing her yet again to take a steadying breath. Jareth gently squeezed her fingers for support.

He was absolutely amazed at the changes she had accomplished in such a small amount of time. His subjects, or rather '_her'_ subjects, were cleaned and well dressed, as he had never imagined them capable of being. Dwarfs mulled about the tables with refreshments, while Brownies scurried underfoot clearing away napkins and other various things that fell to the floor.

The goblin army stood guard with spears three times their height, the points stopped off with purple cabbage. Well, they were goblins, not everything could be perfect. Hoggle bustled around the room as though his ass was on fire, barking orders at any servant that looked as though they were slacking. The resounding blare of trumpets suddenly rang throughout the hall, announcing Her Majesty's presence.

The room became silent within a heartbeat, all eyes turning towards the new queen, and the outcast. Low murmurs and whispered voices filtered around the hall, not only at Jareth presenting the new queen, but also the obvious changes he had endured. His hair style being the foremost observation, creating many gasps of surprise from the women present.

Sarah opened her mouth to address everyone and their gaping expressions when Jareth leaned over her to whisper in her ear. All present noticed with clarity how the new queen's mouth snapped shut, and a subtle blush stained her cheeks. Raising her chin defiantly, she strolled across the open space, making sure everyone noticed her hand upon Jareth's arm as he led her to their table.

"I am pleased to see so many of you here this day," she announced from the two stepped platform where her table had been placed. "I would like to take this opportunity to become acquainted with each of you before this day's end. In the meantime, please enjoy my hospitality."

"To the new Queen!" Someone in the back of the hall announced boisterously, prompting others to join in the greeting, though most with less enthusiasm.

Sarah smiled and inclined her head slightly in acknowledgement. "Was that okay? Can I sit down now?" she whispered to Jareth, who stood off her shoulder behind her. In response, he pulled her chair out for her, making it seem as though she had commanded him to do so. He noticed satisfied grins and nods of approval at certain placements of the huge, elongated table for their guests.

Sarah noticed that most of her guests seemed reluctant to touch the food before them, placing a small morsel behind their teeth only after she directed questioning, pointed glances along the table. She smirked with satisfaction as arched brows rose higher in surprise at the food being much more succulent in taste than it was in appearance. Within a few moments a light and pleasant din filled the room as everyone conversed amongst themselves.

"Jareth, sit down and eat," she directed him quietly over her shoulder, realizing that he still stood behind her.

"Sarah," he whispered, barely moving his lips. "I beg you, don't make a fuss over me. At least, let me remain unnoticed for now." His submissive attitude pissed her off beyond reason. Disregarding his hushed warnings, she rose to her feet to instantly gain everyone's attention.

"I am more than aware of some untruths being spread on my behalf. I would take this moment to clarify a few things before I waste anyone's precious time." She used her cloth napkin to delicately wipe her fingers, and then raised her chin majestically after tossing it to the table. "I am fully aware that Jareth has been exiled among you, and I tell you now that I will not abide to that ruling. He is as much a part of this kingdom, this castle," She held up her hand for a crystal to appear at her fingertips. "And this magic." She let the crystal disappear. "Just as much as everyone else in this room." She gave a dramatic pause before continuing.

"If there is anyone among you who can not or will not tolerate this decision, well then, there's the door." She paused to pointed look at the exit to the room, noticing that several seats immediately became vacant. "I refuse to adhere to the injustice done to him, just as I refuse to give in to the demands of an unjust ruler who seeks nothing but power." She paused once more, noticing that most of the guests still remained, transfixed while listening to her words.

"I'm new to this word, yes. I'm new to having these gifts, yes. But I am fully accustomed to fighting for what I believe in. The fact that I stand here before you is testament to that alone." She glanced over her shoulder at Jareth, who was seething inwardly at her with glaring eyes. "Jareth, I've requested for you to join me for the meal."

Every living thing in the room, from Kings to goblins, waited for the exiled king to either heed or defy her command. The tension grew as he stalked upon her within one stride, only to angrily pull out the chair next to hers, and seated himself as directed. Sarah inwardly trembled for a second, unsure of what he would have, could have, done in front of all these people. She was fully prepared to deal with his anger later, when they would be alone.

She turned her attention back to the room full of guests. "I would also make you aware that…" she glanced down at Jareth, knowing he was enraged, and sighed deeply before raising her gaze outward once more. "I know I will have repercussions to deal with for my announcements. But I chose to make my intentions on this manner known to all. Jareth will not be exiled within these walls, nor within this kingdom, and that is my law as Goblin Queen, and as Lady of the Labyrinth." She reiterated bitterly, her hardened eyes challenging anyone to disagree with her.

"You've made your intentions quite clear, '_my Queen'_," Jareth stated between clenched teeth, only turning his head slightly in her direction. "I would suggest to relieve the tension you have caused by allowing the meal to continue with music and entertainment."

She turned her head slightly in his direction, gazing down at him haughtily with a raised brow. "Too much, perhaps?" she asked him bluntly, not caring that everyone heard her. His only reply was to glare up at her from his seat. "Then forgive me," she addressed her guests. "I'm not yet accustomed to certain… protocols," she smiled weakly, though by far not showing any weakness to those who beheld her. "Please continue your meal, dancing may commence shortly." She seated herself and placed her napkin back on her lap. Picking up her fork, she continued to eat as though nothing had occurred.

"Crude," someone whispered very low under their breath.

"Raw," another voiced in the same hushed manner.

"The servant girl sorely underestimated the new queen's attraction for him," Queen Torlain stated in a low voice to those closest to her. "I dread to think of what he has suffered."

"I admit, that I expected changes in him," Queen Bevelee added in a whispered tone. "But I was not prepared for…" she took an unsettling breath. "His hair, it's… '_tame'_."

"The servant also failed to mention how much power he retains through our new queen," King Bevelee remarked, matching the queen's low voice. "And I'm sure our former goblin king has not been tamed in the least."

"I didn't say '_he'_ was tamed," the queen corrected curtly. "Did you not see how he loomed over her?" Queen Bevelee exclaimed in hushed tones. "Mortal or not, he is still the most intimidating man I have ever met!"

"Was I the only one to notice her reaction to his displeasure?" King Bevelee asked with pointed curiosity. "She literally had to lean upon the table to remain standing, just by his mere glare."

"I noticed that, too," King Torlain replied. "But, I also noticed how she unabashedly met his ire with her own countenance."

"You want more wine?" a dwarf addressed suddenly in a gruff voice. Queen Bevelee gasped, placing a delicate hand at her mouth with dignity. "Uh… your majesties?" he added, remembering to be polite as an afterthought.

"That will do nicely," King Bevelee replied, reaching over the table toward the dwarf. "Just hand that over, and retrieve another bottle."

"As you say," the dwarf replied agreeably in a gruff voice, thinking he sounded eloquent.

"I noticed who had left upon her speaking '_his'_ name," Torlain commented after the dwarf left hearing range.

"You seem surprised, Torlain," King Bevelee stated airily, taking the liberty of pouring the wine himself while they spoke quietly. "We are all aware of who has which alliances."

"I've decided to help her," Queen Torlain declared, after sipping half her goblet of wine. "I am impressed with her determination. Though she has no structure, no training, and no alliances, she has made it perfectly clear that she will defy anyone who covets this kingdom."

"With that I agree," King Bevelee stated, the others nodding. "She is also most loyal to... Jareth," he added, whispering the name conspiratorially. "Though I feel we should remain discrete as of yet. It would not bode well if certain parties suspect an uprising. I say we keep this alliance secret amongst us until we are truly needed."

"We must at least reassure them that they do not stand alone," King Torlain suggested. "If she believes herself to have no alliances, then she will not accept our aid when it would be needed most."

"She trusts... him... Jareth," Queen Torlain stated quietly. "It feels good to speak his name, does it not?" she remarked off handedly. "Anyway, we can give them a cryptic message during the dance."

XxXxX

"I told you that I refused to have you treated any differently, Jareth," Sarah was saying between bites of food. "I don't understand why you're so upset."

"Because they will shun you for acknowledging me," he bit back at her between clenched teeth, too enraged to even think of food. "You will need to form an alliance with as many neighboring kingdoms as possible, if you expect to ward off Sarlic."

"Well, I see a room full of people who are enjoying the food and wine," she replied airily. "Despite the few that had vanished at the mere mention of your name, I think that is a good sign."

"How do you expect me to counsel you, when you never listen to a thing I say?" he asked, completely perturbed, his voice rising somewhat.

Sarah took an exasperated breath and dropped her forked to her plate. "How do you expect to be my king when you would have me cower before the likes of Sarlic?" she asked heatedly, meeting his gaze head on while not paying attention to the tempo of her own voice. "I'll be damned if he gets his hands on anything that rightfully belongs to you!"

"I do not expect you to cower before anyone!" he returned just as heatedly, his eyes dark with ire. "But, you can not defeat him on your own!"

"Then stop telling me what I can't do, and start telling me what I CAN do!" She shouted back at him completely enraged.

"What do you think I've been doing?!" he shouted at her.

All of a sudden Hoggle was standing before them from the opposite side of their table, completely winded and holding a bottle of wine. "Hows abouts some more wine, your Majesty!"

"No!" Sarah and Jareth simultaneously glared pointedly at the dwarf then realized that they had everyone's undivided attention. Both of them sighed resignedly, relaxing back in their chairs while glancing awkwardly at each other from the corner of their eyes, their heads slightly bowed towards the table.

"Absolutely fascinating," Queen Bevelee whispered in awe, her eyes transfixed upon the couple at the head table. "They are perfectly matched." Rising from her chair, she addressed the new queen pleasantly. "Pardon for the intrusion, Queen Sarah," she voiced loudly. "Perhaps we may begin the dance, if you would allow it?"

"Yes," Sarah breathed with obvious relief at someone coming to her aid. "Yes, please, by all means. Dance and enjoy yourselves."

The Fiery's struck up an appropriate tune without even being told.

The queen guest glanced around with brief uncertainty, before gathering her skirts and regally made her way towards the head table. "Queen Sarah," she addressed in an urgent, patient tone. "It is customary for the host to lead the dancing."

"You're kidding?" Sarah responded without thinking, her expression that of dread. She quickly held up a hand, closing her eyes while slightly dipping her head to one side. "Forgive me," she requested, meeting the other woman's mismatched gaze. "I wasn't aware. Thank you for your kindness." The other queen inclined her head slightly, and turned to head back to her husband and friends.

Jareth knew Sarah's resolve was giving out by the way she repeatedly took deep breaths, and clutched the edge of the table with both hands. Rising to his feet, he held out his hand to her. Their differences can be resolved later, in private. But, for now, she needed him, and he refused to let her down, or to be made the fool in front of the most elite of the Underground.

The look of pure gratitude she had given him, as she slipped her hand in his, was more than enough to make him feel guilty about arguing with her at all. He knew she was right, as he led her to the empty dance floor. With so many still in attendance, her chances of gaining much needed alliances were great. He had no right to question her methods when he knew that nothing would deter her determination to fight against Sarlic, and reinstate his own status.

"I'm sorry," Sarah mumbled at him as he led her in a wide circular motion upon the dance floor. "I know you're only looking out for my well being. But, how can I listen to your advice when everything inside me is telling me something different?"

"Then, follow what you feel is right, Sarah," Jareth told her in an even but pleasant tone.

"I still need you, you know that, right?" she questioned, looking up at him with a vulnerability that seized his heart. "I'll always need you, no matter what happens."

Jareth remained silent as he led her through the steps of the customary dance. Her eyes had spoken volumes. But now was not the time to dwell on her feelings for him. Now was the time to introduce the Goblin Queen, Lady of the Labyrinth.

The dance became more intricate with the flow of music. More steps were required, bows and curtsies, and minor partner exchanges as the filled dance floor flowed as one in sync to the dance. It was at that time that Sarah had been handed off to King Torlain as he stepped next to her, while Queen Torlain had been handed off to Jareth.

"I would compliment your efforts thus far, Queen Sarah," the king stated, leading Sarah around in a tight circle. "You have given many of us, not only a reason to celebrate, but something to trust in as well. We welcome you as a new Queen in the Underground."

"Thank you," Sarah replied, slightly confused by his words.

"You rule the dance floor as always, Jareth," Queen Torlain addressed pleasantly with a knowing grin. "I would stumble upon my own feet without your guiding hand and sure footedness to lead."

"I'll make sure to pass your compliment to my queen," he replied, returning her knowing grin with an incline of his head. '_Good_,' he thought. '_If she's impressed the Torlain's, then most of the others will follow, too_.'

Both queens curtsied slightly and the men bowed, and then switched partners once more, Sarah returned to Jareth, stepping in time with the dance. Jareth glanced around the room at the other guests, noticing their pointed glances and subtle dips of their chins upon eye contact with him.

"It seems like everyone is having a good time," Sarah commented with underlined uncertainty as she stepped in rhythm next to Jareth, placing her fingertips in his palm held high between their shoulders. "I thought for sure that everything was ruined with us arguing like that."

"You needn't worry about that, so much," Jareth replied, gracefully turning her within his embrace, they dipped slightly as one; he then turned for her to face him once more. "Think of it as an underground version of your 'soaps'," he grinned at her, then frowned thoughtfully. "Which, I'll never find out who Rachel chose to marry."

Sarah choked on a chuckle. "You're kidding me, right? All the shit we've been through and you want to know what happens on a soap opera?"

"It's only a mild curiosity," he told her defensively. "But, yes. I would like to know."

"Well, it looks like I got you back to the Underground just in time, then," she told him mockingly. The music changed into another dance, and Sarah motioned for Jareth to lead her off the dance floor. "Is it permissible for the queen host to step out on the terrace, alone, for some air?"

Jareth regarded her carefully. "Of course," he replied casually, "Though, I'd rather remain by your side. With so many in attendance in the castle, I wouldn't want you to be left unguarded."

"Do you honestly think me incapable of defending myself if the need arose?" she asked him haughtily.

"Of course not," he smiled, stepping back from her to show politeness in the eyes of the on looking guests. Inwardly he hated himself that he wouldn't be able to defend her if she did need him. But that wasn't how Sarah had meant her query, and he knew it.

"I just want some fresh air, Jareth, I'll be right back." She stepped closer to him, placing her hands upon his broad shoulders, and kissed him fondly on his cheek. "Keep an eye out for any trouble while I'm outside." He grinned and inclined his head slightly, letting his eyes graze his surroundings as she stepped away from him.

She turned towards the terrace with skirts in hand while he subtly blended himself out of the way of everyone, including the servants, and simply watched the partygoers enjoy themselves, observing who remained in attendance, and who spoke to whom.

XxXxX

Heading towards the nearest terrace, Sarah had almost literally bumped into the servant, Melinda. "Remember my warning, Melinda." She told the servant boldly, noticing how the woman's eyes had been riveted on Jareth, which was why she hadn't seen Sarah's approach.

"Yes, of course, Queen Sarah," she replied, bowing her head and curtsying deeply.

Sarah continued outside, somehow having a feeling that that woman was going to really piss her off one of these days. Once outside, she was surprised to find that it had grown dark already, having missed the sunset completely. So far, sunset was her favorite time of day in the labyrinth, when the Being whispered a beautiful song as vibrant colors filled the sky. She wondered if Jareth had ever listened to the sunset song, and made a mental note to ask him later.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the different fragrances that floated to her senses on the light breeze. Feeling her hairs prickle at the back of her neck, she turned around in time to see Rhiannon appear before her, stepping out from the corner of the terrace.

"I am most appreciative of your generosity on my son's behalf, Queen Sarah," the respected counsel member complimented. "It has secretly reached my ears of your protectiveness and patience towards him. I can only hope that you understand his plight and continue to bestow him with your generosity."

"What was done to him will be made right," Sarah answered evenly. "I will find a way to restore his power to him, and return all that had been taken. He is the rightful king of this kingdom, this magic that flows in my veins belongs to him, I will make things right again!" Sarah vowed with determination.

"That would destroy you, child!" Rhiannon declared with an intake of breath. "You mustn't attempt such a thing!

"Mustn't I?" Sarah asked haughtily. "I would rather have him returned to his glorious self while I perish, than live the rest of my life watching him wither and fade away into nothing." Sarah strode the space between herself and the other woman with brisk steps. "Though I wonder where your loyalties really lie, Rhiannon. When it was you who had sent the book of power to find my hands in the first place. You knew I would try to bring him back to his own world. You knew he would be stripped of any power he had left by doing so! So, explain to me, please, why I should give your counsel any consideration whatsoever?"

"You must follow what you feel within you, Queen Sarah," Rhiannon answered in a quiet voice. "I have acted as I had knowing that Sarlic was planning to take the book of power for himself. He's coveted my son's power for a very long time. I have done what I thought best. I had not expected the book of power to consume you as it had, and I am greatly confused how things have turned out thus far."

"Then why do you continue to serve Sarlic if you don't trust him?"

"I have served the High Counsel long before Sarlic became High King," Rhiannon replied. "His rulership was by accidental means. By the time we realized the error of him gaining so much power and authority, it was too late. He'd become a tyrant among us.

"Then why don't you rebel? There are enough of you, together you would be stronger than him."

Rhiannon smiled gently. "We were about to accomplish just that, Queen Sarah, when my son met you." She paced leisurely as she continued, looking out into the night over the balustrade. "He offered you everything, as you know, but if you had accepted, he would have become the most powerful king in the underground." She turned to face Sarah pointedly. "You see, being the king of goblins is only half of the power in this kingdom."

Sarah nodded knowingly. "That's right," she stated with chin held high. "The other part is being ruler of the Labyrinth."

"And with a queen by his side, you both would have greatly aided in ending Sarlic's reign of unjustness."

"That's why you were there," Sarah stated with renewed understanding. "You stood behind me while he beseeched me to accept him, you were trying to stop him. That's why Sarlic had him exiled and cursed. He realized what Jareth was trying to do by wanting me as his queen. Jareth was trying to tap into the dormant part of the Labyrinth's power…" she raised her eyes to Rhiannon's. "Through me."

"Yes," Rhiannon answered in a voice full of regret.

Sarah raised her chin defiantly, her eyes hardening. "But he '_does'_ love me. I've felt it within him many times."

"Of course he does, child, he gave you his heart," Rhiannon replied sorrowfully. "That is how Sarlic was able to strip him of everything. He used my son's moment of weakness against him."

"And you helped him," Sarah accused bitterly, stepping forward. "You, and the others you claim want Sarlic removed from power, helped him to destroy the only chance you had!"

"We had no choice," Rhiannon whispered, beseeching Sarah to understand. "That is why I sent the book of power to you. Not only to hide it from Sarlic, but also with the hope that you would save my son."

"And what would you have done if Sarlic had figured out what you had done? What if he came after me in the Aboveground? Then you truly would have lost everything!"

"That was a risk I had to take," Rhiannon replied evenly, lifting her chin arrogantly. "Just as my son risked everything for you, so had I for my son!"

Sarah remained quiet for a long moment, considering everything Rhiannon just told her. "Then, it's a good thing for you that I refused to let him go," she stated regally.

"Yes," Rhiannon smiled warmly, her eyes softening with tenderness. "It was your act of kindness for him that had given us all hope." Rhiannon stepped closer to Sarah, glancing around at their surroundings for the first time. "I ask that you accept a gift," she stated, opening her hand to show Sarah a pair of small, perfectly matched, crystal shard earrings, a piece of string threaded through a small hole at the pinnacle of each shard.

"They're beautiful," Sarah stated in awe, studying the pair as she took them from the Counsel Member's delicate hand. "They have magic in them," she accused with distain, suddenly uncertain of Rhiannon's intensions.

"Yes," the other woman acknowledged readily. "They hold an ancient magic that has been retained for thousands of years." Rhiannon smiled reassuringly, closing Sarah's fingers over the earrings in her palm. "Wear them only for a very special occasion, Queen Sarah."

"Such as?" Sarah asked naively, meeting a pair of mismatched eyes that were identical to Jareth's.

"You will know," she smiled warmly. "When the time comes."

Sarah waited a moment after Rhiannon stepped inside to join the celebration, noticing that the other High Counsel members were also now in attendance, though Sarlic was not among them. She slipped the earrings into a pocket of her skirted gown, and made her way back inside to find Jareth.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Besides the insane idea that formed this story, I also own the poem/song contained in this chapter, for whatever it's worth. Everything else is borrowed.**

**A/N**: I'm neither a song writer nor a poet, but the song included in this chapter was written solely by me. So I claim it as mine for whatever its worth. (Remember: Everything else is borrowed.) I personally thought of the beautiful and melodic voice of Enya as a mental reference, however, don't let that stifle your own imagination. Also, there is no specific tune, so please just read it in poem form. (Or whatever works best for you.) Uhm… K, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh, and 'please' review! '_Please?_' I noticed bunches of fave alerts *jumps around happily* but more reviews would be so helpful to write this faster! If you could kindly drop a word or two in the box it would be a most generous act on your part.

* * *

Jareth stood within the shadows of two marble pillars behind the head dining table, silently observing the celebration in Sarah's absence. His dove gray breeches were tucked neatly, if not magically, into suede knee high boots of a slightly darker shade of gray. His silken shirt of ivory was buttoned high to his neck, his cravat was adorned with tiny baby pearls in the intricate fringe of lace. His tail coat matched his breeches in color, and had intricate designs of vines and ivy sewn with green thread, small green emeralds dusted randomly throughout the material.

His features, though not as mystical as before, still held the mysteries of time. His arched brows were shaded with blue-gray powder, compliments of Sarah, who had added a touch of glitter to remind those whom looked upon him of exactly who he was. His shorter blonde hair, though a stunning shock to those of the Underground, seemed to move occasionally of its own accord, as though a slight breeze caressed its fingers through it. But, it was his mismatched eyes that were the only reminder anyone needed of who Jareth was, who he had been, and the painful truth of what he had lost. His eyes were those of a king, and nothing had taken that away from him.

More than once Jareth had felt the urge to lower his gaze when a royal guest had met his eyes with theirs. But, with the help of Sarah's forceful words to not dare divert his eyes from anyone, he remained stoic and regal in appearance, though inwardly he felt far from being regal. These people were his kin, they were his friends, and neighbors for centuries. He wondered if Sarah could possibly understand exactly what she had asked of him by escorting her this night.

A dwarf caught Jareth's attention, guzzling from a goblet while the owner of said goblet was dancing. Jareth cleared his throat softly, instantly gaining the wayward one's attention. With an apologetic grin, the dwarf replaced the used goblet with a clean one, filling it before moving along to refill goblets. Jareth's eyes then slid slowly around the room like a predator, watching the subjects closely for a few moments. He raised an arched brow curiously at a particular brownie, who was helping herself to a pair of lace and jewel studded gloves. The brownie froze all of a sudden, as though she 'felt' Jareth's pointed stare upon her. She turned cautiously to look over her shoulder, dropping the gloves instantly at seeing Jareth watching her. Moving his gaze to another subject who was behaving inappropriately, Jareth continued his silent reprimands until everything was in order once more.

"Still reigning with a simple glare I see," King Torlain remarked with a fond chuckle, suddenly appearing at Jareth's shoulder, using a marble pillar to hide his presence from the rest of the guests.

"You must have touched upon the goblin ale, Torlain," Jareth replied in a low, but pleasant, voice, barely moving his lips as his eyes continued to scope the room. "To dare and speak with me while so many are in attendance."

"Your queen has dared us to remain at all this evening with her words," Torlain commented in a pleasant tone. "It's liberating, Jareth, and I would not forgive myself for not taking this opportunity to address you, despite the circumstances."

Jareth turned his head with surprise, at hearing his name spoken so easily. He met the king's gaze, finding mismatched eyes of amber and green alit with mischief. "You have definitely touched the goblin ale," Jareth reiterated, though smiled slightly as he turned his gaze away once more.

"She is the one, my friend, we all have seen it," Torlain whispered conspiringly. "She has proved how she will reign this kingdom simply by having you by her side." The king smiled, partly from too much ale, partly from being familiar with Jareth. "Anyone who holds as much power as she holds, and can withstand your temperament without shaking the very rafters, is very formidable indeed."

"Perhaps she simply hasn't realized she is capable of such a worthy affect while being agitated," Jareth suggested dryly.

"Forgive me, my friend," King Torlain chuckled pleasantly. "But that was spoken like a true mortal. If you had an ounce of your magic, Jareth," he paused thoughtfully. "You would understand my intended meaning all the more." Jareth tilted his chin in Torlain's direction with curiosity. Torlain leaned closer to Jareth to speak in a secretive tone. "She not only shook the very foundations, but she also held everything in place while she did so."

Jareth inhaled deeply as Torlain vanished, only to reappear by his wife's side at the table. He hadn't realized that Sarah had been that incredulous while making her speech, while defying his advice, while matching his ire with her own. Torlain was right, Jareth hadn't been aware of the extent of her emotions at all. At that level of power, only other magic users would sense it.

Regaining his composure, he glanced towards the terrace doors only to notice a clique of female servants eyeing him appreciatively with hooded glances. They turned their faces away quickly, however, when he raised a brow questioningly at them, and hurriedly scattered to find something to do. Sarah's warning, it seemed, had been understood with perfect clarity, and no female was of the mind to challenge the new queen in any way.

His eyes shifted towards the terrace as someone entered the ballroom. He frowned sourly at seeing Rhiannon stepping through the doorway instead of Sarah. He waited for Sarah's return… patiently, or so he surmised, not noticing how he drew attention to himself by flicking brownies from the head table before they could scurry out of his reach.

XxXxX

Sarah returned to the ballroom and quickly found Jareth amusing himself by torturing some brownies at the head table. Heading in his direction, the majesties Torlain easily sidled up to her from the dance floor.

"Pardon, Queen Sarah," Queen Torlain addressed. "I am to understand that our messenger had offended you. We wanted to apologize on her behalf, as it bodes ill against us."

"I didn't extend her waywardness towards you or yours personally, your Majesties," Sarah replied pleasantly with a warm smile, keeping an eye on Jareth the whole while. "I am very pleased that you have honored us with your presence, despite such a trivial misunderstanding."

"That is very generous of you to say, your Majesty," King Torlain complimented. "If our presence is ever required again, it would be our honor to receive your summons."

"Thank you," Sarah voiced softly, giving them her undivided attention. "I'm very…" she paused, realizing that she was about to ramble on about gratitude and worthiness and The Fates only knew what else. "Thank you," she simply repeated heartfelt. The majesties Torlain slightly inclined their heads towards her, before returning to the dance floor.

Sarah turned once again towards Jareth, joining him at the head table. "What are you doing?" she whispered with exasperation, watching as another brownie sailed through the air to land near a goblet on the next table. The little creature rolled with his landing, picked himself up, dusted himself off, and then moved about the table he had landed on to collect used napkins.

"Waiting for you," Jareth replied casually, clasping his hands behind his back as he faced her. "Just as you instructed me to do. In front of everyone present. After completely ruining any chance I might have had of retaining some dignity." He bowed his head reverently while his tone dripped of sarcasm. "Thank you, my Queen, for dragging me to this horrid function."

Sarah studied him intently for a moment, watching the shifting hue of his eyes as he tried to remain stoic. She grinned broadly and stepped closer to him, running her fingertips from his earlobe, down his neck, to his silken collar. "You found out something, didn't you?"

"I have," he answered evenly, with a bit of teasing in his tone.

She breathed harshly and let her shoulders drop slightly, along with her hand. "It's not more bad news is it? Please tell me it's not. Though, don't lie to me either."

Jareth was stunned, once again, by her show of vulnerability. '_And yet she can shake the very foundations_,' he mused silently to himself. He suddenly wanted to hold her close while he told her of the news he had acquired, but knew that such a display would have far more consequences than Sarah needed to deal with. "I think you'll like what I have to tell you," he told her pleasantly with a sly smile.

She returned his smile and offered him her hand in a proper fashion. "Fill me in later," she told him. "Right now, I want you to dance with me." He took her hand in his and led her regally to the crowded space in the center of the room. With her chin held high she let him lead her around the dance floor, placing her hand at his shoulder while he held her other hand in his, his opposite hand at her waist. The dancing area thinned out to give the host queen her due respect. All eyes followed them as they dipped and twirled in step to the music, the dance floor slowly becoming empty as others stopped to stand off to the side.

"I noticed Rhiannon speaking with you out on the terrace," he mentioned casually.

"She was," Sarah replied vaguely. She had planned on talking about that later with him. "I thought she was your mother?"

"She was," he remarked with obvious bitterness. "Until she joined the Counsel. I am nothing to her now."

"She seemed very concerned for your well being," Sarah told him carefully, frowning slightly at this bit of information.

Jareth scoffed and shifted his eyes disgruntled. "That would be a first." Sarah looked up at him questioningly. "She traded her motherly duties for those of serving the Counsel a very long time ago. It was no longer satisfying to hold a kingdom when she could hold the realm."

"I hadn't realized that we shared so much in common," Sarah replied softly. "My mother had pretty much done the same thing. Only for her it was an acting career."

"We don't share so much in common, really," he answered thoughtfully. "Just enough for us to be perfectly matched."

She stared up at him as he led her in step to the music, her heart pounding harshly in her chest as they moved as one along the dance floor. He was still so captivating, mesmerizing, and mysterious despite everything he'd suffered. Even without his magic she couldn't tear her eyes away from his, falling into their depths. Sarah had no idea when she had become so dependant on his presence around her, whether as an owl, or a man, it didn't matter. She'd realized while on the mountain top with him that not having him with her would be unbearable. '_How can I tell him that I love him?' _she wondered_. 'When all I've done is deny that I could?_'

Jareth was lost in the expression in her eyes as she gazed up at him. Never before had she shown her emotions to him so clearly. Her love for him reflected in her translucent orbs like stars in the night sky. Suddenly the music changed to a slower rhythm, and Sarah began to sing in a voice that was as soft as silk, carried upon the air throughout the labyrinth, and more enchanting than anything Jareth had ever heard before.

_Close your eyes, forgotten king, and forget your frozen realm_

_Rest your head upon my breast while I show you all you've lost_

_Dream in darkness, forgotten king, and hear my words are singing_

_I call upon my forgotten king, and make him whole again._

_^^^^^  
_

_I see you stand on mountains high_

_Forever sing your name_

_With magic breath caress your face_

_Never close your eyes again_

_Your hair so gold and white array_

_Tendrils in my soul_

_I wish upon the stars at night_

_But not with words do say_

_^^^^^  
_

_Take me in your arms so strong, heed not what others say_

_For I alone will bring you back, and in your arms I lay_

_A child forgotten by worlds above, and nothing more than fate_

_Could spare me such a burdened heart, your love for me too great_

_^^^^^  
_

_I see you stand on mountains high_

_Forever sing your name_

_With magic breath caress your face_

_Never close your eyes again_

_Your hair so gold and white array_

_Tendrils in my soul_

_I wish upon the stars at night_

_But not with words do say_

_^^^^^  
_

_Hold your chin up high, my king, armor do you wear_

_For others will obey your law, your voice commands the air_

_With sword and scepter do you reign, o'er all that you behold_

_While I stand before my risen king, with longing in my soul_

_^^^^^  
_

_I see you stand on mountains high_

_Forever sing your name_

_With magic breath caress your face_

_Never close your eyes again_

_Your hair so gold and white array_

_Tendrils in my soul_

_I wish upon the stars at night_

_But not with words do say…_

_I wish upon the stars at night_

_But not with words do say_

The music softly drifted into silence as Jareth and Sarah stood staring at each other, each expression mirrored by the other. Jareth reached out to softly caress the side of her face, overwhelmed by her words. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips with gentle promise. She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in deeply at the heat that consumed her, a heat that always flooded her senses when he kissed her. Her head swam as he languidly moved his mouth over hers, tasting her sweetness as she clung to him with desperation. He pulled back suddenly, both of them staring at each other breathlessly, before slowly becoming aware of their surroundings once more.

They were the only ones on the dance floor, every servant and guest alike silently gazed upon them with various expressions ranging from awe, to admiration, to approval. Sarah touched her forehead to Jareth's chest as a crimson blush consumed her cheeks.

"Thank them for coming, and take your leave," Jareth suggested close to her ear, his voice ragged with emotion. With a grin firmly on her lips, Sarah did just that, then transported herself and Jareth to his chambers where they finished what had been started on the dance floor.

XxXxX

"Well, wasn't that touching," Sarlic announced sourly, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, slowly clapping his hands facetiously. "And how terribly ignorant of the new queen," he continued boisterously, glancing around at everyone in the room. "To leave her guests of honor to fend for themselves so abruptly." He sneered wickedly. "This, I would think, is what we should expect from our new queen, wouldn't you agree?"

Sarlic hadn't noticed the change in atmosphere as he rented his spiel boisterously, but the other royal guests had, and were greatly pleased by the change. The goblin army, who had thus far remained slack, often dropping their spears, eating their cabbages, or simply falling asleep, had immediately bristled to attention as Sarlic's voice rang throughout the hall. Their spears were magically shortened to useable sizes for the smaller creatures, the spear heads no longer stumped off.

The dwarfs had strategically lined the perimeter of the hall, seeming to be waiting to serve refreshments to guests, though none of them carried food or wine. The Brownies, to the horror of Queen Bevelee, skittered around the hall while growing noticeably in numbers, though remained out of sight to those who did not look for them. Fairies glowed luminously just outside the windows, while the Fierys watched quietly, alert and ready to do some shenanigans if necessary.

The royal guests felt the charge of magic filling the room around them, and silently decided as one to join this confrontation. If they were unable to stand for themselves within the very Labyrinth herself, then there was truly no hope of ever standing against Sarlic. They gently let their ire of the high king's words filter into the ballroom, mingling with the defensive magic that emanated from the inhabitants of the kingdom.

Sarlic's expression suddenly became somber as he slid his gaze over the crowd. He felt the defensive charge of the lower creatures surrounding the room, while the hairs at the back of his neck prickled from the undertone magic of the elite. "Careful, my subjects," he warned with feigned pleasantness. "I am aware of how tempting this new queen's rebelliousness is for you. But, I can assure you that she will soon crumble if she does not resign to my authority." He spun on his heel to search those at his back, sensing danger lurking in the shadows as candles sputtered and died within the room. "There is not one among you," he announced in a deep authoritative voice. "That does not have a weakness!" he smiled sinisterly, his mismatched eyes gleaming sardonically. "And the Thirteenth Queen is no different."

He let his sinister gaze befall each subject of royalty before smiling with satisfaction as the magic ebbed from within the hall, leaving only the inhabitant's defensive magic to remain. "Counsel Members!" he commanded loudly. "We shall call this event a failure, and return to our own kingdom." He waywardly looked around once more. "I would suggest the rest of you to do the same. This entire evening had been nothing but the pitiful display of a child's dream, and you were nothing more than her pawns of pleasure!"

The royalty of the Underground breathed easier after Sarlic had vanished, taking his Counsel with him, and shamefully glanced around at each other for letting Sarlic, once again, rule over them unjustly. The guests began to quietly vanish, too ashamed to even join in conversation with one another. Only the majesties Bevelee and Torlain remained, but even they were too proud to face the new queen after their failed attempt against Sarlic's threatening leadership.

XxXxX

Sarah and Jareth appeared in his chambers just as they had stood in the ballroom. Jareth took a sharp breath, still not accustomed to transporting as a mortal, and gripped her waist to steady the brief wave of dizziness. He glanced around his chambers, noticing that the room was flooded in soft moonlight. "The moon doesn't shine in my chambers this brightly," he commented, feeling the need to collect himself for a moment.

"It does tonight," she whispered breathlessly, wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck to pull him to her. "I need you," she whispered within a soft breath, her lips caressing his gently.

Jareth pulled his head back, just slightly, and looked down at her as realization hit him with full force. She was always telling him how much she needed him, how much she wanted him, while everything else about her screamed at how much she loved him. A feeling of contentment washed over him as he gently brushed her lips with his, pulling back teasingly when she tried to deepen their kiss. He smiled secretively when she moaned a complaint, pressing herself harder against his body. She'd been declaring her love all along, she simply hadn't realized it, and neither had he, until this night.

He gathered her in his arms and carried her to his bed, having another little hint dawn on him as well. She never prepared a room for herself, but had simply moved herself into his chambers, without him actually thinking about it. "_Oh, you clever thing_,' he thought as he laid her upon the bedding, gently resting his weight atop of her.

He nuzzled her neck with his lips, gently nipping at her earlobe. He moved over her, straddling her thighs, then pulled her up into a sitting position, her arms still around his neck.

"This position might prove difficult," she whispered, breathing heavily into his chest.

With a smirk on his lips, he tiled her chin up for her to look at him. "We need to remove a few things first." He pointedly placed his forefinger on her nose. "No magic, my Queen."

She smiled and leaned her upper body back slightly, clasping her fingers at the back of his neck, while he carefully removed one of her earrings. He bent his head and kissed the side of her neck, teasing her lobe with the tip of his tongue, and making her breath catch in her throat.

Pulling back, he removed the other earring, holding it in his hand with the other one. Dipping his head to the side, he nipped gently on her delicate skin, kissing the false wound with soft tender lips. Her fingers dug into the back of his neck, trying to hold him to her. With patience he'd never shown her before, he took hold of her wrists and removed her hands from his neck. He opened her palms with his thumbs, and then placed her hands upon his chest.

She watched him caress her palms with his thumbs, the feeling arousing somehow. Wordlessly, he put her hands on his chest, then reached around her neck to unclasp her necklace, carefully untangling it from some strands of her hair. She stared up at his face while his attention was on his task, her heart accelerated in triple time when his eyes met hers. She felt his heart begin to race as well, and looked down at her hands with fascination.

It never occurred to her that she could affect him with simply a glance as easily as he could her, until she felt his heart thump faster when she glanced back into his eyes. The corners of his lips curled up knowingly. His hands pulled back with the necklace, delicately laying it aside with her earrings on the bedding. She reached up to caress his face only to have him place her hand back over his heart.

Reaching up to her hair, he frowned every so slightly. "Let your hair down," he told her in soft tone, breathing in deeply when her thick locks spilled down over his hands, arms, and her upper body. Her breath caught in her throat at the feel of his heart pounding in reaction to the simple action. She breathed in deeply through semi parted lips, closing her eyes as he leisurely ran both his hands through her hair.

He leaned forward, caressing her cheek with his before touching his lips to the side of her jaw, her neck, her shoulder. She clutched at his shirt, leaning back slightly for him to continue. But he stopped, shifting his position to from in front of her to next to her. Placing her hair over her shoulder, he began the tedious task of undoing the lacings and eye hooks of her bodice and gown.

"No magic," he reminded her in a velvety voice, feeling her grow warm under his touch. Placing a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder, he smiled secretly when she moaned impatiently.

"We'll be here all night at this rate, Jareth!"

"No magic," he repeated, his eyes shining with amusement and elation at not only her impatience, but also that she was actually listening to him.

She dropped her head back over her shoulder to look back and up at him. "This is torture, you know." He smirked, but continued with his manual task. "At least let me touch you while you're doing that."

"That would defeat the purpose. I'm not made of granite, you know."

A sly grin formed on her lips as she leveled her chin, a gleam of mischief brightened her eyes. Dipping her head down and slightly to the side, she slowly crept her hand along the bedding toward his knee. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, staying his hands while watching her hand with a mixture of curiosity and enthrallment.

Her fingers glided over his knee, her palm running flat along his thigh. Halfway up his leg, she turned her hand inward, grazing him gently with fingernails through the material of his breeches. "Oh for mercy sake, Sarah, use your magic!"

He pulled her back against his chest, ravaging her mouth with her head resting on his shoulder. He moved her to the bedding, moving his body around hers to place his weight gently upon her. Her arm snaked up and around his head, splaying her fingers into his hair. Stretching herself under him, all their clothes suddenly vanished from their bodies.

"So much for diligence," he whispered against her neck.

"We can work on that later," she breathed, guiding him to exactly where she wanted him.

XxXxX

Jareth suddenly woke up fully alert, not sure why. He listened carefully for any wayward sounds, only to hear the rumbling snore of a goblin in the hall, supposedly guarding the royal chambers. The diminishing sizzle of embers in the fireplace as it burned to nothing, and the faint sound of a draft whistling through a crack in the stone near his closet that he had always meant to fix but never got around to it.

Turning his head, he slowly peered around the room. Sarah's magical moonlight had diminished soon after she had fallen asleep, leaving his chambers in darkness, though the sky outside was turning gray in preparation for the sunrise. He depicted the familiar shapes of things in his chambers, things that hid in shadow when there was no light. The tall floor vase in one corner that was shaped to resemble a gargoyle, a sprout of ferns protruding from its head. The young tree sapling near the window that appeared as though a person stood there with hands on hips, though he never understood why it looked like that in the dark when all its branches grew straight up. He was in the process of scanning the other side of his room when it dawned on him that he could see everything clearly… in the dark.

He took a deep breath, and held it. Straining his hearing once again, he found that he not only heard the goblin guard snoring outside the door, but he heard the night hawks outside as they prepared to nest for the day. He closed his eyes, waiting, breathing with slow shallow breaths until he heard it, then he smiled broadly. He never thought to hear that beautiful sound again. The sound of the Labyrinth's morning song, sung when the first rays of sunlight caressed the outer walls of the Labyrinth before streaking colors into the morning sky.

He pushed up on his elbow and turned on his side towards Sarah, completely elated with regaining his naturally born senses. She had done this, she had sung her song, her fae song, boldly proclaiming how she would bring him back, make him a king again, and told of how much she loved him without actually saying the words. He bent over her and kissed her softly upon her slightly parted lips. She moaned in response, and snaked her hand in his hair, then turned her face away slightly.

"No fly," she murmured in her sleep. "No fly today." She sighed deeply and settled back into a deep sleep, her hand fell listlessly from his hair, back to her pillow.

Jareth smiled lovingly at her, caressing her hair that lay across her neck down to her waist. She was so beautiful. She glowed magically, even in her sleep. Something he hadn't actually seen before now. He raised his hand with curiosity, stared at his fingertips for a moment, then chuckled softly at himself for expecting too much when nothing happened. Deciding to let Sarah rest after the exhausting events from the day before, and the exhausting evening they had shared, he pushed from the bed and sprinted to his closet with a light step.

Once he was dressed, he slipped out the chambers door, careful not to wake the goblin guard, though he was sorely tempted to poke the bloke just to scare the crap out of him. Deciding to do that some other time, he quietly stepped down the hallway with no particular destination except to explore his castle with his newly returned senses.

XxXxX

Jareth returned to his chambers to find Sarah still abed. Slowly creeping along side of her, he planted light kisses along her thigh, her hip, and tickled her side with the tip of his tongue. She giggled and wiggled under his attention, no longer able to quietly enjoy what he was doing to her. "I just spent over an hour lost in my own castle," Jareth informed Sarah. "There seems to be more hallways and rooms than before, possibly an entire level though I'm not certain. Are you aware of exerting such energy last night?"

It soothed him that Sarah had diligently announced the structure as his, he felt that he had at least this much to call his own. That and how she allowed him to dictate to the servants pleased not only himself, but the servants as well. And Jareth had to admit it had healed a void within his own being, as well as coming in handy during the celebration.

"I was wondering why it was so quiet," she mused sleepily, stretching languidly. "Everyone must be lost. Though, I don't remember specifically doing anything to the castle itself." She cracked an eye open to look at him, then opened the other one for a full view. He was simply gorgeous. His eyes shone brightly, seemingly mystical just by being mismatched. His angular features defined his face perfectly, his up-swept eyebrows only enhanced how exquisite he was, while his hair…

She tilted her head slightly on the pillow to look at him more intently. His hair seemed lighter than it had the night before, almost as white blonde as it had been originally. It also seemed longer. She ran her fingers through it, starting at his forehead, over the top of his head, watching the uneven strands slip through her fingers like silk to settle neatly in its styled fashion. It was longer, by quite a few inches, Sarah surmised.

"What is it?" he dared to ask, not sure how he was able to keep a smirk from his face as she looked up at him with confusion. She noticed the difference in him immediately, and she wasn't using magic to do it.

"I was just noticing how much your hair has grown since we had it cut," she told him. "Jareth, that was only a few days ago, and your hair's grown at least four inches. Like, overnight."

"Things have their own time, here, Sarah," he smiled. "You of all people should remember that."

"But it's lighter too, almost as if…" She met his gaze, '_really'_ noticing how his eyes shone as he smilingly looked down at her. "You're changing," she whispered with a smile, feeling exulted inside that the Labyrinth was claiming him as It would any other mortal creature. "The Labyrinth is bringing you back," she exclaimed excitedly. "You're getting your magic back!"

He smiled at her fondly, and kissed her lightly upon her lips. "You're bringing me back," he stated softly. "Just as you claimed you would in your song to me last night."

She threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly as she laughed with glee. He chuckled against her neck, closing his eyes as he felt her exuberance on his behalf surround them both. "I'm far from being king, Sarah," he whispered in her ear, hating to dampen her high spirits, but wanted her know his limitations. "For now, the changes are just my natural senses and appearance, with only the slightest dash of magic."

"But, it's a start," she stressed happily, pushing him back to hold his face with both hands. Her expression sobered suddenly. "If I knew 'exactly' what I did to spark this change, I'd do it again and again, Jareth."

"Everything has its own time, Sarah," he reiterated with a smile, knowing she would figure things out for herself eventually. It was her opening her heart to him that sparked his changes, and possibly a little bit of her magic. But for now, he felt as though he had been given back his kingdom. Though, in all honesty, he was simply elated at holding claim to his castle, and feeling more like himself than he had in a long while.

"Good morning, your Majesty, my Lord," Brae greeted cheerfully, leading the parade of goblins into the room with buckets of water for their royal baths. "May I say how wonderful the celebration last eve was, my Majesty?" she asked respectfully, clasping tiny hands before her as she addressed the queen.

"Good morning, Brae," Sarah returned with exuberance as she disentangled herself from Jareth. "Yes, you may tell me anything you feel necessary concerning last evenings celebration." She slipped on her robe and walked over to supervise the distribution of water for her bath. "Another bucket of hot," she dictated.

The goblin looked at the remaining buckets of hot water that were for their previous king's bath, glanced back at the already steaming water in the tub, then shrugged before adding more hot water.

"Brae," Jareth addressed, preventing the servant from saying too much while tying his robe at his waist. "Tell the cook to prepare a large breakfast for us this morning; neither of us ate much last night." He looked over at Sarah. "I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

Sarah chuckled softly. "I know, I heard your stomach rumble. That's why I summoned Brae for our baths so soon after waking up."

"Very thoughtful," Jareth remarked pleasantly, quirking a brow in Brae's direction. The servant still hadn't informed Sarah that she was automatically summoned upon them waking up. Even this morning Jareth had to find the head servant and tell her to wait until she was aware of the queen's rising before entering the chamber. Brae smartly busied herself with her chores.

"Brae," Sarah addressed airily. "Jareth said that the castle changed. Can you tell me more?"

"Aye, my Majesty!" Brae answered with enthusiasm. "There is another level below your own private quarters, with a terrace and a garden on the west side. The kitchens have another fireplace for cooking and is twice as big as it was before, with a small dining area. We assume that is for us servants your majesty, and we thank you for your generosity!"

"Wow, I really outdid myself," Sarah murmured more to herself. She looked over at Jareth as he came to stand by her, his hands deep in the pockets of his robe. "I guess when I went down the list to accommodate the guests, I literally added to the castle." She looked up at him after sinking deeply into the steaming water. "We'll just have to have more servants in the castle to keep everything in order."

"Wonderful, more noise and chaos," Jareth quipped dryly, stepping over to the second inlayed marble tub that Sarah had created for him since he refused to share hers, he had complained that she simply liked her water too hot for his liking. Placing a foot into the water of his bath, he exclaimed loudly and pulled it out again. "Why is it so difficult for you to remember how I prefer my bath water?" he demanded of the serving goblins. "If it's not too bloody hot, then it's frigid as ice!"

"So, which is it? Too hot or too cold?" she asked casually, letting her head rest on the rim of her bath.

"It's too cold," he informed her indignantly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Sarah reached over the dividing wall between their tubs and placed her fingertips in his water, warming it up just a little with a simple thought, and a touch of magic. "Try that."

He hesitantly placed his foot in the water again, sighed agreeably, then stepped in fully to ease himself into the lukewarm depths.

Brae ushered the goblins out of the room, carrying the day's laundry in her arms. After hearing the queen's comment of bringing in more servants, she hoped that included another head servant to help her! She already had her hands full keeping track of everyone!

"Why do we hafta lug buckets of water up here when the Queen can jist make it appear herself?" the servant goblin mumbled on his way out the door.

"Because she is the queen," brae answered, smacking the wayward goblin on the back of his head. "It is our job to serve our Majesties." Now off to the ballroom with ye, and start cleaning up that mess." She dictated in an authoritive voice.

"Haven't you been summoned to the throne room yet?" Jareth questioned, knowing that there were inhabitants waiting to see their queen for various reasons.

"I'm ignoring them for now," she replied, sounding relaxed. "I'm enjoying my bath, while thinking how wonderful it is that your changing back to your former self, and I'm trying to decide if I want hotcakes or an omelet for breakfast."

He chuckled with amusement. "You are a complete wonder, Sarah Williams," he remarked. "Though I'm not sure I like being in your thoughts next to breakfast food."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.**

A/N: Many people were kind enough to contribute their ideas of what a Fiery might wish for since I couldn't think of anything myself. I want to say Thank You for everyone's wonderful ideas!!! This chapter merely presents the answer to 'What a Fiery would wish for' the actual wish will be written out in its entirety in a later chapter.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

After their baths, Sarah laid down upon the bed to dry off before getting dressed. Jareth rejoined her on the bed, sliding up besides her to take her in his arms. She rolled to her side, facing him as she snuggled closer. "I've been thinking about something," she told him pensively, running her fingers idly over his bare chest. "What do I do if someone wishes away a child?"

"You answer the summons," he answered simply.

"But, I'm not the goblin '_king_' as it states in the book, and… '_what_' do I do? How do I find them? How do I bring them back? What if something goes wrong or I say the wrong thing or…"

"Sarah," he interrupted in a soft tone, placing a finger gently on her lips to silence her. "The Labyrinth decides which summons to answer. You are magically taken to the wisher, the goblins take the child and return to the castle with it. All you have to do is be intimidating, fearful, and make sure they know exactly where you would take them." He rolled her to her back to lie on top of her, bracing his extra weight on his elbows. "Once they have the image of the labyrinth in mind, you are instantly brought back."

"What if they really don't want the child?"

"That is up to you to decide. I often let the wisher remember the child while it's existence is otherwise erased from your world."

"Making them remember the child forever," she mused softly. "That seems cruel."

"Like I said, it's your decision to make if he situation arises."

"How often does someone get wished away?"

"Less and less as your world progresses." He signed deeply, idly running his fingers through her thick long locks. "Before you came to the labyrinth, I had four summons within three years."

"That's it?" she asked incredulously. "Four summons in three years? How's the labyrinth supposed to survive on dreams with such a low amount of dreamers?"

He smirked slightly, noticing how she thought first of the well being of the labyrinth. He took her chin tenderly between finger and thumb, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb. "That's also up to you to figure out."

"You're just a bunch of useful information, aren't you," she quipped sarcastically.

He kissed her, moving his lips over hers languidly, shifting his weight slightly. "The Labyrinth will guide you. She won't let herself become too weak."

"So, the Labyrinth is a '_she'_?"

"I prefer to think so," looking down at her while twirling her long hair around a finger. "The voice that always spoke to me seemed more feminine than not."

"Yea, me too," she sighed demurely. "She calls you heir of kings, you know."

"I know," he smiled. "Which is why I had been recognized for the title of Goblin King in the first place. Other than defeating the Labyrinth, that is."

She lifted her head from the pillow to meet his lips with hers, drawing him back to the pillow with a hand at the back of his head. She kissed him slowly, languidly, tasting him while his unique scent filled her senses. His hands began to roam, sliding down to her hip as she arced her back under his body.

"Oh, damn!" she exclaimed suddenly, breaking their kiss and turning her head to the side with frustration. He pulled his head back to look down at her curiously.

"A summons?" he inquired.

"No," she grumbled, pushing him from her to get out of the bed. "The throne room is full of subjects waiting for my attention, I've been ignoring them since sunrise, but, they're getting louder with their impatience."

He smirked knowingly at her, grabbing the sheet to toss over his hips. "They'll settle down after a while," he told her in a relaxed tone. "Right now they're confused and simply need reassurance that everything will be alright."

She turned to look at him pointedly, a lost expression crossing her features as she turned her face away from his gaze again. "I need to take care of a few things before I can reassure them of anything."

"They don't need to know that, Sarah," he stated casually. "They look to you as their queen. You have all the answers, and in time, you truly will have all your answers. For now I suggest that you simply appease them." He moved to the side of the bed, getting to his feet. "Just remember that they're not used to gentleness. What they deem as fair treatment, you may consider cruelty."

"Now that piece of information is foremost in my mind." She stepped from behind the privacy screen fully dressed with her hair hanging loosely down her back.

"Where did you conjure that dress from?" he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral, recognizing it as belonging to one of the other queens.

"Oh," she voiced, being reminded that she forgot to tell him about her wardrobe. "I found an entire wardrobe in the closet this morning," she informed him. "I'm guessing it was a gift from some of the guests."

"You shouldn't have to assume anything, Sarah," he reminded her. "If you want to know something pertaining to you, your subjects, or your kingdom, simply focus. It's in your mind for the taking. With the amount of power you've obtained, you should know certain things before they even happen."

"Right," she voiced in a cynical tone. "That's how you were able to stop me from reaching the castle, because you already knew how that would turn out." She smirked at him knowingly.

"I already told you that I was too confident and greatly underestimated you," he replied with an irritated frown, then his features smoothed slightly. "You just wanted to hear me say that again, didn't you?"

She smiled broadly, acknowledging his assumption. "Meet me in the throne room at noon, we'll have lunch after I get rid of the subjects." She stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck to place a light kiss upon his mouth.

"Send at least one of them to the bog," he suggested as she began to fade from the room. "Or they'll think you don't like them."

"I'll think about it," she answered, her voice trailing off into the air as she disappeared from his sight. "And the dress was a gift from Queen Bevelee."

He smiled in response.

XxXxX

She appeared in the throne room, regally seated upon the bone and ivory chair. The room was noisy and bustling with all sorts of creatures, most of whom weren't familiar to her at all. "What's going on here?" she questioned, silently impressed with herself as her voice tripled in volume and echoed around the room intimidatingly. The throne was instantly encased in silence. For all of two seconds before everyone started speaking at once, shouting and ranting their complaints.

"Stop!" she commanded, holding up her hand for silence. Once that was established she glanced slowly from one inhabitant to another, amazed as information seeped into her mind for each creature she looked upon. "You," she addressed pointing at one subject in particular. "Your pig was not used for the celebration, you are owed nothing, and I suggest for you to take a walk along the southern path from your cottage."

With that she waved a hand nonchalantly and the creature vanished. Order was established with the simple act, and everyone placed themselves into a formation to be addressed in sequence by the queen. Sarah, however, chose her own order of sequence to alleviate any squabbling over who was there first or next in line. Within an hour she'd cleared the room of everyone except the Fiery's, whom she knew had come to be granted their wish.

Jareth leisurely strolled into the room just as Sarah addressed the Fierys. "Chilly Downs," Sarah addressed in a calm, authoritive tone that she had mastered within minutes of delegating with her subjects. "Tell me your wish that I have granted you for your services."

"You granted them a wish?" Jareth asked cautiously as he came to stand by the side of the throne.

"Yes," she replied haughtily. "They agreed to behave as entertainment last night for a wish, what harm could that be?" Jareth silently turned and walked away, pinching the bridge of his nose as he left the throne room. "What?" she called after him, then glanced warily at the grinning Fiery's before her. "I granted one wish amongst you, you realize," she affirmed in an authoritive tone, her expression becoming stoic.

"Yea!" one fiery exclaimed with enthusiasm. "We only need one wish!"

Sarah had the sinking feeling that Fiery's could wish for something far more dangerous than she had assumed. "Well? What is it then?" she asked impatiently.

"We wish to have our very own amusement park!" one fiery answered, the others nodding and bobbing in agreement.

"An amusement park?" she asked deadpan.

"Yea!" Cool Cat Fiery answered in a slow drawl. "It gets very boring and we run out of fun things to do."

"I will grant your wish in a short time," Sarah told them after a moments consideration. That might not be a bad idea after all. But, not while Sarlic is determined to overthrow her.

"How long is a short time?" Another Chilly Down asked impatiently. "We wants to have fun, now!"

"It will take as long as needed!" she answered shortly. "Now return to your forest and be patient!" With a snap of her fingers, the Fiery's disappeared from the throne room. Briskly stepping from the throne room, she headed in the direction that Jareth had sauntered off in.

XxXxX

"I discovered something very interesting while holding court," Sarah announced as she entered the dining hall to join Jareth for lunch.

"That the Fiery's are completely insane?"

"No," she answered flatly, seating herself at the table. "They wished for an amusement park, and I think that may actually be a good idea."

"Everything concerning the Fiery's sounds like a good idea, at first," he stated with warning. "It always starts out with oohs and aahs, then turns into screaming, running, and mayhem."

"Well, I told them they had to wait for now, anyway. But that's not what I discovered this morning."

"That your legs still work and you are actually capable of moving around on them?" he shot at her with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

She paused at his remark knowing that he was joking but there was something different about him, too. More so than earlier that day. "No, smart ass," she quipped. "That I can literally hear inside the minds of some of the inhabitants."

"Oh, that," he replied nonchalantly. "Yes, well, it's not as helpful as you may think since those creatures are nearly mindless idiots."

"You obviously used vinegar a lot," she retorted dryly, picking up her fork to begin eating after a servant placed a plate before her.

"Not nearly as much as you might think," Jareth replied casually, breaking a piece of bread from the warm loaf. "Though I've pickled many of those pesky fairies often enough."

"Those pesky fairies, as you like to call them, were very useful last night, and I was referring to an old expression about catching more flies with sugar than vinegar."

"Why in the Underground would you want to catch flies?" he questioned with a mouthful of food, his expression that of disgust.

She stared at him for a moment, studying him intently. His expression, his very appearance, there was something changed about him that she couldn't put her finger on. '_What is it that's different about him?_' she thought, expecting an answer to come to her mind as other information seems to do when she has a specific thought.

'_Reach for it, Child_,' the voice of the Labyrinth whispered within her mind. '_You see it clearly. Simply recognize what it is you see._'

'_Please, tell me_,' Sarah requested in thought. '_Is it his magic? Is he powerful again?_' she asked excitement building within her at the thought. She heard the Labyrinth sigh patiently.

'_Only you can give him what has been taken_,' the sentient reiterated. '_You simply do not understand the difference between being kin of the Fae, and being a king_.'

Sarah's eyes cleared, focusing once more upon Jareth to find him watching her intently. "She speaks with you much more frequently than she ever had with me," he commented, sounding slightly jealous, envious, hurt even.

"You're Fae," Sarah blurted out as though this were a new realization, excitement racing through her veins. He quirked an arched brow questioningly at her. He could feel her excitement building, it was an electric feeling, cool and statically over his skin.

"You already knew that, why is that excitable to you?"

"You don't even feel it," she grinned at him knowingly. "It's so natural to you that you're not even aware of it."

"What '_are'_ you rambling about?" he asked with calm impatience. And then he realized what she was going on about. He'd grown so accustomed to mortal emotions that he knew he should be on his feet with his blood pumping and temper flared at her evasiveness. Yet he found himself calm and collect, though impatient, to know what she was rambling about.

"You're fae," she repeated, seeing how his eyes changed with recognition. "Sarlic couldn't take from you what was naturally born to you. At least not permanently.

"You sensed it before I did," he commented, not sure how to feel about that.

"I believe you referred to 'mindless idiots'." She chided jokingly.

"There is no way you could hear my thoughts," he stated indignantly.

"No, quite the opposite actually. I can't sense your emotions like I could before, and your facial expressions are more impassive. I also can't tell what you're mood is as easily, either." Sarah glanced around the dining hall to notice three servants mulling about. Brae, Snorkle, and Fizz. "Brae, you and the others will not repeat this change within Jareth to anyone or anything. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lady," Brae answered respectfully.

"Yes, Queen," Fizz and Snorkle both answered.

Sarah turned her attention back to Jareth. "You know how excited I am about this, don't you?" she asked Jareth quietly.

"Of course," he replied simply. '_But not as enthused as I am, I'm sure_.'

"I want to ask you not to use any magic you may have yet. To continue acting like a mortal as much as possible."

"Should I assume you have a reason for asking this of me?"

"Yea," she breathed hurriedly, moving to sit upon his lap before continuing. "Things are going to start happening, and very quickly," she whispered, caressing the side of his face, her eyes full of emotion for him. "I won't lose you," she promised. "Sarlic's plan is sketchy at best, but he mustn't know or even suspect that you have any magic back, that you are nothing but a helpless mortal.

"He would sense it just like you did, Sarah," Jareth informed her in a patient tone.

"No, I don't think he would." She whispered conspiratorially, grinning. "He'll think it's my magic protecting you, because my magic '_was_' your magic, it would feel the same to him. Right now the magic is surrounding you, but not very strong at all within you. If you don't use it, then he will never know that what he feels is anything other than what I've bestowed upon you."

"You plan to use me as a Trojan horse," he stated disgruntled.

Her grin became broader, her eyes alit with mischief and arousal. "Not so much as the historical sense," she told him, her voice deep and sultry. He grinned in response.

"You're insatiable, you realize that don't you?"

"Is that a complaint?" she questioned airily, leaning back slightly in his arms.

"Not at all," he replied, pulling her into him to meet her lips with his.

"What's a Trojan horse?" Snorkle asked Brae in a hushed whisper.

"I know not," the head servant replied. "But our queen is as crafty as our king, I tell you that. You mind the queen's warning, and hold your tongue," she warned sternly. "Things aren't as they seem in our kingdom. We must trust our queen to make things right again."

"If king trusts her, then I will too," Snorkle vowed. He stepped closer to Brae. "What does insatiable mean?"

"It means mind your business and get back to work," she told him curtly, shooing him away from her. She walked over to the table, bearing a tray of fruit for her majesties. With practiced ease she kept her pleased smirk hidden as they ignored her presence completely. '_Insatiable,_' she thought with a sigh. '_Our king definitely needs_… _insatiable_.'

Sarah gasped passionately as Jareth grazed his teeth down the skin of her neck. He moaned deep in his throat as her hand grasped him from under her thigh.

'_Two of them_ 'insatiable',' Brae thought with a giddy grin as she left the room.

XxXxX

"Your Majesty," the Goren addressed to the High King. "We are unable to penetrate the outer boundaries of the labyrinth kingdom, Sire."

"I don't want excuses, Terral," the High King stated in a tight voice. "I want those boundaries breached by sunrise, and I don't care how you manage it!"

"Yes, your Majesty," The lizard type species replied, blinking his eyes sideways as a show of respect. He turned and addressed his regiment with intricate hissing sounds to let them know they were dismissed. Marching on two legs, the lizard warriors paused briefly to wait for the castle guard to open the door for them, having webbed hands made grabbing a door handle difficult, though not impossible. Their strength, however, did not guarantee that there would be a door left standing if they opened it themselves.

Sarlic stood from his throne to pace in frustration. For four days his armies have attacked the outward kingdoms with no more success at reaching the labyrinth kingdom than he had before the king had been thrown into exile! The mortal made queen was proving more of a threat than he had first deemed possible as well. All attempts to use magic against her, her mortal pet, and the castle itself had failed.

"She can't possibly be that strong!" Sarlic ranted under his breath. "He' hadn't been that strong!" he paced more. "There is something I am missing… but what?"

"Your Majesty," a small voice called nervously from the double doors.

Sarlic turned to see a goblin standing in the doorway, waiting for permission to enter. "Snorkle," Sarlic addressed, smiling leeringly. "Come inside, close the door behind you." The goblin did as told looking as though he'd pass out from fright at any given moment. "What news do you have for your High King?"

"I have not much to tell, your majesty," he stated, slowly walking closer to the throne. "The queen does not share much information. Only with the previous king does she…"

Snorkle was suddenly tossed across the room by magical force. Landing hard on the floor to slide several feet before coming to a full stop.

"Never refer to that mortal as king again!" Sarlic bellowed enraged.

"Y… yes your majesty!" Snorkle replied in a quivering voice.

"Tell me something I can use against this mortal queen!" he demanded. "How do I gain access to that castle?"

"She protects everything with magic," snorkel stated fearfully. "But… but when she holds court she… sh.. she let's magic go away for subjects to enter the throne room."

Sarlic seated himself in his throne, giving Snorkle his undivided attention. "Go on, what else? At what time does she hold court?"

"Sh… She often has mortal… pet with her. She holds court different times, but always for one hour before midday each morning."

"You proved your weight in gold, Snorkle," the High King stated, tossing a small pouch at the goblin, grinning sardonically. "I no longer need your assistance. Leave me and never return."

"But… but my sister!" he pleaded. "You say I get information and you release my sister!"

"Oh yes," Sarlic mused with feigned thoughtfulness. "I fear there was an accident during the last rain. It seems the river dam overflowed and the entire slave quarters below the castle were flooded. We still haven't fished out the bodies."

"No!" Snorkle wailed. "You lie! You say you help her!"

"Silence, you worthless thing!" He stood up. "Be gone from my sights before you find yourself in flooded dungeons!"

Snorkle half ran, half staggered, from the High King's throne room. Unseeingly he made his way to the castle drawbridge. With tearful eyes he tripped upon an uneven plank of the bridge, the small pouch of gems falling from his little hand as he fell flat on his stomach.

"No!" Snorkle cried, grasping for the pouch as it skid near the edge. Scrambling on hands and knees he reached again for the pouch only to have it slip over the side of the bridge into the mote. Snorkel leaned far over the side to watch in horror as a water serpent grabbed the pouch and swallowed it. He lowered his head in des[pair, banging his head and fists against the wooden bridge. "Not fair! Not fair!" he cried repetitively.

"You there!" a guard yelled. "Stop feeding the water serpent!" the lizard guard poked Snorkle non too gently with his spear. "Move!" he hissed, prodding the goblin until he was off the bridge.

Sarlic watched the scene from his looking well, a dark sinister expression on his features. "Goblins will be the first creatures to perish," he vowed aloud. "Stupid creature couldn't even hold a pouch of gems!" He turned from the fading images in the looking well. "Mindless idiot!" he fumed. "Those gems would have shown me everything I need to know once they reached the castle beyond the goblin city!" He poured himself some wine and took a long sip. "But it matters not. I now know enough to put the mortal queen on her knees!" He laughed at his own cunningness, finishing his wine in one long gulp.

XxXxX

"What have you done, Snorkle?" Sarah questioned after magically bringing the goblin to the oubliette as soon as he returned to the labyrinth kingdom.

"I tell High King how queen holds court for one hour, every day before midday, just like queen told me to."

Sarah smiled kindly. "Did he offer you a reward?"

Snorkle nodded. "He gave me a pouch of gems. I make myself fall down and dropped pouch so that it falls into mote. It looked like an accident. I cried, very upset, to make believable."

"Well done, Snorkle," Sarah complimented, then stepped away from the timid creature. "And Snorkel."

"Yes, Queen?"

"Don't ever betray the Labyrinth again."

"I won't, my Queen," he vowed solemnly.

Sarah vanished into the darkened tunnels just as Snorkle heard a different voice call his name.

"Snorkle?"

Snorkle perked his ears, raising his face from his hands, crying at the mess he'd gotten himself into. "Sister?"

"Snorkle!" A female goblin appeared out of the dark tunnels to fling herself at her brother in joy.

"He say you drowned!" Snorkel cried, hugging his sister with all his might.

"He thinks we drowned?" she asked confused. "All I know is that one minute I float in water, next minute I'm in dry dark place. Where are we, Snorkle?"

"This is the oubliette in the Labyrinth Kingdom," Snorkle informed his sister, feeling smart. "It's where you puts things to be forgot."

"Are we forgot, Snorkle?" she asked despairingly.

"Nah," he drawled, waving his hand waywardly. "We just in wrong tunnel. We go this way and I'll show you sunshine!"

"Sunshine?" she asked confused. "What happened to darkness and ice?"

"That all gone. We have a queen to take care of us now."

His sister gasped in delight. "The king have a queen!"

"Uh… no," Snorkle corrected. "The king not king anymore, but we still pretend he is. Our queen is mortal girl who won baby and went home. But she come back and… oh, just come this way and see sunlight!"

Sarah stepped from the dark shadows, a heartfelt smile on her lips as the goblins followed the dim lit tunnel that would lead them out of the oubliette.

'_That was a most generous thing to do, Queen Sarah_,' the voice of the Labyrinth stated softly. "_The goblin could have caused great suffering with his return to Sarlic_.'

"He only wanted his sister back," she answered the ancient voice. "And he was very brave to come to me and tell me about his agreement with Sarlic. Now Sarlic will have only one recourse, and I'll be ready for him when he makes his final move."

The Labyrinth remained silent as Sarah made her way through the tunnels of the oubliette. After walking for a length of time, however, she simply used magic to transport herself into the castle itself.

XxXxX

"How do you suppose we defend ourselves?" Sarah asked, moving to sit upon a sofa by the fire. "Sarlic's army is going to get through eventually, you know, and we're not prepared for it."

"You're asking me?" Jareth stated dignified. "You managed to not only storm the city, but my castle as well with only three companions. I can't advise you how to defend against Sarlic and whatever army he comes in with."

She stared at him incredulously as though he were daft. "You've been the king of this kingdom for how long, and you…"

"Sarah. I am ill equipped as to how to consult you in this matter," he informed her shortly, cutting off her retort.

There was something wrong in his tone. A reluctance. He was holding back, but why? "You want me to fail, don't you?" she asked with sudden speculation. "If you can't have the kingdom, then you don't want me to either, is that it?"

"Sarah." He spoke her name with such emotion it nearly choked him. "I've already given you everything freely, what more do you want from me?"

"I want to know why you won't help me?" she pleaded with him. "I can feel your reluctance. You are a commander of armies, Jareth. Why…?" She let her voice fade into silence. "The Labyrinth told you not to help me."

Jareth diverted his eyes from her, not wanting to have to admit to anything. "You must follow your own instincts, my Lady. I can assist you in any way you command me, but I cannot direct your hand in this battle."

"Oh, that's just peachy," she exclaimed, sounding fed up. She paced with brisk strides around the chambers, her heels clicking on the stone with a rhythmic sound. "Okay, show me the armory," she commanded suddenly, then changed her mind just as quickly. "Never mind." She grabbed his arm and transported them both to the door of the armory with a single thought.

"I wish you would warn me before doing that," he grumbled, rubbing his forehead to help clear his vision.

"Still makes you dizzy, huh?" she asked him with an amused smirk. "I'll have to add 'give Jareth wishes' to my 'to do' list, then."

He stared after her as she pushed through the double doors of the armory with a determined shove. That had been the first hint of humor from her in what seemed a very long time. He smiled secretly as he followed her inside the room.

"Okay, somewhere in my head of knowledge it mentions that for each piece of armor and weaponry in this room, there's a thousand more stored somewhere."

"Yes." Jareth answered proudly, crossing his arms regally.

"So why don't I know where that is?" she asked, turning to look at him directly.

"Because I didn't use magic to store them. I alone carried each piece from the old storage area to my own selected place."

"Really?" she voiced with awe, her eyes raked over him with heated interest. "You are full of surprises, aren't you? What made you anticipate such secrecy, or is that common practice among kings in the Underground?" she asked, again taking inventory of what was in the grand armory.

"I have no idea what other kings do or don't do, however, my reasoning is simply the fact that I was extremely bored."

"We're going to have to find you a hobby, Jareth," she remarked dryly. "I can't have you rearranging the castle for the lack of something to do."

"But it would guarantee my usefulness, now wouldn't it?" he quipped with a smirk. "If you couldn't find things then you'd have to come to me for them."

She paused in her assessment of the room and looked at him. "Don't ever worry about your usefulness, I don't plan on running this kingdom by myself. I already have quite a few changes set in motion." She turned to walk further into the room. "Some I'm sure you won't agree with, but I'll worry about that at another time."

"What sort of changes?" he asked cautiously in a deep timbre. "I'll remind you that you have deemed the castle as mine."

"Yes," she quipped impatiently. "The castle is yours, Jareth. And so will half the kingdom by the time I'm done. Now would you '_please'_ tell me where the weapons are?!"

Jareth stared at her with contemplation. She still had no idea how much power she possessed, and he had a feeling that the Labyrinth had It's reason for not fully instructing her in the matter. But he was deemed to help her, and guide her. So, he would do the best to his ability without instructing her with his own methods.

"I buried everything under the gardens on the south side of the castle."

"You didn't," she stated in shock disbelief. "Tell me that you didn't actually 'dig' manually, with a shovel!"

"Not quite," he replied dryly, perturbed that she deemed him incapable of such an act. "I did, however, fill the hole by menial means after granting the Fiery's a wish for a swimming pool."

"And why is that information just coming to my mind, now?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "That little tid-bit would have been extremely worth knowing a few days ago!"

"We all must learn by trial and error," he smirked at her.

"Well, I obviously need to work on obtaining my information when I need it most, and not after the fact." She stalked briskly towards the door, expecting Jareth to follow her. Pausing at the door, she turned around to face him. "Aren't you coming?"

"Your Majesty!" the echoing voice of the commander in chief filter into the armory from another corridor. "Your Majesty!" It was repeated, slightly louder, and definitely closer. "Your Majesty!"

"Would you please answer him," Jareth requested exasperatedly.

Sarah turned her gaze back to Jareth, her pallor pale in comparison to a few moments before. "They broke through the boundaries," she whispered in a fearful voice. She let her eyes slide closed. "They number in the hundreds, some sort of lizard warrior species." She opened her eyes that were suddenly tear filled. "Our goblins are no match for them, Jareth."

"Your Majest…!" the commander broke off his calling at seeing the queen in the doorway of the armory. He staggered up to her, leaning heavily against the wall for support while trying to catch his breath.

"Call out the riders!" she commanded him in an authoritive tone. "I want every fairy in the throne room immediately! Summon the Fiery's to guard the castle walls, and those brownies had better have the trenches finished!" She stepped away with brisk steps, heading for the throne room. Her attire changed from a dress to black feminine armor within a shimmer of motion.

"She can be very frightening at times, yes?" the commander remarked toward Jareth.

Jareth quirked a brow at the leading goblin then frowned. "What trenches?"

The goblin commander looked up at Jareth with uncertainty, then bolted down the hallway after the queen. "Your Majesty! Wait, I have news to tell you!"


	16. Chapter 16

Curse of the Labyrinth

Chapter Sixteen

The throne room was filled with every fairy in the Labyrinth Kingdom by the time Sarah reached it. She turned to look over her shoulder at Jareth, smiling with resolve as he smiled back encouragingly before blending within the shadows just outside of the room. He didn't have a good rapport with the fairies, and thought it best to remain out of sight while Sarah delegated with them. Carefully walking through the flittering beings towards her chair, she seated herself to address the fairies.

"There are hundreds of small crystals up on the battlements of the castle. I want each of you to take one and fly out to the boundaries. Don't drop them until you're near the enemy!" she stressed firmly. "They're filled with bog muck!" She paused as the fairies made noises of disgust, some of them trying to sneak away unnoticed. "You realize the kingdom is under attack!" she announced forcibly, standing up. "You know the one who covets this kingdom!" She waved a wayward hand at them. "Now either fight with me against him or leave the Labyrinth Kingdom forever!"

All the fairies gave her their undivided attention, settling down with bowed heads to listen to her instructions. "The crystals are smaller than what you are used to seeing, they should be easier for you to carry. Try to drop the crystals as close to the enemy as possible," she continued to explain. "Direct contact is always best, but don't purposely put yourselves in harms way. Now go, and defend your kingdom!"

"Yes, my Queen!" they chanted as one voice, then flew up and out the windows and door towards the battlements to do her bidding.

Jareth stepped out from the shadows, joining her by the side of the royal chair. "You realize the kingdom is going to smell horribly for quite awhile after today," Jareth commented casually, feeling both impressed and reserved about Sarah's idea to use the foul muck as a weapon.

"Right now all I'm concerned about is keeping Sarlic's armies out of our kingdom," Sarah replied firmly. Producing a crystal at her fingertips, she brought forth Hoggle's image. "Are the brownies ready, Hoggle?"

"I's think so," he answered, glancing towards the ground at a commanding brownie. "The queen wants ta know if yous is ready or not!" he stated gruffly.

"Everything is ready, Queen Sarah," the small figure answered with enthusiasm, his image filling Sarah's crystal.

"Light the fires, Hoggle," Sarah commanded, sitting back in the throne with the crystal between both her and Jareth's faces for him to watch too. "When Sarlic first made his intentions clear to have this kingdom," Sarah informed Jareth. "I had the brownies start digging trenches from gaseous caverns within the North Mountains out to the very wall of the boundaries. Once lit, the gas filled trenches will carry the flames under the surface to explode through certain weak points the brownies had made in the ground, hopefully causing a flame thrower effect and hitting the enemy's front line in a blaze of fire."

Jareth looked over at Sarah with a stoic expression. "And you seem so innocent," he remarked, then smiled with a pleased expression. "You are aware of how much restraint I am using at this moment, aren't you?"

"I know," she answered, meeting his earnest gaze. "I need you to be patient, please, I know I'm asking a lot from you. But, we need to have some advantage if everything else fails."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to heed your command, my Queen," he smirked confidently at her. "I was simply reminding you that I am not used to being idle."

"You are far from being idle, Jareth," she informed him sincerely. "I need you exactly where you are standing. I can't do this by myself."

Jareth leaned over the arm of the chair to whisper quietly in her ear. "Your greatest power is that you are underestimated. Don't forget that your will is as strong, and your kingdom as great, Sarah."

She was completely flustered by his words of encouragement, but had no time to reflect on them as a summons came to her mind. '_My Queen! My Queen_' A fairy called magically in a panic.

"I hope things don't go so far that I'd have to prove that again," she whispered as Jareth straightened his back. Sarah created a crystal to view what was happening. "Has the fires stopped the enemy?" she questioned the fairy who fluttered not far from the boundaries, carrying a small viewing crystal.

"My Lady," the fairy whispered in a breathless, fearful voice. "The fires are not stopping them. They are breaking through the boundaries!"

Sarah watched as very tall, long limbed, grayish-white, hairy beasts cracked the very walls of the labyrinth boundaries, gaining entrance within seconds. "Are those beasts what I think they are?" she asked Jareth with horrified eyes, just as her question was answered within her mind.

"They are called Yeti by mortals of the Aboveground," Jareth replied. "They asked Sarlic for refuge from your world when mortals began to invade their territories, and hunted them like animals. They are very loyal to him for bringing them here to live unhindered."

"My god," she whispered barely audibly. "They're like a swarm of insects, destroying everything in sight, and leaving nothing but destruction in their wake."

"Transport the armies to the boundaries with your magic, Sarah," Jareth instructed in an urgent tone.

"No." she stated, her eyes drifting distractedly as she sought her mind for an answer, not disappointed as the information was softly spoken to her. "Retreat," she commanded all her subjects with both spoken word and thought, her chin suddenly rising defiantly with crisp clear eyes. "Retreat and return to the center of the labyrinth."

"No, Sarah, they must stand and fight!" Jareth stated commandingly. "There is no other way to stop them!"

"Yes, there is," she responded forcibly, fixating determined eyes on him. "I must go to the ruins," she told him hurriedly, rising from the throne. "Wait here for me to get back, and don't do '_anything_' against my command!"

Jareth turned an unhealthy shade of crimson as she vanished right before his eyes. "Sarah!" he bellowed after her, knowing it would do no good. Turning on his heels, he stormed from the throne room to join his, yes '_his_', loyal and faithful subjects to fight by their side! "Silly woman! Give her a bit of power and she thinks she can fix everything with a thought!"

Reaching the draw bridge, he stopped dead in his tracks at seeing the city completely abandoned. Realization swarmed his senses, he had left the protection of the castle with no guards, and a sworn oath to Sarah that he wouldn't use his regenerating magic. Taking a step backwards, he was about to turn on his heels to go back inside when the unmistakable shimmer of magic surrounded him.

"Oh, you have made this simply too easy for me," Sarlic grinned sneeringly, suddenly standing in front of Jareth. "Let me guess, you forgot you were mortal, didn't you?" he taunted, then laughed as Jareth's eyes turned cold with fury.

"You can't win, Sarlic," Jareth stated in a calm voice that belied his inner rage. "She would destroy this kingdom before letting you have so much as one stone of it."

"Yes, I've come to realize that," Sarlic replied agreeably. "But, what about you, my Achilles heel?" He tapped his forefinger to his chin with feigned thoughtfulness, then pointed his finger towards Jareth. "How much power do you truly hold over her, I wonder?"

Jareth frowned with momentary confusion at the wayward reference, then his forehead smoothed with realization. "Not as much as you apparently think," he stated in an even tone, his shoulders squared and chin held firm. "She won't give in to you, Sarlic, no matter what you threaten her with."

"Well, we'll just see about that, now won't we?" Without so much as a flick of his wrist, both Sarlic and Jareth vanished from the bridge of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, and the Labyrinth Kingdom altogether.

XxXxX

Sarah appeared at the ruins of the ancient mages, momentarily ignoring the cries that filled her mind of her subjects as they screamed in fear at the onslaught of the enemy. She strode into the derelict castle with her head held high. A cold chill ran through her as she passed through the doorway into the main chamber, but she refused to be intimidated, and continued walking to stand in the very center of the cavernous room.

"Mages of old, forgotten shadows condemned to darkness, I am the Lady of the Labyrinth," she announced boldly, her voice reverberating off the stone to be lost in the gloom of grayness. "Heed my words, and come forth. I am Queen Sarah of the kingdom you have forsaken. Come before thy queen and do my bidding!"

"We serve no queen," a deep haunting voice echoed within the dimly lit great hall.

"You will serve this one!" Sarah shouted with authoritive power in her voice, her inner resolve consumed her, pushing away all remnant of uncertainty and doubt. "I have defeated the challenge of the labyrinth! I have taken the power of the Goblin King after his exile! I am Queen Sarah, Thirteenth Queen of the Underground, and I call upon the Mages condemned in darkness!"

Suddenly the very foundations of the castle trembled, shadows crept upon the walls, a bone chilling wind swept throughout the room, glazing the stones with a sheen of ice. "We hear your voice, Queen Sarah of our forsaken kingdom. What is thy command?" a ghostly voice chanted in response, sounding foreboding and deadly.

"Defend my kingdom from those who force their way through it's defenses! Keep at bay those who oppose me, and protect my subjects great and small."

"And when you have defeated this enemy, you will release us from our darkness?"

"If you defend my kingdom as I command, I will honor your request upon Sarlic's demise."

"Sarlic." The name was spoken within a frozen breath. "He has called upon us many times to gain our alliance. He covets the Power of Mages."

Sarah felt a chill crawl up her spine at hearing this. "Do you serve Sarlic?" she asked cautiously, raising her chin defiantly.

"No!" the voice boomed, then ebbed back to a bearable decimal. "He is lead by the same greed that destroyed us long ago. We wish redemption, not retribution, for our mistakes."

"Then, help me defeat Sarlic, and I will grant you the redemption you desire, Ancient Mages of the past."

"We shall do your bidding, Queen Sarah of the Goblin City, Lady of the Labyrinth."

XxXxX

"No!" Sarlic raged from within the Castle of Counsel's great hall. He peered into his gazing crystal upon a pedestal with incredulous rage as the Ancient Mages consumed the Labyrinth's boundaries like tides crashing upon a beach, pushing back his armies as though they were mere ants. "It is impossible! She is '_mortal_'! The Power of Mages was to be mine!" he turned from his gazing globe and strode across the stone floor in brisk strides, stopping just shy of the magical barrier that contained Jareth within. "Call upon her!" Sarlic demanded. "Let her know that her favorite pet is no longer safe and protected as she mistakenly thinks!"

"I am protected more so than you realize, Sarlic," Jareth responded nonplussed, fingering his medallion with a sardonic smirk upon his lips. "My queen has upped the anti, as they say in the Aboveground."

Sarlic chuckled mirthlessly. "You always were more cocky than your station. So, allow me to show you, exactly, how you are '_protected_' by your pitiful medallion." He stepped back from the magical barrier, replacing it with thick wrought iron bars surrounding Jareth on all four sides. "Welcome to Hell, as they say in the Aboveground," he cackled dementedly as he turned and walked away. "I wouldn't look up if I were you. It may give you a sense of… mortality."

Despite the sardonic warning, Jareth tilted his head back, looking up to see an iron slab being held in place by magic as it hovered inches short of the barred walls of the cell. Thin, iron stalagmites, sharpened into points, protruded from the slab as it hung above his head. Jareth couldn't help but swallow the lump that had formed in his throat as he stared at the spiked slab overhead. Sarlic could destroy him with a simple thought by letting the slab fall upon him, crushing him beneath its weight while piercing his body clean through.

"Now, call upon your queen!" Sarlic demanded, now that Jareth could see how his precious medallion would not protect him from certain death.

"Call her yourself," Jareth replied in a level deep tone, sinking on bent legs to sit upon the stone floor in the center of the cell with his arms folded defiantly. He'd be damned if he gave Sarlic the satisfaction of doing '_any_' of his dirty work for him.

Jareth watched as Sarlic fumed, ranting of insolence and how he will change everything once he gained the magic from the Book of Power. Jareth steeled himself to remain stoic, realizing for the first time that Sarlic wasn't aware that the Book of Power had consumed Sarah completely, that it no longer existed. Jareth steeled himself further to hide all thought and expression at what the High King would do when he finally realized that Sarah alone held all the power he was adamant about obtaining for himself.

Shifting his gaze from the ranting king, Jareth took the opportunity to study the High Counsel members, noticing with an all consuming feeling of dread how unresponsive they were to what was going on around them. '_By the Fates_,' Jareth thought with a shimmer of terror, seeing the vacant expressions upon the faces of Counsel. '_He has complete control of the counsel as well._'

XxXxX

Sarah returned to the castle ready to plan the next stage of their defense against Sarlic with Jareth, only to find the throne room empty. Reaching out her magic to find Jareth, her entire body trembled with trepidation. Jareth was no longer in the kingdom. "Oh no," she voiced with panicked dread. "Jareth, what have you done?" She paced the throne room like a caged animal. "It's my fault," she surmised aloud. "I commanded him like he was some lowly servant." She raked her fingers through her hair, releasing locks of it from the restraints she used to hold the tresses back from her face.

She turned around, facing the spacious room before her, and focused her magic upon Jareth, touching him gently with a magical caress. She wanted to simply bring him back, but could feel the strong magical barriers that surrounded him, in fact she was barely able to reach him at all. '_What has he done to you?_' she thought as a tear slid down her cheek.

'_Save the kingdom_.' Was the only whispered reply Sarah heard from Jareth.

Rage boiled up within her, the magic coursing through her veins radiated around her like heat from a fire. Squaring her shoulders, she lifted her chin defiantly, and focused her rage upon the being that was attempting to take everything she held dear from her.

Sarlic stumbled forward as his entire castle suddenly trembled at the very foundations. Dust and cinder flaked from the high ceiling above. The deafening sound of falling stone and collapsing corridors reverberated throughout the castle. Staggering back on his feet, he held his hands out before him, focusing his power outward to push her magical assault away from the stone structure. The east tower broke away from the supporting foundation, crumbling to the ground, causing damage along the castle walls before crashing to the mote and village below.

"Oh dear," Jareth voiced calmly from his sitting position within the cell, looking around the hall as the walls rumbled and cracked. "It looks as though you've pissed her off." He leveled his gaze at Sarlic with a sinister grin of his own. "She will destroy everything around you, Sarlic."

With his hands still splayed before him, he turned his chin to his shoulder, glancing at the counsel members who sat unaware of what was happening around them. "Augh!" he bellowed with rage, and released the counsel from their spell. "We are under attack! Re-enforce the barrier around the castle!" he commanded them as they blinkingly tried to gain perspective of what was going on.

Rhiannon's vocal reaction of horrid surprise at seeing her son imprisoned within iron wrought bars had been instinctual, and noticed by the others. Turning their heads to see the exiled one in a cage, they realized that the very castle was crumbling down upon their heads, and quickly assessed who was attacking them.

"Support the foundations!" Sarlic commanded again, becoming bewildered at not being able to stop Sarah's attack upon the castle. With all of his power, with all of his magic, he shouldn't have to expel so much energy to simply prevent the walls from crumbling upon his own head.

"Summon the girl," Rhiannon stated suggestively to the other counsel members. "She is the key to end this tyranny once and for all." The others nodded, one of them instinctively shielding himself with a raised arm while stepping to the side as a stone from the ceiling fell to land close at his feet. Joining together, the counsel members combined their magic to summon the mortal made queen, magically bringing her to the Castle of Counsel.

"You defiant and insolent mortal!" Sarlic raged at Sarah suddenly appearing within his hall. "How dare you attack my castle!"

"Give me back what you have taken, Sarlic," she commanded ominously, her eyes glowing with the power she contained within her.

Sarlic paused at seeing the power she generated, at the feel of charged magic that radiated from within her being. "What have you done, you foolish mortal?" he accused heatedly. "Where is the Book of Power!" he demanded, though he already knew the answer to that question just by seeing the power that raged within her.

"I '_am_' the Book of Power, Sarlic." She tilted her head slightly to one side, her chin touching her shoulder to gaze upon Jareth peripherally. "I told you not to disobey my commands," Sarah stated towards Jareth in a calm but stern tone.

"You actually expected me to listen to you?" Jareth returned haughtily, standing in the center of the cell as far from the four sides as possible.

A small smirk graced the corners of her mouth. "No, perhaps not." She turned her attention back to Sarlic, her ire settling around her like a cloak. "You made a big mistake, Sarlic," she announced in a level voice. "No one threatens my king, my subjects, or my kingdom!" Sarah's eyes narrowed just slightly, and Sarlic was magically shoved backwards a couple of staggering steps. The power that surrounded Sarah grew in its intensity as she squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes once more, determined to break through Sarlic's magic to do him harm.

"Stop!" Rhiannon called out, noticing Sarlic preparing a counter attack. Stepping forward she stood between the two adversaries, though not directly. "We will settle this by ancient law!" she announced authoritively. "As Keeper of the Scrolls, I propose The Challenge of Kings to settle this once and for all!"

"Silence your tongue, Rhiannon!" Sarlic spat, gathering his magic around him. "This will be settled much sooner than that!"

"Then you forfeit your right as High King!" another counsel member, Demos, stated authoritively, stepping up beside Rhiannon. "Counsel has proposed The Challenge of Kings in an attempt to bring peace to the Underground. By declaration of Fae law, if you do not consider the ruling of this Counsel you will be eradicated by ancient laws!"

"Ancient laws!" Sarlic spat between gritted teeth, heatedly turning on his counsel members. "They are ancient for a reason! They are useless and benefit no one!"

"I accept this challenge," Sarah stated loudly in a crisp voice, having had her question about the challenge answered within her mind.

The Challenge of Kings had been put forth by the old ones, the ancients, during a time when there were too many kingdoms, and too many kings within the Underground, causing great wars over boundaries and power. The challenge itself declared that the High King would decree a specific challenge for two or more kings, or rulers, to partake in. The champion of this challenge would then be recognized as king, or ruler, not only over his own kingdom, but also those of his defeated challengers. In other words, the winner gets everything the loser owns.

Sarlic froze in mid rant to shift his gaze upon the mortal made queen. A sinister grin formed upon his thin lips as he straightened his back to face her directly. "Well, if you are so eager, '_Queen_' Sarah," he sneered with confidence, already foreseeing his victory. "Then I too gladly acquiesce to The Challenge of Kings." He stepped forward with slow confident steps, a victorious expression already fixed upon his sharp features. "So much trouble for an exiled one, don't you think?"

"His name is Jareth," Sarah corrected, smiling wistfully at the magical sigh that floated on a sudden breeze at the mere mention of his name. "and he won't be exiled for much longer." Sarlic's eyes hardened, his presumptuous smile was replaced with a grimace.

"He will remain where he is until the end of this challenge," Sarlic declared heatedly, then smoothed his brow and continued in a feigned soft tone. "Consider it an extra incentive."

"Also, with due consideration," Demos addressed. "That the High King himself has never been challenged as in these circumstances, I propose for Queen Sarah, born mortal, and of the Aboveground to be recognized as the challenger."

"I agree," Rhiannon replied readily, the other members voicing their agreement as well. "I also propose for counsel to set the specific challenge," Rhiannon continued.

"You overstep your authority, Rhiannon," Sarlic snarled. "I already have a suitable challenge in mind for the mortal made queen." He turned his mismatched gaze to Sarah. "You're challenge is simple," he declared with a non-mirthful smile. "You will return to the Labyrinth Kingdom, to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, and upon the first rays of morning light you will have twenty-six hours return to this very hall."

"That's it?" Sarah voiced cockily, then laughed. "What's so challenging…" She paused her words as her mind brought forth the specific rules of the challenge set before her. Her smile slowly slid from her lips.

"Realized there was more to it, did you?" Sarlic stated cockily. "You are not permitted to change your form, to do so would be considered forfeit, and I would be deemed champion." He smiled without humor. "You are not permitted to magically transport yourself. To do so would be considered forfeit, and I would be deemed champion." He wrapped his arms around his sides, clasping his hands at his back as he paced and continued speaking. "You are not permitted to fly using your… '_given_' gift of flight," he stated with trouble. Sarah being gifted with flight as though she were a born fae was more than Sarlic could stomach. "If you do," he continued. "It would be considered forfeit, and I would be deemed champion. And, you are forbidden to have other magical beings use their magic on your behalf in ways that would be deemed forfeit. To do so would deem me victorious!"

Sarah held her gaze firm despite the inner turmoil that warred within her. With limited magic at her disposal, not being able to transport herself, no shape shifting, and no flying; how was she going to get from one castle to the other within two days? It was just too far, she would never make it in time to save Jareth. She closed her eyes, knowing full well that if she failed Sarlic would destroy Jareth completely, not to mention taking over the Labyrinth Kingdom, and rule over the Underground with a sinister hand.

"You can try to be the hero, mortal, but you will not succeed," Sarlic chuckled, boldly looming over her shoulder. "Grant me the powers that you have thoughtlessly taken within yourself," he cajoled at the side of her ear. "Take your pet, and return to the Aboveground to live happily together for the duration of your mortal lives."

Sarah opened her eyes, turning her head to gaze steadily into those of her nemesis, the High King, and smirked with confidence. "You have no power over me, Sarlic, and that scares you deep in the core of your being." She stepped back from him, holding his gaze intently. "If Jareth is harmed in any way, my fury will have no bounds." Turning to face the counsel members she addressed them regally. "I accept The Challenge of Kings," she declared formally. "I understand my limitations, and I will be victorious." She met each being's gaze pointedly as she looked upon them, then turned to stride over to where Jareth was being held captive.

"I'm scared shitless," she whispered very low through barely parted lips, hoping that he was the only one who could hear her. "What if I don't…" Jareth stepped closer to slip his arms through the spaces between the bars, taking her face between his palms, caressing her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"I have enough magic within me if I need it," he whispered reassuringly. "But, I won't need it," he smirked, tilting his head back to look down his nose at her. "I've always believed in you, Sarah, nothing will change that."

She closed her eyes, taking a ragged breath at how much he loved her, believed in her. He gently pulled her head closer to the bars, leaning closer on the other side. "Your will is as strong, and your kingdom as great," he whispered encouragingly.

She opened her eyes to stare into his, showing him how much she needed him, how much she wanted him, how much she loved him without being able to say the words. "I didn't want it to happen like this," she answered in whispered tones. "But, I will defeat him," she vowed with determination. "I will save you, and I will give back everything that has been taken from you."

"And then, you will be mine, forever," he stated smugly with a lilt to his voice. She smiled, her heart feeling as though it would burst at the thought of being with him forever.

The sound of Sarlic dictating to his counsel in a sour tone brought Sarah back to what must be done. Reaching through the bars to slide her fingers through Jareth's hair, they both pulled each other closer. "Fly home," Jareth whispered against her lips. "Survey the landscape and plan your way back. Use whatever means available to you. Remember, nothing is as it seems, and I will await your return."

They sealed their lips together, both of them instantly consumed with heated desire. Sarah pressed herself against the bars of his cell, flashes of liquid heat coursed through her entire being as his hand slid down her back to rest possessively upon her rear. With a sudden gasp, Sarah pushed away from Jareth as a shimmer of magic changed her into a falcon. She flopped to the ground, flapping her wings uncoordinatedly, until she collected her bearings and gathered herself for flight. She circled the counsel hall once before exiting out an open window with a piercing promise to return.

Jareth gazed intently at the small group of fae who stared after Sarah with various expressions upon their features. Rhiannon was the first to look away from the window, meeting her son's gaze from across the room. "She requires a certain… incentive in order to fly," he announced with a cheshire grin. Half the counsel blushed slightly at his innuendo while Sarlic laughed heartily, striding from the hall with overconfidence.

While the counsel busied themselves magically repairing the castle, Rhiannon took a few hesitant steps towards her son, her strides becoming more certain as resolve settled in her heart. He met her gaze unwaveringly as she stopped to stand before him. "Be assured, my son, that Sarlic's magic cannot hurt you," she told him, though her voice quivered nervously in Jareth's presence.

She had all but abandoned her son ages ago, forcing him to fend for himself with no comfort, no solace that she had never stopped loving him. But, by the law of counsel, a member must choose fealty over family. Which, according to counsel, there is no loss since counsel serves all peoples of the Underground. But, it did create a loss, a loss within the heart of a mother who left her son with the burden of becoming a king by the right of a challenge, and not recognized by the court as true royalty.

"Oh, why the sudden concern, Rhiannon?" Jareth quipped, noticing the pain enter her eyes at him using her given name, and not caring. "I'm sure it matters not to '_counsel_' that I fear not Sarlic's magic. But, something far more solid in matter has given me great concern." He purposely tilted his head to glance briefly upwards, hearing Rhiannon's horrified gasp as she too looked up to see the threatening structure over Jareth's head. "Worry not Scroll Keeper of the High Counsel," he stated almost sneeringly. "I have been given something far greater than you could ever bestow upon me."

"What is that?" she asked in a small voice, knowing she deserved his contempt though it wounded her deeply to be met with such coldness from her son.

"A promise," he answered simply, his chin raised proudly. "A promise that will be kept with all the power she possesses."

Rhiannon's eyes watered, her throat and heart constricted at the reminder of her broken promises to her son. Promises to always be there for him, to always love him, to never let anything hurt him. "I am so very sorry for what has befallen you, my…"

"Don't," he spat curtly, drawing closer to grab the bars of his cell. "The boy you once called your son has forsaken all else for power and kingdom." Relaxing his stance, Jareth stepped back, letting his arms fall slack to his sides. "It must be a trait of the bloodline that refuses to acknowledge me whatsoever."

"Rhiannon," Demos addressed lowly from behind her. "Sarlic summons you."

"Go, Rhiannon!" Jareth shouted dramatically, pointing towards Sarlic's meeting chamber. "You mustn't ignore the summons of your king!" He tilted his head back and laughed maliciously.

Her expression was one of despair as she cupped a hand over her mouth. Turning away from Jareth, she almost ran across the great hall to distance herself from the pain of betrayal. The betrayal of a mother turning her back on her own son.

Demos followed Rhiannon's retreat with his eyes then leveled a steely gaze upon the captive with a smoldering hatred. Jareth glared back at the counsel member, letting his regenerating magic flow freely through his veins.

Demos suddenly stepped back from the cell, showing his surprise at the power he saw smoldering within the exiled king. Wetting suddenly dried lips, Demos re-met Jareth's steady gaze, though his now wavered. Demos recognized the magic that burned within the other's eyes, and feared greatly for not only himself, but anyone who stood in his way.

"Mustn't you answer the summons of your king, Demos?" Jareth asked patronizingly, knowing the counsel member had seen the flash of magic that Jareth fought to regain control of.

His natural magic was growing stronger at an incredible rate, blending and feeding from the magic from within his medallion, as it would naturally. But Sarah had touched the medallion, had added her own magic that had been granted to her by the Labyrinth, and the feeling of it entwining with his own magic was alien to him, giving Jareth a challenge in subduing it.

"I am appointed to observe the captive," Demos replied stiffly, though raised his chin arrogantly.

"And what, pray tell, do you observe, Demos?" Jareth asked in a threatening tone.

"I… I observe an exiled one, bereft of all power and titles, standing within a cell of iron."

Jareth smiled demonically, turning his back towards Demos before bending his knees to sit upon the stone floor. "Then, it shall be a bereft, exiled one that you continue to see until the return of my queen."

"There is nothing you can do," Demos stated with forced bravado. "You are contained within iron, any power you have obtained for yourself would be useless within your cell."

"Are you certain?" Jareth questioned, touching his chin to his shoulder to look at Demos peripherally. He raised a hand in front of himself to stare at his fingers curiously as a tingling sensation crept into his fingertips. "We will see soon enough, Demos. We shall all see."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews and fave adds for this fanfic! I'm trying to update it as quickly as my muse will allow without losing the essence of my story. I hope you continue to enjoy!

Curse of the Labyrinth

Chapter Seventeen

With the keen eyesight of a falcon Sarah flew over the landscape, registering every hill, every swell, every briar, river, and canyon to her memory for her return journey. This new challenge heavily burdened her heart. Jareth had so much confidence in her, making her believe that she could do anything. But, as she surveyed the terrain she would have to traverse to save him, her kingdom, and herself, she felt hopelessness seep deep within her.

Most of the terrain was craggy, barren, and very treacherous with mountains of rocks. Being limited to the use of her magic meant that she would have to travel on foot, and even if she found a beast of burden of some sort, there were simply too many areas that even the surest footed animal would not be able to carry a rider.

The Forgotten Mages had honored their word, continuing to protect the Labyrinth boundaries with their ghostly, eminent presence. It was twilight as Sarah flew over the Labyrinth Kingdom, feeling the surge of an uplifting spirit. Drawing closer to the castle, she heard music, singing, and laughter as the inhabitants celebrated.

'_They think it's over_,' she thought remorsefully, seeing the celebration of every creature that had gathered in the Goblin City. '_They have no idea how much of a threat Sarlic still holds over us_.' On graceful wings she swept over the festivities, hearing the cheers and shouts of triumph calling out to her as she made her way directly to Jareth's private chambers within the castle.

Once through the arched stone window, she landed on human feet, though staggered and tripped at first, nothing nearly as graceful as Jareth. Her heart wretched at the thought of him being captive, defenseless, with only the smallest amount of magic to protect himself. Falling to her knees, despair set in, wreaking sobs choked her throat, and her tears burned her eyes, as she fell into a hapless heap upon the cold stone floor.

"I can't do this myself!" she cried into the growing darkness of the room. "I can't…" Her entire body shook with her grief, burying her face in tear wet hands, wiping her nose and mouth with the hem of her dress.

"Sarah?" Hoggle voiced with tentative confusion from the doorway. Sarah lifted her puffy eyes and tear streaked face up to see her friend cautiously enter the chamber, carrying a torch lamp in one hand. "Sarah!" he exclaimed definitively at seeing her upset state. Then, anger filled his craggy features. "What has that rat done this time?" he demanded to know, rushing to her side.

Sarah shook her head, hiding her face in shame for being caught at such a weak moment. "It's not Jareth, Hoggle," she whispered choppily, trying to gain control of her emotions once more. "It's Sarlic. He took Jareth captive. I have twenty-six hours at morning's light to reach the Castle of Counsel's Great Hall or Sarlic gains everything." She tilted her head up to look beseechingly at Hoggle. "He'll kill him, Hoggle," she stated, new tears escaping her eyes unbidden. "Sarlic will kill Jareth, and rule over the Labyrinth Kingdom, if I can't beat this challenge!"

"Well, that's a fine mess, then, ain't it?" Hoggle stated simply, scratching his head thoughtfully with his free hand. "So, whats you all upset for?"

"Didn't you hear what I said?" she barked at him, unwittingly using her magic to light every candle within the chamber in her ire.

"I's heard you just fine," Hoggle barked back, shoving a hand on his hip. "I's jist don't know why you're all upset about it! You's beat the Labyrinth when no one else had ever done it before, and Jareth cheated, too!" He put down his lamp and wiped his hands on his trousers. He regarded Sarah cautiously. "You's growed up, didn't you's?" he asked in a soft tone.

"That's usually what happens, Hoggle," she answered facetiously. "Children grow up, it's inevitable."

"I suppose. But, the Sarah I knew feared nothing."

"I feared a lot of things, Hoggle."

"You did?" he asked taken aback, his eyes grew wide with her admission.

"Almost every step of the way," she admitted in a casual tone. "At least deep down I was afraid."

"Wells, you sures didn't show it!" Hoggle declared pointedly. "You's never gave up, and now you's got magic you can use, too!"

"I can't use it," she told him demurely. "It's in the rules of the challenge."

"None of it?" he asked with incredulous surprise. "You's can't use no magic at all?"

"Pretty much," she replied dejectedly. "I can't fly, I can't transport myself, I'm not allowed to change my form, not allowed to have other magic users do for me what I'm not allowed to do for myself…" She looked up to meet Hoggle's gaze directly. "And yet, Jareth still believes that I can win. Even now, he sits in an iron cell and waits for me to get back for him."

Hoggle's expression set with determination. "Of course he does!" he told her gruffly. "He knows better than anyone what you's can do! You's told him that his Labyrinth was a piece of cake, I's heard you say it! And then you's proved it!"

"I did, didn't I?" Sarah murmured more so to herself in a far away voice. "I had to save Toby, and I wouldn't let anything stop me from reaching the castle beyond the goblin city, and taking back the child which was stolen." She was quiet for a moment, her eyes roaming her lap. "This is no different," she compared thoughtfully. "I have an entire kingdom to help me. I have magic that I can use." She raised her gaze to stare out through the window into the darkened night sky. "And I have more than a small child to save this time."

Sarah rose to her feet with new resolve, turning to face Hoggle. "Go into the city and pass the word of what happened to Jareth," she commanded him in a firm voice. "I don't want one creature to think this is over."

"Whats is you going to do?"

"I'm going to prepare for a challenge I have no intention of losing."

"That's the spirit!" Hoggle exclaimed, jumping up while punching the air cheerfully. "I knews you's would come around!" he cackled laughingly as he made his way towards the door, then, paused to look back. "I hopes you ain't mad abouts me talking to you's like I did," he stated hesitantly. "I means, with you's beings the queen and all."

"Even a queen needs a friend sometimes, Hoggle," Sarah told him in a heartfelt voice. "And, I really needed a friend when you came along."

"Yea, you's was pretty lost when I's came in," he stated in a whispered voice. Then louder, and with more gusto he said, "It ain'ts the first time I had to helps you out! And I'm betting it won'ts be the last time, either!"

Sarah smiled and chuckled fondly as Hoggle left to inform the inhabitants of the latest news. The door wasn't even closed all the way when Brae entered with a handful of male goblins toting buckets of steaming water. "I sensed you were alone, my Queen," she stated respectfully, gesturing for the servants to start filling the bath. "Is all well with Lord Jareth?"

"No, Brae," Sarah replied evenly in a monotone voice. "All is not well. Not well at all."

Sarah explained what had happened to Jareth, about the challenge, and all her restrictions to the servant who hung on her every word. Slipping into the steaming water a few minutes later, she dismissed her servants to be alone with her thoughts, delving deep within her magical mind of knowledge for anything that could help her to be victorious.

XxXxX

"Whats alls that?" Hoggle asked, entering the throne room to find Sarah sorting through a mound of supply packs.

"This is what I plan to take with me," she answered, slipping a dagger into a leather satchel. Hoggle bent over to laugh uproariously, slapping his knee in his mirth. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?" Sarah questioned in an authoritive, regal tone.

Hoggle choke on his laugh, swallowing hard before standing straight. "You's can't takes all that with you," he explained casually. "Hows you's gonna carry it?"

Sarah grinned and lifted a hand before her. A crystal appeared at her fingertips. "With this," she answered simply with confidence. Focusing her gaze upon the clear crystal, the mound of supplies suddenly disappeared to reappear within her crystal in a three dimensional image. "I can place everything I need inside one crystal and summon whatever I might need at any given time."

"Then, whats you have all those packs for?" he asked in a curious tone, wondering if that was how Jareth had always had things available at his fingertips at any given time.

Sarah stared blankly at him for a moment before answering in a patient, simple tone. "Because, I categorized everything. I have one bag for weapons, another with rope and clasps, I filled one with clean cloths and medicinal herbs, and two bags with candles and burning oil. Is that enough of an example, or would you like the entire list of inventory, Hoggle?"

"You's don't have to get all uppity abouts it," he grumbled humbly. "And you's don't needs all that, do you?"

"I don't know what to expect, or what I'll need. I'm simply trying to be as prepared as possible."

"Well, since you's puts it that way, then I guess you's would need all that stuff." He scratched his head as though he had another thought. He looked up at Sarah as though to say something, then simply shook his head and turned away from her to pace the room a little before facing her again. "I thinks I found something that might helps." He told her in a quiet voice. "But, I's ain't sure if you's can use them or not."

"Really?" she quipped with curiosity. "What is it?" she asked, intrigued even more when no information came to her mind magically.

"Comes this way, and I'll shows you."

Sarah followed Hoggle out of the castle, through the gardens, and finally to the stables that she had previously been distracted from visiting. Hoggle opened the half door of one of the large stalls, whispering something in a strange language into the dimness within. Sarah jumped back with a start as the large head of a creature she'd never seen before appeared through the doorway.

"What the hell is that?" she asked, stepping back further when her magical mind still didn't provide an answer. The creature had a catlike head with long floppy ears, long whiskers on a small snout shaped nose, a walrus-like moustache, and a very small mouth nearly hidden behind a fuzzy soft chin with more long whiskers.

"We's ain't sure whats they are, but, theys is very gentle and quiet," Hoggle explained. "Jareth found thems wounded and scared near the boundaries of the labyrinth a long time ago. He brought thems back here, fed them, treated their injuries, and they jist never left."

"Such a strange looking thing," Sarah remarked in a curious voice filled with awe. She stepped closer with her hand outstretched to touch the creature's face. "But, it has kind, intelligent eyes." She smiled laughingly as the creature rubbed its nose against her open palm, its long soft whiskers gently tickled her forearm. "You said, they," Sarah stated. "How many are there?"

"Two," Hoggle answered. "We's think they are male and female but, we's aint sure. The other one is in there somewheres, theys don't likes to be separated."

The creature made a grunting noise, and gently pushed open the unlatched half door with its leg. Rising to its feet as it came out of the dimly lit stall, Sarah stepped back to get out of its way. Her eyes widened like saucers as the beast unfolded long spindly legs to rise its body high in the air. Its shoulder and hip joints stuck out oddly along the sides of its body. It's body was small in comparison to how long its legs were, and shaped similar to that of a giraffe. Its hoofed feet were in-proportionately small compared to the rest of its mass, the legs grew more narrow from hip to hoof by an enormous margin, making Sarah wonder how such a creature could walk at all.

"They're huge!" she commented, watching in awe as a second creature, slightly smaller than the first, unfolded itself from within the stall to stand next to its mate. "How do they fit in there? Why wouldn't Jareth make a larger space for them?"

"I's don't know why theys likes it in there," Hoggle shrugged. "But, it's plenty big for thems both on the inside."

"You said I might be able to use them," Sarah directed towards Hoggle as she slowly walked around the creatures with an appraising eye, both of them keeping her fully within their sights with shy wariness. "How? They're too gangly looking to walk over rough terrain. And they're so tall, I don't think they'd fit through most areas of the labyrinth to be any use at all."

"Oooh!" Hoggle exclaimed impatiently. "Do's I haves to tells you everything!" he sidled up to Sarah with his hands on his hips. "Yous is the queen!" he reminded her shortly. "You controls the labyrinth now, and yous of all people should remember that not everything is what it seems!"

Sarah paused in her critique of the creatures to look over at her friend. '_He's right_,' she thought to herself. '_I keep under estimating things in this kingdom, even with the gift of magic, I forget to use its power._' She turned her head toward the nearest creature, the one who had come out from the stall first, and slowly raised a hand to touch the broad angular shape of the shoulder. The creature watched as her hand gently rested upon his shoulder blade, and made a quivering sound in its throat as she laid her hand flat upon soft leathery skin. "What are you?" Sarah asked in a soft hushed voice, looking into the depths of the soft dark eyes that watched her.

'_We are called Landstriders_,' a strange, gruff, yet kind voice answered within her mind. The sound gave Sarah the impression of a talking horse.

"Landstriders," Sarah repeated within a whispered voice, half closing her eyes to absorb the information that magically flooded her mind at her mental inquiry.

_Landstriders once filled the open spaces between the kingdoms in great numbers, until the war between the Skeksis and the Mystics all but wiped them from existence. They were powerful creatures despite their ungainly appearance. They possessed great speed and endurance, and were extremely intelligent creatures with courageous hearts. Landstriders never faltered in their pace, and were sinuous across any landscape. They could travel across wide plains, through powdery craters, over hills, along ravines, and could also leap across smaller rivers._

_But, they could also be extremely fierce when necessary, and would protect the underlings to the best of their ability from their greatest enemy, the Garthim, huge black creatures with multiple arms and armor for skin who scoured the forests and plains to capture the underlings for the Skesis, a superior race of fallen mystics who wished to dominate their entire kingdom in an age of darkness._

_Landstriders were the most swift and fierce warriors working against the Skeksis race. Rangy in action they would use their agility and strength to ferociously attack the Garthim by springing from their hind legs so as to drive their front hooves into the hated foe. Landstriders were valiant creatures who allowed themselves to be ridden by the underlings, carrying them to safety on long, stiff legs, and white wispy haired backs. But, despite their valor, very few remain in existence._

Sarah removed her hand from the creature's shoulder and stepped back slightly. "That's why you stayed here," she voiced quietly, now knowing what kind of creature she spoke to. "You might be the last of your kind, and you don't know if the Skeksis won the war or not."

The creature by her side turned his large mass to face the queen that stood before him, and, with a bowed head, gently touched her shoulder with a soft nose. "I will help you find out about your kind, about the war that caused you to be separated from your home," Sarah solemnly swore. "But, I must save my own kingdom first, and if you are as fast as I'm led to understand, then you could help me reach the Castle of Counsel and end this threat once and for all." She gazed intently into the dark, understanding eyes of the Landstrider. "Would you help me?"

In response, the Landstrider backed away from Sarah, putting some space between himself and the queen, then reared up on his hind legs while emitting a throaty, guttural, trumpeting sound that clearly depicted a battle cry. The other Landstrider mimicked her mate in accordance.

"Well," Hoggle stated, shuffling to Sarah's side in fear of being kicked by the huge beasts. "I'd say that is a resounding yes!"

XxXxX

The night sky was beginning to lighten with the approaching dawn as Sarah made her final preparations for her journey. Slipping a leather satchel over her head, she adjusted the strap over her shoulder so that it rested comfortably by her side. Patting it lightly, she felt the handful of crystals she'd placed inside before preparing to mount up.

"I still don't knows why you needs me to goes with you," Hoggle grumbled as Sarah mounted the larger Landstrider, eyeing the other creature nervously.

"Because I don't always 'just know things', for one," Sarah replied casually. "And, secondly, I wouldn't think of going without you, Hoggle. I know you think yourself a coward, but… really, you're not. And I need to have a friend that I can trust with me if there's any chance of me beating Sarlic."

"Then whys don't you takes Didymus with you?" he grumbled, trying to climb up onto the other Landstrider. "He'd jist love an adventure like this, specially gettin to ride ones of these things!"

"Oh, Hoggle," Sarah voiced with eminent patience. Using her magic she hoisted Hoggle up into the soft leather 'saddle' they had fashioned to ride the beasts. Her mount became restless as soon as Hoggle was settled atop the other Landstrider, gathering his muscles in a tight contraction. "I would hold on, if I were you," Sarah warned. "I have a feeling that…"

The very first ray of sunlight suddenly streaked across the sky in hues of blues and purple, breaking the spell of darkness with its dawning light. The Landstriders bolted into action without warning, having been told by Sarah that her journey started at sun's first light.

"AUGH!" Hoggle screamed, holding onto the wispy hairs of from the beast's back as his body flapped up and down with the fast pace of the beast under him. "Makes it stop!" he screamed. "Makes it stop! I's can't holds on!"

Sarah had trouble keeping her own seat at first, but after a moment or two was able to shift her body motions with the choppy, uneven strides of the creature she rode. Extending a magical thought towards her friend she enabled Hoggle to settle back into the soft leather saddle, and ride more smoothly as the Lanstriders raced through the Labyrinth's extensive territory at a breath-taking speed.

XxXxX

Sarah urged her mount to slow his pace as they neared a burble of thicket. Something seemed wrong within the overgrown patches of thorns and shrubbery. Just as the beast came to a full stop Sarlic appeared amidst the brambles, his royal cape flowing behind him in the morning breeze.

"I would say you have disqualified yourself," he declared with an amused sneer.

"And just how have I done that, Sarlic?" Sarah called back from atop her mount who moved restlessly beneath her.

"You didn't wait for my leave to begin your trek."

"Oh, is that right?" Sarah quipped arrogantly. "Well, by your leave I was told the challenge started at sunrise, and that was two hours ago, Sarlic. I guess you simply decided to sleep in this morning and missed the splendor of the first ray of light as it washed over the landscape."

Sarlic fumed inwardly at her not falling for his age old deceit that had worked on so many challenged rulers of ago. "Never mind, then," he replied with forced diplomacy. "I've noticed you have made good use of the time given to you. But, by what magic did you conjure up those hideous beasts?"

"No magic at all," Sarah replied self-righteously. "Are you to tell me that you don't recognize the infamous Landstrider?" Sarah snickered, knowing that Sarlic had no knowledge of the beasts who agreed to help her. "They are survivors of the Crystal War in a kingdom far from here."

"The Crystal War?" Sarlic repeated with shocked astonishment, looking upon the beasts with renewed interest. "That war has been over for nearly a millennia, how is it that '_you_', mortal, has any knowledge of it?"

"This isn't the only kingdom of fantasy, Sarlic," she replied easily, looking down at him smugly. "Nor is it the only kingdom of magic. Every mortal in the Aboveground is told the stories that you consider old and outdated." Sarah knew she angered Sarlic greatly, and relished every second of it. The High and mighty King himself had chosen to disregard things of the past, thinking them useless and benign. "And, I'd love to chat, Sarlic, but you're wasting my valuable time." She spurred the creature into motion with both thought and foot, his mate followed close on his heels. "I'll see you in the Castle of Counsel in no time, Sarlic!" Sarah couldn't help the laughter that poured from her throat as she and Hoggle rode off, leaving Sarlic to openly fume in their wake.

"Not as soon as you would think, Mortal," Sarlic growled under his breath, knowing she wouldn't hear his words. Motioning his hands in a circular way, Sarlic summoned a multi-tentacled beast with an immense, gaping mouth lined with several rows of sharp teeth to surface from under the sands just beyond the ridge that Sarah was heedlessly heading towards. "In fact, I'd say not at all after my pet devours you, your useless dwarf, and your legendary beasts!" He snickered maliciously before magically returning to his own chambers in his own castle.

XxXxX

Meanwhile, in a mystical land far away seven Mystic beings felt a magical disturbance directed towards their kingdom and opened their eyes to gaze into the gleaming Crystal that is the heart of their being.

"A time of old has been remembered anew," a Mystic addressed to the others.

"Yes," another member replied. "It comes from afar, a land we are not familiar with, but yet holds great power none the less."

"It is on behalf of two landstriders," a third member stated, slowly waving a transparent hand towards the Crystal, making an image of the honored creatures appear from within its magnificent light. A few members gasped with ghostly breaths of awe and admiration at seeing the creatures alive.

"They have survived."

"Yes. They give aid to battle a darkness in another kingdom."

"We must give them a sign. We must let them know they are welcome to return home where peace rules within our boundaries."

"Yes," all the other members agreed. "We will give them a sign to come home."

XxXxX

"Why's do you always do's that?" Hoggle complained from behind as they rode over treacherous terrain, almost reaching the top of a ridge.

"Why do I always do, what?" Sarah questioned, turning her head to peer over her shoulder at her friend.

"Why do you always has to piss off somebody that's powerful and intimidating!"

"Oh, that," Sarah laughed, turning back to face forward as they peeked the ridge. "I don't know. I guess it's because most of the time they're not as powerful as you think they are. They just want you to think they are."

"Oh, trust me, Sarlic is that powerful! You's jist too stubborn to sees it!"

Sarah had a smile on her features as they pinnacled the ridge, when suddenly an extremely bright light shone in her eyes from across the landscape in a single beam. She turned her head to protect her eyes as the landstriders came to a sudden halt, both of them gazed into the light valiantly.

"Sees what I mean?" Hoggle yelled in a panic. "That's how powerful he is! He's trying to blind us as we stand!"

"I don't think that's Sarlic's doing, Hoggle," Sarah voiced thoughtfully, feeling a wave of peace and tranquility wash over her as they stood within the light. "I think it's a message from far away."

"Oh," Hoggle voiced humbly, accepting that Sarah would know these things just like Jareth used to. "Allies?" he questioned. "Is they's going to help us beat Sarlic?"

"No," Sarah replied, turning her attention toward the landstriders, who were communicating with each other with small grunts and clicking noises while becoming restless. "Get down off the landstrider, Hoggle," Sarah directed with sudden understanding, following her own command as she swung a leg over the creature's neck, and slid to the ground. "They're being called home."

"Home? What do you mean, home? Home is backs that way!" he declared, pointing towards the Labyrinth.

"Not for them it's not."

Sarah magically removed the soft leather coverings they used to sit upon on the creature's backs, along with her satchel full of crystals. "Thank you for your help," she told the male landstrider. "You've helped us come so far in so little time." She reached her hand out and gently caressed the side of his face. "I hope your journey home is a swift and safe one."

The landstrider nuzzled Sarah's hand affectionately before stepping away from her, his mate honored Sarah with the same gesture before they both bolted into action and raced each other along the ridge, gaining speed once they reached the flatlands that spanned as far as the eye could see.

"Now why's couldn't you wait til we's was closer to the Counsel Kingdom before you let thems go?" Hoggle grumbled as the landstriders quickly became nothing more than specks in the far distance.

"Because they've waited long enough to go home, don't you think, Hoggle?"

"I guesses so," Hoggle mumbled demurely. "It's just that Jareth didn't even gets to say goodbye to them. After alls he's done for ems, they jist left likes that."

"Do I detect a fondness towards your former king?" Sarah baited with a sly smile, placing the satchel over her head so that the strap crossed over her chest, the bag rested comfortably by her hip.

"Huh?" Hoggle voice somewhat surprised. "Oh, no! I was jist saying is all!" he replied flustered, then added in a more controlled tone. "Besides, you's don't has to like someone jist because you shows them respect, you knows."

"If you say so, Hoggle," Sarah sing sung with a coy smile. She surveyed their surroundings with a quick glance, then decided the best route to take next. "I think going this way looks easier," she surmised, pointing along the ridge to their right. "Going straight down to the flats from here looks really treacherous."

"That was my point exactly!" Hoggle exclaimed as he followed Sarah's lead. "We's shoulda kept thems beasts till we's got closer to the Counsel Kingdom." They slowly made their way over loose shale stones and dirt, going out of their way to take the safer route. "And, I's '_don't_' has to likes Jareth jist because I says nice things abouts him either!" he continued to mumble as they walked along. "Compared to Sarlic, Jareth ain't so bad, but you's didn't hears me say that!"

"Well, it's nice to know that you have your priorities straight, Hoggle," Sarah stated lightly, slowly picking her way over some loose gravel to make certain she had sure footing for each step she took. "And, your secret is safe with me."

"It better be!" he grumbled, just as he slipped on the same loose gravel that Sarah had just avoided, and slid halfway down the ridge on his behind.

Sarah chuckled at the sight of Hoggle sliding along on his butt, yelling and complaining the whole while. "Oh, Hoggle," she chastised lightly, using her magic to stop her friend from falling any further. "Do be careful, won't you?"

He gave her a dour look as she easily walked passed him, not even stopping to help him up. Dusting himself off after standing, he paused to give his attention towards the other side of the ridge swearing he'd heard a monstrous growl. An uneasy feeling settled deep into Hoggle's bones when a faint plume of dust rose in the air from the direction they had originally been heading before the beasts had been called home. "Hey! Waits for me!" he called out, hurrying to catch up with Sarah as fast as his feet, and the loose shale stones, would allow.

* * *

Further credits:  
(Very important to give credit where credit is due!)

Landstriders: are fictional creatures from the Jim Henson movie "The Dark Crystal" (1982) the description of the creatures were found (in part) at: . -and also - .com/fantasy_?content=characters

"a multi-tentacled beast with an immense, gaping mouth lined with several rows of sharp teeth": It is called a Sarlacc. It is a fictional creature in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. It first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) It was used by Jabba the Hutt who attempted to execute Jedi knight Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) by dropping them into the creature's gaping maw.… I'm sure we all know how that turned out. This information was found at .org/wiki/Sarlacc.

**I reiterate that I do not receive any payment whatsoever for my fanfiction stories.**


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Labyrinth, Romance