Labyrinth 1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Labyrinth, it's characters, or it's storyline. Please enjoy~**

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Manhandling a large piece of luggage out of the cab, she sighed and brushed her hair away from her face. Looking up at the beautiful white house...the one that had been a cage all her childhood. The one she was running back to now. Her (step)mother held Jay in her arms, bouncing him up and down and murmuring to him in babytalk. "Keep the change," she murmured to the cabbie, handing him a $20. He sped off, leaving her on the damp curb of the lawn. Sighing again, she picked up the luggage and walked it into the house.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Mom," she said, turning then to drag the large, cumbersome thing up the stairs.

"It's the least I could do," her mother replied, watching her struggle up the stairs. "You got that?"

"Yeah, I got it."

Bumping it against her knees all the way to her old room to open the door. It smelled cold, unused, and...lonely. She threw the large suitcase on the floor and went back down the stairs, pushing her hair behind her ears as she went. She gathered Jay from the arms of the older woman. "It's just temporary. Didn't need him being exposed to that sort of...thing. Will dad be home soon?"

"He should be," her mother replied, standing up and kissing her forehead. "I'm so glad to see you, Sarah."

Later that evening, after a warm but slightly tense dinner with her father, Sarah had begun to tuck her son into the crib that had once been Toby's. Mentioned boy popped his head into the room to make faces at the sleepy little one. "Get out," Sarah scolded, pushing him. "You'll rile him all up. I'll never get him to sleep."

"Whatever," Toby scoffed, flipping his hair to the side. "Maybe you shouldn't let him go to sleep. Some goblins might get him!" He waggled his fingers at her.

Sarah replied by rolling her eyes and shutting the door behind him. However, his mention of the goblins (and the insinuation towards their ruler) made her chest feel tight — a feeling she chose to ignore and continued getting ready for bed. Sarah would have been lying if she had said she hadn't thought of the Labyrinth often. And by often, she meant almost constantly.

Her friends from the perilous maze had visited her often during the remainder of her childhood, but as she grew up, she had less and less time for them, until she realized she hadn't been thinking of them at all. It had saddened her greatly at the time, as she considered the Labyrinth to be the crowning jewel of her existence (save for Jay). However, she reasoned, there was a time and place for daydreams and grand adventures, and she was an adult now. Because of mitigating circumstances, she had once again found herself in her parent's home, as out of place as she had used to feel. Smiling slightly, Sarah brushed her hand along the walls, touching old stuffed animals and dolls that she used to read to.

She walked slowly over to the window and, with a lunge, attempted to pull it up and open. It didn't budge. Straightening up and giving an approving nod, she walked back to her bed and got in, listening for Jay's even breathing. Allowing herself to close her eyes, she began to drift. She reassured herself again. Magic was for children and storybooks. It had been 13 years, why would anyone bother her now? They wouldn't. She was safe. What was there to be afraid of? She conquered it once, why not again?

Sarah's dreams that night were colorful, filled with mysterious music and faint laughter and the illusion that there was a draft in the room. Scaring herself awake at dawn, she looked over to see Jay squirming and about to begin to cry. Glancing at the window before taking him in her arms, it looked as undisturbed as it was before. She shook her head at herself, appalled. What a fool she was becoming.

The following day, Sarah's step mother insisted that she go out and spend some time by herself. "You've had your hands full taking care of this precious devil, you owe it to yourself!"

Sarah smiled, watching Jay gurgle happily. She suspected it was just another ploy to spoil her little son with treats and toys but he looked so happy. "Don't feed him too much or he'll get sick," she said, before pulling her thick hair over her shoulder and swinging the door closed behind her. She'd decided to go look at the local department stores, maybe get a cup of coffee, go to a book store. Things she hadn't done in a long time. After arriving, browsing through aisles of fluffy clothing she wouldn't dream of wearing, much less afford, shamelessly flirting with the barista and sipping her scalding coffee, she found herself perusing the dark, boring books in the back of the store. Shaking herself out of her random daze, she looked at her watch. It was 1:45, almost 2...she needed some lunch, where was her...?

Looking outside absentmindedly, she gasped. "Oh, god, no!" she moaned, running closer to the windows. It was raining. Pouring, actually. The thick drops were already making small lakes in the parking lot. "Shit," she cursed. She considered running home...but it would take a while. Shrugging her shoulders, she happily resigned herself to waiting it out in the dark and spicy-smelling bookstore. Returning to some other shelves, she pulled a few random volumes with slightly interesting titles, found a corner, and cracked a cover open.

Seemingly, within minutes, her eyes felt strained. She heard the sound of heavy boots approaching. An employee rounded the corner, flicking on a lamp near her. "Wouldn't want you ruining your eyesight now, would we?" he asked. Sarah furrowed her brow. Ruin her eyesight? It wasn't nearly that late to turn lights on, was it...?

A quick horrifying check of her watch confirmed that indeed, it was time to turn on the lights. 5:23. Scrambling up, Sarah made for the entrance, only to see in dismay that the rain had continued. She hadn't meant to stay the whole day out. Leaving Jay alone with her step mother that long wasn't polite. Grumbling in annoyance, Sarah pulled her thin jacket and scarf up over her head and made a break for it out the door and into the downpour. In the end, she only ran for a few blocks, then slowed down. She obviously wouldn't beat it. So she joined it. Eventually she began to enjoy the noise as the cars whooshed by, the chill of the raindrops down her back.

When she arrived home, she was drenched. "Hi! I'm so sorry I'm late, I lost track of time!"

"In the kitchen!" her step mother called, and Sarah entered to see the older woman stirring a pot of something on the stove. "I'm making spaghetti."

"Wonderful, I'm starving," Sarah commented, beginning to strip off her outerwear. Then she glanced around. "Where's Jay? I'm sorry he's so bother —"

Her mother waved the spoon at her. "Hush. He's an absolute gem. He was sitting out there in the living room, watching the rain for a while and playing with some blocks."

Sarah got up and tentatively made her way back into the living room. She had just been in here. "Jay?" she called, looking around. There were the blocks. There was Thomas the Tank engine. There was a sock. But there was no little baby boy.

"Sweetie? Where are you hiding?" Sarah asked, looking behind the couch and the other chairs. After scouring the living room, Sarah felt her lungs contract. She tried to laugh at herself. He just wandered off. He was curious. Out of habit, she called, "Mom? Are there any windows open?"

"No, I closed them all when the storm hit! Why?"

But Sarah knew.

She felt it in her gut, then in her throat. She felt the boiling truth scorching her insides as she ran up the stairs and threw open the door to her room.

The window was wide open, the curtains roiling against the wind as the pelting rain soaked the floor. However, despite the raging storm, a small crystal orb managed to be poised on the windowsill. Sarah felt the tears beginning to pinprick at her eyes as she strode over and picked up the small translucent ball. She clutched it tightly, so tightly she hoped it would break and her baby would come back to her and she could avoid this whole ridiculous mess. But the ball did not shatter, and Jay did not reappear in her arms. So with a surge of animal ferocity, Sarah hurled it out the window and howled into the storm a name that ripped itself from her lungs, a name she hadn't allowed herself to utter in 13 years:

_"Jareth!"_


	2. No Time, No Time

Sarah only had to wait mere seconds before her call was answered as a tawny owl flew out of the storm and into her room. She was unable to stop the gasp that followed as the owl transformed into the tall, menacing man she had so often seen in her dreams. Jareth appeared, all swirling robes and glitter and the aura of something dark and untouchable and other-worldly...but it was off. Just slightly, but she could tell. He could have stood a little straighter, his hair could have been a little wilder...he...

"You look old," Sarah breathed.

Jareth laughed, but his eyes flashed dangerously. "That's a rather strange welcome, pet. Most people just begin with 'hello.'"

Sarah had no time to dwell on him further. "Where is my son?"

The Goblin king just smirked. "You know very well where he is."

"I don't have time for this nonsense. I didn't wish him away, you don't have any right to—"

"A right?!" Jareth bellowed, advancing on her. "Right?! Don't speak to me about my right, you imp!" He then lowered his voice, turning away from her. "Sarah, when you left...so many years ago, you...destroyed everything. Most...like you, began to realize the true power of their words. But more to the point, most began to believe that Magic had no place in the human world. They were right." Jareth grimaced. "However, as you can imagine, there were no longer any children to gratefully take away. So I had to begin to...take matters into my own hands."

"I thought you needed the magic works to take a child!" Sarah protested.

Jareth raised his eyebrows, giving a non-committal shrug. "There are ways of twisting the rules, if the right tools are applied long enough."

Sarah scoffed. "Whatever. I don't care about your cryptic sayings. I'm not going to play your game this time. No negotiations. Just give me back Jay."

"That wouldn't be nearly as much fun. And, more to the point, I couldn't, even if I really wanted to. Which I don't. It's been so long, dear Sarah. I would hate for our reunion be cut short by a silly, screaming baby." He leaned closer to her, letting his breath ghost by her ear. "Don't you want to know if you could do it again? The only one to ever best me. Many cannot do it once. And you could do it twice? Exceptional beyond compare, as you always were."

Jareth brushed his fingers down her cheek, simultaneously curling his fingers in her hair. Pulling away slightly, he frowned and stroked her cracked, blood-shot temple and a slight darkness around her eye that he had not noticed at first. "It seems that we cannot all live in a fairy tale forever," he said quietly, tracing his fingertips around her eye. "Don't think I haven't been watching you all these years. That brute you chose to..."

Sarah slapped his hand away. "Stop...distracting me. He's not important."

"Quite," Jareth sneered, stepping back. "No matter. If you wish to have your son back, you have twelve hours to solve the Labyrinth...before I take your child as my own." "Hey!" Sarah exclaimed. "I had fourteen the first time!"

"Surely one as gifted as you needn't that much time. It would almost be insulting, wouldn't you agree?" Jareth smiled, his eyes glittering. "Or..." his voice dropped to a purr, and he produced another small crystal orb out from thin air. "My offer has always stood. You are no ordinary woman, my dear. I have always searched for a queen. I have found none more worthy than you." Jareth held the crystal out to her. "Do you want it?"

Sarah's breath hitched. Did she...? It had been too long. She hadn't even permitted herself to think of it. The possibility that he had still wanted her, especially after all she had done. Was it a trap? Unconsciously, Sarah felt herself reaching toward the small object. Before the smooth surface of it touched her, she snatched her hand away, then knocked it out of his hand, causing it to shatter on the ground.

"Never!" She snarled, although the way his eyes burned into hers made it a bit difficult to retaliate.

Jareth's lip curled. "As you wish." His eyes flickered to something beyond her, and Sarah turned. She hadn't realized they had departed her room and they were now standing on the brown hill that marked the beginning of her journey.

"Twelve hours," Jareth repeated, before he began to disappear.

"Wait!" Sarah called, but he had already gone. Not wasting any time, she turned away and ran quickly down the hill, almost tripping over herself as she did so.

Before getting close to the door, Sarah took a moment to survey the kingdom and it's once thriving (or semi-thriving) lands. It had been sunny when she had braved the maze the first time, but now black clouds loomed over her head. There were no more fairies. In their place were wicked looking briars that twisted like snakes. Looking quickly around, she thought she would try her luck. "Hoggle?" she called. She ran a few paces, coming upon the small pond that had been there the first time. It was devoid of water and some dead creature at the bottom. She sighed, scraping her hair away from her eyes. Sarah would have to do it again. And she would have to do it alone.

Walking a few more steps, she turned and looked at the wall. "Open," she commanded, waving a hand at it. To her (slight) surprise, the door creaked open immediately. She dashed inside, taking a left. Sarah then proceeded to trip over a wonderfully placed root and screech as she fell on her face. _**Not as graceful as I had wanted**_, she thought bitterly to herself, quickly standing back up and beginning to run but keeping an eye at her feet. It was another long, never-ending straight line ahead. Sarah felt strange. As if she was being watched. She stopped running and looked around her. It was likely that she _was_ being watched, but the air felt still. There were no strange bird calls or the scratching of some reptile-creature's scales on the stone walls. She remembered how to command the Labyrinth and it's walls. So, to get away from this particular part, she held her hands in the air to check. The wall had two ways to slip past, so she chose left.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly called.

Stopping dead in her tracks, Sarah walked back a few paces before looking around. Close to the ground, exactly as it had been, was the little worm. He was still wearing the scarf, although now it was threadbare, and he himself had turned ashen gray.

"It's you!" she exclaimed, squatting down to his level.

"Miss!" he squeaked, recognizing her immediately. "How many times do I gotta tell ya to not go that way? Never that way!"

"Why not?" Sarah asked, smiling slightly.

"If ya go that way, you'll head straight ta' that castle!"

Sarah's eyes widened. "Why...didn't you tell me that the first time?"

"Because why would ya be tryin' to get to tha castle? Horrible place, that is. Where've ya been, miss? I 'aven't seen anyone through here in ages. Me 'n the missus got nothin' to do nowadays."

"I've been told business has been a bit slow," Sarah conceded.

"Miss, if you're set on goin', keep your wits about ye. The Labyrinth's changed, miss. Dangerous before, yes, but not like now...Not with 'em harpies around..."

"Harpies?" Sarah asked incredulously. "Shhh, not so loud. The smallest sound send 'em runnin' to find ye. Don't know why His Majesty let's 'em around. Thought he would have gotten 'em all out by now." The worm mumbled to himself a bit more.

Sarah stood. "I'm very happy to have seen you, but I've got to go. I have even less time than before." She turned to go, then said, "Oh! By the way, have you seen Hoggle?" "Who?" the worm asked, confused.

Sarah smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Oh, no one. Thanks."

"You can do it, miss!" The worm called as loud as it could to her retreating back as Sarah hurried on.

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**Please review and give me your thoughts on what you think so far! **


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Labyrinth, Adventure, Romance