Sarah lugged the large canvas into her front door with difficulty. She could have gotten a courier or something, but she most strongly did NOT want someone else touching her painting. She pulled it up the stairs carefully, not letting it touch the floor. The carpet made no sound under her boots as she carried the picture into her bedroom and shut the door. She'd waited until it had dried, then wrapped it in brown paper and taken it straight home with her. It was so good, she was sure someone would have stolen it, given half the change!
"And you are all the more dangerous now. Of what I suspect is true" She told it as she ripped the paper from the painting. The Castle, the Labyrinth and then The Goblin King were revealed. Sarah gritted her teeth, carrying the heavy painting over to the far wall adjacent her bed. She's already had a frame made of silver, a silver plaque at the bottom with the words 'Forever Crystal' inscribed. She had also hammered in, a large hook the week before. Sarah lifted the paining with difficulty, straining to get it high enough for the hook. It took her several goes, missing the hook, but she finally managed to get it up on the wall. She stepped back, eyes going automatically to the Goblin King. She'd sworn, years ago, never to speak his name again.
"It serves no purpose" She murmured, half-lifting a hand to touch his face. Sarah realized what she was doing and let her finger freeze, a centimeter from the Goblin King's handsome face. "Even speaking your name might summon you" She whispered to the painting, letting her hand fall. She'd tried to forget so many times. But she'd failed, as she always had. He'd filled her nights, her dreams. Even when she was awake, she recalled their encounters and that of the other Labyrinth creatures. Hoggle and the other's she had never seen again after that night. Inside, she knew it was because j-the Goblin King had lost his powers. Perhaps forever. So many questions had plagued her also. Had he been destroyed? Trapped as an owl for eternity? What happened to the Labyrinth without their King? And why, WHY had she felt so guilty for destroying the evil Goblin King?
"He took Toby, we played a game. And I won" Sarah said quietly, trying to convince herself. It was all very well to say these things, but how could she deny the turmoil she felt inside, when the remembrance of his mocking smile made her heart beat crazily? The way, sometimes during their encounters, his eyes said one thing and his mouth another. Older now, she could define her emotions and his, to a very small extent. Some things weren't clear. She drew and painted so that she wouldn't forget. There was her diary too. Sarah had read back over it so many times. She'd written it the same night she'd gotten Toby back and destroyed the Goblin King.
*The words though* Sarah's eyes were distant as she recalled some of what she had wrote. *They seemed so childish, so cold and uncaring. WAS I cruel?*
*You are cruel Sarah. I need your cruelty, just as you need mine...*
What had he meant? What had he been trying to tell her, that night in the Escher Room?
*Your eyes can be so cruel,
Just as I can be so cruel,
Though I do believe in you,
Yes I do...*
The doorbell rang, the shrill chimes striking into Sarah's reverie like a battering ram. She blinked, stunned at where her thoughts had been. She's remembered something else. Something new. In the Escher room, all she had been caring about was Toby. But now, she could recall hearing jar-The Goblin King's voice. Singing to her. The bell went again. Sarah frowned, stomping out of the room.
"I'm coming!" She called out; sure she knew whom it was already. Sarah flung open the front door, eyes widening as she saw what was there.
"Sarah!" Toby shrieked shrilly, throwing himself at her. Arms clung tightly around her waist, almost knocking them both off balance. Sarah hugged her little bother back, slightly fazed by the object of her thoughts appearing on her doorstep so suddenly. She looked beyond Toby, down to the road and saw Karen and her dad getting out of their expensive blue car.
"Hi honey!" Her dad called up, waving. He went around the side of the car and pulled out some clothes, wrapped in plastic to keep them fresh. Karen went to the boot and unlocked it, pulling out two suitcases quickly. Sarah watched with astonishment as the plastic items, two cases and a little brother were deposited at her feet.
"Thanks for this, Sarah" Karen said swiftly. She kissed Toby and then Sarah's cheek. She headed back to the car, getting into the passenger side. Sarah's dad kissed her forehead, ruffled Toby's hair and reached into his jacket. He pulled out his wallet, removing several hundreds and depositing them into Sarah's hand.
"Thanks honey! We'll be back for him in a few days" her dad called, retreating down the walk. Sarah watched with stunned eyes as her dad got back into the car and drove off, leaving Toby with her.
"What's for dinner? Sarah?" Toby demanded, stepping back. He sighed when she didn't answer, reaching for one of the large suitcases and trying to drag it into the house. Sarah snapped out of it, taking the suitcase from him. She grabbed the other and gestured to the plastic-covered clothes.
"You get them. They're lighter" She told him, turning to go back into the house.
"You knew I was coming...right sis?" Toby grunted, the clothes held over his head so as to keep them from dragging on the floor. He made it to the couch in her lounge and threw the clothes over an arm. He flopped down into a chair too big for him and switched the TV remote on.
"Coming?" Sarah muttered vaguely, staring at the TV without seeing it.
"We sent you a letter a week ago" Toby shouted, turning up the volume. Sarah went quickly into the hall, to where she usually put the main. It was on a tray in the foyer. Her brown eyes widened at the pile, almost overflowing onto the floor. She'd been so busy with the painting and classes that she'd completely forgotten to read any of it!
"Oh no" She said under her breath, sorting through the large pile and throwing the rest onto the floor as she went. "Garbage, you can win $5000 instantly, junk, junk, bill, postcard, letter-" She paused, recognizing the pale pink of her StepMother's custom-made envelopes. Her name was on the front in Karen's scrawling writing. Sarah opened it slowly, pulling out the perfume-scented pink letter.
'Dear Sarah,
As you know dear, we take a holiday this time every year. Unfortunately, the woman who usually minds Toby for us has fallen ill and is in the Hospital. Your Father and I would like for you to mind Toby for us.
We know how close you two have become over the years.'
"Lovely, you trust me finally" Sarah said sarcastically, looking towards the lounge room. It had taken years to gain her StepMother's trust with her precious son. If only she'd known exactly what Sarah had gone through for the little boy...
'We'll drop him off sometime in the afternoon. Make sure you're home on the 20th dear.
Love,
Karen and your Father'
Sarah was furious. "Great. Just great!" She cried, throwing up her hands in exasperation and anger. Toby's blonde head peered over the top of the couch.
"You forgot?" He questioned. "Mom says you forget things a lot"
"Oh, does she?" Sarah gritted, stomping into the lounge. She flung herself down next to Toby, crossing her arms.
Toby watched her with interest. An 8-year-old was ever curious, she remembered ruefully. "Are you pouting?" He asked curiously, eyes on her lips. Sarah realized with surprise that she WAS pouting and stopped it.
"No, I am NOT pouting. I didn't forget you either" She frowned darkly at the TV, where the Power Rangers were beating up the latest Monster Rita Repulsa had thrown at them.
*How unrealistic!* She thought scornfully. She's seen monsters and these one's looked as fake as-
"Earth to Sarah! I asked what was for dinner" Toby waved a hand in front of her face teasingly. "Twice"
"Let me fix something up" She sighed, jumping up. Sarah headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Maybe McDonalds would be better. Toby poked his head under her arm, eyes widening at the sight of the barely filled fridge.
"You DO eat," He asked doubtfully. "Right?"
"I eat lots" Sarah protested, shutting the fridge with unnecessary force. She went to the cupboard and yanked it open, searching for soup. "Just...Well, I usually eat out"
"Takeaway?" Toby said enthusiastically, his blue eyes lightening. Sarah stared down at him, fixated for a moment. Toby's eyes were so like the Goblin Kings. Why hadn't she seen that before? "...Pizza!" Toby finished gleefully.
Sarah blinked, looking away. Her eyes fell on the phone on the wall. "Pizza it is" She said resigned. It seemed all she'd had lately was pizza, and Chinese and takeaway of SOME sort.
"Great!" Toby shouted, racing back into the lounge room. Sarah went to the phone, thinking. Was it too early for Pizza? The dial tone began and she punched in familiar numbers.
"Gino's Pizzaria!" A cheerful voice announced from the other end.
"Yes" Sarah said, "I'd like to order-" She broke off as she heard a strange whispering noise. She pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it.
"Hello? Miss?" The Pizza guy said, sounding far away. Sarah shook the phone, frowning. She brought it back to her ear, but the whispering was still there.
"We seem to have a bad connection," Sarah said in embarrassment.
"Sound's fine down this end" The Pizza guy puzzled. He kept up his cheerful nature though. Obviously what he'd been hired for, but it was getting on her nerves. "If you'd like to hang up and try ag-"
The phone went completely dead this time. "Hello? Hello!" Sarah shouted into the phone, banging it on the bench. Toby wandered into the kitchen eyes troubled.
"Looks like we're getting a storm, Sarah" He pointed out the window. Sarah blinked. The sunny sky outside had turned as dark as the night, great rolling clouds obscuring the sun. She hadn't even noticed the room getting darker!
"I turned on the lights when you were yelling at the Pizza person and banging the phone on the bench" Toby said, as if it were an entirely sane occurrence. Then again, Toby and Sarah weren't exactly what you'd have called 'normal children'. She'd been to a fantasy world with Goblins, trolls and fairies. Toby had been the guest of the mighty Goblin King himself.
"You're giving me that look again" Toby muttered nervously, hands clinging to the end of the kitchen counter.
Sarah stared at him. "What look?" She asked cautiously.
"Oh you know" Toby flapped a hand around, trying to describe what he had seen. "Sort of...glazed eyed. You go somewhere else"
"Oh" Sarah was bemused. She had no idea she'd done it so many times that it had been categorized as a 'look'. Did she really think of the Labyrinth THAT much?
"Is it a nice place?" Toby demanded, following his sister back into the lounge. The TV was dead also. Strange that the lights weren't.
"It's-" She thought of a pair of mocking blue-grey eyes. WAS it a nice place? Thinking of a man she'd destroyed, but COULDN'T stop thinking about. "Let me think on that one" Sarah sighed, looking around her. "At least we have the lights"
A moment later, the lights went dead. They stood there, uncertainly. "You had to say it, didn't you sis" Toby grouched, flopping blindly onto the couch. It was almost too dark to see, but it was Sarah's house, so she knew where everything was anyway. She carefully avoided the coffee table and sat down next to Toby on the couch.
"Say what?" She demanded irritably.
"You know" Toby said with exasperation. "At least we have the lights? You were ASKING for it. Every time you say something like that, it goes and happens"
Sarah stared at Toby's barely visible form in the gloom of the lounge room. "Huh" She said in astonishment. "You really ARE like me"
*And that wasn't exactly a complement, according to Karen* Sarah thought darkly. *It's a downright insult to my StepMother, thinking that way!*
"That's what Mom says" Toby went on, oblivious to Sarah's private thoughts. "She say's I'm more like you everyday"
"Well" Sarah ground out. "At least she trusted me with you"
"She didn't have a choice," Toby said cheerfully. "I was there when she almost called everyone she knew in her little phone book. Then she sent the letter, so you couldn't say no. I wanted to come anyway"
"What a delightful Step-Mother my dad gave me" Sarah said sarcastically. Toby didn't pick up on it.
"You and Mom are really getting along better. She said you used to be a real handful. Head in the clouds-"
"Yes" Sarah, said quickly. "Thank you Freud!"
"What?" Toby said, confused. Sarah grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet.
"You go get your jacket and I'll find my wallet" Sarah whispered, trying to feel where the wall was. Toby fished around in his pocket, coming out with a small flashlight. He switched it on, illuminating his face.
"I can find my jacket with this, right?"
"Yeah, it's on my bed" Sarah murmured, heading away from him and back into the kitchen. "Hurry up, we're eating out!"
"Great!" Toby shouted, rushing for the stairs. Sarah rolled her eyes as she head him thumping upstairs. She finally found her key's, by feeling along the wall next to the phone. They were usually on a hook there. As she was turning away from the kitchen bench, the whispering began again. This time, it wasn't in the phone. Sarah froze, visions filling her head. Was there an intruder in the house? She hadn't thought of that before and the Pizza guy had said he hadn't heard anything down his end. Then the power had gone out.
"Toby!" Sarah shouted, running blindly towards the front foyer. There was no response. She felt fear fill her. Sarah stumbled up the stairs, hoping she didn't tumble back down and break her neck. She made her way along the hall towards her bedroom. A breeze stirred through her hair and she stopped dead, looking down at her feet. All along the hall, coming from her room was a ghostly white fog. It was no higher than her knee's, but glowing more steadily brighter by the minute. "Toby?" Sarah whispered, unnerved. She walked slower towards the bedroom, feeling a deja vu. This had happened one before. She moving around in the dark, the power off, calling for Toby.
"Toby?" She tried again. She reached the door to her bedroom and saw it was slightly ajar. She stretched out shaky fingers and pushed the door open lightly. It made no sound as it flew open. A billow of glowing fog emerged, covering her completely for a moment. She felt suffocated. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief as it dispersed, then caught her breath in shock. The wall was glowing! No, not the wall, she realized. Her painting.
"Oh no" Sarah breathed, disbelievingly. She moved into the room, eyes on the picture. She couldn't see anything else anyway. Practically everything in the room was obscured by the fog. Her furniture merely shadows. It was scary, she admitted. Her brown eyes focused on the painting. Sarah moved closer. It was glowing, the Labyrinth, the castle, the Gobl-She gasped again, a hand coming to her throat. The picture of the Goblin King was gone! He wasn't there at all, though the rest of the painting was. The fog blew in front of her face. Sarah bit her lip, trying not to cry out, as her vision was totally obscured. Her skin crawled and then she felt something touch her hair. It was a light touch, gentle. Sarah shivered, spinning around. Soft material brushed her cheek lightly before whatever had touched her withdrew into the glowing fog.
"Who's there?" Sarah demanded boldly. There was no answer. She backed against the wall next to the painting, seeing it's glowing lines from the corner of her eye. Even the glowing was in detail and color. The hedges greed, the castle grey, the walls in different tones of earth color and the sky a brilliant red-orange. "Please" She whispered, feeling fear, but determined not to show it.
"Please what?" A thousand voices whispered from about her. Sarah clutched at the wall behind her frantically, trying to find a purchase in the smooth paint. She didn't want this! She wanted Toby and to get out. She could feel that her eyes were too wide as she stared blindly into the glowing white cloud around her. Nothing was clear in the room. Nothing but obscure shadows.
"Sarahhhhhhh" The whispers said, caressingly.
"Go away!" Sarah shouted, straightening. She kept her back against the wall, edging towards where the door was. She passed the painting, careful not to touch its surface. But when she got to where the door should have been, it was not there. There was only smooth wall. "No, no" Sarah murmured despairingly. This was not happening!
"Are you dreaming?" A voice said from right in front of her. Sarah stiffened, as a form became distinct. The shadow of a tall person. That much she could see.
"Dreaming?" Sarah questioned, stalling. Her hands sought the door again, but could find nothing. She edged away from the shadow, back towards the painting. The shadow followed her, as if the person could see perfectly well in the obscured room.
"Does this seem like a dream to you, Sarah?" The voice mocked lightly. Sarah frowned. The voice was too low for her to pick out much. She could tell it was a man though. And he knew her name.
"This isn't real. It isn't happening" Sarah said defiantly. She ducked under the painting, keeping close to the wall. As she was about to reach the other side of the broad painting, something slammed into the wall near her bent head. She gasped, straightening. The shadow came at her, backing her into the painting. A face appeared from the rolling clouds, as familiar to Sarah as her own. She'd seen it in her dreams every night.
"Still the skeptic I see" The Goblin King said quietly, quiet sarcasm in the tones. Sarah backed as far as she could from him. He moved closer, setting a gloved hand on either side of the painting frame, boxing her in with his body. Jareth moved closer, until she could feel the heat from his body. Enough to know he was real. His face was so close too. Too close for her liking. Sarah's breath came out in little gasps. She was alone in the room with the Goblin King centimeters from her. With the clouds around them, it was like they were all alone in the world. "Sarah, Sarah. You should know by now that you cannot defy me" Jareth taunted her.
Sarah looked to the side, trying to figure out how to escape him. He was so close! She didn't know if she could duck under his arms. As if reading her mind, Jareth suddenly moved, pinning her to the wall with his body. Sarah gasped at the contact. She could feel every inch of him, from her knees to her chest. The Goblin King breathed in, his breath warming her ear and stirring her hair. She was thrilled and yet unnerved, her body screaming at her. She didn't know whether to faint in shock of melt with delight. So she did neither. Sarah gathered her wits and pushed out viciously with her hands, thrusting against his shoulders. The Goblin King was taken by surprise, reeling back a step.
"Get away from me!" She spat at him, panting. She despised the way he'd made her feel. It'd had been like an electric shock along the whole of her body. Like nothing she'd ever felt before. It excited and scared her at the same time. Why hadn't he had this affect on her before?!
"Still defying me" Jareth sighed, becoming indistinct. His voice became hollower and she knew he was fading away. "Still denying yourself. So cruel still, Sarah"
His shadow disappeared entirely. Sarah leaned against the wall, mouth open. She would think it was a dream still, but for the fog all around her. She turned her head, looking at the painting. It was so close to her eyes, the colors blurring. As she watched, something appeared at the gates of the Labyrinth, where she had painted The Goblin King. Sarah eyes widened as she recognized Hoggle and Toby. The Dwarf was leading her little Brother inside the Gates!
"No! Hoggle, what are you doing?" She cried out. The figures hesitated for a moment, as if hearing her. Then the two figures went inside the Gates, which closed behind them with an audible clang. "NO!" Sarah shouted in anger and fear. She banged her fist against the wall with rage. "Jareth! How dare you do this to me again!"
"I-I can't live within you" A voice whispered sadly. It came from all around her. Sarah's eyes widened. She thought she'd been left alone. "Within you..." The voice sang again, trailing off into nothing.
Sarah turned back to the painting, glaring at its familiar lines. "I'm coming Toby!" She shouted, smashing a fist at the painting. She wasn't thinking, she just wanted to destroy it! "Arrgghhhhhhh!" Sarah shrieked as her hand passed through the painting. She was off-balance and moments later, the rest of her body followed. She shrieked as she fell, landing with a painful thud. Her eyes opened, focusing hazily on a black-booted foot. She followed it up to grey tights, a black vest and white shirt. Sarah's eyes traced out the crescent Moon pendant resting against his bare chest, reluctantly to go any further.
"I see that you are as impetuous as you always were" Jareth said scathingly. "You really thought you could destroy the painting?"
"I don't know" Sarah mumbled, feeling as if she were in a nightmare. Her eyes stayed glued to his chest, until it moved closer. Sarah's eyes jerked up as she felt a hand under her chin, the smooth warmth of his fingers through the glove. The Goblin King's eyes locked on hers seeking something in the brown depths. He stared into her eyes for what seemed an eternity, then released her and stepped back. A mocking smile spread over his mouth.
"You haven't changed," He said wonderingly. "Not a bit"
"Did you expect me too?" She raged, glaring. The Goblin's King's eyes flashed with some hidden emotion for a moment, then it was gone.
"It will help you, if nothing else" Jareth said mildly, watching her with the intensity of a wolf with his prey. It made Sarah's skin crawl. Something she sensed too, under the surface of his usual mocking, scornful self. A hunger. Sarah's eyes widened as she looked into his eyes, seeking the truth. His smile widened, head cocking slightly to the side as he assessed her.
"Why am I here?" Sarah demanded, crossing her arms. Jareth's smile faded, a cynical twist to his lips.
"We have unfinished business, you and I" The Goblin King began to circle her. Sarah raised her chin, refusing to follow him. She stared blankly at the Gates to the Labyrinth far down the hill. This was where she had started the last time.
"Is that why you took Toby?"
"Toby is mine" Jareth said curtly. "He always was. Right from the moment, you wished him away"
"What?" Sarah shouted furiously, eyes blazing. She spun around to face Jareth, who had stopped behind her. Her nose bashed into his chest. Immediately, her body leapt, her heart thundering. Sarah stepped back; shocked at the feelings such a brief contact had wrought in the body. Jareth smiled briefly, a strange secret smile as he stared down at her.
"I won't lie to you. This time, Toby stays with me. But you have a choice, Sarah" He murmured. Before she could burst out, he swept on, a deep furious look in his eyes. "I give you thirteen hours to find your way out of my Labyrinth to the Castle. If you win, I let you go back to your own world and you will never hear from me again"
"And if I loose?" She said, white-lipped. She'd get Toby, back. Somehow.
"If you loose, my dear Sarah" Jareth said, eyes locking on hers. "You are mine"
"What?" She stammered, mouth gaping. Had he just said what she thought he'd said?!
"You're mine" Jareth repeated, stepping closer. His chest brushed hers and she had to tilt her head back to look into his face. So close to hers. "To do with as I wish. For all eternity. There is not time here, Sarah"
"No deal!" She spat incredulously. "I'll get Toby back too"
"Don't defy me, Sarah" He warned her. Before she could blink, the Goblin King leaned his head down and kissed her. His lips burned into hers. Sarah's body came alive. Every nerve-end tingling with excitement. Then, before she could blink or slap him, he disappeared.
"Jareth!" She screamed after him. Then, knowing he could see her, she wiped her lips off on her jacket arm deliberately. "Don't you touch me again, you bastard! I loath you!" She shouted, her voice echoing around the hilltop. The Goblin King's laugh followed her ghostly as she ran down the hill towards the Labyrinth. The sooner she got out of there, the better! She'd rescue Toby and then...She'd try desperately to forget that the Goblin King had actually kissed her!

"Okay" Sarah groaned, hauling herself upwards with difficulty. Every muscle screamed with pain. Her fingers were killing her also. The rose she was clinging to was made of the coarsest material imaginable. Fraying at the edges and filthy too! If there were a dirtier, hand-burning rope in the whole of the Labyrinth, she'd like to see it. Sarah paused, staring upwards. "If I could picture myself, doing anything else on a Monday after, it wasn't this"
Sarah was halfway up a large wall, the fireys down below. Okay, so Hoggle had pulled her up the first time. Maybe that was why she didn't remember the wall being quite so high. She started up again, locking her ankles together over the rope. "Almost there" She groaned, reaching up a dirty hand to the top blocks of grey stone. They were covered with moss. Horrible, slimy moss. Sarah almost let go, making a face. She was two hours into the Labyrinth and the only thing that kept her going was the fact that she was dying to show the Goblin King just what she was made of. HIS indeed! There was no WHAY that man was getting his hands on her...Again. "One kiss. Just one kiss, that's all he's EVER going to get" She muttered, hauling herself over the stones. She almost slipped back down, but managed to roll over the top. Sarah fell with a thump, landing in something soft. It slithered over the tops of her thigh's and under her skirt. Into her boots and under her elbow. Worse yet, she could feel it crawling into her hair!
"Argghhhh! Mud!" She shrieked, scrambling up with difficulty. Sarah stared down at herself and groaned. She was filthily! Way more than the rope had been. Her once red knee-length skirt was almost black with mud and water. She didn't even WANT to look at her white blouse. She knew it was clinging to her like a second skin. Her legs and the backs of her arms were caked in the disgusting stuff and her hair...It was already drying into chunks. She groaned again, bending over to grab chunks of mud from her boots. She flung the excess off to the side. A warm laugh rang out. Sarah froze, lifting her head to see nothing. She frowned, looking behind her. The Goblin King was there, leaning against a pillar, covered in vines and moss. He was wearing a rich red velvet jacket, with a black shirt and black tights. Complete with his black boots, he looked more handsome than ever.
Sarah swallowed. She'd always had a thing for men in black. Maybe the Goblin King knew that! She hastily wiped her hands on her already dirty skirt in an effort to get the mud from her hands before it caked. "What are you doing here?" She said, annoyed, "Go away and bother someone else"
"And miss out on the lovely view?" He taunted. Sarah stared at him, perplexed for a moment. Then her face darkened. Jareth had appeared behind her, just as she had bent over to clean her boots. The Goblin King knew she'd followed his thoughts in the right direction and gave her a wicked smile. Sarah flushed, crossing her arms defensively.
"You're down to 10 hours and 40 minutes Sarah" He murmured, straightening. Sarah tried not to flinch as the Goblin King walked towards her, bending in close as he passed. "Could it be that this is too much for you? Hmm? You aren't the little spitfire that went through my labyrinth the first time"
"How would you know?" Sarah said sarcastically. "You've been an owl for the last 8 years!"
Jareth shook his head at her, smiling in genuine amusement. "If it suited you to think so, then you would" He said, eyes openly mocking her. He walked around her, studying her close. "Did you truly think you had destroyed me? I've spent 8 years watching you, waiting for the perfect chance. And then you, yourself gave it to me"
"Gave what to you?" She asked warily, turning to face him. The Goblin King stood slightly to her left, a gloved hand to his chin as if in deep thought. His eyes swept over her form, somehow making her feel completely naked under his searing gaze, even as caked with mud as she was. Sarah's hands came up to rest on her hips haughtily. "Well?"
"Hmm?" Jareth murmured, eyes half-closed and sleepy-looking. He gave her a wicked look that made her blink with astonishment, wondering what had prompted it. "I was again...Distracted, I'm afraid"
Sarah looked down at herself, seeking the object of his distraction. Her eyes fell on her wet, white shirt. Sarah flushed wildly, arms flying up to cover her chest. The shirt had been practically see-through! "Oooh, I hate you!" She yelled at him, knowing her cheeks were burning.
"I doubt that very much" Jareth said coolly, all hint of the smile gone from his face. His eyes were no longer lazy, but filled with malice. "You have 10 hours 20" With that, he disappeared.
Sarah swore, glaring around. The bastard had stalled her again! She'd lost twenty minutes sparing with the Goblin King. Sarah looked around, then headed to the right. Last time, Hoggle and she had fallen down a shaft to the Bog. This time, it didn't seem an option.
After several minutes, the hot sun beating down on her head had dried all the mud. She walked stiffly, aware that she must look like the monster from the black lagoon. "Kill the Goblin King" Sarah muttered, shivering despite the heat. Her arms were still around her protectively, though her top was dry and no longer an object of Jareth's attention. She shied away from any other explanation. The rules were entirely new this time, she was fully aware. She was no longer a teenager, but a woman. And Jareth was definitely ALL man. That his game this time included her as a prize, had Sarah in firm belief that the Goblin King intended to win this time, no matter what.
"I'd kill for a bath. Do absolutely anything" Sarah groaned, scratching at her shoulder under the shirt. The mud was as itchy as any mud on Earth. And who knew what was crawling around inside the mud! She swore she could feel bugs crawling around under her clothes. "My Kingdom for a bath" She joked. Sarah pushed past a group of hanging vines, stumbling over a threshold of some kind. She looked down, surprised to see smooth grey stones. They'd been polished too. She looked up, eyes widening at the sight before her. Inside the enclosure of vines was a room of sorts. The top was open to the sun and the sky, but inside was completely surrounded by vines. In the middle of the clearing was a large...Lake? Sarah blinked at it.
*This is too much of a coincidence* She thought dryly, staring at the clear water. There were smooth grey steps leading down into the...Lake. She was stumped for another word. It looked like a bath, but she could see the other side, WAY over the other side of the clearing. "Okay. A bath the size of a Lake. If it IS a bath" She stared at it doubtfully, moving closer. "A duck pond maybe?"
Whatever it was, it was tempting her unbelievably! Her skin was itching horribly and she was just so filthy! Sarah looked around warily, then peered into the water to see if there were any creatures swimming in it. As far as she could determine, it was all clear. She could spare a minute or two. Sarah walked down the first three steps to where the water lapped against the smooth step. There, she knelt down, taking her boots off. Sarah stuck her feet in cautiously, sighing with relief and delight at the warmish temperature of the water. It was unusual, but not unwelcome. Next, she leaned over to wash the mud from her long legs and arms. She splashed water up onto her chest, scrubbing under her shirt and around her bra. Sarah didn't clean past knee's, knowing she'd have to pull up her skirt and she was POSSITIVE the Goblin King was watching. He always watched her; she could feel it like a burning wave of heat. Her skin tingled when she sensed him.
Sarah sat down on the edge, dangling her feet into the water. As she stared at the depths, the water she'd muddied became crystal clear again. "Wow" Sarah murmured. Water that cleaned itself. Good enough to drink. Cautiously, she dipped her hand into the water and brought it up to her mouth. She took a sip. It tasted wonderful. Perfect. Sarah was suddenly ravenous for water. She scrambled around, so that her face was above the water and scooped handfuls of the liquid into her mouth. When she realized what she saw doing, she jumped up with a gasp. "That can't be a natural lake!" She breathed, watching how the water moved peacefully. Sarah backed off, wiping the water from her chin. She felt calm and sort of tired. But that was to be expected, considering the circumstances.
She turned to leave back the way she had come and saw something half-covered by vines and moss. Sarah frowned, walking over to take a look. It was sign, almost turned grey with age. Some of the words were visible. "Pool of content" She read out. "Sounds good so far" Sarah cleared away the rest of the vines, pulling the tough branches back with difficulty. She saw that the rest of the words were not a sign, but a poem of sorts.
"Pool of content, this is not,
But a pool of darkest dreams,
Remember weary traveler,
Nothing is what it seems.
"Oh my god" Sarah whispered, falling back. She ran out through the cloak of vines back into the Labyrinth, breathing hard. *Darkest dreams?* She thought, still running. There were tree's up ahead. Lots of them. A forest then. They looked dark and twisting, blocking out the sunlight, but Sarah didn't care. Her mind was still on the poem. Sarah almost threw herself into the forest, crashing into the base of a huge twisting tree. She rested her head against it, achingly tired and scared. This was nothing like the first time she'd been in the Labyrinth. There had been Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus...The Fairies! But now, this time, there was no one at all. No one but Jareth. And he scared her the most. He wanted something from her that she didn't understand. Why wait for 8 years for revenge? And what had he meant about HER giving him the perfect chance?
*The painting, it must have been the painting* Sarah mused tiredly, staggering away from the tree. She walked further into the forest, ignoring the lack of sound. It just didn't register with her. She was just so...Tired. Bone-weary in fact. Her eyes glazed over as she looked around. Where was she anyway? What was she doing there? There was something about woods too, that she should be remembering. Something about Fairies. Bad fairies?
"Mmm, fairies. Or was it Dwarf?" Sarah recalled the first time in the Labyrinth. The fairy had bitten her. "But it was so sweet" She murmured, falling against a tree and sliding down it's length. She half-sat and half-lay against the great trunk of the tree, eyes staring at nothing. Movement caught her attention briefly, from the corner of her eye. She looked that way and saw a small creature, not taller than her waist. Sarah couldn't quite make it out. There were a lot of them too. Her eyes drifted shut, mind wandering. She didn't see the creatures moving in swiftly, claws outstretched for her flesh. Just before the first Dark Elf could reach her, Sarah faded away.

She was lying on her stomach, cool air on her back. She knew she was covered from the waist down, but it didn't bother her to be half-naked. Sarah sighed, rubbing her cheek on the smooth covers. Her eyes opened lazily to see that she was lying on a huge canopied bed, the sheets a silken black. Even the soft pillows were covered in silk, though they in a deep red. Like blood. Candles burnt in the room, all along the available surfaces. A fireplace burnt in the corner, more massive than she'd ever seen one. Sarah blinked sleepily, not wanting to move and see what was in the rest of the room behind her. She moved against the sheets, liking the feel against her skin.
"You like that?" A voice inquired silkily into her ear. The warm breath stirred her hair. Sarah shot up onto her elbows, and then back down just as fast as she remembered she was naked from the waist up. She craned her neck around, mildly horrified to find Jareth on the bed behind her. He was leaning against the headboard, in his red velvet coat and black clothes, holding a silver Goblet. Somehow, Sarah knew it was red wine in the goblet. The Goblin King watched her narrowly over the rim as he took a sip.
"What am I doing here?" Sarah stammered, confused and embarrassed. She knew she couldn't moved and tried to yank the sheets up past her waist. The Goblin King's long legs were resting on top of the sheets near her hip, preventing her from pulling the black sheets up any further.
Jareth gave her a lazy smile, eyes burning a strange deep blue. Compelling. Sarah found it hard to look away from him, mesmerized. "This is your dream, Sarah. A dark dream. Remember, you drank from the Lake"
"A dark dream?" She whispered, not understanding. This was HER dream? To be in this room, with this man, half-naked?
"It's called the Lake of Desires" Jareth went on smoothly, eyes freezing her to the spot. She could see it all in his eyes. A deep hunger, a darkness. Revealed to her for the first time. She had a feeling that this was what was always hidden beneath Jareth's surface. Beneath the sardonic, amused facade. Sometimes, she'd glimpsed it when he mocked her. But this...It frightened her.
*A dark dream he said* His last words connected in her mind. *Dark desires?!*
"I don't dream of you" She spat, trying to face him more and keep her modesty at the same time. She was extremely aware of how vulnerable she was at that moment. Completely at his mercy in...His room?
"Oh really?" The Goblin King said with patient disbelief. He glanced around the room, gesturing with his spare hand. Sarah followed his hand, noticing that even his gloves were black. In a soft leather. "I think you continue to lie to yourself, Sarah. From this, I see you are much darker inside than you thought. A kindred spirit in hiding, perhaps" He said softly, a wicked undertone in his voice that made Sarah shiver.
"I'm not dark inside. I'm good" Sarah protested, glaring at the Goblin King. Jareth deliberately set the Goblet down on a table to the side carefully. He swung his legs up onto the bed, turning until he was facing her. He raised one leg near her hip, resting a gloved arm upon it casually. It was with an unconscious grace. He'd moved with all the stealth and grace of a stalking panther. And Sarah was his prey. He was so close that Sarah felt the warm from his leg through the sheets over her thigh. She twisted her face as much as she could to keep a wary eye on him, her long dark hair maintaining her modesty.
"How you defy me, Sarah" He murmured in a low tone. Slowly, almost lazily, he reached out with his other hand. Sarah flinched as it neared her back. He smiled wickedly, eyes darkening. She watched with fascination as his gloved hand touched the center of her back, trailing gently down towards her hip. She shivered at his touch, which seemed to burn into her like fire. Jareth's soft leather gloves trailed down until he touched the silk sheet covering her from the waist down. Sarah's eyes blazed furiously as he hesitated.
"Don't you DARE, Jareth!" She hissed in alarm and excitement. She couldn't believe this was happening! Was this really her darkest dreams and desires coming out? She DID NOT feel this way for the Goblin King. And she absolutely did NOT dream of him doing this to her!
"A dare" He murmured, hands curling into the silk cover. Sarah's eyes widened in fear.
"Jareth!" She shouted, twisting around as he wrenched the covers down. She flung herself at him, knocking them both backward. The Goblin King hissed in surprise as he fell backwards with her on top. Sarah ignored how her body responded to being plastered to the Goblin Kings. Her nose was buried in his bare chest above the shirt. She groaned, clinging to him to hide her nakedness. She realized something at the same time as Jareth turned his head to look down at her. He'd fallen off of her sheets! Sarah grabbed it frantically, scrambling from on top of him and wrapping herself before he could get an eyeful. She wasn't entirely sure he HADN'T, but his face was amused when she looked up at him, kneeling above him.
"You like to play games, Sarah?" He questioned, crossing his arms behind his head and resting back against the covers. She glared at him from above, tying a knot firmly in the sheets above her breasts. Nothing short of a knife could get the sheet off of her now! Sarah shook the tiredness from her head, glancing around. She couldn't see a clock. Sarah bet over Jareth, placing a hand on his chest threatening. She glared down into his eyes, moving her face in close to his, so that they're eyes were close.
"Just how long has this little dream' gone for, Jareth?" She asked warningly. Ready to strangle him if he tried anything.
"Hmm" The Goblin King said, thinking. His eyes glittered into hers, making her realize just how CLOSE they were. And she only covered by a sheet! Sarah started to pull back when his hands shout out, grasping her firmly around the hips and keeping her there. "About 3 hours. You slept for quiet a while. I enjoyed watching you sleep"
"3 HOURS?" She shouted at him, hands going for his neck. Somehow, she ended up grabbing his crescent Moon pendant in both hands. There was a blaze of light, which blinded her and a warmth spilled through her whole body. It was an indescribably sensation. Sarah was almost comatose. She only felt and barely noticed when Jareth drew her down to him, rolling over with her underneath. She was pinned to the bed beneath him; hands still clutched to the pendant. She saw things in the past. Visions that were gone so fast, she barely grasped them. Overall was a great sense of agelessness. Jareth was older than she could ever imagine. Had lived hundreds of lifetimes. And she could sense him, like a live wire. Feel his hunger, his need for her. Their souls clashed for a moment, leaving her gasping. Love. Hate. Despair. Desire. Deep hunger. Loneliness.
An electrical feeling spread slowly through her body, consuming her. She tried to focus on the source of the feeling. Sarah felt warm consumed and-Her eyes opened, focusing dazedly on the dark-blue eyes so close to hers that she could see the silver flecks within them. Then she felt his lips, on hers. Sarah felt a thrill go through her body, excitement and fear. Jareth was kissing her, deeply. It was the source of the feeling. The second thing she noticed was that she was crushed beneath him, his hands tangled into her hair. Her own hands were still holding the pendant. She tried to let go and found that she couldn't. The feeling were still spilling over and into her and she was utterly helpless. Almost. Summoning strength from somewhere, Sarah managed to take one hand from the pendant and push up violently. Their lips broke away from each other, Jareth falling back some. Sarah frowned, head clearing more as the Goblin King's presence was taken from her.
She pushed again, this time, harder. Jareth fell back and she scrambled out from under him, tumbling off the bed. He rolled to his feet, towering over her, eyes blazing with furious emotions. Sarah took a deep breath, scared. She was afraid of what had happened. What she had felt. What he had MADE her feel! She scrambled up, backing away from him. Sarah's chest was heaving with built-up emotion. Her eyes filled as her back hit the wall. Jareth stalked her carefully, eyes burning with hunger and some other emotion.
"This is your dream, Sarah" He told her mockingly, stopping a foot away. She lifted her head to lock eyes with his. "Your desire. Do you understand?"
Sarah blinked dazedly at him, her head like wool. She couldn't THINK with him this close! And how was she ever going to look at him the same after this? What had he said? *Your dream, your desire* Had she really wanted this...Wanted him? All these years-
*You're in control. Do you understand?* His words echoed through her head. She looked up at him, eyes shimmering with tears. The expression in his own eyes was tortured. Hunger warring with a deep sadness and regret. Vaguely, she knew he was trying to tell her something. Jareth wavered, then swooped in like an eagle. Sarah bashed against the wall, panicked at the look in his eyes. Like he could eat her alive!
"I want out, now!" She screamed, covering her eyes with her arms. There was a long silence. Someone let out a long silent breath, warm air over her face.
*Well done, Sarah* Someone whispered in her head.
Sarah felt cool air and opened her eyes. She was no longer in the bedroom. Or even in the forest. She looked down at herself incredulously. "I'm dressed!" She gasped, looking at her clean clothes. There was no sight of mud or any filth on her clothes at all. Sarah looked around, seeing she was surrounded by junk.
"Just like when I came out of the bubble dream, the last time" She recalled. Then the Castle was close! But how much time did she have left? Sarah started slowly through the junk, half-looking for a way out. Her mind was on Jareth. The way he had looked at her, the way he had held her, the way he'd kissed her. And she'd wanted it. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, she could finally admit. But that changed nothing! She would have Toby back and say the words. Sarah's steps faltered. Could she say the words? Could she really? She suddenly realized that she was clutching something in her right hand. Sarah raised the hand slowly, seeing the long silver chain dangling from the clenched fingers. She opened them, looking silently at the Crescent Moon pendant.
"So" She said softly, touching the pendant with a gentle finger. "It wasn't a dream"
It had been real. It had really been Jareth that she'd kissed. Probably his room they'd been in. And now she had his pendant. "The key to the Kingdom" She said out loud. The Goblin King always wore it. What she had seen when she touched it had been powerful. This pendant had power. Sarah had seen into his mind. His soul. For a moment, it was like...They're souls had met and melded together. Sarah hesitantly slipped the pendant around her neck, only half-aware of what she was doing. It fell into the space between her breasts, resting against the curves under her shirt. She glanced up to see she had reached the gates to the City. To Sarah's surprise, the Gates were wide open. She walked through the silent city, unnerved. Sure, she hadn't seen any creatures till then, but where were the Goblins?
It was eerie. Sarah glanced up to see that the sky was darkening, clouds rolling in. She'd never seen a storm in the Labyrinth before. Jareth was obviously causing it! She turned her head, looking off towards the Castle far ahead. A great rolling bank of glowing white fog was heading towards her at a tremendous speed. Sarah gasped as it hit her...Then divided down the middle and went around her. It closed in all around, obscuring everything.
"Not again!" She whispered, walking forward uncertainly. She would get lost in here and the Goblin King knew it! "You won't win, Jareth! You can't have me!"
"I already had you, Sarah. But you got away" Jareth said from somewhere around her. His words were cool. "You ran like a startled dear. Unable even to face your true self or desires"
"It was a nightmare!" She shouted, trying to see where he was. Sarah was suddenly infuriated. "I know what I want and desire and it's not you!"
"That's not what your body said...Nor your mind in your dream" He murmured from right behind her. Sarah whirled, once again slamming into his warm chest. She stepped back, running into the fog to try and loose him. He was lying! They'd kissed, that was all. It was a trick, a dream. She didn't want him!
"Don't run from me, Sarah" Jareth came out of the fog in front of her. Sarah stopped just short of him and whirled around to run again. Jareth reached out swiftly and grabbed her arms, pinning them to her side, spinning her around to face him. "Time is almost up"
"It's not fair!" She raged at him, struggling to get her arms free. "You tricked me! Let me go"
The Goblin King stared down at her silently for a long moment, eyes indefinable. "Then we will see this to the end" He murmured, gently kissing her forehead and vanishing. Sarah gasped, stumbling without his support.
"Fine!" She yelled, charging in the general direction of the Castle. Surprisingly, she found it after about half an hour. Sarah stumbled over the Castle's threshold. She went along the familiar corridors till she reached the Castle. It seemed as if she'd been in this place forever.
"Toby?" She called, staring around. The throne room was completely empty. She turned her face towards the stairs to the Escher room and knew that was where Jareth was waiting. Somehow she knew it with certainty. Sarah hesitated, then walked up the stairs. The Escher Room was just as she had remembered it and just as dizzying! She gasped, backing against a wall...or was it a roof? After a moment or two of fear, she mastered it enough to step away from the wall. There were stairs going down and she followed them. The another and another until she was deep inside the maze, but could still feel Jareth's presence...Somewhere. Sarah was staring over the edge of a broad ledge when she felt his presence nearby. Before she could turn, arms slid around her waist, pulling her back. She froze, eyes on the long drop down and knowing only Jareth's strong arms were keeping her from falling. He could throw her over though-
"But what a waste" He said silkily in her ear. His breath whispered over her cheek and then she felt his lips. They burnt a trail of fire down her cheek to her ear. Sarah's eyes glazed over. If it weren't for him holding her, she probably would have tumbled over the edge boneslessly. He had that affect on her. "Jareth" She managed, half a protest, half a plee. She felt him smile against her neck, and then he was kissing her skin down to her shoulder.
"We've come full circle" Jareth murmured. "Haven't we, Sarah?" His hand slipped smoothly from her waist, over her shirt to the Crescent Moon Pendant dangling between her breasts. Sarah drew in a breath, startled as he picked it up, fingers grazing the side of her breast. "But oh so differently from the last time"
"I grew up" Sarah managed, almost breathlessly. She glanced down again, seeing how dizzying high she was and twisted within Jareth's arms. She flung her arms around his waist, clinging. She wanted to move back from the edge, but the Goblin King wasn't moving and he was the only solid thing to hold onto...Even if he WAS the enemy.
"Did you really?" Jareth whispered, stroking her hair. His fingers tangled in the long length, gently tugging until her head tilted back. The Goblin King looked deeply into her eyes, mesmerizing. "You're older, I know what beats inside of you. I've seen your dark side" He sighed. "But did you grow up at all?"
"Why do you care?" She demanded. She gritted her teeth. "Can we please move back from the edge"
"I won't let you fall, Sarah," He said expressionlessly. She glared at him. Sarah hated heights! And she was sure he knew it. He'd seen into her soul for a moment. "You know, this isn't just an Escher Room, Sarah. They called this the Labyrinth of Dreams long ago. The Labyrinth inside the Labyrinth"
"Dreams?" She said, eyes darkening. She stared up at Jareth and watched as his eyes darkened also, remembering.
"You don't understand. You never did" The Goblin King said, a strange expression in his eyes. "You're such a child still"
"Compared to you, then yes" She snapped, Irritated, but still clinging to him. "You've led a hundred lifetimes, I saw them"
"So you did" He murmured, leaning his head down until their foreheads touched. Sarah was wide-eyed, not knowing what to make of the Goblin King. He was so different from the last time she saw him...Or, was it she who was seeing him differently. "You saw into my soul" His eyes opened, staring right into hers with a dark hunger. "And I saw into yours, Sarah"
She jerked her face away, but Jareth moved swiftly. His hands tightened, one hand coming up to tangle in her hair again and hold her face their. "I saw your desires. I was there" He kissed her swiftly, leaving her breathless. Reluctantly he pulled back. "I was one of them"
"No" She mouthed, twisting in his embrace. She was utterly trapped, she realized. By him, by this place...By her heart.
*How you turn my world,
You precious thing...*
She blinked as the words came back to her. She was standing stone still in his arms, lost in the past and he let her.
*I-I can't live within you*
They were dancing close. So close that she could feel his heart beating next to hers. Sarah looked up, meeting Jareth's gaze. It burned into her with its intensity. Her heart was thundering in her ears. She was feeling an overwhelming sensation...
"No" Sarah said unconsciously. She never felt as Jareth transported them with a Crystal to his bedroom. She was blank-eyed as he sat her on her bed, standing over her. Jareth knelt at her feet, taking her cold hands in his.
"Sarah...Remember," He said quietly. The Pendant at her chest began to glow. Sarah was lost in her memories. She was seeing every encounter she and Jareth had had. The way even as he taunted and mocked her, his eyes had burnt with a hunger and longing. How he leaned into her, had to be near her. How she loved to taunt him back. She was cruel, but then, so was he. Sarah focused her eyes, seeing where Jareth was. Her eyes were full of tears and averted from his quickly. What an idiot she was! She'd been in love with the Goblin King for years and hadn't seen it! And now, he would win...Because there was no way she could say the words now. Not at all.
"You've won" She told him bitterly, taking her hands from his. The Goblin King stared down at her expressionlessly.
"Have I?" He questioned, eyes full of pain. He left her there, walking out of the room. Sarah watched him go, then burst into tears. After she'd cried herself out, she knew her hours were up, but just didn't care. She pulled her boots off and climbed into his bed, curling under the soft silk sheets. Something woke her, hours later. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Every candle in the room had been put out, the fireplace dead. Sarah was still. Then something stirred behind her; she stiffened as the covers shifted.
Sarah gasped as warm arms slid around her, scooping her up and turning her over. She fell against a warm bare chest, fingers splayed against it to keep herself from getting any closer. Her head was off the pillow, but the rest of her was plastered again a warm male body. She knew who's it was even before he spoke.
"Sarah, sleep" Jareth sighed into her neck, kissing the skin. She melted a little, the numb feeling falling away. "I won't...Touch you, if you don't want"
Sarah waited a moment, thinking hard. Then she relaxed, putting her head down on his shoulder. Jareth said, pulling her closer, so that she could feel every inch of his warm body. It felt wonderful and exciting to her, thrills of electricity racing through her body. She moved a hand on his bare chest, a strange feeling coming over her. She lifted her head blindly in the darkness and Jareth's lips captured hers in a burning kiss. It went on for quite some time, and then she had to pull back for air. Sarah nervously twisted her fingers into his hair, wetting her lips. "Jareth...I love you" She blurted into the darkness. Arms pulled her closer, tightening almost painfully.
"Finally" He breathed. "I love you too, Sarah. I just had to make you see it"
"I saw it," She said slowly, fingering the pendant around her throat. She rested her head under his chin. Her eyes were wide with thought. "That dream. Was it really MY dream? My desire?"
"Oh yes" Jareth said silkily. "I told you, you had a dark side my love. Which I'm dying to explore"
"Jareth" Sarah said, heart thundering in her ears. She reached up a finger to touch his mouth softly, feeling it curve into a wicked smile under her fingers "You're dangerous!"