New Life

By Cormak

NC-17

Summary: A customary horseback ride becomes more than Sarah bargained for when an adversary from the past returns with startling information

Special thanks to my wonderful beta and friend, Scattered Logic.

The sign at the end of the dirt and shell driveway read "Green Hill Stables." Beneath that read "Boarding and training. Horses for sale and Lease." Far off in the distance were the rolling green hills that the stable was named after.

Sarah sighed as she pulled into the driveway in her 1987 Chevy S 10 Pick-up. She loved coming here. She'd been coming since she was 15 when things had happened in her life that she would rather not remember. Riding and being around horses had been a quick escape from what she had nearly done to her baby brother and now the escape had become a love in her life.

A senior in college now, Sarah still enjoyed riding as much as she had when she started 5 years earlier. Although she didn't own a horse, Sarah had been given a free lease from an older woman named Myrtle. Myrtle loved her paint mare, Patches, to death but time and age sadly didn't allow Myrtle to ride Patches as much as she wanted to. Since the older woman didn't want to sell the mare but still wanted her to have exercise, she allowed Sarah to use Patches as a free lease. Sarah could ride the mare several times a week, which worked out well for everyone.

Sarah grimaced when she saw the dark clouds to the west. "It wasn't supposed to rain today," she said aloud to herself. She shrugged and parked the truck. There would be time for a quick ride through the countryside before she had to be home to do homework and watch Toby. If she was quick enough, she would miss the rain.

She greeted several horse owners as she made her way to Patches' stall. She peered in through the iron bars on the stall door and the brown and white paint mare gave a nicker. "Hey, girl. How you doin' today?" Sarah inquired with a smile.

Patches nodded her head a few times and gave a little whinny. She knew what Sarah was here for.

Sarah smiled at the mare's reaction and then went into the tack room to get Patches' saddle and bridle, as well as brushes and other supplies. She spent some time brushing any dust off the mare, combed her mane and tail until they were tangle-free and then picked all four hooves. Then she tacked up the mare, putting the saddle pad, English saddle and bridle on. Sarah rechecked the girth before opening the stall door to take Patches out. Sarah walked forward but Patches wasn't ready to leave. She firmly planted all four feet.

Sarah frowned until she knew what was wrong. Digging into her pocket, Sarah pulled out the customary sugar cube and fed it to the mare. Patches eagerly accepted it and then followed Sarah out of the stall.

Sarah mounted quickly and gave Patches a little nudge with her heels. Soon the two were off trotting and then galloping across the countryside.

The wind on Sarah's face felt wonderful and the sound of Patches' hooves hitting the earth was music to her ears. She galloped the mare through two fields and into the woods. Patches shied slightly at the sight of a squirrel rushing across the path and Sarah pulled the mare to a walk.

Patches bobbed her head, ears pricked forward and then to the left and right as she listened for anything that might jump out at her. She walked and then trotted nearly ignoring Sarah's physical commands. Her movements were nervous and Sarah wondered if it was because it was so dark in the woods. The dark clouds from the west had swallowed the sky up and, in the process had taken much of the light. Beneath the canopy of green leaves on the trees, it was even darker.

Sarah didn't allow Patches' nervous behavior to bother her. She knew the mare well and had complete control…or so she thought.

A large lightning flashed followed by thunder that cracked in the sky above them. Patches reared up unexpectedly, knocking Sarah from the saddle. Her foot got caught in the iron stirrup, which spooked the mare even worse and she bolted.

Sarah cried out, yelling "whoa" and "stop" and no" but the mare ran on. Sarah tried to get her foot untangled but each time she reached up to get it out, she would hit something with her body and she was knocked down again. Patches galloped on and when another thunder crashed above, she bolted in a different direction.

The change in direction caused Sarah's foot to come out of the stirrup but she never even realized that. She was knocked unconscious when her head contacted with the trunk of a downed oak tree. Sarah lay motionless with blood trickling down the side of her face as the sound of Patches hoof beats echoed in the distance.

A black gloved hand reached down and touched Sarah's face. The fingers stroked her cheeks and turned her head to see what damage had been done.

There was a large gash and the blood was no longer trickling, it was gushing. The hand slid under Sarah's back while another slid beneath her knees. Carefully, she was lifted into the arms of a figure clad in dark clothing that swirled around the figure's slim body.

Moments later, both disappeared.

Sarah groaned softly as she awakened. Her eyes fluttered open to be met by darkness. She shivered and drew her arms around herself. A dull ache throbbed in her body. She tried to remember what had happened and very slowly things came back to her. She had been riding Patches when the mare had spooked and she had fallen off, being dragged in the stirrup. She had hit her head on something and that was all she remembered.

Sarah reached to touch her head and was surprised that it wasn't hurting or bleeding. She'd hit it hard, hard enough to knock herself out cold. But all she felt was the dull ache throughout her body.

Her eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness and she realized upon further observation that she was in a large bed draped in linens of black and deep turquoise. The bed had a canopy with long black fabric that hung from it, obstructing her view of where ever she was.

She half wondered if she was dreaming and she was still lying unconscious in the woods somewhere. But she had never felt pain before in a dream, which meant that she had to be awake.

The sound of rustling fabric was heard and the canopy was moved aside. Sarah froze as she saw the hand that moved it was encased in smooth black leather.

The light of a candle brightened the bed and Sarah covered her eyes to hide from the light. Slowly, she took her hand away and her jaw dropped in surprise and fear.

"You…" she spat coldly.

The figure was bathed in the light of the candle it held in its other hand. Long blond hair shone in the orange light and mismatched eyes glittered. "Oh, now is that anyway to thank the one that saved your life?" the cool accented voice asked.

Sarah's jaw dropped. "What?"

Jareth, the Goblin King, stepped closer and Sarah got a better look at him.

"I saved your life, Sarah."

Sarah was so shocked that she didn't lash out at him, she merely reached to touch her head where a mark of some kind should have been.

"I healed your injuries," he told her. "And they were not a pleasant sight."

"Why did you heal me? Why the hell did you save me? What were you doing there in the woods to begin with? Were you spying on me?" The questions came forth in a steady stream.

Jareth laughed softly. "So many questions."

"Why did you heal me?" Sarah asked him.

Jareth tilted his head. "Because you were injured."

"But why would you heal me?" she asked again.

"I believe that I just answered that question." He reached down and brushed back some of Sarah's dark hair from her face. She winced and Jareth frowned openly. He pulled his hand back to his side and tilted his head up, looking at Sarah down the length of his nose. "If you have not received the answer you were looking for, perhaps you should rephrase the question."

Sarah felt like the room was spinning around her. "I'm dreaming right?"

"No," Jareth answered simply.

Sarah knew that she wasn't. She could still feel the dull pain. She sat up because she disliked looking up at Jareth from the flat of her back. "I haven't seen you since I was 15. Why did you choose now to re-enter my life? I was just starting to believe that you weren't real."

"And that is exactly why I am here now."

Sarah frowned. He was talking in riddles. "I don't understand."

Jareth raked his eyes approvingly over Sarah's form. "While maturity has done wonders for you, it's also slowly killing you and others."

The way that Jareth had looked her over made Sarah uncomfortable but because of it, she found herself noticing him. He was exactly the same as she remembered him. Tall and slender, long spiky blond hair, eyebrows that arched up at an odd angle, mismatched eyes, one a cool blue, the other a warm hazel. He wore a black cape with a tall, brown leather collar. His black poet's shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest exposing his pale flesh. And he wore extremely tight black breeches with knee-high black boots. She tore her wandering eyes from his pants and looked up. When she saw his slow smile, she looked away.

"The only person who's going to be killed is you if you don't send me home."

Jareth merely laughed. But it faded to nothingness quickly and he let out a weary sigh.

Sarah noticed and she carefully regarded him. He looked tired and worn. She had been wrong. He wasn't the same as he had been.

"Why did you bother saving me? I defeated you," she tried taunting him.

"And I should hate you bitterly because of that defeat?" he suggested. "You think rather highly of yourself. Do you think that I pined over you when you went home?"

Sarah looked away. "I'd rather you just send me home, right now."

"I can't do that."

She gazed at him, her eyes wide. "What?"

"Not until certain things happen."

"What certain things? Tell me what they are," Sarah demanded.

Jareth twirled his hand and a crystal sphere appeared on his fingertips. He ignored Sarah when she winced. "I will show you."

Sarah gazed cautiously into the crystal. What appeared was the Labyrinth, crumbling and dying. She gasped at the sight.

"No one believes in the Labyrinth anymore. Its walls crumble, its life withers and dies. If this continues, there will be nothing left of it."

"But that's not possible, what about your magic? Why don't you heal it?"

Jareth lowered the crystal and made it disappear. "I've tried and failed. While mortals believe this place is not real, it will continue to die."

Sarah frowned and she looked carefully at Jareth. There was a sadness in him that she had not noticed before. "And you'll die too, won't you?"

He nodded slowly.

The thought of Jareth and the Labyrinth dying was more than she could bear. She changed the subject just slightly. "But what does any of this have to do with me or my accident?"

Jareth's brows arched over his eyes. "Who do you think caused the accident?"

Sarah drew away. "You…"

He nodded. "It was never my intention to hurt you. I created the storm to spook the horse so that it would dump you in the woods and I could speak to you without interruption. You'd have nowhere to run and hide from me. You would have to listen. I did not anticipate your foot getting caught in the stirrup, nor did I anticipate you becoming hurt. They were miscalculations on my part and that is why I brought you here to heal."

Sarah didn't say anything for a moment. If she were younger she would have started screaming and yelling, but she was past that sort of behavior. She quietly absorbed everything Jareth had said. Finally, she spoke. "Why me?"

"Because you are the only one who still has some belief left within you."

"But what can I possibly do to fix the Labyrinth? I don't have any magic."

Jareth sat slowly on the edge of the bed. "Your belief fuels the Labyrinth. You've been trying to forget about it. You've tried to pretend it doesn't exist."

Sarah looked into his eyes finally understanding. "I'm killing it," she realized sadly.

"The disbelief of many is killing it. You are the only one who can heal it enough so that it can finish healing itself."

Sarah lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs. "What do I have to do?" she asked meekly. She looked up at him.

"You would have to stay here…with me," he added.

"Why with you?"

"Because I rule the Labyrinth. If we work together, it would respond quicker."

She shrugged nervously. The way that Jareth was staring at her was unnerving. "Well, believing is easy enough. I'm here with you and I see that you're real."

"Believing isn't enough." Jareth leaned forward and caressed Sarah's face gently with one hand.

She watched him carefully. He was implying something and she was afraid of what it was.

Jareth saw the understanding in her eyes. "I do not like the idea any more than you do."

Sarah's eyes widened…He was serious? He was expecting that they…they…She quickly looked away from him. She had dreamed of meeting Jareth again and this certainly had not been one of those scenarios.

She lifted her head and gave him a defiant look. "How do I know that you aren't lying to me? Hmm? How do I know this isn't some sort of sick revenge?"

Sarah didn't even have time to blink. She found herself and Jareth standing in a window in one of the towers of his castle. She gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

The Labyrinth was spread out before them and the damage she had seen in the crystal was even worse. Everything was wilting, dying or crumbling. A deathly silence filled the air and dark clouds covered the sky.

"What of my…friends?" she asked shakily.

"I do not know," he told her truthfully. "I have had no contact with them since your departure."

Sarah backed away from him and the horrible sight out the window. "I don't know if I can do this, Jareth. I…you…there's no love between us--"

Jareth silenced her when he moved forward and pressed his lips gently against hers. Sarah resisted at first, but slowly she felt herself melting into him. Jareth broke the kiss and stepped back.

"Love as you desire it does not exist here and now, but with common goals and common dreams it can be achieved."

"What do you know of my dreams?" Sarah shivered. Jareth's kiss had sent desire coursing through her body.

Jareth leaned forward, his lips hovering over hers. "More than you might know…" He kissed her again and this time Sarah didn't resist him. His lips were soft and warm and she pressed herself against him.

The air that had been cool around them was now warmer and breaking the kiss, Sarah realized that they had shifted location. Despite the warmth, she shivered as she realized they were back in the room they had been in earlier…Jareth's bedroom.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" She whispered. She looked into his eyes and noticed something. A warmth…a glow. "There's more isn't there?"

"I beg your pardon."

"There's more to this than just healing the Labyrinth with our union, isn't there?"

Jareth moved to kiss her, feeling they had delayed long enough, but Sarah moved her face away.

He sighed knowing she wanted answers. "You are not the only one who wished things could have been different."

Sarah's eyes widened. Had he dreamt of this too? "This is a really screwed up fairytale. This isn't how things are supposed to go."

Jareth growled. "And I should let you walk away and pretend you don't exist as you did to me? That solves nothing. You try to block the images of your time here, yet you continue to dream of me."

Sarah pulled away. "How do you know that?"

"I just do… I can't explain it."

Sarah was quiet for a moment as she took things in. Jareth had said something…it was subtle but enough. 'You are not the only one who wished things could have been different.'

Sarah looked deep into Jareth's eyes. "Do you love me?"

Jareth shook his head. "No," he told her.

Sarah lowered her head. She had not expected him to say yes but his answer still hurt her.

"I wanted to…" he allowed softly.

Sarah looked up at him.

"The timing was wrong," he explained. "You were too young and I was too stubborn and proud. With my kingdom dying all around me, I have had time to change."

Sarah bit her lip. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She had changed too over the years. She was no longer a spoiled little brat. She had matured and learned from life. "So, if we… if we go through with this, what happens?"

"The Labyrinth will recognize your belief through our union. It will learn of our desire for it to heal. It will feed off of that and will begin to regenerate itself."

"And what about when it doesn't need us anymore?"

"It will always need us and if you can continue to believe in its existence, you could go home."

Sarah nodded.

"Would you return home?"

Sarah appeared flustered. "I don't know. I can't see the future. You're asking me something I can't possibly know the answer to. I've never done this…I mean I have but not…not…"

"Not with someone whom you do not love or think you can love," Jareth finished for her.

She lowered her head. "Uh, yeah." She refused to look at him and he gently lifted her chin with his fingers so he could look into her eyes.

"I am not offended. And I will respect your decision whatever it might be in the future."

"What about until that time comes? I have a life aboveground. I go to school, I have a job as well as responsibilities."

"Time passes differently here. For every hour that passes Aboveground a day goes by in the Underground."

Sarah nodded. If she only had to stay a few days then chances were that people might not even know she was missing. For a moment silence lingered between them. "There's no other way to do this?"

Jareth drew back. "Do you find me that repulsive?"

Sarah quickly shook her head. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I think you're very attractive." Her eyes widened at her own reply.

"Ah, so the truth is revealed."

"Don't play stupid, Jareth, you said you know my dreams, you--"

Sarah's words were cut short as Jareth covered her lips with his own. She tried to resist for a moment, but it didn't last long. Some part of her had dreamed that things could have been different between Jareth and herself and that dream was becoming reality.

She responded just slightly and she felt Jareth pull her closer. His body was warm and solid and his lips were soft and gentle. Jareth didn't attack her or move too quickly as many of Sarah's lovers past had done. He wasn't clumsy or pushy. He knew what he was doing.

Part of Sarah's mind was screaming at her. What the hell was she doing? She'd been riding Patches not too long ago and now she was about to have sex with the Goblin King! Another part of her mind acknowledged that this was what she dreamed of, or what she wished could have been. Her body betrayed her as Jareth pushed his tongue into her mouth and she stroked it firmly with her own.

She felt Jareth move closer to her, one of his hands burying itself in her dark hair, the other moving to her waist to pull her closer to him. She gasped when his hips rocked into hers and she felt something firm poke her stomach. Part of her had not expected him to be attracted to her, even though his approval had shone in his eyes.

Jareth ignored her gasp at his movements and tilted his head, pressing his lips to the sensitive spot beneath Sarah's ear. He had planned to treat this as any act of sex that meant nothing to him, but somehow he couldn't. He wanted to move slowly and he wanted to give Sarah as much pleasure as he sought from her.

He licked and nipped at her neck and earlobe, Sarah's soft sighs urging him on. His hands reached for her soft cotton shirt and found the bottom hem. Pulling his mouth away from hers for a moment, he tugged the blue short-sleeved shirt over her head. He dropped it onto the floor and made a move to touch her, but Sarah stopped him.

She took one of his hands into hers and, starting at his fingertips, she began to tug his glove off. When that hand was bare, she took the other hand and did the same.

Jareth looked at her curiously.

"You never touched me the last time I was here…I want to feel skin, not leather," she whispered. While Jareth continued to gaze at her, she looked him over and then began to unbutton his shirt. Jareth removed his cape while she worked the buttons on his shirt. It didn't take her long, and after his cape fell to the floor, he helped her removed the shirt.

For a long moment, they stood regarding each other. Sarah felt her heart pounding in her chest. The sight of the Goblin King before her dressed in nothing but his tight breeches and black knee-high boots was breathtaking. He was tall and lean, his pale skin looked silky and smooth to the touch. She reached forward to touch him, her hands moving over his chest. They moved to his shoulders and she brushed his long blond hair back.

Jareth watched in silence as she moved forward and hesitantly placed a kiss on the center of his chest. He watched her and then his eyes slipped closed as she slowly ran her tongue over his skin. Her hands fell to his waist and drew lazy circles. She continued to explore him and nearly jumped when Jareth let out a low groan.

His eyes opened and he reached for Sarah. He stepped closer, kissing her and then moving back so that he could touch her. He ran his hands slowly down her arms and he felt her shiver at the touch of skin against skin. He lowered the straps of her bra and carefully removed it, tossing it to the floor. He kissed her mouth as he cupped her breasts in each hand. His rubbed his thumbs over the already hardened nipples and then replaced his fingers with his mouth. He rolled his tongue over her and then suckled gently. Sarah dropped her head back and pushed herself closer to him.

Jareth pulled his mouth away and pushed Sarah toward the bed. She fell back, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders. He pulled off his boots and then untied and pulled off the short brown ones that she wore. He knelt over her, placing one knee on either side of her hips. He kissed each of her breasts and then trailed kisses up to her collarbone and then down to the waist of her pants. He tugged at her pants but couldn't seem to get them off.

She laughed softly at his frustration and unbuttoned and unzipped them for him. She lifted her hips and started to pull them down. He finished the task and her strange stiff, blue pants were discarded to the growing pile of clothes on the floor. He kissed down her stomach to the waist of her undergarments. Sarah shivered at the feeling. He latched his fingers onto the undergarments and carefully pulled them down her slender hips.

Jareth moved his fingers from her ankles up her legs and to her thigh. He stroked the inside of her thighs, getting enjoyment in hearing the soft contented sounds that she was making. He cupped her, pleased at finding that she was slick with desire for him. He plunged a finger inside of her and she gasped at the sensation. Another finger joined the first and slowly he began to move them in and out of her.

Jareth brushed his thumb a bit higher and Sarah began to quiver. He stroked a little harder and Sarah started to make strange noises in her throat. He continued to caress her and it was more than Sarah could take. Her muscles clamped down around his fingers and she cried out as an orgasm ripped violently through her.

It took several moments for Sarah to open her eyes and calm her breathing. She had felt Jareth slowly remove his fingers. She looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's…I just… I didn't expect for this to happen…" at his confused expression she spit it out. "Foreplay. I thought we'd just do it and get it over with."

Jareth smiled and leaned over. "Things are not always what they seem in this place." He kissed her lips gently.

Sarah felt him lower his hips against her and she realized that he was still wearing his breeches. She broke their kiss and pushed against Jareth's chest with her palms. She pushed him onto the bed and sat up beside him. She kissed his chest and trailed kisses down his navel to the waistband of his pants. Once she had reached it, she picked the waistband up just slightly and then brushed her tongue under it.

Jareth shifted, itching for her to touch him. She began to pull his pants down carefully and slid them down his slender legs, tossing them aside.

The sight of the Jareth, the Goblin King, lying naked and completely vulnerable before her was something Sarah Williams thought she would never see. Her eyes focused on his erection and it was obvious that he was very much attracted to her. She knew what he was expecting but she didn't give in. She moved up alongside him and kissed his chest and his neck. Jareth shifted his hips toward her, but she made no move to touch him. She tortured him slowly and then reached down to stroke his velvet hardness. Jareth groaned and gasped as Sarah's tongue replaced her fingers.

She'd never done this before, but no man had ever given her pleasure before they took it for themselves. She took him carefully into her mouth, caressing him slowly and gently with her tongue. She could feel Jareth shaking beneath her and after only a few moments, she released him.

Jareth pushed her back and knelt over her again. He was still shaking as he gazed down at her. They watched each other and Jareth felt like he should be making some kind of declaration of his heart to her. He opened his mouth, but Sarah's fingers pressed against his lips. There was understanding in her eyes.

He kissed her lips once more and positioned himself, entering with one quick thrust. They found a rhythm together, moving as one. Jareth cradled Sarah against him as his thrusts became harder and faster.

Sarah cried out Jareth's name on her lips as she found her release. He felt her muscles tighten around him and the last of his willpower failed him. With a final thrust that pushed him as deeply as he could go, he cried out as his own release rocked his body and he emptied himself within her.

He collapsed against her, breathing heavily, his heart pounding within his chest. For several minutes, neither of them moved. Finally he rolled onto his side, but not without pulling Sarah to him. She buried her face into his neck, breathing just as heavily as he was. He waved his hand and a sheet covered them. Sighing contently, he let sleep claim him.

Sarah felt a warm body pressed against her as she awakened. She sensed light on the other side of her eyelids and slowly she opened them. She was greeted with light as well as a nude Goblin King lying in bed facing her with only a sheet to cover him.

Last night had been easier than she thought it would be. Now was the difficult part. Where to go from here?

Jareth must have sensed her worry, because he reached out to smooth the lines that appeared on her forehead. He kissed her forehead gently. "Good morning," he bid softly.

"Good morning."

She had expected a lot of things, but she had not expected this tenderness. She felt Jareth's hand stroke her arm in a loving manner. She looked into his eyes and noticed the same warmth that she had seen before they'd made love. Some part of him truly did want to love her.

"Did it work?" she asked, hating to kill the mood.

He nodded ever so slightly. The disappointment was clear in his eyes.

She leaned over and kissed his mouth and then rested her cheek on his chest. "I'm glad…" she whispered.

The mood of the previous night had been broken and they were both thinking the same thing…What would happen now?

Sarah felt Jareth's hand continue to stroke her arm. "I know my kingdom is not much…" he started slowly. "But I hope that with time, you might consider to stay."

Sarah was surprised by his words. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. He was completely serious. "Jareth, what are you asking?"

He reached over and stroked her cheek with the backs of fingers. "I know that you and I have started this friendship at the end instead of the beginning. We do not possess much knowledge about each other than judgements of the past though it's obvious that we have both changed."

Sarah nodded.

He sighed and stilled his fingers. "I want to start anew. I wish to know all you are and for you to know me. I may not know the future, but I wish to shape it."

Tears appeared unexpectedly in Sarah's eyes. Without saying it directly, Jareth wanted her to stay with him so he could learn what loving her would be like. He wanted her to stay with him…possibly forever.

She nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Jareth smiled brightly. He waved his hand and the two of them were dressed and standing somewhere in the Labyrinth.

Jareth gestured toward the remains of a large dead tree that stood nearby. At the base of the tree was the stem and leaves of a new tree, a new life already growing. Around them, several trees that were not dead had green buds at the ends of each branch. Birds could be heard singing and the sky had cleared.

Sarah laughed in amazement. "Did we really do this?"

Jareth nodded and took her hands into his. "Have breakfast with me on the balcony. We can watch the Labyrinth begin to heal itself."

Sarah smiled and nodded.

And so they ate breakfast on the balcony overlooking the Labyrinth.

Sarah didn't know what the future held for herself and Jareth, but she hoped that a new life waited for them as well…

The End

This story is a response to a challenge where "Sarah is out horseback riding one afternoon and a thunderstorm comes up, scaring the horse. It bolts and she's carried away. In the process she hits her head. The Goblin King comes to save her and suddenly there they are: meeting for the first time since she was 15. What do they say to each other? And that's it. Take the story wherever else it needs to go, fill in all the details."

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