This is the first fan fiction I ever wrote and it can be found in its entirety on deviant art. I'm taking advantage of reposting it here to edit and, hopefully, make a few improvements. I welcome all comments/and or criticism but please keep all criticism constructive! J
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth. Labyrinth and all of its characters are the property of Henson and company.
Sarah Williams woke up to find herself embracing her pillow passionately, her lips pressed firmly against the off-white cotton. She groaned into her pillow.
"Well, this certainly redefines the phrase 'pillow-talk'." she muttered, raising herself up on her elbows and massaging her forehead. Sarah slid out of her bed and padded across the hall to the bathroom. Switching on the faucet, she proceeded to splash cold water in her face.
There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Sarah, honey, that you?"
"Yes, Dad." Sarah replied, toweling off her damp face.
"Good, I was just about to go wake you up. We need to be at the airport in an hour. Karen's fixing breakfast."
"Alright, Dad. I'll be downstairs in a bit." Sarah said, opening the door to smile at her father.
Robert Williams grinned fondly at his oldest child, ruffling her messy dark brown hair. " OK, sweetie-pie."
While Robert Williams descended the stairs to help his wife finish making breakfast and answer his five year old son's inquisitive questions regarding airplanes, Sarah walked back to her room to get dressed. Her father, stepmother, and Toby were going to Florida for six weeks to visit Karen's parents, retired to the land of sunshine and sandy beaches. Although she had been invited to come along, Sarah was more than happy to stay behind and house-sit. The peace and quiet would be nice after finishing her second year in college (not to mention surviving her second year living in a dorm) besides she always felt uncomfortable around Karen's family. They were nice people, albeit a tad on the snooty side, but every time she saw them they always tried to convince her to go out with so and so's "son", "nephew", "cousin" who had just gotten out of "medical school", "dental school", or "law school". It didn't seem to be able to sink into their brains that she wasn't going to explode from depression if she wasn't set on the road to marrying a man with a high-paying job.
Another reason she looked forward to having the house to herself was because it meant she could call on her friends from the Underground more often without having to use the worn out excuse of the radio or watching a movie on her computer when one of her roommates or family members heard voices emanating from her room.
'Now we won't be cramped in my room during our visits.' Sarah thought happily. 'We'll have the run of the house.' Ludo didn't have much room to move around in her dorm room or bedroom. Now the big lovable monster would have some space. Pulling her brush through her thick dark brown tresses, Sarah made a mental note to call her friends when she got back from the airport. She'd only got back yesterday and she'd been so worn out from the combined effects of the drive and Toby's enthusiastic welcome that after telling Toby a bedtime story, sleep had overtaken her the second her face had hit the pillow. Forcefully, she pushed lingering thoughts of her dream, which her pillow had reminded her of, aside. It was pathetic enough to dream about him and wake up making out with an inanimate object.
"I may not be able to control myself when I'm asleep, but I am NOT going to mope and daydream about him when I'm awake." She told herself firmly, untangling a snarl. There had been incidents this past semester when she had got bored during a few lectures and found herself envisioning a tall, lithe body pulling her own body towards it, backing her into walls and other scenarios that she was shocked her brain had come up with.
Shaking her head, she sat down and pulled on her sneakers. She pushed her brain back to her friends as she tied the laces. She would call them when she got home. Sir Didymus, chivalrous to a fault, always worried about her traveling unaccompanied.
Without further ado, Sarah rose from the floor and followed the delectable smell of bacon and eggs downstairs to the kitchen.
"Sarah!" Toby exclaimed from his seat at the table, almost knocking over his juice in his excitement.
"Mornin' Tobe!" Sarah laughed, brushing back a blonde curl and kissing his forehead.
"Good morning, Sarah." Karen said, smiling at her from her seat between Robert and Toby.
"Good morning, Karen." Sarah said, returning the smile. Their relationship had certainly improved over the past five years. The fact that they didn't live under the same roof for the majority of the year certainly helped in promoting their civility to each other. It was much easier to like someone when you didn't have to live with them.
Breakfast was dominated by the sounds of contented chewing and Toby's voice. Karen might not have been Sarah's ideal step-mother but she certainly could cook. 'It's hard to believe I ever wanted him gone.' Sarah mused as she listened to her baby brother ramble happily about airplanes and grandparents.
Half an hour later saw her at the airport saying goodbye to Toby, who was now beside himself with excitement, and her parents, who were beside themselves with Toby. Karen hugged her step-daughter with genuine gratefulness when Sarah presented her with enough typed out copies of her stories to keep the curious five year old occupied during the plane ride.
"Stay safe, dear." Her father said, enfolding her in his arms. "You have Karen's parents' number?"
Sarah kissed her father's cheek. "Yes, Daddy. I'll be fine. You guys have a safe flight!"
"Bye, Sarah!" Toby called, as they passed the security checkpoint.
"Bye, Toby!" She called back, waving until her family was out of sight.
Sarah hummed cheerfully as she strolled back to where she'd parked. She kept humming as she fished her car keys out of her purse and as she pulled away from the airport. It wasn't until she was approximately halfway home when she realized what she was humming. It brought to mind peaches and a decadent ballroom. She abruptly stopped humming and turned on the radio, singing along with any song that came on for the rest of the drive home to keep the memory of the familiar tune at bay.
She pulled into the drive and hopped out of the car. Quickly she unlocked the door and went inside, eagerly locking the door behind her. She bounded up the stairs, maybe her friends would be able to join her for dinner every night - or at least dessert, and a movie.
"Hoggle! Ludo! Sir Didymus!" She called happily, as she sat down in front of her mirror.
Hoggle's leathery face appeared in the mirror first, grinning. "Sarah!"
"Sawaah!" Ludo rumbled.
"My lady!" Sir Didymus exclaimed, appearing last. " I'm delighted to see that you have completed a safe journey."
"Thank you, Sir Didymus. I'm so glad to see you guys! How've you been since we last talked?"
"The usual." Hoggle grumbled. "The Royal Pain in the castle has me all busy setting up new flower patches and plants in the Labyrinth."
"Awww, I'm sorry Hoggle." Sarah said sympathetically. "He's…he's been doing a lot to the Labyrinth over the past few years hasn't he?"
"Indeed, the King has made extensive innovations to the Labyrinth recently."
"King make harder." Ludo agreed with his knightly brother.
"Sure he has, ever since he got beaten by our Sarah." Hoggle said, with equal parts delight in the King's loss and pride in Sarah.
Sarah quickly changed the subject before her brain could linger where she didn't want it to. "Well, I just dropped my family off at the airport. You guys are free to come over whenever you want for the next six weeks, we don't have to worry about being interrupted."
"Huzzah!" Sir Didymus shouted jovially, to accompanying happy noises from Ludo.
"That's great Sarah." Hoggle said, clearly delighted by her invitation.
"So would you guys be able to come keep me company tonight?"
"Sure, Sarah….erm…would we be able to watch a movie?" Hoggle asked. The dwarf had developed a penchant for televised entertainment.
"We can watch a movie every night." Sarah replied, hardly able to repress a laugh.
"That sounds splendid, my lady!"
"Fun!"
Hoggle looked immensely pleased.
"I'll see you guys in a couple of hours then."
"See you Sarah!" Hoggle called, fading from sight.
"Until later, my lady!"
"Bye, Sawah!" Ludo called.
In the castle beyond the Goblin City, the Goblin King lounged languidly on his throne. He was tapping his riding crop idly against his polished black leather boots, contemplating new ways to "improve" his Labyrinth and fighting the urge to check up on Sarah via a crystal.
The goblins in the throne room were talking among themselves, and drinking ale as the few chickens around the room pecked at the floor and each other, in addition to any goblin that came their way. One little goblin was unfortunate enough to interrupt his king in the middle of his musings by bursting into song. Jareth didn't appreciate the off-key ballad involving chickens and ale distracting him just as he had summoned a crystal to check on the object of his affection. He dropped the crystal in surprise just as Sarah came in to view. Silence fell over the throne room as the crystal shattered on the floor. The melody died in the little goblin's throat when he found himself being lifted to the Goblin King's mismatched eyes.
"Enjoy singing, do you?" Jareth inquired, his voice dangerously quiet. The goblins and chickens all looked on in avid interest at the drama unfolding before them.
"Yes 'un King!" The goblin squeaked.
"Wonderful!" Jareth remarked, his mouth curving into a dangerous smile. " The Bog of Eternal Stench needs livening up. Be sure to serenade it while you're there!"
With a poof, the goblin disappeared. Jareth chuckled. The throne room remained quiet.
"Well? Laugh." The Goblin King ordered. The throne room erupted in wild laughter.
"He go sing to Bog!"
"Hehehehe!"
"Har har har!"
"Bog music!" One goblin with three twisted horns on his head snickered, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
With a sigh, Jareth settled back down on his throne.