Disclaimer: I don't own "Labyrinth" and this story is just a non-profit bit of fun. I mean no harm, so please do not sue me.

Author Notes: This is my first Labyrinth story, so please let me know how I'm doing and if it would be worth my while to continue. I'm a bit nervous posting this but I hope you like it...if you read, please leave some feedback so I know what you thought. I've had the idea in my head for a few years and I'm finally attempting to put pen to paper and tell the tale. Hopefully I do the ideas justice.

To Save A King

Chapter One - All That Glitters Is Not Gold

The party was in full swing. Sarah stood in the lobby, a half-full champagne glass in her hand. She tried to ignore her aching feet, wishing she'd worn flat shoes. Heels had never offered her much comfort, but she'd not felt tall enough without them. The extra height the shoes offered made the floor-length evening gown she was wearing look perfect.

"Sarah, please," she lifted her eyes from their downward gaze and smiled. Martin Conti, the man who had made her feel like a star, had come to stand in front of her. He looked uncomfortable in his tuxedo and Sarah could see the creative director didn't really feel that he belonged amongst the large crowd of celebrities and socialites. She felt the same way, and offered him a brief look of sympathy.

By Martin's side was a man that Sarah didn't recognise. He looked to be close to seventy in age, though there was still a great air of dignity about him and instinct told Sarah she'd better be respectful.

"Sarah," Martin said again, "This is a Jose Fitzgerald. He was very impressed by your performance in my picture."

"Really? Thank you," Sarah was surprised. Her role in Martin's movie had been fairly small. She'd had fifteen minutes of screen time, at most. Though her scene had been rather memorable, despite its length.

"You have a wonderful screen presence, Ms Williams," Jose praised. His elderly eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm soon going to have a new movie of my own in production. I've not cast anyone yet, but I think you'd be perfect for the female lead. Can we talk?"

Feeling a little giddy, and not just from the champagne, Sarah invited Mr Fitzgerald to a quieter corner of the glitzy hotel ballroom where they could speak a little more privately. The established director explained the character he wanted her to play and by the end of their conversation, Sarah was determined the part would become hers.

They'd have to go through the audition process, as a formality, but Mr Fitzgerald hadn't hidden how taken he was with her. He'd praised her talents, saying she was a natural.

Could it be, that after years of bit parts and a few unimpressive roles that Sarah was on her way to at last becoming the respected actress she had always wanted to be? She hoped with all the hope she could muster that things were beginning to happen for her. For the last few years, she'd been trying so hard to get noticed. It felt like her whole life was just auditions and thankless roles and, at nearly twenty-two, Sarah wanted more than that.

Sure, those little bit parts helped pay the rent and keep her afloat, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't so much the fame that she wanted, it was the respect. Respect was important to her. She'd worked so hard to get to where she was today and, in her opinion, she deserved to have her name in lights and get the good, meaty roles that the movie industry had to offer.

"Who's your agent? I'll talk to them and get you a screen test," promised Mr Fitzgerald.

Leaving Martin to set up all the business connections, Sarah politely excused herself for the evening. It was late and the party was nearly over. Only a few stragglers now remained in the ballroom. The evening had been long and Sarah was tired. She wanted nothing more than to kick off her shoes and get some rest. Who knew that premieres were so exhausting? All that meeting and greeting people was harder work than it looked.

Her room where she'd be sleeping that night was in the same hotel where the party had been, and Sarah took the elevator up to the sixth floor and let herself into her tiny suite. She smiled upon seeing Peter on the couch in the little lounge area. He'd waited up for her, like he'd vowed about an hour earlier when he'd retired from the party.

"I was wondering if you'd ever finish down there," he smiled. He was comfortably sprawled on the couch. The contents of the mini bar littered the coffee table in front of it. "How'd you get along without me?"

"Fine," Sarah didn't want to tell Peter about her possible job. Although Fitzgerald was keen, nothing was set in stone and Sarah knew how the business worked. "I still can't believe it. Me at a movie premiere, for a movie I actually had a part in, however small."

"I always said you'd make it. You've got an amazing skill, Sarah, and you're beauty still amazes me," Peter's words made her blush, even though she was used to compliments from her boyfriend. "The big wigs should have noticed you ages ago. I can't believe it's taken as long as it has if I'm honest."

Sarah sat down next to Peter on the couch and kissed him, and they quickly became engaged in passionate and gentle love making.

Later that night, Sarah lay in bed; her arm draped over him as she wondered why she still didn't seem fully content. Her life was going the way she'd hoped for. She had a supportive, amazing partner and no reason to not be satisfied.

Yet there was a nagging feeling that something was missing. It was always there, had always been there. A constant voice trying to convince her that her she was taking the wrong direction. The voice had lurked in her head ever since –

Sarah stopped, not daring to even think about That Place. She didn't call it by name anymore, not even mentally. Thinking about That Place did no good. She'd quickly learned that upon returning from it. What she'd done there had been the right thing to do. The only thing she could have done. She'd saved her brother and had returned to her family. All was right with the world. She was just being silly, like so many times before.

A glance to Peter caused a wave of guilt to wash over her. How could she think about Him (who she also refused to acknowledge by name) when she already had someone so wonderful in her life. Peter was wonderful. He had been manipulative and cold. Peter was warm and kind and selfless. He cared only about his own desires and little for the feelings of others, unless doing so would serve his own needs.

Sighing, Sarah forced all related thoughts of Him and That Place from her mind. Why was she even thinking about it anyway, when everything in reality was going so well for her?

She was young and talented and her future was bright. There was no room in her life, present or future, for childish fantasies or dwelling on the past.

Yet when she allowed sleep to take carry her down into its depths, she couldn't help dreaming of Him and what might have been.

"Thanks for coming, Sarah. We're going to screen test some other actresses as a formality, but far as I'm concerned, the part's yours. I'll have a contract drawn up for you. Expect lots of meetings with myself, lawyers, and the production team in the coming weeks. Just don't tell anyone until it's been finalised," said Mr Fitzgerald. He shook Sarah's hand warmly and had his secretaryshow her out of the office.

"The part's mine? You're sure?" Sarah couldn't believe it. Her dream was coming true. Everything was falling into place after three years of trying and failing.

"No one else could be more perfect," beamed Fitzgerald. "Now, you're new at this so I want you to listen to me and your agent every step of the way. We'll tell you just what to do and you won't have to worry about anything. Okay?"

Since she'd never had a job that was so huge before, Sarah was actually happy to agree. She could be a "Yes Sir" girl if it was going to help her succeed.

"Fantastic. Now get out of here, kid. Go celebrate…but privately!"

Sarah emerged from the New York office block positively glowing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy or felt so confident.

Hungry, she decided to go to the nearest Starbucks and grab some lunch and coffee. She wished she could tell someone about her stroke of good luck, but was good enough at keeping secrets to hold it in. Still, she felt like she'd burst if she had to carry this one around for long.

Times Square was a carnival of activity and Sarah blended in well as she walked among the crowds. She'd thought about getting out of New York and heading west for the sunshine state of California. If she lived in Hollywood, there would be more business opportunities for her. New York was a good enough place to start, but if she really wanted to keep her foot firmly in the door…

As Sarah passed the window of a clothing store, something in the reflection of the glass caused her to stop.

A white owl.

Sarah stared dumbly at it, like she'd gone into a trance. The owl was positioned neatly on the roof of a police car that was parked on the sidewalk. Its reflection seemed to be staring back at Sarah and she turned around, but although there was a police car parked behind her, there was no owl on it. There was no owl at all. She turned back to stare in the window but the owl's reflection was no longer there. It all happened so fast it was like the owl had never been there to begin within.

Forcing herself to walk on, Sarah tried not to think of it. There had been no owl. She was just seeing things. Owls didn't just fly around freely in New York City like that.

Secure in the certain knowledge that her imagination was just playing tricks on her, Sarah refused to entertain any thoughts that there had really been an owl there. The notion was just too ridiculous. She'd be crazy to dare to give it another thought.

After getting her lunch, Sarah went home. She had no plans for the day, although maybe she would call her father. She wouldn't tell him about her movie role, but she suddenly felt the urge to talk to him. They'd remained close even after she'd left the family home. Although she didn't visit in-person nearly enough, they spoke on the phone and she went home for Thanksgiving and Christmases. Maybe it was time for her to take a little trip and see how Toby was getting along. She could buy her little brother a present to give him when she arrived…he'd love that.

A subway ride later, Sarah was back at her apartment on the Upper West Side. It was small and a bit grotty, but she realised that her living conditions would soon change. The movie deal was no doubt going to drastically change her life style. She had to admit, she didn't mind that at all. It would be nice to never again have to worry about where the rent was coming from.

Feeling dirty from her trek to the inner city, Sarah prepared herself a bath and slipped out of her clothes and into a comfortable robe. She hummed contently as the tub filled with hot water and bubble bath. A look at the clock in the lounge told her it was mid afternoon. Peter would be back in a few hours. Maybe they could go out for dinner together that night. To the Olive Garden, perhaps, where they'd had their first date months ago.

Thinking of Peter made her smile. It always did. She found her mind taking her back to their very first meeting, where he'd spilled soda on her new skirt and had spent the next several minutes apologising profusely. When he'd offered to make up for his clumsiness with the offer of a dinner date, Sarah had accepted.

She'd had boyfriends before. A few in high school, a few more in college. But Peter was the first man she'd ever truly fallen in love with.

"No. You know that's a lie."

Sarah scowled at the voice in her head. It was His voice. She heard it so clearly, like He was in the room with her, speaking into her ear like a devil on her shoulder.

"It's not!" Sarah snapped back. "I do not lie! Leave me alone!"

Catching herself talking to thin air, Sarah mentally berated herself. What was going on? Was she losing her mind? She'd been thinking of Him a lot lately, for seemingly no reason. Now, she was hearing His voice as though He was right there. And there had been that owl, reflected in the window…

"I'm just tired. Just overworked and delirious because of getting that big part," Sarah told herself firmly. She felt like a teenager again as she struggled to banish any and all thoughts of That Place and Him out of her head. Even when the thoughts lessened, she was concerned. For years she'd been getting on with her life just fine without thinking about any of that. Why was the subject constantly taking over her thoughts now? Why was she hearing voices and seeing owls?

"Because I'm going crazy," she decided. It wasn't really happening. Please don't let it be really happening. If it was really happening, what the hell did it mean? More importantly, why now, after so long?