Author's note: Thanks to Ellie for showing me how to post on Fanfiction.net

Disclaimer: None of the Labyrinth characters are mine.

Sarah's Revenge

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"She's getting better."

"Hallucinations?"

"No report."

"References to the…ahem, incident?"

"No."

"Appetite?"

"Hmm, slightly better. But she's still underweight."

"Any contact from her relations?"

"…No, she keeps asking."

"Don't let her see them, she becomes hysterical every time."

"Yes."

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Sarah could hear them. Talking as if she wasn't here, as if she wasn't aware of what was going on. She shivered. When was her father coming to take her out of here? You'll only be here for a little while, Sarah. I'll pick you up within the week. She snorted. Yeah right. She closed her eyes as the now familiar feeling of despair swallowed her senses. She quickly closed her eyes as she heard the footsteps come closer to her door.

"It's only 7:00."

"She sleeps at 6:30."

"Tomorrow then."

She let out a silent prayer of thanks. Looking around her room depressed her. In a sharp contrast to her bedroom at home, the facilities at Rochelle's' Treatment for Mental Health was sterile and unyielding to the imagination. White ceilings closing the white walls and matching the closely threaded carpet. A small bed covered with beige blankets, two chairs facing each other, a table next to the closet and a window facing the bed. Drab, beige curtains. I'll pick you up within the week.

It had been three years.

In the end it was Karen who tried to save her. It was her father that wanted her out of his family. Her family. The first months after the…incident had been wonderful. Even blissful. Her relationship with Karen and Toby bloomed as she seemed to mature overnight. Sarah had become the ideal daughter; doting to her sibling, obedient, Honor roll. Yet as hard as she tried her father became more and more distant, acted as if her very presence repulsed him. Tears rolled down her face. Don't cry Sarah, even if no one is looking, just. Don't. Cry. She gasped spastically and harsh, grating sobs broke from her chest.

Why? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy????? Why can't I just have a normal life?

**Flashback**

"Pack up, Sarah. Be ready in an hour."

"What?" Sarah asked, startled. She rose from the seat and closed the book she had been reading. She stared at her father, tense.

He sighed. "Don't argue," his voice weary, as if he was tired of keeping up some charade. "Just do what I said."

Sarah looked apprehensively at the forms in her lap. "Daddy," he flinched as if the word was a knife through his flesh, "what am I doing here?" Her voice faded.

"It's..it's only for a little while. I, I heard you talking to yourself Sarah, I'm worried."

"But I already explained!" She stood up, not caring about the mess she created.

"There is no play going on at school!" She stopped, suddenly fearful. Her excuse for talking to her friends lay shattered between them. "Sarah," Richard whispered, tears rolling from beneath his eyelids, "I'm worried."

"Don't be! I'm fine!" Sarah was hysterical. They were being watched by the orderlies, aids, nurses and patients, but she didn't care. It wasn't fair! "Why can't you accept me?! I've done everything you wanted me to do!" She wailed, like a child. Richard motioned to the nurses, and everything went black.

When she woke up, Sarah was in a strange bed, in strange pajamas. Richard sat next to her.

"You'll only be here for a little while," he shuddered, his breath hitching as if he had been weeping. "I'll be back within the week."

It had been three years.

In a twist of irony she remembered what she had been reading. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

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Karen wasn't a wicked stepmother, just very defensive.

"Why can't we see her, Richard?" She was exasperated. "That is no place for a young girl!"

"Karen," Richard pinched the bridge of his nose. Their monthly Sarah arguments were becoming more and more constant. Weekly Sarah arguments. Daily Sarah arguments. "I have to go to work."

Karen dropped her arms to her sides, preparing to give him hell as soon as he returned for his dismissal. God she missed Sarah, now that Toby was at preschool she had nothing do to for the better part of the morning. She jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut.

Karen sighed as she began to pick up the toys Toby had left on the floor. He didn't even remember Sarah. Her eyes misted with regret, wishing she had been nicer to the girl….less sharp. After that one time they left her to baby-sit, she had changed. Suddenly she was helpful, responsible. Less rebellious, but demanding the same respect that she gave her stepmother, compromising when her plans conflicted with theirs. Karen had only been too eager to comply. Not only did she learn about her stepdaughter, but she became more relaxed around her presence now that the waves of tension and anger that Sarah formerly radiated disappeared.

Karen wanted her daughter back.

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Sarah was going to be released a year ago. Her counselor had told her and had laughed in happiness when Sarah ran to hug her. In her excited state Sarah had ran into the bathroom and called for her friends. They did not come as they had before.

"Hoggle? Ludo? Didymus? Where are you?" She cried out, impatient at the unchanging mirror.

In the end, her impatience turned into worry. The nurses, alarmed at the desperate shrieks that emanated from the bathroom opened the door to find Sarah crying out incoherently and banging at her reflection with the bottom of her fists.

Her release was withdrawn due to surfacing problems.

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"Let me help you." Sarah's eyes opened suddenly and she looked around with fear. She was afraid to ask who it was aloud. She never knew who would be listening, too much trouble came from her talking out loud in an empty room. She drew the covers closer to her form.

"Over here." A pair of gold eyes appeared in her vision.

Sarah stared open mouthed at the man before her. Gold was the word, gold and white. He was tall, his knees reached the top of the mattress whereas her thighs did. He was dressed in white, almost matching his pale face and unnaturally white-blonde hair. Long, buttoned up white coat with shiny white knee boots. He had chiseled features; high cheek bones traveled down his face while the hollows behind made him seem as if he had no back teeth. Aristocratic nose, full bottom lip, a strong chin and intense eyes.

"Mornin' luv." A cockney accent.

"What do you want?" Sarah hissed softly, hands posed to be ready to claw his eyes out.

"What I want is not what we're here for," he smiled arrogantly, "I am here for you."

"What?"

He smiled, showing teeth and knelt before her, holding up his hand wrapped in white gloves. A crystal suddenly appeared in it. Sarah stifled a scream and scrambled to the far edge of her bed, shaking.

"Recognize it do you?" He laughed. "Ah, but Jareth is quite the showman." The crystal vanished.

Sarah shook her head, annoyance overcoming her terror. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

He smiled. "How would you," he pointed at her "like to have whatever you want, your dreams." He used the word deliberately. "My name is Julian."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "What I want, hmmm? And what would the price be for that lovely proposition?"

The strange man smiled and stood. "Who do you hate most?"

A million names and faces flashed before her. Richard. Linda. That mean cheerleader from school. The scary teacher who had eyes for her. That driver that almost ran her over. The lady who screamed at her for walking on her yard. Jareth. Jareth. Jareth.

"The Goblin King," she whispered. "He did this to me," she gestured to their surroundings. Geez, maybe she was crazy, speaking to a someone who probably broke out of a mental home as if it was nothing. She smiled at that, she was the one in the mental home. He's probably crazy too, look at those clothes! "He ruined my life."

Julian smiled and held out his hand. "How would you like to go to the Underground with me?" His intense eyes beckoned to her. "How would you like to have revenge upon the one who wronged you?"

He looked around distastefully. "In return for helping me you can have whatever you want." The man sat on her bed, facing her. His voice lowered conspiratorially. "What do you want?"

How did he know her name? What the hell was going on? Sarah shrugged, the new drugs must be getting to her, might as well play along. "I," she began, and stopped. What did she want?

Freak! Freak, Sarah's a freak!

Why do you always read those childish fairy tales? Grow up! Be normal.

Sarah, this was not the kind of report I wanted, while your imagination is…lovely, I would prefer something more…normal.

"I'll help you," confidence strengthened her voice. "In return, I want to be…normal. Just like every 18 year old."

"To be normal? How boring." Sarah shrugged. "Well, if that's what you want, my lady."

She stood and walked over to him, accepting his proffered hand. "I am no one's lady."

Yay! If anyone was wondering, Julian looks like James Marsters a.k.a. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.