My very first fanfic for Labyrinth! Please be sweet…and review!

This story takes place right after the end of the movie. Jareth has a problem, and he needs Sarah's help but this 'help' was something they both had to admit to themselves and each other.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Main Characters from the movie.

Enjoy!

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Save Me, Sarah

Chapter One

Something was wrong.

Jareth could not change out of his owl form!

He was sitting on the branch outside Sarah's room, watching her cavorting with his subjects! How dare they!

Furious, he flew off, intending to return to his palace.

As he flew, he thought back over the last couple of hours, where Sarah had defeated the Labyrinth, and him. His eyes darkened as he remembered her running throughout the city, battling his goblins; she looked so brave! So brilliant! His heart fluttered at the thoughts of her eyes sparkling…in anger.

Angry or not, she was beautiful, striking and magnificent. He wanted her. He wanted to possess her. He wanted to make her his. He wanted her as his Queen.

As he alighted on the stone window sill leading towards his study, he thought of his humanoid form which usually turned his owl form to it. But this time, he realized something was wrong! He was still an owl. He flew around his study towards the mirror hung on a wall near his desk. Flapping his wings, he looked at his reflections; damn! Still an owl!

Searching deep into his mind, he thought of the humanoid form, the form he regarded as appealing.

No…no go.

I can't change! What is going on? He thought as he was getting frustrated.

Just then, his only surviving relative, Aunt Jewel, came stumbling into his study.

Aunt Jewel! Ah, she might have an answer for me here. Jareth observed as he flown to his desk and rested on it.

His rather eccentric Aunt was always wearing those voluminous gowns that were two inches too long and she was forever tripping on them! How many times had he cautioned her, advised her to shorten the gowns but she would tittered her hands about and giggled, saying that she liked the way the gowns moved with her; a floating misty-like wisp. Jareth had harrumphed her as he kept on with his paperwork.

Looking at the hanging clock, he noticed that it was their time in the study.

Every other night, he and his aunt would spend two hours studying the lore of the Labyrinth.

Jareth had only been the Goblin King for less than five years, and there were still lots to learn!

If his father, the former King, was still alive, he would still be the King and Jareth would have more time learning about the castle and the Labyrinth from his father, not Aunt Jewel! She was so batty that some times he was dubious about the facts she was relating to him.

"Jareth! Where are you?" Aunt Jewel was looking about her.

Jareth was staring at her through his owl eyes and shook his head in disbelief! Hello! Can't she see me sitting on my desk?

Aunt Jewel! I'm right here! He channeled his thoughts to her.

Hearing his voice in her mind, she turned to look more closely and startled herself when she saw the big white owl sitting on the desk, staring back at her.

"Jareth? Is that you, dear? Why are you still in your second form? This is not the time to go wandering!" She spoke, walking towards it.

I'm not going anywhere, Aunt Jewel. I was coming back from Above Ground.

"Oh! I see. Well, in that case, why are you still in this form? I can't teach while you're thus."

Well, here's the problem. I can't change back. I'm stuck. He said grumpily.

Startled again, she put her hand on her mouth, eyes wide.

"Oh, Jareth! What happened? You must tell me all that's happened today!"

As accurately as possible, he told her about Sarah Williams and her brother Toby. Of course, he had omitted some things, like he had Hoggle lured her to eat the peach, that he was in the glass bubble with her, teasing her, and realizing certain feelings for her began to grow in his heart.

"Goodness!" she put her hand on her mouth, a regular habit of hers, "I hadn't realized that little red book still exists!" she muttered.

Well, it does and she is forever faithfully quoting those blasted passages! Especially that last sentence of the spell, he shook his head, a few feathers shook loose.

"But my dear nephew, there's no truth to the spell! Well, actually there may be but no one had uttered those words for the last…two, three thousand years!" Aunt Jewel frowned.

Funny, I disagree, as she had been doing the exact thing since I met her! There has to be something in there that is causing my current state of form.

Leaning closer to the owl, she stared hard at its eyes…the signature odd pairing, one dark as onyx and the other a brilliant sky blue. Then suddenly she stood up and went to a shelf full of old dusty books. Looking up and down for a particular one…a dark blue leather bound that looked as if it shouldn't be handled or it would crumble into dust.

Surprisingly gentle, she handled the book carefully as she went back to her chair and began thumbing through the pages.

"Aha! Near the end, of course…everything is near the end…" she mumbled as she glanced over the pages.

Well, Aunt Jewel? Are you going to tell me or do I have to squeeze it out of you? He thought into her mind.

"Has anyone told you that you have no patience at all?" she asked without looking up at him.

So I've been told, especially by a wisp of a girl! He said derisively, thinking about a pair of sparkling green eyes, dark raven hair, full rosy lips…

"Okay, you ready for this?" finally, she looked at him.

As ready as a chick takes its first flight, he said sarcastically.

Aunt Jewel giggled but sensing that Jareth was not in his jovial mood, she schooled her features and began, "Jareth, it says here that the spell when uttered by one whose feelings are pure of thoughts, he or she trapped the soul of his or her captor. Only when he or she revealed its true thoughts would the spell be broken entirely," she began to look dreamy.

So, she has to admit her love for me?

"So it seemed. She must have some deep feelings for you. Did you get that feeling from her?" she asked.

Jareth grunted, the only feeling she had for me is pure hatred. She hates me, not like, not love. Hate.

"Huh! Well, seems like you have a slight dilemma, my dear. I think you should approach her and tell her."

Tell her what? He asked.

"That you love her, silly boy!" she widened her eyes and smiled.

Jareth shook his head vigorously, more feathers loosened, I do not like her! She loathes me, and the feeling is mutual.

"Jareth, Jareth, Jareth, why are you denying the fact that she is the one?" she smiled again.

What are you talking about? She is definitely NOT the one! She is human!

"Jareth, look deep into your soul, if you persist in denying your true feelings for her, this spell will not be broken. Oh, by the way, not to put added pressure upon you, my nephew, but you have a deadline."

What deadline?

"According to this book, if you staid in this form for more than one day, you'll not be able to change back, no matter she declared her love to you."

Frustrated, he flew from the desk and flapping his wings about the study, he began to screech.

No, no, no! This can not be happening! Why me? Why her?

Jewel covered her ears and ducked her head down, "Calm down, Jareth!"

Calm down? Calm down? I'm about to be a permanent bird and you want me to calm down?

"Well, flying and screaming is not helping at all, either!" she tried to reason with him.

Flying a full perimeter of the study, he finally landed back on his desk.

Jewel looked slowly and wearily up, as she saw him on the desk, she straightened up, picking a feather that had landed on her lap, she looked at it and said, "Dearest nephew, the book does not lie and looks to me that you have no other choice. As to her youthfulness, I'm sure she will mature in no time, you said she is 15?" he nodded and she continued, "Hmm, a bit young but the wedding can wait till she turns 18."

Wait a minute! Wedding? What wedding? I'm not going to wed her! She's obnoxious, immature and too childlike, and she is still living in a fantasy world. No. I'm not going to marry her. I'd rather marry Hoople than her!

"Who's Hoople? Never mind, the main thing is, this is not a joke. Jareth, be serious," she stared at him.

I am being serious! I…I…oh, what's the use, she hates me.

"Oh, there, there," she reached over to pat him and stopped as she realized who she actually was patting and retracted her hand. "Jareth, think it through. Right now, the clock is ticking and if I'm reading this right, it's going to take a while to convince her of her true feelings. And it cannot be coerced, or it wouldn't work and you'd be doomed as an owl forever. And you cannot be the Goblin King as such."

I'm well aware of that! God! What a mess! Why can't I just give her the baby back! He muttered.

"Well, then it wouldn't be true, and it was a means of testing her integrity and bravery; a prerequisite for a Queen."

Sarah, a queen. A Goblin Queen, he began to laugh. She would as soon marry Hoople than me.

"Again, who is this Hoople?" Jewel asked.

Shaking his head, he's an ugly goblin that failed to do my bidding, and now, he's best friend of hers, he said bitingly.

"Do I detect a touch of jealousy?" she teased. She had sensed from his tone, in her mind, that this Sarah had meant more to him than he realized. Why is he denying his feelings for her? She shook her head in confusion.

Jealousy! Huh! Goblins and Elves! I'm not jealous of him. I'd as soon dunk my head in the Bog of Eternal Stench!

Jewel giggled again, "Oh! Please do not do that, nephew! I would not be able to have this nice cozy with you if you do! What a stinker you would be, forever!"

I'm just talking. Relax, my dearest Aunt. Okay, let's think this through. I'll do it.

Sitting straight up, she clapped her hands, "Oh goody! True love…a wedding, no, not just a wedding, a Royal Wedding! Oh my, the plans! I presumed you'd want me to oversea this wedding?"

Whatever you desire, my Aunt Jewel. But first, before you plot anymore, there's this current situation I have to deal with! And she has not said yes.

"Oh, Jareth! I'm sure she will! What young woman wouldn't? Besides, you two would not wed till she turns 18, three years hence. A long engagement!"

Indeed! Three years…three years to get to know each other, three long years to truly make her mine!

"Indeed!" she nodded her head. "Well, there's not a moment to waste! So, off you go!" she stood up.

As he was about to take flight, facing the window, Jareth paused.

Looking at the owl curiously, Jewel asked, "What's the matter now? Cold feet? Or I should say cold talons?" she guffawed at her own joke.

If he could glare at her, he would have done it already, instead he thought to her, Aunt Jewel. We do have a slight problem.
She stopped laughing and tilted her head, "What slight problem are you talking about? And how slight?"

Well, I can't talk to her.

"Of course you can, I mean, just say…oh! I see what you mean! And that's not slight…that's big!" she exclaimed.

I'm glad you realized it. How am I going to communicate with her? She's not a telepath. Peck on the glass, use the human Morse code?

"Don't get sassy with me, young man! I'm still your elder and you're not too old for a punishment!" she admonished.

I'm not being…sassy, just stating the obvious.

"Obvious? Yeah, so it is. So, what are we to do?" she asked.

He began pacing on his desk as he thought it through.

Then he stopped and looked at her.

"What?" she asked, suddenly feeling wary.

You will be my mouth piece, he said simply.

"I will be your what?" she asked.

Mouth piece. I'll tell you what to say and you'll tell her, he explained simply.

Jewel nodded her head, "Well, I'll say that that is a brilliant plan! But we now have a new problem."

Sighing in her head, he asked her what it was now.

"I can't go Above Ground like you do. I'm not allowed," she stated.

End of Chapter One

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Well, let me know what you think of this so far!

LizzieBennet