Lessons in Forgiveness
Disclaimer: nope, don't own nothing, how many times do I have to say it? lol j/k! but seriously, I don't own anything.
Summary: A month after Sarah has run the Labyrinth she's having bad dreams and learns a few lessons from some unlikely sources.

"Just Fear me, Love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."

"You Have No Power Over Me"

Sarah awoke from the dream with a start, covering her mouth to stop her scream from escaping. It had been the third time that week. Memories of the Labyrinth still, fresh in her mind, had been constantly repeating. However, none of the memories were as strong as the memories of the last few minutes.

Sarah climbed out of her bed and padded off to the bathroom. It had only been a month since her journey, but she had felt a change. There had been no physical change, she was still the same girl she had always been, but she felt different. She was wiser, kinder, and more respectful. She had learned a lot in such a surprisingly small amount of time. It still boggled her mind, just to think about it.

Opening the medicine cabinet, Sarah found what she was looking for. She popped a few pills for her throbbing head, and went back to her bed.

She sat quiet for a long time. It was funny how your feelings change, how you change when put in certain situations. When she had first gone into the labyrinth she had been ready for an adventure, yet frightened of the King. He had been so cruel to her, no matter what he said about being 'generous'. How could someone who was supposedly generous throw a snake at you? Sarah scrunched up her nose at the memory. She hated snakes, worse than Indiana Jones! Despite her fear, she had still stood up to him.

He let me run the labyrinth, but I think it was more out of fascination then anything else, she thought to herself. The way he had acted was as if no one had stood up to him before. He was like a spoiled child! A really mean one at that, a voice in her head added.

She glanced at her alarm clock. 3 a.m. … she was never going to get any sleep.

"Hoggle, I need you."

After a few moments, the little dwarf appeared by her bed. "What'sa matter, Sarah? Can't sleep?" he asked patting her hand.

Sarah smiled at the little man. "No, actually, but that's not why I called."

Hoggle looked at her curious, but was silent as he waited for her to continue.

"I've been having these dreams." She started. "They are just memories of what happened in the labyrinth, but I wanted to know why I'm having them."

"What memories are ya dreamin' about?" The dwarf asked thoughtfully.

"Well, mostly it's the encounters we had with the Goblin King, but every time I get close to the end of the encounter, I wake up almost screaming."

"Ah" Hoggle said understandingly.

"'Ah' what?"

Hoggle looked up to his friend's eyes. She wasn't going to like this, not one bit. "Jareth still gots power over you." He stated simply.

"What? No, I beat him, I won. How could he have power over me?"

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest angrily. The stupid fae king was still messing with her. She should have known. The man was an utter jerk, down to his core! Sarah's green eyes flashed with anger and hatred. He'd tricked her, put her in harm's way, and frightened her to no end. The fact that her dreams were turning into nightmares shouldn't have surprised her. Had she not rejected her dreams to begin with?

Sarah groaned angrily. "It's not fair…" she muttered under her breath as she leaned back on the headboard of the bed.

Hoggle chuckled slightly, remembering the last time he'd heard her say that. "You know" he told her gently. "There is a really easy way to get rid of those dreams."

"Nightmares" Sarah corrected.

"Oh whatever!" Hoggle said exasperated. "Nightmares…"

"Well, how do I get rid of them?" she asked, her voice showing her anger.

She ain't gonna like this either, Hoggle told himself. "You gots ta forgive him."

"Forgive who? The Goblin King?" her eyebrows raised surprised by Hoggle's answer.

Hoggle nodded. "You see, Sarah, you think that Jareth's the one behind these nightmares but he isn't. It's your own head."

"How do you know?" Sarah muttered.

"Jareth ain't been dealin' with wish aways lately. He's been too busy with other things. Doubt he's thought much'a you either. He ain't gots time to go an' mess with your head."

Sarah made a face. Hoggle made sense when he said that the Goblin King probably wasn't behind her nightmares, but why did she have to forgive him? He'd been a jerk, never once had he been kind…well other than in the ballroom, but she still doubted that had been real at all.

"Why? Why do I have to forgive him?" she asked quietly.

Hoggle patted her hand gently. "Look, Sarah. I know ya wants revenge on 'em. I wouldn't mind revenge on 'em myself…but you gots ta forgive him if you want to let ya mind rest. You probably don't even knows it, buts your mind is plotting ways ta gets even."

"But I don't want to get even" she protested. "I want a decent night's sleep!"

Hoggle chuckled again. "Then forgive him. Do it for yaself. Lets go of the da pain he caused ya. Get over it, an everything'll be alright."

Sarah sighed. She didn't know why, but Hoggle was right. She had to forgive, and let go of the past. Of course it wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. Even if she did want an eye for an eye she knew she couldn't anyway, so what was the point of holding on?

A quick thought crossed her mind and Sarah scrunched up her nose again. "I don't have to call him and tell him I forgive him to his face do I?"

"Naw" Hoggle said making a face himself. "Ya don't have ta do that. It might scare ya worse."

Sarah smiled slightly. No one knew more that her just how much she didn't need anymore scaring.

She sighed, once again seeing she had no other choice. "Alright, I'll do it."

Hoggle smiled, pleased that he had been able to help. "Great. Now try'n gets some sleep."

The dwarf tucked his friend in and turned out the light.

"Goodnight Hoggle" Sarah said with a yawn.

"Night Sarah." With that the little man faded away, back into the underground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hours passed as Sarah slept soundly. Hoggle's words helped her immensely and she had no more dreams of her encounters with the Goblin King. This time when she awoke with a start, it was a complete surprise.

She'd dreamed of running the first long passage of the labyrinth. It went on and on, never ending. She'd wanted to scream, cry, beat something, but she couldn't. It had been just a dream.

Once again, Sarah got up and went to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face then stood staring into the mirror. A grimace came over her face.

"I thought he said the nightmares would go away" she muttered irritably.

She quietly went back to her room and shut her door behind her. She glanced at the window as she was started to climb into her bed, but stumbled in shock.

A white barn owl sat on a limb outside her window, and Sarah knew, it wasn't just any owl.

What could he possibly want now?

With a groan Sarah moved to the window and opened it, staring out at the owl. The two stared back at each other for a long while, before Sarah finally decided to let the owl in.

"Well come on, if you've got something to say, get in here and get it over with." With that she moved from the window back to her bed and sat down cross-legged hugging her pillow.

The owl flew into the room gracefully before turning into the fae king. He wore the same outfit she had seen him in when he had come to her in the tunnels.

For a moment he just stood there staring at her. His arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted to one side. A smile of amusement seemed itching to cross over his face, but he fought it off.

Sarah glared at him. She may have forgiven him, but that didn't mean she had to like it…or him for that matter. "Well?"

The fae king sighed, boredly. "Higgle said you were having trouble sleeping."

"It's Hoggle" Sarah corrected.

"I know that"

"Then why do you say it wrong?"

"Because it irritates him, and apparently it irritates you as well, my dear."

Sarah groaned. Again, she told her self, he acts like a child.

Jareth chuckled and sat down beside Sarah. "He said you forgave me?" he asked curiously.

Sarah made a face. Hoggle was so going to get it later. "Yeah I did."

Jareth nodded but said nothing.

"It didn't make the nightmares go away though." She told him grumbly.

Jareth turned back to her and looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, but they aren't exactly the same as the way they were before."

Jareth gave her a curious look. "Go on."

Sarah sighed and looked down at her hands. Firstly, how did she explain this? Secondly, why the heck was she confiding in the Goblin King? Might as well throw all logic to the wind, she told herself. It just didn't make sense anymore.

"Well" she started. "At first I was dreaming of the different times I had encountered you in the labyrinth. When I would get to the end of each encounter, I woke up afraid."

"And now?" he asked, still too curious to make any snide remarks. For that Sarah was grateful.

"Now I had a dream of running through the labyrinth. I just keep running, trying to reach the castle. I'm angry, afraid, worried...then I woke up again."

Jareth nodded thoughtfully, a smile playing on his lips.

Sarah stared at him intently. "You know why I had that dream don't you?"

"Yes, Sarah I do" he replied looking up at her. He took her hand gently in both of his gloved ones.

How to begin…

"Sarah, I know that Hoggle told you that you had to forgive me to make your nightmares go away, but that is not entirely true."

"It isn't?" she asked. He used his name right so he must be serious, she mused.

Jareth shook his head. "No, it isn't." he sighed thoughtfully before continuing. "You see, my dear, you may have forgiven me, but you have yet to forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?" her voice gave the impression of an 'are you kidding me' type of attitude, which thankfully, Jareth had expected as much.

"You are still upset that you wished away young Toby to me. You're upset that you made a mistake that could have cost him his humanity. That, my child, is what you are having trouble forgiving yourself over."

Sarah thought for a moment. "Huh, I guess that makes sense."

Jareth smiled genuinely at her and patted her hand. "Forgive yourself, Sarah, and go to sleep. I'm sure that you have a busy day tomorrow."

The fae king stood up from the bed allowing Sarah to again climb under her covers.

Jareth turned out her light. "Goodnight my pet, sleep well."

Sarah managed a small smile. "Goodnight, Jareth, and thank you."

The Goblin King smiled, glad Sarah had been comfortable to use his given name. "You're quite welcome, Sarah."

With that the fae turned back into his owl form and flew out the window.

Sarah smiled, perhaps the Goblin King wasn't so bad after all. Her trip to the Labyrinth had taught her so much. Maybe that was the entire point of her journey; to learn how to treat others and how to forgive.

"I'm glad you got the point, my dear" a disembodied voice said. "Although, I never thought it would take you a month to learn it."

Sarah sat up and checked to make sure that Jareth was gone. Finding no one, she rolled her eyes and climbed back into her bed. The fae king did seem to have a flair for the dramatic.

"Stay out of my head, Jareth" she told the voice. "Let me get some sleep."

Sarah heard a faint chuckle. "Your right, I am sorry, my dear, I just couldn't resist. I'll say goodnight again, Sarah."

Sarah closed her eyes, a smile played on her lips. If she'd made one conclusion out of anything it was this: Goblin Kings were weird.

My pastor was talking about forgivness today and this story popped into my head. Please tell me what you think, I'm dying to know if it sounds good or not. Thanks you guys ahead of time, your awesome:-)