Author's Note: After telling myself not to, I have started another Labyrinth FanFiction, and only because I had a dream about Jareth and Sarah, and I think it was telling me to write this. This is currently being written in Starbucks while "Origin of Symmetry" by Muse and "Neon Bible" by Arcade Fire are blasting through my headphones. Let me tell you this, both are awesome albums! So my lovely faithful readers, please enjoy this experimentation and don't forget to review and tell me your thoughts and deepest desires. Labyrinth and all its original characters belong to Jim Henson, not me. However, there will be characters further along that belong to me, but that's it. Enjoy!

"You have no power over me…"

Those were the words that had torn his world apart; the words that had ripped out his heart. The Goblin King sat outside of her window in his owl form and watched as she celebrated her victory with the creatures of his Labyrinth, his subjects. He had half a mind to throw them all in the Bog of Eternal Stench and then banish them from his kingdom, but all he could think of was how hurt she would be, and he knew that he couldn't. So, he sat and watched them, watched her mostly, and waited until the last creature disappeared from her room. His heart ached with jealousy and hurt when he saw the special goodbyes she gave to those three imbeciles, her friends as she called them; how she gave them each long hugs and promises to call on them again. Then he waited until she got on her pajamas, yawning heavily, and until she had fallen deeply asleep. It didn't take long; she was probably exhausted from her journey. Then, he transformed into his true form and stole into her bedroom.

He stood over her bed and watched her sleep. Her face was sweet with innocence, the same innocence that had attracted him in the first place. That, and the way she believed that everything in the world was possible. There weren't many people like that in Aboveground anymore.

"My beautiful Champion," he said softly, stroking her face with a long, gloved finger. "You should have been my Queen. My Sarah, don't you realize the danger you've put yourself in? Don't you realize that this is the last time I can come to you freely? I'll never be able to see you unless you call me, and I won't be able to protect you anymore." His heart filled with rage and fear, all mixed in with the harsh, fiery, and passionate love he felt for her. "I can't protect you," he whispered once more and without even thinking, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. She stirred, but didn't wake.

He quickly turned away from her before he could do something foolish. He turned once more to gaze upon her, startled when he saw that there were tears on her face. For a second he thought that she had awoken, but he quickly realized that the tears weren't her own. For the first time in hundreds of years, Jareth cried. He closed his eyes, and in the smallest puff of wind, he was gone.

And Sarah was alone.

Nearly three years later…

"For never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

The last words of Shakespeare's most famous play were met with a most thunderous applause from the full auditorium. Backstage, Julia Callan, the frantic stage manager bustled about nervously. "Curtain calls everyone, come on, line up! Sarah, you and Jon come in last, since you two are the stars of the show. Let's go people, we don't have all day!"

Sarah Williams chuckled as she stood at the end of the crowd of actors and actresses. Poor Julia; any second she was going to tip over from stress. She jumped when someone took her hand and kissed it. She turned around to see the male lead and her very best friend with his head thrown back and an arrogant expression on his face.

"Hey babe," he said in a low voice that made her giggle. "Come away with me and let's defy our parents and get married. How about it?"

"I am sorry dear sir," she said in a sweet, girly voice. "You see, I've just stabbed myself with my poisoned lover's dagger over sorrow for a love that was lost."

"That's right," he said, putting on a deep look of surprise. "I forgot; I seem to be dead too, because I'm an impulsive, short-minded teenager that can't stop and think things through."

Sarah opened her mouth to respond but was stopped by Julia who beckoned and hissed at them to get on stage. Jon grinned, took her hand, and they both walked onto the brightly lit stage, met with the overwhelming sound of admiring applause. They both bowed and smiled at the frantic audience. Sarah nearly cried when they were met with a standing ovation. Jon grinned and hugged her tightly. "You did great, my fair Juliet," he whispered in her ear as the curtain closed once more.

"So did you, my dashing Romeo." Sarah pulled from his embrace and smiled. "Shall we go meet our fans?" He nodded and together they made their way to the lobby of the auditorium, chatting about the success of the play.

She'd finally done it," Sarah thought to herself. She'd finally achieved her dream of acting in something other than a school play, even if it was only a production by her local theatre company. She was stunned when she'd learned that she was to play the lead of Juliet, and delighted when she found out that Jon was Romeo. Ever since she had met him at Theatre Club, they had been best friends.

In the lobby, she was immediately met by her father's warm embrace. "You were amazing," he whispered in her ear. "You looked so beautiful up on that stage." He pulled back and smiled at her, even though his eyes swam with tears. "I just wish Karen and Toby could've been here to see you."

"Oh Daddy," she cried and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shirt which muffled her voice. "I miss them so much."

"So do I Sarah." About a year and a half ago, Karen and Toby had been coming back from a visit to Karen's sister when their car had gone off a bridge over a deep, dangerous river. When the rescuers pulled the car out of the water, they had been devastated to find that both of the bodies were missing. Try as they could, no one had been able to find Karen and Toby, so Sarah and her dad were forced to have a funeral with no coffins. It still hurt them dearly, especially Sarah who had just begun to develop a special relationship with her stepmother and half-brother.

"Alright now," her dad said bravely, pulling away and wiping his face. "Let's not mess up your stage makeup. Here, I got you these."

He produced a small bouquet of white roses with a beautiful red rose in the center and handed them to Sarah, who blushed. "They're beautiful, Daddy," she said, inhaling the sweet smell of the flowers. "Thank you."

Now it was Robert's turn to blush. "I was only going to get you the white roses because I know you love them most, but the florist gave me the red one for free to celebrate your performance. She told me it was her best bloom yet, and that I should give you her congratulations.

"I'll have to give her my thanks," Sarah said softly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jon beckoning to her. "Look, I have to go. I'll be home later; the cast is having a celebration tonight. Thanks again for coming."

She gave her dad a quick kiss on the cheek and quickly went to Jon who informed her that they were to have their picture taken for the paper. Her heart fluttered as they posed for the photographer. This was the beginning of her dream come true; maybe it could actually happen after all. After greeting the last of the people that had come to see them, she and Jon were finally free to change.

The dressing was empty by the time she got there and Sarah marveled at the peacefulness of the quiet. She observed herself in the full-length mirror. Her costume was a mediaeval-style dress with a tight waist, floor-length skirt, and long sleeves that puffed at her wrists. The bodice was a soft red embroidered with silver and the skirt was a deeper, fiery red. It was made of soft velvet and incredibly comfortable. Her long dark hair had been curled into tight coils and was pulled away from her face. Reluctantly, Sarah changed into her dark jeans, grey long-sleeved shirt, and black Chuck-Taylors. Just like that, she changed from the magnificent, love-struck Juliet to ordinary, normal Sarah Williams. She laughed bitterly at the normal part; she was far from normal. Her thoughts switched to that one night, three years ago when she was a bitter fifteen year old that had called on the goblins…

"No." She told herself firmly. "Don't even think about it." She was notgoing to ruin this perfect evening with thinking about him. It had been nearly three years since she had defeated the Labyrinth and gotten Toby back (she swallowed painfully) and she hadn't heard a single peep from the Goblin King, thank god. She still talked to Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, her three faithful friends, at least twice a week, but the subject of him was practically forbidden. She never said his name and she didn't make wishes anymore in fear of him popping back into her life and taking everything away from her for good. She still had dreams, oh yes, she still dreamed about that damn ballroom and the song he had sung to her while they danced…

"Stop it," she scolded herself. She forced her thoughts to taking care of her costume and never was a stage dress put on a hanger so carefully. She gathered up the rest of her things and turned to put them in her bag on the counter, but stopped when she was that a huge vase of flowers had been placed beside her bag. "Odd," she muttered. "I never noticed that when I walked in."

She shrugged; she was probably too wrapped up in her thoughts to even notice. She shoved her things in the bag. Then she opened up the card that was attached to the vase. It read:

To Ms. Sarah Elizabeth Williams,

Your performance tonight was absolutely stunning and you made a very beautiful Juliet.

~Best wishes, M & J

She frowned as she finished reading the short note. She had no idea who M & J were. The flowers were beautiful; a mixture of different dark red and white flowers. It was magnificent and beautiful and Sarah couldn't stop admiring it. It occurred to her that M & J was probably Jon and his girlfriend, Mary. She had to remember to thank him later.

Sarah left her things in the dressing room and made her way to the small ballroom in the theatre where the cast party was taking place. The building was mostly dark now that the audience had left and Sarah shivered as she made her way downstairs to the ballroom. It was eerily quiet and she was convinced that someone was following her, even though it was probably just her overexcited mind's way of telling her that it was tired.

At the party she looked for Jon, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, after asking Julia, she found out that he had gone home early to celebrate with his grandparents that had come from out of town. Sarah thanked Julia for being an excellent stage manager and after talking with her for a few more minutes she decided to go home. She was exhausted and needed sleep to prepare for tomorrow's show. She practically ran back to the empty dressing room to grab her things. She shrugged on a light jacket, grabbed her bag in one hand and her roses and vase of flowers in the other, turned around to leave, and cried out in surprise.

Her heart skipped a beat and she grew so lightheaded that she feared she might faint. She gripped her roses so hard that some of the stems snapped and told herself to keep breathing, keep breathing. She was terrified. For there, leaning against the doorway of the dressing room with a large, arrogant smile on his face was, well, him.

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