Disclaimer: I don't own The Labyrinth or any of the characters from the movie, I just write about them. ; )

One Life For Another; Chapter I:

Sarah smiled as she passed a 35mph sign while going 70. Her father and Karen had insisted that she came home for her birthday. They promised that it wouldn't be a big deal just family and some of her friends from high-school. Today she was 25!
She remembered her college graduation; she graduated from Yale Drama just a few weeks ago. They had promised that wouldn't be a big thing either. Yet they had managed to invite the entire campus and then some, it seemed to her graduation party.

Sarah smiled at the memory, she was positive that Karen did not understand the meaning of small. Her parents were proud of her of course, she had already been in a few off-Broadway plays and she just wrapped up playing a small part in a movie that would be coming out next year nothing major but a good enough start.

Sarah always expected the most from herself and never accepted anything less then perfect. She was an ambitious actress and many of her college professors had high hopes for her. Whether her achievements be on Broadway or in Hollywood.

It had been nearly nine years since she had ventured through the Labyrinth to rescue her little brother Toby from the cruel Goblin King.
So much had happen since that night so much had changed she still believed in the Underground, magic, and all the mystical creatures that myths could posses.

As she passed her old high school she remembered being a teenager in this town, high school had been a degrading experience for Sarah.
Her friends would always tell her she was childish. Her teachers would tell her to get her head out of the clouds.
All the while her parents, her step-mother in particular, would tell her she needed to grow up and think about her future.

But she always believed in the Labyrinth she never forgot. Though the pain of leaving such a wondrous world and all of her friends behind made her wish she had forgotten.
No matter how hard she wished it. No matter how hard she cried she still remembered the Underground vividly.
Sarah still talked with her friends Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus at times, she dearly wanted to return to them. And to the world they called home.
But she could not leave behind the life she had worked so hard to build for herself.

The world she lived in was so plain and ordinary. She craved for a world of magic and adventure, romance and disaster. Her desire for something more ate at her soul. She would lie awake more often then not and think of her precious Underground. Of her friends and even of the Goblin King himself.

His face was not so exact in her memory; she could no longer see the definition of his arrogant face. The face that always taunted her telling her that she could do better or be better than what she had become. It was his face that would push her to do the unthinkable, to push the envelope a little farther then most others would dare and, surprisingly, she was always successful.

It was always his face that would torment her. No cries of protest no screaming and no amount of wishing would stop his onslaught. His constant measuring of her life's worth, her friendships and her relationships with men. He always seemed to ruin the most promising relationships.

Strangely it all came down to intimacy with a man. Something in her 25 years of life she had not experienced. Very much unlike her friends who would embrace they're freedom as adults and throw caution to the wind by sleeping with as many men as they could, she couldn't.
She could physically, but whenever her relationships would reach a level of intimacy she would hear a distant voice in her head telling her things about her boyfriend. Information that she could never have known, things he had done in his previous relationships. How he had messed up time and time again. The voice would tell her that she was no different that he would hurt her just as he had hurt the others.

So she would leave him in the throws of passion. He would never know that she had seen all of his faults and didn't like what she'd seen. Every time it happened she would wonder how it had come to pass yet again. Why had she listened to the voice? Why did she throw away another perfectly good relationship?

There was always a fire in this voice that scared her. It was always so demanding, so insisting that she had to leave before anything would happen to her. If she didn't know any better she would think that the voice was Jareth's. But why would the Goblin King be concerned for her well being?

"But what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl..."

Sarah shook her head she had made that up that was just a story to scare Toby, right? He couldn't have actually loved me, there's no way. Why would the Goblin King, who could have any other woman he wanted fall in love with a sixteen year old mortal girl?

Sarah stood looking at the Goblin King with a determined face, "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered," She slowly advanced as he retreated. "I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, for my will is as strong as yours and my-"
"Stop!" Jareth raised his hand and Sarah halted surprised that he had interrupted her.
"Wait! Look, Sarah. Look at what I'm offering you."
A crystal materialized on the tips of his fingers and he held it out towards Sarah. "Your dreams."
She merely glanced at the crystal for but a moment then her firm resolve returned, "And my kingdom is as great... damn! I can never remember that line."
Jareth looked like a wild animal that had been backed into a corner and he had decided to strike now, "Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."
Sarah ignored the Goblin King's pleas, "My kingdom is as great. My kingdom is as great!"
She looked up at her enemy a smile tugging at her lips, "You have no power over me."
Jareth sighed as he threw the crystal into the air, "You have no power over me!"
In a whirl of feathers and glitter the great Goblin King transformed into a beautiful white barn owl.

Sarah pulled into her driveway and stepped out of her car. She smiled at the sight of her childhood home. The door burst open and a ten year old Toby came running out of the house and jumped at her. She embraced him warmly, "Hello Toby sheesh you only saw me three weeks ago." He smiled brightly showing two of his missing teeth Sarah chuckled at the sight.

"I still missed you though. I was so mad when you told me that you weren't coming back with us! Sarah, mom said that you had to shoot someone or something like that."
Sarah laughed, "No I had to shoot a few scenes for a movie that's all."
Sarah soon found herself in a rather large bear hug, "Oh gosh dad, I do need oxygen you know?"
Harold Williams let go of his daughter and smiled broadly, "How goes the movie making?"

Sarah's eye's got wide and she smiled sarcastically, "Great, Michelle-that's my character-dies after twenty minutes of screen time. But at least you learn her first name right? It's better then nameless damsel in distress that runs around screaming in her underwear."

Before her father could respond Karen stepped out of the house and quickly walked towards Sarah, "Oh we were worried that you wouldn't make it in time."
Sarah hugged her step-mother and smiled, "I just barely made it, a couple more hours and I would've called and told you to cancel the party."

They pulled away and Karen's smile widened, "I wouldn't have heard it! I have never to this day cancelled a party and I'm certainly not going to break a perfect record. How was the shoot?"
They walked into the house and Sarah relayed a more detailed description about her first credited role in a movie.

Sarah smiled as her brother laughed at some ridiculous cartoon, "So Sarah I thought David was coming up with you?"
Sarah turned to face her step-mother her smile gone a solemn expression in it's place, "David and I broke up," seeing Karen's face she held up her hand and sighed, "I don't really want to talk about it if that's all right."

Karen shut her mouth and nodded the expression on her face clearly said that they would be talking about this later and Sarah really didn't feel like discussing another failed relationship with her step-mother.

Sarah slowly stood up and smiled slightly, "I'd like it if I could rest up a bit and take a shower, if that's all right?"
Karen smiled knowingly, "Of course Sarah go ahead I'll have your father bring your bags up for you. Lord knows where that mans ran off to this time."
Sarah smiled and walked towards the stairs ruffling her brother's hair along the way.

She reached the hallway out side her door and walked into her old bedroom, it looked just as she had left it she smiled slightly and walked over to her vanity mirror she sat down and glanced at her reflection.

"Lancelot!"
Sarah stood abruptly, "Someone has been in my room again!"
She quickly ran from her room, "I hate that! I hate it!"
She crossed the hallway and entered her father and Karen's room, Toby was crying as she flung the door open, "I hate you! I hate you!"
Sarah snatched a teddy bear out of Toby's crib and his screams grew even louder.
"Somebody save me. Somebody take me away from this awful place!"

Sarah shook her head, she had changed since that night. She never disrespected her father or Karen anymore. She loved her brother dearly and always showed it. She went out on dates though they all seemed to be dead-enders. She made friends and kept them throughout high school, she lived a normal life. Well as normal as Sarah Williams could.

Not just her character had changed but her appearance had changed significantly as well. Her once wavy chestnut locks were now straight and auburn from time spent in the sun. Her pale skin was tanned to a perfect olive hue. Her face had slimed out a bit and her eyes seemed older, more experienced.
She studied herself in the mirror her eyes slowly surveying her body. She had filled out a bit and her body was well toned from the various forms of self defense that she had tried in college.
She tried everything from Tai Chi to wrestling from kick boxing to fencing. Her agent had suggested such activities to make her résumé longer, and Sarah had happily obliged.

Sarah heard a knock at her door, "Sarah, could I talk to you?"
It was her father she rolled her eyes", "There's nothing to talk about! You'd better hurry. You'll be late."
She heard her father sigh through the door and she rolled her eyes again, "We've fed Toby and put him to bed. We should be back around midnight."
Sarah's expression turned from annoyed to furious as she heard her father's retreating steps, "You really wanted to talk to me, didn't you? Practically broke down the door!"

Sarah turned her head as she heard a knock at the door, "Yes?"

"Sarah, Karen sent me up with your bags. Good Lord, did you pack all of New York with you?" She stood up chuckling as she walked to the door and opened it revealing her father struggling with her two suit cases,
She smiled and took one of the bags from her father and set it on her bed.

"Do you need anything for a bath hon?"
Sarah looked up at her father and smiled warmly, "No dad I still know my way around don't worry. I'm just gonna go ahead and shower I think."

He nodded, "All right well you don't' need me here for that so I'll get out of your hair."
He hugged her again, "It's nice to have you home Sarah."
Her father smiled again then left her to the silence of her room.

"Hullo there lil' missy!"

TBC...