Disclaimer: Labyrinth doesn't belong to me, I'll just say that, despite the fact that I wish it did. So, if you're planning to sue me, you'd better have a good reason!

Author's Note: Rated PG-13 just in case things get a little more dark, including swearing, suggestive scenes and whatnot. Though now those seemed to be rated PG. Where has our DIGNITY gone! Alright, I'm done. Hope you all enjoy the fan fiction, and be sure to comment if you do, so that I'll know if you want me to continue.

'We go forward, we go back,' An ethereal voice whispered in her ear, as Sarah Williams snapped up from her deep slumber, glancing around as her skin crawled. Nothing. Only the light tapping of a gnarled tree branch swatting against her window made a sound, matched in rhythm with the harsh beating of her own heart. The same words had been spoken to her every night for almost three weeks now, in the same eerie voice. Though, before the dream could take its course, she was jerked back into reality, by one thing or another. "Why can't I see further?"Sarah asked no one in particular, brushing away a fresh coating of sweat that had began to form at her hairline. Every night, the voice altered slightly, as though different parts of her subconscious were trying to send a signal. Though one voice mattered, and one voice only. His.

"Snap out of it, Sarah," She outwardly berated herself, feeling much like a lost and confused child, who had been left alone to fend for herself. It had all been a dream, from the very beginning. Her whole life had been a dream, or more appropriately, a nightmare. The line between her fantasy world and reality was so horribly obscured, that Sarah could never figure out the difference. Of course, you'd think, typical girl fantasizing about a cruel and overpowering man who offered his love freely to her, practically on a silver platter. No, it wasn't that way at all, quite the opposite really, the very thought of him bringing a fresh wave of chills down her spine. Even after the long four years since their meeting, his face still hovered in the back of her mind, wanting to force itself back into her daily thoughts, though Sarah just couldn't allow it. 'You're an idiot to have believed that story in the first place, just forget about it and go back to bed,' She thought bitterly, slumping back down into the soft concaved surface of her bed covers and drifting off into a hazy half-sleep.

Maybe the voices were just reminding her how much she missed her younger brother, Toby, who had been granted the opportunity to attend a school for gifted young children, something that both Karen and her father had become ecstatic about, saying things like 'Toby's a gifted child, success! At least one of them turned out,' Followed by a rather smarmy wink in Sarah's direction. In some corner of her mind, she knew that they were partially serious, but neither parties would admit to any such favoritism. 'Less thinking, more sleeping,' She thought, hanging on the edge of sleep, only to find herself awoken by the crude sound of an alarm clock, otherwise known as Karen.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" Her seemingly merry voice rang throughout the entire house, followed by irritated grumbles and groans from both her father at one end of the house, and Sarah, who glanced over at the blinking red numbers on the clock, wondering how time had passed so quickly. Of course, during summer, staying up until four AM thinking about life wasn't a big deal, but now, insomnia plagued her, as did the oncoming morning that one day threatened to kill her.

"Daaaamn," Sarah mumbled softly, rolling onto her back as the sound of Karen's footsteps neared the outside of her door. It was only the second week of school, and already Sarah wished that she didn't have to go. Honestly! Hatred of school wasn't supposed to happen at least until exams rolled around, and you found yourself swimming in a pool of homework and failing grades.

A soft knock echoed at the door, asking for entrance. But before Sarah could even respond with an angry (and not to mention mature) 'I don't want to go to school today,' Karen had let herself in, grinning broadly and almost sashaying over to the small window on the opposite wall from her bed. With one swift motion, she flung the curtains open, as the fresh sunlight poured in, lightening her dim room and highlighting every inch.

"If you were trying to make me go blind, mission accomplished," Sarah groaned tiredly, turning over so that her front was smothered in blankets, trying to hide from the creeping sunlight. Karen, of course, was feeling more than bouncy today, skipping over to where Sarah lay hiding, and tossing the covers off of her, and pulling away the pillows. With a small hiss muffled from the mattress, the teen eventually gave up and jumped out of bed, glaring at her stepmother the entire time.

"It's just such a wonderful day! You should walk to school with your friends ... Auburn and James?" Karen asked enthusiastically, causing Sarah to absent-mindedly wonder if she had accidentally began smoking something. If she began to see pretty colors, it would be the first sign.

"Aubrey and Jamie," Sarah corrected her, stifling a laugh. It was really beyond her, the fact that over the years, Karen and Sarah had become friendly towards one another (despite the occasional argument or catfight) almost like a real mother and daughter.

"Come down for breakfast in five, I have things cooking as we speak." Then, without another jaunty word, Karen strode off into the hallway, and disappeared down the flight of stairs, each step creaking as she stepped on them, telling secrets of everything in the house.

"Mental ... she's freaking mental." Sarah let out a small chuckle before carefully running her hand along the disturbed covers of her bed. Ten and a half minutes later (exactly), she was ready for school, too bad that class actually started in ten minutes, but that was just a minor detail. After all, in her final year of high school, supposedly when the slacking began, and Sarah was just another prime example of a typical grade 12 teenager. Set out on the worn wooden table were plates of pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, bagels, and pretty much every other breakfast food you could imagine, along with a tall glass of frosty orange juice. "Thanks, Karen, but I'm really not that hungry," she sighed regretfully. Glancing up at the dejected look on her stepmother's face, Sarah snatched up a pancake and stuck part of it in her mouth, which dangled as she spoke. "Juss fer yoo," Sarah said through a mouthful of pancake, waving goodbye before walking out the front door, onto the empty sidewalk.

Glancing around the formerly buzzing street, Sarah hoped to see signs of either Aubrey or Jamie, though it would have seemed that they'd left without her. Then, a little voice whispered a reminder. 'Next time you're late, we're leaving without you,' Jamie had said in a teasing voice, her eyes laughing. Of course, at that time, Sarah hadn't taken her seriously, but now, it had become a sad truth.

Twenty minutes later, Sarah arrived at the front doors of her high school, rushing in, her stomach cramped from running along the street, face flushed a deep crimson. The clock read exactly 9:15 as she burst in through the double doors and surveyed all around her. Only a few slacking students were in the halls, so Sarah immediately ran down the right hallway and tried to walk in casually to her homeroom. "Sorry ... Mr. Whyte," She gasped, feeling the ability to breathe finally return to her. "Something came up this morning at home," Lie. If 'Something came up at home,' really meant, 'I was too lazy to get to school this morning,' then perhaps he would've looked like he'd believed her.

"Ah, I see we have a volunteer then!" Mr. Whyte said approvingly to Sarah, looking around at the rest of the class with amusement. Clearly he had been talking about something before she arrived, and now, as a punishment, she would have to do whatever assignment this was. "And you, Mr. Scott, you can accompany your friend," Pointing a stubby hand towards Aubrey, he suppressed a laugh, motioning for both of them to leave the classroom.

"Wait, what's going o-" Sarah began, before being pushed out of the classroom by Aubrey, who looked slightly miserable, bordering on depressed. "Did I get you in trouble?" She asked, the blush in her face now fading, replaced by the original ivory pallor of her skin.

"Nah, but you volunteered me to help you guide a new student around the school, we're supposed to get him down at the office," Aubrey grimaced, his accentuation of the word him causing Sarah to snort with laughter. Running a hand through her deep chestnut locks, she found herself becoming relaxed again. Something about Aubrey always tended to do that for both Jamie and Sarah, as though he could fix any problem, or change any bad situation into a good one. Even after years of being his friend though, Sarah wondered why he didn't just ditch them to hang out with his flock of admiring followers, who seemed plastered to his side. After all, he was, sorry, used to be rather popular, and still was in some respects ... and well, Sarah and Jamie just weren't. 'Ah well, c'est la vie,' Sarah thought, grinning inwardly.

"So I see you were hoping that it was of the female species?" She continued to look at him with eyes full of laughter. How like Aubrey to immediately hope for a girl transfer, another addition to his group. Pointing an accusing finger at him, Sarah feigned a serious look, "Womanizer!" she cried, perhaps a little more loudly than anticipated, but it got her point across. Changing the subject briefly, Sarah spoke with a small grin. "Maybe he'll be cute, and then we'll fall madly in love, and run away to get married after our tragic relationship. Like Romeo and Juliet, only minus the death." Walking up to the office, Aubrey turned the handle and opened it.

"After you, milady." He smirked, watching her enter the office and following in shortly after. She turned around to face Aubrey and stuck her tongue out, before the new student came into view. He followed behind her quietly and glanced up at the new student. 'He isn't that good looking.' Aubrey thought somewhat bitterly, staring up and down the student to size him up. Why was Sarah acting so strangely? Her entire posture had seized up, as she stood frozen on the spot.

"Oh shit," she cursed under her breath, turning back to look at Aubrey, who had a mixture of confusion and amusement on his face. Instant recognition flooded her, as the same spiked blond hair, different colored irises and dominating stature came back into her mind. Though, he looked much less like he had, and more like an average teen ... except for the fact that he wasn't. Biting down on her lip, Sarah felt a familiar pang of metallic blood hit her tongue, having bitten down a little too much. She was shaking slightly, feeling suddenly weak in the knees, as though she would collapse any moment. With one weak gesture towards him, Sarah spoke softly.

"Jareth?"

Author's Note: Oh ... man. My first ever chapter of my first ever Labyrinth story, and I really don't know about it. Honestly, I do have a plot! But it'll take a little bit to unfold completely. So if you want me to keep writing chapters and whatnot, please comment, because otherwise I'll figure that you all despise it, and there will be no point in me continuing.

Thanks Laura, Pammy and Bryan for giving me your opinions and fixing all of my simple errors, I really appreciate all the help I can get.

So remember, comment, and I'll keep going. Or maybe I'll keep going even if you don't comment, we'll just have to find out now, won't we?

One thing I can assure you though, things are never as they appear, and though this may seem like a typical J/S fan fiction, you'll (hopefully) be surprised.