8 years later……

"Hurry!!" a voice screamed from the back, a shadowed hand calling the woman forward.

The woman headed through the dark hallway to the back, stopping at the door to wait impatiently. "What is so important?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her green eyes narrowing.

The small blonde grinned as she pointed out the window waiting till the other woman had leaned over.

With a huff, she let out a groan. "Ann." She rolled her eyes as she headed out of the room, reaching up to pull the pin from her hair, the dark curls falling down over her shoulder as she entered the bathroom.

Ann laughed as she watched the men across the street unload the furniture from the U-haul with happy glee. "You need to have a little fun sometimes, Sarah," she called to the closed door.

***

Her eyes were searching, for what she didn't know. A desperate need to find something forced her into the room. The dancers twirled around her, making her dizzy with the speed of their movement. Something caught her eye, a flash of blue and then it was gone leaving her searching still. Moving past them all, she continued to look around, her heart hammering out of control till she turned. Her eyes met his making her stop, the breath falling from her mouth. That was what she was searching for, him. As he neared her, she felt him pull her into his arms, his scent overpowering her as she felt him twirl her around the floor. The music sounded out to her, his mouth moving and she realized his voice was calling out to her, pulling her in as he held her close.

It soon became too much, the twirling, the faces around her. Pulling out of his arms she turned to see the clock everything coming back to her suddenly and as she made a dash away from him, she felt her heart breaking with each tick of the clock.

Sarah sat up quickly, hugging the sheet to her body, feeling the breeze from the open window cool her fevered skin. Wait, open window. Turning her eyes to it quickly, her mouth fell as she realized it was so, but she could have sworn she had closed it. Grabbing the sheet tight against her body, she slid out of bed and headed closer, her eyes shutting as the cool breeze drifted over her skin. Why had fate been so cruel to remind her of what she had lost? Her eyes drifted closed, a single tear trailing down her cheek, with the memory of the past.

Pushing back the hair from her face, she turned to the closet, reaching in to pull out a familiar box from the top shelf. Throwing it onto the bed, she paced back and forth, her eyes fixed on it as if it would move. With a sigh she reached out, flipping off the top, and peered in to see several notebooks and sketchpads. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she reached out with trembling fingers to grab the closest sketchpad, her eyes turning down to the familiar eyes that had haunted her for years. Flipping through the filled pages, she felt the pressure at her heart with each passing picture.

After a moment, she threw it onto the bed, her eyes closing as the tears threatened to consume her. "Jareth," she whispered only to bite her lip after words. She knew the power of words and the even greater power of names. Flopping back against her bedspread, she lifted her arms over her head and stared at the ceiling in confusion.

A flitter movement of shadows caused her to sit up quickly, her eyes darting to the window. A sigh of relief fell from her lips when she saw that it was merely a tree moving in the wind instead of the flutter of white wings.

Standing once more she grabbed a shirt that was draped over a chair and slid it over her head as she flicked up a pair of shorts from the floor slipping them on too. Sleep, at least for this night, was not going to happen and when she opened the door, she jumped slightly at the figure of her room mate.

"God Sarah, don't do that." She held a hand over her heart. "Its possible you gave me a heart attack." She laughed as she smacked her on the arm. "What are you doing up at this ungodly hour anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep."

Ann frowned. "Ah sorry." Her eyes darted past Sarah to the box that was still on her bed. Quickly brushing past her she grabbed one flipping through the pages. She smiled when she saw the drawings. "Wow."

Sarah groaned as she pushed off from the wall. "Put them back."

"What are these?" She grabbed at the notebooks, reading as she flipped. "Ooh stories, fantasies?"

"They're nothing, certainly not fantasies." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You have stacks of these in that box there, if not fantasies then what are they?" She lay down, propped up by an elbow. "Are they dreams?"

Sarah sighed, her eyes drifting over the familiar pictures before shutting the book and throwing it onto the desk. "Yeah…dreams."

Ann grabbed the book quickly, letting out a whistle as her eyes scanned over the drawings of The Goblin King. "What a babe?" She grinned. "Why did this never come up? Sarah, these are quite good."
Sarah shrugged. "They're from another life."

"How long have you had these dreams?" She sat up. "Like I wouldn't ask." She crossed her arms, waiting.

"Since I was fifteen."

"Wow. That's a long time to have been keeping this man to yourself. Who is he?"

"The Goblin King."

"Does he have a name?" When she didn't receive an answer she peeked up from the book. "Well?"

"He does, but I shouldn't…."

Ann laughed. "Like he's gonna come storming in cause we spoke his name." She grinned. "Oooo, scary. Come on tell me."

Sarah licked her lips. "Jareth."

"Sexy." She flopped onto her back holding the book above her. "These are good, the eyes…."

"Intense," Sarah whispered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." She grabbed the book and put them both into the box, shutting it once again into the dark closet, missing the dark shadow that drifted across the mirror.

***

Her footsteps echoed in the dark, her eyes searching everywhere for an opening as her fingers clawed at the walls. She cried out as she stumbled forward, the floor falling out from under her as she rolled away, her back slamming against the side of the rock. Wincing in pain, she pulled herself up to stand, her eyes squinting as she saw light near the ground. Reaching out she pushed the wall, instantly shielding her eyes as the bright sunlight drifted down to her.

She was outside, the darkened rock walls all around her, looking familiar yet unknown. She could hear a soft distant song echoing in her memory, as her feet struggled ahead, searching for something she couldn't remember. Everywhere around her were burned trees, burned bushes, the walls blackened with soot. Her fingers trailed down the rough edges, leaving a smear of color underneath and as she stumbled yet again she saw before her the steps of the castle.

With a gasping cry, she whirled around to look behind her, suddenly realizing that the burned up garden, the blackened walls, were all that remained of the once strong labyrinth. The great structure of old stood before her broken and in ruins…and it was all her fault.

Her feet hit the floor with a loud smack, her eyes popping open in irritation, she sighed as she saw her little brother. "What?" Her eyes were angry but her voice wasn't, she could never stay mad at him for long.

He pointed over his shoulder where their dad stood behind.

"This what they pay you to do?" Her dad asked jokingly.

She rolled her eyes. "It's a slow night."

He nodded as he handed over his keys, his fingers refusing to relinquish their hold as she struggled for them. Dropping his hand, he sighed. "Don't burn the house down."

"Funny." She dropped the keys in her back pocket. "You guys have a good time okay." Standing, she stretched before stepping around the counter to get ready for the lunch rush. As she watched them heading out, waving to her brother, an unsettling feeling seemed to lodge in her stomach. Reaching back to grab the keys, the cold metal reflecting the light from over head, she could feel the panic start to rise in her chest before she closed her eyes quickly.

***

The door opened slowly, her green eyes peeking around the corner. Shaking out her wet umbrella, she laid it against the wall as she closed the door behind her. Taking off her coat, she slipped it inside the closet as her eyes took in the room before her. Not much had changed the carpet had the same subtle tread of years of wear. The smells were the same, a mixture of her step-mother's cooking and her dad's exotic coffee mixtures.

Her body jumped as the clock struck the hour, her body feeling like a thousand ants were crawling over her skin. She turned, her reflection on the old glass showing wide, frightened eyes that belonged to an expression from long ago. "Get a grip Sarah. Just a house."

"Through dangers untold and hardships un-numbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great."

Her mouth formed a grin at the image of her younger self running through the house, ranting and raving. There was such magic in these walls, it radiated off of them. Shaking her head, she headed up the stairs, taking a moment when she reached her room. It had changed so much. Her toys, books, posters, were now being kept in boxes downstairs in the basement. Her old bed had been replaced with a newer, more comfortable model and as she sank down into it, she felt the old familiar ghosts of her past.

"But should you need us."

"Yes, should you need us?"

"I'll call…"

She shivered despite the warmth of the night, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as she glanced at the large mirror. Sitting up slowly, she stood making her way to its covered surface. Pulling back the cloth, she once again took in the older etching that covered the frame. Her fingers glided over its surface, her lower lip trembling before she hurried to the window to throw it open. The fresh air helped to clear her head and as she laid her head against the edge, she could hear those distant words that she would never forget.

"I ask for so little, just let me rule you and you can have everything you want. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."

Wrapping her arms around a large pillow, she lowered her head down against the bed, feeling her eyes grow tired, a small tear leaking out the corner as she drifted off.

***

She was falling, her mouth open to scream but no sound would come out. She flung her arms out as she fell into a pile of feathers. Rolling onto her back, she crawled across the floor stopping when she came to familiar black boots. Turning up to look at him, she screamed as he was propelled backwards, into the darkness. Pulling herself onto her feet, she couldn't find her footing as she slid every other step across the slippery ground. Her hand reached out into the dark as she tried to pull him back out but there was nothing but blackened wall in front of her.

A strangled gasp fell from her face as she leaped from the bed, the tangled sheet around her legs making her crash to the floor. Clenching her jaw from the pain, she untangled her limbs and grabbed her elbow to make sure it wasn't broken. With a sigh of relief she rolled to her back, trying to calm her racing heart. 'He's fine. Nothing can hurt him…not even me.' Rolling over, she pushed herself from the floor and headed down to the hall to the bathroom. Splashing some cold water on her face she leaned against the counter as she stared at her reflection. Not much had changed since she was fifteen. She had kept her hair the same length, but it was her eyes that could never stay the same since that night. Even she could see the dark, almost drawn look she saw staring back at her.

Switching off the light she headed out into the darkened hallway, the light from her room the only thing guiding her way back. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw him standing over the box she had brought with her. 'He's okay.' With a sigh she closed the door behind her, unnerved when he didn't turn. "What are you doing here?"

"You called me and you ask why I am here." He twisted around to face her, still as beautiful as she remembered, if not a bit different.

She reached out to grab the books out of his hands throwing them back behind her on the bed. Her eyes watched as he glared at her, feeling a twinge of uncertainty as she glanced away. "I didn't mean…" She stopped unable to tell him that she didn't want to call his name, knowing it would be a lie.

He pointed to the books. "Still believing in fairytales?" His smile was cruel causing her eyes to narrow against his gaze as he grabbed another book.

"Fairytales don't exist. You of all people showed me that."

"Hmm." He didn't answer her as he continued to flip through the pages in his hands.

As she watched him looking at her drawings she found her mouth falling open when she noticed just why he looked different to her. His hair, still shaggy and uneven, no longer held the usual bright blonde sheen it once had. Instead it looked rather dull, dark colors weaved within its mix. "What happened to you?"

He didn't look up but kept his eyes fixed on a particular drawing of himself as he stood before her on that finale moment. "You defeated my labyrinth…and therefore me." He closed the book with a resounding smack throwing it onto the desk beside him. "A girl defeated the Great Goblin King."

"I had to. You know why."

"Do I?"

She sighed. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done."

He grinned. "Yes it would seem so. Lucky for you I still have some power left." Though the amount he held was far from some but he wasn't about to let her know that.

"I tried to convince myself that it was all a dream."

"Any luck?" Though he already knew the answer.

She closed her eyes. "I did call…they didn't come."

"They were forbidden."

Her green eyes met his, the anger evident in the dark pools. "You forbid them? What right do you have?"

He closed the distance in half a heartbeat, his fingers wrapped around her hair as he yanked her head back harshly. "My kingdom, my servants…Just because I have no power over you doesn't mean that it's the same for the others." He let go pushing himself away from her.

"For what its worth I am sorry."

"It doesn't matter." He turned toward the window.

"Don't go." She pleaded causing him to pause. "I feel something dark….with the labyrinth."

He met her eyes quickly. "How could you?"

"I don't know." She took a few steps closer. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing that should concern you." He opened the window feeling her hand over his arm but shrugged it off.

She didn't want him to leave; she had to make him understand. "They told me it wasn't real. That I had imagined the whole thing." She let out a breath as he lowered his hands from the window. "Do you have any idea what its like to have the ideas of everyone around you drilled into your head?" She sighed. "After a while I convinced myself that they were right."

He turned his eyes unreadable. "Imagined? If it doesn't exist then what do you call this?" His hand was suddenly in her face, a single crystal held on the palm, as the images of her youth drifted around and around settling on the labyrinth.

"A dream." Her eyes remained on the crystal.

He took a step forward. "And me, dear Sarah. What would you call me?" His eyes were on hers, burning through her soul causing her head to grow fuzzy with confusion.

She sucked in a breath. "Something I can't ha…something I had to give up."

His brows drew down in confusion. "Had to? Or wanted to?" With a sneer he turned, his cape flying out behind him as he started toward the window.

"Wait!" She called out desperately, her breath catching when he paused. "How can I help?"
"Now you want to help?" He still didn't turn.

"As much as I tried to put it past me…its part of me." 'So are you.' She bit her lip, feeling like she was fifteen again pleading for her brother once more. "Please."

He sighed slowly. "Very well." Reaching out he held out a hand.

She hesitated, before reaching out, her fingertips barely touching it before her feet were swept out from under her. Closing her eyes she gasped as she lurched forward, her hands flat upon the familiar ground. Opening her eyes, she felt a part of her coming together as she once again peered upon the great labyrinth that awaited her, only this time there wouldn't be a time frame. And they would be working together rather than apart.

***

The first thing she was aware of when she opened her eyes was a bright array of sunlight that was directing right into her eyes. Groaning she grabbed a pillow, covering her face as she buried farther into the covers.

The sound of laughter reached her ears before she popped out of the covers, her eyes peeking into the corner of the room where a woman sat. Sarah's confused gaze was met with a mildly amused one.

The woman stood, gracefully walking toward the bed. Her long auburn hair was practically on fire as the sunlight touched it. As she neared, Sarah could make out the two distinct eyes that were different colors. 'Fae, definitely' "Who are you?"

The woman smiled, her eyes practically glowing as she neared. "Lena." She took a seat on a chair near the bed. "So you're really her, aren't you?"

Sarah shrugged. "Um."

Lena covered her mouth. "Oh I'm so sorry, its just that we've all heard so much about you." She stood. "And now you're here. Sarah."

"Your eyes…"

Lena tilted her head slightly before making her way to the closet to pull out a dress, throwing it down onto the bed. "You've a long day; we've got to get to the labyrinth."

Sarah's blood grew cold as she pulled the covers tighter around her chest. "The labyrinth…I'm not going to…"

"Oh don't be silly." She held a hand on her hip. "Its in no shape to test anyone, trust me." Without another word she left the room

***

Her groan of frustration was loud as she made her way to the small fountain near the entrance. "You."

He stood, heading toward her. "Little trip down memory lane?" A crystal ball swirling around his fingers before disappearing.

Sarah stopped walking, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer her as he took in her clothing. She wore a long skirted dress, the color of the lush forest, and it fit her in more ways than one. "You think you can make a difference here?"

"I'm going to try." Her eyes flashed as if daring him to tell her different.

"It won't do any good." He shrugged his shoulders. "Tis your time not mine that's wasted today." He moved past her as he headed away.

"You really think that you intimidate anyone?"

He paused turning his head slightly to look behind him. "I intimidate you, and that's enough…for now."

"You do not intimidate me because…you have no power over me." She grinned when she saw him wince visibly before he turned sharply to stand before her.

Walking toward her, he felt a jolt of triumph as she backed away. "Then why do you tremble before me?" He removed a fallen leaf from her hair.

She pushed his hand from her, standing quickly to move away from him as she pushed him back. As her eyes turned to the great doors, she felt a small tingle of fear beginning in her stomach. Hearing him walking away again, she flicked her gaze to him. "How did you know where I was last night?"

"I just did."

"Were you spying on me?"

"Hardly." He turned, his body turned away from her still. "I've always known where you were."

"But you never came before."

"You never asked me to."

"I didn't know I could."

"Well now you know." He continued to walk away before she saw him disappear.

She jumped when Lena appeared beside her. "Don't do that."

Lena's brows drew together as she glanced about, apparently having missed something. "Shall we?" At her words, the great doors opened, inviting them in.

Sarah shivered instantly, staring at the shadows just beyond the entrance. "I…can't."
Lena rolled her eyes as she grabbed Sarah's hand pulling her forward. As they stepped just beyond the doors, Lena jumped them to the main area where the walls had once moved but now remained lifeless. Removing her hand, she stepped back.

Sarah's eyes stung with the tears that threatened to fall as she gazed around her. The blackened walls, the broken rocks, the burned hedges. Falling to her knees, she was wracked with guilt at destroying this beautiful spirit. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Standing, she reached out to wipe away the dirt, the black grime, revealing the colored rock underneath. Her vision grew blurry, her head started to throb and as she shook her head to clear everything, she felt her knees give out. With a cry, she fell toward the ground, barely feeling hands grasp her arms before everything went black.

As they faded away, a single red rose sprung forth from the gravel, drifting to the sky. The labyrinth had awakened.

***

As she opened her eyes she became aware that she back in the castle, no memory of getting there. Pulling the covers around herself, she realized she had been dressed in a white sleeping gown. It was made of the softest lace, the bottom coming to mid thigh, the top supported by thick lace straps. Sitting up, she pulled the covers over the leg that had escaped, the gown slipping up to her hip. Rubbing her fingers through her hair, she suddenly realized she wasn't alone in the room.

With a slight jump she heard someone rise from a chair in the corner, heading her way. As the figure moved across the moonlight streaming in through the window, she relaxed as she saw it was only Jareth. This thought alone sent a shiver up her spine making her grip the covers tighter around her chest, feeling a strap fall down her shoulder. Her skin tingled as she watched his eyes fall to her bare shoulder, the look on his face making it hard to breathe. "What are you doing here?"

He said nothing as he reached out to stroke her temple where a large bruise had formed, making her wince.

"Ow." She pulled away from him as her fingers touched the tender skin. "What did I hit?"

He smirked. "The ground." Stepping back he turned to the door pausing.

She slid out of bed ignoring his eyes as she gripped the edge of the bed, her vision slightly black. Feeling a hand at her elbow she allowed him to pull her up, her body resting against his as they moved across the room stopping just at the large balcony doors. Her eyes closed as the throbbing in her temple increased and her body shivered uncontrollably when she felt the his warmth settle against her back as the breeze fell over her skin.

"Look."

Her eyes opened slowly, the expanse of the kingdom before her eyes, the labyrinth splayed out for miles. It was then that she noticed the coloring, felt the hum of energy that lifted off of the great structure and it caused her to gasp.

He leaned down to her ear to whisper softly, smiling slightly when her body shivered against him. "You've brought life back here." His arms slid from her as he stepped back, his skin tingling at her nearness.

When she turned he was gone.