Disclaimer: Neither the labyrinth nor its characters belong to me.
Sarah sat down heavily on the padded bench and sobbed. A lifetime of precious memories flooded her mind as she thought about her husband; lying so peacefully in his plush, satin-lined box.
"Hello." The beautiful dark-haired man she'd been watching all day said shyly, his green eyes sparkling.
"Uh, hello." Cheeks burning, she looked down at the book she had in her hand, and for an instant saw her battered, red leather lined copy of The Labyrinth. She quickly looked up, and was lost in his eyes. Surfacing, she remembered she hadn't even told him her name yet, or asked his. "I'm Sarah."
He nodded and smiled brilliantly. "I know, you're in my Chem class. I noticed you sitting here all alone, and wondered if you'd like to go out tonight." He blushed slightly. "I've kinda been watching you for the past week." He held out his hand "I'm Jarod."
Very carefully, so as not to show her complete shock, she asked "Jareth?" She let out a long breath when he shook his head.
"Sorry, I sort of mumble sometimes. Jarod." He pronounced it slowly this time to be sure she heard right. He grinned, "You haven't answered my question."
Sarah quickly ran through the list of things she was supposed to do tonight: dishes, laundry, homework. She looked up at him, prepared to say no, and immediately decided otherwise. She took the hand he was still offering and used it to help herself up. "I'd love to go out tonight. Pick me up at eight." She flashed him a flirty grin, and walked away, leaving him somewhat bemused, but happy.
Smiling at the memory, she dried her tears and gazed lingeringly upon her beloved. She walked up to him, touched his cheek, and kissed him softly. "Goodbye, my love." She looked at her wrinkled old hands and smiled a little bit. "I'll join you soon," she said tenderly.
Sarah walked out of the funeral home and didn't look back. She had some last-minute plans to make, then she wouldn't be sad any longer.
Jareth looked into the crystal, all his attention taken up by the little old woman in such pain. He'd felt the tug and known that she was unhappy, but he hadn't dreamed that this had happened. He sighed deeply, knowing there was nothing he could do to ease her suffering, but wishing there was.
"Majesty?" Braeden, his trusted friend, and advisor, asked. "Is there something wrong?" Concerned, he paced forward to stand just behind the king's right shoulder, and looked into the crystal. "Oh," he breathed, sensing the problem immediately.
"For nearly fifty years I have watched her; protecting when I could, fretting over her every pain." He grimaced. "I am so damned tired of loving her," he growled. "I ache for want of her; this…mortal who won her prize by denying me! I could have any woman in this kingdom, and I'm all wrapped up in her!" He flung his arms up in a gesture of surrender. "And now, when she truly needs me, I cannot go to her, cannot hold her as we've both dreamed of, cannot do anything." Jareth, his face twisted in pain, turned towards his friend. "What do I do?" he pleaded.
Braeden closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Never had Jareth responded to Sarah this way. Of course, he mused, she had never lost her love before. "Jareth," he said softly, hesitantly. "Go to her."
Jareth spun, eyes blazing, but Braeden raised his hand and continued before he could interrupt. "I am not jesting, Jareth. You have kept your distance because she had a life, a love." He gestured at the crystal still in the Goblin King's hand. "The latter is gone, and the former is quickly diminishing. You've stood on the sidelines – a silent, invisible benefactor – for so long." He sighed deeply. "Those of us who care for you have been forced to watch you…pine for the unattainable." He looked squarely into his friend's mismatched, confusion-filled eyes. "It's time. Go to her – if only for a night. There is so much that should be spoken before she follows her husband into death. Tell her the truth; tell her you love her – have always loved her. Give her the chance to know you as we do: the man behind the mask." His voice got soft, full of a shared pain, but his eyes held Jareth's. "Do not let her die without knowing."
Jareth stood silent for a moment, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and vanished.
Braeden smiled, maybe now it could all be as it should.
Sarah laid on her bed, the one she and Jarod had shared for forty years; her best dress laid out beside her. Eyes closed, she remembered their wedding day.
She stood, amidst her beautiful bride's maids, knees knocking beneath the full skirt of her dress. "What if he's changed his mind?" she asked plaintively.
Karen, her step-mother, laughed. "Baby, he's standing out there right now thinking the very same thing about you!"
Sarah, face blank, asked, "But why?"
Her best friend, Jenna took her hand and patted it lightly. Her eyes twinkled as she answered. "For the same reason you are. He can't imagine why someone as beautiful and wonderful as you would want to marry him." She smiled and nodded as the woman came in to tell them it was time. "Now go start the best years of your life."
She went to the window for a short breath of fresh air and saw an owl in the tree across the street. She had started to call his name, but when she blinked it was gone.
Sarah felt tears slipping down her cheeks. "Damn you," she cursed softly. "I loved him, I truly did. But you were always there, through all of our happy times. I never seemed to be able to forget about you."
She sighed and ran her fingertips over cold steel. She pulled in a hissing breath as blood welled, then laughed lightly. "Stupid," she said to thin air. "Sharp is what I wanted." She squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for the brief pain.
"Oh Sarah, no." Said a heart-wrenchingly familiar voice.
Sarah's eyes flew open and she gasped as her hand slipped and pain blossomed. She tried to pull away as Jareth took her hand, but he held it firmly as he passed his other palm over it. The pain stopped just as quickly as it had begun. "J…Jareth?" Sarah's voice held shocked disbelief.
He stood there in all his natural glory. Tousled blonde hair, lovely mismatched eyes, and beautifully fine boned face. His clothes fit perfectly, and were tailored to suit his frame exceptionally well. She had to fight off a blush at what she could all-to-clearly see through his leather breeches. "Sarah," he said simply, eyes full of pain, "don't do this." He sat beside her gently and ran his fingers lightly over her face, tracing the still-visible lines of cheek and jawbone.
Blinking back tears, Sarah met his eyes. "Why are you here, Jareth?" she asked, voice trembling.
"Sarah," his voice shook slightly as he raised her palm to his lips. "All those years ago, I fell in love with you." He placed a finger against her lips as she began to protest. "Your strength, your courage; everything about you." Eyes darkening, he continued. "You beat me at my challenge, and with your last words, our places were set."
"You have no power over me," she whispered, remembering like it was yesterday rather than five decades ago. She looked at him, rapt, and she took a deep breath. "Oh, but you did have power over me. I wanted to stay with you so badly. I spent the next nine years dreaming about what could have been."
He smiled a knowing smile. "Ahh, Sarah. Had I but known, we could have had some wonderful dreams." He laughed softly, none of the cruelty she remembered so well apparent in the sound.
Blushing furiously, Sarah stammered. "I…I had a couple anyway."
Jareth's eyes widened, and he threw back his head and laughed out loud; beautiful blonde mane brushing his back as his body shook. When he had calmed, he rose, her hand still held in his. Pulling her to her feet, he wrapped his powerful arms around her and held her tight. "Come back with me Sarah," he whispered in her ear. "Come live out your life with me. I love you; I have since I first saw you standing there, awe in your eyes. Come live in my world." He smiled and held out a crystal. "It will show you your dreams." He flicked his wrist, and the crystal vanished. "And I will give to you whatever you desire."
Tears streaming, Sarah shook her head. "Oh, Jareth, I can't." She contemplated her wrinkled skin, her frail bones. "I'm old."
Jareth chuckled and bent to place a soft kiss on her mouth. "You are a good three or four life-times younger than I," he replied. Once more he urged, "Come with me, Sarah. Let me make you my queen. I will bring you back here whenever you desire; but live in the Underground as my beloved wife."
Sarah stood, watching her first love beg her to go with him to a fantastic place that she had regretted leaving for most of her life. Even though she married, and loved her husband, she missed the man now standing in front of her. Resolve crumbling, she nodded, and hugged him close. "I will, Jareth." She laughed, a glimmer of her younger self shining through. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but I will!"
His face relaxed into a gorgeous smile, and he told her to close her eyes as he wrapped her in his arms and held her close.
"You may open them now," He told her as he let her go reluctantly.
She opened her eyes to see that they stood in a bedchamber…apparently his. Sumptuously decorated in dark reds, blacks and purples, it was truly glamorous. "Oh my," she breathed, completely in awe.
Jareth grinned and spoke with high amusement. "You think this is nice, just wait a moment." He bent, and kissed her passionately for a long moment, hands tangled in her hair. When he broke for air, he pulled back to see her face. Smiling triumphantly, he conjured a mirror and held it up before her eyes.
Sarah, unbelieving, touched her face, her body. It was all smooth and the skin was tight. Her muscles were toned again, her body parts not affected by gravity anymore. She couldn't believe it. "Oh Jareth," she cried, flinging her arms around his neck and kissing him with ardor. "I'm twenty again!!!" She danced around the room, reveling in her agility, strength and reflexes. Turning to look at him, she laughed mirthfully. "Oh, thank you!!"
He walked over to her, and lifted her in his arms. "You are like me now, you will age very slowly, and will be beautiful for as long as I am." He smiled and kissed her again. "I'm glad you like it." His face clouded for a moment, and his strength seemed to falter.
Concerned, she looked at his face more closely and saw fatigue. "What did you do?"
Shaking the slight pain away, he looked up at her and smiled again, lowering her to her feet. "I tied you to me. You will live like this because you will share my life force."
Grasping the concept, Sarah said sharply, "But that means you won't live as long as you would have otherwise.
Nodding, he replied softly. "I don't want to live any longer than you. I have spent so many years alone, I have no desire to spend more that way." He picked her up again, cradling her against his chest, and walked over to the bed. Lowering her, he grinned. "Now, tell me about those dreams."
They spent the rest of the day reliving dreams they'd both had; unaware that the other had been dreaming of the same thing. Needless to say, they were both very happy people.