Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.

Summary: An odd twist of fate allows Sarah to experience the dreams she gave up. But what happens to her dreams when she starts falling for the Goblin King? Will she be forced to once again relinquish her dreams or will she deny Jareth for a second time?

The Magic Of Dreams

Chapter One

Sarah had been in her own apartment for six months now. It was complete with a small kitchen, a smaller bathroom with only a toilet and shower unit, and a living room that doubled as a bedroom. It had one closet that was too narrow to even hold a door, the small area of carpet was almost thread bare, and the kitchen sink dripped constantly. But, it also had a small balcony, which connected to the much larger apartment next door and was also the second reason Sarah took the place, the first being the reasonable rent.

But, it was hers. All hers. It was practical, located only two blocks from school and work, and she could afford it. To Sarah, it was the grand master of apartments, despite having to leave most of her belongings behind. But, that was okay, too, because most of her belongings were nothing but space filling junk anyway. If it had been up to Sarah, she would have sold most of it, but Karen had insisted on keeping the boxed stuff in the attic.

This apartment was also her achievement for breaking free from under her father's roof, and Karen's scrutiny. They had sent Toby to boarding school while she attended the community college, and had refused to pay for her to live on campus, or even help her financially at all. Working at the local diner across from campus, she was finally earning enough money to be on her own, though she didn't have a phone, or a computer, and luckily didn't need a car. Nope, Sarah Williams' life had become hum-drum and practical. Everyone kept telling her to grow up and get her head out of the clouds, and one day, that's exactly what she had done.

The connecting apartment was occupied by a recently divorced woman with two kids. Her husband had left them for another woman, leaving Jody flat on her back after she lost the house, and everything else. Sarah didn't ask what Jody did for a living, but she knew it involved expensive clothes and nightly hours. Sarah had no right to judge, and refused to think anything wrongly towards the lady. She had a pleasant personality, and was always kind to Sarah, going so far as to share food with her sometimes.

Jody relied strongly on her daughter, Tina, during these hard times. Tina was fifteen and reminded Sarah of herself at that age. Tina was expected to at least get passing grades in school, keep the apartment straightened up, and make meals for her little brother, Mikey. And Tina resented every waking moment of her life.

Sarah would often hear the girl crying out on the balcony, wishing she was someone else, somewhere else, or simply having never been born at all. Sarah knew just how she felt. Then, one night in particular, after Jody and Tina had had another mother/daughter shouting match, Sarah had decided to try and help. She cautiously went to her double glass pained doors at the balcony, and tapped on the glass from the inside of her apartment to get Tina's attention. The girl had looked up, her eyes puffy and red, yelled 'fuck you' at her, and disappeared into their apartment, slamming their own set of doubled glass doors. Yea, Sarah totally remembered being like that.

Sarah sunk down in her old garage sale lounge chair, that doubled as her bed when she made it lay flat. She reminisced back six years ago, when nobody could tell her anything, either. Not even a King had been able to truly make her see reason, though he had definitely left an imprint on her. Sarah smiled wistfully, a touch of nostalgia nagging at her insides. She often wondered what the Goblin King would have done if she hadn't said those final words. But those thoughts were just as fanciful as wondering what would have happened if her mom had never left. Would she have called the Goblin King if her own mom had been the one who had had another baby? Sarah wondered, what if she had called the goblin King in a fanciful way, would he have come to her for different reasons? What if she had never heard of the Goblin King, or his labyrinth, would she still have matured as quickly as she had after that experience?

Sarah sighed deeply, and mentally shrugged. It didn't matter. She had said what was said, she had done what she had done. She had won the game and returned home to grow up, get a job, go to college, and long for those days gone by when she could dress up, and run through the park in her own fanciful mind. When she had dreamed of things with such vivid clarity, that she often wondered if Jareth had actually been real or just a figment of her imagination.

Mikey's bawling at the top of his lungs broke Sarah from her reverie. Tina was yelling at him to shut the fuck up, which didn't do anything except make the two years old cry even harder. "I hate you!" Sarah heard Tina scream, sounding as though her vocal chords would snap. With a sad sigh, Sarah rose from her comfy spot to go get her headphones and listen to music to block out the screaming noise from next door.

She learned the hard way not to get involved during these times. Her trying to help wasn't appreciated at all by the teenaged girl, so Sarah ignored the goings on from the other side of the wall as much as possible. Tina wouldn't actually hurt her brother, no more than Sarah would have ever hurt Toby, and after the teen screamed out her rage she would coddle the baby, and soothe him in loving arms until he fell asleep. Until then, Sarah turned a deaf ear to the noise with some music, while burying her nose in a book.

It wasn't until a flash of lightening caught Sarah's attention that she 'felt' something in the air. Her skin prickled as she dropped her book with distraction and slowly rose from her chair, taking the headphones off to warily move towards the balcony doors. She hadn't felt a sensation like this since… since being in the Goblin King's presence.

"No," Sarah whispered with dread, surging forward to the balcony doors. Pushing them open, she could hear Tina shouting from inside their apartment, the glass balcony doors on their side were wide open. A harsh wind blew, seemingly only on their balcony, and the rumble of thunder accompanied another flash of lightening.

"Please, I didn't mean it!" Tina yelled in fear, then saw Sarah as she came to stand in the doorway behind the frightening being who had taken her little brother. "Sarah! Help me! He took Mikey! I didn't mean it, I swear, I didn't mean it!"

The Goblin King slowly turned to meet the gaze of someone he never expected to see again. He narrowed his eyes threateningly to hide his surprise as she stepped into the dim lit room. Her hair blew all around her face in the wind, her eyes held his with as much disbelief as he himself felt.

"What's said is said!" Jareth stated forcibly, his voice booming above the storm, pointing at Sarah. He took a dramatic step to the side as Sarah slowly stepped forward, gazing up at him with green eyes full of wonder, and longing.

"Sarah," Tina cried out in warning. "Don't get too close! He's dangerous!"

"Yes," Jareth purred menacingly. "I can be very frightening, can't I, Sarah?"

"Only when you're feeling generous, I'm sure," she replied, taking in his ageless appearance with sad appreciative eyes. He had been real. She hadn't imagined him. Something deep within Sarah awakened with excitement, a feeling Sarah hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Tell him to give me back my brother!" Tina demanded of Sarah from across the room.

"Release the baby," Sarah stated softly, pausing merely a pace before the king.

"You have no say in the matter, Sarah," he stated forcibly. "Go back to your lonely existence and forget you have ever seen me."

"I can't," Sarah insisted in a quiet tone, her heart burning with the rush of blood from the sight of him. "I know these people. Her mother works hard everyday to provide for her kids. She loves them very much. I won't let you destroy the little bit she has left."

"You won't let me, you say!" Jareth repeated, tilting his head back and laughed at her. He then suddenly met her gaze with coldness in his eyes, pointing at her accusingly. "You have no power here!"

"Yes, I do," she stated calmly, stepping closer to him, feeling mesmerized by him all over again, just as she had years before. "I can feel it. I felt you the moment you appeared here. It was your presence that called to me, not Tina's cries for help."

"The words were spoken," Jareth declared, casually stepping away from her. "She must defeat the labyrinth to get the child back, just as you had done six years ago!"

"Sarah! You know who he is?" Tina asked in a raised hysterical voice, still cowering against the far wall of the living room.

"Sarah knows me very well, don't you, dear girl?" Jareth answered whimsically, retaining his eye contact with Sarah's.

"Let me go instead," Sarah requested, taking a rushed step closer to him.

He leaned his upper body back slightly, but kept his feet firmly in place. "It doesn't work that way."

"I wish it to…"

"Stop!" he barked at her forcibly, closing the space between them to hover over her intimidatingly. "Say no more! The girl must fulfill her obligation, what's said is said, nothing can alter that," he told her in a steady voice, his tone hinted of regret. He would love to have Sarah back in his labyrinth, but he refused to be at such a disadvantage as to give in to her demands so easily.

"I agree with you," Sarah stated evenly, shocking Jareth enough to take a full step back from her. "She must find her own way through the labyrinth."

"What?!" Tina yelled incredulously. "I thought you were trying to help me!" she accused hotly.

"I am helping you," Sarah stated, never taking her eyes from Jareth. "Defeating the labyrinth was the first step for my growing up. But, I wasn't asking to take Tina's place, Goblin King, I was asking to take Mikey's. Though, the child needs to be cared for until Jody returns home from work."

"You have no idea what you ask," Jareth accused incredulously. "I no longer desire your affections," he lied convincingly. "Another has gained my favor since your rejection of me."

"I'm not talking about that," she whispered. "I miss it, Jareth. Can't you understand that I miss the fantasy, the magic, the wonder of your world?" She licked at suddenly dry lips. "I miss the freedom of dreaming, of the mysteries of an imagination. I've grown up too much, Goblin King. Please, let me see it just once more." Her eyes suddenly lit with dawning, and she lifted her chin ever so slightly. "Give me back the hours you have stolen from me, Goblin King."

His lips curled up as though he was about to laugh again, but the sound never came out. His features sharpened with contemplation, his eyes bore into hers intimidatingly, as he tilted his head slightly with serious regard. "And what would I gain from such an act of generosity, if I were to consider it?"

Sarah smiled sinisterly, her eyes alight with victory. "I would grant you one request, without question or argument, during my time in your kingdom."

He was about to reiterate that he had no interest in her, nor anything she could offer him, but the foolishness of that decision was plain in his mind. The corners of his lips curled, matching her expression perfectly. "You are not to interfere with the girl, or her brother in any way."

"Agreed, but the baby returns home to his mother whether Tina wins or not."

"Then, you would remain in his place if she fails," he stated assertively.

"Yes."

"Sarah, what the hell are you doing?" Tina yelled, pushing from the wall slightly. "You're not helping at all!"

"On the contrary, she is helping considerably," Jareth informed the younger teen, holding Sarah's steady gaze. "Close your eyes, Sarah, and remember any part of my labyrinth."

Tina gasped as she watched Sarah vanish with a simple wave of the Goblin King's hand over her. He then turned his mystical eyes towards the teen, causing her to back up into the wall once more. "It's time to find out how much you didn't mean your words, Tina."

XxXxX

Hoggle hopped around the garden at the outer wall, spraying fairies with his poison spray can. "Seventy-four!" he exclaimed happily as another dreadful winged one fell to the ground. He only had twenty-six more to spray to reach his quota for the day. Then he would be summoned to assist another wisher into the labyrinth.

He briefly wondered what was taking so long, Jareth sure was taking his time bringing the girl into the Underground. Then he felt a shimmer within the Labyrinth, as did every creature in the kingdom, announcing the presence of a mortal. "Now what'd he put her inside for?" he wondered, completely perplexed by this strangeness. Then he felt another shimmer, along with the Labyrinth's magical breath that the King had returned. Hoggle paused from his task to peer up towards the hill with the dead tree. "If that's the king with the girl, then who entered the Labyrinth?" He wondered briefly, scratching his head. He shrugged, then turned his spray can just in time to squirt a fairy that was heading towards his face. "Seventy-five!"

XxXxX

Sarah opened her eyes to find herself in the hedge maze where she had previously met the Wiseman. It wasn't exactly where she wanted to be, but it was one of the only places that she could picture clearly in her mind. She was simply grateful that Jareth hadn't sent her to the bog, nothing had ever dulled the memory of that place.

Not sure if she was supposed to wait for the Goblin King or not, she leisurely roamed in the near vicinity, taking in everything all over again. Only this time she could appreciate how beautiful it was here. The marble flag stones, the architecture of the statues, the feeling of tranquility. She could feel the magic of this world in the very air, and closed her eyes to breath it in deeply. She ran her fingertips along a nearby hedge, and smiled at the velvety feel of it as a tingling sensation spread through her fingers, and up her arms.

"What are your intentions, Sarah," Jareth asked abruptly, after appearing nearby. She was practically glowing, reveling in her surroundings when he had appeared to confront her. Her expression was that of pure bliss as she breathed in the air, absorbing the very life source around her. It had given Jareth pause to simply watch her for a brief moment. She had matured beautifully, though he had noticed some faint lines around her mouth and eyes. Lines that told him she led a stressful life, continuing to battle hardships well beyond his labyrinth.

She gasped in surprise, and spun around to face him, opening her eyes to meet his. Clearing her throat, she leveled her chin and strode across the stone path to stand with him near a statue. "I wanted to see this place once more, before I completely lost all memory of it."

He studied her intently with curiosity. Her eyes sparkled with renewed wonder as she openly took in his appearance. He had changed his clothing from his black armor and cloak to a much more casual attire. His blue pants fit his lean form snugly, his cream shirt was loose fitting and open at the neck, showing his medallion proudly. His black vest and boots completed the ensemble.

"I noticed you had to think a bit for me to bring you here," he remarked casually, moving to lean his back against the statue, resting the heel of his boot on the pillared base. "Surely you have no regrets for refusing my offer."

She smiled sadly with a brief, soft chuckle. "Every time something went wrong in my life I thought of you, Goblin King," she admitted fondly. "Every time Toby was being difficult, and I was trying to study. Every time I didn't get my way, or ended up being sent to my room, you were right there, foremost in my mind, as the biggest regret I'll ever have." She lowered her gaze and wet her lips as she continued. "But I learned to deal with the harsh realities of life. I traded my afternoons in the park, fantasizing, for an exhausting job that pays little and works me to the bone. I accepted that my mother would never come back, and didn't want me in her life except during vacations." She glanced around her dreamily, her eyes glazing over. "At some point I stopped dreaming all together, Goblin King, but I never forgot coming here."

Finally, she met his gaze once more, her eyes focusing with sincerity. "My only intention is to dream again, and feel the wonder of this place before my life consumes all memory of it."

"I haven't the desire to offer you anything," he stated haughtily, almost sneeringly, at the memory of her scorning him.

"I didn't expect that you would," she replied quietly, letting her eyes drift closed with suddenly heavy lids. "I… I smell… peaches."

Jareth moved instinctively to catch her as she started to crumple to the ground. Peering down at her with confusion as she went completely limp in his arms. "Oh, dear," he voiced, his mind working quickly to think of what caused her to faint. He glanced around the area, knowing she hadn't left this particular spot, towards the hedges that she had been touching. He even took several deep breaths to gage the air for some clue, but not one thing seemed to be amiss.

He gathered her up in his arms, noticing how pale she had become. He remembered how she seemed to glow when he had first appeared, and frowned. With a simple thought, a stone bench appeared nearby. With another thought, cushions appeared for him to lie her upon them.

'Peaches?' he thought with confusion, standing beside her with his arms crossed thoughtfully. 'The only peaches in the kingdom are in my private orchards.'

The sudden piercing screams of the wisher, Tina, were magically transmitted to him. He held his hand up and gazed into the crystal that appeared at his fingertips. The girl was being tormented by dozens of brownies. She swatted at the small human-like figures as they climbed her clothes and pinched her skin, one hung dangerously from the loop earring at the girl's lobe. With a deep sigh, Jareth left Sarah to assist the girl. Brownies could prove very dangerous, despite their size, when in such large numbers, and that was a hardship no wisher deserved.

XxXxX

Sarah slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the blaring sunlight. Raising herself up on her elbow, she almost fell off the bench, thinking she had been lying on the ground, and adjusted her balance. Swinging her legs to the side, she sat in confusion for a few minutes, not remembering what she had been doing before falling asleep.

Glancing around she recognized her surroundings as those from the Labyrinth, and not her balcony as she had first thought. Then, the memory of seeing Jareth again, and Tina wishing Mikey away came back to her. "He let me come back," she mused aloud, not remembering her arrival or speaking with Jareth near the statue at all.

Feeling like she was given a second chance, she bolted from the bench and ran through the hedge maze, surprisingly finding her way out of it with remarkable swiftness. But it wasn't the castle she was running towards, that was Tina's quest this time. No, Sarah ran towards an area east of the castle, where she could see mountains in the distance and hoped to find canyons as well.

Once away from the confusing mazes, Sarah ran as fast as her feet would carry her. She had no idea how much time Jareth would give her in his world, and she wanted to try something before it was too late. She wanted to dream to the fullest extent, and maybe, just maybe, never have to turn back again. With her heart pumping fast, her lungs pumping air in great gasps, she ran faster and faster as the landscape flattened out before her.

She pushed herself to run harder, feeling the rush of blood through her veins, the exhilaration of feeling alive and free from everything that had weighed her down for the past few years. She barely felt her feet touch the ground as the wind whistled past her ears, her hair flying free behind her. Her eyes watered with the rush of air, but she refused to blink, to miss one second of this euphoria.

She saw the landscape changing ahead, the craggy edges that foretold of a canyon or a chasm separating the flatlands from the mountainous terrain on the other side. Veering herself in that direction she laughed with pure elation, the feeling of absolute happiness consumed her as she ran onward. She quickly approached the edge of the landscape, amazed at how fast she was running, how it felt like she was flying for real. She closed her eyes and spread her arms out wide as her feet left solid ground.

XxXxX

Jareth returned to the hedge maze only to find Sarah gone. With a small gesture, and a simple thought, a crystal appeared to show him exactly where she had gone. He watched in utter amazement at first, mesmerized at how blissful she looked as she ran across the grassy flats. Her face was flushed, her sea green eyes sparkled with life as he had never seen them before. But, instead of slowing her pace as she neared the chasm, her speed increased.

He was frozen in place, his eyes glued to the image in his orb. "Sarah, stop," he whispered, his heart filling with dread. He took irregular, uneven breaths as her legs became unseen blurs, her pace quickening beyond any normal mortal.

"No!" he shouted, and vanished to appear at the edge of the chasm just as she left solid ground. He would save her, somehow! He would not allow her to fall to her death! But, as he watched her body fall through the air, her laugh echoed off the chasm walls, titillating and sweet, as her arms spread out wide. She twisted her body, as though soaring like a bird as she fell into the deep chasm.

Jareth dove from the edge after her, changing himself into his owl form as he plummeted downward. He increased his owl size by great proportions, making himself strong enough to be able to grab her in his talons. Reaching out for her, he suddenly had to draw back, flapping his great wings backwards to put space between himself and Sarah, as she changed into an eagle right before his very eyes.

With a piercing shriek of pure elation, the eagle turned her beak up to the skies and effortlessly gained altitude. Jareth found a ledge to perch upon, turning his head backwards and up to watch her, ignoring how the sun hurt his eyes.

Sarah flew straight up into the sun to hover breathlessly in mid air, feeling the crisp wind on her face along with the warm rays from above. Suddenly, she turned her body to face downward, tucked her wings tight against her body, and bulleted towards the ground in a blur of motion. Her eagle keen eyesight told her when she needed to pull up and flap her wings, crying out with jubilation as she once again gained altitude.

After her third aerial ballet, she noticed the large white owl clutching the side of the cliff face, watching her intently with mismatched eyes. She cried in regret, her sadness rang clear within the eagle's shrieks as she headed towards the flatlands with a lowered head. She didn't want to stop flying, not yet, it was too soon! But he came for her, and a deal was a deal. He let her come back, and she was able to live a dream. But, it was time to go home, again.

Just as she flew lower over the ground the great owl suddenly whooshed past from her left side, making her pull up and flap her wings to remain in the air. He screeched at her in warning, flying past again from below to make her rise higher in the air. He didn't want her to land!

Sarah turned her head and landed her eagle eyes upon him, tilting her head to the side curiously. He screeched at her once more, flapping his great wings to propel his huge form towards her threateningly. She launched herself straight up into the sky, somehow knowing he couldn't fly in such a manner, and glanced back down at him from under her wing.

Once she was high in the sky, the owl turned inland, shrinking in size as he neared the ground, until finally it was the Goblin King standing at the edge of the chasm peering up at her with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

Sarah circled high above him, barely having to use her wings to keep her altitude. He pointed towards the sun, the horizon, and then in the direction of his castle before he vanished from her sight completely. Feeling elated once more, she shrieked happily, and continued her aerial acrobats until the sun drew close to the horizon.

Feeling more at peace with herself than she had ever felt before, Sarah flew inland towards the castle beyond the goblin city. It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea if she could change back again. Her heart swelled with the possibility that she might not be able to.

XxXxX

She soared around the castle, swooping down upon the goblins laughingly as they ran screaming and scurried for shelter. This was the most fun she had ever had in her life!

"Sarah," Jareth's voice called to her, sounding tired with a touch of boredom.

Gaining the wind beneath her wings, she rose higher in the air to soar through an open arched window of the castle, following his call. Once inside she shrieked at all the goblins in the throne room, making them run in circles, banging into each other, and knocking things down.

Jareth rose from his throne as she circled the room, turning her head to keep him within her sight. He stepped down and pointed to the royal chair. "Perch here for now," he commanded in a weary voice. She did as he commanded, chasing a frightened goblin as she soared leisurely to land. She turned her head to look back at him, waiting for him to tell her what her fate would be.

"I haven't the strength to change you back at this moment," he explained to her. He reseated himself upon the cushions sideways, hanging his legs over the arm of the throne.

She shifted herself to turn around and face him properly, it was his throne after all. She looked upon him with her crisp vision, clearly seeing how exhausted he was as he slouched in his seat. He bent an elbow to rest his head in his palm on the back of the chair, and closed his eyes. Baffled by his disregard of her presence, she ruffled her feathers to gain his attention, but he merely quirked an arched brow in response, then fell into a light slumber.

She glanced around the room with her eagle vision, opening her beak threateningly as a horde of goblins stalked upon her with various weapons. Regretting her actions of scaring them so badly, Sarah made her way down the back of the throne with claws and beak, feeling more like a parrot than an eagle, and gently placed herself in the space between the backing of the throne and Jareth's side.

He moved his hand from his stomach, and placed his palm gently upon her feathered back. Feeling more at ease with the protection of the king, she settled herself deeper in her space and closed her eyes to rest.

XxXxX

Sarah awoke to see the vibrant colors of sunrise pouring in through the windows. With a waking breath, she turned her head to the side and stretched languidly, realizing a few things all at once. One being that she had limbs again, which meant that she had changed back to being human. Another, was that she was lying in a soft bed with silky soft sheets and this was definitely not the throne room. And the last thing that she noticed was the king lying on his stomach next to her, his body naked from the waist up, his lower half covered with a sheet.

Taking another deep sigh, she closed her eyes again, and relished the feeling of contentment that still coursed throughout her being. She had never felt so free as she had while she was flying. It had literally been a dream come true.

He stirred beside her, causing her to open her eyes and look over at him. He stretched his back slightly, breathing in deeply before regarding her with alert piercing eyes. Seeing that she had awoken, he closed his eyes again, and took another deep breath.

"You didn't send me home," Sarah remarked quietly, her voice sounding groggy from sleep. She cleared her throat and turned onto her side, realizing that she didn't have anything covering her except the sheets. "Where are my clothes?"

"You owe me a request, if you remember correctly," he replied, his voice deep from sleep as well. "And I haven't a clue as to where your clothes are. You changed to your natural form shortly after falling asleep by my side, your clothing was not with you."

"Oh," she remarked thoughtfully, frowning as she remembered running off the cliff, and falling, and the overwhelming feeling of freedom as she envisioned herself changing into an eagle and soared high in the skies. "Jareth?" she addressed, meeting his eyes intently. "Do you appreciate the gift you have, to be able to fly?"

He regarded her skeptically for a moment, not expecting her to simply ignore so many other things at this time. "Occasionally, yes."

"You shouldn't take it for granted," she stated wistfully. "Every time you change you should let yourself feel the wind on your face," she told him dreamily, closing her eyes and rolling to her back. "Feel the freedom, Jareth. Of nothing holding you back, of having no restrictions weighing you down. Soar so high that you can see the horizon all around you." She opened her eyes suddenly and lurched onto her side once more, catching him by surprise with her sudden movement. "Have you ever felt the exhilaration when you dive straight down, feeling the wind burn your eyes, and take the breath right from your lungs?"

"I have," he answered cautiously, letting his eyes dart over her features as she excitedly relived her experience. Her breaths came out in short pants, her eyes shone like sea green gems, her flesh flushed enticingly. She smiled at him, a genuine smile that reached her eyes, and touched his heart.

Jareth realized with a start that it was never the boy that the labyrinth had wanted to stay, it had been his older sister. The girl who had vivid dreams beyond those of others her age. The girl who had touched every creature she had come in contact with in his kingdom. The girl whom he had offered everything to on a whim.

"Thank you," she said to him with such heartfelt sincerity that it choked the breath from his throat. "For bringing me back and letting me dream again."

"I wasn't…" Jareth started to reply, but stopped. He was about to tell her that it wasn't him that had let her live her dream, but the very labyrinth. That is why Sarah had fainted after absorbing the magic in the very air. She had consumed so much of it by breathing it in, by letting the labyrinth feed it to her through her fingers, that it had overwhelmed her mortal senses. He rose from the bed by the other side, keeping a sheet with him for propriety's sake.

"You owe me a request!" he reminded her, pointing at her with a fixed gaze. "I have upheld my word and returned the child to his mother. The girl, Tina, had failed to reach the castle."

"Then, I'm to stay here," Sarah remarked, her tone somewhere between elated and fearful, as she stared unseeingly at the bed sheets. She raised her eyes to meet his. "What is your request?"

He saw the uncertainty fill her eyes as she met his, and after seeing her smile, he despised the way she now gazed upon him. "I haven't decided yet," he told her haughtily, with his chin raised high. "Your terms clearly stated that you would grant me one request, without question or argument, during your time in my kingdom." He smiled at her pleasantly. "I've got forever to decide what I would request of you."

She dropped her gaze thoughtfully, contemplating what to say next. "So now what?" she asked, looking up at him. "What do I do now?"

"Whatever you want," he replied simply, shrugging nonchalantly. "You are a denizen of the Labyrinth now. You are free to wander my kingdom as you like." He leaned forward, his fisted hands resting on the bedding as he met her eyes intently. "You are forbidden, however, to assist a wisher, in any way, while they are in my labyrinth. You are to stay within the boundaries of my labyrinth at all times, and you are to return to the castle by sunset each evening."

"You're kidding me?" she asked with mild incredulousness. "Sunset? You're giving me a curfew?"

He straightened his back to regard her stiffly. "They are easy rules to adhere by, and they are for your own protection. I care not what you do while within the castle, simply do as I say and you will have naught to fear."

She stared at him in silent contemplation, her eyes diverting towards the window at Jareth's back. "But, otherwise, I'm allowed to do whatever I want?"

"Within the laws of my kingdom, yes," he answered carefully, noticing how her gaze drifted toward the window behind him. He had expected her to be embarrassed by waking up in his bed, which she hadn't been. He had expected her to be mortified at finding herself naked in his presence. Again, he had been disappointed by her nonchalance. He had expected her to at least ask on behalf of the wisher and child that had brought her back into his life, yet she hadn't. All she seemed to care about was living a dream that had obviously burned deeply within her, deep enough for the labyrinth to grant her the power to change her very form.

"Am I allowed to have a room? A bed? Maybe some clothes?" she questioned politely, raising herself to one elbow while holding the sheet over her chest with her other arm.

"Of course," he replied, stepping way from her to head towards his closet. "I will see to all of your needs, Sarah, as long as I have your obedience." He paused to look over his shoulder at her. "But, defy me, and you will find out how cruel I am capable of being."