AN: Greetings! Welcome to my first fanfic. I've been sitting on this fic for the better part of a year, year and a half. I don't know if I'll do the characters/story any justice, or even add the most unique of spins, but I'll do my best. I can't promise how often updates will occur because even though I've been thinking/writing/keeping in the back of my mind this fic for forever, I only have the first two and a half chapters done (chapter three is a WIP), so we'll see how long I can keep momentum going. I would also appreciate any feedback you have to give!

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

Frequencies and Currents

Chapter One

Magnets

Sarah stared at the ethereal being before her, dumbfounded.

She had uttered the magic, all-powerful words… "You have no power over me"…and yet, there he was, standing upright with a smug, knowing look on his face. Sarah swallowed a lump in her throat, unsure of what to do next but unwilling to give him the satisfaction.

The sudden bark of laughter from Jareth suggested she hadn't fooled him for a second.

It was humbling and maddening all at the same time to realize she truly was her fifteen years of age, no more wiser than she had always given herself credit for. Perhaps the chip on her shoulder had been much bigger than she thought.

The initial wave of horror passed as she suddenly recalled the reason why she had gotten tangled in this mess in the first place. Toby…her mind whispered, a pang of fear sending tremors throughout her body.

"Why...How…Those were the words. Those were the words that were supposed to stop you. That's how the girl wins in the story!" She cried, suddenly overcome with anger and frustration. Sarah vaguely noticed the petulant tone her voice had, reminiscent of her screaming less than thirteen hours ago how things just weren't fair.

(Fair? You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is?)

"Yes, my dear girl. Those were indeed the words that made the oh-so-dreadful Goblin King fall before the girl he had fallen in love with." His shoulders shook slightly with what Sarah could only deduce was mirth. "You seem to forget that while words have power, I have even more of it. Stories are, at the end of the day, simply that – stories."

Sarah struggled to come up with something coherent to say, instead choosing to look at the ground. How in the world could those magic words fail her now? Things had been going as perfectly as they could, given the circumstances, perhaps even swimmingly one could say. She had recruited fellow inhabitants of the Labyrinth, turned his followers against him, broken through his illusions, fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City…and yet, despite it all, she found herself losing. Where did she misstep? Stories had power, that much she knew. Wasn't his presence proof enough of it?

"I am so much more than stories, Sarah."

It was as though he read her mind, and Sarah cast him a shrewd look. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility.

Jareth remained impassive, gazing off behind her as though bored with how long it was taking Sarah to process the fact she was not living the story she so confidently believed she was the heroine of.

Just what was he trying to imply by that? So much more than stories? Sarah took this moment to scrutinize him further, taking note particularly of his inhuman features. He appeared human, but Sarah also learned that appearances only meant so much on the surface.

(It's a crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams…

Peaches, warm and tasting of summer…)

After a long moment of silence had passed, Sarah looked up at him, a confusion crossing her features.

"You're not just a character in a story, are you? You aren't trapped here by my own will…"

Jareth inclined his head with a sardonic twitch of his lips. "Perceptive girl." He took a few steps toward her, his white, cape-like cloth softly hissing behind him as he moved. Sarah stood her ground, unwilling to acknowledge whatever tactics at intimidation he attempted.

"I am what motivate the stories. Humans are egotistical creatures without much due cause. They write what they believe are their own ideas, their own fantasies…dreamscapes…but where do you think they find that sudden hint of inspiration? Who do you think whispers ideas in their minds late at night, when they're fast asleep?"

Sarah's lips thinned, unwilling to let her face show anything other than coolness. She would not show him just how shattering his words were. Nothing made sense anymore, but there was a horrible feeling slowly brewing in her stomach. Somehow, she had reason to believe the real confrontation was just starting. The labyrinth had merely been a game, something for Jareth to idly pass his time. Now was the chance for him to actually put whatever designs he had into motion.

Nothing was spoken, until Sarah finally locked eyes with him, revealing only ire.

"Where is Toby?"

"Toby is of no concern."

"He is to me!" she snapped suddenly, cheeks flushed.

"Oh? I couldn't tell, what with how quickly you wished him away. Your parents hardly had a chance to step foot out the door before you decided to get rid of him."

"I didn't actually mean it, and you know that! I was just upset! People say plenty of things they don't mean when they're angry," she finished somewhat lamely.

"Now, now Sarah…I never said words were powerless. Merely against me do they fail." Jareth flashed a toothy grin, as though he had just told a hilarious joke.

Sarah failed to see the humor, instead anger igniting within her being as though struck by a match.

"Bring him back! I've played your stupid games, I should've beaten you fair and square, so by all means, Toby deserves to be back with me!"

"Stupid games?" Jareth inquired, raising a winged brow ever so slightly. "I didn't know you felt so flippant about your time here in the Underground." There was a lilt in his voice suggesting he was genuinely surprised…and a little irritated.

Sarah felt a surge of confidence, squaring up her shoulders and jutting out her chin defiantly. "That's right. That's what they are at the end of the day after all, aren't they? Why go through all this trouble over what some teenage girl said? Why are you so afraid to lose?" She bit out the last word, hoping to get a rise out of him, desperately wanting him to lose his cool the way she was barely managing to conceal.

If Jareth had been irritated before, he was easygoing once more, untouched by a teenage girl's venom. "I have no reason to fear losing."

Sarah internally screamed, infuriated by his vague answers that suggested something profound but revealed nothing.

Jareth then sighed, clapping his hands politely. "I must say though, well done on playing your part as the plucky heroine. You truly threw yourself into the role." His smile was barren of any real emotion, leaving Sarah unsure of what to say. It seemed impossible anyway. He would only use her words as more ammunition for her humiliation.

"My, my…lost for words? What an odd turn of events," Jareth chided.

Sarah resisted the urge to scream and hit something, preferably him, knowing she had no real power here, not with him standing there so deathly calm. Perhaps biting her tongue would prevent something worse from happening, though she had no idea how relative that was. At this point, the worst had already happened to her.

The game was lost, Toby was forever banished to the Underground, destined to become one of the hideously formed goblins roaming the city.

"Never let it be said that I am not benevolent, Sarah."

Sarah tilted her head up suddenly, drawn out of her thoughts. Her shoulders immediately tensed at the sound of his voice while her eyes narrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am a stickler for details and rules, but I can be persuaded to bend them every now and then." His words remained cryptic. Sarah was perplexed by what he was implying, but it didn't take her long to understand that whatever he meant, it would not come without a hefty price. Jareth was all about equivalent exchange, she had come to realize. Equivalent…ha, that would be debatable.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but whatever it is, I refuse. I won't make deals with you."

Jareth simply shrugged his shoulders. "Pity. I suppose I'll just send Toby your regards instead of you saying so yourself."

Sarah's eyes widened in panic. "Wait! What do you mean by that? Where's Toby?" She felt her heart wildly pounding, fearful of what Jareth could potentially do to her poor baby brother. In a fit of teenage ego, Sarah wanted to sob for herself and Toby and the horrors she had put the both of them through. The thought darted rapidly across her mind that she might never see Toby again. And it would be her fault.

"Ah, interested in what I have to say now, I see," Jareth replied, never losing the grin marring his otherworldly face. "You're far too impulsive, Sarah. Think about how easily all of this could have been avoided if you just thought things through rationally. Imagine the grief you could have spared yourself and poor Toby. Truly a pity he has to suffer for your selfish actions."

"Please…" Sarah finally bit out, choking back on her tears. The guilt Jareth was laying on her, forcing into her very soul, was threatening to shatter her. She didn't need his reprimands.

Jareth's features softened, something Sarah was unaware he could manage. He looked deceptively kind, as though a switch were flipped.

"You pay the ultimate penance, Sarah. I could let Toby go free, happy to live his life out. The babe can be returned home, unharmed and safe in the embrace of his parents. He would be blissfully ignorant of his time down here in the Underground, touched by its magic but forever unaware of its presence." He paused briefly, taking a moment to move closer to Sarah. "But it comes with price. These things always do."

Sarah shuddered, drawing in a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes fluttered close, willing herself to block out how close he was. Her senses felt strangely dulled and her thoughts were impossible to navigate with her heart thudding so loudly, like a boat at sea rocked by waves.

How many deals could Sarah cut before there was nothing left to give? She could save Toby, and God knows she so desperately wanted to…but what did that mean for her? Sarah felt her self-pity bubble up to the surface and a sense of shame overwhelmed her. Even now, with the opportunity to rescue Toby out of this mess she had put him through, she was still thinking about herself, about the damage she would take in his stead.

Biting back the bile that was desperate to climb back up her throat, Sarah opened her eyes and locked contact with Jareth's mismatched ones.

"What's the price of this deal?" Her voice made no indication of wavering, surprising Sarah, and from what she could tell, Jareth seemed vaguely amused by its strength as well.

He made a few more strides toward her until there was merely a foot of space between them. Sarah felt the hairs on her skin prickle, as though she were in some electric field. The charge seemed to be radiating off of Jareth himself. Despite wanting to move away and widen the gap between them, Sarah felt incapable, as though his very being was magnetic.

He lifted a white gloved hand slowly, before a delicate, small bauble presented itself. There was a growing sense of dread washing over Sarah, remembering what power that small jewel could unfurl.

"Why not take a look?" He questioned, extending his upturned palm out to her slightly, the tiny bauble glistening innocently.

Sarah refused to take her eyes off of his. She would not let him fool her again, not until she heard the terms of their latest deal.

(Look what I'm offering you. Your dreams.

The clock was chiming thirteen o'clock, shards of glass flying across the room.

A white gown threaded with jewels and silver, stained with crimson.)

"Tell me the deal."

Jareth laughed softly to himself, allowing the bauble to disappear.

"You've gotten much smarter, Precious. It's a shame," he sighed as though talking about bad weather, "…the dreams you could've experienced…"

It was Sarah's turn to give a bark of derisive laughter. "Oh please, Goblin King. One dream was enough."

Jareth gave a shrug of his shoulders. "You looked like a queen. You could've been one if you let it continue. You had everything you wanted…beauty, elegance, the attention of several potential suitors…" he let that last phrase linger momentarily before moving on. "In any case, I see you are uninterested."

Sarah gazed at him with mild confusion mixed with irritation. What was he possibly trying to convey with what he just said? Suitors? He certainly wasn't implying himself. Sarah had to rein in her snort of laughter at the thought of Jareth showing actual affection for her. That was impossible, and quite frankly, she could never accept it. They were enemies start to finish. Their sole purpose toward each other was to claim victory over the other.

Sarah would win. She clenched her fists at her sides, reaffirmed of her decision to ignore his intoxicating talk of dreams and illusions. She had a single quest and it was to retrieve Toby uninjured and still human.

"What do you want?" Sarah finally said, concealing her tone with a bland indifference.

Jareth's smile lost some of its mirth as his eyes narrowed. "All work and no play, I see."

Sarah refused to give a response.

Jareth suddenly righted himself, clasping his hands behind his back, an impassive look on his face. "I suppose you truly are a child in the greatest sense of the word." Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but Jareth cut her off. "You could never possibly understand just what I am offering you, could you?" He shook his head with a hollow laugh.

Sarah hardly understood what he was getting at. She wished that for once, he would just speak clearly…no more riddles, no more vague statements…something concrete and tangible. The abstract was something Sarah was having a hard time grasping, ands she didn't have the patience to understand it, not with Toby's life hanging in the balance.

"Just what do you mean, Goblin King? Be direct," she spoke softly, suddenly very tired from everything she had experienced thus far. Sarah knew she was in no position to give demands, but she wanted this to be over…she wanted to be at home, tucking Toby in for bed, knowing that he would be safe under her watch. She would never let him down again, and she would spend the rest of her life following that sentiment.

He stood there for several moments, regarding her silently. It was like a mask had suddenly been cast over his face, and he was void of any emotion.

The sense of growing dread nearly had Sarah heaving the contents of her stomach when she saw Jareth's face erupt into a smile. The only way she could describe it was sinister. The faint tips of his canines only added to his wolfish smirk. It took all of her will to resist shrinking back from him, determined to show she was unafraid of him.

"As I said before, I can be benevolent. I suppose you coming this far is proof enough you're worthy of claiming victory."

Sarah raised a brow, confusion flickering wildly in her eyes. What is he trying to do…?

"I'll release Toby to you, and the both of you will be free to return to your lives. That is a fitting prize for victory after all. One would think at least."

Sarah's mouth nearly hung to the floor, but she snapped her jaw shut tightly before clenching her hands into fists at her side. "Now hold on! Just wait a minute!" Her eyes were glowing furiously. "What do you think you're trying to do? Just one minute ago you were trying to make new deals, and now you're giving me what I wanted – deserved – in the first place?" She shook her head incredulously. "Somehow I don't buy it, Goblin King."

Jareth shrugged his shoulders. "Like I mentioned earlier, you couldn't possibly understand the deal I was attempting to make with you before. I imagine with age, you will understand, and at that point, we can…renegotiate the terms." He grinned.

"No! There is absolutely no way we are renegotiating anything!" Sarah might as well have stamped her foot on the ground for how childish she was sounding at the moment, once again fully enveloped in her frustrations.

"What will it be, Sarah? I let both you and Toby go now, unharmed and free for the time being…or I let Toby forever remain stuck as one of my grossly deformed subordinates, and you left with the self-destroying guilt, so strong it feels like it is eating you alive?"

Sarah wanted to say something, anything, but felt completely powerless. Her gaze connected with his, and again she felt that magnetic force, unable to pull away from him. The look was predatory and self-assured, but if she studied him hard enough, she could see a thin layer of anger brewing. He truly was a mercurial being, and Sarah felt constantly on edge, unable to discern just what he was thinking at any giving moment.

Sarah finally felt her willpower reach the end of its rope. She had nothing left to argue, no energy to keep up the charade of the ever courageous heroine.

"I'll take your offer."

Jareth's features relaxed, a comfortable ease taking over his stance.

"I knew you'd make the right choice."

Suddenly, Sarah felt like stars were bursting before her eyes, and a sense of being weightless flooded her. The ground seemed to be knocked from her feet, and she was tilting, falling into nothing.

And when she opened her eyes, she was tucked into her bed, head resting against her pillow while rain softly fell, tapping against her window.

Groggy, Sarah looked at her clock reading one in the morning. The events in the labyrinth suddenly sprung to mind, and Sarah bolted upright before casting aside her covers, running to her parents' room. Nudging the door open quietly, she saw both her parents fast asleep, and upon further inspection, Toby lying in his crib, blissfully unaware of the events that had transpired only a few minutes prior.

Sarah ducked out of their room and crept back to her own, silently shutting the door and leaning her back against it. Her head fell back on the door while her eyes fluttered close.

She had made it back home. She had won.

She would see to it that Jareth never came near them again. He seemed confident about their revisiting, but with a sudden bark of hysterical laughter, an interesting note had dawned upon Sarah.

He couldn't see her again, not unless she summoned him! Surely he may have power against her words, but just how much? There had to be boundaries.

Boundaries…boundaries…it's okay, Sarah. He can't get you or Toby again. Sarah's laughter quieted before she padded over to her bed, tucking herself under the covers once more.

Despite her new discovery, the sense of dread that had been plaguing her remained.

As Sarah struggled to fall asleep, a white barn owl softly hooted outside her window before taking flight.

AN: And that concludes chapter one! It felt like more of a prologue in my opinion, but anyway, let me know your thoughts if you feel so inclined. At this point, I'd like to release a chapter per week/every two weeks. Depending on reader interest, I'll see if I can speed things up but no guarantees unfortunately!