This is just a little one-shot I did over the weekend. Writer's block got to me, but don't worry to the people who read The Connection, the next chapter is in the works. This is set in 1975, and in Winter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth.
He growled as he walked through the park, and kicked the snow that was in his way. He found a park bench and sat on it.
The park wasn't crowed than it usually was. He bet it was because of the weather. There were only a few people in the park. From where he was seated, he saw a mother and daughter building a snowman, and a couple of teenagers throwing snowballs at each other.
He re-focused his vision on the mother and daughter. The mother was picking up her daughter so she can stick black rocks on the snowman. It was cute sight to look at. He remembered when his mother use to do the same thing with him when he was that age.
A few hours ago he was at his parent's house visiting them for a couple of weeks. By the age of eighteen he'd moved out and went back to his hometown, London. Every year since then he would visit his mother and father. And this year was one he wouldn't forget.
The first week was normal. The family would spend ages talking about what happened over the year, and always had dinner with each other. However, one of those normal days ended in a disaster when his parents told him something that they have been keeping with them his whole entire life.
Only a few hours ago he found out that he was royalty. Not just royalty, but Prince of Goblins in a land that he didn't think existed. Goblins! Stupid, disgusting goblins. Who would believe that? His parents proved that it was real by forcibly taking him to the Underground. They told him it was about time to show him his heritage.
So, he, Jareth Ryan King, was the Prince of the Goblins. No one would believe it, and people would call him crazy. Jareth got so mad at his parents for keeping a secret for twenty-five years; he stormed out of the house having no idea where to go.
Not so far away from Jareth, the mother and daughter were laughing, their long dark brown hair waving around their shoulders as they laughed in the snow.
"Ok, sweetie, I think that's enough for one day," the older woman told her daughter, who was the exact replica of her, and who couldn't be any older than five.
The little girl put on her best puppy dog face, hoping that her mother would buy it.
"None of that, missy," she scolded. "That won't work on me. Now let's get home before your father gets worried."
They walked toward Jareth. The little girl's green eyes noticed him sitting there all by himself.
"Mommy, why is that man sitting by himself?" She asked, curiously, as they got closer to the edge of the park.
"I don't know. Maybe he want's to be alone," she replied, leading her daughter home.
A frown appeared on the little girl's face. She looked up to her mother and asked, "Can I ask him?"
Her mother halted and looked down to her daughter, then at the man. "I don't know, honey." She saw the little frown on her daughter's face. She looked back at the man on the park bench. She nodded slowly, and saw the frown on her daughters face turn into a smile. "On one condition," she held up one finger. "You stay must close to me, ok?"
The little girl nodded, and led her mother to the man.
Jareth, who hadn't seen the exchange, was looking at his watch. It was passed four in the afternoon. His parents would probably be wondering where he had gone, and honestly, Jareth didn't care. A childish voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. In front of him was a little girl, with her mother not too far behind.
"Hello," the little girl said. "Why are you alone in the cold?"
Jareth sighed. Normally he wouldn't talk to a random little girl in a park, but he decided to humour himself. "Because I had a fight with my mother and father," he answered, frowning.
She frowned also. "What did you have a fight about?" She asked.
Jareth considered fibbing to her, but since she was a child, and children had a wild imagination, he decided to tell her the truth. "We had a fight about my life. They told me that I was the Prince of the Goblins."
She scrunched her nose. "Gross. Goblins are yucky," she said, in disgust.
Jareth chuckled. "I know. That's what I said."
The little girl giggled. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Jareth," he said simply.
"Jareth," she tested the name. "That sounds weird."
He leaned back on the bench, and sighed. "Yeah, well, tell that to my parents."
"Your voice sounds different. You don't sound American," she stated, leaning in closer to him.
"That is because, little girl, I was born in a different country. Do you know where England is?"
She shook her head, and when she didn't answer he continued. "Well it's on the other side of the world, and I talk with a British accent, because that's how we talk in England."
"Oh," was all she said. She looked around the park; she noticed her mother was sitting at a different bench that wasn't far away. She turned to Jareth and she gasped. "I forgot to tell you my name," she laughed at herself. She held out her right hand. "Sarah," she said.
Amused, Jareth shook her hand. "Sarah. Nice name, but did you know that Sarah means princess?" he asked, and he let go of her little hand.
Sarah's eyes went wide. "Really? Wow. I didn't know that," she smiled enthusiastically.
Jareth chuckled at her enthusiasm. He glanced at his watch; his eyes went wide at the time. He heard Sarah's mother call her name.
"It was nice meeting you, Prince Jareth," she said with a giggle.
Jareth smiled, and couldn't help but think she was adorable. "Nice meeting you too, Princess Sarah."
Sarah giggled, and waved to him as she was walking to her mother.
Sarah's mother sighed in relief as her daughter came back in one piece. When she was talking to the young man, she couldn't help but fear that he was going to do something to her. But as Sarah and the young man were talking, her fear went away as she watched them. Not once did he put a hand on her daughter. He only touched her hand when she offered and that was it.
She kissed Sarah's forehead. "So what did you talk about?" she asked.
"England, goblins and names," Sarah replied, as her mother held her hand as they walked across the street. "Oh!" Sarah jumped excitingly. "I found out what my name means."
"And what does it mean?" Her mother asked.
"Princess. Now I know what I want to be when I grow up, a princess. I'll live in a beautiful castle, and everyone will love me," she answered, longingly.
All her mother did was laugh at her imagination as they walked home in the snow.
The End.