Sarah stretched lazily, watching the sun rise on her eighteenth birthday. She sat up and glanced at the worn red cover of her favorite book and smiled. She knew that he still thought about her, knew that he could not bring himself to come back to her for another rejection. Her friends in the Labyrinth visited her often, telling her stories about his mood swings, his curses directed towards her name.
On her seventeenth birthday, Hoggle had given her a gift - a way to watch the Goblin Kingdom from her crystal - the one she'd managed to keep from her time in the Labyrinth. She'd stared, fascinated, as the Kingdom came into focus. She'd laughed watching the goblins chase chickens and sing silly songs. Her heart was touched as many of them wished she could come back and fight them again. They liked the spunky girl, she was fun. She twisted the crystal and saw Jareth sleeping, almost innocent in slumber. He seemed to be having a nightmare, and she could see his face twist in pain as he called out one word.
"Sarah." She had almost dropped the crystal then as Hoggle watched her expression.
Hoggle had even gone so far as to ask her to call to the Goblin King and find out for herself why she still haunted his dreams.
"Hah, if by haunted, you mean humiliated - then we already know the answer, don't we?" she'd laughed, but a part of her she was not willing to face was curious. Her dreams of him over the years had started out as just a replay of their final battle and she'd savor the end where he'd begged her to fear him, love him, do as he said. As if she'd want a lying manipulative bully like him to be her slave. Slowly though, the ending had changed. He'd changed, at least in her dreams. His words were not a veiled threat to her independence, but a plea for her to listen to his heart. That insufferable song would play in time with her heartbeat. And the world did fall down, each and every time. The cruelest part to her was knowing that those dreams had slowly woven a chain of sympathy around her armor of denial, aching in its simple need to be acknowledged.
She didn't know exactly when it happened, but that traitorous dream seemed to come more frequently, the king's eyes filled with love as he reached for her now. She had started noticing the lean, powerful body, the possessiveness of his gaze, the heat in her belly that threatened to overwhelm her with new emotions she would not name. And each dream left her yearning to see him again, if only to prove to herself that he still had no power over her.
She thought she'd choke on that dream if she didn't face him one last time.
And so, as a present to herself, on her eighteenth birthday, she used her crystal and wished herself back to the Labyrinth. Back to Jareth.
JSJSJSJSSJS
He sat in his throne room, legs dangling off the side, staring into space. Somehow he'd gotten through his day, listened to inane problems, kicked a few goblins. A day like any other another long night spent alone, not wanting to sleep. Not wanting yet another of those damned dreams. He would not relive it one more time, he'd go insane if he had to face her again, even if it was just a dream. The same ridiculous dream he seemed to have with alarming frequency. His dream of her. How was she coming to him in dreams, rejecting him almost every night, laughing at his weakness. It was not to be tolerated.
Hoggle had been missing all morning, slinking in after lunch, grinning like a fool. No matter, Jareth's day had officially ended and he was tired. He went to rise from his throne but Hoggle raised a hand to stop him. Faintly amused, the Goblin King regarded his trusty aide and waited.
"Something on your mind, Hogwell?"
"Beggin' yer pardon, but you have one more guest who'd like a word with you. The lady said it was most urgent."
"Lady, you say? Hmm, you intrigue me. Let the lady enter," he smiled with a flourish of his gloved hand. This could prove to be the distraction he needed from those blasted dreams.
The lady in question entered head held high and Jareth's hold on his sanity started to float away. A vision in dark green velvet, trimmed in gold walked towards him with a sense of purpose, hair pulled up from her slender throat to expose her racing pulse to his gaze. She looked to be a woman on a mission, one she obviously felt she'd succeed in completing.
She stopped at the foot of his throne, watching his every breath in something like amusement. Slowly she curtsied, so low to the ground that he could see down the front of her somewhat low cut gown.
"Your Majesty," she said, smirking up at him.
"You have returned," he said, glaring at her, hand on his riding crop. He seemed to be holding it a bit tighter than usual, and his face became blank.
"I have. Did you know it's my birthday?" she asked, fluttering eyelashes at him. Was she mocking him? He would strangle her with her fancy lace and laugh as she begged for mercy.
"Is it? Well, congratulations. You've lived to mock me another year. You've had your fun - you may go," he turned his back to her and for a moment she faltered. Hoggle discretely left the room leaving them very alone.
"I haven't started to have my fun, Jareth," she said archly, enjoying how he spun around to face her, amazement on his face.
"And just what is that supposed to mean? Or do I even wish to know?" He took a step towards her then stopped, seemingly confused on what exactly he should be doing. She laughed.
"It means I want my present. From you," she added helpfully. He tilted his head and sighed.
"I've already given you too much, Sarah. Can you not just leave me in peace?" She shook her head and smiled.
"No. And my present is really quite little to give," she assured him, licking her lips. He stared at her lips, mesmerized, then shook himself out of it hating the way this child could still make him feel.
"Really, and what more would you have me do, Sarah? Reorder time again so we can relive this pointless conversation into infinity?"
"Not really - I want something more from you. Something only you can give me." Despite himself, he found himself drawn into her emerald gaze.
"Peace? Absolution? Forgiveness perhaps for disrupting my realm with your petty wishes and dreams?"
She shook her head, walking up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to hers.
"You're going to give me one night - I'm going to get you out of my system and stop having crazy dreams about you. And then I'll leave you alone - forever."
He would have said something - anything - to dispute her little fantasy, if her lips hadn't chosen that moment to claim his in a heated, possessive kiss.