Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Labyrinth or the wonderful poem by Yeats, or any Jim Henson ...well anything really.


With a feeling of grudging resentment, Sarah found herself being pulled into awareness. Memories flooded back to her one by one until going back to sleep and waking up in a world that made sense was vastly appealing. Accepting defeat and opening her eyes a feeling of nausea swept over her. Swallowing the urge to vomit, she pressed her eyes tightly shut and vowed to never move again.

"The feeling will pass in a moment." Jareth's smug voice rang from somewhere to her left. The very tone made Sarah wish she could spontaneously develop the ability to kill others with her mind.

"The feeling wouldn't have to pass if you could have just stayed in your damn labyrinth and left me alone." She snapped back irritably, forcing down the queasiness so she could sit upright.

Taking several deep breaths, she peeked from beneath long lashes to see that Jareth was to her right instead of the left. Cursing his misdirection she instead let her gaze fall on a bowl of fruit in front of her. Then taking further stock of her situation, she clutched her hands together so as to not betray the fact that they were trembling.

"Where…where am I?" Unnerved, Sarah looked about her wildly, ignoring the pounding headache until she no longer noticed it.

"No need to play games, you know exactly where you are." Jareth drawled, arrogant satisfaction in his voice. With growing dread, she realized that she did know where she was. Her only response was a quick grimace and an angry thought.'Well shit,' She cursed to herself.

"Who was it that you were supposed to meet?" Although it was worded as a question, the force with which he asked turned it into a demand.

"No one..." She murmured, unwilling to bring her friend into the same trouble that she found herself in.

"Oh, do not be so noble, Sarah." With disgust, Jareth pulled away. "I'm sure we willl find out soon enough." Crossing in front of her, he bent over the bowl of fruit. His hovering unnerved her, and she could not help but recall her last run in with labyrinthian fruit.

"Ah- a bitter one indeed." He called merrily, as if a song were beneath the surface of his words. Then, he turned to her.

"This time I will give you exactly what you want. You will accept my gift." Pressing into her hand, a perfect grape, he smiled that damnable knowing smile.

She wanted to throw the inconspicuous fruit from her. Wanted to watch the perfect globe bounce and break, though she knew grapes did not break but split. Unable to move, Jareth reached out a gloved hand, stroking her wrist and arm. Then, with a gentle grip, he lifted her hand to her mouth. Compelled, she parted her lips obediently as the grape pressed against them. It took but a moment to chew before her vision swam before her. Sarah began to dream.

The world was in muted colours. Pastel and charcoal shadows blended together and she felt as if she were on some large portrait and should she look closely, she would see a blurry white border around her reality. Squinting, she could see only the desert. In a distant way, she noted the air was acrid and burning her lungs. Sand shifted between her feet, the feeling of warmth became quickly overwhelming. Pressing forward, she moved in the most logical direction, sure that she would find someone or something. It was an instinctual knowledge that kept her moving, kept her from giving in to her terrible thirst. Before long, she saw people in the distance. Heart overjoyed she urged her feet to move.

"Stop," She cried out, desperation in her tone. "Wait!"

The figures paused, turning one by one until they were facing her. They remained dark shapes although this did nothing to alarm her. Smiling with relief she began to run again. As one, the group began their trek anew as if they had not seen her at all. Shouting louder, her pace began to slacken until only the shimmering air in that barren land was visible. Tears of frustration ran down her face, and she knew then that she was alone. Abandonment- She had been battling this feeling ever since her mother had left. Once, long ago she had been too willing to abandon something else that was precious. She recalled everything as she knelt in the sand. Toby… the goblins, the labyrinth and the king. Whipping past her face, roughening her cheeks and blowing into her mouth, the sand mercilessly buffeted her.

"This is a nightmare." She thought, throat too dry to speak. Chest heaving she spread her hands out in the sand, idly running them through the heated particles. That was when she realized it. "This is a nightmare." Her voice gained confidence.

Standing up with a fresh resolve she stood amidst the sandstorm. The world did not shatter as it had all that time ago. It merely dissolved, until she was staring at an elaborate ceiling.

"Well that was fun." She commented mildly, as if observing an interesting weather pattern.

"You're quite lovely when you cry." His emotion was indiscernible. Jareth was perched on a ledge, his lithe form stretched out lazily.

"Well if I didn't think that was one of the more creepy things I've heard in a while, I'd say thank you. However, once again here we are." She accused as she pulled her legs to herself, in control of her movements once more. "I am of course referring to being here in the labyrinth again. I have a hard time believing you would come to whisk away every person with a wish ."

"I take who I want. What I say is true. You do not have to believe it to be true." The silky caress of his voice was a trap all its own, and shuddering Sarah fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

Her eyes fell on the bowl of fruit, which had seemed suspicious enough before her terrible nightmare. The copious amount of fruit in the bowl would have fed two starving countries and a growing teenage boy.

"What, no vegetables? What's with you and fruits?" She croaked.

"Have you never heard of Persephone? She ate only a few seeds of pomegranate and…"

"She stayed in Hell, one month for each seed she ate…" She finished for him. Palling she distanced herself from the bowl of fruit.

"Well, as interesting as that is, I don't see what that has to do with my dreams." Summoning the last reserve of false bravado, Sarah longed to close her eyes and return to the empty abyss of sleep that she had experienced for the past few years.

"I am surprised Sarah," The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. "Usually you comprehend much quicker than this." Raising a painted brow, the Goblin King's gaze lingered on the bowl of fruit then lifted to Sarah.

"Are those…my dreams?" She asked, somewhat disappointed that they were mere produce.

"You did not want your dreams Sarah and now you do. You are really quite fickle." Leaping suddenly from his supine position, he selected a strawberry. "Not all of them have to be nightmares; some can be sweet." The crooked grin upon his features was compelling and misplaced upon his haughty face. Leaning forward, he traced her lips. He had removed his gloves at one point. The touch ignited a fire between the two, and Jareth withdrew suddenly, mismatched eyes unreadable.

Sarah Dreamt.


Authors Note:

Thank you very much everybody for your encouraging response to my first chapter. I greatly appreciate the constructive comments, and hope that I continue to receive such wonderful support.

As a side note, this chapter was originally called "How Jareth is an insufferable bastard." However, he wasn't as much of a jerk as I'd have liked, and it did not fit into my theme of the poem by William Yeats. Still...