A/N: Hey guys! I am so so so so so sorry that it took me so long to update. I've been seriously ill and physically incapable of writing. Anyway, let's hope it wont happen again. Please review! It means a lot and it's a really great motivation.

XOXO

Sarah felt her spirits momentarily begin to lift as she began to walk toward the labyrinth- her labyrinth. She smiled. She was back. She was here. She was finally here…

The air was warm and held the scent of what she thought was magic but could be just what the Underground smelled like. She was transported back to when she was here as a child. She remembered how silly she was but she envied her younger, more free spirited self. She remembered seeing Jareth for the first time and meeting all her friends.

Her thoughts turned bittersweet and then only bitter. So much time had passed and she didn't even try to reconnect. She sat at home and let herself get so lost in herself and in her own problems… it made her chest tighten painfully. She was selfish. Why was she back here? Why was it okay for her to be back here? She didn't deserve it.

She focused back on the labyrinth entrance in front of her, feeling the motivation dissolve from her body and leaving her with the aching, empty feeling she had gotten to know so well. She buried her face in her hands and held her breath in a desperate attempt to keep her tears at bay. She took a few breaths before looking up again and slowly making her way to the entrance.

From far away, the walls of the labyrinth looked as strong and mysterious as it had when she was last there but, upon closer inspection, the walls were cracked and even broken in some places. She placed her hand on a discolored patch of wall and sighed. She could feel the power and magic still hum slightly through the stone but it felt as broken and hollow as she did.

"Get over here you little-"

psst! "Ah!"

"Yes! 40!"

Hoggle sat down on a small, broken piece of labyrinth and sighed. The fairies had been getting nastier. He supposed that it had something to do with the king getting nastier and the labyrinth getting nastier with him.

Work… Everything was getting hard. It had been getting hard… Since...Well, since-

"Hoggle?"

A voice. A small, sad voice. A small, sad, familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

That voice…

Caring and beautiful and...sad…

He slowly moved his eyes to where he heard the voice, afraid that he was going to see her, terrified if he didn't. He had wished for her to come back so often. He had wished, and cried, and cursed, wanting her to come back...to call on him...anything! But, in a world where words were important, it seemed like his weren't important enough.

There she was.

"Sarah…" He whispered in amazement and disbelief. He had seen far too much to not believe that anything is possible but a whisper of doubt in his mind told him that it had to have been another dream or that the labyrinth was starting to mess with him too.

But there she was.

She was there.

He scrambled to stand up, his legs shaky, and took a few small steps toward her.

He looked at her and didn't want to look away.

"Sarah…" His voice caught in his throat but he tried to clear his throat and go on, "Sarah look at you…" He whispered, "Yous all grown up now, aren't you?" He blinked his eyes quickly when he felt them start to sting. "Look at you…"

Sarah felt her lower lip begin to tremble and she walked the rest of the way to him before kneeling and holding his hand between hers.

"You… you're so beautiful, Sarah...look at you...look at you…" His fingers barely brushed her jaw to see if he was real as his eyes filled with tears. He sniffled and whispered, "You're so beautiful… you're so beautiful…"

Sarah laughed between her tears. "Look at you!" She said back, "You're more handsome than ever…"

"I'm an old fool…" Hoggle wiped at his eyes and laughed at his tears, "These blasted tears. You always made me too weak for my own good."

Sarah's smile faded as she watched him. Eventually, she spoke up again, "I'm so sorry, Hoggle. I am so sorry…"

Hoggle shook his head. He was bad at this sort of thing. He cleared his throat and patted her hand. "Why are you here?" He asked her.

"I wasn't doing too well, Hoggle…" She shook her head and then pulled a hand away to run her fingers through her dark tresses, "I wished myself away," She admitted quietly.

"Sarah!"

Sarah shook her head again and looked away from him, "I couldn't...deal anymore. I've been suffocating and I thought the labyrinth would be my breath of fresh air." She took a deep breath, "But I don't think I have it in me to even be here...I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You're gunna run, Sarah. You haveta run the labyrinth," Hoggle said fiercely.

"But...but why? What happens after I do?" Sarah asked, covering her face with her hands. She couldn't be alone again. She couldn't go back home after this. She couldn't end up where she began. She would be as miserable as when she began.

"You haveta figure that out…" Hoggle watched Sarah sadly. His Sarah was lost somewhere in this shell of a woman. He could see her hiding in those big eyes, wanting to get out.

Sarah took a breath and nodded.

She stood back up and looked at the labyrinth before looking back at him. The labyrinth door opened for her, leftover glitter and smoke fell to her feet.

"I'll see you later?" She asked softly.

"Only if you need me."

She took a breath and nodded before walking inside.