Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. If you sue me, you won't get much..lol.

Author's note: These reviews are making my day! Thanks you guys so much:) I will do my damndest not to disappoint! As I'm reading through here and there, I've noticed that I've been making a few type errors. I apologize in advance for any frequent recurrences. I promise to pay more attention to editing. Enjoy!

Chapter 3:

What a night! Faust was always Sarah's favorite opera because of its inherent dark theme. A foolish, miserly old doctor muses about his youth and makes a regrettable deal with the devil to reclaim it. Only, in the end does he realize that his life has had a purpose and now that it was about to end; he would be reunited with those he left behind in the great hereafter. In the final scene, he prays to God to forgive him and with His blessing, the devil is defeated and the doctor is welcomed into heaven. She loved it. That kind of story was so moving to her. In a way, she almost identified with the doctor. Why, if she hadn't mended her ways and embraced her life, she might have ended up the same way.

Kicking her heels off, she spun around her room and flounced on her childhood bed. The Escher drawing still hovered over her head, reminding her of the battle for her own soul. She traced a finger over one upside-down stairwell and sighed. Giggling, she noticed the two Christian Slater posters she hung above it when she was seventeen. Next to those, her toy shelf still imposing on her wall, collecting dust. The place of honor in the center where Lancelot once dwelled was now empty being that she'd given him to Toby all those years ago. He was aged and looking the worse for wear now, with his stitching coming apart in all the wrong places but Toby wouldn't be parted from him and Sarah was happy that he'd found a good home.

Her dad didn't know what to make of the opera but took it all in stride. It was a bit gloomy for his taste. He prized musicals like Oliver over any foreign speaking melodramas but she and Karen had a blast. After the show, the three of them went out to eat at a fancy French restaurant downtown. She and Karen split a massive portion of Chicken Coq Au'vin while her dad mumbled over the price. On the ride home he'd patted her hand and told her to open the present beneath his seat. In a stark white envelope with her name on it, were two tickets to London. She would be gone the entire month of November! He said it was half an early graduation present and half for her birthday. She was so excited. London! It was a dream come true. She'd always wanted to go there. Her mother used to go sometimes as much as three times per year with her theatre company and would always come home with a hundred knick-knacks and stories aplenty for bedtime. Nearly every treasured thing in her room had been a gift from one of those theatrical adventures her mother went on.

She couldn't wait to tell her friends at school! They would all be so happy for her. It was a shame that she couldn't stow the entire drama department into a suitcase and heft them along with her. She smiled at the thought of all the fun they would have getting into trouble over the Big Pond. Especially Dianne and Mary. Those two were born to stir things up. Mark and Jamie were great people too; only they were the responsible duo that would surely do their best to keep the group in line. However, there was only one person she would actually take and that had to be Leah. They'd been friends for nearly six years, were roommates and partners-in-crime. Having Leah around in London would definitely make up for missing the others. The pair would spend nearly all of their time between museums and this or that playhouse. That was just their style. Leah was a second-year English major, whose parents lived just around the block from the Williams residence. She been Sarah's only real friend back home besides her baby brother. When the girls went off to college, they vowed to stick together and help the other get through it all. Sarah only had two more years to go before she got her degree in Screenwriting and it was mostly thanks to the endurance and fortitude of her roommate. Lord knows, if she had to do it all alone she would have failed miserably. London would be a great way to say thank you to an old friend. She resolved to call her first thing in the morning. She couldn't wait to hear Leah freak out.

A smile played at her lips while she stood up and changed into her pajamas. The vicious hair clip that had plagued her scalp all night met an untimely demise while pulling it out of her hair. There went another one. The springs always seemed to snap because her hair was so damned thick. She tossed it into the trash with the previous two from this week and rummaged through her dresser for a clean t-shirt. 'Pajamas' for Sarah always meant panties and t-shirt. Settling on a worn white tee with a picture of Shakespeare watermarked onto the front, she tugged the garment over her head bumping clumsily into her bureau. Something fell, making a soft 'thwack' as it hit the carpet beneath. Tying her hair into a bun, she knelt down to retrieve whatever it was and froze.

The singularly most beautiful rose she'd ever seen had struck the floor, losing some of its still dew-ridden petals. It was tied with a shiny black ribbon, laid across what appeared to be a piece of yellowed parchment. Scrawled over the paper in an elegant hand, was a phrase that stopped the blood cold in her veins.

I move the stars for no one.

She sucked in her breath and backed away like she'd startled a rattlesnake to action. A shaking hand flitted to her temple as she tried to reason out what she was seeing. It was impossible! Was she seeing things? How the hell had this thing gotten into her room? She whirled around looking for any sign of who might have done such a thing. There on her windowsill sat the feather and with that vision came last night's apprehension. Her breath came in short gasps. What did this mean? Was she going crazy? It couldn't be real! It just couldn't. Every memory she had of that crazy dream slammed through her brain all at once, causing her knees to weaken beneath her. She slid to the floor, staring at the parchment in shock.

None of those things happened Sarah. It was your imagination. Just the vivid dream of a lonely girl.

"I hadn't realized it was so easy to bring you to your knees, Sarah." Said a liquid yet familiar voice from just behind her. She whipped her head around so fast, she was sure to have a permanent crick. There, stood one impeccably dressed and arrogantly amused Goblin King, looking exactly as he did the first time she clapped eyes on him.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. His mismatched gaze appraised her sardonically.

"Not quite. Although, you're welcome to make the assumption."

Her back slammed against the dresser painfully, her eyes widened near to bulging. This was impossible! She'd dreamed it all dammit! How was he standing here in her bedroom when she's made him up? She must really be losing her mind!

"You…you're not real!"

He smirked, patting his chest in mock examination. "Am I not? I hadn't realized."

It took several seconds of indrawn breath before she could trust her voice to speak without quavering. Her eyes burned from not blinking.

"This can't be happening."

"Oh it can't can it? Whyever not? Surely you're not foolish enough to believe me a figment of your imagination, when here I stand as living proof?" The amusement in his voice at her expense was almost touchable in its voracity. She swallowed, hard.

"Wha... What do you want?"

Those impressive eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. "No pleasantries then? I'm hurt Sarah, really. Not even an 'hello' for an old friend?"

"Even if you are real and not just some hallucination, we were most certainly not friends!" She retorted vehemently. A girl had to draw a line somehwere.

He laughed, dryly. "How very cruel of you my dear, when I have ever only done what you asked for." His fingers tapped idly against his shirtfront. An odd expression frozen on his finely chiseled face.

"You kidnapped Toby, drugged me and set the Cleaners after me! I'd hardly call those the actions of a friend." Her hands balled into fists at her sides. She trembled but refused to show him any further weakness. He strode toward her, hand on hip. His face inches from her own. His cloak swept across her bare feet.

"May I remind you that you asked for the child to be taken: I took him. You seem to forget that often. Neither, were you harmed by a single creature once in the Labyrinth and any claims to the contrary are just ridiculous."

Sarah winced, despite herself. "What about number three? You drugged me so I would forget about my brother! I'd call that 'harm'."

"Really?" He asked, lighting a gloved finger over her jawbone. She pulled away sharply, causing his eyes to darken. "Apparently, you are no authority on the subject my dear."

He laughed, stepping apart from her. "Whatever am I to do with you Sarah? You defy me at every opportunity."

Get a hold of yourself Sarah! She commanded herself silently. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she willed her nerves into submission. She couldn't reason her way through this if she was hysterical. Praying that he would be gone when she opened them, she cracked her eyelids. No such luck. He was paying inordinate attention to Mr. Slater on her wall. His frown was severe but he said nothing.

"Okay. Let's handle this logically. Why are you here? What more could you possibly stand to gain by scaring the wits out of me like this?" She asked, hoping her voice was sound.

"Perhaps I just missed you?" Seeing her glare, he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. His lips tilted at the corners. Was he ever not amused at her expense? The bastard. "You and I have unfinished business."

She snorted in a very unladylike manner. "What are you talking about? I won remember? Our 'business' is concluded."

"Oh? How is it that you are so sure? Perhaps like all beaten rivals for a victory, I'm entitled to a, how do you say it in slang? A rematch? Although, this time I fear the odds are stacked against you."

Her mouth nearly struck her chest. "But I won! I beat you fair and square."

The Goblin King shrugged. "Technically, you won yes. But you forget that I'm a king and one that's not accustomed to failure, especially when the victor couldn't have won a thing without assistance. You would have no aid a second time."

"I won't run your Labyrinth again. Ever." She vowed from between clenched teeth. "Go away!" She attempted to turn and run into her bathroom but he was suddenly before her, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her hard against him.

"I don't recall saying anything of the sort, you silly girl. There are other challenges to be discovered in the Underground."

"What are you saying? Let me go!" She struggled, causing him to wrap her more tightly to him. Overwhelmed by his nearness, let alone his presence, Sarah bit back a sob. Why was this happening to her? On her birthday of all days?

"I have a much better plan this time around, Sarah." She screwed her eyes shut as his breath dusted across her cheek. Every hair on her body stood on end. "You only have one obstacle to surmount this time, love. Don't you want to know what it is?" His lips slid gently over her left ear. A helpless sigh escaped her traitorous mouth. She could feel his smile next to her skin.

"Why are you doing this? Can't you just leave me alone?" She pleaded on a whisper.

"Never. Not you my sweet Sarah. I have something special reserved for you."

Swiftly, she felt a rush of something heavy pass over and through her. It was a feeling much like falling. Disoriented, she clung to her only support: Jareth, the Goblin King.

She felt sunlight on her back and birds chirping all around her and knew, that she was not imagining anything. She was in terrible trouble. She opened her eyes to witness a triumphant grin on his face. Behind him, the Labyrinth beckoned like an imposing nightmare bathed in daylight. They stood on the exact spot they had the first time she'd seen the monstrosity. Her hand unwittingly found her mouth. It was all real! She hadn't imagined anything! The heartbeat she had to be thrilled with the knowledge that she wasn't a lunatic, slid away the second she re-met his mismatched eyes.

"Welcome home Sarah. I think you'll find that things have changed since your last visit."

"How so?" She returned, masking the gut-wrenching fear in her voice to the best of her ability.

"This time," He began smoothly. "I have no intention of letting you go."

Ahhh...this one didn't flow as easily as the last two. I hope the struggle wasn't too noticeable. lol. Time for me to get some much needed sleep...I promise to try harder next time;)