As Big Ben chimed eight, Jareth placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him, and he immediately presented her with a bunch of flowers as big as her head.

"I believe flowers are also customary on a birthday, as well as dinner." He told her, and Sarah laughed. He seemed to be obsessed with Aboveground customs, and she wanted to learn all about how the Fae did things. She stared down at the bouquet he had just handed were beautiful white roses, as big as side dishes. In the dim light provided by the streetlights, she could see that each petal sparkled as though sprinkled with diamonds.

"These are beautiful." She breathed, holding them close to her nose and inhaling their intoxicating perfume. "I've never seen anything like them."

"They are from my private gardens." He told her. "I hoped you would like them."

"I do, very much. You look nice." She told him, admiring the simple black suit he was wearing. She could see the amulet he always wore nestling beneath his shirt, and she wondered if it was something he chose to wear or something he had to. It was still odd seeing him look so..average, without the long hair and the exceedingly tight clothing. There was still something about him that was intoxicating. His eyes sparkled, even in the dim light on the bridge. He had an air of magic about him that he couldn't mask with clothes and a hair cut.

"You look stunning, precious." His voice was soft, and he brushed his hand over the side of her face tenderly. Sarah closed her eyes briefly, concentrating the sensation of his gloved fingers brushing her skin. Opening her eyes, she looked down at her coat, feigning ignorance to her appearance.

"Do I?" She asked innocently, touching her hair as if checking it was still there. "I didn't really have much time to get ready."

"It was all the time you needed. I am a lucky man to have a beauty such as you on my arm this evening. Now, shall we go?" He asked pleasantly, bending his arm and gesturing for her to take it.

"Where are we going?" Jareth simply tapped the side of his nose with his other hand, indicating a secret. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "What are you, twelve? You going to tell me to mind my own beeswax next?"

"Beeswax? I didn't know you kept bees. I myself have several hives. Anyway, I have arranged something rather special. I need you to close your eyes and hold on to my arm. Don't let go, Sarah, no matter what." Sarah eyed him suspiciously, and finally linked her arm through his. Her other hand still held the bouquet he had given her. "Now, eyes closed. Hold tight." Sarah squeezed her eyes shut and within an instant knew that he had used magic to transport them. The ground disappeared from under her and she felt as though she was flying and falling all at the same time. Within seconds, she was standing on solid ground again.

"Can I open my eyes now?" She asked, and Jareth chuckled. He let go of her arm for a second, and she wondered where he had gone. The bouquet was pulled gently from her hand, and she felt her coat being slipped off her shoulders. As quickly as he'd left, he was back, lacing his hand through hers. Sarah could feel the smooth leather of his gloves, but the feeling of holding his hand made her a little breathless. She felt like an idiot - who gets excited just from holding a guy's hand?

"In a moment. Let me move you over here, then you may open your eyes." Sarah murmured her consent, still squeezing her eyes shut to resist the temptation to peek. She had no idea where they could be. She wondered if he had taken her Underground without her permission. She wasn't sure how she would feel if she was Underground; she was not adverse to going back, as long as she didn't have to run the Labyrinth again. She tried to focus on what she could hear and feel, but there wasn't much to go on. She could hear footsteps echoing around her, but little else.

Through the thin sleeves of her dress she could feel that wherever they were was cold, though it didn't sound as though they were outside. She walked gingerly as Jareth lead her slowly, and she reveled the sensation of his leather clad hand holding hers once again. She squeezed it quickly, and smiled as he squeezed her hand back. She put one hand out to steady herself, and felt cold, slightly damp stone beneath her finger tips. She wondered if they were in his castle.

"Open your eyes," he whispered into her ear, standing behind her now. Sarah shuddered a little at the sensation of his breath on her sensitive skin and did as she was instructed. She gasped at the view that lay before her. They weren't in the Underground at all, in fact they were not far from where they had begun. Sarah could see Tower Bridge a little in distance, lit up brightly. Blocking some of the view were turrets and ancient walls, and Sarah squealed when she realised where they were.

"This is the Tower of London!" She exclaimed, turning away from the window and looking around her. The room was bathed in candlelight, and was empty save a small table that stood in the middle. Sarah looked around, seeing the walls were made of thick grey stone. There was a fireplace large enough for her to stand in in the corner. The room was pure history, and Sarah felt giddy at being in such an ancient building without being surrounded by tourists. "You brought me to the Tower of London!" In her excitement, she threw herself at him, latching her arms around his neck and hugging him closely. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

"Indeed." Jareth smiled at her reaction, patting her back awkwardly and she pulled back from the hug she had forced on him. She suddenly realised something was different; he looked like himself again. The long hair was back, and he was wearing black pants, his long leather boots and a rather nice burgundy jacket with a high collar. She could see the amulet he always wore peeping out from beneath his black shirt, which was open slightly at the chest as usual. His markings sparkled above his eyes in the candlelight, and Sarah stared at him hopelessly.

"I hope you don't mind, precious," he said as he noticed her looking at him with an open mouth "but I thought as it's just the two of us here, I'd remove the glamour I normally use when I'm Above. Mortal clothes are a little dull for my tastes."

"N-no, that's fine." Sarah thought he looked incredible, and she tried to ignore the feeling that settled in her belly. She looked around her again in disbelief, not seeing that Jareth was watching her with a smirk. "I think I prefer you like that any way. You're more familiar." She turned back to the window, admiring the view.

"I can't believe I'm in the Tower of London! How have you managed this? Am I going to get arrested?" She asked him, half expecting the police to break the door down any moment. Jareth shook his head.

"Should anyone come to this part of the castle, they will simply see an empty room. It is a simple enchantment, but one that allows me a few..privileges." Sarah barely heard him, walking around the room in a daze. She had always loved the history of London, and she had been to the Tower several times. It was always packed with tourists. This must have been a room kept out of bounds to the public, as there were no exhibitions in here. Unless of course Jareth had relocated them for the evening.

"Well, thank you. It's perfect. It's always been my favourite building in London." She returned to the window, still gazing out at the city spread before her, the mix of old and new fascinating to see.

Jareth made the bold move of standing against her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She didn't move, didn't protest, and closed her eyes at the feeling of his lithe body against her back.

"I know it is. You look exquisite tonight, precious. That is a beautiful dress you're wearing. Rather short," he added playfully "but beautiful. Very different to the shapeless peasant garments you normally wear." A hand moved away from her waist, and touched the fabric of the sleeve near her wrist. Sarah watched as his fingers curled round her wrist briefly before he moved his hand away. Every movement he made seemed deliberate, planned to tease her and touch her as often and as seemingly carelessly as he could. He stayed close to her, and Sarah had no desire to move away from him. How was it that she could feel so comfortable around him that she would let him hold her like this?

Breaking out of her daze, she realised what he had just said to her. "Hey, you know it's not 'customary' to insult the birthday girl's fashion sense right? You have to be extra nice to me! No calling me a peasant on my birthday."

"Sorry, love." The easy way endearments slipped into his speech intrigued Sarah. He spoke to her softly, even when teasing, and she wondered he was behaving like this to try and win her over, or if this was truly how he was in private. The cynical side of her thought that he could be putting an act on to trick her into his bed. "I will make every effort to be extra nice, as you put it." He practically growled into her ear, and Sarah shut her eyes, biting her lip. He was the most seductive man she had ever been around, and she felt as though she was drowning in him. "You really have become quite the beautiful woman, Sarah."

"T-thank you. Um. You too?" She said nervously. "I mean.."

"I know what you mean." He said, amused at her mistake. "Do I make you feel uneasy Sarah?"

"Not uneasy. Just a little nervous. I don't have the best experiences with you and castles." She reminded him, trying to keep her voice light. She was painfully aware that he had not moved his arms from around her waist. If anything he was holding her closer to him than before.

"I assure you I am on my best behaviour. No tricks, no deception. I told you, I can be perfectly pleasant when I want to be." Sarah said nothing in response to that, biting her tongue and keeping everything she wanted to know inside.

Jareth continued the conversation easily, returning the subject to their dinner venue. "I've been here several times over the years, so I knew which room would be the best for our little dinner this evening."

"How have you been here?" Sarah asked, suspecting that it hadn't been on a day trip. "Somehow I don't picture you as a tourist."

"When you're as old as I am, dearest, you get through a great number of friends. It just so happens that I made mine in all the right places. I went off it a bit after sweet Anne died here. Luckily so did everyone else, so I didn't come here much after that."

"Anne?" Sarah asked. After a moment's thought, she squealed in surprise. She turned a little in his arms so she could see his face. "You knew Anne Boelyn?!"

"In a sense." He shrugged, and Sarah eyed him suspiciously.

"Were you lovers?" She asked, realising afterwards she probably should have asked in a more polite way. After all, she barely knew the man and here she was asking if he'd screwed a Queen of England. Jareth laughed, raising an eyebrow at her in surprise.

"My my Sarah, aren't you forward. No, she was not my lover. She was innocent of all those charges. However, the witchcraft..she certainly was not so innocent of that."

"Was she Fae?" Sarah asked, wondering if that was what he meant.

"Yes - her powers of seduction were really an enchantment, any mortal man she directed her attention to was utterly undone. She was the most beguiling woman I had ever known. That we were not lovers was not due to lack of trying on my part." Sarah felt a strange spike of jealousy, and reminded herself that he was talking about someone who had been dead for hundreds of years.

"If she was Fae, why didn't she save herself? Surely she could have just vanished back to the Underground at the first sign of trouble." Sarah couldn't understand how a woman who presumably had all the same powers as Jareth would just sit around and wait to be beheaded.

"She broke laws Underground as well as Above just before it all went wrong for her, and her powers had been suspended. The enchantment failed and she lost all of her influence over Henry." He explained impatiently, his arms still locked round Sarah's waist. "Look Sarah, if you don't mind I arranged this evening to celebrate your birthday, not talk about Anne Boelyn." Sarah turned in his arms and continued enjoying the view from the window whilst talking to him.

"I'm sorry. I just love history and it's not every day you find out something like that!"

"Consider it your gift then." He teased her. "I'm sure I could tell you a thing or two about history. The Fae have been quite prolific in the Above for thousands of years. Particularly the Medieval times."

"How old are you?" Sarah asked, turning around suddenly, wondering if he was indeed thousands of years old. She looked at him closely in the dim light and could see few wrinkles or signs of age spots. He looked like a mortal man in his mid thirties, all angular jaw and sharp nose.

"Older than you, sweet thing. Much too old for you." He added quietly, raising a hand to stroke a lock of her hair. Sarah frowned at the last part of his statement. "Today is your birthday, not mine. There's no need to discuss my age."

"Ten thousand years old?" Sarah guessed pressing him for an answer to her question. She was curious to know more about this impossible man wrapped around her. Jareth laughed softly.

"No, not as old as all that. I'm not my Grandfather. I was born around fifteen hundred of your years ago, I suppose. We don't mark birthdays in the same way as humans, we celebrate centuries rather than single years. All the singing and forced merriment you mortals are so fond of would get a little boring after the hundredth time, and you'd still be a babe."

"So really, you're fifteen. A moody teenager." Sarah teased him, and Jareth threw his head back and laughed.

"That's one way of looking at things I suppose, dearest. Rather more favourable than hurtling towards old age. My next birth celebration will be in two years." Sarah scoffed at him.

"So you're much closer to sixteen hundred years old."

"Forgive me for shaving a few years off, precious. Nobody likes being reminded they're getting older. Especially me, the vain old goat that I am."

"Are you immortal?"

"Not immortal, but our lifespans are hundreds the time of yours. We physically age in much the same way as humans, though the process is much slower. I suppose by your terms I look middle aged. Most Fae fade around six or seven thousand years old."

"Wow. So when I'm a shriveled old prune, you'll still look like you do now?"

"You could never be a prune, sweet thing."

Even if I was with him, in that way, Sarah thought, I would age and die and he would still be young. What's the use of falling in love with someone who can barely blink before you're gone forever?

"Tell me more about you." Sarah asked, wanting to move the subject away from her own mortality. "I hardly know anything."

"My name is Jareth. I'm fifteen hundred and ninety eight years old, I live in a castle.." he began sarcastically, and she interrupted him.

"Yes, thanks, I know that. May I ask you some questions? I meant what I said earlier, I want to get to know you." Jareth slipped his arms away from her waist.

"Let us sit then. You may interrogate me as much as you wish to, and I shall do my best to answer you honestly."

Jareth pulled one of the chairs out for her, and gestured for her to sit down. As she took her seat, he pushed her closer to the table and went round to the other side to join her.

"Thank you. Quite the gentleman."

"Your questions, Sarah. I would like to do other things tonight beside talk about myself, so ask them quickly."

"What's your full name?"

"His Royal Highness, Jareth the Goblin King."

"That's your title. You just have one name? No family name?"

"My family name is Danu, but I have no need to use it. There is no real use for family names, it is purely symbolic rather than practical. There are so few of us that we each have unique names. We do not need other names to set us apart from one another. I suppose they have some use to assess social status, but the King part of my title does that for me."

"Who are your parents? What do they do?"

"My mother is Arethusa, my father Hefeyd. Really Sarah, is there nothing of more interest we can discuss?" Jareth asked, growing impatient. "I have no desire to analyse my family tree."

"I want to know you better, I think family is a good place to start." Sarah insisted. "How does childhood work in your world? Are you born like humans? Do women carry the children?"

"Yes, our biology is much the same as yours, though the Fae are less fertile, particularly if they breed with their own kind. Most couples are lucky if they can conceive once. My parents were blessed with twins."

"Twins? You have a twin?" Sarah pictured two of Jareth - a scary thought indeed.

"A sister, yes. Her name is Juturna. She is married to the Elf King, I haven't seen her for centuries." Jareth said casually, pouring the wine that was sitting in an ice bucket next to the table into her glass. After he was finished, he poured a generous serving into his own glass. Sarah raised an eyebrow at him, but he merely shrugged. "If we're talking about my sister, I'm going to need this."

"Do you miss her?"

"We are rather different people who don't see eye to eye." He said, and Sarah got the impression that pushing for more information would be a bad idea.

"How did you become King?"

"My father was King before me, but he grew weary of the Goblins and abdicated, leaving me in charge whilst he and my mother flit around the Underground doing whatever they fancy. Now I am the one growing weary of the Goblins."

"Do you have any children?" Sarah asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her. He had lived for so long, surely he must have had some children.

"No."

"Do you want to have children?"

"I wish to have an heir. I'm not sure how I will achieve that, be it keeping a wished-away babe like Toby or having my own son." Sarah wondered if that meant he would marry a Fae woman, and she felt a now familiar stab of jealously. Jareth watched her carefully, gauging her reaction.

"Were you angry at me?" Sarah asked suddenly. "I thought you would be more angry at me." Sarah admitted, something she had wanted to say for a long time. Jareth said nothing, so she continued nervously. "I defeated you. I told you you have no power over me. You even told me today that you wanted me to be your Queen, and I rejected you..why are you being so nice to me?"

"I was angry at being defeated. Six years ago, I wouldn't be standing here with you trying to ensure you had a happy birthday. Quite the opposite, in fact. Six years in the Underground is hardly any time at all, and I spent the first three obsessing over what had gone wrong. I was furious for a while, but I found it boring being consumed like that. When I saw you three years ago, I found it difficult to be angry at someone who burned herself by spilling cocoa on her lap. You weren't the girl who destroyed everything then; you were just Sarah. In a way, I should have been more angry someone who could do something so stupid could defeat me. I found it funny, truth be told. You made me laugh."

"Gee thanks. I'm not a clown you know."

"No, you're not a clown." He said sincerely. Jareth reached across the table to hold her hand. "Truth be told Sarah, I barely understand the shift in my feelings for you. I'm not the sentimental type. I move the stars for no one, I believe I said. When I look at you, I know I would rearrange the universe itself if it meant that you would love me."

For once, Sarah didn't know what to say.


A/N: Phew that was a long chapter! I've been working on this for a few days and it's gotten to the stage where it was ten thousand words, so I've split it up. I'm still working on the next chapter. There will be more questions (if there are any questions you'd like to see the answer to, let me know in a review) and more about Jareth. I'd quickly like to make a few points about my characterisation of Jareth:

1. He is quite light hearted in my story because, to be honest, that's how I saw him in the film. When he's not taunting Sarah (who after all he wants to defeat), he's laughing, joking around and smiling. He's also very kind to Toby. So I thought now that he was out of the context of the Labyrinth, he would be more natural.

2. I've made it very clear that (in this story at least) he plays up to the "evil King" role when someone is running the Labyrinth. I feel like there were a lot of lighter moments in the film where he plays with people for fun, and I see this as being part of his sense of humour. However, I know there is a darker side (and I've tried to incorporate that too) - don't forget, right now he's on his best behaviour..

3. Any information I include is either from the film or made up/based on myths. I haven't read Return to Labyrinth.

4. I've never written any Labyrinth fanfiction and I'm pretty worried I've got Jareth wrong, so I've been watching Jareth's scenes but also a lot of Bowie interviews from around that time to try and get his voice and speech right.

Okay, that's enough insecure justification of my writing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one should be up in a few days. Please review if you got through all that!