It was Monday night. Sarah was doing homework on her bedroom floor and he was sitting next to reading her textbook. He found the subject of American Government so fascinating. It made him wonder how Sarah would adapt to being a monarch when she was so used to have three branches of government rule. He knew she would be a fair ruler but it wasn't going to be an easy task for her.

He wanted to distract her but she was busy studying for tests. Her finals were going to be coming soon. He heard the bell ring that meant someone was at the door. Both he and Sarah ignored it but after a few minutes there was a knock on the door. Jareth regretfully had to fly back to his normal hiding spot.

Sarah watched as he flew and well hidden before opening the door to her bed room. It was Jared.

"What are you doing here?" When she was at school today she always felt his piercing blue eyes on her and following her.

"You left this at school," he smiled producing a red cover book with the writing The Labyrinth written on it.

Sarah looked at the book, "I don't remember bringing it to school with me today." She went through her day to see when she grabbed it but couldn't remember so just shrugged, "Thank you for bring it."

She expected that was all but he stood there kind of awkwardly in the door way. He gave a deep breathe then started, "Listen about prom. I heard what Aaron said. I was never part of the challenge. I wouldn't dare do such a thing to you or to anyone for that matter."

She was shocked and didn't know what to say.

"I know you are quite independent and like doing things your way. So I understand it if you say no," he paused for a second, "I was wondering if you want to go out to the movies with me this weekend? I wanted to ask you at school but was kind of nervous."

She looked at him. "Oh. Sure I'll go."

She almost laughed at how relived he looked. He smiled, "What do you want to see?"

Sarah blurted out, "That Beetle Juice movie!" She had seen so many previews for it and it seemed so interesting.

They talked for a bit and then she led Jared back downstairs. Jareth watched the two leave the room. She has forgotten about me!

He flew to the window and opened it slightly to fly out into the night.

She doesn't need me. She never needed me. Well I don't need her!

xxxxx

She sighed. She was sitting at her window seat looking out at the empty branch. It was Saturday and like normal her parents were out. Last night was her date with Jared. It was fun. He was very much a gentleman towards her. She just didn't understand why she was so sad.

"What is wrong, Sarah?" a sudden raspy voice asked her.

She jumped slightly and turned around to face the speaker knowing it was Hoggle. He was there to check up on her, he had been doing it more often recently. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

He didn't buy the excuse, "How did your date last night go?" Sarah smiled at Hoggle he was always so sweet. He was like another father figure always nervous when she would go on dates with guys at school.

"It was okay. The movie was good." She tried to sound happy but failed.

"Something wrong?" she could hear the worry creep more into his voice.

She realized why she was sad. The reason she went out was she thought Jared was Jareth. That Jareth came to her. "I miss him."

"Who?" She couldn't make out the emotion in his voice.

"Don't laugh. Promise you won't laugh!" she said sternly at him.

"Of course I promise," he said it like it was the most stupid thing to promise. She felt a pang of guilt for having speaking to him sternly but this was serious.

"I miss Jareth." She said it calmly.

Hoggle looked at her carefully like trying to see the truth in it. She could read a bit of shock but something else to, was it pain? "You do?"

"Yes. How is he?" she desperately needed to know.

"Well okay I guess but I really…" there they went again, he wasn't going to answer or not really answer.

She turned to not face Hoggle but the branch outside. She tried not to sound upset but it was in her voice, "Just give me an answer Hoggle. Is he married? Is he happy? Give me something concrete."

Hoggle stumbled for words, "Well…er…I don't know."

This wasn't the answer she was expecting. She turned to face him. Hoggle was trying to avoid her eye contact now, "You don't know?"

Still not looking at her, "We don't see him anymore."

"What do you mean?" She was nervous about him. What is going on?

"After you won, he hasn't been seen. He isn't king anymore."

"What! Who rules?"

Hoggle looked nervously around like lightning might strike him on the spot, "In about a month we'll be getting a new ruler. A Queen."

"So he's gone," she couldn't understand why he would abandon his position unless it was something she had done.

She looked intently at Hoggle hoping for more information but he couldn't take his eyes off his shoes. "I better be going Sarah. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Okay. See you later Hoggle." She didn't want to press him further since she could tell he was scared about what he had said.

She watched as Hoggle left by the mirror he came in from. She sighed and looked back out to the window hoping that her little owl friend would be there.

xxxxx

A week had passed by and she still didn't have any more news about the Underground. She hoped when Sir Didymus came over to play Scrabble he would say something but he didn't. She observed that the subject made him just as uncomfortable as it did with Hoggle.

That when he was about to say something more he just left in the middle of the game. She looked around at her floor at the little Scrabble pieces scattered around she didn't feel like picking them up.

She sat at her window seat. It was stupid hoping that the owl would be there. She missed him too. She was so used to imaging the owl sitting the branch looking at her with those deep golden eyes.

She could see it's markings on its breast and face. The feel of his feathers and the look he gave her when she would pet him. She could see him staring at with those golden eyes, with one pupil always being a tad bit bigger than the other, like he understood everything she had said. So when the owl flew to the branch she took no notice of it.

Just my imagination. She opened the window to feel the cool breeze on her face. He looked at her and flew closer to sit on the window sill. She looked so sad to him. Even though he had left he had always been watching her.

She looked down at him, "Too bad you really aren't here."

But I am here and by your side I will stay. Of course it was just a bunch of hoots to her. She smiled at him.

"You are here. Real or not real?" she slowly reached out to touch him fearing that her hand would pass through the image but it didn't. This was real.

Real. She smiled as he answered with a single hoot.

She weaved her fingers though his feathers, "I've missed you. Why did you leave?" She was fighting tears.

I thought you didn't want me. He answered her.

Sarah sighed. She looked away to brush the tears from her eyes. That's when he noticed the letters all over the floor. He had a way to communicate with her. He flew over and started picking up letters with his beak.

She didn't understand what he was doing. She figured maybe he was picking them up to put them away but it was so curious. After some time he stopped and started to rearrange the letters. She couldn't see what he was doing but when he was done he moved so that she could see. On the floor the letters spelt out a small simple phrase:

I LOVE YOU

She got up and sat down on the floor. She kept looking at the phrase. She slowly looked at the owl who was sitting right behind it. "What are you?"

KING

She laughed and with a raised eyebrow asked, "King of the owls?"

He squawked and ruffled his feathers angrily at her. She didn't need any words for that. "Okay that's a no. This is just too weird."

She could picture it in her head. 'What did you to this weekend?' Beth would ask. She could see herself reply, 'Talked to an owl and he talked back.'

She shook her head. This was getting them anywhere. "What's your name?"

She watched as the owl started gathering some letters. She thought for a moment. Weird things happen to me a lot and they always have something to do with the Labyrinth. So…

She looked at the first few letters that were gathered but not yet arranged. They were an A, J, R. She looked at them and knew. JAR the next would be ETH.

"Jareth."

The owl dropped the E-T-H out of its beak and nodded slowly at her. She stared at him not knowing what to think. For years she imaged how they would act if they saw each other again but this wasn't how it was he would always be the scary Goblin King. "Well just change back already."

His owl shoulders lowered and started collecting again and spelt out: NO POWER.

Sarah gasped and shook her head not believing it. Her last words to him echoed in her memory 'You have no power over me', "It's my fault isn't it? I'm so sorry, Jareth. I didn't know."

He moved over to the words and with his wing pushed some way so only the NO remained.

"It's not my fault? Then whose is it?" She couldn't believe how anyone could take his magic away from him he was so powerful.

MINE

How could that be? "Jareth I don't understand. Why would you make yourself lose your powers?"

He hopped over to the first message. "Because you love me?"

She stretched over to her nightstand to pick up the little red book and opened it to the first few pages.

She stopped when she found what she was looking for and read it silently…And what no one knew was that the Goblin King fell in love with her and gave her certain powers.

"I didn't know. I was only there to recuse my brother. I didn't understand at the time what you meant by 'Fear me, love me, do as I say and I'll be your slave.'"

He gave a slight nod.

She realized what it might be, "So saying 'You have power over me' did this."

He gave her another nod.

She couldn't take it. She grabbed him and hugged him. She could feel his pain. He wanted to join in the embrace but couldn't. "I'm so sorry."

She kissed him on the head. He looked up at her. She could see the pain deep within his eyes. They were his eyes she saw that now, they were just the wrong color. It was him.

"What happens now?"

He hopped off of her.

QUEEN

"Yes Hoggle said there was to be a new queen soon."

YOU

She read the word. "Me! I'm queen! No I don't want to be. You, you are the ruler." He knew this is how she would act.

NO

"No. I can't. Is there anything I can do?"

REMEMBER ME

"What? I could never forget about you!"

She sat there. He was watching her carefully. He could tell that she was afraid. She needed Lancelot but Toby had him in his room and she couldn't wake him up now.

"What is going to happen to you?"

OWL DIE MORTAL OR

She looked at the message. It didn't make sense at first then it hit her, "So you'll stay the way you are now or become a mortal," she looked at the second word fearing it more than anything else at the moment and gulp, "die?"

He slowly nodded at her. A fresh new set of tears started to form in her eyes.

"No! You can't leave me!" She covered her face with her hands not wanting to see anymore messages.

WHY

He looked over at her. She was crying. This was too much for her. He knew it but she had to know. He wobbled right over to her and lightly hooted to get her attention. She looked at him with sad eyes. He couldn't dare look at them and wobbled over to the message.

"I love you."

That's what he wanted to hear for so long but it was too late now: TOO LATE.

"It isn't, it can't be."

He looked up at her. Their eyes met. Both of them could read the pain see the deep sadness.

"But you always had power over me," then she didn't mean what she said to him all those years ago then his voice came from her memories. When she first wished for Toby to be taken away and didn't mean it, "Though I guess what is said is said."

He hooted lightly at her to agree. She watched as he hopped to other blocks trying to figure out what the next message was.

TOGETHER NOW

He came towards her and held out his wings. He gave her the only hug he could. She took him in her arms and held him close. She could feel his little heartbeat. They were together now but not for long. Somehow in some way they would be separated again.