A/N: I do not own the Labyrinth


Sarah loved fairy tales – especially the ones revolving around knights in shining armor coming to the rescue of damsels in distress. Jareth had watched her many times, as she read from books like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White.

Therefore, it had greatly surprised him that she had fallen head over heels for the story of the Labyrinth, believing in its power when every other fairy tale was just that for her active imagination. For the Labyrinth's story was about a Heroine who fought against a handsome, yet seemingly villainous king and conquered him. (Not that Jareth was necessarily pleased with that particular representation of his person…after all, he was not totally a villain)

In fact, the only thing that made any sense to him at all during her entire run was the ballroom dream. For in her dreams, she was still the innocent damsel in distress, searching for the dashing hero who would sweep in and save her from the evils of the world.

In retrospect however, Jareth mused on the differences in her reactions between the run and the peach dream. While she conquered the Labyrinth and won her brother back, she had struggled at the end to remember the words that would send her back home. In the dream, it was only the striking of that damned clock that caused her to pull away from the safety of his embrace. If not for that reminder, she no doubt would have stayed with him forever.

After several years of brooding and watching, he had finally come to a conclusion that would hopefully in the end, win her heart.

And so began Operation Hero Complex…and what an operation it was.

Sarah was grateful the first time Jareth had managed to literally snatch her from the claws of death. In her absentminded stroll through the streets of her hometown one afternoon, she was shocked to find herself knocked cleanly off her feet as a flatbed truck screeched to a halt mere feet away from where she had been walking. Even more surprising was the mismatched gaze blocking her view of the sun and the heaviness of a very male body covering hers. Still, after getting over the mortifying embarrassment at being pinned underneath the Goblin King, she thanked him profusely for the rescue.

It occurred to her afterward that the final words she had spoken at the end of her run didn't seem to have much of an effect if Jareth was back in her life again. She wondered absently why that thought didn't really bother her.


By the fifth time Jareth swooped in like her own personal knight, she was starting to wonder. He was still watching her; that much was obvious and rather embarrassing to think about. His new penchant for being her knight in shining armor had her confused and oddly enough…disappointed.

After his eleventh successful rescue of her person, she was fed up with the whole situation. In a bold move, she grabbed his arm before he could poof or disapparate or whatever it was he did that warranted so much pomp and glitter. He stopped short with a grunt of surprise as his piercing eyes met her angry ones.

"Goblin King, this has to stop," She began, prepared to deliver a fiery speech on why she didn't need saving. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself amongst my peers. Did you need to scare the guys away so badly?"

"Their leader was touching you inappropriately," He sniffed haughtily, slightly insulted that she was questioning his heroics. This girl was harder to please than the whole Fae court and that was saying something.

"You have saved me from trucks, falling trees, charging geese, and muggers. I am pretty sure handling boys my own age is a piece of cake. And it doesn't really fall under the category of a damsel needing a rescue. In fact, it sort of makes you look bad to be harassing children centuries younger than you…" She stopped suddenly, realizing the implications of her revelation as the Goblin King took on a rather shifty (more so than usual) expression. "That's it isn't it? You are trying to prove that you aren't the villain in my stories. Am I right?"

"Well, what if I am? Honestly you foolish child," He growled in exasperation both at being caught, and also at her ungrateful behavior. "I don't know why I even bother with you. It's not like you really care and…oh forget it. I have had enough of living up to your expectations."

With an angry huff, he ripped his arm out of her grasp and made to march off so he could wash his hands of her in relative peace. Her shout of warning and the feeling of a soft body toppling him onto the sidewalk were followed by an ominous squeal of tires that made his sensitive ears nearly bleed.

The next thing he knew, Sarah was giggling on his chest as he lay in the dewy grass at the edge of her favorite park. It took several moments for him to shake off the stunned shock of his humiliation before he realized exactly what she had done for him. And suddenly, it mattered not that he would have walked away from the accident completely unharmed (save for his ego).

"Sarah, you just saved me," He gazed at her with adoring awe and a little bit of confusion. "I don't understand."

"Everyone needs saving at times Jareth," His name on her laughing lips made his heart stutter dangerously and he had to close his eyes against the onslaught of her alluring mossy green ones. He felt the soft feathery brush of her lips on his before she pulled away and sat up. Her shoulders still shook with mirth, but she was more subdued as she watched his reaction to her caress.

"I never understood why your whole run was centered around fighting the evil villain off and in the ballroom, you suddenly wanted me to be your savior."

"For an ancient Fae King, Jareth, you are remarkably obtuse," She chuckled quietly, and Jareth thrilled to see affection and even love shining in her eyes. "I need to be a heroine sometimes just as much as I need saving. Every damsel in distress secretly desires to be the hero in the story. It gets boring waiting up in our towers until our knights ride in to rescue us. And sometimes, our knights need to be saved more than we do."

Cautiously, Jareth pulled his mortal love into his arms and was ecstatic to feel her sigh contentedly before snuggling closer.

Perhaps her expectations weren't SO confusing or exhausting. He was just reading her desires wrong. Being the hero was fun at times, but he also enjoyed being her villain.

And as he kissed her softly, glorifying in her enthusiastic response, he realized that being the one needing saving was also pretty satisfying.