A/N: Ugh, I feel like I haven't updated in forever! I have an excuse though, my internet has been down and I haven't been able to post, and before that I was in Florida and then before that I was just plain lazy and had writer's block.
So I got one vote for Sarah to meet Hoggle first then one for Sir Didymus (sp??) so you'll just have to read and find out which one she stumbles across first!
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Jareth's carriage pulled up to the castle and he smiled. The ride back had been torture after they had run into trouble with the giants just outside the borders of the Silent Forest. As he stepped into the castle entrance way there was a swarm of goblins surrounding him instantly.
Noise flooded the hallway and Jareth looked around at the panicking goblins. "Quiet!" He yelled and they all fell silent. "Now what the hell is going on?"
"Mistress Sarah," One of the goblins jumped up in front of Jareth and landed on another's shoulders, "She's gone out into the Labyrinth."
"Didn't anyone try to stop her?" The Goblin King roared and turned back to the double doors leading to the grounds but the swarm of goblins was blocking his way. "She could get killed out there."
"Master, we have search parties out looking for her." A blue eyed goblin to his left said. "We did not notice where she had gone until we could not find her. We had found this on your throne." He handed Jareth the note, another angry roar echoing through the empty halls branching out from the entrance way.
--
Sarah had been wandering the twists and turns of the Labyrinth for what seemed to be hours upon hours. Ahead of her a bridge stretched across what seemed to be a murky green river but as she stepped closer the stink that came from it made her eyes water and her stomach turn.
'Just run over it quickly and you can get away from the stench.' Sarah told herself as she held her forearm over her nose and tried breathing through her mouth. She started towards the bridge at a brisk walking pace but before she could step foot on the ancient gray stones a small fox dressed in colorful clothing.
"None shall pass without permission!" He yelled, the force in his voice sending Sarah back a half a step.
"Please, I must get away from this terrible stench." Sarah begged. Her insides seemed to mix themselves up inside her and the small breakfast she had eaten earlier threatening to make a surprise appearance.
"Do you have permission to pass?" The fox asked, eyeing her warily.
"Permission from whom?" She asked.
There was a long silence. "I don't rightly know m'lady."
"Well then, may I have permission to pass?"
The small fox thought it over and stepped aside. "Of course m'lady. You may pass over this bridge anytime you wish and if you are ever in need of assistance just call my name. I am Sir Didymus." He bowed and Sarah bit back a giggle.
"Thank you." Sarah curtseyed and started across the bridge. She got less than halfway across when she noticed that the unbearable stench was simply getting worse and ran back across gagging.
"M'lady, is there something wrong?" Sir Didymus asked, whistling and riding over on a sheep dog that seemed to be twice the size of the fox.
"That smell, it's horrible."
The fox lifted his nose to the air and inhaled deeply as Sarah leaned against a tree trunk. "I do not smell anything m'lady and the one thing I pride myself for is my excellent sense of smell."
She wanted to argue back but figured that it would not be in her best interests to lose the one person she met that could possible help her get back to the Goblin City and beyond that, Jareth's castle where she could curl up with a book in the extensive library and never again even glance in the direction of the Labyrinth.
Before she could ask Sir Didymus if he knew the way out of the Labyrinth Jareth appeared in front of her. She gasped and took a step back but then threw herself into his arms, almost sobbing with relief.
When she pulled herself away they were back at the castle and Jareth was walking away. She had never seen her future husband do this and it puzzled her. The way he held his shoulders stiffly and the muscles tensing in his arms showed that he had been worried about her but the clenched fists and brisk pace also told her that he was furious with her for going against him and putting herself in danger.
--3 Hours Later--
Sarah sat on the bed she shared with Jareth and hugged a pillow tightly to her body. She knew that she should go find Jareth and apologize. She couldn't stand it when he was mad at her, but she felt like she didn't have enough energy to swing her legs over the side of the bed let alone walk across the large castle to search for Jareth.
Someone knocked on the door and Sarah straightened hopefully before realizing that it couldn't be Jareth, he never knocked before entering a room. She almost giggled as she remembered how much it bothered her when he would walk in the bathroom as she was in the shower or getting dressed but eventually she got used to it. "Come in." She called, expecting it to be one of the many goblins that ran around the castle.
The door creaked as it swung open to reveal Jareth standing in the hallway. "Are you okay?" He asked, his mismatched eyes shining with concern.
"Just tired." She turned her face away and stared at her knees. "I'm sorry." Her peripheral vision caught Jareth taking a few steps closer to the bed. "I was just so curious and angry with you because you weren't going to take me today. I really didn't mean to get lost. Please don't be mad at me." Sarah could feel tears building behind her eyes and tried desperately to hold them back.
"Shh, don't worry about it." Suddenly she was wrapped in his warm arms, her head on his shoulder. "I could never be mad at you."
"But what about-"
"When I brought you back?" Sarah nodded. "I was merely frustrated with the chain of events."
"So it is my fault." Sarah cried.
"No, I didn't say that. As it turns out my father is forcing me to marry someone against both of our wills." Sarah nodded but stayed silent. "Then after I visited with her I come back to find you missing." Before Sarah could say anything Jareth continued. "And I can see what you were doing when you went out on your own. You were doing the same thing that I had done earlier, you let your anger get in the way of your better judgment and for that I don't blame you. When I found you, I'm sorry to say this, but you looked horrible."
Sarah giggled through her tears. "So you're not mad at me?"
"Never." He sighed, "But there is something that I have to tell you." Sarah mentally braced herself for bad news. "We're going to have to have the wedding before your birthday instead of a few weeks after as originally planned."
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A/n: I know, not the best chapter. I have no excuse, go ahead, flame away!