A/N: Hello all! I can't tell you what the reviews and follows mean to me. Every time I see that e-mail alert on my phone while I'm at work, I smile so very wide. You guys are getting me back into the swing of writing and I can't thank you enough.

Now for the "bad" news: This chapter was going to be longer, but I have tendinitis. My hand is in a brace, so typing is really hard. However, I really want to get the groundwork and ball rolling on this by the end of the week, so I pushed through and wrote something for you tonight. It just means that this chapter is broken up into two parts basically. Hope that's OK. Things are going to really get moving soon.

Jareth awoke on the hill at the beginning of the Labyrinth.

Home! It was all just a dream. Some sort of after effect of his defeat. Very well, he could take his licks when he had earned them. It was time to return home.

First, Jareth attempted to leave by his normal method, teleportation, but he found himself unable. Usually, he could just picture the destination he desired to be at and poof! there he was. But now? Now, he pictured the throne room, his beloved throne, the place where he went to escape the serious parts of his life and amuse himself with the antics of the Goblins. He pictured it, and that was all. He was still here, at the beginning of the Labyrinth.

Very well, he thought, maybe I have to traverse the Labyrinth first, to claim it once more. With this thought in mind, he confidently strode towards the entrance to his once beloved wonder.

It wasn't but five feet before he slammed nose-first into some invisible wall, preventing him from beginning his journey. Jareth bounced off in shock, nose beginning to bleed already, and fell into the dirt, the tight grey pants he wore becoming instantly covered in the substance. He looked about in embarrassed shock, hoping no one had seen.

Well, what the bloody hell am I supposed to do in that case? He stood back up and began to retreat back up the hill, but his way was blocked after only two feet, but at least this time he had walked with his hands firmly planted in front of him. He stomped the ground in frustration, feeling like a petulant child. Turning to his left, he barely made one step before the walls denied him. Now, Jareth was beginning to grow more than just a little weary. Now, Jareth was beginning to feel downright frightened.

The sky grew dark, and Jareth looked up to see rather intimidating grey/black thunderheads forming above him. He felt the first plops of rain strike his face and his fear grew into terror.

There was no room to move now, he was stuck simply standing there, watching the rain form puddles at his feet. Soon the gentle rain grew into a torrential downpour and it was as Jareth feared: The puddles were also bound within his invisible prison and were quickly gaining on him. It was a matter of mere minutes before he found in it up to his waist. Jareth clawed desperately at the walls, but there was no give. He focused all of his energy into the formation of a crystal, but that power, too, had been robbed him. He was growing tired from his thrashing and tried to regain the calm. The rising waterline wasn't helping matters and he soon found himself floating away from the ground.

How long can I float, he wondered to himself, but a more terrifying thought interrupted. Jareth extended his arm up as high as he could and whatever mental endurance he had left snapped: His fingers had brushed a ceiling. With no hope to cling to, Jareth found himself sinking into the murky water, sinking, sinking sinking...

The Owl awoke, startled from the dream and drenched from the tireless storm. He shook his feathers out the best he could and tried to squirm further back into the tree. There was little room left to go. Great, out of one wet nightmare and into this glorious reality. Jareth was beginning to rethink tapping his beak on Sarah's window, when the very thing began to move.

Intrigued, but weary of those at the party who knew of his weakened state, Jareth edged out along the branch.

"Goblin Ki-Jareth! Are you out there?" Sarah looked around into the night, frantic to find the bird. She was sure he had some sort of pre-built survival instincts, but she didn't like the idea of her, potential, only hope being trapped outside in this mess. "Jareth, please! I need you!"

Sarah was looking around the tree, but it was hard to make out much in this rain. The water kept getting into her eyes, and she was forced to turn her head away from the wind.

But with his night vision, Jareth could see her.

She wants us to come in! Came the desperate, shaky voice on the left, Oh come now, I'll bet it's warm and dry in there.

And how do you know she doesn't just want to parade us about in front of all her little friends?

As debates between Jareth's subconscious could often go, this one would likely have raged on much longer, had it not been for the gale that swooped down and knocked him from his branch. The whole of Jareth that controlled most of himself couldn't take being out here any longer. On shaky wings he could barely control, he flapped towards the open window.

Coming from below, Sarah did not see the owl's progression and when his clumsy ride brought him into her room, she mistook the owl for attacking her and she cried out in fright, falling to the floor. The owl swooped around, trying to see if she was OK, but Sarah again took this as a sign of attack and grabbed the nearest object she could find to swing in her defense. It just so happened to be the very statue she had admired for its resemblance to the Goblin King not long ago. She had no time to think of that now as she hauled off and swung for the fences at the Owl. Contact was made and he went flying into the opposite wall, sliding onto Sarah's bed, never understanding why she'd call to him and then attack him like this.

Sarah was just as shocked by her actions. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "Jareth! Are you OK? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you! You frightened me." After closing the window, Sarah sat on her bed beside the dazed little owl. His dark eyes looked into hers, almost seeming like he could focus once more. Part of her wanted to pick the owl up and hug it to her and the other part remembered that inside, he was still Jareth, the monster that had, that very evening, kidnapped her brother and caused the problem she was now in. Instead, she opted for an excuse: "I'll be right back, why don't you take a bit of time to dry yourself, off? The heating vent is right over there," she pointed to a metal duct on the floor. "I need to go check on Toby."

The dark-haired girl was out of the room before the Owl had even managed to right himself. Looking after her, at the now closed door, he signed, head bobbing up and back down, and hopped off the bed. He fluttered to the floor and waddled to the vent. At least he was warm, but what was going to happen now?