Chapter 4

"I wish the goblins would come take you away, right now!"

She gasped and then there was darkness.

Sarah widened her eyes. She couldn't see, but she could feel movement, almost as if she was being pushed in all directions like a leaf in heavy wind. The sensation changed and she felt like she was falling slowly. And then she could see she was falling, and she landed on her feet in a stone room. She staggered a few steps, not quite able to stick the landing. She looked around with her mouth hung slightly open.

The walls and floor were made of tan colored stones. A fireplace lay on one end, the inside blackened with winters of use. There were plush, burgundy velvet chairs and couches around the room and even a few books strewn here and there on nearby end tables. Candles also graced the tables, their wax encrusting the wooden surface around them. None were lit presently as late-afternoon light was streaming through the windows. The windows did not have glass but had heavy drapes of velvet that matched the furniture. She cautiously crossed the room to a window and her worst fears were realized; she was inside the castle at the center of the Labyrinth.

"No, no, no, no, no…," she muttered to herself.

"Yes, yes, yes!" squeaked a voice behind her. She whirled to find a gaggle of goblins smiling at her and looking very pleased with themselves.

"Why am I here?" Sarah groaned to no one in particular.

"Cause youse was wished aways," stated a goblin, slowly, as if he thought she might be a bit slow in the head.

"Oh, I had no idea," Sarah said with a roll of her eyes. The goblins exchanged more looks now, clearly thinking that she really was slow. Obviously sarcasm was not a strong suit for goblins.

Sarah swiveled her eyes, taking in the room once more. Finally they alighted on a wrought-iron door, and she strode purposely toward it. The goblins watched her for a second and then jumped comically and rushed to block the door. "Youse can'ts leave heres!"

"Oh, yes I can," Sarah growled. After her immediate shock had subsided, an urge to escape had developed, almost to a point where she felt as if the walls were closing in around her. She felt trapped and she wanted, needed to leave, right now. She stepped around and over goblins, but they pushed her legs back as well, some pulling back on her jeans. This lasted for several long moments and all were too busy in the struggle to notice the door had crept open.

"Well, if they had tried this tactic last time, you would have never made it through the city," drawled a certain, smirking Goblin King.

The motley crew paused and all turned to find Jareth lounging against the doorframe. Sarah's breath hitched a bit, just as it had when she had read the passage about them dancing. Strange, she had only read it maybe an hour ago and it had seemed like so much time had passed. Maybe it had.

"I'm glad to see you can follow orders at least some of the time," Jareth stood straight with his hands folded behind his back and regarded the goblins. "Leave us." On an afterthought, the Goblin King added, "And take the chicken," and soon the goblins and poultry trooped out of the room, the door swinging shut behind them.

Jareth's gaze traveled away from the door to look upon his captive. And my, was she captivating. His eyes traveled over her lithe figure; up her legs, across her waist and ample chest and finally landed on her lips. And then he reached her eyes. Sarah straightened, trying to ignore the urge to cover herself with her arms, as she felt that he could see through her. She tugged the hem of her green tank-top down just a bit so she was sure it was covering the top of her jeans.

"Welcome back to my Labyrinth, Sarah." He smiled, but his eyes looked dark, ravenous. "I trust the goblins weren't too much of a bother."

Sarah swallowed to relieve her dry throat and was finally able to speak. "Take me back."

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"I didn't ask to be stolen away by you; take me back!" Sarah began to show her frustration and sounded half-hysterical in her demand.

Jareth tsked. "Must you always place the blame on me? First for your brother, after you had wished him away quite clearly, and now you are blaming me again for being wished away by that brat who is now working his way through the outer walls."

"Alex is in the Labyrinth?" Sarah asked softly.

The Goblin King nodded and stepped closer. "At first he had believed you ran away from him. It took him such a long time to even begin to believe that you were not a silly girl living in a dream world but one who had been through challenges he could not fathom. He didn't take my warnings about the Labyrinth, however. Maybe he thought since you beat it, it would be an easy task for him."

Sarah frowned, not liking at all the way this was sounding. "You're twisting this. Alex didn't mean any of it, and I'm sure he's bravely trying to rescue me now."

"Are you so sure?" Jareth questioned, sowing the seeds of doubt further into Sarah's mind. "He was angry when he wished you away. And when he slipped and told me that he loved you, and I asked why, then, did he wish you away to goblins, he gave me the same pathetic excuse of not meaning it. I challenged that answer, and when I said that I believed that he did mean it, that he just didn't think it would actually work, he had no reply for me."

"…You're lying…," Sarah mumbled, unsure.

"Why would I need to lie? Have I ever lied to you yet?" Jareth prodded, his eyes narrowed.

Sarah opened her mouth and then closed it. Her expression crumpled a little as she realized that what he said was truth.

Jareth circled behind her and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. His voice dropped to a murmur. "He doesn't love you like I do, Sarah. I wouldn't think the things you like are childish. I could give you your dreams as I offered before, if you'd just say the word."

Sarah inhaled sharply, sad, confused, and frightened all at once. She wasn't frightened so much by Jareth himself, as she was by his actions. When she was younger, he had said as much, but she had not understood, had purposely not listened. Now she heard him, and his offer was terrifying, unknown. Alex was safe…. She loved Alex….

"I would never wish you away," Jareth whispered in her ear. Sarah wrenched herself out of his grasp, not able to bear being so close anymore. Once again she felt trapped, and she needed to escape. She strode purposefully to a window and gasped in the fresh air as if she had been underwater and had just resurfaced.

Jareth watched her curiously. He gave her a few moments to adjust to all that he had told her, giving her the space she needed. Finally, he called from across the room, "Forget him, Sarah."

Sarah shuddered and turned to meet his gaze. "I can't. He's in the Labyrinth. He's coming for me."

Jareth shrugged. "He has thirteen hours to reach this castle or you will remain in the Underground. And you have thirteen hours to decide if that's such a horrible outcome after all."

Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the view of the Underground out the window. Sunset was falling fast, casting beautiful streaks of color across the sky, with night approaching from the East, a velvet blue with thousands of twinkling stars. It was magical, to say the least.

She turned back around as she heard the door swing open. Jareth held it open and motioned for her to follow. When Sarah hesitated, he frowned. "I was going to take you to the dining hall so that you may get dinner, and the escort you to a guest room in case you would prefer sleeping to staring out the window or devising plans of escape all night."

Sarah's mouth formed an 'o' and she almost laughed at his disgruntled expression. It made him less kingly and more… human. She tentatively crossed the room to follow him.

AN: Sorry this chapter took a while. I didn't want to rush it, and I hope you enjoy it. And if you didn't notice, this chapter raised the story rating to T, thanks to His Nibs being a bit of a perv, hahahaha.