"Oh Jareth…"

Sarah's faintly whispered sigh filled the air.

Staring into Jareth's blazing eyes, Sarah felt her heart break at the pain she must have caused this once great king. He must have suffered unbearably, unable to return to his land and home. To think that this had all been caused by a few carelessly spoken words falling from her naïve lips. But what choice had she had?

Reaching her tiny hand up, she gently cradled the king's cheek, stocking softly.

Jareth's eyes closed for a single instant, in which time stood still and he was allowed to enjoy her touch. Then, his eyes snapped open as he roughly pushed Sarah's hand from his face.

"I don't want, or need, your pity." The words came out more a growl then a sentence, but it was enough for the soft light in her eyes to die a sudden death.

"I didn't mean—"

"Yes, I've heard that from you before. You didn't mean to kill the Labyrinth. You didn't mean to make everyone go anyway. You didn't mean to banish me from my home." With each sentence, the anger and fury grew and grew, until it was an uncontrollable monster that was working its way from his throat and into the air around them, choking Sarah with its mere presence.

"No, Jareth—" Sarah breath caught as he suddenly grabbed her by the upper arms, spinning and pressing her none-too-gently into stone wall. As he leaned in, his face was such a mask of hate and revulsion, Sarah closed her eyes and wished she was anywhere but here.

Jareth leaned in, only to fall against the wall as Sarah disappeared from sight.

Shock colored his face as his hands came up empty. "Sarah?" His call was filled with curiosity, and hint of uncertainty. Turning to scan the room behind him, Jareth felt panic swell in his chest as he was unable to find her.

Drawing a gazing crystal from the air, Jareth looked into the swirling mists and tried to locate Sarah. Shock washed over his face as he spied her, collapsed and crying in the middle of his garden; the garden that he had made just for her, the day she had arrived in the Labyrinth all those long years ago. The garden that she had never seen, when at its full glory.

Sarah wiped the last of her eyes from her face. Looking around her, she noticed that she was in the garden that Jareth had taken her to a few days before. It was still dead and dreary looking; proof of everything that Jareth had told her.

Sitting in the garden, gazing at the lifelessness around her, something inside her simply said "enough". Rising from the bench, Sarah walked toward one of the many stone planters and knelled beside it. Staring at that lifeless twigs that hung limply over the side, Sarah try to imagine what sort of flower had once grown here. Unable to figure it out, she simply placed her cold and trembling hand atop the dead plant. Closing her eyes, Sarah took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

As she did, her hand grew warmer and warmer, almost white-hot. But there was no pain, only warmth. She could feel it, flowing from her chest, down her arm, through her fingers and into the dry, cracked earth.

Pulling her hand away slowly, Sarah opened her eyes to see the once lifeless planter filled with beautiful white and pink roses, which rose gracefully from the planter, higher than any roses that she had ever seen before.

Standing, Sarah looked on with amazement as the roses continued to grow, blooming to expending to almost a foot wide. A smile traced across her lips, watching the life flow through the plant and restore it to a thing of splendor once more.

Turning, Sarah walked to the center of the garden. Dropping to the ground, she placed both her hands flat on the ground and closed her eyes once more, letting the magic flow from her and into the wonder around her.

When next she opened them, the garden was complete with flowing ivy vines that hung from wall to wall, creating a canopy that shielded this delightful place from the world around it. Roses of every color imaginable filled the air with their sweet scent. Soft grass covered the ground, tickling her palm where it rested on the now-warm ground.

Standing, Sarah turned to take in all the wonder around her.

The smile that had been forming on her sweet lips froze in place at the sight of the Goblin King, who was leaning against the far wall watching her with the faintest of smiles upon his own lips.

Straightening away from the wall, Jareth walked to where Sarah stood frozen in place. "How did you know what this garden looked like?" His question was so soft, so gentle, that for a moment, Sarah couldn't answer. Never had he used such a tender tone with her.

Looking away to gather her thoughts, Sarah glazed around her, taking in the beauty and magnificence. "I didn't," she finally answered, turning back to Jareth, who had stepped closer still, his body heat rolling off him and pulsing soothingly against her. "I-I just closed my eyes and imagined what I would like it to look like."

Something about her answer brought a flash of delight to his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for her to question it. "Well," he answered, "it is lovely." But he wasn't looking at the garden, but at Sarah.

Sarah turned away, not such why.

"Sarah," her name was softly spoken, like a pray. She turned back, but couldn't bring herself to look at him again. "Sarah, would you like to join me for dinner?"

The question startled her so much, her eyes jerked up and slammed into his. There was nothing but kindness in his mismatched eyes, but Sarah remembered all too well how fast her could go from tender to hate-filled.

"I don't think that's such a good idea…" her reply trailed off as Jareth reached out one gloved hand and tucked her lose hair behind her eyes.

Sadness colored his words. "I understand why you would think that, but I promise not to lose myself again. I am sorry, Sarah."

Looking up at him, with the tenderness and the compassion of his eyes boring down on her, Sarah couldn't find it within herself to deny him. "Ok."

Resting his hand lightly on her shoulder, Jareth flashed them both from the garden.

Neither noticed the dark shadow lingering angrily on the outskirts of the now resorted garden…