AN: Finally an update. Lookout for cliffies and a plot development. Not totally happy with the ending here, but oh well. I'm sick. Enjoy!

Sarah wasn't sure quite how they got back as she was pretty sure they had been walking away from the apartment after their breakfast. She put it off as nothing though. She had been enjoying Jared's company and the smooth coolness of his hands. He could be arrogant at times but she was starting to see it was because he was more or less spoiled as a child. Even now she could see most people giving the grown man anything he asked for. He came from a rich heritage and lived a rich lifestyle. She had laughed at him at one point and told him he sounded like everyone treated as if he were a king.

There was an unexplainable urge in Sarah that shouted out for her to tell him everything. About the nightmares she had been having since she was a teenager, about the deaths of her father and stepmother, about the sleepwalking last year. She told him some things though. She told him about her relationship with Hank in college. She didn't know how he would react. He didn't seem jealous or angry even when she hinted to having slept with Hank. He didn't make her feel dirty or shameful about it. Instead he had given her a reassuring squeeze on the hand. She recalled how his un-calloused thumb had caressed the back of her hand. It was a soothing gesture and Sarah had found herself walking closer to his side afterwards.

After getting back from their walk Sarah had spent the remainder of the afternoon with David and Jared. Jared would give her a wink over David's shoulder now and again. And although they were no longer holding hands or sitting next to each other they made efforts to give one another small signs; a wink, a stuck out tongue, the brief touching of hands as they passed in the kitchen. David did not appear oblivious to the chemistry and even made efforts to leave them in a room together. The three of them watched television and talked and laughed together and Sarah couldn't help but to be happy. She even forgot that Toby might not be having as such a good day as she was.

This is nice, hanging out with adults all day.

She felt a little sad though that she couldn't have these kinds of days with Clarice. They had fun in their own ways but Clarice was reserved and preferred a quiet life. She would have hated to be here with David making raunchy jokes at everyone's expense.

Toby came home in a good mood. He seemed to know that Sarah wasn't home and went straight to David's apartment. He told them all about his day with Clarice, the twins, and Andrew, the nephew. Sarah was happy that Toby seemed to be making friends that weren't invisible and weren't over the age of ten. Toby asked Sarah if he could go back to see Andrew and Sarah promised him she would talk to Clarice about setting something up.

Jared walked Sarah and Toby across the hall. Sarah sent Toby inside but lingered a moment. Jared took the cue and leaned in. Sarah's breath caught and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent of cinnamon and sugar washed over her and she pushed aside an irrational rising panic. Their lips never met, however he brushed his lips close to her ear.

He whispered and a shiver ran down her spine.

"Goodnight Sarah." Then he pressed his lips to her temple and stood back.

Sarah opened her eyes and gave him a small smile.

"I really had a nice time today. Thank you and goodnight, Jared." Then she turned and disappeared into her apartment.

The warmth that his body had radiated was now gone and Sarah rubbed her arms trying to dispel the sudden coldness. She asked Toby if he had already eaten dinner. He yawned as he nodded his head in confirmation. Sarah sent him to bed as it was just about his bedtime anyways. She watched him getting ready for bed and thought about the second time Jared had almost kissed her. She was disappointed. She could no longer deny herself the truth behind a desire for his kiss. Yet, a sense of relief still lingered in the back of her mind. If he had kissed her tonight would that small feeling of relief have been regret instead?

Maybe it's still too soon.

Sarah soon lay in her bed and tried to go to sleep. She found that she was missing something. Her bed suddenly seemed too big for just one person. She also found that it wasn't too hard to imagine Jared laying there next to her. A still breeze crept over her causing her skin to prickle when she recalled his warm breath breathing into her ear. She buried herself deeper into her comforter to get warm. Soon she was drifting off to sleep a familiar hum of violins lulling her into a world of fantasy.

The first thing Sarah did when she became aware of the spinning ballroom scene was find a mirror. Her reflection was the same from this morning, the same dark blue satin gown and a matching satin strip of cloth across her face with holes cut out for the eyes. She looked down and spun around to watch the skirts fan out around her ankles. She giggled as she started to topple over, her head dizzy from the spinning. A pair of strong arms caught her around the waist to steady her. She looked up expecting to see a faceless masked stranger but was surprised to see Jared, unmasked and standing beside her.

"Careful there Sarah, you don't want to break one of those pretty ankles before you even get the chance to dance."

Sarah gawked up at his handsome face. He was different somehow.

My mind must be changing his appearance for the dream.

His eyebrows were more arched and angular and that illusion from last night was back making the pupils of his eyes seem distorted. And strangely enough he appeared to be wearing makeup. His hair was a fountain around his head and his skin seemed to glow more golden. He wore a long coat with jewels of varying sizes and color sewn in. The coat was the same color as her dress and he wore it over a white ruffled shirt, tight black pants with tall shiny black riding boots.

Wow my mind is very good with details.

Like all her other dreams, with Jared performing the role of the stranger, he extending his black-gloved hand palm-side up. She took it without hesitation. This was an old routine for her, but one she still enjoyed. So far the only thing new was Jared's presence and the fact that he had spoken to her.

No one ever spoke in this dream, not even Sarah. She was intrigued by his appearance and wondered if it had to do with their date earlier that morning. Soon all thoughts fled as she whirled and twirled with him around the ballroom. There were other people there, but their faces were a blur. She never looked away from his mix-matched eyes. To do so, she had learned long ago, brought a pain of dizziness to her head and the ache of nausea to her stomach.

The music changed styles as did the dancing but it never stopped playing in this dream-world. Her feet never grew tired and she never changed dance partners. They never stopped to rest or get anything to drink; as such she never got thirsty.

Jared's mouth began to work and it seemed he was having trouble thinking of the right words to say.

Sarah chose then to try to do something that had in every other dream failed. She tried to speak.

And she was duly surprised when she did manage to say, "Strange."

They kept right on dancing and Jared finally achieved speech.

"What's strange?"

"This," Sarah indicated to him with the hand that hand been resting on his shoulder, "You."

Theatrically pouting he asked, "What's wrong with me?"

Sarah laughed but then grew silent.

What is wrong with him?

Nothing…

"I guess it's not you. Even though this is my dream, you feel right, like you belong here."

Then Jared did something that surprised Sarah even more than speaking. He pulled her closer to him, so that Sarah could actually feel his body heat through the layers of fabric that separated them. Then he bent his head down so that his mouth hovered just by her ear. His warm breath sent a shiver down her spine and she was reminded of their moment together just outside of the hall. Sarah closed her eyes.

Is he ever going to kiss me?

"And you Sarah," he whispered. "You belong here. You belong here with me, don't you Sarah?"

Yes. Yes I do.

She stared up at him with her inner-voice working fervently to come out. Sarah's head pounded with the force. She tried to shake the thoughts away, but it just raised its volume.

YES! YES I DO!

Panic deep within Sarah rose as well. She had never experienced such loss of control over herself. Where were the rational parts of her brain telling her to take things slow and think things over? Sarah began to physically struggle against the voice in her head. She didn't feel in control, and instinct told her to fight.

Finally she opened her eyes and pushed away from Jared. He stumbled backwards into a couple of dancers who kept right on dancing as if they hadn't felt a thing. Sarah tried to run away, but almost before she could make up her mind which way to go a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a fast-paced waltz.

She thought at first it was Jared but the figure she danced with now was actually female. Sarah looked around but she was no longer in the crowded ballroom. There was no music keeping tempo with their swift footwork which echoed off of the mirrored walls. There were no other dancers. And there was definitely no Jared.

Sarah caught flashes of herself in the mirrors. Her dress was gone and she was shocked to see herself completely nude. She was more shocked to see herself twirling seemingly solo around the grand room. She looked to the mysterious lady who, as far as sight and touch were concerned, confirmed that Sarah was not alone. From what she could tell the woman was wearing the same dress Sarah had been wearing while dancing with Jared. In fact the woman looked a lot like Sarah, only she wasn't sure since the woman was wearing a black-silk mask that covered her entire face. There weren't even holes for the eyes. But she was the same height and had the same long dark-brown hair.

Whoever she is, she scares the living hell out me.

And it was true. A darkness was emitted from the dancer that flowed around them like a low smoky fog.

Sarah swallowed back a lump in her throat and dared to speak.

"Wh-who are you?"

The masked face stared straight at Sarah, and although she couldn't be sure the woman was actually looking at her Sarah could "feel" it.

"You may call me Wyrd." Sarah heard the gravelly female voice but didn't see Wyrd's jaw or lips move from beneath the mask.

Sarah didn't know what to do next. They were still dancing the waltz but unlike before Sarah was getting tired. Usually her dreams just ended. There was never just an "end." But never before had Sarah wanted to wake up.

Wake up.

"Um, W-Wyrd, I really need to wake up now."

Wake up.

Wyrd's head tilted back and a low rasping laugh rang out, echoing darkly.

"Yes Sarah you do. You do need to wake up. But not just yet. There is much I need to tell you."

Sarah's eyes widened.

"This isn't just a dream is it?"

"No Sarah, it is not. This is a warning."

Suddenly Wyrd stopped dancing and Sarah stumbled over her feet. Wyrd reached out to steady her. Her hands were cold when they grabbed Sarah's shoulders. Sarah trembled and wished she had some clothes on.

"Things are about to become dangerous for you Sarah. Your life is at stake. You must not die. Something is going to happen. Something is happening. I cannot say what, as it is not my place. I should not even be here. But you have to know. There is a part of you that has been hidden from your memories. And you must remember if you wish to survive. I cannot unlock this memory, as again it is not my place. But I can help. I will do something very soon, and you must forgive me, as it will hurt you very much. Now, I must leave. I have been here too long."

Sarah had stood silently absorbing all Wyrd had said.

Danger?

Memories?

"Sarah," Wyrd tipped Sarah's head up. "I am sorry."

Sarah blinked and Wyrd was gone, as was the ballroom. In fact when Sarah blinked she found herself staring up at her own bedroom ceiling. Sunday morning sunlight was leaking through her window curtain casting a single beam across her bed.

Sarah sat up and pressed her hands into her eyes, looking over to her bedside table she read that it was only six-thirty.

Gods, my head hurts.

The words of Wyrd kept repeating themselves as she got up and started getting for the day. She had just finished brushing her teeth when she heard a cry of terror ring out from somewhere inside the apartment.

-x-

David opened his eyes from a fitful night of sleep.

"Bloody good it did me, should've just stayed up with-"

"David!"

David rolled over and walked into the living room not bothering to cover up with a robe. He found his "cousin" exactly where David had left him the night before; sitting on the sofa bent over Sarah's red-bound book.

The man didn't look up as David entered.

"This book! I cannot believe this book! It has everything. Every line is exactly what happened after Sarah wished Toby away!"

David cringed and rubbed his temples.

"Please, stop yelling, I had a very rough night."

The man turned to David then, his Aboveground façade doing nothing to conceal the magic crackling around him.

"David, this," he waved the book, "is how she knew how to defeat me. It's practically a guide through the Labyrinth."

Realization started to dawn on David's face.

"But, how could any Abovegrounder have known?"

The man shook his head, "They couldn't have. This came from somewhere else, maybe even from Underground. They ensured she would get this book. Her mother, David, I have to find out who her mother was, and what happened to her."

"Okay my liege, I'll get right on it. But first we need to talk about last night."

"Last night?"

David frowned.

"You didn't feel anything? Jay, I kept waking up every thirty minutes in a fit. Something was going on last night, something that was affecting my sleep. My sleep! And I slept through the Fiftieth Fiery War."

This caused the man to raise one of his eyebrows and set the book aside.

"This is serious then. Perhaps I didn't notice because I was up all night reading this book. Now," the man moved to David's recliner and sat, tossing a leg over one of the arm of the chair, "either I was too caught up to notice, or this event was only noticeable asleep."

"Well seeing as you are more susceptible to magical occurrences than I am, I highly doubt it's the first thing."

"Okay, so tell me exactly what happen-."

But the man stopped short. His eyes widened and smile slowly spread across his face.

"David. It's happened."

-x-

A dark figure loomed over the sleeping form of a young boy. Its shifting form rested on that of a young, tall, beautiful woman. It was looking for clues.

How can we lead the boy away from the girl?

Let us just take him out like yesterday.

We can't!

She'll know it was us.

What about the plan with that girl, Chandler?

Yes, we were supposed to blame "whoever" killed the girl.

What was that?

The figure shifted once more and drifted into the hallway. Behind the door it now faced the figure knew lay a sleeping girl by the name of Sarah Williams. Only the girl was not alone.

Something is in there with her.

Get it out!

We can't risk exposure!

Still the figure had to force itself not to burst through the door. Whatever was there with Sarah was a danger to its plans. So the figure hovered outside of the door, listening. But it could not hear anything more than Sarah's light snoring.

Slowly the sun began to rise and light spilled into the hallway. Then the bedroom door behind the figure creaked open. Quickly the figure fled to the living room where it melted into a shadow hidden behind the television.

-x-

He knew it was too early on a Sunday during the summer for an eight-year-old to be awake but something had woken him up. Toby rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. He had been having a really good dream about a wizard and a clown when a voice broke through.

"Toby."

At first he thought it was Sarah, but though the voice was female, it was didn't belong to his sisters.

"Come here."

He had tried to ignore it but he could still hear it, even after he put his pillow over his head.

"Come here, Toby."

Then the voice was joined by a tugging sensation that came from his bellybutton. He tried to resist, but it was too much. So, he sat up and slid out of bed, following the invisible string he seemed tied to. It was like the rope they hooked onto his belt-loop when his class went on a fieldtrip to the art museum. Only this time he couldn't see who was leading him.

The tugging was leading him into the living room. When he got there it detached. The sudden release caused Toby to trip and fall forwards. Only he wasn't falling towards the white living room carpet. Toby let out a scream as he fell into a void of black.

-x-

Sarah ran into the living room just in time to see Toby's bare feet disappear into a large black hole placed where the coffee table was supposed to be.

"Toby!" She fell to the floor and reached into the cavern but she couldn't feel or see anything. The hole was so deep and dark not even the bright light streaming in from the patio doors could light it up.

She screamed Toby's name into the hole until her voice grew hoarse. Tears fell into the hole as she cried. Between gasps of breath she kept on repeating his name. If she wasn't sobbing "Toby" she was whispering "I've lost him." The pain in her heart grew the longer she lay there. The sun had risen some more.

I can't just sit here and do nothing.

The words of Wyrd came back to her.

I will do something very soon, and you must forgive me, as it will hurt you very much.

At this moment Sarah couldn't imagine a greater pain.

But didn't Wyrd say she was going to help?

Sarah didn't know what to do.

She thought about jumping into the void, but she wasn't sure if that would help or do more harm. She didn't know what was down there. She thought about calling the police, but who would believe her about a giant hole suddenly appearing in her living room.

I have to tell someone. I need help. I need-

"Jareth."

AN: Whoo! It's the "name." What going to happen now? Hopefully, it won't be too much longer for the next update. I am sick so I have more time to sit around home and do nothing better than homework and write.

AN2: Just realized that link to Sarah's inspiration dress might not have worked so heres another one

http:/ / wp-content/ uploads/ 2009/ 09/ christina-applegate-blue-dress-emmys .jpg - as always remove spaces.