Sarah's Revenge Chapter 10: Baby Steps, a labyrinth fanfic

Author's Note: None right now, but have good day today everybody! By the way, the dots that separate paragraphs are used to indicate time elapsing and the surreal quality one feels when it is nighttime.

Disclaimers: The Labyrinth is not mine.

Chapter 10

"Come with me missy!"

Sarah cried out as she was suddenly yanked towards someone who was holding her arm.

"Hey! Who is this!" She questioned, "Ouch! Watch it!" She held her shin in one hand while hopping madly to keep up with the stranger who was barreling down the halls.

He stopped and turned. "Mercutio?" Sarah muttered angrily, "What are you doing?"

"No time for talking my lady." He promptly looped his arms under her knees and around her shoulders and resumed running down the hallways. Not given a chance to scream for help or to kick him in the groin, Sarah held on only to be dropped onto her feet in front of a doorway. He knocked on the doors and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, crying out "Good day!"

Mission complete, and with no destination in particular Mercutio slowed to a walk down the corridors of the Goblin Castle, wondering: Why didn't I just use magic to leave? It would have been a hell of a lot faster. In his hand he held the note from Lavinia:

Mercutio,
Sarah is free at 10 o'clock today. I have arranged it that she is in the gallery at that time. I cannot take her to the king, so it will be up to you. Do not forget.
Lavinia

Mercutio scoffed. "Don't forget. I didn't forget, although I was a bit late," he commented, looking at his pocket watch. It was 10:15. "Not too late though."

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Sarah stared after Mercutio's rapidly disappearing back, wondering what the hell that little scene was about.

"What are you looking at?" She turned to the voice, meeting the gaze of the Goblin King, his eyes amused and pleased, standing in the middle of the now opened doors. Oh, so this was the reason. What was up with Mercutio following them and setting them up? Sarah made a mental note to have a talk with him soon.

"I - I was looking at - I thought I saw someone. Someone I knew," she finished lamely. He stepped out of the doorway, looking at the direction that she was a moment ago.

"Who was it?" he asked. When she shrugged, Jareth turned to her, resting his forearm on the entrance. "Are you here to visit me?" he whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I guess so," Sarah answered, slightly flustered. Damn you Mercutio!

"You guess so?" he raised an eyebrow.

Sarah cringed inwardly. This was why she hated being alone with him, she never knew what to say. "I mean, I did come here to see you."

"Then why were you so surprised to see me?" Jareth teased, knowing that she probably did not come for him.

"Well, you are a king, after all," Sarah thought quickly, trying to save face. "I thought you were really busy doing…kingly things." Nice save, her mind commented dryly.

"Well," he gestured her into the room, "come in. Don't be shy."

Sarah remained where she was, "I don't want to bother you - "

"Not at all." Jareth laid his hand on the small of her back, steering her inside the room.

"You know, if you really want to be left alone I understand," Sarah remarked, keeping her face on him. She stopped and turned to Jareth, "You're a very busy man, and in fact, I can come another time. I think I'll do that right now." Jareth silenced her protests with an affectionate kiss on her forehead.

"I am very busy most of the days," he agreed walking further into the room. "But not at this moment." Sarah followed him tentatively and gasped when she saw what the chamber was used for. She reached out to touch a canvas, halting when she realized the paint was still wet.

"I didn't know you were a painter," her voice was filled in awe as she looked at the finished works of art hanging from the walls, resting on tables and easels and drying on the floor near the open balcony. Landscapes and the population of the city, she noted. He had various paintings in stages of completion: different angles of the castle, goblins at play, the fae population from some unknown viewpoint. A lot of overviews of the lands, probably remembered from when he was in owl form, she thought.

"Only an amateur compared to some in the city." Jareth took in the pleasure in her face as she admired his pictures. "Be careful of your dress, these paints stain permanently." Sarah gathered her large skirt in her hands, still looking at the paintings.

"You have a good eye for color," she said over her shoulder. "You like to use very bold tones." He did. He painted sunsets and sunrises, using the deepest salmon, the palest blues and the smokiest grays to accurately depict the sky. He used the brightest and darkest colors for the people and creatures, the most realistic mixings of greens, browns and reds for landscapes.

"Do you paint?" Jareth asked, picking up a stray piece of paper and sharpening a pencil, starting a rough sketch.

"No," Sarah said regretfully, remembering her wasted time in the institution, listening to the light scratching sounds of the pencil. "There was never enough time. I wanted to, though. To learn how to draw and maybe how to paint when I was good enough."

"Really?" He raised his head from the paper, a lovely idea forming in his head.

"Hmm," Sarah answered.

"Maybe I can teach you."

"What?" She stood and stared at him. "Oh, no. No, no, no. I don't want to waste your time."

Jareth threw back his head and laughed. "What is this about wasting time? We've got all the time in the world! Come, oh don't pull away love, I won't bite. Yet." He clamped his hand gently around her wrist, leading her to an blank canvas on an easel. "Here," he handed her a paint brush, "we shall start today."

"Are you sure? I mean, spending time with me?"

"Don't you want to learn how to do these?" Jareth held up the paper he had been working on, using the picture he drew as bait to catch her. Sarah's mouth opened slightly in surprise. It was her. He drew her from behind, looking up in wonder at the canvases.

Sarah furrowed her brow, thinking. While she would like to finally learn how to draw and paint properly, did she have enough courage to face Jareth regularly? Possibly even every day? She studied the lines of the dress, how even the rough shading he drew made things seem so realistic.

"Ok, so what do I do?" Sarah asked, forgetting Bartten's reprimands of her liberal use of "that horrible Aboveground slang."

"Well, hold the brush delicately, it isn't a sword." He positioned his fingers around hers, putting the sketch in his pocket. Sarah tensed slightly, unnerved at his close proximity. His voice dropped to an intimate tone. Almost seductive, Sarah thought irrationally. "We'll learn about strokes first."

Over the next few hours Jareth taught while Sarah learned, continually being surprised at his patience and gentleness. Sarah learned how pressing down on the brush resulted in a thicker, bolder stroke. How moving the brush gently with a small amount of color made the paint less opaque. She learned how to use different brushes for different uses. A small thin one for outlining and for fine detail. A large one for bigger projects. How using the lightest, most fragile movements could simulate grass or hair and how doing the opposite could be used to fill in color.

And through it all, Jareth carefully engaged her in conversation, making sure to keep the topics and the tone light to prevent her from withdrawing herself from him. They spoke of nothings, everythings; small observations on how the light hit certain objects, questions and answers about painting and art in general, sometimes a question of faes and castle life. Sarah learned that mixing green with black for shadowing complimented the color red better, that painting spherical objects was infinitely harder than other shapes, that Jareth had been king for about 700 or so years and that the castle was cooled through a series of ingenious vents and pipes to allow air to circulate.

"Hungry?" Jareth asked, hearing Sarah's stomach growl.

She laughed, putting down the brushes in the glass of water on the table next to her. "Just a little."

Jareth smiled down at her. They had become more comfortable with each other, something that delighted him immensely, and had ended up sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by parchment covered with blotches and strokes of paint. Sarah was also covered in paint, the colored oils tipped her fingers, smudged her chin, cheek and forehead when she wiped her brow and stained the cuffs of her long-sleeved dress and the cloth on her knees. He reached out to wipe off the side of her face, and ended up cupping her cheek instead.

All sounds; the birds chirping outside the windows, the clang and chatter of the Goblin City, the rustling of the breeze through the leaves, were sucked into a vacuum as soon as Sarah felt his hand curve against her. Her heart thudded madly and the rush of blood through her made her slightly dizzy. She faced him.

Gods how he wanted to kiss her. Jareth took in her features; her slightly parted lips: moist, inviting, her eyes: dreamy and swirling with emotion. They shifted closer.

Somewhere in there Sarah thought madly: Oh god, we're going to kiss…

Alas, the door opened to admit a servant - Ergo, Jareth's butler. Sarah pulled away instantly, shaking herself of the hypnotic fog that had clouded her judgment. Ergo had seen them, and immediately backed away and closed the door. Jareth sighed.

The moment was lost.

"Ergo," Jareth's voice was cordial, but had a hint of annoyance, "you may enter." Sarah stood up, wanting to rid herself of the embarrassment of having been caught in a private moment. Again, she remembered, noting the scene with Mercutio and Lavinia last night.

"Ergo?" Jareth raised himself off the floor and opened the door. Ergo was whispering to someone down the corner of the hallway, probably a servant.

"Ah! Yes, Your Highness?" The man quickly composed himself, his posture ramrod straight.

"You came here for something?" Jareth reminded.

"Yes. Yes! I came to announce the midday meal, Your Highness." He spotted Sarah and bowed in her direction. But not before looking her over, seeing the girl that the king had so meticulously tried to ensnare - according to rumors that is. He also noted the couple's disheveled appearance: the king's sleeves bunched to his elbows, the girl's hair messily tied back into a bun, both of them breathing erratically - though silently. Not a tryst the servants were gossiping about, but still it was better to have something than nothing.

"Do you want to eat here?" Jareth asked, looking at Sarah over his shoulder.

"No, but let me change first?" She suddenly became aware of her untidy appearance with the arrival of another person. Jareth was barely as dirty as she was, he wasn't streaked with paint and his hair didn't frizz with the humidity of the morning.

Jareth nodded. "Of course," he spoke to the butler, "we shall be ready in an hour. Is that all right Sar - Lady Sarah?" The butler observed the king's slip of the title with glee. Already intimate are they? The kitchens would be a buzz.

"Of course."

Jareth dismissed the man and closed the door. Sarah looked at the floor, unable to meet the intensity of his gaze. "Look at the mess we made," she said lightly. Jareth shook himself out of his desire for her, and followed her eyes.

"Someone will clean it up." He opened the door again, holding out his arm. After a moment's hesitation, Sarah took it.

Sarah stood in front of her closet, cursing her lack of clothing. "We have to go shopping soon," she hoped Lavinia didn't forget. She eyed her wardrobe critically before choosing a deep melon-colored shift. Not as girlish as the rest of the clothes, but still appropriate for daywear. Sarah remembered Lavinia's horror at the first dress she chose for The Date. "Sarah that is a morning dress!" the fae said, her face aghast at the thought of wearing something like that at night. Apparently Sarah didn't know the differences and had to learn quickly.

Sarah tied the satin ribbons into a bow behind her, wondering what lunch with Jareth would be like. Hopefully not like dinner. As she was washing her hands and face, Sarah looked in the mirror. Wow, who knew the Underground would be so kind to someone's face? She leaned closer, the tip of her nose touching the cool surface. Her eyes seemed greener, sparkling. Maybe it was the dress. Her cheeks were flushed, probably because of the nice weather they had today. She seemed less - tragic. Less gloomy and less hostile. That might be because she had a good night's sleep last night.

Sarah tossed her head, brushing her hair, deciding to keep it down today. She ignored the little voice in her head: Maybe it's because you had a good time with Jareth.

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"Stop pinching me woman, I already said that I brought Sarah to him!" Mercutio pulled away, rubbing his arm.

"I pinched you because you were late," Lavinia replied, taking a drink from his wineglass. They met for lunch today, to discuss how to bring Jareth and Sarah together. "And I pinched you because you were too obvious."

"Too obvious?" Mercutio's voice took on a note of disbelief. "I don't think so."

"Mercutio, you practically dragged her to the king! They're going to suspect our involvement if you keep acting like this."

"What? You were the one that wanted to follow them last night!"

"So did you!"

"So you're just as bad as I am!" Mercutio said triumphantly, knowing that he had her trapped.

"Damn," Lavinia muttered.

"And who cares if they know what we're doing? Jareth won't. Sarah…I'm not sure about her actually."

"But even though, we must be more careful. For example: instead of dragging Sarah to the king and then running away, you could have suggested a walk that oh so conveniently ended up wherever the Jareth was at the time."

"Of course, and what should I have said to her this morning?" Mercutio said, sarcastic. He stood and bowed to an invisible person, speaking cheerfully. "Good day Sarah, I just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and how lovely it is that you are alone and have nothing to do. Shall we go for a walk?"

He began prancing around the room, his arms bent at elbow and waving with his every step: "Oh, don't worry, walking indoors is very common for us fae, we hate what the sun does to our skin. Oh dear! See this room? Let's go inside, what an adventure!" He mimed opening a door.

He then stopped and brought a hand to his chest: "Oh! Your Highness! We didn't expect you to be here! What a coincidence, eh Sarah?" He elbowed the invisible person and then, his face lit up and he raised a finger: "I have an idea, let's stay here and make jolly conversation!"

He then brought that hand to his cheek, fake regret tingeing his voice and features: "But oh dear, I seem to have an appointment and must leave you two by yourselves. Ta-ra!" He stopped his horsing around and raised an eyebrow at her. "That seems even more suspicious than dragging her."

"Only because you have to acting skills," Lavinia retorted while laughing. She sighed, tearing a piece of bread off the loaf and eating it slowly, thinking.

"Here is his schedule," Mercutio's voice jarred her out of her daydream. He handed her a small book. "Be careful with this. It's a copy, but could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands."

Oh you don't know how right you are, Lavinia thought, taking the book. "And how far into the calendar does this go?"

"About a month or so. That's about the time it shall take to bring the two together," he chuckled, sitting next to her. "Jareth seemed to be jumping like a child at the notion of Sarah being around."

Lavinia smiled at him, making him hold his breath for a moment. "Sarah seems to be very dream-like whenever she leaves his presence," her voice conspiratorial.

"And he is smiling more often, as scary as that seems," he said, leaning to her, head on his folded arms.

Lavinia looked at him; her one time fiancé and one time love. His eyes were so friendly, so innocent and pure. Will he forgive her for doing what she will to his best friend? Frightened at the possible answer, Lavinia looked away.

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"Ah, there you are," Jareth said, seeing Sarah enter the dining room. He indicated to a man on his right. "May I introduce the Lady Sarah of - the county Williams? My lady this is Lord Darcy of Pembrooke, he will be joining us for the midday meal."

"It is very nice to meet you," Sarah curtsied as Lord Darcy held her hand and bowed over it, murmuring "Charmed." Lord Darcy was a very handsome fae; warm brown eyes and a muscular body, not to mention that the man had hair to die for. Jareth pulled out her chair and they sat, waiting for their food.

"See, that is where I think that you are mistaken," Lord Darcy protested. "It is not the fault of the working class elves that they are nearly shunned out of the government, there must be some change after all."

"Of course," Jareth agreed. "But we must remember that the elves are a strong ally. It is not our way of treating the workers, but it is really none of our business. If the king would want to tax the people more heavily, it is his right by birth and royal decree. Do not worry though, I plan to bring up the subject during the next meeting."

"Hmm," Lord Darcy noted suddenly, "it seems as if we have bored the young lady in our midst." Sarah turned to see them looking at her. They had begun talking about politics halfway through lunch and had kept their voices low, allowing Sarah to muse about her situation a bit.

"Not boring," Sarah said. "I wasn't paying attention at all. Besides, I really have no opinion for things that I'm not very familiar about, you know, problems of monarchy and those things. It's not like I ever experienced it. "

Lord Darcy's forehead furrowed. "You've never experienced the workings of monarchy? Where are you from?"

Oh crap, Sarah thought. Good job, you just gave yourself away.

Jareth came to her rescue. "Lady Sarah is from the Aboveground. Williams was her town, I believe."

"Yes," Sarah said, "I'm afraid I haven't been here long enough to really know how the Underground works."

"Ah," Lord Darcy replied, understanding. "So this is your first time here? No? Then you'll be staying indefinitely, you'll understand how the Underground works in time."

"Yes." Sarah said again uncertainly, wondering what he meant. Staying indefinitely? What did that mean?

"Ah, here is the meal." Jareth said suddenly, bringing their attention to the servers.

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"Well?" Lavinia asked.

"Well what?" Sarah spoke through the many ruffles in her nightdress as she put it on.

"Well, what happened during lunch?"

Sarah was thoughtful for a minute, pulling the hem down her hips and bringing the edge of the puffed sleeves to her wrists. "Nothing," she saw Lavinia's skeptical face. "Nothing happened, really. Jareth had some visiting dignitary or something and we had to eat with him." She didn't say how surprisingly lonely she had felt during lunch. And what freaked her out even more was the fact that she really did not want to share Jareth. Even though it was a guy, her mind noted. Stop being so irrational.

Lavinia made a frustrated noise, flopping backwards on the bed. "Lovely."

"Don't be disappointed." Sarah chided.

"I'm not. You're going really far in this mission of ours. I didn't really expect you to do so well."

"Thanks." Sarah sat down, folding her legs on the bed.

Lavinia turned onto her side, facing Sarah. "Jareth will be in a fit when he finds out what we're really here for." She studied the mortal's eyes like a hawk.

Sarah didn't let anything show, though Lavinia's words were like being deluged in ice water. She shrugged, "There's a saying where I come from: 'You gotta do what you gotta do.'"

Lavinia nodded, satisfied with what she saw. Sarah wasn't falling - yet. She sighed, wondering if keeping Sarah on the path would prove difficult. "You are not here for romance, you know," she remarked.

"I know," Sarah said solemnly. "I didn't lose sight of what I am here for."

"And I'm not doubting you. I just want you to know, how all of us are counting on you." Lavinia stood up. "It's very late, goodnight."

Sarah stopped her. "I have a question."

"Yes?"

She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer. "Lord Darcy, he was the visiting dignitary I told you about. Well, he said something that seemed a little weird to me. He said that I was staying here indefinitely? Because it was my second time here?" She waited breathlessly, hoping her assumptions were wrong.

Lavinia slowly walked to her. "You didn't know?" Her voice was incredulous.

"No," Sarah said calmly. "Know what?"

"Sarah," Lavinia said carefully, "what did Julian tell you when he made the offer to bring you to the Underground? Did he warn you about anything?"

Sarah thought back to that fateful day.

flashback!

"Who do you hate most?"

A million names and faces flashed before her.

"The Goblin King," she whispered. "He did this to me. He ruined my life."

Julian smiled and held out his hand. "How would you like to go to the Underground with me?" His intense eyes beckoned to her. "How would you like to have revenge upon the one who wronged you? In return for helping me you can have whatever you want." His voice lowered conspiratorially. "What do you want?"

"I," she began, and stopped. What did she want?

Freak! Freak, Sarah's a freak!
Why do you always read those childish fairy tales? Grow up! Be normal.
Sarah, this was not the kind of report I wanted, while your imagination is…lovely, I would prefer something more…normal.

"I'll help you," confidence strengthened her voice. "In return, I want to be…normal. Just like every 18 year old."

"To be normal? How boring." Then he said: "Well, if that's what you want, my lady."

end flashback!

"He told me that I would be a normal 18 year old after I helped him," she said dully.

"He didn't tell you about the consequences of coming back did he?" Lavinia moaned covering her face with her hands.

"No!" Panic laced Sarah's voice, "What consequences?"

"Sarah!" Lavinia cried out unhappily. "You can't go back to the Aboveground after your second trip here! You'll never be able to get back home!"

"What?" Sarah screamed in horror.

"It's the ruling! The law that was installed to keep the Underground safe!"

"Safe from what? That's not exactly making sense, Lavinia!" Sarah was shouting now, so angry that she was taken for a fool.

"Sarah," Lavinia sat down with her. "There was a change Aboveground about 200 years ago. There was a resurgence in interest for all things mythical, and then it started. Humans have always found their way Underground in some form or another, but this time, they told their relatives and friends about their adventures, everyone they came into contact with. Some people didn't believe them, but for every unbeliever there is one who will listen. They started to come in droves, and took things when they left as proof of their tales. Sometimes destroying things. Because of this, it was decreed that if a mortal came here a second time, they would be kept here and that it was unlawful to bring mortals without proper reason. To keep the Underground a secret."

"Well they didn't keep their secret good enough did they? I found out that this place existed didn't I?" Sarah roared, then despaired, "Oh god. Oh my god." Sarah couldn't breathe.

She stood and went to the bathroom, clutching her stomach, knowing that she was going to throw up. Why didn't Julian tell her? her mind was quick to ask. Because then I wouldn't agree to it, she thought just as quick.

She ran cold water under her wrists and sponged her pale face, realizing that her hands were shaking. She gripped the sink to steady them. This is why you always have to think things out, Sarah Williams. Did you ever listen to the phrase: read the fine print? But no, she was so eager, so willing, that she didn't even think of anything bad that might happen.

"Are you all right?" Lavinia stood in the doorway, unsure if Sarah wanted to be left alone or not.

"No," Sarah croaked, her face stricken with the realization that she would never go back. Never go home. "I really don't want to be around anyone right now."

Lavinia nodded, and patted Sarah's shoulder in sympathy. Then she left.

Sarah followed her retreating back, and crawled into the covers. She couldn't sleep.. Sarah turned in bed, kicked the covers off when she was hot and pulled them up when she was cold. It's too late now, just concentrate on what you have to do She stared at the ceiling and the windows, wondering what Jareth was doing right now.

Jareth.

She sighed, trying to keep her mind off of her troubles. This morning was a surreal surprise to her. While Jareth seemed like an intelligent man, she didn't imagine that he would actually have hobbies besides kicking goblins and stealing babies. Didn't someone tell her once that men who painted were sensitive? she thought randomly.

Jareth being sensitive? Well, there was that date the night before. And the garden walk was very romantic, something she never thought he would think up. And he did offer to teach her how to draw and paint.

And he did help her during her run through the labyrinth - if he could be trusted to say the truth.

And he did allow her to stay in his castle. And, and, and, and…. The many reasons of why Jareth was not the person she thought he was repeated themselves in her mind. Giving her solace that he didn't act as maliciously as she believed him to be. What would tomorrow bring?

Sometime during the night, Sarah sat up with a gasp. She knew she wouldn't be able to go home anymore, she accepted the fact as well as she possibly could. But that didn't bring problems.

What would happen after she broke Jareth's heart?

Stupid Sarah, she scolded herself. Didn't think again, did you? No, she didn't think of it.

BECAUSE I ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT I WOULD GO HOME! Sarah fumed silently, still angry.

"Oh crap," she muttered, flipping onto her stomach and burying her head in the pillow. If - when she finishes this, would there be any place in the world - the Underground where she could be safe from him? Sarah wasn't stupid, she knew Jareth could be kind, but he could also be brutal.

I could be generous or I could be cruel.

Maybe Julian had that covered, where she could hide afterward. He better have, after pulling this trick over her. But then again, she could always tell Jareth the truth -

No. After all, she wasn't here for romance.

At the same time that Sarah was unable to sleep, Jareth was also staring up at his ceiling. Today was absolutely marvelous, almost perfect. Almost, he thought, if not for Ergo. Stupid butler. Oh, well, there was always tomorrow.

"Would there always be a tomorrow for us?" Jareth thought aloud. He never really asked how long she was staying in the castle, did he? Maybe indefinitely?

Would she be free for painting tomorrow? Jareth thought of his schedule, well, she might be free but he wasn't. He sighed, he probably won't even see her at all. At least he had his sketch.

He created light and opened the folded paper on the table next to his bed. Will her back always be turned to him? he wondered as he studied her pose.

He turned on his side, thinking back on the day. Sarah was quite at ease when he was teaching her, but became a bit flustered when someone was near. With Lavinia and Mercutio, Ergo and Lord Darcy. Maybe he should make sure they were left alone? Well, anything to encourage her feelings for him.

What if they weren't the feelings that he wanted from her? Hmm, he never thought about that before. But he doubled she felt anything other than attraction, after all they did share that kiss. Jareth smiled at the memory of it.

Then frowned, remembering her confusion at lunch when Lord Darcy mentioned her permanent stay. As if she hadn't been informed of the fact. Speaking of facts, how did she get here? Probably through a tear in the barrier, he conceded, not wanting to think of anything else.

And while the two thought about their future, Lavinia and Mercutio met in one of the courtyards that dotted the castle grounds to plan the following week.

Author's Note: Yeah I lied, actually I'm here to answer all the reviews that I have not answered. Now that is a cyclic remark.

Amazonian21: Chapter 1: Thanks for the review! I'll keep things interesting for chapters to come.

Chapter 3: Yes, we need more evil Sarahs. Let's make a petition!

Chapter 5: I will try to update at least once a week now that school is out. Obviously that plan kind of backfired due to laziness for later chapters, but now I'll try.

Chapter 9: Yeah, I had to put in a fun chapter to lighten things up from the previous chapter.

Cariah Delonne: You know, every time I read your name as Celine Dionne? Thanks very, very much for reviewing regularly too!

Chapter 2: Whew, I'm glad the story isn't too twisty, although it will become twisty in later chapters. It will be explained thoroughly to keep confusion at bay.

Chapter 3: Unfortunately Jareth did see Sarah before the ball, which totally ruined her plans for him - but, oh well. It turned out ok eventually.

Chapter 4: Face in the crystal only, a technique used by the author to keep him interested and frustrated, but also to keep him guessing. Poor Jareth, I should stop picking on him.

Chapter 5: He saw her in the crystal remember? And I love Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, that's where I got Mercutio's name from. I wanted to make him Tybalt, but the name Mercutio fitted his playful and kind personality. Sarah's Revenge will probably be very influenced by Romeo and Juliet, although how influential it will be remains to be seen. Partly because I haven't worked out how influential it will be yet.

Chapter 6: Yes, it is summer here, which is good because school was seriously cutting into my sleep time. You guys have winter there? Are you from Australia (or someplace near Australia? It's the only country I know of where they have winter when we have summer)? How was the school ball? We do not have those, we have crappy dances, hearing about a school ball makes me sad and jealous of you. L

Chapter 7: Yes! Chaos in later chapters! Angst is one of my favorite elements in stories. Although, not too much. I still haven't thought of Mercutio's fate yet, but never fear, all in time…

Chapter 8: Yup that was my history chapter. I decided to get all the important stuff out in one go. Which made things a bit boring but pivotal to the plot.

Clever Lass: Chapter 4: Suspense rocks! And I did bring them together, in a good way I hope.

Dramatiks: or dramatiks as you spell it. Another regular reviewer!

Chapter 2: Hee, I'm glad you like my style. And yes, Julian is a great guy's name.

Chapter 3: Thanks for that one, I really want every chapter to improve. Is Lavinia really a Roman mythology character? I just chose the name because it sounded right for an evil-ish person, J .

Chapter 4: I love Mercutio, and Jareth's character will flesh out soon.

Chapter 5: He handles her presence quite…not…well, as we have seen, but it all turned out ok.

Chapter 6: Eek! Such nice words, thank you!

Chapter 7: Richard is a jerk, but I'm still working out how the karma will get to him.

Chapter 8: No, I didn't put the "spinning" quote there on purpose, but that is an interesting vision you wrote there.

Chapter 9: I'm glad you liked the flipping back and forth. I always wondered how Jareth would get ready for a date, and this is how I imagined it. As you can see, Mercutio likes to pop up everywhere to give advice.

Draegon-fire: (draegon-fire - if anyone wonders why I'm putting the names in parenthesis, it's not to be annoyingly redundant - it's used to correctly spell the name in the way you did it.)

Chapter 6: Does Julian's plan backfire? Hmm, we'll find out later.

Chapter 8: The revenge part comes in near later chapters, don't worry this is a romance! Does Sarah not break Jareth's heart? I don't know…but it will work out in the end. I don't like to see Sarah hurt Jareth either, but for the sake of the plot, she just might have to. Not a lot is being let on, but that's the fun part. This story is also part mystery, which I should have indicated a long time ago - too late now, but I hope it's still good.

Chapter 9: Yes, Sarah is having trouble thinking of Jareth as a bad guy now due to his romantic tendencies. Jareth can be romantic as heck when he wants so be! Her anger is partly out and dissipated, but then other things will come out. They're off to a very good start, I think. Ahh, Mercutio and Lavinia: they were lovers, they were in love, what will happen later? Oooooo (that's meant to indicate mysterious music by the way)

Dragoness Kaei: Chapter 5: Updated hopefully soon enough. Thanks for reviewing!

Chapter 8: I did correct that mistake, thank you for pointing it out. Thanks for enjoying!

Give-Me-Your-Coffee: I like that name, by the way. And the I also enjoyed fact that you signed underneath as "Coffee."

Chapter 3: I'll update as soon as possible, thanks for thinking the story is promising.

Scarlettmoon: Chapter 2: Glad that you liked the story, I'll keep writing and updating as much as possible.

If-666: (if-666) Chapter 5: He did confront her, and it went badly. Then in the next chapter it went well, yay!

The Fallen Angel of Death: Thanks for the very nice review! Everything will be solved in time, and I'm glad that you spotted that everyone has problems. Sarah is my main character with problems, but everyone has some issues to work out. Hee, I've never been called an artist before, thank you very much!

Water Papillion: Chapter 7: Thanks! I'll try to keep everyone in character, and to keep their thoughts written out for everyone.

I hope I didn't forget anyone!