Sarah started on the path before her, making sure the straps on her bag were secure. Noticing that Jareth walked alongside her she demanded, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off annoying someone else?"

"Not at all. I made time in my schedule to annoy only you," he smiled, never showing his teeth. In that moment, he reminded Sarah of a cat, sly and secretive.

"Besides," he continued, "that's no way to thank someone for helping their friend."

Her steps faulted briefly. Taking control again, she marched on. "What do you mean?" The suspicion in her voice was obvious.

"How do you think Hoggle got here?"

Sarah opened her mouth to reply, then paused, unsure what to say. Jareth took that as invitation to continue his boasting. "I happened upon him today during my usual rounds. He was in a rather sorry state, hobbling around trying to find you."

Another stab of guilt hit Sarah. Her chest tightened. Jareth didn't seem to notice.

"I graciously offered to show him where you'd gone after your fall. The dolt lost your track several times. I had to keep checking in on him to ensure he would find you. Finally, I decided to stay with him until he succeeded in his mission."

Once again, Sarah was indebted to Jareth. It made it hard for her to sort out how she was supposed to feel about the man when he constantly surprised her. Just when she thought he was a self-absorbed ass, he did something like this. Then, when she thought she was finally making progress with him, he would close off and say something harsh and distance himself.

"Why?" The question wasn't meant to be an interrogation, but the way she blurted it out sounded as such.

"He's your friend and you were worried about him." Clearing his throat, he added quickly, "…and I wanted to make sure you focused on the task ahead, not that Huggle. We can't afford to have you thinking about that miserable creature instead of your quest." He had tried to pass off his care for her and her friends by adding that second explanation, but Sarah saw it for what it was. Maybe she was getting better at that: seeing when Jareth was just putting on airs, and when he genuinely meant the things he said. She would try to be better at looking for that side of him in the future, and perhaps help bring it out more.

"Well, thank you then."

Bristling, he quickened the pace. "Come now, we don't have time to chit chat. Let's be off."

The path was well worn so the dirt was packed down and easy to traverse. As they started on the path, they were able to walk side by side, but after a few moments, it narrowed due to the thick foliage surrounding it. Sarah led, but not before checking one last time that Jareth was still coming.

"Are you sure you still want to come? It's not like there's much to do out here-"

"I'm coming," the finality of his tone kept her from asking him again. "You're constantly falling into trouble." She huffed and crossed her arms, but his pointed look said Do I really need to remind you of all your missteps so far? "I think I'll save the time and stick with you for a while. That way I don't have to worry about always checking up on you."

"What about the Labyrinth?" She pointed out. "You mentioned that you didn't think you'd be allowed to go through the Labyrinth with me, that I would have to do it on my own-as before."

"I won't stay too long. Just enough time to make sure you're actually going the right direction," his eyes alight with mischief at the barbed joke.

"I have an excellent sense of direction," Sarah insisted, arms crossing.

"Really? Could have fooled me…" he mumbled.

Sarah either did not hear that last remark or chose to ignore it as they continued deeper down the path and through the woods. Sarah realized this was the opportunity she had been hoping for to talk to Jareth about his past. They were alone, in somewhat companionable silence, and she was sorely tempted to open the subject. He would be furious, of course. She knew that much. Jareth put up a good front but she could tell deep down that he was more affected by things than he led people to believe. If she broached the subject tentatively in a roundabout way, maybe she'd be able to do it without offending or angering him.

"Jareth?"

"Yes." It was a tired statement, not welcoming much discussion. Letting out a whoosh of air, she dove in.

"Did you-do you…hate me?" She stumbled over the words with awkward uncertainty.

Jareth stopped short. Sarah turned to look at him, not sure what she'd see. He was staring at her with an unfathomable expression. Feeling foolish for starting it this way, she hugged herself to keep steady.

"Why in heavens would you ask me that?" He demanded.

Shrugging, "You have seen many people wish away loved ones in your experience. I would think that being in a position like that would not endear you to humans. After all, you admitted yourself that it's your job to protect the unwanted children. In your eyes, am I not the same as those people who wished away their children and turned their backs on them?" Like your mother, she thought. "How could you not hold animosity towards them…towards me?" He looked absolutely stunned by her abrupt monologue. And she wasn't even finished. "That's not even taking into account that I am the one who created the situation we are in now…even if I would do it all again if it meant saving Toby."

Before Jareth could respond, there was a sudden crackle that reverberated throughout the trees. She felt the vibrations under her feet. They both froze. Sarah glanced up into the sky, partially obscured by the branches that stretched out like long crooked fingers. A purple streak struck with ferocious speed at a nearby treetop. Sparks flew, raining down on them. The wind picked up. Sarah's hair whipped around her face. It was difficult to see anything. And then, as if the Underground wasn't making it challenging enough, it began to rain. Hard. Sarah felt a build up of panic. She always had been irrationally afraid of thunder storms. Even now, as an adult, it still rattled her nerves whenever she heard the distant roar of a storm. She shivered, realizing she was outside and unprotected. Ludo and Dydimus' hut was too far back to return and there was nothing in sight that looked like a useful shelter.

Jareth grabbed her arm and she remembered she wasn't alone. Her tense, rigid body relaxed slightly, if only a fraction. "Sarah, we must get you somewhere safe."

She nodded at the words he practically shouted to be heard over the mounting storm. He gripped her arm firmly and pushed forward. His stride was determined and quick. Sarah had trouble keeping up. She was jogging to keep his pace. She didn't complain though. In fact, she was grateful that he bothered to stay and help her find shelter. It's because he needs you alive and well. He's protecting his investment, a cold voice reprimanded her.

Jareth could sense that Sarah struggled with the pace and he ground his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to run the poor girl ragged but the storm was getting worse by the minute. The rain had not let up and lightning lit up the sky every few seconds. They were out of time. And options.

Jareth halted abruptly, Sarah almost careening into him at the sudden stop. Before she could even ask what was happening, he let go of her and pulled out his crystal ball. Almost inaudibly, he muttered something Sarah couldn't make out. She watched his face as he probed the crystals' depths. His jaw was clenched, hard as granite. His glorious eyebrows furrowed low in anxiety. His forehead sported many lines of frustration as he glared at the ball. Finally, he seemed to find the answer he was looking for. His lips flattened in determination. He returned the ball to whatever secret place he had it stored and grabbed her hand.

They were flat out running now. Jareth deviated from the path, turning to the left and dodging branches as they went. He zigzagged through the brush and Sarah tried her best to keep her footing. The ground had become slick and muddy. It was difficult to walk through, let alone run.

"Come on!" he shouted back, practically dragging her behind him. "We're almost there." That thought quickened her steps. She wanted to be out of this rain, somewhere warm. The cold water slowly seeped into her skin, into her bones.

Jareth suddenly stopped and gestured towards a large, dead tree in front of them. She gave him a puzzled look. He pushed her around the side of the tree where she could now see an opening. The tree's wide trunk was hollowed out. Even with its large size, Sarah doubted they could both fit in there…unless he wasn't planning on staying. That thought left a cold pit in her stomach. Deep down she had hoped he would stay with her through the storm. She should have known better.

"Isn't hiding in a tree during a thunder storm a little…dangerous?" Fear mounted, causing her to imagine outrageous scenarios of what could happen in that tree.

"We will have to make do. It's the only thing I could see for miles that will offer us any semblance of cover." We? Was he staying after all? Jareth gestured once again impatiently. Sarah followed his instructions and ducked down to huddle in the hollow. Jareth was right behind her, tucking himself in to the tiny space beside her. Sarah hugged her knees and rested her chin on them. She convulsed with shivers, trying to concentrate on anything else besides her miserable, wet clothes clinging to her ice-cold skin. Suddenly she was enveloped in warmth. Sarah sharply lifted her head. Jareth had draped his cloak around her. It was completely dry. She gave him a confused look.

"What? A magical land inhabited by goblins and creatures is believable but having the magic to dry a cloak is unfathomable?"

She rolled her eyes, choosing not to comment. She was quickly warming up and the shivering had died down. In addition to the dry cloak, Jareth's proximity was creating warmth. There sides were jammed together, his left side glued to her right. They were lucky there was room for one of them, let alone both in this forgotten tree. The body heat that radiated off Jareth gave Sarah welcome warmth, as well as painful awareness. They hardly ever touched. And when they did, it was for brief moments. Now, here they sat side by side for an undetermined amount of time.

Clearing her throat, "You don't have to stay, you know. You can leave and spare yourself this uncomfortable ordeal."

He seemed offended by the suggestion. His jaw ticked. "I'm not going to abandon you to face the storm alone. You really don't think much of me." It was an accusation. One that instantly made Sarah guilty.

Sarah did not expect this vehement response. "No, I…"

"What?" He challenged, his eyebrows raising.

"I…appreciate your being here. Really, I do." Almost as soon as finishing her sentence, she jumped at the nearby sound of lightning striking, as if to illustrate her point.

Jareth studied the action before finally sighing. Tiredly he rubbed his face, an action Sarah was coming to recognize as a subconscious twitch when he was irked. "Perhaps I was a little defensive." It was Sarah's turn to raise her brows.

"Is the Goblin King accepting blame?"

The corner of his mouth twitched in response.

They sat in tense silence as they listened to the turbulent storm rage outside. It felt as if the Underground had never experienced rain, holding it in as long as possible until it could no longer keep the tempest at bay. Sarah thrummed her fingers on her damp jeans, racking her brain for something to say to ease the increasing tension. In the end the decision was made for her rather abruptly.

"I don't hate you," Jareth spoke so quietly Sarah wasn't sure at first if she'd heard correctly.

She turned to him with questioning eyes. He was staring at a rather large puddle that had formed almost directly in front of the hollow's opening. The rain splattered into it with violent delight. Sarah refused to turn away, imploring him silently to elaborate, to look at her…something!

Without warning he tore his gaze from the puddle to study her. His eyes held her hostage. Be careful what you wish for…she mused.

"Quite the opposite, actually." He smiled wryly. "I admire your determination and stubbornness. In my very long existence, I've seen almost everything. Not much can take me by surprise. That is, until you came along."

Sarah was unsure what to say or do. He still had not released her from his unrelenting scrutiny.

"It takes quite a bit to surprise me," he admitted almost reluctantly. "And even more so to impress me." At that, he allowed a small smile to pull at the corners of his mouth.

Jareth had never once shocked Sarah. Not with his unfair Labyrinth, his cruel demeanor, the ballroom hallucination he'd concocted to keep her preoccupied, or even his plea to love and obey him. Even then, she'd been so focused on getting Toby back that his offer barely held her attention. She'd pressed on with her recital of the words needed to free her baby brother. Sarah was so set on remembering those damn words that she'd barely registered what he'd said. But this, this shocked her. In her eyes Jareth always looked down his nose at her with contempt and derision. At best, she thought she was an annoyance to him. At worst, she feared he resented and hated her for beating him and winning Toby back. Now, out of the blue, he was telling her she impressed him?

Sarah didn't realize her mouth was hanging open. Jareth wished to reach over and close it. But he didn't. Instead, he did what he did best. He smirked down at her until she realized what he found so amusing. She finally noticed the expression she'd held and instantly snapped her mouth shut. She didn't know how delicious she looked glowering at him even as the crimson flush crept further and further into her cheeks.

"Have I rendered the vocal Sarah Williams speechless?" Eyebrow quirked, the bastard knew when he got her.

Sarah cursed herself for her embarrassing reaction. Mentally steeling herself she responded, "No…you just surprised me, that's all."

"Good. We're even now."

At that moment the largest crackle of thunder reverberated through the woods, as if to punctuate Jareth's words. Sarah flinched, shrinking back as far as she could into the tree. Her shoulders hunched high around her neck in defense.

"Your fear of thunder storms intrigues me. Of all the things that could scare you in the Labyrinth, this is it? Had I known this, I wouldn't have bothered with any of my usual tricks and creatures when you were solving the Labyrinth. I would have just summoned an angry storm."

"I can't help it," Sarah mumbled. "I've had an irrational aversion to them since I was a kid. I have no explanation for it…they just get under my skin." She shrugged, as if that would easily relieve her of the apprehension she felt sitting inside a hollow, dead tree in the middle of a raging storm. Another crackle, this time sounding closer, seemed to shake the very ground beneath them. Sarah squeezed her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on something else.

She felt a light pressure on her knee. Peeking with one eye, she saw Jareth's hand resting on it, palm extended up with the crystal encased within his fingers. Shooting a glance his direction, she saw him nod towards the orb. With that invitation, she leaned forward and peered into it. She saw a flash of colors and then it was like looking at her photograph from high school. Her face was fresh and upbeat as it smiled naively at a crowd of people cheering. She recognized it as the opening night of her high school's production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Sarah landed a major part as a junior, which was unusual at her small school. It was an unspoken rule that seniors got the leads. That night was one of her best high school memories (there weren't many others to choose from). Sarah threw a puzzled look at Jareth but he didn't say anything.

The image shifted, drawing her attention back to it. Now she was looking at herself sitting cross-legged in her college dorm. Sarah tensed as soon as she realized what this was. Sarah was sitting across from a boy, her ex-boyfriend. Her younger self's face stretched thin with stress. The boy, Darren, got angrier and angrier before finally jumping to his feet. He jabbed a finger at Sarah's younger self. She also stood, face growing more agitated. Sarah remembered this as the night she broke up with him. Darren was growing very attached to her and Sarah felt uncomfortable with how fast the relationship was going. His fondness was obviously much greater than hers. When she realized this, she wanted to have a talk about it. He had taken it the completely wrong way and blew up at her, accusing her of being a cold, heartless tease among other things. He blamed her for making him feel so crazy about her. Things escalated and Sarah finally gave him a swift right hook when his anger went too far and he started saying the most hateful things she'd ever heard another person speak.

Sarah's brow furrowed, completely confused at what she was being shown. First one of her happiest adolescent memories, and now one of her lowest?

The image changed again and Sarah saw herself playing with Toby at the park. She was laughing and shaking her head at something ridiculous he said as she pushed him on the swings. He giggled while she pushed him higher and higher…

That disappeared quickly and then she was looking at a hideously recent event. Sarah saw herself perched behind the library counter as Jonathan walked up, clearly nervous. She watched as he awkwardly attempted to ask her out. She saw herself politely decline and then utter the excuse that Jareth found so amusing.

The image faded and then Sarah was looking at the clear crystal once again. Turning her full attention on the man next to her, "What was all that?"

"You seemed like you needed a distraction."

"Yes, well…that doesn't explain that." She gestured toward the crystal which Jareth was now returning to its hidden place once again. "Why those memories? Not all of them were particularly fun highlights of my life, you know."

"Oh I know." His smug face was begging to be punched in similar fashion to Darren.

"Then why?" She demanded this time, unflinching eyes trained on him.

"They were my highlights," he said lightly, lifting one shoulder.

"I don't understand…"

"The Goblin King's life isn't always glamorous, you know. Boredom sets in from time to time. I got in the habit of checking up on my most memorable, if infuriating, rival."

Sarah's mind was reeling from the confession. "How often did you spy on me?" She accused angrily.

"Oh I don't know," he acted casually. "Maybe once or twice a week."

"Once or twice a WEEK? For SIX. YEARS?"

Jareth played it off as if her wrath didn't warrant comment.

Sarah sputtered, unable to form words anymore. She was flabbergasted. No, livid. And yet…if he was so bored, why seek her out? An uncomfortable emotion that felt like hope sprouted in her chest. For what, she couldn't say.

After a moment of collecting herself, she managed to repeat, "Why are those particular memories your favorite?"

Now it was his turn to look slightly uncomfortable. "The first one should be obvious. It was one of your finest achievements. You were proud of the performance you put on, as you should have been. You outshone all of those other forgettable students."

"Ok…but what about…?"

"That boy was a damn fool. He didn't deserve to lick the ground at your feet, let alone claim to love you. I had half a mind to cross over to the mortal world and wring his neck for daring to threaten you."

"I handled it fine," she defended.

"Yes, you did," he admitted grumpily. "It was most entertaining to see you knock him out flat with one hit. Ending your relationship with that boy was one of the most satisfying things I ever saw you do." He paused, clearing his throat. "As for your memory with Toby, that was the moment I consciously commended you for what you did for him. I could see how much you cared for one another and how far you'd go to protect him. The love and devotion in your eyes was unmistakable. So even though I still brooded over losing, in that moment I was glad you had succeeded..."

Sarah wasn't sure what to say so she waited for him to address the final memory in the crystal ball. He didn't.

"And the last one?"

Sighing, he pushed himself away from the tree and climbed out. "It stopped raining."

Sticking her head out, Sarah saw that he was right. She did not even notice when that had happened.

"We should get back to the path quickly and resume the trek. We only have a little longer before it gets dark. Hopefully, we can find you decent shelter before nightfall, in case it starts up again."

Sarah clambered out, accepting that she would probably never get the answer she had asked.