Disclaimer: Labyrinth is not mine, sadly I'm afraid it never will be. It belongs to Jim Henson, George Lucas, Brian Froud, David Bowie, etc.

"Fight and Flight"

"Jareth, stop, please!" Sarah gasped out, her legs struggling to take even another step.

The man in front of her was a different story. His breathing was rough, but it was still even and free of struggle, the careful, metered breathing of an Olympic runner. The grueling physical exertion they had just undergone seemed to only strengthen his resolve, make him faster. If he sweats he glistens, Sarah thought with a mental grumble, wiping a hand over her forehead to wipe off beads of perspiration.

She took two more half-hearted steps before falling forward against a tree and clinging to it for support. Her legs shook, her throat was strangled, and her head was faint and dizzy. Never in her life had she run so far so fast.

"Sarah," Jareth said, his voice impatient but betraying a hint of concern. "There's no time."

"Easy…for…you to say," Sarah was able to pant out between deep gasps for air. She turned and leaned her back against the tree, her legs buckled with the effort. "Oh my God, I need to take a nap or join a gym. Nap first."

"There will be time for napping when we aren't being hunted. Right now we've got to move," he retorted as he paced in frustration. Sarah could swear she saw him roll his eyes. That ticked her off.

"Fine then, bossy, but if I die of exhaustion it's on you," she said, still out of breath. He gave her a scolding look that clearly said, this is not the time for jokes. Shakily, she pushed herself off of the tree and struggled for a moment to continue standing. The world spun. Sarah drew in slow breath. That helped a little. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

Jareth clasped her hand and was off again, pulling her behind him. She ducked branches and dodged stumps, trying best to keep up with the quick, catlike leaps that Jareth took. Sarah could hardly fathom why they were still running. We lost those things when he started the fire, she thought. It was true, they hadn't seen hide or tail of either the taken hobgoblin or the fairies since they began their run.

Sarah's foot caught on a vine. She stumbled, pulling Jareth with her. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sarah cut him off with one quick shake of her head. A quick flexing of her foot told her that it would certainly bruise. There was nothing that could be done at the moment.

"Perfect," Sarah whispered, her ankle giving a painful twinge.

"Are you hurt?" Jareth asked.

Sarah didn't look at him, if he showed her even a measure of pity in her exhausted, injured state, she couldn't take it.

"I'm fine," she said and righted herself to run once again, but everything from the knee down on her right side screamed in protest.

Stupid swamp, she thought, leaping over another vine. The light that filtered through the dense leaves above was almost nonexistent, it made everything shapes and shadows. Worse than if it were total darkness, Sarah thought as a thorn sunk into the sole of her boot, puncturing her toe slightly. She shook it off, tried to ignore her light-headedness, and continued on. The dank, murky air was humid, making each breath a struggle. Sarah had no idea where they were going, although Jareth insisted it was South East. How he could tell in this darkness was a mystery to her.

Jareth stopped without warning and Sarah barreled right into him, still clutching his hand. To her surprise, he did not stumble, instead he caught her around the waist as she fell and held her up. Sarah couldn't complain. She hadn't realized just how tired she was until Jareth supported her entire weight. She could have fallen asleep right then and there.

"Jareth, why did we—"

"Shh," he said with a finger to his lips. "Do you hear that?"

Sarah shook her head. Trembling from running, all Sarah could really hear was the blood pounding in her ears and the sound of her own labored breathing.

Jareth looked down on her in concern for a moment. "Sarah, are you all right?"

"Not really," she said a bit faintly. "Just a little...tired."

He didn't say anything. Instead he guided her to a wide tree with low hanging branches and sat her down. Sarah's legs gave out just as she hit the ground. Her head lolled back against the tree trunk as she tried to keep her breathing even. Jareth sat beside her, looking her over in concern.

"We can rest soon," he said soothingly, brushing back a damp tendril of her hair.

Sarah swallowed with a shaky sigh and, without waiting for permission, rested her cheek against his shoulder. He stiffened slightly before reaching gently behind her to rest his hand on her back, steadying her.

"Aren't I resting now?" Sarah asked, her voice muffled against his jacket.

Jareth laughed. "Well, yes."

"Good, because I'm very sleepy," she said. She could feel his laughter reverberating through him. It was soothing. "Jareth, I've been meaning to ask. Swamps form where rivers and oceans meet, right? How is this place here?"

Sarah closed her eyes, but she could hear Jareth's smile in his voice as he spoke. "My world is not like yours. The sea once flowed here, and a river too, but just because they're gone doesn't mean this can't remain."

"That's confusing," Sarah said, leaning further into his side.

"Not so much," he whispered. His voice turned smug, "Well, not if you're me."

Sarah laughed, "Well, not all of us are lucky enough to be like you."

"No, but some of us are," he replied.

"You always do that."

"Hmm, do what, precious?"

Sarah opened her eyes and frowned. "You always say one thing but mean another. I've gotta say, it gets frustrating."

Jareth froze the trail his hand was making up and down her spine before righting himself with a snort of indignation. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You totally do, Mr. Cryptic," Sarah accused. She could have sworn she heard Jareth's heart stop. Well, I guess I am onto something, she thought before brushing the thought aside and snuggling closer. Her proximity seemed to confuse Jareth even more, making him freeze once again, dumbfounded. It was like cuddling up to a statue. "I don't care though, too tired to care…"

Although Jareth seemed taken aback by Sarah's friendlier than usual demeanor, he relaxed. Sarah was sure he was feeling even more comfortable than she was, and that was saying something.

"Feeling a bit better?" he asked, his voice softer. Sarah sighed as he gently rubbed her back.

"Yes," she breathed out in a contented sigh. Sarah raised her head and saw him staring down at her as if she really were that word he was always using. Precious. She leaned back and studied him, those odd eyes that said so much more than those perfect lips. "Jareth? I want to know—"

Something hard barreled into their side. Sarah flew, her body rolling away from Jareth's. She hit another tree trunk with a dull thud. Another bruise for sure. I should make a list, she thought, clutching her ribs. She sat up and scrambled to her feet. She saw Jareth rise from a crouch in one fluid motion. He dropped the bag from his shoulder, holding his knife. It took a moment to register what was happening, and then she saw them.

The hobgoblin child and her swarm stood in the shadow between two trees, sparse light from above the treetops glinted off the fairy wings. The little girl looked absolutely delighted and bounced slightly on her heels.

"Oh goody," she said and her high, babyish voice echoed around them.

"Sarah," Jareth said without turning to look at her, "go."

Sarah dove to the bag and rummaged inside for something, anything, as the fairies attacked. She caught hold of another small club. A torch would have to do.

"Sarah, go!" Jareth repeated, his voice charged with frantic energy. He didn't stop to see whether or not she would heed him. He leapt forth toward the hobgoblin, cutting down one fairy in his wake. The creature gave a pitiful scream as it fell, its false form fading away before the darkness beneath died as well in the sparse sunlight.

Sarah struck a match clumsily with her shaking hands, lighting the end of the torch as best she could. The fairies were regrouping, an angry, buzzing swarm.

"Screw it," she muttered and began to run, her torch barely smoldering. Her legs ached in protest after sitting, even for such a short while. Jareth can't fight them all, she thought. Sarah stopped running and noticed that only half the swarm was following her. In a split second decision, she let out a long high scream. That's right, she thought as the rest of the swarm flew closer, obviously intrigued by her false shouts and screams of pain, come and get the easy prey.

They were upon her, sharp little teeth bared. Sarah fumbled around in her pocket one handed, her free arm waving haphazardly to keep the swarm at bay. One latched onto the back of her hand. Sarah slammed it against the nearest tree and saw its fairy skin disappear before the monster beneath let out a death scream in the scant sunlight. She caught up a match between two fingers and took a moment to light it from her thumbnail. The fairies hissed and hung back at the sight of the burning flame in the darkened forest.

"What's the matter?" she couldn't help but taunt. "Afraid of fire?"

Sarah brought the small flame to the end of her torch. Without her earlier frenzy, it lit instantly, a bright blaze. The changelings screeched and hung back on the edge of the clearing.

"Now who's easy prey?" she asked under her breath before charging.

The fairies, to her surprise, did not retreat. They flew around her cautiously as Sarah turned in a circle, brandishing her torch. One lone changeling flew forth, tilting its head in childlike interest. The sight terrified Sarah so much, it was all she could do to keep the torch aloft. They will consume me if I'm not careful, she thought, her heartbeat strong in her ears.

The creature flew once around the flame and hissed, Sarah moved to hit it, but the power of flight made it faster.

"Ow!" she screamed as the fairy's small fingernails dug into her cheek, tearing away. It's eyes lit up at the sight of blood and it flew forth, tongue showing.

Without thought or a moment's hesitation, Sarah ran. The fairies let out a screech of victory and followed, faster than anything Sarah could have expected. She leapt over fallen logs and loose vines, her boots nearly stuck in a puddle of muddy earth. She wrenched herself free, but the delay gave another fairy a chance to bite her.

Sarah shook her arm, dislodging the tiny body into the air. The fairy hung back, eyes dancing as it licked its bloodied lips in relish.

I need to get back, to Jareth and the supplies, she thought. Unable to think of a better option, Sarah raised the torch high and took a running leap at the fairies.

"Get back!" Sarah shouted and gave the torch an almighty swing into the cloud of buzzing devils. Three of them ignited, screaming as they burned, their true essences revealed, murky and shadowed before dying. Sarah gave the remaining beasts a triumphant look and held the torch aloft. They screeched and cringed away from the light.

"Ha!" Sarah said in triumph and swung the torch into the cloud again. The momentum of her swing was too much. The torch blew out. "Damn..."

Sarah dropped the smoldering wood and ducked beneath the flying beasts, heading back toward where she had left Jareth and the hobgoblin. The fairies regrouped and swarmed after her, she could hear their small wings beating violently. If she could make it to Jareth, she could grab matches, anything bright, and destroy them. There, up ahead, Sarah could see the leather bag filled with contraband items from the Aboveground, but Jareth and the girl were gone.

"Please have something that will work," she breathed out. Sarah dove toward the bag, the fairies hot on her trail, buzzing and shrieking, a deadly swarm. She grabbed hold of her salvation and began rummaging through it.

"Stupid, sparkly Goblin King. Can't bring anything useful," she muttered under her breath as she pushed aside several crystals and a spare silken white shirt. "There's gotta be something in here..."

At the bottom, among the items that she had characterized as 'useless', just beneath the jump rope and the magnifying glass, was an unopened bottle of lighter fluid.

"Nevermind that last bit," Sarah apologized to no one in particular. She grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the gap, releasing its acrid scent into the air.

The fairies were getting closer, their tiny hands reaching, nails long, the sharpness of their teeth visible in their open mouths. As they flew into range, Sarah squeezed the bottle, not stopping the assault until they were all doused. All of them fell to the ground with high screams. They looked so pitiful, so helpless. Sarah almost felt sorry as she struck the match.

Their small eyes turned to her, burning with hatred. The one nearest to her stretched its arm in an unnatural motion, the ghostly form of a shadow hand seeping large and misshapen from the tips of its miniscule fingers. Without a single moment of hesitation, she dropped the match.

They were gone. Sarah choked out in relief and began staggering back in the direction she'd run, following the frantic path that her boots had formed. A vicious snarl met her ears, intermingled with high, keening shrills.

"Jareth?" Sarah called.

No one answered.

"Jareth!" she called again, breaking into a run despite her aching body. A stitch ached in her side and her thigh muscles cramped with overuse. She ran forth despite the pain, arms pumping at her sides. She could see the blond of his hair up ahead in a clearing, the brightest spot on her horizon in the slowly darkening swamp. The sun's going down, Sarah thought in panic, the changelings won't have to wear their stolen skin. Sarah could only stop and stare at the edge of the clearing, staring on in horror as Jareth's time was running out.

Jareth stood, facing off against the hob girl, small wounds on his face and hair that was messier than usual told Sarah that they had fought ever since she fled. Both Goblin King and stolen subject were breathing heavily, staring at each other with unguarded hatred in their eyes. His whole body tensed as they circled each other. Jareth clutched at his right arm, which dangled slightly at his side, before pushing it back into place with a sickening popping sound.

The small girl's face contorted terribly with joy as he winced in pain. Blood glinted red on pearly baby teeth when she smiled. Sarah noted that the hob child had faired just as badly as her king, with numerous obvious injuries on her small body.

The girl grinned in triumph as she noted the setting sun. With a shriek, the hob lunged from their circling dance to finish him, but Jareth was quicker. He caught her up in his arms as she sprang forth. She struggled, her stolen form already beginning to dissipate to reveal the darkness beneath. Blank white irises replaced the child's doe-like eyes and the teeth she flashed were pointed. Before she could change fully, Jareth moved. With a violent twist of the girl, he snapped her neck. The hobgoblin fell to the ground and twitched once. Jareth lit a match from his jacket pocket and dropped it on the body. Immediately she ignited, screaming her last scream as her girl-flesh gave way to a shadowy form.

Jareth whipped his head around, eyes searching the forest. Sarah stood in the shadow of the trees at the clearing's edge, her mind reeling in shock by what she had just witnessed. Her body was still exhausted, she stumbled back a step and rested against a tree, frozen in silent horror.

"Sarah?" he called out. There was a frantic energy about him that she had never noticed before, it showed in every movement of his body, the way the firelight glinted off his skin. Jareth surveyed the trees once more and shouted, "Sarah!"

Jareth had killed the changeling more viciously than any horror movie Sarah had ever seen, and so easily too. Despite the fact it was evil, terrifying, it had taken the form of a small child. That alone made witnessing its death terrible enough. Sarah was grateful for the monster's destruction, but chilled by the violence of it.

Sarah wasn't sure how long she stood against that tree, perhaps seconds or hours, her mind replaying the terror of the last day, unable to believe it was over. Her heart felt like it was bursting in her chest. She could have stayed that way forever, catatonic, all heartbeat and breath and fatigue. The only thing that brought her out was the rapidly rising sounds of distress in the distance.

"Jareth?" she whispered, blinking against her own pain, trying to focus on his.

In the clearing, Jareth was reeling. He had tugged at his feathery hair in panic, making it spike and frizz even more than in the aftermath of his fight.

"Sarah!" he shouted again, moving in a frenzied sprint between the trees. He said her name one more time, quieter. He was giving up. For the first time since she'd known him, Sarah could swear she saw the slightest glints of tears in the corners of his eyes. That glimmer was nothing compared to the fresh grief on his face. He looked utterly destroyed. Then it struck her. He thinks I'm dead, she thought.

"I'm here," Sarah said hoarsely, pushing herself off of the tree trunk in one shaky step. Jareth hadn't heard her. She stepped into the clearing, he wasn't facing her. His breathing was harsh and broken. Sarah moved even closer. "I'm here."

Jareth whipped around to see her standing right behind him. His eyes were wild, terrified, and he was staring at her as if she were an apparition. Sarah closed the distance between then and caught his face between her hands and made him meet her eyes as she caressed his skin. She said one final time, "I'm here..."

To prove it, Sarah reached within the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out his knife. She brought it to her palm and readied herself to make the cut, but Jareth stopped her, forcing her to drop the weapon to the forest floor.

All the pain, worry, and terror of the nightmarish last day were gone. None of it mattered anymore. At that point it was all Sarah's inner teen could do not to parade around in triumph when his arms encircled her and pulled her close. The only things that were real were the sound of his breathing, the heat of his skin, the complete and total rightness of what was happening. In that moment for Sarah, something clicked.

Jareth was kissing her and she was kissing him back.

Author's Note: Thanks to all of those who read and either reviewed, followed, or made this story a favorite. Another shout out to those who stuck with the story through that month long gap without updates, I truly appreciate it. Please read and review.