A/N I do not own the labyrinth

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story. It was more of a struggle than I intended.

Chapter 11

Sarah awoke to the sun shining through her window. That same dream haunted her every night and she was so reluctant to let it go in the hours of waking. She slowly got up and headed to her vanity thankful for the rest and the return of her energy. As she sat brushing her hair she could not shake the feeling of loss that plagued her like she was missing something, something she was forgetting. She pushed the feelings aside and got on with her life day by day.

Jareth left the underground on the fourth hour of the afternoon religiously every day since Sarah had left. It had been 3 long painful years. The goblins knew to stay out of his way for the rest of the vining as the chances of bogging on his return were great. He perched high in the tree in the park near Sarah home. She was there each day and he longed to be able to take her into his arms and offer the love and comfort she seemed so desperate for. Her emerald eyes where dull and full of pain.

The last few years had not been easy for Sarah Williams. On his first few visits she had stared for a long time at the owl before her, he willed her to remember but just as he was beginning to see a recollection she would turn away. He had had to watch that sparkling enchanting girl he knew fade in front of him.

Sarah sat on the stone bench in the park, everything here was as it always was. No matter what happened in life the park stayed the same. The sky was a dirty grey and a cold wind blew and wrapped around her. The owl was in his usual place. When she had first seen it there she had felt very uneasy, like it was staring into her soul. Now it was just another part of the park like the pond and the trees. But today was different it didn't comfort here being here.

The last few years had not been easy for Sarah. She had turned 18 and had become unwell after her party. Everything around her illness was still really hazy and she couldn't really remember much. She had finished her education and secured a job with a local publishing house, while carrying on her dream of acting with an amateur dramatics company at weekends. This is how she had met Dave, he was nice, caring and attentive. They had dated for many months. Then everything had begun to fall apart. Her stepmother and father had divorced and Karen had taken Toby with her. Sarah was upset at seeing her father and toby so unhappy but her relationship with Karen had been strained and she was glad for the distance between them. Within six months of the divorce her father had passed away due to a sudden illness. He had left the house and some money to Sarah which had angered Karen and resulted in a major row just days after the funeral. She had completely cut Sarah out of both her and Toby's life. As soon as Sarah felt things were improving she was hit by the hand of fate again, her boss had called her in and told her they had to let her go due to lack of work. Trying to find another job had been relentless The theatre company she had thrown her time and passion into had closed. And the great guy Dave had turned out to be a cheating, lying, robbing sleaze ball who left Sarah in terrible financial debt. Now her she was sat in the park the night before her family home was repossessed to pay off the debts. This time tomorrow she would be homeless, there was no one to turn to, no one who cared.

Jareth had had to watch her struggle through all of this alone. He had begged the Elders to let him go to her on bended knee but to no avail. All he could do was watch as her world fell down.

The tears were flowing freely as Sarah opened her car door. There was just no point anymore. As the car pulled away the owl silently followed. He felt nervous and uneasy. Where are you going my Sarah? A shiver like ice ran through him as he followed her. Sarah pulled up at the edge of the deserted road. She left the car engine running and walked slowly towards the cliff. The sky above was growing darker as storm clouds gathered. The weather was a reflection of Sarah's mood. She stood at the edge, not glancing down, her face emotionless.

"Why does it have to be like this? Why can't it be like the dreams" the image of those dreams played through her head. Where she danced around the ballroom held tightly in the arms of a handsome, mysterious blond haired man. The words floated around in her mind fear me, love me and I will be your slave.

"I do love you, I wish you were here"

Then stepped over the cliff and shouted

"ITS NOT FAIR"

Suddenly an arm grabbed her waist and pulled her back

"You say that so often precious"

Sarah spun round, he was there.

"Your real"

Sarah collapsed to the floor in front of Jareth and he quickly wrapped her in his arms holding her until the sobbing subsided. He gently placed his hand under her chin and raised her face up to look at him.

"Of course I'm real" His head tilted to the side and he gave her that hint of a smile so unique to him.

"I thought it was just dreams that I was going crazy"

Jareth gently kissed her forehead

"I have waited so long for you Sarah."

He kissed her lips with longing and urgent passion fierce and possessive then softening into tender loving caresses. The mist in Sarah's mind began to lift as memories of the underground began to flood back. Sarah looked at Jareth her eyes shining from the tears she had shed. A smile had begun to appear on his lips.

"I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now.

He returned her smile

"Anything the lady wishes".

With a flick of his wrist they were gone

THE END