DISCLAIMER: I don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters associated with the film. They are the property of the Jim Henson Company. I do own all other characters.

Sarah awoke several hours later, groggy and sore from crying herself to sleep. Her throat was raw and her eyes felt as though they had swollen to the size of golf balls. She dimly recognized that her room was now dark. Glancing at her clock, she noticed the time: 7:03 p.m. Frowning miserably, she dragged herself from her bed. She was feeling calmer now, and was a little afraid to face Jareth. She had felt such a release from finally admitting to, and dealing with, the feelings she had with regards to Cory. Sarah gazed back at her reflection, her eyes darkening in memory. She had literally thrown herself at Jareth as soon as she realized that what she felt for him was, in fact, love. She understood her own emotions so well that she'd felt no reason to wait. She had thought that he would have accepted her openly, after giving up so much to be with her. Tears stung her already sore eyes. What must he think of her now? She decided that she had to apologize. He had been so careful around her, so delicate with her, and she had attacked him without a thought.

Sarah trudged out of the bedroom to her doom. When she reached the living room, she saw him lying on the couch, almost done reading his textbook. He didn't look up at her, and she immediately felt ashamed. She quickly moved into the kitchen, breathing in slowly and deliberately, fighting back more tears. Her stomach grumbled.

"Have you eaten?" she called out, her voice straining from its rawness.

Jareth peered towards the kitchen.

"Not exactly," he replied, slowly.

Sarah's brow furrowed in confusion. "Not exactly? What does that mean?"

Then she saw the pot on the stove and peeked inside to see what he had done. On the interior of the pot were the charred remains of what appeared to be chicken noodle soup. She could only confirm the identification of the sad victims by the opened can she found on her counter. She snorted, and stood in the doorway looking at him. Jareth shrugged sheepishly.

She smiled and turned back to the kitchen. She started rummaging through the cupboard for something that she could make when a box of Kraft Dinner fell on her head. She cursed loudly. Clearly her emotions were still on high. She clutched the edge of the counter, closed her eyes and counted to ten in an attempt to get her anger under control. She'd barely registered that Jareth was in the room with her until she turned around to find him watching her with concerned eyes. He could read the irritation that shone within her eyes. Sarah stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Jareth had not been expecting an apology, and his expression told her so. She broke eye contact with him, ashamed of her own actions.

"And, thanks," she added.

"For?" Jareth asked, eyebrows raised. Sarah brought her eyes up to his again.

"For not taking advantage of the situation earlier."

Jareth's mouth stretched into a slow, rakish grin. He moved his face close to hers, his skin almost touching hers. She could feel the heat radiating off of his face. She sighed instinctively as he tilted his mouth to her ear.

"You're welcome, Sarah," he whispered, his breath sending warm chills down her spine. "But, I was so very tempted."

Sarah's eyes narrowed and she pushed him away from her with one hand. Jareth grinned devilishly. He always knew how to rile her.

"I have to get out of here," she announced peevishly.

Jareth looked at her with amusement. Sarah flailed her hands in bemusement.

"I NEED A DRINK!" she said, pushing past Jareth.

Jareth was confused.

"Sarah, there are a number of refreshments in your refrigerator," he suggested lightly. The response he received began with an aggravated growl.

"No, Jareth! I need a drink!"

She reappeared a few minutes later in a new outfit, telephone in hand, talking rapidly. Jareth watched her as she flustered around the apartment, finally stopping to dig around in the bottom of her hallway closet. She threw a strappy item, somewhat resembling a shoe out into the hallway behind her. She was still talking rapidly into the phone. Jareth ventured closer and was almost hit with a second strappy shoe. She stood up and gave him an irritated glare. She walked away from him speedily. Jareth shrugged and figured now was as good as anytime to admire the view.

Sarah had dressed herself in a pair of black pants which hugged her curves. She had clothed her upper half in a rather revealing dark purple corset, with neat pleats across her bust line. She'd left her hair down, gently covering her exposed back. Jareth also noticed that she had applied makeup to her normally bare face. She had gone with smoky grey eye makeup, forcing the green of her eyes to pop with intensity, and a touch of strawberry red lipstick. She clicked the phone off and stood in front of Jareth.

"Maria will gather up the gang and meet us there," she said. Jareth stared at her. Meet them where?

"The gang?" he asked. "And, where are we being met?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, I've had a pretty emotional day, as I think you know. I want to go out and dance. If you want to stay here and pour over your books, then by all means," she said, irritated.

Jareth looked at his book, which he was nearly finished, and back up at Sarah, dressed in that enticing outfit.

"Does this "gang" consist of any males?" he asked with a dangerous edge to his voice. Sarah smirked.

"A few," she said playfully. Jareth scowled and tossed the book on the couch, following Sarah out the front door.

Maria was standing outside the club when Sarah and Jareth arrived. She was talking animatedly to a tall red-headed man, and laughing easily. She squealed when she saw Sarah and Jareth.

"I heard all about it," she said in a low tone, looping Sarah's arm with her own and dragging her into the club.

Jareth and the red-head were left trailing behind. The red-head smiled effortlessly and stuck his hand out to Jareth.

"You must be Jareth," he said brightly. "I'm Jeff."

Jareth shook his hand, finding nothing the least but threatening about Jeff. He was a trouble-free fellow, perfectly matched with Maria. Jeff spoke enthusiastically on many subjects, never lingering on a particular topic for very long, as they walked into the club behind Sarah and Maria. Sarah recounted the details of her day to Maria, including the slamming of the pot against the fridge.

"Well, that fridge had it coming," Maria laughed.

Sarah rolled her eyes and ordered herself a drink at the bar. She thought for a moment about what Jareth would likely enjoy as a drink. She glanced back to find him sitting at a table, laughing fully, with Jeff. The sight shocked her. She was used to silky chuckles and snide smirks at her expense, but she had never seen him laugh outright. She chewed on her bottom lip absently. Beer.

Of course, Sarah didn't actually believe that Jareth would like beer – it is an acquired taste, after all – but his reactions to the taste would give her a well-deserved laugh. She was still raw about the rejection, despite the fact that he'd done the right thing. She sipped at her drink, still watching him talk with Jeff. The bartender passed her the beer, and she moved over to the table with it. When she reached the table, she handed Jareth the bottle, watching him carefully. He looked at it curiously.

Maria and Jeff got up to meet a few more of Sarah's friends who had just come in. Jareth glanced up at Sarah, his mouth moved but she couldn't hear him over the blaring music. She smiled widely at his confusion, and downed her drink rapidly. Jareth frowned at her, and took a swig of beer tentatively. The grimace that instantly appeared on his face sent Sarah into peels of laughter. Maria came back and stared at Sarah curiously. She looked to Jareth, who took another swig of beer, frowning intensely. She had to add her own smirk in at this point.

"Never had beer before?" she hollered at him over the music.

Jareth shook his head, his face contorted into a miserable expression. Maria shook her head in amusement.

"What? Did you live in a hole in ground?"

Jareth scowled at her accuracy, which sent Sarah into another fit of laughter. Jareth was hastily introduced to a number of Sarah's friends, a few of whom had been with her the night he had arrived. He couldn't keep any of their names straight with the pounding music and the neverending supply of that awful tasting beverage that Sarah kept coming back with. The drinks that she came back with for herself were constantly changing in colour; it actually terrified him. He watched as Sarah, Maria and a few of her other female friends "danced". He could hardly call their uncivilized writhing dancing, anymore than he could call the primitive pounding that they danced to music. Jareth thought that it reminded him of a certain goblin tribe's mating ritual. It was so base, and sexual.

Jareth blinked as he watched Sarah, his vision started to go hazy. He tried to stand, only to find that he had fallen back into his chair. He rested there lazily, as he seemed to have no other choice.

"Hi," a voice said. Jareth turned to the voice and followed a long, slender body up to a beautiful face framed with blonde hair. She was one of Sarah's friends. Jane. No, that wasn't it. Joanne. That was it.

"Hello," he responded, noting that his voice sounded slurred.

Joanne sat across from him, smiling seductively.

"So, are you British?" she asked, sliding her hand along his thigh. Jareth frowned bemusedly. He had only let Sarah touch him without permission, but alas, the touch felt rather…stimulating. He looked at Joanne groggily.

"Scottish," he slurred, remembering that Sarah had dubbed him a brownie. "But, I was raised in England."

He hiccupped. He felt himself becoming slightly drowsy. He looked at the table, wondering what that awful drink had done to him. Silently, he hoped this was not how Sarah had felt when he'd given her the magical peach five years ago. Everything was dancing. There were four bottles on the table. Oh wait, eight. Eight? Or, sixteen? Jareth really had no idea. He looked up at Joanne, whose face had moved perilously close to his own. She looked into his eyes coyly.

"You have amazing eyes," she breathed.

"Well, thank you," Jareth replied lamely, trying to focus his eyes.

Jareth barely registered that Joanne's lips were coming in to meet his own, that is until the harpy returned.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sarah asked. She glared at the golden duo, anger shining in her eyes, alcohol fuelling her aggressiveness.

Jareth merely smiled at her drunkenly. Sarah. Lovely, vibrant, defiant Sarah. Beautiful, terrifying, scary harpy. She glared at him furiously.

"But, I thought he wasn't your boyfriend," Joanne said, pouting, as Sarah had taken away a beloved treasure from her.

Sarah turned her fiery green eyes upon Joanne.

"Well, things change!" Sarah spat.

Joanne raised her eyebrows. "Within the course of one day?"

Sarah narrowed her eyes at Joanne.

"As if you even believed me. You were going to do this anyway," Sarah spat. Her eyes opened wide with realization.

"You! You slept with Cory, didn't you?"

Joanne shrugged, looking pleased with herself. Sarah's mouth dropped open in indignation. Jareth stood unsteadily.

"Now, Sarah, I think you're overreacting," he said, blinking his eyes repeatedly to focus them.

"Oh, you shut up!" she spat, grabbing him by the arm forcefully and storming out of the club. Maria chased after them.

"Sarah, Sarah!" she called after her. Sarah turned to face Maria, anger still seething throughout her form.

"Did you know?"

Maria looked offended. "Sarah, come on! You've had a bad day, and I agree that you should go home, but I think you should cool down before accusing everyone you know of sleeping with Cory!"

Jareth raised his hand to interject.

"I haven't slept with Cory," he said, grinning foolishly.

Maria rolled her eyes, and Sarah glared at him.

"I didn't know about Joanne, honestly," Maria said softly, touching Sarah's arm.

Sarah seemed to become more reasonable. Of course Maria hadn't known. Maria had never liked Cory to begin with. And, really, what did it matter now? Sarah's temper flared once more. It mattered because Joanne had been about to kiss Jareth and he hadn't done a damn thing to stop her. She tightened her grip on his arm possessively, causing Jareth to wince. Maria noticed the motion and reached for Sarah's hand.

"Sarah, he's not going anywhere," she said delicately. Sarah seemed to realize her grip at that point, and let him go, looking up at him apologetically. Maria snorted at Jareth.

"And, I don't think he could even if he tried," she added, as he swayed on his feet. Jareth peered at Maria with an edge of kingly arrogance.

"I certainly could!" He hiccupped. "I am in perfect control of my faculties!"

"Right," Maria said, rolling her eyes once more.

Sarah looked at Maria, her anger melting away at once.

"Okay, we're going home. I'll deal with Joanne when my liver isn't being pickled by copious quantities of ethanol," she muttered. Maria nodded and smiled, she explained that she needed to get back to Jeff and took her leave of them.

"Come on, Goblin King," she said to Jareth, gripping his hand. Maybe getting drunk with him wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. He walked with her quietly, occasionally hiccupping. Sarah sighed, the effects of the alcohol easing a bit with the walk. Jareth's steps seemed to get more sluggish as they progressed. By the time they actually reached her apartment, he was leaning heavily on her shoulder. She helped him to the couch, where they both sat for a moment.

Jareth still leaned on her shoulder, and Sarah sighed. Jareth caught a long tendril of her hair in his hand and gently pulled his fingers through it. Sarah turned her face into the motion. He was so close to her. He moved his hand up to delicately drag his fingers along her lips. He smiled as he did so, and stared into her eyes.

"Sarah, I love you," he mumbled sleepily. "Pretty, pretty, Sarah. My little harpy."

His words trailed off slowly. Sarah looked away for a moment, building the courage to tell him that she finally knew that she loved him.

"Jareth, I…," she stopped when she turned back to face him.

Jareth, former King of the Goblins, had fallen asleep. And he was drooling on her shoulder.

AN: Thank you, my dears, for reviewing so adamantly. Thanks to R.H. Jones, I am thrilled that you could find it in your heart to hug a polar bear for me. ;) So, as you may have noticed, Sarah is drinking in a bar. Yes, you didn't read incorrectly. In this story she is 20 years old. But, alas, let us not forget that I am Canadian…and I never said where her school was…So, in conclusion, let it be known that I don't condone underage drinking. :D