Sarah stared at the place where the portal had been. She could still see the castle in her mind. He was gone now though. And she hadn't been able to say those damned elusive but oh so important words until it was too late. She was pretty sure he hadn't heard her. The portal had already closed, but maybe he had. Hopefully, he knew without her saying it. He always seemed to know her mind better than she did.
Standing, she wiped her eyes and headed back to the car. She stared at the emerald ring on her finger as she walked. He had slipped it on her finger and told her he loved her before running through the portal. Sarah smiled as she held her hand by her heart. She had no doubt that Jareth would return. She was certain the ring was proof of that.
As she climbed into the car, she debated going back to her dorm. "No," she thought, "I don't want to face my roommates right now. I'm not prepared to pretend he wasn't real yet."
Putting the car in gear, she drove back to Jareth's small apartment. As she walked through the door, she could still feel his presence. She grabbed his shirt from the bag and changed into it. It still had his scent, as did his bed and pillows. Sarah curled up in the bed, hugging his pillow. She missed him already. "Hurry back, Jareth." She whispered to the empty room.
Next morning, Sarah woke to the sound of her phone ringing. It was Dani's ringtone. "Hey Dani," Sarah answered, her voice sounding as depressed as she felt.
"Sarah where have you been? We heard you weren't at class Thursday or Friday and Mrs. White hasn't seen you since Tuesday." Dani sounded frantic.
"I was with Jareth."
"Who?"
Sarah sighed, the magic was gone and no one, other than Sarah, remembered Jareth. "An old friend from out of town. He had to leave last night, though."
"So where are you?"
"His hotel room," she fibbed. "It was paid for til today so I stayed here. I'll be back after I gather a few things he left behind for me."
"Alright, are you ok, hon? You sound like you're about to cry." Dani inquired.
"Yea," Sarah replied as she wiped her eyes. "I just didn't think I would miss him this much."
"Well he's not gone for good, right"
"A few weeks. He said he'll be back in a few weeks." Sarah stared at the ring on her finger. Taking it off, she studied it. "I have to go, Dani, I'll be home this evening." She hung up before she could argue and turned the phone off. She wanted to be left alone.
Sarah spent the rest of the day packing up Jareth's belongings. She had no clue what to do with the furniture. She hated to get rid of it, but she had nowhere to put it either. She made sure his bed sheets and pillows were packed away safely. Those would be used in her dorm immediately. He had spoiled her with the satin sheets.
It amazed her that his entire life for the last year, minus the furniture, fit into 3 cardboard boxes. True most of that year he had traveled searching for her, but it still amazed her that he owned so little. Even his bathroom supplies fit into one small bag.
Once the car was loaded, Sarah headed back to her dorm. Luckily Jareth's car had a parking permit on the back window, allowing her to park on campus.
Tammi and Dani met her at the door with a hundred questions. Where had she been? Who was Jareth? Why didn't they meet him? Were they dating? It was more than Sarah could take. She carried the box with the most important items to her room, closed the door, and locked it.
She spent the rest of the day rearranging her room and putting Jareth's belongings with hers. His sheets were too large for her bed, but she tucked it under the mattress and made it work. His pillows took up half her bed, but she didn't care. She would be hugging them all night anyway.
Pulling the ring out from the small envelope she had hidden it in, she found a silver chain in her jewelry box to put it on. She didn't want to wear it on her finger because of all the questions it would create.
That night Sarah went to bed extremely early. She promised Jareth she would focus on her studies and finish her thesis while he was away. So, Sarah planned to get up early and give it her all.
~*~*~*~/.../~*~*~*~
The first week went by in a flash. Sarah kept busy and managed to keep her mind off Jareth for the most part. Tammi and Dani gave up asking about the mystery man by the end of the week and continued trying to talk her into going to parties and other social events with them.
Week two was a little harder, Sarah found herself staring at the mirror, waiting for a signal. She went to bed early every night, praying she'd dream and Jareth would be there. But nothing changed. The mirrors only showed her reflection and her sleep was dreamless.
The third week, Sarah was antsy and nervous. She wondered if he was alright and how much longer it would be until they would be reunited.
When a month had gone by, Sarah started to fear something had gone wrong. What if he used too much magic and couldn't change back? What if something happens to the Labyrinth while he was gone? Hoggle had told her Jareth protected the Labyrinth and its denizens.
Unable to wait, Sarah stayed in her dorm, skipping class. Once her roommates left, she stood in front of the mirror in the hall. "Hoggle. Hoggle are you there?" She waited but nothing happened. "Hoggle I need you." Biting her lip nervously she paced the dorm. "Jareth told me not to call for him until he sent word..."
Returning to her room, she closed the door and sat on her bed. "Time does work differently in the Underground, maybe I'm worrying for nothing." So Sarah continued to wait.
Soon days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Sarah called two to three times a week for Hoggle, but he never answered. After 3 months, she finally gave in. "I wish to see the Goblin King right now!" She waited but nothing happened. "I wish to see the Goblin King right now! I wish to see the Goblin King right now!" She repeated it over and over as she clutched the ring in her hand. Laying on the bed, she hugged his pillow, tears running down her face. "He loves me. I know he does. He'll be back, he promised." She told herself repeatedly. "Jareth, where are you?"
After 6 months, Sarah wondered if it had all been a trick. Had Jareth come back into her life to get his revenge. Had his goal been to make her love him, just so he could break her heart? With no communication and nothing to convince her otherwise, Sarah began to fear this was the case.
Time continued to fly by. Sarah went home for the summer and being in her old room brought it all back. She tried to be cheerful for Toby, but it wasn't easy. Her parents left her alone for the most part, but her memories wouldn't. Everywhere she looked there was something that reminded her of the Labyrinth or Jareth.
Two weeks before the new semester was supposed to begin, Sarah returned to the college. They wouldn't let her stay on campus, but she was able to get a part-time job, helping Mrs. White at the library. She managed to find a small apartment nearby and decided to stay off campus for her final year. Sarah loved Tammi and Dani, but she felt it was time to be on her own.
Once the semester started, Sarah started questioning if it had even happened at to all. While having dinner with her friends, her belief began to crumble. "Sarah, where'd you get the ring from?" Tammi asked when she saw Sarah playing with it, a habit she had picked up a few days after she started wearing it.
"Oh, Jareth gave this to me before he left. I still haven't heard from him though." Sarah said sadly.
"Who?" Dani asked.
"Jareth. You know the friend from out of town I told you about. I didn't tell you about the ring because I did want you thinking things were more serious than they were. Since its been 9 months and no word from him, I guess it wasn't as serious as I thought either."
"Sarah, what are you talking about?" Tammi questioned.
"Yea, we have no clue what you're talking about," Dani added. "You've never mentioned any guy, especially not one you were interested in."
"Of course I did. He was here for a couple of weeks. I stayed with him. He left me his car and some of his things. You two hounded me for a week wanting to know more about him." Sarah stated as she studied them for a sign they were joking.
Tammi and Dani exchanged worried looks. "Sarah, hon, are you feeling alright?"
"Yea, we both know your dad got you that car at the end of last semester," Tammi added.
"What?" Sarah shook her head. "No, Daddy didn't get me a car. Look I'll prove it."
She finished her food and tossed some cash on the table. Shrugging the two followed her outside to her car. "What are you looking for?" Dani asked.
"This." She said proudly as she held up the registration.
Dani took it from her and frowned. "Sarah this says it belongs to you. Look I know we hound you about finding someone, but if you want us to drop it, we will. You don't have to make up a fake boyfriend."
"He's not fake!" Sarah argued. "He's real and he said he loved me when he put this on my finger." She held up the ring.
"Then where is he?" Tammi demanded.
"I wish I knew..." Sarah whispered.
~*~*~*~/.../~*~*~*~
Over the next week, Sarah began to question herself more and more. Everything thing she swore proved that Jareth was real, was quickly disproven. The satin sheets now had a receipt that showed it was bought with Sarah's credit card. Same was true for all the books. The only thing that couldn't be explained was the ring, and Sarah held on to that tightly.
Tammi and Dani became more and more concerned about their friend. Finally, they decided she needed help, help that they couldn't offer. So they spoke with the University's new counselor. He too was concerned about Sarah's behavior and decided to speak with her.
He found her in the library, working hard. She had finished and given her presentation last semester, and now she was working on her dissertation. He watched her for a moment and the went to speak with Mrs. White. She told him the girl seemed depressed lately, but she was still the best student on campus, silent, hard working and lately, she was working part-time at the library.
Deciding it was best if he spoke to her alone, he approached her and sat across from her. "Hello, Miss Williams."
Looking up, Sarah studied him carefully. She'd never seen him before. "Hi." She replied softly.
"Forgive the intrusion. I know you're very busy. My name is Dr. Alberto Berron. I'm the new counselor on campus. I'd like to offer you my services."
"Thank you Dr. Berron, but I don't believe I need your services," Sarah stated as she started to pack her bag.
"Broken hearts are my specialty." He gave her a soft smile. "There are many people worried about you, Sarah. Please at least consider coming to talk to me. You have nothing to lose but an hour of your time." He told her as he held his business card to her.
"I'll think about it." She stated as she took the card before walking away.
~*~*~*~/.../~*~*~*~
Several days later, Sarah found her self sitting in the waiting room of the counselor's office. She wasn't sure why she decided to talk to the Dr. or what it would accomplish. Maybe she just needed to tell someone the truth, even if he didn't believe her.
"Miss Williams." Sarah looked up when she heard her name. "Dr. Berron will see you now."
Sarah nodded and walked into his office. He was staring out the window with his back to her, hands clasped behind his back. She stopped for a second, reminded of Jareth by the way he stood. But she knew it wasn't him. The hair color and body was all wrong. This man had dark brown hair and was muscular like a bodybuilder. Jareth was strong but had a lean, lithe body. Sighing, she closed the door and walked to the chairs in front of his desk.
"So glad you decided to come and speak with me, Miss Williams." Dr. Berron said as he turned to face her. "Please have a seat." He motioned to the couch against the wall. "Now tell me what's really bothering you."
"You say that like its some hidden thing," Sarah replied as she sat. "I figured most people knew why I've been feeling sad."
"Yes, this Jareth fellow you claim to be waiting for." He said as he put on his glasses. "Let's start with him."
"I claim to be waiting for?" Sarah stood. "This was a mistake."
"Please sit down Miss Williams." Dr. Berron said calmly.
"What's the point? I haven't told you a thing yet you already think I made it up."
"Sarah, please sit. I want to believe you, I do. Now, please talk to me. Tell me what's going on and we'll go from there." He opened his notepad and took out his pen.
Sitting back down, she ran her hand through her hair trying to decide if she should tell him the whole truth and risk being declared insane or the barest truth that he might believe. "Years ago, I met a man. We weren't friends, more like enemies I guess. He was extremely handsome though and eventually, things changed between us. I'm not sure when he stopped being someone I feared and hated and became something else."
"You feared him?" Dr. Berron asked in a concerned tone.
"It was more I feared the things I felt around him. I was only 14. But despite our rocky start we kept in touch and became friends."
"Just friends?"
"Well, we were until last year. Last year he showed up and saved me, literally." Sarah smiled thinking of him climbing through the window at the Pike house.
"How so?" Dr. Berron asked as he scribbled something down.
"I was drugged at a party and he carried me out before someone raped me," Sarah stated. "He took me to his place and cared for me."
"Was this reported to the police?"
"I was told it was, but I never gave a statement." Sarah played with a string on her shirt. "I probably should have but I was more focused on the fact that Jareth was here."
"Jareth being the man from your past?"
Nodding Sarah looked at the doctor. "He confessed to me and then we spent a week together. He cooked, took me to dinner, bought me books, which we read to one another..." Sarah had a dreamy look on her face as she told him about her week with Jareth.
"How did you respond to his confession?"
"What?" Sarah blinked as she was pulled from her thoughts. "I... well I didn't really. He told me there was no rush and wanted me to sort my feelings out on my own."
"And did you?" Dr. Berron inquired. "Sort them out that is?"
"I did, but I was too late." Sarah put her head in her hands. "I tried to tell him before he left, but I couldn't get the words out and now I don't know if I'll ever see him again." She sobbed.
"Sarah, my heart bleeds for you, but what worries me is the fact that no one else knows who this Jareth is. Are you sure this wasn't all just a wonderful dream?"
"A dream?!" Sarah looked up and glared at Alberto. "Did a dream save me from the Pikes? Did a dream leave me his car, clothes, books, and satin bed sheets? Did a dream teach me Gaelic?" She stood up. "I know he was real its not my fault if no one remembers him!"
"He taught you Gaelic? That's an odd language for someone to know nowadays, isn't?"
Sarah started reciting the words she still knew by heart. Words that meant more to her than the entire English language. Dr. Berron's eyes widened when he heard them, but Sarah didn't notice. "Are you going to tell me I learned that from a dream or made it up?"
"Well, you certainly learned it from somewhere, that much is clear." Alberto cleared his throat and scribbled more. "Now, tell me more about this Jareth. How old is he? Where does he work? How did you meet?"
Sarah sat back on the couch. "What difference does it make. You don't believe me anyway. No one does." Sarah unconsciously started playing with the ring hanging on the chain around her neck.
"Sarah," Alberto sat his pen down. "It's clear that you believe this all is real, and that you care for this man. Surely you have something that proves he was here?"
Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair. "No one believes me. It seems like I'm losing my mind at times. I remember every minute I spent with him, but no one else does. They all have different memories of what happened 9 months ago and everything that should be proof that he was here keeps changing." Her hand grabbed the ring hanging around her neck. "All I have is this." She held it up and studied it. "I was so sure this was the proof that he was coming back."
"So tell me, Sarah, if he came back," Dr. Berron began as he stood, "what would you do?"
She closed her eyes and pictured Jareth in her mind. "If I ever see him again," she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, "I'll tell him exactly how I feel. I'll tell him how much I love him." She stood and paced the room. "Hell, I'll recite the Gaelic he taught me night and day if it makes him happy!" She covered her face with her hands. "God I miss him." She sat on the couch as tears made her way down her face.
"What would you do to have him back?" Alberto asked as he sat at his desk and steepled his hands in front of his face.
"What would I do?" She wiped her eyes. "I... I'd do just about anything to have him back. I'd give up everything here and go with him if that's what I have to do. I've faced dangers untold and hardships unnumbered before. I'd gladly do it again."
"For your sake, I hope he comes back soon." Dr. Berron said as he stood and walked over to Sarah. Handing her his handkerchief, he gave her a soft smile. "It's clear how much you love him. Jareth is a lucky man."
Sarah wiped her face and nodded. "You believe me?"
"I believe that you are in love with a man that needs to hurry back to you. Such lovely eyes shouldn't shed any more tears." He held his hand out to her and helped her to her feet. "I believe that's enough for today. I hope talking with me helped you in some way. My door is always open if you wish to talk more."
Sarah nodded and thanked him. "Oddly enough I do feel a little better. Thanks for listening and for believing me."
Dr. Berron watched her leave and returned to his desk. "Well, it's starting to make sense now. I guess I should arrange a happy reunion for the Goblin King."