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

Sarah spotted Jareth leaning gracefully, eyes closed, against a pillar in front of the University. He was wearing a red scarf today, and from this angle he really looked like a poet. He obviously hadn't seen her yet, so she took another route, sneaking up behind him and jumping out in front of him. He opened one eye and peered at her, completely unmoved. She frowned.

"Geez, you're no fun," she pouted.

"I can be," he said, grinning devilishly.

Sarah grinned back. She felt so foolish, with her smiles that never seemed to go away. But, she didn't mind, after all people in love are supposed to be foolish. They started to walk back to her apartment, hand in hand. Sarah said nothing, enjoying the crisp autumn air. She did not see the miserable expression on Jareth's face. He stopped, but Sarah hadn't noticed until she'd walked a few more steps and found him standing still behind her. He dropped her hand moodily. What had just happened? Why was he being so moody?

"Sarah," he said quietly.

Where could he start? He could give her the good news, or he could give her the bad news. Which one first? She looked at him expectantly.

"I have some things to tell you," he said, lamely.

"Okay, so shoot," she said happily. Jareth sighed morosely.

"Edward offered me a chance at a PhD."

Good news was always better, right? Wrong. Sarah's face paled.

"What?" she whispered.

Jareth was confused; he had thought that that had been the good news.

"What did you tell him?" her tone was icy.

"I…," Jareth started. Sarah interrupted him.

"Jareth, did you tell him that you have a degree? I mean I haven't even figured out how I'm going to get you identification yet! Now I have to think of some way to get you a DEGREE?"

Sarah was panicking. Jareth frowned, wondering why she was so out of control over something so small.

"I didn't. I told him that I have no such paper," he replied, still confused. "He informed me that there were 'other ways'."

"What?" Sarah stared at him disbelievingly. First of all, he'd just told her that he'd told the truth about something. Secondly, he'd just told her that Edward had offered him a PhD anyway.

"How is that even possible?" she spat. She turned from him and stormed on forward, her perfect mood ruined. She had been trying to forget that she'd have to figure out how to get Jareth some identification.

"I'm not sure," he replied, honestly. He followed her, keeping up with her rapid, angry pace. If she had reacted so badly to this news, what would she be like with the bad news? Oh well. He figured it would be best to get all her harpy-rage out now, as opposed to spreading it out over the night.

"Also," he started. Sarah shot him an angry sideways glance.

"Cory invited me out for drinks," he mumbled.

Had she just heard him right? He was going out for DRINKS with CORY, of all people? Sarah stopped and turned to face him very slowly.

"What?" she spat. Jareth stepped back from her; she was truly terrifying when angry. It was kind of sexy. He swallowed.

"Fox and Pheasant," he offered quietly. "At nine."

She blinked at him, said nothing, and continued walking in silence. When they reached her apartment, she went straight for her fridge. She pulled out a Coke and chugged it back furiously. Jareth was afraid she might drown in the sticky, carbonated beverage. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching her. She turned her vicious green eyes upon him and shook her head in silence.

"Fine," she said acridly. "And, like hell I'm letting you go alone."

She stormed past him and slammed her bedroom door shut, making Jareth flinch. He frowned, looking down at his pants. He was oddly aroused by her fury. He was half torn between ripping her door open and ravaging her, or running through the apartment door in terror. He decided to do neither and picked up a book from the table. He vaguely flipped through it. Something by Stephen Hawking. Very genius, not what he was in the mood for at the moment.

He glanced slyly at the forbidden bookshelf. She wouldn't be out of there for a while, she was too consumed by rage. She never had to know. He crept to the bookshelf soundlessly. Raising an eyebrow, he skimmed the titles of the books. He settled on a book called 'A Rose in Winter'. Slinking silently back to the couch, he settled down to see why it was that Sarah didn't want him reading these books.

Sarah emerged from her room some time later, after allowing herself to first come to terms with the fact that Jareth and Cory would inevitably be spending time together as long as they were both in Ed's group. Following her acceptance, she carefully chose an outfit to wear. She wore a pair of worn jeans and a crisp, white button-down shirt. Classic elegance. What on earth was she thinking? Shaking her head at herself, she started out for the living room. She stopped in the hallway, as she could hear Jareth talking.

"This is quite sordid," he whispered, breathlessly.

Sarah frowned. What was he doing?

"My goodness!"

Her frown deepened into a scowl. He chuckled silkily.

She appeared in the living room, her eyes narrowed at him. He hadn't heard her coming, and when he noticed her he had the look of a child caught stealing. He swallowed. She was already in a mood, now she was going to be uncontrollable. Sarah stared at the pink book in Jareth's hands. Her mouth fell open in shock. How dare he?

She sputtered, unable to form words. She pointed at him, indignant, still trying to form words. Jareth stared at her like a deer in headlights. Not knowing what to do next, he looked at the book in horror and tossed it behind him on the floor, as though it were condemned. Jareth slid off the couch and approached Sarah smoothly, delicately pulling her outstretched arm down to her side. She stared at him. He stared back and swallowed hard. She looked at the book on the floor and then back at Jareth. Then, she laughed uncontrollably. Jareth was so relieved.

She looked up at him. Anger creeping back into her features. She narrowed her eyes at him once more.

"Just because I found that funny does not excuse you for reading something from the forbidden bookshelf," she said haughtily.

She turned from him, ready to go out. Jareth caught her around the waist and pulled her to him.

"Oh, but think of what I could learn about the female psyche," he whispered into her ear.

Sarah snorted and turned, sensually glancing over her shoulder at him. "Think of what I could teach you."

Jareth smirked and moved in to kiss her. Consumed by fairy dust and hormones, Sarah and Jareth forgot about the pub. Somehow they ended up back on the couch, and then somehow, in a flurry of unbuttoning, they ended up on the floor. Jareth was trailing hot kisses down her stomach, which she arched into. She fell back onto the floor in ecstasy. Ecstasy that was extremely short-lived. The small of her back had landed on something pointed and unpleasant. She reached behind her and pulled out the romance novel. She glared at Jareth and tossed the book at his head.

Jareth dodged the book easily, but in the time it took him to carry out the action, Sarah was on her feet, buttoning up her shirt. She looked down at him, still sitting on the floor.

"Let's go, we're late."

AN: Ah, hello again. I wanted to make a statement about the PhD thing, since it has been questioned. I based that off of real life. I did not make that up. I was in a research group (NOT PHYSICS, ew) and my professor is a man who did not graduate highschool. He worked his way into university and ended up with a PhD, without his highschool diploma. It is possible, it just takes a certain type of genius. I hope you realize that Jareth is a genius in this story. Sexy and a genius. Jareth is not going to have this handed to him, I assure you. It's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of time. In terms of this chapter, 'A Rose in Winter' is definitely my favourite romance novel, and it is quite sordid. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss wrote it. It's got a Beauty and the Beast thing going on, I loooove it. Okay, well who knows when I'll get another chapter up, so savor it. ;) Tata, for now.