Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any character belonging to the Labyrinth. I do; however, claim all original characters in this story as my own.

Chapter 37 – A Delicate Affair

Sarah never felt more comfortable in her entire life. She felt the soft downy sheets resting snugly above her and she thought she could get lost in the plush mattress and pillows beneath her. She slowly opened her eyes. Although, there was no more than a few dim candles the small amount of light still singed her eyes.

Her body ached but she did not feel pain. She stretched slowly, careful not to strain any of her already tender muscles. She spent a few moments thinking of everything that had happened. She thought of the fight with Luxiour and she could hardly believe that it had been her fighting. Just a short while ago she had a been a normal human woman, well perhaps not quite normal; nevertheless, she was now so much more than what she had been before.

She still felt the power within her. It was beginning to become second nature to her now – like breathing. She could control it at will and, if provoked, she could summon the full strength of her fury. She realized at that moment that when Luxiour had trapped her, it had been Navarra that came to her and gave her share of the power. There was now only one Dreamer and it was Sarah Williams.

Sarah opened her eyes, now more adjusted to the dim lighting. She looked at her surroundings. She was in a large bedroom; to say it was massive would be a gross understatement. She was lying in a gargantuan bed. It seemed that the bed frame and canopy had been built into the room itself. It was ancient, royal and rustic at the same time and the look was very masculine. Sarah knew exactly whose bed this belonged to. She tried to survey the rest of the room, but the light did not allow her to see past the enormous bed.

Sarah stretched again and then turned on her side to see Jareth sitting in a corner quietly watching her. She stared at him for a moment as well. She had forgotten about the last minutes before she collapsed. She recalled that Jareth had been dying and she used all that was left of her energy to expel the poison. She was relieved to see him looking haughty and arrogant as ever.

Sarah blushed shyly and then asked, "How long have I been sleeping?"

"A day or so," he replied coolly.

"And how long have you been watching?" Her voice somewhat failed her as her question came out in a whisper.

"I came in just as you began to wake," Jareth smiled. He was happy that Sarah had finally woken. He had claimed his throne but he still had three more tasks to complete and they all involved Sarah, 'wed, crown, bed,' he thought, but mostly focused on the latter of the three.

"the Kingdom is it…" Sarah's voice drifted as she tried to phrase her question.

"Everything is as it should be," Jareth reassured her as he moved towards the bed. He sat down and Sarah turned, once again lying on her back. He then lifted Sarah's hand to his lips, "thanks to you, my dear."

Sarah blushed again. When he released her hand, she rested it on his thigh, "A girl does what she can."

Sarah's face seemed to darken for a moment as she began to remember more of what happened in the Labyrinth, "Jareth, what about the children…" Jareth silenced Sarah with his finger which he placed gently on her lips.

"The children are safe. Some chose to stay here with us and others went home. I erased their memories and reordered time; there will be no aftershock of their experience with that witch." For a moment, Jareth wanted to tell Sarah of what he did to Collin. He wanted her to know that Collin had paid for his crimes against her and would never be able to harm her again. However, he decided against speaking of him. Sarah had been tormented enough and was now free of him. He would never speak of Collin again.

"Jareth," Sarah said.

"Yes love?" he replied.

"What will the wedding be like?" She asked apprehensively.

"Well, we are Fae, Sarah, everything we do is laborious and grandiose. The ceremony will be lavish but it will be but a shadow compared to the coronation," Sarah sighed as Jareth spoke. He noticed her anxiety, "It will be a fairytale wedding Sarah, isn't that what you want?"

"No, Jareth, I want a simple wedding. Honestly, I wish we didn't have to have any ceremonies at all and just be married already." Sarah sighed again at the prospect of having to go through some ostentatious ceremony full of people that didn't know her and probably didn't care.

Jareth smiled at his bride, "wish granted," he whispered.

Sarah looked at him shock, "you mean…" Jareth nodded, "we are…"

"Married, Sarah, we are married." He waived his hand and produced a document attesting to that fact.

"Can the coronation be as easy too?"

"I am afraid not, but I will try to reduce the flare as much as possible to keep you comfortable." Jareth smiled, "Now, wife, I have but two things left to do, one will require much preparation and the other I intend to do over and over for the rest of eternity."

Sarah began to blush again as Jareth pushed away the sheets and laid down next to her. He laid on his side and rested his hand on Sarah's abdomen. He began to move his hands in slow circles on her stomach and he smiled when he felt her body shiver beneath his touch.

Sarah looked up at her husband whose eyes were filled with love and desire. She moved her hand towards his head and ran her fingers through his hair. Jareth was now the one to tremble. Who knew the mighty Goblin King could be made vulnerable by one touch?

Jareth hungrily sought her lips; he kissed her with a hunger that surprised even him. Sarah moaned into his mouth and his tongue darted into hers. She moved her other arm around him to pull him closer to her. Jareth shifted to rest on top of her and he deepened his kiss.

"I love you, Sarah," he breathed before returning to her lips. Sarah tightened her arms around him as if to return the endearment.

Jareth's hands began to roam her body. He lightly caressed her face, then his hand traveled the length of her arm before it settled on her waist. He stroked her side and was surprised to find she was ticklish. He was tempted to tickle her again, but he did not want her to break the kiss they were still sharing.

His hand continued to travel her body. His fingers danced on the soft fabric that prevented him from touching her skin and he began to tease her with his touches. He touched her abdomen, her chest, in between her breasts but he did not touch her breasts. Sarah arched her back, begging him to touch her. He refused as he continued to tease.

Sarah thought she would simply die if he did not touch her breast at that moment. She could feel his hands on her, nearly touching them but then withdrawing. It was torture. Her body ached to be touched and although she had a burning heat deep between her legs that desperately wanted to be acknowledged, her breasts, at this moment, were vying for all the attention.

In a moment of agony, she pushed Jareth off of her. His shocked look did not go unnoticed as she quickly removed her blouse. "Touch me," she said as she lifted Jareth's hand to her breast. He immediately began to kneed the soft mound and she fell back into the bed, feeling partially satisfied. There was still a burning heat that wanted to be noticed.

Jareth growled softly as he massaged her breast. He lightly ran his fingers against her nipple and then more forcefully teased it between his thumb and forefinger. Sarah moaned softly and he moved his body to once again claim her mouth.

Sarah moved her arm around him and grabbed his back, holding him closer to herm but not so close that he would have to cease fondling her. She felt her arousal grow and it began to consume her. She had never wanted anything more than Jareth. She broke away from the searing kiss and gazed into his eyes.

"Jareth, when we first met Brenneth, he said something about bonding between a Fae and human being delicate, what did he mean?" Sarah asked with a little fear in her eyes.

Jareth sighed, he knew they could not go on until he explained it to her, "it is very delicate, actually." Jareth paused, thinking of how he should phrase his words to not alarm her.

"Jareth, just tell me," Sarah tried to encourage him.

"Well," he bit his lower lip and then spoke boldly, "when a Fae bonds with a mortal we share a part of our souls. When you were a virgin, you had a maidenhead that was broken when you lost your innocence…" Jareth cringed at his choice of words; he definitely did not want to allude to her rape whilst in the throes of their passion. He decided the best course of action was to just ignore his own comment, "Well, you have a type of maidenhead that protects our souls from intertwining. To break through it will be… unpleasant and rather painful."

"What will it feel like," Sarah asked, feeling more apprehensive.

"It won't feel like anything you've felt before, you will feel me penetrate your soul. At first it will feel like a violation, but once I have broken through, the pain will subside. Then it will feel like our souls our dancing within us, intertwined and locked in an eternal passionate embrace."

Sarah couldn't believe she was asking this but she could not stop herself, "the other women you have been with?"

"They were all Fae; I have never been with a human before because of its delicacy. To mate with a mortal is binding. Once we have been together, I will be bound to you for all time and you to me." Jareth was pleased that he had finally explained it to her but he feared her reaction. She had already professed her love to him, but to be bound eternally was a grave matter and he could not be sure of her response.

"This is why you wanted to make sure if we were together I would stay forever," Sarah said thinking of the incident in the forest. Jareth nodded and then Sarah grabbed him and pulled him into a passionate embrace.

This time Jareth did not play teasing games. He wanted Sarah and he was ready to take her. He would, of course, maintain his control long enough to ensure her pleasure. He kissed her again, more hungrily and then moved to kiss her neck. He found a particularly sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met, he nibbled and kissed her there but then he hissed slightly when Sarah began to lightly suck on his ear lobe.

Her hands moved on him, feeling every muscle on his back. She loved feeling them move as he moved over her. He lowered his body so that he could capture her breast in his mouth. She arched her back in response and her hand shifted to his arms. She felt his biceps flexing and the obvious strength of the muscle was overwhelming. She wanted his arms to hold her and never let her go. Without realizing, she moaned again and then whispered his name.

"Yes, Love," Jareth said, half-heartedly while still toying with her hardened peak in his mouth.

"Jareth, I can't wait anymore, I need you!" Sarah's voice was ragged and dripping with desire.

Jareth was eager to comply. With a wave of his hand, their remaining clothes disappeared and he was hovering above her, poised for entry. "I will be gentle but it is going to hurt…are you ready?" Sarah nodded silently.

Slowly Jareth slipped his hardened member into her. As he entered her, he felt his soul begin the bonding process. At first her body arched in ecstasy but her pleasure soon vanished and she screamed.

Jareth caressed her face and tried to sooth her as he gently moved inside of her. Her entire body contracted from the pain of her soul being violated. Jareth wanted to pull back, but he knew it would just be a few more moments and the bond would be complete. It would never hurt as much as the first time, just a few more minutes.

Sarah began to cry as Jareth's soul tore through her spiritual hymen. She screamed again feeling the final barrier break and her soul was completely exposed to his. Jareth's spirit caressed hers gently as it began to dance with her and they slowly intertwined, becoming one in every sense of the world.

As she felt the bond form, the pain subsided. At that moment she realized that Jareth was lodged deep within her. He was moving slowly and gently. Sarah could tell that Jareth had been exerting an enormous amount of restraint to be so gentle. She lifted her arm to his face, "it's okay now, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Jareth lowered his lips to hers and began to kiss her forcefully as he moved within her with more energy. He soon found a rhythm and maintained it until he felt Sarah's first wave of pleasure. He slowed at that moment. He could also feel her soul as it embraced his and spun around him in swirls of passion. Jareth loved the feeling of Sarah contracting around him, but he was not ready to finish so soon. He was sure he could bring her to climax at least three more times before he was ready to find his own release.

After hours of lovemaking, Jareth and Sarah both wore a soft sheen of perspiration. Sarah had shared her body with many men during her adult life but she had never experienced this. She could not be sure if it was because they loved one another or if it was the bonding, but she felt like a virgin again and she was happy that she could give Jareth a part of her that no one had yet corrupted.

Sarah arched her back as she felt the wave of ecstasy sweep through her again. How many times has it happened? Five, six? She had lost count. Jareth kept going though, she wasn't sure if they would ever stop. Sarah was definitely not complaining though, she seldom climaxed during sex, let alone six times…or was it seven?

Sarah held on to Jareth passionately, her arms held him so tight to her and her legs wrapped around him, not only had their souls become one, but their bodies had melded together as well. His pace quickened and his thrusts became more demanding. Sarah found herself moaning loudly into his ear which only encouraged him to move even more passionately within her.

Sarah felt it coming again, the heat, the ecstasy but this time Jareth was reaching his own release. He moved faster within her and pushed harder. Sarah wanted to scream in delight but she tried to restrain herself. As she climaxed yet again, Jareth thrusted in her one last time to feel her muscle contracting all around him as he released his seed in her. At that moment, their souls spun out of control and the room filled with a preternatural greenish-blue hue as the bonding had completed.

Jareth collapsed, totally satisfied and completely exhausted. He cupped Sarah's face as he kissed her gently and then slowly rolled away from her. He rolled onto his back and motioned for her to cuddle next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and she fell asleep as he gently played with her hair while whispering pledges of his undying love.