Jareth swiveled, his eyes taking in the garden that surrounded him, still magnificent in the fading light. So she was right. How many times had he traveled through the Labyrinth and he'd never seen this? His jaw tightened as he considered the ramifications the garden held upon the whole game.

"I told you! I told you it was here!" Sarah rushed up to him, a triumphant smile beaming on her face. "What do you think?"

"What do I think? I think you stole something that doesn't belong to you." He pointed to the orb she clutched between her hands. "Is that how you summoned me here?"

"Well...I don't know how you came here. I just thought that if I could find it again, you'd see it through the orb, not that you would actually show up." She shrugged, looking at him with innocent eyes, still holding onto the orb. He held out his hand but she pulled it closer to her chest, angling her body away from him. "No, we need to explore this garden and figure out how it contributes to the curse."

"I'm losing my patience, Sarah. This isn't a game and that crystal isn't yours." Sarah shook her head in protest, lifting it slightly in defiance of his words as she stepped back. With a sigh, Jareth rubbed his nose, breathing slowly. "We don't know what this place is, what power it holds. It isn't safe, Sarah. Besides, night is falling, in case you weren't aware and we have no idea when you'll be summoned back to your world."

"What difference does it make? I'll vanish when I vanish . And besides, I don't believe that it isn't safe. I think you're just afraid because you don't know what this place is. What if this is the reason why I've been able to see your dreams?" He stiffened at the mention of them, eyes narrowing but she didn't notice. "You can leave if you want but I'm staying. I have to figure this out, I just have to." Turning on her heels, she disappeared among the hedges. Oh Sarah, what am I to do with you?

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They wandered slowly through the hedges, Sarah stopping frequently to examine every single piece of stone or greenery but no clues came to light. Probably because of the lack of light in the first place. Jareth stood, leaning against a tree, his eyes following her every move as she peered into the darkness. He appreciated the zeal she showed towards finding the answers but still...

Sarah stretched out her arms and neck as she straightened, disappointment clouding her eyes. She still held the crystal tightly as of letting it go would break her hold on Jareth and he'd disappear from the garden. His conjectures made him smile despite his misgivings about their fruitless search. A small yawn escaped her lips as she took a few steps forward, bending again.

"You're tired, we should stop for the night and return to the castle." She shook her head vehemently and stood, turning to face him. "What if we can't find this place again? Then what do we do?"

He pointed out a nearby bench and sat, indicating that she should sit too. "You found it twice now, so I have no doubt that you could find it again - it seems I'm the only one who can't." She sank down next to him, her shoulders drooping. Carefully, he pulled her back against him, her head leaning against his chest. She started to sit up but he stopped her, squeezing her tightly in his embrace. "You need to rest. If you won't return to the castle, then just rest here against me for awhile."

Sarah nodded softly, her eyes watching the twinkling stars scattered across the sky as she listened to his steady heartbeat. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice quiet and gentle. "We aren't meant to know everything that there is, my sweet, somethings are meant to be left unknown."

"Why?" She murmured, her eyelids lowering as she yawned again.

"Because, my love, just because." He glanced down at her, smiling gently as he watched her sleep.

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Blinking in the harsh sunlight, Sarah ducked her head and looked at the flowers. She was waiting for him but he hadn't come...for the last three days, he hadn't appeared and she was starting to worry. Anxiety gnawed at her as she stood there, hoping against hope that today would be the day he would come.

A rustling in the grass caught her attention and she glanced across the field. Someone was coming but it wasn't him. Bitter disappointment flooded her body and she turned to leave but a voice called out, stopping her. "Are you Sarah, my dear?"

She glanced over her shoulder, the hair on her neck prickling with unease at the man's silky voice. "Yes, I am. But who are you, sir?"

"That doesn't matter." He waved his hand dismissively as he approached her. She swallowed hard, startled by his large yellow eyes. They reminded her of the barn owl she'd seen roaming the woods around their house, except for the hardness in them. A shiver ran down her spine as he smiled at her, his lips revealing sharp teeth like an animal. "Don't worry child, I don't bite."

"Wh-what can I help you with?" Everything within her was urging her to flee but she didn't. Instead, she stayed, waiting for him to answer her. "I understand that you and my son have become quite friendly." His smile grew wider as he stooped to look her in the eye. "I want it to stop. Immediately."

"I don't understand, why? We're not doing anything wrong."

"Perhaps...and perhaps not. Human perception of right and wrong matter very little to me. All I want is for my son to not have any ties with you mortals. He'll be much happier if he isn't disappointed the way I was."

Her nose wrinkled and her head shook in dissent before she could even think about it. "No." His eyes darkened at the word and the smile disappeared from his face. "I don't think you understand what you are forcing me to do. I was being generous but now..." He straightened, staring down at her with icy eyes. "I will do whatever I have to to protect Jareth."

Suddenly, his demeanor completely changed and all trace of displeasure was gone. "I have a gift for you." He pulled out a beautiful glass ball, holding it in front of her face. She gazed into it, enchanted by everything she saw inside - her family happy and rich, their farm flourishing and Jakob, their handsome neighbor, doting on her and the pretty babe swaddled in her arms.

"It can all be yours if you just take it." His voice was melodic, like he was chanting. Without any will of her own, she reached out and clasped it between her hands, never taking her eyes off it and then a blinding light flashed.

Sarah shot up, sitting on the edge of the bench as her chest heaved. Glancing at Jareth, she felt relieved to see that he was still sleeping. Placing her head between her hands, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. After a few moments, she flipped her hair back and shifted on the bench to look at Jareth.

This was the first time she'd ever seen him asleep and he looked so peaceful, his chest gently rising and falling. A soft smile crossed her lips but quickly disappeared as the memory of the dream returned. So that was his father. I wonder if he knows he visited Sarah? Or if he tricked her into taking an orb and forgetting about him?

She dreaded being the one to tell him. Jareth didn't seem to want to talk about either Sarah or his father. No that she blamed him, he probably felt betrayed by both. Sighing, she sagged against the back of the bench. Ugly as it was, he was going to have to hear the truth.