Title: When Words Aren't Enough (Chapter 4 - Dreams)
Author: Amber
Distribution: Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!
Disclaimer: Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! The only characters that belong to me are Hetta and Rilum! Oh yeah, and those demon monsters. ;)
Summary: This story is a sequel to 'Say the Words'...it happens about seven years after Sarah left the Underground, and we see that Sarah has become quite a different person!
A/N: This chapter is definitely shorter than the others, but I couldn't think of a better ending to it than the one I wrote down! I hope you all like it...I have a feeling many of you who have been reading this story will definitely enjoy it! Well, most of it, anyway, hehe...



Chapter Four: Dreams


If I could only reach you,
If I could make you smile,
If I could only reach you,
That would really be a breakthru - oh yeah…

-Breakthru, by Queen



Sarah stretched like a lazy, well-fed cat and then sat up. She was in her old room, the one Jareth had given to her when she had first become his queen. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was sitting at the large dining table with Jareth, Hetta, Sir Didymus, and Ludo. The reunion had been a happy one, but she'd also been eager to get on with plans. Hoggle had probably already reached the goblins, and she knew she needed to hurry. Didymus had been a little helpful, but Ludo didn't contribute much at all. They'd talked late into the night, and then...

Then, Sarah must have fallen asleep. She had been rather tired. But still, how did she get here?

Jareth must have carried me up here, she decided at last. Throwing the covers back, she noticed that she was dressed in a plain muslin nightgown. A hot blush reddened her cheeks. If Jareth had carried her to her room, had he also changed her clothes? Embarrassment washed over her, but so did a feeling that she couldn't quite define. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, however, so she didn't spend very long worrying about it. And in the end, her rational side won out over her paranoid worryings. He probably got Hetta to change me into this nightgown, she decided finally. There's absolutely no reason to worry. I don't think he's that lacking in morals.

She walked over to the bureau and lightly touched her finger to the delicate brush and comb set atop it. They were the same ones that she'd used before, and they still sparkled so brightly that she was sure someone must have been in to clean them. Either that, or they were magical items that didn't tarnish like common metals. Whatever the reason, she picked up the brush and began to run it through her hair. With it being so early, she'd have plenty of time to think and discuss. And much as she hated to admit it, she'd have to spend just about every minute of her waking time with Jareth, for his knowledge of the Labyrinth would be a beneficial resource.

The clothes she'd been wearing yesterday were hanging over the back of a chair. Sarah gratefully changed into them, thankful that she wouldn't be forced to wear one of those elaborate dresses that filled her wardrobe. Not that she didn't dislike wearing them--they made her feel elegant and beautiful--but they weren't nearly as comfortable as a good old pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. Unfortunately, the outfit she'd worn to the Underground was neither blue jeans nor a T-shirt...it was a midnight blue skirt with flowers embroidered at the hem and a small slit on the side, and a white button-up shirt that narrowed at her waist before flaring slightly just above her hips. Not as comfortable, but still better than long-sleeved silks and satins! Sliding into her shoes, she left her room and hurried downstairs.

"And where are you off to in such a hurry this morning?" inquired Jareth's amused voice. Pausing on the stairs, Sarah turned around and looked up at him. His lips were curved into a smile, and not his usual condescending smirk, either. It was a genuinely amused smile. She found her own lips twitching in response.

"To find you," she replied, much to his surprise.

"Me?" he repeated, as though unsure of what she'd just said. "And why would you want to do that?"

"Why do you think?" she retorted, waiting for him to catch up with her before continuing her descent. "We've got a lot of planning to do!"

Jareth sighed. "I understand your need for urgency, but there's no need to spend every waking moment drawing up battle plans!" Have you lost so much of your former self that you don't even realize that some of the best plans come when you're not even thinking about them? "Come. I want to show you something."

"But Jareth, I really don't think--"

"You don't need to think. Just follow me." Without waiting for a response, he had taken her hand and was leading her down a hallway toward the other side of the castle. Sarah felt odd with his large, gloved hand closed around hers...much stranger than she'd felt years ago whenever he'd taken her hand. Even though she'd grown, she was still smaller than him, and his hand seemed to swallow hers. She found herself staring at their clasped hands in wonderment as they continued down the hall.

A warm breeze whispering through her hair was what finally startled her out of her reverie. Looking up, Sarah saw that they were outside...in the courtyard. She gave a breathy, incredulous laugh as she stepped away from Jareth and into the flourishing garden of flowers. The last time she'd seen this place, it was overgrown with wildflowers: beautiful in its own wild way, but certainly not as gorgeous as this. Orchids, iris, roses...the garden was filled with the fragrant blossoms.

"How did this happen?" she asked after a few minutes, turning back to Jareth. The expression that was on his face, gone as quickly as she'd noticed it, gave her pause. What in the world had been going through his mind? He'd been looking at her almost as if he...no, that was silly.

"After your untimely departure, I decided I would finish up your work," he told her, shrugging. "I'd hoped you would like it."

"Like it?" she echoed in disbelief. "It's wonderful!" Turning back to the breathtaking garden, she plucked one of the orchids and placed the delicate blossom into her dark hair. If she'd once thought that a mass of wildflowers had been a welcome distraction from the gloomy backdrop of the Labyrinth, than this was even better. There was even a small path winding through the garden, and set off to the side was a gray stone bench. Sarah began walking toward it, Jareth following behind her.

"I thought maybe this would help to remind you of home," he explained, sitting down beside her. His words hinted at something more, and she chuckled as she reached for the pendant around her neck.

"If you're afraid I'm going to get lost in my dreams again, you can relax," she stated. "I don't need reminders of my home--though this is beautiful, don't get me wrong. Don't you believe me yet about my dreams?"

"No. You wouldn't have been able to draw an ounce of magic from that if you no longer dreamed. The only barrier I see is your own fear."

"Fear?" She rounded on him, an indignant flush gracing her cheeks. "You think I'm afraid to dream? The words, Jareth, are 'don't want to'. I don't want to dream anymore, but I'm not afraid of it."

Words weren't enough, he realized. He had to get through to her somehow, because no matter how she tried, this practical mind of hers was never going to defeat a horde of demons. His voice softened as he spoke once more. "Are you hungry?"

His question caught her off guard, just as he'd wanted it to. "Why?"

"Oh, I thought we might have breakfast out here, since it's such a beautiful morning. And what better place to have breakfast than in a beautiful garden?" He smiled. "The goblins will be bringing out something shortly, but in the meantime, I brought out some fruit."

A peach. Sarah nearly flinched when she saw the round fruit being handed to her. He couldn't possibly be trying to make her forget, could he? This quest of theirs had as much at stake for him as it did for her, so he couldn't want her to forget it..."I don't think I want that," she said faintly, pushing his hand away.

"Why not? Oh, you think it's another of those drugged peaches, don't you?" He chuckled, taking a bite out of the soft fruit. After swallowing, he continued, "Why would I want you to forget why you're here? As I told you, you're the only one who can save the Underground. I'd hardly want to make you forget that." He handed her another peach, raising his eyebrows in a questioning expression. After a few more moments of considering silence, Sarah finally reached out and took it from his grasp.

After her first bite, she knew she'd made a grave mistake. The fruit tasted strange, like a combination of being underripe and soaked in alcohol. She could feel the heady dizziness taking over, and just as everything started to dance and swirl before her eyes, she shot an angry glare at Jareth and whispered, "I can't believe you would lie to me." She couldn't see the look of hurt that suddenly clouded his eyes, but she did see the perfect crystal he held in his hand. It lifted into the air, light as a bubble, and suddenly she could see herself inside it...



It was another ball, this one more elegant than the other had been, with no underlying signs of decay. Sarah glanced down at the dress she was wearing, and was surprised to find that she'd been outfitted in something similar to the other dancers. The bodice and overskirt were made of crimson satin, but below the waistline, the crimson material made a wide split. Beneath that split was another layer of satin, this one creamy white in color. She couldn't see her shoes, nor could she see how her hair had been styled, other than the fact that it was held high off of her neck. As she reached up to touch her hands to her hair, she realized that she was holding something in her right hand.

A mask.

The creation was obviously made for a woman, but it was more gruesome than any of the masks Sarah had ever seen used by the other female dancers. As she looked around, she noticed that everyone else was holding a mask to their faces, but they were also staring at her as though she were some strange and curious creature. Why was that? she wondered. Had Jareth played yet another cruel joke and painted her face with lurid colors?

As though thinking the name could somehow summon the man, Jareth appeared from within the mass of dancers, approaching her with such a look in his mismatched eyes that she couldn't bring herself to turn away. He cast a curious glance at her mask, then took her hands in his and led her toward the dance floor. They were immediately swept up into a dance, and everyone who had been previously staring at her finally relaxed and also began to twirl around the floor.

"Why are you doing this?" Sarah found herself asking. Her voice was soft, and didn't even seem to be coming from her. Jareth smiled.

"You think I lied to you," he replied, his voice equally as soft. "Do you remember what you came here for?"

"To fight The Nightmares," she said. Her eyes widened in surprise as the words left her mouth; she still remembered! "But...if you didn't make me eat that peach so that I would forget, then why..."

"You told me that you don't let yourself dream anymore. But you think this is a dream, don't you?"

"Well...yes. I do."

"And if it's a dream, that means you can do anything, right?"

"Yes..." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he continued on as though he didn't notice.

"You could fly if you wanted to. Or, you could conjure your own army of monsters to defeat The Nightmares. Or..." He paused and watched as her expression slowly began to change. "Or, you could kiss a Goblin King..."

Before she could protest, his head lowered, and his lips captured hers in a sweet embrace. Sarah's senses spun even worse than they had when she'd first eaten the peach, even more than they had when she'd realized she was about to kiss Ryan. That Jareth could have done something so arrogant as to kiss her was unbelievable, but even more unbelievable was the fact that she found herself enjoying it!

When she at last gained control of herself and pulled away, the sweet scent of flowers assailed her nose. She was back in the garden...with him. Blushing in a mix of embarrassment and anger, she stood up and backed away from him when he also came to his feet. "What is it, Sarah?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

"What is it?" she echoed. "What do you think it is, Jareth? I can't believe you just did that!" She turned and began to run back to the castle, moaning to herself, "Oh, it's not fair..."

Just barely catching those last words, the Goblin King abruptly grinned. How odd that the words he'd once hated were the words he found himself longing to hear!

"You'll thank me later, Sarah," he murmured, eyes still watching the door where she'd disappeared. He could still feel the pressure of her lips against his. What had possessed him to do that, anyway? His original plan had been to put her back in the crystal ballroom, a place where he'd originally offered her all of her dreams and more. But he'd changed things around a bit, attired her in a dress that represented her innocence trying to hide behind a façade of worldliness. The mask had been an allusion to the way she tried so hard to hide her true self from everyone, including herself. Had he left her by herself long enough, she probably would have been able to figure that out for herself, and hopefully would have realized the foolishness of her behavior.

But he hadn't been able to leave her alone for that long. Her expression had looked so sweetly bewildered, with her lips slightly parted and her hazel eyes--which had been blue-gray at the time--darting around the room, that he couldn't resist approaching her. And even as they danced, he hadn't really meant to say anything to her. The only words he'd spoken the last time they danced together had been promises to give her everything she ever wanted. This time, he was going to stay silent. But then she spoke, and he found the last remnants of his plan shatter at the sound of her voice.

So, he'd done the only thing his clouded mind would allow him to do; he'd kissed her. And it had been everything he'd ever imagined it would be, especially when Sarah had begun to respond to the embrace. The ball faded from around them, and even when they were back in the flower garden, she still clung to him. Yet somehow she'd regained her senses, and abruptly pushed away from him. Jareth tried not to take offense at that. He wasn't that repulsive, was he?

Ah well, he decided at last as he followed his former queen, he'd enjoyed it, at least.




Have you all forgotten so completely about this story that you didn't even review it? *pouts* C'mon, I only got a couple last time! I need the appreciation, LoL! ;o) Anyway, if you liked this chapter, don't forget to review! And if you didn't like it...well, there are plenty of other great stories here for you to read!