Chapter Sixteen: You like my what?!

Melissa was ready to burst into tears as only little, whiny kids with amazing lungs knew how to. She was all dirty, sticky, tired and, on top of it all, as far from the castle beyond the Goblin City as possible. Her feet hurt, her head ached and her stomach growled from lack of food.

"I could eat anything. And I mean it!" she shouted to whoever was listening. To her surprise, somebody answered back:

"I don't think that's a wise decision. I'll give you an advice: stay as far away as you can from peaces" the voice, melodious, warned her. Melissa spun around, half-expecting to see someone, but she was apparently alone.

"Look up, child" the voice hinted. Melissa obliged but so nothing more than a tree and a black cat resting on one of its branches. When she was about to ask were the owner of the voice was the cat smiled. Melissa thought it looked like the drawing of the Cheshire cat of her book of Alice in Wonderland.

"Hello there, kid. How are you liking the Labyrinth?" the animal asked, in a beautiful female voice. The girl, trying to sound unconcerned, replied smugly:

"It's a piece of."

But she never finished her sentence. The cat hissed, suddenly angry and the girl shut up.

"Never, EVER, say that. Believe me; it won't do you any good here"

The feline jumped from the tree to the land and, in a cloud of glitter, transformed itself into a stunning raven-haired, ruby-eyed woman with a long, deep midnight blue dress that seemed almost black. The girl backed up a few steps but the girl-woman gave her a kind smile.

"Do not fear me, little one, for I am not your enemy. I, in fact, was in your position once, not long time ago" Sarah said softly. Melissa smiled a little and sighed.

"At last a friend in this damned place!" she exclaimed. Sarah thought she was way too young to be swearing but said nothing, only smiled more.

"Yes, I know. The labyrinth can be a tricky and lonely place sometimes. But is also beautiful and quite nice if you know how to pet it"

The ebony-haired girl demonstrated that by stroking a rock from one wall. Immediately the wall covered itself with beautiful flowers of all colors that blossomed instantly.

"See? The Labyrinth can be like a gentle little puppy. I wish I had known that some years ago" she whispered and then smiled again at the girl.

"You are very far from the Castle. Your baby-sister is in danger. You have to hurry, dear" Sarah prompted gently. Melissa sighed yet again and nodded.

"I know, but this its so confusing. And I've heard that no one except one human ever beat the Labyrinth" the girl muttered, her shoulder slumping. Sarah smiled secretly.

"Well, well, you are in the presence of that person. I am Sarah Williams, but everyone here calls me Lady Sarah from Aboveground. Nice to meet you"

Sarah shook the girls arm. Melissa was wide-eyed and gaping.

"You beat the Labyrinth? You are the one those annoying little doors kept talking about? I so wanted to meet you!" Melissa exclaimed after she recovered from her initial surprise.

"Thank. So Alph and Ralph remember me, mmh? And what have they been telling you?"

"Oh, stuff not important like your looks or your strange display of logic and riddles and your capacity to confuse them. and that you were the nicest person they had met. And then they told me that the rumor around here was that you had turned the world of the Goblin King upside down, if you catch my meaning"

Form the expression in Sarah's face and the blush that crept to her face and neck, she had caught her meaning quite well. The girl smirked and the ruby-eyed mortal tried to control the situation.

"That's a lie! We. we can't stand each other. I mean, he is the most arrogant, self-absorbed, petty, handsome, manly, seductive. err, I mean. Oh, I don't know what I mean anymore!"

The woman sighed and then stiffened, sensing something for the first time.

"He has been listening, the son of a." she muttered, blushing deep crimson again.

"We have to go, he is coming" she urged the little girl but, suddenly, they had someone standing in front of them

"Blast" Sarah cursed under her breath as Jareth smiled cruelly at them. He was playing the villain for Melissa, she noticed.

"I see you two have met. Sarah, dear, I thought you had retired to your rooms"

His tone left no doubt that he wanted her to retire to the castle. Melissa frowned.

"You live here. Why?" she asked. Sarah waved a hand as to dismiss the subject.

"Something related to my magic, kind of complicated. Now go, and I'll deal with his Royal Majesty and his temper. Come on, off you go. And if you have difficulties, just say you are a friend of me. I have some friends in the Labyrinth who may help you here"

With those last words the girl tried ran off, but the goblin King, that didn't exactly seem pleased, didn't let her go. He seemed to pay attention to Sarah but every time Melissa tried to pass him and go on he turned his gaze to her and made her stop.

"You were helping her" he accused Sarah flatly. She shook her head.

"I was just talking to her. She was scared and hungry and about to do something silly. I took pity on her. She is just a child, Jareth. I know I didn't mean it when I whished Toby away, but that girl can barely read. You shouldn't have granted her the wish. It's obvious that she not only didn't mean it, but barely understood the gravity of what she was saying!"

Jareth sighed.

"What's said is said, and you know that, Sarah. Speaking of which. I heard you enumerating interesting qualities of my person to the little Melinda."

"Melissa" Sarah and the mentioned girl corrected automatically, trying vainly to change the subject of the conversation.

"So I'm handsome, mmh? And manly? And. Seductive? Tell me Sarah; what is that I do that makes you think I'm seductive?" he asked in a low voice, making emphasis in the last words almost actually. Sarah gulped and tried to take a step back but her back met one of the Labyrinth's stone walls.

"Do I have to answer that question?" she asked, trying to regain position "You know very well the things you do to look the way you look." she trailed off, afraid of saying then something she might regret later. But he wasn't finished with her. yet.

"Tell me, Sarah, for I swear I don't know. I act around you the way I act around everyone. What is it that I unconsciously do that makes you so nervous and bumpy around me?"

Sarah realized that Melissa would loose if he didn't let her go. She had to distract him somehow.

"Kiss him" was the first thing that she thought of. But no, she wasn't about to put herself in a situation she wasn't quite sure she could handle. She needed to say something so. so weird, so surprising that would distract him enough time to let Melissa escape.

"Well. I mean. what makes me so nervous about you. is. are." she looked down and then Heavens sent her an answer "Your tights!" she shouted loudly enough for the entire Labyrinth to hear.

It was alls turn to turn beet red. Jareth almost fell to the floor because of the shook and Melissa, still wide-eyed, took her chance to run off. Jareth didn't even paid attention and Sarah, more amused than embarrassed because of Jareth's reaction, decided to tease him a little bit more. The worst part was over, after all.

"On second thought, I kid of like them" she told him plainly, banishing then in a cloud of glitter. And from her room in the Castle she heard the Goblin King scream from somewhere in the Labyrinth:

"You like my what?!"







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Author's note: I'm so depressed because I am going to have to beg again. Very few reviews indeed since FF.net went back to normal! Are you still there, readers? It is costing me more and more to do this chapters, but is almost the end, so don't give up on reviewing now! The next chapter will finally reveal all about the Prophecy, so come on, so keep reviewing. This is almost finished.

I thank the ones that review. It means a lot (as you probably already know cause I almost harass you with pleas of reviews, *sigh*). Anyway, till next chapter.

Hugs and peaches from,

'The Beggar'. err... I mean 'The Author'