Title: Square One
Rating: PG
Content: Romance. I admit it :-)
Disclaimer: Labyrinth is property of its assorted copyright holders.
Note: Grammar is not my forte. Please overlook my lack of it. Oh, and this is a companion piece to The Morning After
Feedback: Please. :-) Whether you hate it or love it, please just let me know if you've read it :-)



Chapter Three



Dee grumbled impatiently as she waited for Sarah to return from answering the phone. With a snort, she whirled away from the door and began looking closely examining the objects on display in her friend's room.

It wasn't the typical room of a seventeen year old, that was for certain. Decorated in soft beiges and mauve, it remained uncluttered, with curiously few dolls or stuffed animals to keep her company. With a small grunt, Dee realised that she wasn't in the room of an older girl, but staying in the sanctuary of a young woman.

Several pictures decorated the vanity. Dee stooped down in order to better examine the images. There was one of Sarah's real mother, Linda, cuddling quite indecently with her latest beau... Kevin? Keith? Ken? Some Barbie doll kind of name anyway, Dee thought as she looked at the picture. Autographed, of course. She shook her head slowly as she wondered what kind of mother, no matter how famous she may be, would send her daughter autographed pictures. No, autographs were something you gave a stranger so they could show all their acquaintances they've met the star; they weren't meant to be a replacement idol in a mother-daughter relationship. And that's exactly how Ms. I'm-A- Famous-Star-So-I'm-Too-Busy-To-Even-Call-On-My-Only-Kid's- Birthday seemed to treat it.

"She was so devastated... Lady, you have any clue how much you hurt her?" Dee shook her head as she mumbled to the photograph. "Do you ever see anything past your own world?"

Frowning as she realised that she just wished Sarah would shine the woman off forever and knowing it would never happen, Dee turned to the next picture. Oh, this was just your typical family picture that was taken in some studio or another. With a cocked eyebrow, she noticed how the younger Sarah stood far away from her stepmother and infant brother. Dee had been told numerous times that there had been once more than a bit of hostility between them in the past, but she couldn't really believe it. No, not with the way they acted now.

The last picture was the most endearing, Dee thought with a grin. Sarah, standing outside of the unique Epcot Center in Disneyworld. Toby was perched on her shoulders, his small hands seeming to wave around a mouse-eared cap excitedly. The smiles on both their faces were bright and filled with almost a priceless joy. The two were close, Dee thought. With any luck, her and Chloe would enjoy a similar relationship.

With a smile as her thoughts turned to her own child, she tiptoed over to the crib and looked down upon her very own Sleeping Beauty. She pulled the blanket up and tucked the child in firmly, giving her an affectionate pat on the tiny tummy as she walked away.

A small, white covered item on Sarah's desk nearly immediately caught her attention. With a wary glance towards the door, she worried her lips as she considered checking the rather suspicious object out.

"Sarah won't mind," Dee lied somewhat convincingly to herself as she quickly uncovered the object. The book was small and thin, but bound in worn red leather. Her black eyebrows knitted together as she traced a careless finger over the gold embossing.

"Labyrinth?", Dee asked herself as she plopped down on Sarah's bed with a comfortable familiarity. With a big grin, she opened the book and began to scan over the words.

"Maze? Dwarves? The *Goblin* King?" the girl laughed hysterically, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Sarah is lusting over a character in a damn story? Like if that doesn't beat all..."

Shaking her head slowly, she quickly rifled through the pages. A dog-eared page caught her attention and she flipped to it.

In a surprisingly theatric voice, she lifted the book high up as she began posing as if she was facing a camera. "Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be! Take this child of mine far away from me!" She flung a hand to her forehead as she threw herself back on the bed.

"Rubbish! Just pure rubbish!" Dee grinned as she closed the book. "How can Sarah really like that crap?" She cackled evilly as she began thinking of ways to terrorize poor Sarah with this information. Sure, the girl *acted* as though she didn't care one whit, but she certainly did squirm in the the most amusing manner.

Startled out of her slumber by her mother's racket, Chloe began to snortle and sniffle as her lungs slowly expanded in preparation for a protesting wail.

"Shit!" Dee muttered as she rolled over on the bed and faced the crib. "Come on, Chloe... just go back to bed, okay?" Dee grumbled, cursing herself for being so loud. "Come on, baby. Nighty-night time..."

Chloe, oblivious to her mother's pleading words, opened her mouth and screamed quite energetically. It was truly amazing just what din a little body could make, but Dee was left with only frustration.

Her head hit the quilted bedspread as she groaned. "Chloe, please..." Dee sighed as her daughter continued crying. "You know, Sarah may just have something with that book. Times like these, Chloe, I really wish the goblins *would* take you away."







Sarah frowned as she gently replaced the phone's handset home. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. She scratched her forehead in thought, almost as if the movement would cause her brain to function more thoroughly and release the answer to her consciousness. There was something there, certainly. The question now was how would she figure this riddle out.

She shrugged her thin shoulders as she walked to the front door, making sure it was locked. Done, she thought as she crossed to the inside garage door. No problem there. Her legs stretching with her every stride, she raced across the house as she double-checked the security of every window and door. All locked.

Frowning, she stepped into the kitchen and went to grab a couple bottles of water from the fridge.

"Dammit," Sarah mumbled as she looked around. "I'm just getting all paranoid again."

Sarah had not even finished uttering her words when she heard a piercing scream from what appeared to be the upstairs reverberate off the walls. Shaking her head viciously, she grabbed a small steak knife from a drawer and ran as fast as she could up the wooden steps.

Knife in hand and poised to do damage, she darted into her room.



"Go on, Dolores... forget about her. You aren't ready to be a mother yet," a hauntingly familiar voice mumured quietly, his voice filled with a lilting persuasion that nearly floated upon the air.

Sarah stood dumbly at the door as she watched her dream ...nightmare from two years before stand confidentally before her window, looking down at her small, nearly hysterical friend. The steak knife fell to the floor, forgotten.

"No. I want my baby back," Dee managed to spit out past the tears. "Give me my baby back. I didn't mean it. I didn't think it would really work!"

The man smiled with affection at the girl as he took a step forward and caressed her cheek with a teasing finger. Long wisps of silvery blond hair framed his attractive face as the moonlight seemed to make his small smile glow beatifically.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you thought it would work, Dolores. The point is that you still gave Chloe to me and I've decided to accept your gift," the Goblin King took a step back as he suddenly conjured an iridescent crystal in his hand.

Sarah took a step forward, blinking as she looked from one to the other. the strong horror pervading almost making it hard for her to walk forward. This can't be happening, she thought in almost a panic as her eyes focused on the Goblin King. We've already been through this. This can't be happening.

"You see this , Dolores?" his fingers dexterously manipulated the ball around his hand, his lips still curved into a pleasant smile.

"I want my baby..."

Jareth shrugged her words off as he continued playing with the crystal, nearly mesmerizing Sarah along with Dee. "These are your dreams. Your wishes. Your past. I'm giving you the greatest gift of them all, Dolores. I'm taking away all your mistakes and giving you the chance to live your life the way you should have.... as just a normal teenage girl."

Dee's eyes widened as she followed the crystal's movement, her lips curving in to a wistful half-smile.

"Such a pity. Such a pity. You should have the chance to live a normal life, Dolores. One without the 2am feedings, or the diaper changes... one where you get to be the child you really are. Find love. Maybe..." an eyebrow arched as he emphasised the next words, "maybe even work things out with Marcus. You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Sarah shook her head as she took a step forward, realising that Dee wasn't protesting any more. Shaking the girl roughly on her shoulder, Sarah called to her loudly.

Resisting the urge to burst into tears as both Jareth and Dee ignored her, she watched as Jareth extended the crystal to the overwhelmed girl.

"Take your dreams, Dolores... Take them and all of this will be over. Everything will be back to where it should be..." Jareth promised, whispering into Dee's ear with the fatally seductive quality of the serpent in Eden.

Dee closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. "I want my baby back."

With a bright grin, Sarah released the breath she didn't know she was holding. She took a step right in front of Jareth, smirking triumphantly in his face as she tried to ignore the fact that the tall, slender man still towered over her.

"You heard her, buddy. We want to do the Labyrinth," Sarah gloated as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Jareth seemed to stare straight through her, as if she wasn't even there. Creepy, Sarah couldn't help but think as she looked back towards Dee. Definitely creepy.

"You disappoint me, Dolores. But very well..." Jareth suddenly twirled his hand in an exaggerated movement and a glowing beam of light surrounded both him and Dee.

"Damn!" Sarah cursed as she noticed Dee begin to blink out of existence. Without a thought, she clutched onto Dee's shirt-sleeve and clung on for dear life. Come on, God, she prayed suddenly. Let me help her. Please. She doesn't know how to do this. Please. Sarah smiled faintly as she felt the light begin to envelope her as well.







Sarah looked around her in wonder as the bright orange sunrise slowly faded into a blue oblivion as the Goblin King spoke. I really should listen more, Sarah told herself firmly as she enjoyed the strange splendour of the Underground. She turned to look at Jareth and couldn't help but smile at the vision. He leaned against a scrawny tree, his arms folded across his chest as he continued to speak with Dee about the quest ahead.

Thirteen hours...reach the castle...retrieve Chloe, Sarah mumbled to herself as her attention seemed to be focused more on the Goblin King than on the journey ahead. He really was quite amazing looking, Sarah thought, reluctantly capitulating to the unwelcome results of her silent examination. His distinct features, individually, would have lessened any other man's looks, but on him, the combination was truly breathtaking. Was it the angular face with the prominent cheekbones that so commanded her admiration? Or perhaps it was the presence of those startling, but mismatched eyes peeking out from beneath the raggedy veil of blond hair: one a deep, liquid blue and the other a warm hazel. Whatever it was, Sarah passionately resented the fact that there was anything to admire about this man. So it didn't help when the fading hues of the sunrise sparkled in his hair, turning the unruly strands framing his face into a virtual prism of colours that seemed to dance in the slight breeze. And it certainly didn't help her humour when his well-formed lips suddenly curved into a small, irresistable smile as he looked upon Dee.

Sarah grumbled as she pushed away more than a little annoyance at his expression. Come on, she silently urged them both, enough is enough. Let's just get the show on the road.

"Hey, Frank N. Furter, will you just stop being so hammy and let us just do this, okay?" Sarah muttered as she took a step closer to Dee. With a gentle nudge to the distraught girl's shoulder, Sarah inclined her head to the maze. "Only thirteen hours, Dee. We better get started."

"Turn back, Dolores," Jareth called out to the girl quietly, his voice filled with almost a gentle mocking. "You can still go home and forget this all as just a bad dream."

Annoyed beyond all end as she realised that his words now were vaguely similar to those he used om her two years earlier, Sarah began to pull Dee towards the Labyrinth's entrance. How often does the jerk do this? she wondered as the anger surging through her body searched frantically for an outlet. Often enough, Sarah realised as she looked at him in disgust, that he basically has the damn script memorized.

"Okay, back to square one," she whispered as she looked out over the massive Labyrinth. She drew a deep breath and turned to her friend. "Don't worry, we'll get Chloe back... but we gotta move," she inclined her head towards Jareth, who just seemed to notice Sarah's presence for the first time. He narrowed his strangely alluring mismatched eyes at her as she began to drag his victim away. "Liberace over there is a cheat so we'll need all the time we can get."

Jareth's indifferent facade seemed to fall for a split second as he overheard Sarah's words. His lips curled into a sneer as he took extra care in smoothing his white fur cloak which encompassed his wiry body. "And who would you be?"

Sarah managed, barely, to keep from jumping as Jareth appeared directly in front of her.

"What? Sarah? Sarah Williams? Come on, buddy, I was only in here two years ago," she smirked as she stepped around the man. "Don't tell me that your little human guinea pigs triumph your Labyrinth so frequently that you can't even remember those who have defeated you?"

His attractive face suddenly assumed the appearance of a chiseled slab of stone, the only thing even remotely animated was those unusual hazel and blue eyes. And those? well, those were narrowed with utter distaste at Sarah.

"Milady," he grumbled sarcastically, "I only remember those worth the effort." With a smirk, he turned to the dazed Dee. "12 hours and 52 minutes remain, Dolores. I advise you use your time wisely."

With a stiffled scream of outrage as his unexpected barb finally penetrated ber thoughts, Sarah stuck her tongue out at the Goblin King, who, unfortuantely, had disappeared before he could notice the childish slight.

"I just HATE him," Sarah grumbled as she stared unseeingly at the place he stood just moments before.

Dee just shook her head as the tears began to flow freely down her face. "My baby. He took my baby..."

Sarah winced as she looked at Dee's heartbroken face, the carefully applied makeup now smudged and streaked with her tears. "It's okay, Dee. We will get Chloe back. You'll see..."