Labyrinth and all that is connected to it belongs to someone other than me!!!

Though the characters of Sally Jendson, Morgan Seliecourt, and other characters not appearing or named in the movie are of my creation.

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Wishes and Dreams of Love

Chapter Five: Two Dinners and an Unwanted Visitor

Sarah smiled as she looked down to see that she was clad in her favorite ball gown, the one she had worn to her dream ball the first time she had been in the Labyrinth. Jareth knew how to make her feel like the Queen he saw her as. A pair of gasps drew her attention over her shoulder. Sarah saw that Karen was dressed in a similar ball gown; only it was blue with silver glitter. Her father and Toby were both dressed in renaissance style costumes as well. Toby chuckled as he ran around his elder sister.

"Sarah's so pretty! How'd we change like that?"

Sarah smiled as she pulled the lively and often times rambunctious four-year-old close to her chest. "With magic."

"Looks like dinner is ready, if you will all follow me." Jareth laid Sarah's free hand in the crook of his arm as he led them all to the dining room.

Sarah sat Toby in the chair next to her own, and Jareth gentlemanly helped his lady into her seat, before she noticed three extra chairs at the table. "Jareth, why are there three extra settings?"

Jareth smiled at his ladylove before taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. "A surprise for you my dearest love. I am not the only one who has been looking forward anxiously to this coming Saturday."

Before she could utter a word, she heard a familiar throat being cleared behind her. Judging by the paleness her father and stepmother became, there could only be one trio that Jareth would have invited to this dinner. "Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ambrosious, Ludo!"

"Sarah?"

"Fair maiden, thou hath returned earlier than expected!"

"Sarwah back!"

Without a word, she rushed from the table and embraced each of her dear friends who had helped her rescue her baby brother from her own foolish words years before. Hoggle noticed the all to well known ring resting on Sarah's left ring finger. He knew full well what it meant, but also knew that his first and dearest friend must have forgiven the once ruthless Goblin King for that terrible night to be wearing it.

Since meeting Sarah, Hoggle had become braver – though he always knew when to back away from a situation. This time, he didn't care if it meant taking a bath in the Bog, he had something to say and meant to get it off of his chest before he lost his nerve. "Jareth, I's know what the two of you gots planned. And if Sarah agreed than I won't stop ya two. But, you ever hurt the little lady, then you'll wish ya was never born."

"Well Hoghead, I see that meeting Sarah has given you a bit of a backbone. Oh and you'll never get to see that threat come to pass, as I will never knowingly hurt my Sarah. Now, I think that dinner is getting cold, and I see two people who are in need of some explanations." Jareth chuckled as he glanced at Sarah's stunned parents.

@*~*@*~*@*~*@*~*@

Sally was pacing in her room nervously. She had already changed her outfit ten times; unsure of what Puck had planned for their date. Was she overly dressed? Maybe she'd end up undressed. Without her sister and mother there, Sally felt like she could climb the walls.

Sally's mom always trusted the girl's judgment, and the story she had told the woman helped in securing an evening alone with Puck. Sally had told her mom that she and Robin had been pen pals for a long time, and that he'd come to town for the graduation. Not completely a lie, but the whole truth would have landed Sally in a mental ward for the rest of her life.

Sally had never been this nervous before a first date in her entire life! Then again, who can say they had dated a famous Fae from a certain William Shakespeare play?

The ringing of the doorbell brought Sally out of her daydream. She giggled as she ran down the stairs to the front door, hoping that Puck would like what he'd first see.

However, Sally didn't like what she saw upon opening the door – her long time ex-boyfriend, Joe. Did this guy have built in radar for homing in on her when she was having the best time in her life, just so he could shoot her down by showing up and then proceeding to make a heel of himself … or sometimes worse?

"Sal, Sal, Sal. The way you're all dressed up, you'd think that you knew I was coming." Joe didn't bother to hide how he was undressing the young woman with his eyes as he leaned against the door jam. It had been one reason Sally had wisely dumped him two days after he took her to the spring formal dance their freshman year. The second being how he kidnapped and nearly raped her three months after that; the jerk didn't even get arrested for it, because his word seemed higher than hers – since he had more money in the bank.

Sally hated this pig worse than she hated anyone. "I have a date. Now if you don't mind …"

Joe pushed Sally back into the house and waltzed inside as if he belonged there. "Whatever. Now where are your mom and sister? Usually they come in to bug us by now."

Sally blushed and tried to come up with something to say, but it was too late. Joe had quickly put two and two together. "They're not home, are they? Well, it looks like we have the place to ourselves for a change. How about we do some making up? I know you want too bad."

"Your idea of 'making up' is actually called making out! Now get out of here before my date arrives, because I don't think you want to peeve him off!" Sally screamed. Though when Joe threw her against the wall and pinned her to it with his body, her voice left. She could easily feel that he wasn't going to take no for an answer this time.

Joe forced a bruising kiss on her lips as Sally struggled and thrashed about in a desperate attempt to get away. Neither noticing the door had been left open, or the fact that Robin Goodfellow had appeared. He could feel Sally's fear, shame, and hate because of the scum holding her captive, and see the tears running down her cheeks as she struggled to get free.

As he had formally asked the court for the honor of becoming Lady Sally's champion, and was granted such, Puck saw that this brute needed to be taught how to court the true Lady he saw within Sally. "Unhand my Lady Sally and face me ogre!"

Both looked at the door, and Sally further broke down into tears. "Robin, please help me!"

"Fear not my sweet Lady. With the court's permission, that is to be my job until you say otherwise – as I have recently been appointed by them to be your personal champion. First for the beast."

And with that Joe floated into the air, unable to move as if invisible ropes held him tight. Sally rushed over to Robin's embrace and softly kissed his cheek. She felt so good in the arms of this true gentleman.

Robin's face grew hard as he glared at the helpless creature that had attacked his lady. "Now, as you were out to make a complete arse of yourself, I think I am so obligated to help you fit the part. Arse you act so arse thou now be. A lesson of thy true nature I give to thee. Remain such until the rising of the sun doth leave my spell finished and done. Remember well all that before you doth lay, and why you have just been transformed by Puck the trickster Fae!"

Sally gasped in surprise as the jerk that had been so roughly manhandling her a moment before turned into a mule and rushed out her front door into the night. Robin chuckled as he jealously pulled his Lady into his arms. "That should teach that bully a thing or two. If you do not feel like going out this evening, I'd …"

"No. Joe is not going to ruin my first night out with the most handsome of Fae!" Looking down at her damaged and scuffed outfit, Sally blushed. "But, it looks like I'll need to change again before we can get out of here."

"Leave that to your humble champion milady. How does this feel?" Puck lifted and spun Sally around with his magic, easily transforming the tattered outfit into a new dress that fell to just below her mid-calf. It was a shimmering green satin with a chiffon wrap of the same color and a modest square neckline.

Sally could feel the magic work its way up her neck and head as Puck gently curled and arranged the locks of dark chocolate hair into a high ponytail, leaving a few strands curled on each side to frame her face. Then he re-did the make-up that Joe had smudged and spoiled. In moments she was again on the ground in the arms of her date with a soft smile gracing her now tear free face.

She opened her steel blue eyes to smile up into a pair of amazing eyes, one green and one silver/blue. "Thank you for everything, Puck. It's beautiful!" She gasped as she looked down at her new dress.

"Not half as beautiful as you are my Lady. Ready for some fun?" Puck held a twinkling in his eyes that promised the night was not going to be an average date.

Sally smiled brightly as she nodded. Not missing a beat, Puck led her out of the house (making sure to lock it behind them) and down the driveway to a fancy jeweled carriage. It reminded Sally of the ones she dreamed of; the ones that took ordinary girls like her off to new exciting lives as Princesses married to dashing and brave Princes.

"Something tells me this won't be the average dinner/movie date. This date's going to be full of magic, isn't it?"

Puck wrapped his arms around his Lady and gently whispered into her ear, "would you expect any less of me, my lady?"

Sally looked into his eyes and winked as she shook her head softly, this was just what she'd expect of her long time love. Inside she wondered if he knew how long she had adored him. Ever since she and Sarah performed in that play, Puck had been the only character that Sally couldn't get out of her mind – amazing since Joe so poorly played the part (before he asked her to the dance).

Puck smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He remembered how Jareth had dragged him to that last performance in that park he always went to in a hope that he'd see Sarah. Jareth knew full well that was one play Puck hated most – and this one would be made worse by the slug poorly chosen to portray him. They only went because Jareth's precious Sarah was playing Queen Tatiana.

Puck barely paid attention. He couldn't understand what the Goblin King saw in the mortal girl in the first place. She had defeated him, threw his love back in his face, and still refused to speak or think his name for fear it would draw him back to her. It was sickening to him that his old friend was so enamored by a human who didn't seem to think anything for him.

Finally he took stock in the young woman his friend was pining over. She was very beautiful, and had the air of royalty surrounding her. Puck could help but giggle as Ms. Williams nailed Tatiana's attitude at one point with an uncanny accuracy.

"I told you this would be worth the distasteful program. Sarah is not an everyday human, nor is that young woman playing the fairy. I believe that she is a friend of my Sarah."

Puck still couldn't believe that his friend had seen through his famed indifference. He himself had been watching over both of the ladies since all of this began – when Ms. Williams introduced the sweet fairy to their world. Had it really only been three months? Sally Jendson was indeed a dear friend of Sarah's, and had joined the young woman in not only rehearsing this shotty production, but many others plays in the park every chance they could get – including the Labyrinth play that had drawn Jareth to her and took Sarah to their world.

No, that wasn't what the famous trickster couldn't believe; he disbelieved how alike he was with the Goblin King. That he, Puck of Avalon – high son of Queen Tatiana and her consort Prince Oberon, had fallen for a human girl! No, not simply a girl – a beautiful young woman who was unlike any save that now legendary (if only in the Underground) Sarah Williams.

Chocolate brown waves of hair that often smelled of strawberries, peaches, or other fruits. A blue he had never seen before swirled behind the dark centers of her eyes, which twinkled and lit the world as she practiced and performed – as if she knew he were watching and wished to have his attention all to herself (which more often than not she had). Slightly thick, Cupid's bow lips that often smelled and tasted of the honey, lemon, and lavender gloss Sally would make for herself and Sarah. Just tall enough to rest her head on his shoulder, a healthy shape for her beautiful frame, and a heart like none other Puck had ever encountered.

And now he was seated next to her, off on an adventure he promised himself would be the best of her life.

@*~*@*~*@*~*@*~*@

The tree across the road had a spy looking at the happy scene as Puck and his Lady went off for their evening. Swinging one leg in a bid for the look of indifference, he silently sneered at the pair climbing into the carriage.

Tugging at his gloves so Jareth like, Conal snickered. "So Jareth isn't the only one falling for human trash? This should make for an interesting evening."

And with that he took the form of a raven and flew off – towards the castle beyond the Goblin City. He knew they were there, and he wasn't going to let them have fun without his making a due appearance to gaze upon the bride to be.

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How is this for a cliffhanger?

Oh, and does anyone hear a second set of wedding bells toning … or am I just hearing things?

Still, I could only be a teasing trickster too.

You decide.