Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from "Labyrinth". I guess there are
some wishes that even Jareth can't grant.
Chapter 3
Sarah's eyelids fluttered as she felt something soft stroke down her cheek - soft.and leathery? Her eyelids flew open and she sat up with a start. The light of the full moon coming in from the window illuminated her room well enough for her to gaze around. She saw nothing and her room remained silent except for her own ragged breathing.
Then she felt another soft touch, this time stroking her hair.
Sarah whirled around with gasp and found herself gazing directly into his eyes, his gloved hand poised in the air from where he had touched her. She was certain then, that she had to be dreaming. Her jury was out on whether she was about to have the most beautiful dream she had ever known or the kind of nightmare that she would wake from screaming.
As she looked at him, her heart seemed to stop and squeeze painfully. She took in his long silver-gold locks, pale aristocratic features, and slender, muscled build. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man and more. His black leather pants and waistcoat seemed molded to his form as he bent down toward her, his black cloak swirling. His mismatched eyes, one cerulean blue, the other an ocean green, seemed to hypnotize her. As she looked deeply into them, her terror grew at what she saw there, but she couldn't quite bring herself to move.
"Hello, Sarah."
His face remained serious as he gazed at her with an intensity she couldn't name and for a moment she remained frozen to the spot, her own eyes wide and frightened. In a flash, she vaulted out of bed and stood on the other side in her pajamas, facing him. It vaguely occurred to her that she was very glad it had been too chilly for her to sleep in the nude like she usually did. Thank god she'd been able to put the bed between them. Of course he was still between her and the door.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" the questions tumbled out of her and her voice broke on the last word. She wanted to smack her forehead. He would know how frightened she was if she kept advertising it.
"My dear Sarah, I am here because you called me."
"But I didn't!"
"But you did. I could not come here otherwise. I can only come in if I am invited."
Shit! Had she invited him? Maybe she had murmured his name as she was drifting off. It just seemed so comforting at the time to say it. Had she wished to see him? Dear god, what had she done?
"You were NOT invited. Now please.please go."
Jareth's face remained impassive.
"Sarah, you know I cannot do that. I am here at your invitation and also here as your guide."
"My guide?"
"To the Underground. You called me and I answered. You called me to take you home."
"What?! I am home!! I'm happy HERE. I'm not going anywhere with you! I ran through your games and your traps and defeated your labyrinth. I saved my brother from your power fair and square - I even played by YOUR rules. I owe you nothing. I did not invite you here and you cannot take me back with you. You have no power over me!"
"Ah.are you quite, quite certain of that, my love?"
Her breath caught - in fear or because he'd called her 'his love' she couldn't say. She continued to edge away from him.
This was not going the way Jareth had hoped at all. He'd certainly never wanted to frighten her so badly. He also had hoped to be more diplomatic. He'd wanted to invite her to come to the Underground with him very nicely and then transport her there on a lovely cloud - soft and comfortable, with a gorgeous view of his kingdom. Well, rats. He had let himself get backed into an autocratic corner and it looked like he would have to employ Plan B - physical force. He was also disappointed that she hadn't seemed just a teensier bit happy to see him.
He tried again.
"Why do you think it would be so awful? Come home with me. You could see your friends every day. You'd live in a palace. You would be royalty. Sarah, you could have anything you want."
It was the worst thing he could have said. He watched the color drain from her face and realized his mistake. He was so angry with himself he could have dunked his head in the Bog of Eternal Stench. So it would have to be blatant kidnapping then.
"Anything I want? I want to continue with my life! I love my family and I've worked hard to build my career and I'm finally happy with the work I'm doing! My life may not be perfect, Jareth, but it's mine and I can honestly say that I've done the best I can."
"Sarah, you could have so much more.."
"Right. Just let you rule me and then you'll be my slave? Jareth, the little girl you laughed at is long gone."
Laughed at her? He didn't remember laughing. Loving her, lusting for her - and after she left, brooding a great deal when he was alone, but laughing? At what? She had been young, but that hadn't made her laughable. He had loved the dreams he'd seen in her eyes. He had loved her potential as his queen.
"I see you won't allow this to happen the easy way. Sarah, Sarah, always so stubborn. What a pity." He purred, advancing slowly toward her like a cat waiting to spring.
A wind had started in the corners of her room. The hairs on the back of Sarah's neck prickled straight up. Even though she knew Sir Didymus would be no match for Jareth, she kicked herself for not having taken him up on his offer of protection. Staring up at the Goblin King, she suddenly felt very vulnerable and frightened. She started to back away from him and grunted when she came into contact with a wall.
"I'll ask you one more time. Come with me, Sarah. Please." Jareth kept inching closer, hemming her in against the wall bit by bit.
"You know I can't."
The momentary flash of pain and regret in Jareth's eyes startled Sarah. Then he smiled at her - a cold, feral smile.
"All right, Sarah. If you say so."
A snake appeared in his hand, writhing over his arms toward Sarah. He tossed it at her. She smirked and reached out her hands to catch it in midair. She'd seen this trick before. But this time instead of turning into a harmless silk scarf, the snake wound its way around her wrists, becoming a leather cord that bound them tightly together.
Before she could cry out, Jareth's gloved hand clapped over her mouth as his other arm closed around her like a vise. She squirmed against him, struggling in earnest, but to no avail. His strength was inhuman and he easily held her helpless, his hand silencing her screams as the wind rose higher and higher around them. It grew so dark and frightening that Sarah became more afraid of being swept away than she was of the Goblin King who was kidnapping her. He tightened his arms around her protectively as she trembled against him. The powerful winds seemed to numb the corners of her mind until slowly the blackness closed in and she sagged against her captor, unconscious.
Chapter 3
Sarah's eyelids fluttered as she felt something soft stroke down her cheek - soft.and leathery? Her eyelids flew open and she sat up with a start. The light of the full moon coming in from the window illuminated her room well enough for her to gaze around. She saw nothing and her room remained silent except for her own ragged breathing.
Then she felt another soft touch, this time stroking her hair.
Sarah whirled around with gasp and found herself gazing directly into his eyes, his gloved hand poised in the air from where he had touched her. She was certain then, that she had to be dreaming. Her jury was out on whether she was about to have the most beautiful dream she had ever known or the kind of nightmare that she would wake from screaming.
As she looked at him, her heart seemed to stop and squeeze painfully. She took in his long silver-gold locks, pale aristocratic features, and slender, muscled build. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man and more. His black leather pants and waistcoat seemed molded to his form as he bent down toward her, his black cloak swirling. His mismatched eyes, one cerulean blue, the other an ocean green, seemed to hypnotize her. As she looked deeply into them, her terror grew at what she saw there, but she couldn't quite bring herself to move.
"Hello, Sarah."
His face remained serious as he gazed at her with an intensity she couldn't name and for a moment she remained frozen to the spot, her own eyes wide and frightened. In a flash, she vaulted out of bed and stood on the other side in her pajamas, facing him. It vaguely occurred to her that she was very glad it had been too chilly for her to sleep in the nude like she usually did. Thank god she'd been able to put the bed between them. Of course he was still between her and the door.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" the questions tumbled out of her and her voice broke on the last word. She wanted to smack her forehead. He would know how frightened she was if she kept advertising it.
"My dear Sarah, I am here because you called me."
"But I didn't!"
"But you did. I could not come here otherwise. I can only come in if I am invited."
Shit! Had she invited him? Maybe she had murmured his name as she was drifting off. It just seemed so comforting at the time to say it. Had she wished to see him? Dear god, what had she done?
"You were NOT invited. Now please.please go."
Jareth's face remained impassive.
"Sarah, you know I cannot do that. I am here at your invitation and also here as your guide."
"My guide?"
"To the Underground. You called me and I answered. You called me to take you home."
"What?! I am home!! I'm happy HERE. I'm not going anywhere with you! I ran through your games and your traps and defeated your labyrinth. I saved my brother from your power fair and square - I even played by YOUR rules. I owe you nothing. I did not invite you here and you cannot take me back with you. You have no power over me!"
"Ah.are you quite, quite certain of that, my love?"
Her breath caught - in fear or because he'd called her 'his love' she couldn't say. She continued to edge away from him.
This was not going the way Jareth had hoped at all. He'd certainly never wanted to frighten her so badly. He also had hoped to be more diplomatic. He'd wanted to invite her to come to the Underground with him very nicely and then transport her there on a lovely cloud - soft and comfortable, with a gorgeous view of his kingdom. Well, rats. He had let himself get backed into an autocratic corner and it looked like he would have to employ Plan B - physical force. He was also disappointed that she hadn't seemed just a teensier bit happy to see him.
He tried again.
"Why do you think it would be so awful? Come home with me. You could see your friends every day. You'd live in a palace. You would be royalty. Sarah, you could have anything you want."
It was the worst thing he could have said. He watched the color drain from her face and realized his mistake. He was so angry with himself he could have dunked his head in the Bog of Eternal Stench. So it would have to be blatant kidnapping then.
"Anything I want? I want to continue with my life! I love my family and I've worked hard to build my career and I'm finally happy with the work I'm doing! My life may not be perfect, Jareth, but it's mine and I can honestly say that I've done the best I can."
"Sarah, you could have so much more.."
"Right. Just let you rule me and then you'll be my slave? Jareth, the little girl you laughed at is long gone."
Laughed at her? He didn't remember laughing. Loving her, lusting for her - and after she left, brooding a great deal when he was alone, but laughing? At what? She had been young, but that hadn't made her laughable. He had loved the dreams he'd seen in her eyes. He had loved her potential as his queen.
"I see you won't allow this to happen the easy way. Sarah, Sarah, always so stubborn. What a pity." He purred, advancing slowly toward her like a cat waiting to spring.
A wind had started in the corners of her room. The hairs on the back of Sarah's neck prickled straight up. Even though she knew Sir Didymus would be no match for Jareth, she kicked herself for not having taken him up on his offer of protection. Staring up at the Goblin King, she suddenly felt very vulnerable and frightened. She started to back away from him and grunted when she came into contact with a wall.
"I'll ask you one more time. Come with me, Sarah. Please." Jareth kept inching closer, hemming her in against the wall bit by bit.
"You know I can't."
The momentary flash of pain and regret in Jareth's eyes startled Sarah. Then he smiled at her - a cold, feral smile.
"All right, Sarah. If you say so."
A snake appeared in his hand, writhing over his arms toward Sarah. He tossed it at her. She smirked and reached out her hands to catch it in midair. She'd seen this trick before. But this time instead of turning into a harmless silk scarf, the snake wound its way around her wrists, becoming a leather cord that bound them tightly together.
Before she could cry out, Jareth's gloved hand clapped over her mouth as his other arm closed around her like a vise. She squirmed against him, struggling in earnest, but to no avail. His strength was inhuman and he easily held her helpless, his hand silencing her screams as the wind rose higher and higher around them. It grew so dark and frightening that Sarah became more afraid of being swept away than she was of the Goblin King who was kidnapping her. He tightened his arms around her protectively as she trembled against him. The powerful winds seemed to numb the corners of her mind until slowly the blackness closed in and she sagged against her captor, unconscious.