A/n: I'm coming up to the end of my little Laby fic and felt it best to
post these last chapters over a few weeks. Hope you like this one and
please remember to review. Many thanks for everything everyone has already
written, I shall return the compliment when | get around to reading any of
your own stories. On with the tale ..
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 15 - Sometimes the way forward is sometimes the way back
Sarah had driven for hours not knowing where she was going but she didn't care. At the present moment she wanted to be away from everything, from Jareth, from her friends, from her memories and especially from her dreams. Nothing mattered more than for her to find any empty space where she could just sit for a while and have a clear head. She knew one thing, she had driven off in the general direction of Wales and she could now see the rolling hills and jutting, slate outcrops of the Cambrian Mountains in front of her.
Suddenly through the clouded smokescreen of her mind that she was trying to cope with, she found a happy memory. Years earlier, just after she had taken over the antiques store, Gary and Sarah had taken a trip to Wales and stayed in a small holiday cottage near Llanidloes. Maybe if she went back there she could escape for a little while until she had to drag herself back to reality.
Ringing the bell to the main cottage Sarah was met by the same friendly face that had greeted her on her last visit, and she recalled Sarah immediately. The grey haired woman was even able to offer the same cottage, which Sarah took gratefully. It was situated by the river and was fairly secluded from everyone and everything else, which suited her perfectly.
She'd had the foresight to pick up some supplies on the way, not entirely sure of what she was going to do when she got wherever she decided to go. She unpacked them as best she could and then decided to build a fire in the living room grate as the rain had started to fall making everything seem colder than it actually was.
Finally, after making herself a cup of tea, she found a comfy chair, took out her mobile phone and rang her neighbour. Jacob and Hattie were all too pleased to look after the shop for her, they told her to stay away for a couple of weeks if she wanted. They had assumed that Jareth, 'her nice young fellow', was with her and she wasn't about to tell them otherwise. Instead she thanked them for their courtesy and promised to take them back something special.
She then decided to ring Gary, she hadn't spoken to him in three weeks anyway so this would give her the opportunity to catch up and hopefully invite him to the cottage so that she could talk. She punched the speed dial and in seconds it was ringing, 'come on Gary, pick up please!' Her mind screamed, 'I need you!' She shuddered, hadn't she said that before somewhere.
"Hello?"
"Gary, thank god. I thought you were dead or something!"
"Sarah, is that you? Are you okay? You sound like you've been crying."
"Yes, it's me and yes, I have been crying. Gary something awful has happened and I need to talk."
"Sarah, I'm kind of with somebody, hang on a minute, let me go talk to her." She heard him put the phone down followed by the sound of his voice and that of some young woman. Within minutes he was back. "Hi, Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"Good you're still there, look where are you I'll come to you!"
"Do you remember that cottage we stayed in a couple of years ago near Llanidloes? I'm there!"
"Yes I remember, Jesus, it must be bad for you to run halfway across the country. You gonna be okay for a couple of hours 'til I get there?"
"Sure, but I think you better bring some chocolate, I think we may both need it."
"So it's worse than I thought, if we're gonna need chocolate I better get quite a supply," Gary heard her chuckle. "That's better, keep thinking chocolate and hopefully you may feel a bit better by the time I get there."
"Thanks Gary. I think I'm going to owe you big time this time!"
"Yes you do, I had to tell Emma that I had to stay with my sister for a little while, for family reasons."
"Sorry!"
"It's okay, don't think I had much of a future with her anyway. Look I'll see you soon."
"Yeah, bye."
"Bye."
So Sarah waited, and while she waited she thought, thought about the book and the bed that Jareth had had made to remember her journey through his Labyrinth, thought about her dreams and meeting Jareth, and thought about everything that Jareth had told her about her last time in the Labyrinth. But mostly she thought about the forlorn look that had plastered itself over Jareth's features as she had walked away from him that morning. It was unsettling for her to think of such things but probably as a result of the adrenaline rush she had had that day after she had left Jareth she felt relaxed letting her eyes droop and soon found slumber.
However, it wasn't a peaceful slumber, the power that had instigated those dreams of hers and Jareth's started to work its magic again as images of Sarah's two visits to the Labyrinth were played over and over again in her mind.
***
Gary raced to the cottage as fast as his aged VW Beetle would allow. After packing a small overnight bag he had stopped at the local supermarket to load up with chocolate and decided to purchase a couple of more down to earth items as well, hoping Sarah would feel like eating something more suitable when he got to her. He had also stopped off at her place quickly in order to ascertain if she had taken anything with her, the sight of her over-sized, black leather holdall in its usual spot telling him that in fact she hadn't. He rummaged around finding things he felt she would possibly need and added some other items for good measure; it was always better to have too much stuff than take too little.
He decided to stop by the kitchen to pick up a packet of herbal teas that Sarah could never normally do without in the mornings. As he began to retrace his steps back into the living room he noticed a small, red, leather bound book sitting on the counter enticing him to pick it up. He read the gold letters on the cover, 'The Labyrinth'. Nothing overly special about the title but somehow he felt it was important to events that had led up to Sarah's run to Wales. As he picked up he book it fell open in his generous palm to the inside back cover where an inscription had been written by a very fine hand.
'My dearest Sarah, this book is an honest account of your first journey through my Labyrinth. I know that I appear as the ultimate rogue but you wanted that of me, and I had to give you what you desired most in your villain. As you now hold this book, I honestly believe that you have forgiven me my part in your play and love me as much as I love and adore you, my darling and in the years that come I dream that you will make me the happiest of men, either Fae or Human, by becoming my bride and mother of our children. I remain yours forever with all the love in my heart and soul, Jareth.'
Gary stood looking at the page, reading it over again and again trying to decipher what was meant by some of the terminology used. Maybe if he read the book he would understand. He placed it into his pocket, he would ask Sarah about it later when he finally arrived at the cottage in the Welsh countryside. He couldn't imagine why she had ended up there but at least they would be able to talk without any interruptions.
He managed to reach the cottage before the last golden rays of the sun disappeared behind the hills. He noticed that it had rained at some point during the day as there were still droplets on the back windscreen of Sarah's car. He opened the front door and saw Sarah curled up in one of the large armchairs trying to keep herself warm because of the ailing fire in the hearth. He piled his load behind the now shut door and went to pick her up. Their talk could wait until the morning. He effortlessly lifted her into his arms and walked up the stairs to the two bedrooms that resided above. He picked the first for ease and ever so gently laid her on the large wooden bed that occupied most of the room. He pulled out the covers and pulled them over her tucking her in as he went. Looking at her face he could have sworn that she had aged over the few weeks since he had seen her last, she looked so down trodden and unhappy, even in her sleep. He quickly kissed her forehead before moving back out of her room and back down the stairs.
He re-stoked the fire and made himself something to eat and drink before settling himself into the chair that Sarah had occupied earlier. He searched his coat pockets for the little red book that he had found earlier on and was pleased when his fingers flashed over the leather. Pulling it out he opened the front cover and began to read.
'The barn owl had noticed the girl, Sarah Williams, practising her lines again. He swooped down to land on one of the posts that stood lining the pathway anticipating the joy he would soon feel as he sat and watched her. He wondered how she never tired of reciting those words from that particular play, dressed in her princess costume, a wreath on top of her piled up hair and wandering around the park as if it was her stage and her dog, Merlin, the audience.'
Gary looked up from the book. Was this book truly Sarah's story, he couldn't be sure at the opening lines of the passage he had read but he knew he was in for the long haul. He decided to get comfortable. He made up a flask of tea, pulled a blanket from the back of the sofa and sat back in the chair covering himself with the woollen throw and pouring out his first cup. He settled back again to read knowing that he wouldn't be able to put the book down until he had finished it.
***
Streams of sunshine flooded into Sarah's room as she stretched herself awake. It took her a few minutes to decide where she was as she took in the room around her. The oak bed and dresser, the long picture window that lead out onto a small balcony and the full-length mirror behind the door. Gary had obviously put her to bed fully clothed.
She pulled herself out from under the covers discovering that her shoes were still on her feet too, 'trust Gary', she thought, smiling. She could tell that Gary was up and about when she walked out onto the landing as his shadow played against the staircase wall through the balustrades. She wandered down the stairs being met be a cool façade. She smiled hesitantly as she moved into the room, "What time is it?" She asked.
"Time you told me what the hell is going on? Why you called me yesterday and got me to drag my arse halfway around England and Wales."
"Gary, what's wrong, why are you so angry with me?" She shouted back trying to regain some of the lost ground.
"Maybe this will give you a clue," he answered waving the red book in front of her face. "I sat up last night reading this, this story of what you supposedly did in the Underground. You told me that you had some pretty weird dreams when you were growing up but how can that be true, Sarah, is this some kind of delusion you are trying to keep everyone under. And what part does Jareth have in this fallacy. I take it that it is the same Jareth is it?"
"Gary, sit down, please, that book . that believe me I would be glad to get rid of . is only part of the story. Everything that you read in there I believed to be a dream and until two nights ago, would have continued to believe so too.
"On Friday, when I got home from work, I found Jareth in the office staring at his pictures. I told him everything, about the dreams, the journal, everything and he took it all on board as if it were all completely normal. And we finally made love that night too. Gary, I never imagined that one person could give themselves so completely to another, but Jareth did to me, it was so special that we both cried." She said, taking a seat on the sofa tearfully recalling the events of that evening.
"The following morning, when I woke up he had hold of me and it was like he never wanted to let me go. I turned in his arms gently not wanting to wake him and when I looked at him he seemed so happy and at peace. I managed to get out of his hold and as I sat up in bed I noticed that damned book. I'd seen it at Jareth's and had been intrigued by it before, and as it was there on the nightstand I didn't think he would mind if I read a bit of it. He caught me reading it and told me to finish it before I spoke to him again."
"So you read it and?"
"I realised that the first dream I had had, the one that that book totally encapsulates, the one that sparked off all of those that followed was in fact no dream at all. It was the truth. I had wished Toby away to the Goblin King and in order to get Toby back I had to run Jareth's Labyrinth. When I had finished the book for a second time the veil that had hidden my true memories away lifted. I then knew that there was no way I could have dreamt all of those things, they would have had to have been real at some point, even 'my' imagination isn't that good."
"Sarah, we are talking about a fantasy world here!"
"I know, but how can it be fantasy when Jareth had that book written in order for me to remember why and how I had met him."
"This could just be some kind of elaborate story, its not like we know Jareth is it."
"Gary, please. There are only two people that know about my dreams, you are one, Jareth is the other and he was in possession of that book before I even told him."
"You do realise what you are asking me to believe, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. There are too many coincidences for it not to be the truth."
"Have you read the inscription in the back?" Gary asked as he handed the book back to her open on that exact page.
"No, I hadn't . oh Jareth!" Tears welled threatening to fall.
"So what happened then? I mean you read a story like that and if had been you I would have been back in his arms."
"That's what I wanted. I went to see him as soon as I had finished it the second time fully intending to do exactly that but he wouldn't hear of it. He told me there was more I needed to know and that I should sleep before he told me the rest. Yesterday morning after I had slept in his bed, in the bed that he had carved with that story," she said indicating the book again, "he told me about my second visit to the Underground. He basically said that because of his arrogance, conceitedness and selfishness he had called me to him, he assumed that I would accept his love for me on face value and had lied to me by getting his friend to take his position as King and stage his imprisonment in one of his oubliette's."
"Oubliette?" Gary asked, confused.
"An oubliette is somewhere you put people to forget about them. And apparently it was too much for me to handle seeing him like that. I was asked to run the Labyrinth again and if I beat it for a second time then I would be able to claim Jareth as my prize, this all being under the assumption that the Seelie Court had intervened because Jareth's love for me was making him a danger to himself and consequently the Labyrinth, as the Labyrinth is an extension of it's ruler.
"He then went on to tell me that when I had found out that he had been lying to me I continued to solve the Labyrinth for a second time and when I confronted him about it I then told him that he had lost my trust, therefore I could never truly love him. He had told me that he only thought he needed to love me and everything would be okay, but I had gone off on one and eventually told him that I wished I had never met him."
"Ah, so when you met him that night at the pub, you then couldn't understand how a man you had only ever seen in your dreams could be so fantastically close to those drawings of yours." Gary said, piecing together the information.
"Exactly."
"So why are you here? I mean I can't see any problem with that surely the two of you could have kissed and made up, and very well too by the sounds of it."
Sarah smirked at Gary's appraisal. "Well at first I thought I could, the Jareth I know now is nothing like the Jareth I obviously knew before, and he went on to tell me that he now understood his punishment."
"Go on!"
"The Seelie Court sent him here to find me, so that I would fall in love with him again. They told him that he then had to tell me the story, and without the aid of his magic. If, after that, I stayed all well and good but if I left him he would have to return to the Underground and live an eternity never being able to forget me. He said he understood his punishment because in finding me he had found his teacher, someone who had cured him of his ills!"
"Okay, but I still can't see a problem, here."
"No, there isn't . not with any of that. This is the problem. I asked him about my dreams and he told me that when I dreamt he dreamt, and that whatever I dreamt about he would see too, like we had a link but he didn't understand how this link was working between us. That's the problem Gary, who the hell has instigated this link, and for what purpose. Does Jareth really love me or is this just some magician's idea of a sick joke, trying to make me go mad and lose Jareth his throne or something! And if Jareth doesn't know what's going on how can I be expected to believe any of it."
"Do you remember this second encounter?"
"Yeah, it all came to me yesterday, exactly as Jareth had told me."
"So do you think that anybody close to him would want to take any revenge?"
"There's only one person I could think of but that's just not possible. My friend Hoggle would love to kick Jareth in to touch but he knows how much I care about Jareth that he wouldn't do anything. He couldn't anyway, he isn't a magical being, and he's a coward."
"Can you think of anyone else, anything else?"
"No, I . wait there is something," she looked up at Gary, her mouth aghast. "The Labyrinth!"
"What?"
"The Labyrinth, why didn't I think of it before, it's an extension of Jareth. Maybe the Labyrinth felt threatened and did the only thing it could to make sure that Jareth kept his control."
"You mean the link between you and Jareth is the Labyrinth. How can an inanimate object do any thing?"
"Gary, remember the book, I was told on more than one occasion that nothing was as it seemed in the Labyrinth and it had the ability to move, it blocked me in on several occasions, it wasn't inanimate."
"And you beat it twice!"
"What?"
"You solved it twice, once to get your brother ."
"And once to win Jareth . oh my god, what have I done?" Her eyes went wide with fright at the realisation, she should have trusted her instincts and Jareth but she had flown off the handle yet again and walked out on him. Not wanting to think of a logical explanation for the events that had transpired, when all she could do was think about her own selfish thoughts.
"Sarah you are beginning to scare me."
"Gary, I have to get back to Jareth. All of a sudden, I've got this nasty feeling that something is terribly wrong."
"Get your coat, Sarah, I'm driving."
Disclaimer: Sarah, Jareth and all other mainstream characters from the Labyrinth do not belong to me.
Synopsis: Sarah & Jareth have to prove their love for one another. Sarah runs the gauntlet again, but what will Jareth do?
Everything I do
Chapter 15 - Sometimes the way forward is sometimes the way back
Sarah had driven for hours not knowing where she was going but she didn't care. At the present moment she wanted to be away from everything, from Jareth, from her friends, from her memories and especially from her dreams. Nothing mattered more than for her to find any empty space where she could just sit for a while and have a clear head. She knew one thing, she had driven off in the general direction of Wales and she could now see the rolling hills and jutting, slate outcrops of the Cambrian Mountains in front of her.
Suddenly through the clouded smokescreen of her mind that she was trying to cope with, she found a happy memory. Years earlier, just after she had taken over the antiques store, Gary and Sarah had taken a trip to Wales and stayed in a small holiday cottage near Llanidloes. Maybe if she went back there she could escape for a little while until she had to drag herself back to reality.
Ringing the bell to the main cottage Sarah was met by the same friendly face that had greeted her on her last visit, and she recalled Sarah immediately. The grey haired woman was even able to offer the same cottage, which Sarah took gratefully. It was situated by the river and was fairly secluded from everyone and everything else, which suited her perfectly.
She'd had the foresight to pick up some supplies on the way, not entirely sure of what she was going to do when she got wherever she decided to go. She unpacked them as best she could and then decided to build a fire in the living room grate as the rain had started to fall making everything seem colder than it actually was.
Finally, after making herself a cup of tea, she found a comfy chair, took out her mobile phone and rang her neighbour. Jacob and Hattie were all too pleased to look after the shop for her, they told her to stay away for a couple of weeks if she wanted. They had assumed that Jareth, 'her nice young fellow', was with her and she wasn't about to tell them otherwise. Instead she thanked them for their courtesy and promised to take them back something special.
She then decided to ring Gary, she hadn't spoken to him in three weeks anyway so this would give her the opportunity to catch up and hopefully invite him to the cottage so that she could talk. She punched the speed dial and in seconds it was ringing, 'come on Gary, pick up please!' Her mind screamed, 'I need you!' She shuddered, hadn't she said that before somewhere.
"Hello?"
"Gary, thank god. I thought you were dead or something!"
"Sarah, is that you? Are you okay? You sound like you've been crying."
"Yes, it's me and yes, I have been crying. Gary something awful has happened and I need to talk."
"Sarah, I'm kind of with somebody, hang on a minute, let me go talk to her." She heard him put the phone down followed by the sound of his voice and that of some young woman. Within minutes he was back. "Hi, Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"Good you're still there, look where are you I'll come to you!"
"Do you remember that cottage we stayed in a couple of years ago near Llanidloes? I'm there!"
"Yes I remember, Jesus, it must be bad for you to run halfway across the country. You gonna be okay for a couple of hours 'til I get there?"
"Sure, but I think you better bring some chocolate, I think we may both need it."
"So it's worse than I thought, if we're gonna need chocolate I better get quite a supply," Gary heard her chuckle. "That's better, keep thinking chocolate and hopefully you may feel a bit better by the time I get there."
"Thanks Gary. I think I'm going to owe you big time this time!"
"Yes you do, I had to tell Emma that I had to stay with my sister for a little while, for family reasons."
"Sorry!"
"It's okay, don't think I had much of a future with her anyway. Look I'll see you soon."
"Yeah, bye."
"Bye."
So Sarah waited, and while she waited she thought, thought about the book and the bed that Jareth had had made to remember her journey through his Labyrinth, thought about her dreams and meeting Jareth, and thought about everything that Jareth had told her about her last time in the Labyrinth. But mostly she thought about the forlorn look that had plastered itself over Jareth's features as she had walked away from him that morning. It was unsettling for her to think of such things but probably as a result of the adrenaline rush she had had that day after she had left Jareth she felt relaxed letting her eyes droop and soon found slumber.
However, it wasn't a peaceful slumber, the power that had instigated those dreams of hers and Jareth's started to work its magic again as images of Sarah's two visits to the Labyrinth were played over and over again in her mind.
***
Gary raced to the cottage as fast as his aged VW Beetle would allow. After packing a small overnight bag he had stopped at the local supermarket to load up with chocolate and decided to purchase a couple of more down to earth items as well, hoping Sarah would feel like eating something more suitable when he got to her. He had also stopped off at her place quickly in order to ascertain if she had taken anything with her, the sight of her over-sized, black leather holdall in its usual spot telling him that in fact she hadn't. He rummaged around finding things he felt she would possibly need and added some other items for good measure; it was always better to have too much stuff than take too little.
He decided to stop by the kitchen to pick up a packet of herbal teas that Sarah could never normally do without in the mornings. As he began to retrace his steps back into the living room he noticed a small, red, leather bound book sitting on the counter enticing him to pick it up. He read the gold letters on the cover, 'The Labyrinth'. Nothing overly special about the title but somehow he felt it was important to events that had led up to Sarah's run to Wales. As he picked up he book it fell open in his generous palm to the inside back cover where an inscription had been written by a very fine hand.
'My dearest Sarah, this book is an honest account of your first journey through my Labyrinth. I know that I appear as the ultimate rogue but you wanted that of me, and I had to give you what you desired most in your villain. As you now hold this book, I honestly believe that you have forgiven me my part in your play and love me as much as I love and adore you, my darling and in the years that come I dream that you will make me the happiest of men, either Fae or Human, by becoming my bride and mother of our children. I remain yours forever with all the love in my heart and soul, Jareth.'
Gary stood looking at the page, reading it over again and again trying to decipher what was meant by some of the terminology used. Maybe if he read the book he would understand. He placed it into his pocket, he would ask Sarah about it later when he finally arrived at the cottage in the Welsh countryside. He couldn't imagine why she had ended up there but at least they would be able to talk without any interruptions.
He managed to reach the cottage before the last golden rays of the sun disappeared behind the hills. He noticed that it had rained at some point during the day as there were still droplets on the back windscreen of Sarah's car. He opened the front door and saw Sarah curled up in one of the large armchairs trying to keep herself warm because of the ailing fire in the hearth. He piled his load behind the now shut door and went to pick her up. Their talk could wait until the morning. He effortlessly lifted her into his arms and walked up the stairs to the two bedrooms that resided above. He picked the first for ease and ever so gently laid her on the large wooden bed that occupied most of the room. He pulled out the covers and pulled them over her tucking her in as he went. Looking at her face he could have sworn that she had aged over the few weeks since he had seen her last, she looked so down trodden and unhappy, even in her sleep. He quickly kissed her forehead before moving back out of her room and back down the stairs.
He re-stoked the fire and made himself something to eat and drink before settling himself into the chair that Sarah had occupied earlier. He searched his coat pockets for the little red book that he had found earlier on and was pleased when his fingers flashed over the leather. Pulling it out he opened the front cover and began to read.
'The barn owl had noticed the girl, Sarah Williams, practising her lines again. He swooped down to land on one of the posts that stood lining the pathway anticipating the joy he would soon feel as he sat and watched her. He wondered how she never tired of reciting those words from that particular play, dressed in her princess costume, a wreath on top of her piled up hair and wandering around the park as if it was her stage and her dog, Merlin, the audience.'
Gary looked up from the book. Was this book truly Sarah's story, he couldn't be sure at the opening lines of the passage he had read but he knew he was in for the long haul. He decided to get comfortable. He made up a flask of tea, pulled a blanket from the back of the sofa and sat back in the chair covering himself with the woollen throw and pouring out his first cup. He settled back again to read knowing that he wouldn't be able to put the book down until he had finished it.
***
Streams of sunshine flooded into Sarah's room as she stretched herself awake. It took her a few minutes to decide where she was as she took in the room around her. The oak bed and dresser, the long picture window that lead out onto a small balcony and the full-length mirror behind the door. Gary had obviously put her to bed fully clothed.
She pulled herself out from under the covers discovering that her shoes were still on her feet too, 'trust Gary', she thought, smiling. She could tell that Gary was up and about when she walked out onto the landing as his shadow played against the staircase wall through the balustrades. She wandered down the stairs being met be a cool façade. She smiled hesitantly as she moved into the room, "What time is it?" She asked.
"Time you told me what the hell is going on? Why you called me yesterday and got me to drag my arse halfway around England and Wales."
"Gary, what's wrong, why are you so angry with me?" She shouted back trying to regain some of the lost ground.
"Maybe this will give you a clue," he answered waving the red book in front of her face. "I sat up last night reading this, this story of what you supposedly did in the Underground. You told me that you had some pretty weird dreams when you were growing up but how can that be true, Sarah, is this some kind of delusion you are trying to keep everyone under. And what part does Jareth have in this fallacy. I take it that it is the same Jareth is it?"
"Gary, sit down, please, that book . that believe me I would be glad to get rid of . is only part of the story. Everything that you read in there I believed to be a dream and until two nights ago, would have continued to believe so too.
"On Friday, when I got home from work, I found Jareth in the office staring at his pictures. I told him everything, about the dreams, the journal, everything and he took it all on board as if it were all completely normal. And we finally made love that night too. Gary, I never imagined that one person could give themselves so completely to another, but Jareth did to me, it was so special that we both cried." She said, taking a seat on the sofa tearfully recalling the events of that evening.
"The following morning, when I woke up he had hold of me and it was like he never wanted to let me go. I turned in his arms gently not wanting to wake him and when I looked at him he seemed so happy and at peace. I managed to get out of his hold and as I sat up in bed I noticed that damned book. I'd seen it at Jareth's and had been intrigued by it before, and as it was there on the nightstand I didn't think he would mind if I read a bit of it. He caught me reading it and told me to finish it before I spoke to him again."
"So you read it and?"
"I realised that the first dream I had had, the one that that book totally encapsulates, the one that sparked off all of those that followed was in fact no dream at all. It was the truth. I had wished Toby away to the Goblin King and in order to get Toby back I had to run Jareth's Labyrinth. When I had finished the book for a second time the veil that had hidden my true memories away lifted. I then knew that there was no way I could have dreamt all of those things, they would have had to have been real at some point, even 'my' imagination isn't that good."
"Sarah, we are talking about a fantasy world here!"
"I know, but how can it be fantasy when Jareth had that book written in order for me to remember why and how I had met him."
"This could just be some kind of elaborate story, its not like we know Jareth is it."
"Gary, please. There are only two people that know about my dreams, you are one, Jareth is the other and he was in possession of that book before I even told him."
"You do realise what you are asking me to believe, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. There are too many coincidences for it not to be the truth."
"Have you read the inscription in the back?" Gary asked as he handed the book back to her open on that exact page.
"No, I hadn't . oh Jareth!" Tears welled threatening to fall.
"So what happened then? I mean you read a story like that and if had been you I would have been back in his arms."
"That's what I wanted. I went to see him as soon as I had finished it the second time fully intending to do exactly that but he wouldn't hear of it. He told me there was more I needed to know and that I should sleep before he told me the rest. Yesterday morning after I had slept in his bed, in the bed that he had carved with that story," she said indicating the book again, "he told me about my second visit to the Underground. He basically said that because of his arrogance, conceitedness and selfishness he had called me to him, he assumed that I would accept his love for me on face value and had lied to me by getting his friend to take his position as King and stage his imprisonment in one of his oubliette's."
"Oubliette?" Gary asked, confused.
"An oubliette is somewhere you put people to forget about them. And apparently it was too much for me to handle seeing him like that. I was asked to run the Labyrinth again and if I beat it for a second time then I would be able to claim Jareth as my prize, this all being under the assumption that the Seelie Court had intervened because Jareth's love for me was making him a danger to himself and consequently the Labyrinth, as the Labyrinth is an extension of it's ruler.
"He then went on to tell me that when I had found out that he had been lying to me I continued to solve the Labyrinth for a second time and when I confronted him about it I then told him that he had lost my trust, therefore I could never truly love him. He had told me that he only thought he needed to love me and everything would be okay, but I had gone off on one and eventually told him that I wished I had never met him."
"Ah, so when you met him that night at the pub, you then couldn't understand how a man you had only ever seen in your dreams could be so fantastically close to those drawings of yours." Gary said, piecing together the information.
"Exactly."
"So why are you here? I mean I can't see any problem with that surely the two of you could have kissed and made up, and very well too by the sounds of it."
Sarah smirked at Gary's appraisal. "Well at first I thought I could, the Jareth I know now is nothing like the Jareth I obviously knew before, and he went on to tell me that he now understood his punishment."
"Go on!"
"The Seelie Court sent him here to find me, so that I would fall in love with him again. They told him that he then had to tell me the story, and without the aid of his magic. If, after that, I stayed all well and good but if I left him he would have to return to the Underground and live an eternity never being able to forget me. He said he understood his punishment because in finding me he had found his teacher, someone who had cured him of his ills!"
"Okay, but I still can't see a problem, here."
"No, there isn't . not with any of that. This is the problem. I asked him about my dreams and he told me that when I dreamt he dreamt, and that whatever I dreamt about he would see too, like we had a link but he didn't understand how this link was working between us. That's the problem Gary, who the hell has instigated this link, and for what purpose. Does Jareth really love me or is this just some magician's idea of a sick joke, trying to make me go mad and lose Jareth his throne or something! And if Jareth doesn't know what's going on how can I be expected to believe any of it."
"Do you remember this second encounter?"
"Yeah, it all came to me yesterday, exactly as Jareth had told me."
"So do you think that anybody close to him would want to take any revenge?"
"There's only one person I could think of but that's just not possible. My friend Hoggle would love to kick Jareth in to touch but he knows how much I care about Jareth that he wouldn't do anything. He couldn't anyway, he isn't a magical being, and he's a coward."
"Can you think of anyone else, anything else?"
"No, I . wait there is something," she looked up at Gary, her mouth aghast. "The Labyrinth!"
"What?"
"The Labyrinth, why didn't I think of it before, it's an extension of Jareth. Maybe the Labyrinth felt threatened and did the only thing it could to make sure that Jareth kept his control."
"You mean the link between you and Jareth is the Labyrinth. How can an inanimate object do any thing?"
"Gary, remember the book, I was told on more than one occasion that nothing was as it seemed in the Labyrinth and it had the ability to move, it blocked me in on several occasions, it wasn't inanimate."
"And you beat it twice!"
"What?"
"You solved it twice, once to get your brother ."
"And once to win Jareth . oh my god, what have I done?" Her eyes went wide with fright at the realisation, she should have trusted her instincts and Jareth but she had flown off the handle yet again and walked out on him. Not wanting to think of a logical explanation for the events that had transpired, when all she could do was think about her own selfish thoughts.
"Sarah you are beginning to scare me."
"Gary, I have to get back to Jareth. All of a sudden, I've got this nasty feeling that something is terribly wrong."
"Get your coat, Sarah, I'm driving."