9. The Labyrinth Within the Labyrinth.

*Stairs, entirely to many stairs...* Red thought fuzzily, her legs ached and she was getting no where running about aimlessly, but she couldn't stop. She had to well, /do/ something. What she didn't know. Maybe Gareth was in here. That had to be it she decided and started looking for him. She didn't know what he looked like, but it couldn't be anyone else could it?

"Gareth?" she yelled tentatively, the acoustics of the room mocking her.

"Who... are... you...?" the room flung back at her. She craned her neck, looking in all directions. She looked directly up and nearly lost her stomach. He was sitting on the ceiling, very pasty faced.

"I'm Red, and if your Gareth then me n Star wished you away."

"Oh thanks a lot! You don't even know me!"

"You pulled the plug on our deep and meaningful conversation!"

"So." He sulked.

"Could you come down here?"

"No! I'm stuck! I can't move!"

*Poor kid. What have you done Jareth?*

"Bitch" he added.

*I take that back.*

And she thought and thought and thought. In the end she decided to trust the movie as a last resort. Time was short after all. She closed her eyes and jumped.

"Oh /God/." Her hair was hanging /up/ as it where, and her tee shirt was about to follow. With barely concealed embarrassment she hastily tucked her shirt in her trousers and with a bright light bulb smile asked Gareth if he know how the movie ended.

"Yeah," he gave her a dumb ass look, "you have no power over me."

"Good boy," she said vaguely, kids weren't /really/ her thing. But nothing had happened!

With a start she realised she was looking at /his/ black boots. Followed by his leather pants and umm, /then/ his leather shirt with a vesty thing. For once it wasn't peek-a-boo, but spewed frothy lace out of the neckline. The smile chilled her. "You have to say the words to."

"Huh? I /can't/ leave Star!"

"She is not of your concern."

To Reds dismay she couldn't tell Jareth exactly what she thought of his last comment as the words where forcing themselves out. She fought it, she really /did/.

She found herself standing in front of her restarting computer.

"/YOU BASTARD!!/" She screamed.

***

Star blinked and looked around. It was a ballroom, only graceful and beautiful with flowing dancers and fairies glittering above. With childish stubbiness she stamped on the urge to look for something...and slouched on a chair pouting, probably wrinkling her beautiful red silk dress with silver and black workings.

"Oh Star, Star." She stiffened as Jareth stood over her. What was it Red had typed? /J towers over you. His eyes, his eyebrows swamp your senses.../ She felt herself drowning as Jareth pulled her unresisting body into his arms and carefully, then passionately spun her around the room.

They must have danced all night when in alarm she stopped dead and with growing panic demanded, "where's Gareth? And Red! What have you done!?"

"They are at /their/ homes, safe." Star ignored the implications of that and tried desperately to ignore the sexy purr of his voice and think of a way out.

No inspiration happened. She accepted the room in hope for breathing space.