AN: OK, I know the story is kind of cheesy, and slow moving. Sorry. Anyway, I hope you like the first chapter! R&R

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, etc. I wish I did, but I don't.

Chapter One: Back to the Underground

Sarah turned off her car and got out, grabbing the duffel bag containing her clothing and necessities. It was late, and she was back at the apartment she shared with Beth. She knew she shouldn't feel so discouraged, but she couldn't help but feel that moving out of her parents' house was her first mistake in a long line. She climbed the stairs to her apartment and unlocked the door.

She entered very quietly without turning on any lights, knowing that any little light or noise inside the apartment would have Beth up and running around in no time. Once, Sarah had had a nightmare and fell out of bed, landing with a soft thump. Though she had not made any other sound, Beth heard that small 'thump' through both of their closed doors and across the hall. Sarah smiled remembering how she had charged into her bedroom to make sure everything was all right.

So as not to wake Beth, she walked quietly over to a small lamp and turned it on. Nothing happened. She tried flipping the switch a few times, with no result.

Great, now I have to find a light bulb for this thing. Sarah sighed.

"Sarah"

Sarah jumped and spun around to scan the room, her eyes still trying to adjust to the dark. Seeing no one, she realized that she had not really heard the voice, it was in her mind. Goosebumps prickled along her skin. She shuddered. That voice was familiar, too familiar. She scanned the room again. Her eyes were drawn to the glass door that led to the small balcony. There, perched on the balcony railing, a white barn owl.

As she watched, the owl batted its wings and began to fly at the window. Just as it was about to smash into the glass, it passed through the door to land on the floor in a flurry of glitter.

Strange, last time he conjured up some wind to blow the window open. The thought seemed to come from a long way off to penetrate her numb mind.

Slowly, the owl transformed into a man. He looked just as he had when she first saw him. His long, blond hair and dark blue cape blowing about in a breeze Sarah couldn't feel.

Sarah watched, backing up against the front door. He was just as arrogant looking as she remembered. And just as handsome, too. Before she could question her meandering memories, the man now standing in her living room took a few steps forward.

"Hello Sarah," he said in his accented voice, taking another deliberate step towards her.

"Jareth. What do you want?" Sarah whispered, wondering distantly where Beth was. She would've been in here by now.

Jareth did not answer right away. He stood, studying her with his intense, mismatched eyes. As if he liked what he saw, he grinned devilishly at her.

"Now, is that the way you greet me after not seeing me for so long?" Jareth said, amused.

Sarah scoffed. He walked three steps closer and Sarah clenched her fists at her side. He was within arm's reach now.

Jareth could sense her fear and anger towards him. Fear he could understand; he was frightening. But anger? Had he not given her all that she wanted? Adventure, challenges, the experience she always dreamed of? He stopped moving forward, he could reach out and touch her now.

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, choosing to ignore his statement. "Well, what do you want?" she said, sounding braver than she felt. Her knees felt shaky and her stomach felt as if it was falling down, but she struggled not to let it show.

"Oh, now what makes you think that I want something?" asked the Goblin King in a falsely innocent tone.

"Well, you didn't come by for a cup of tea," Sarah muttered bitterly.

Jareth frowned. "Do you really want to know why I am here?"

Sarah shook her head. "I defeated you, remember? 'You have no power over me'?" she said quietly, surprised at how long ago and far away that line seemed.

"And perhaps I didn't," he said, almost to himself. Then, "Sarah, this isn't a game anymore."

"A game?" Sarah said, voice rising along with her anger. She glared daggers at him, fear forgotten. "You took my little brother, tormented and mocked me, played with my mind and my dreams, put me through ten hours of hell, and call it a game!"

His eyes narrowed, his own anger coming forth. He struggled to keep his composure. "You wished the child away, starting it all, and dare to blame me? I gave you everything you asked for!"

"I was acting out a story! It was a gameand I was young! I didn't know what would happen!"

Jareth stopped and took this in and thought about it. So that's why she was so angry. Yes, she wanted adventure, but he had hit too close to home. It had turned into a nearly life or death situation for her, even if it was what she dreamed.

His face softened a bit. Sarah's fear replaced the anger she had just let off. What would he do now? Despite her fear, she felt relieved to let those feelings towards him out.

This might not be good... She steeled herself for whatever may happen.

He surprised her when he didn't continue the argument and said instead, "You don't have to have such a miserable life." He summoned up a crystal ball, idly rolling it across his hands and arms, making Sarah remember. 'It's a crystal, nothing more, but if you turn it this way, look into it, it will show you your dreams...'.

"I am here to bring you back to my kingdom. You could have the life you always dreamed of."

Sarah just looked at him with wide eyes. He has some nerve! What is he plotting this time? What will happen if I come, if I don't? If I do?

As if reading her thoughts, Jareth added, "Of course, you would come to live in my castle. For a week of your time, and if you choose, you can come back or stay."

"And if I don't go with you?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I'm afraid you do not have a choice. But," he added, quite seriously, pointing at her. "If you do not stay with me, I will never offer you your dreams again."

Pity, never see Jareth again? she thought, sarcastically. Did I just use that word? She shivered. Damn him.

Jareth watched the thoughts play across her face, wondering if the thought of never seeing him again pained her at all. She finally sighed and met his eyes. He grinned at her and held his hand to her. She looked at it and back into his eyes, and without knowing why, she reached for his hand.

The next thing Sarah knew, she was in the Underground. She found herself in a room, inside the castle, with Jareth beside her. Sarah suspected the room they were standing in would be hers for the next week.

"We are here. Someone will be back here in a few moments to make sure you have everything that you need," Jareth said, dropping her hand. He looked at her and seemed to hesitate before disappearing. Sarah watched where he had been standing, half expecting him to reappear.

When she saw that he was not returning right away, she looked around her room. She opened the nearest door, she found a cold stone hallway lined with a long red rug down the middle and many other closed wooden doors. She closed the heavy door again and turned around. On the wall opposite the door at her back there was a good-sized, white canopy bed against the wall. A wooden wardrobe stood in a corner and a matching vanity was on the wall opposite it. Intricately woven rugs were scattered about the floor and there was a small fireplace on the wall to her left. A plush blue chair was even placed before it. Sarah saw another door to her right and opened it to reveal a bathroom. The room was tiled with a large tub, a sink imbedded into a washstand, towels and a privy of sorts that flushed its contents to a different, unknown place. On the counters around the wash basin were other bottles and oddities she took for toiletries. She closed the bathroom door and explored her bedroom more thoroughly.

The rooms were lovely, and had everything she needed and more. Even the wardrobe was full of beautiful medieval type dresses. The vanity contained many sorts of jars containing lotion and make-ups. She felt very pampered and mildly uneasy about having such nice things readily available for her personal use. I could get used to this easily, Sarah thought as she changed into a long, silky, white nightgown. She sat down at the vanity to brush her long, dark brown hair and wait for the maid or servant that was supposed to meet her.

Jareth draped himself over his throne and summoned one of his goblins. "Fetch Ada, tell her I wish to speak with her right away," he ordered and the goblin scurried off to do as he was bid.

Within moments, a young elfin maid walked into the room and curtsied saying, "Your Highness wished to see me?" Ada was shorter than most elves, but she was a good worker, the best worker. Her light brown hair reached the middle of her back and was tied back with a strip of cloth. She wore a simple maid's dress of a fawn color and a white apron, and she was surprisingly clean considering the filthiness of many of the goblins. She looked up at Jareth expectantly with her very pale purple eyes.

"Yes," Jareth started looking down at her. He softened slightly, and some of his arrogant air vanished. "I know you are busy, tending the Princess, but I have an important favor to ask of you." He paused for effect, but didn't miss Ada rolling her eyes. He almost grinned, but stopped himself. She was getting to know him too well. "I would like you to wait on my special guest, Lady Sarah." Ada raised her eyebrows as a silent question. Jareth frowned at her expression. "You are the only one I can trust with her. Even if you do not really work for me, I would appreciate this favor. It doesn't seem that you have anything better to do with your time anyway."

This lady must be important, Ada thought, though, she was flattered that the Goblin King thought so highly of her. Or perhaps... Ada looked into Jareth's mismatched eyes, searching for his emotions. She smiled. "If it pleases M'Lord, I shall serve her."

"So formal!" Jareth said in false shock, but without smiling. He raised his hand and dismissed her with a shooing motion.

Ada grinned at him, eyes laughing. With a curtsy, she left him shaking his head.

Sarah put down her brush and got up to answer the knock at her door. When she opened it she saw a small, young elfin woman in maid's clothing. Her light brown hair was pulled away from her face and tied with a strip of cloth and her pale purple eyes flashed.

The elfin woman smiled and dipped a small curtsy. "M'Lady Sarah. I am Ada and I will be attending to you."

"Ada," Sarah said with a friendly smile. "Please, just call me 'Sarah'."

Ada nodded, a grin in her eyes. "Will you be needing anything tonight?"

"Oh, no, thank you."

Ada nodded again. "Let me know if you do. I will be around, probably attending to my mistress, but just ask someone, they'll know where to find me and fetch me to you."

"Your mistress?" Sarah asked, slightly confused. Of course, Jareth must have someone respectable in this castle, someone who has a personal maid.

"Why, yes. Princess Jemima. She is," Ada struggled with her words, frowning, "staying for a while. I do not really work for His Majesty, the Goblin King, but I was asked to serve you, as a personal favor."

"Oh," Sarah replied dumbly. She was still confused, and she couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling inside. A princess just happens to be visiting Jareth this week. She sighed. "Thank you, Ada."

"Of course," Ada said, dipping a curtsy before leaving. She shut the door behind her and started towards her mistress's chambers. She had seen the look that crossed over Lady Sarah's face when she mentioned the Princess. Sadness was it? Disappointment? Ada shook it off as she opened the door to the Princess' rooms.

Sarah awoke when the sun shone through her window and across her bed. At first, she didn't know where she was—she saw nothing immediately familiar. Memory soon returned. She scowled and got out of bed. She felt the soft carpets under her bare feet as she put her arms over her head and stretched. As she started to make her bed, there came a knock from her door and Ada looked in.

"Lady Sarah. What are you doing?" Ada smiled and went to the other side and helped Sarah straighten soft sheets, pillows, and her down comforter.

"Good morning, Ada." Sarah smiled. At least there is one friendly face around here that I won't mind seeing.

"Good morning." Ada replied as they finished putting the bed to rights. "I will now go and prepare your bath," Ada replied and walked into the bathroom.

Sarah walked to the vanity and brushed out her hair. Then she went to pick out a dress from the wardrobe. She finally decided on a burgundy colored one with beautiful black embroidery at the hem, the end of the flared sleeves and the low neckline. She laid it down on her bed just as Ada walked back in.

"Your bath awaits. I see you have picked out a dress for the day," Ada said walking towards her. She looked at the dress and nodded in approval. Sarah smiled and went to take her bath.

After she had finished her bath, Sarah walked into her room wrapped in a large towel. She found that Ada had found some black moccasin-like shoes that went well with the dress and was laying out earrings and a necklace that would match perfectly.

"Thank you, Ada!" Sarah said with pleasure.

Ada's eyes lit up in a smile. "His Highness wishes for you to join him for breakfast this morning, so get ready." Then she went to clean up the bathroom while Sarah got dressed.

When she came back into the room, she found Sarah sitting at her vanity, running a brush through her wet hair. Ada walked over and took the brush from her and started brushing Sarah's hair herself.

"You don't have to-" Sarah stopped as she saw that her hair was drying under Ada's strokes. She looked wide-eyed at Ada's reflection in the mirror before her. Ada chuckled softly and started to weave matching burgundy ribbons through Sarah's dark hair. "A bit of my own magic," she said softly with a smile.

"Wow!" Sarah exclaimed quietly.

"Stand up now, let me look at you."

Sarah obeyed, looking from Ada back to her reflection. The dress looked stunning on her and it accented her pale complexion.

"Sarah, you look marvelous!"

"You think so?" asked Sarah, blushing slightly and turning back to look at herself in the mirror again.

"Would I say so if you looked otherwise?" Sarah just looked at Ada, who grinned.

After a moment, Sarah asked a touch nervously, "Will I get to meet the Princess?"

"Yes, but not until mid-day meal. She likes to sleep in when she can. I can hardly blame her, after she stays awake to all hours of the night reading."

Sarah nodded. "Why are you two here anyway?" Then she blushed, not wishing to sound impertinent. Ada didn't seem to notice, she was frowning in thought.

"I am not quite sure how it all began really. It has something to do with Prince Xavier, I believe."

"Prince Xavier?"

"Yes, he is the ruler of Rose City, one of the Three Elven Kingdoms. His Kingdom is known by some as the Dark Kingdom. He wished to marry Princess Jemima of Sunset Kingdom, but alas, she is betrothed to Prince Kamal of Crystal City," Ada explained. Sarah nodded and Ada continued. "Anyway, His Highness the Goblin King came and brought us here."

Sarah frowned at this. Why in heaven's name would he kidnap someone? And an elfin princess at that! However, she was slightly glad that the situation wasn't what she made it out to be. She told herself that this was not what caused her mood to be lighter.

Ada saw her frown and instantly said, "Oh, but he doesn't treat us badly at all! He even gave the Princess her own suite of rooms to stay in. Of course, we aren't allowed to leave the castle grounds. I must say, Princess Jemima seems to be enjoying the break from her duties. Though, I know she is missing her parents, King Orson and Queen Selena and her brother Donovan. And, of course, Lord Kamal and his father, Old King Adiar."

Sarah nodded and after a while asked, "Will Jareth let you go back?"

"He has promised that we shall return, he just wanted to make a point to Lord Xavier I think."

There were many moments of silence before Ada broke it. "And why are you here Lady Sarah?"

Sarah frowned. "I'm not sure. Jareth left me no choice but to come with him." She shook her head.

"He has not kidnapped you, has he?" Ada asked, violet eyes sharp as they looked at her.

"No, not really." Sarah sighed. "Five years ago, I was acting out a story with my baby brother, Toby, and I wished him away to the goblins. At the time, I think I almost meant it." Ada's eyes widened. Sarah smiled at her and continued. "Jareth made me solve the Labyrinth in order to save him, and I did. I think I hated it then. Now that I look back and now that everything is OK, it was quite magical. And if pressed, I would probably say that I learned more about life and about myself. I would never tell him that."

"So, you are that one, the only one to have ever solved his Labyrinth!" Ada exclaimed in quiet awe.

Sarah frowned. "The only one?" Is this why he brought me back? Revenge maybe? No, he can't be that cruel, or else he would have put me in an oubliette, not a nice room. Then why am I here?

Ada stood in silence for a while and watched thoughts play across Sarah's face. She finally came out of her trance and said, "How long is he keeping you here?"

"A week of my time, unless I decide to stay with- stay here." Now she was confused, had he not said "If you do not stay with me..."

Ada nodded and replied, "That will be about a month of our time, assuming Jareth doesn't start playing too much with it. Time that is. Now, why don't we get you down to breakfast, His Highness is surely waiting."

Alright, I should probably say that the elves in my story are not short, knome-like creatures. They are more like humans, but have some special powers. Their eyes tend to be different as well. Anyway, back to the point, I realize that my elves seem similar to the elves in Lord of the Rings. They are not meant to be. I started this fanfiction before I had read, seen, or was even interested in LotR. In fact, I was almost done with the third chapter before I saw the first movie and fell in love with it (especially the elves). So, I'm just letting you know, I'm not stealing ideas. And for the record, LotR doesn't belong to me either.