AN: Ack! I had typed about a full page of this story and in my stupidity, closed it without saving!!!! _ Oi vey. That's okay, didn't really like where it was going ^-^ So I'm starting again, with no other options ^-^;; A note to other writers: Save your stuff continuously!!!!

Okay, really random, but on the Heathen CD, you know the "Gemini Space Craft" song?

You know when he's like, "Wellllll" near the end? That always sends shivers up my spine…LMAO! Maybe it's just me ^-^

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Hoggle blinked, his brows knitting together in confusion. He studied the woman before him, surely he hadn't gotten this girl mixed up with Sarah. Despite the longer hair, more angled face, height, and wiser eyes, there was no mistake. This was Sarah.

And yet, at the same time, she wasn't Sarah. The old Sarah would have remembered her friends. She would have swooped down and tried to hug, maybe even kiss, him. But here she was, years later, standing before him as if she had never seen him before. He half expected it was a joke. That she would laugh and say, "Of course I wouldn't forget you!"

"I-it's me, Sarah. Hoggle." He slapped his hand once against his chest, as if proving a point. She cocked her head to the side, a slight frown on her face.

"You…Really don't remember me?"

Sarah shook her head sadly. Hurt was evident in Hoggle's voice, something he did not display often. Sarah immediately wanted to take it back, to remember him because the anguish on his face made her want to cry out.

Something in her mind nagged at her, told her she should remember him, that he was important to her. That they indeed had met before and had went through a great deal together. But the harder she tried to remember him, the further away the sensation became, until it was just a dull numbing sensation pushed far back into her mind to be forgotten. Could this have something to do with whatever was affecting her?

"I'm sorry, I really don't remember you."

"Oooh, Jareth isn't going to like this."

"Jareth? You know Jareth?" Sarah's eyes lit with frustration. Hoggle nodded slowly.

"Course I do. You….Remember Jareth but not me?" He watched her reaction carefully. She nodded slowly, a frown marring her face.

"I'm so sorry, Hogwart."

"Hoggle!" He snapped. She smiled sheepishly back at him. The buzzing in the back of her head came back strong, than was carelessly brushed aside. Hoggle smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. Things were almost back to normal. Almost.

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"So, what are you planning on doing?" Ashter asked, sprawled across the Goblin King's throne. He watched Jareth pace until his head hurt, then turned his attention to the window.

"I don't know." He growled, frustrated. He hated not knowing, feeling trapped in one of his own games. But what could he do? He didn't only have the problem of facing the court, but Sarah's health as well to deal with.

He might be able to get away with telling the court that without Sarah, the Underground would perish. It was true, and should keep him out of trouble. Until, of course, someone got word of a mortal in the castle and attempted something rash that could very well danger Sarah's life.

His thoughts were interrupted when the doors to the throne room burst open and Hoggle came limping in, Sarah close behind. Ashter raised an eyebrow, amused, but silently watched to see what his friend would do.

"What are you doing here, Hedgewart?"

"Hogwart."

"It's Hoggle!" The small man corrected both the king and Sarah, obviously offended. Jareth didn't pay any attention to him, and instead turned to face Sarah.

She was chewing on her bottom lip, as if deep in thought. Jareth frowned, then looked at Hoggle, who was currently tugging at his coat. Under normal circumstances, he might have sent him to the Bog of Eternal Stench, but whatever he wanted to say seemed urgent.

"Yes?" He looked wearily down at the dwarf, not very eager to talk to much of anyone today. At least not until he had a plan.

"Yer majesty, Sarah, she….She doesn't remember me." Jareth was about to ask why that was so Underground-shattering when he froze. He quickly turned his attention towards Sarah, who was fidgeting nervously in the doorway.

"Is this true?"

"Y-yes. I know I should know him, I can feel this thing in my head that's telling me I know him, but I keep drawing a blank."

Jareth let his breath hiss out of him and he walked slowly over to his throne. Ashter moved without being told to and watched as the king fell back into his chair, one hand covering his face.

"W-what? What's wrong?" Sarah hesitantly approached the throne. The Goblin King looked up at her, and he suddenly seemed weary, so much older. She frowned.

"Sarah, may I examine you?"

"Examine me?"

"Enter your mind. I have a few suspicions that I would like to clear." He explained as he stood and walked towards her. Sarah held her breath. Even now, while she should have been worried about her health, she couldn't help but notice just how beautiful he really was. She could see his lips moving, knew he was saying something important, but she couldn't break the trance he held on her. She could only focus on his mouth. She wondered what it tasted like…

"I don't believe she's hearing you, Jareth."

The deep voice brought her out of her haze and she turned to look at the man standing in the corner of the room. Why hadn't she noticed him before?

"Sarah, as flattered as I am that you like what you see, this is important." Jareth smirked, thoroughly enjoying the face she made.

"Why you arrogant….Arrogant bastard!" Sarah exploded, trying to fight down the blush that stained her cheeks. She had been caught, and she knew she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye for another week or so.

"I assure you, I am not a bastard." He tugged on one of his gloves, giving her a bored look. She seethed silently. Whatever she said he would just throw back in her face anyway.

"As you were saying?" Ashter asked, startling Sarah. She had forgotten about him.

"Oh, excuse me, I haven't met you before, have I?" Sarah turned to face the other man, ignoring Jareth completely. There was an anxiousness to her voice that she knew was present because of the current situation. How many more people had she met before that she didn't remember? Ashter chuckled and shook his head.

"Fear not, m'lady. We have not met before. My name is Ashter. I'm a friend of Jareth's." He bowed and his ponytail slipped over his shoulder, partially hiding his face. Sarah blushed at the gesture and smiled shyly.

"My name is Sarah."

"If you are finished…" Jareth interrupted, a scowl on his face. Ashter straightened and nodded, suddenly solemn. Sarah frowned but nodded, reluctantly turning to face the blonde man before her.

"As I had been saying before you undressed me with your eyes." He held up a hand to stop the protest he knew was coming before continuing. "I will need to enter your mind, using my magic. It is the only way that I can find the cause of all this."

Sarah nodded cautiously. Did she really want him going through her mind? Did that mean he would see her innermost thoughts? Her secrets that no one was meant to know? He seemed to read her mind already and chuckled.

"I am not doing this to pry into that complicated little mind of yours. I am trying to ensure the safety of my Labyrinth and to do that, I must use you as a median."

Sarah felt her body go numb as he spoke. A median. That's what she was. Of course, how could she ever think that he would still love her? Had he ever loved her? Or was that all just a game?

"Fine, but hurry up and finish this. Wouldn't want your precious Labyrinth to crumble." She snapped bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. He blinked, momentarily confused, before he eyed her wearily and nodded.

"If you will sit there. It is easier to enter if you are relaxed." He pointed to his throne in the center of the room. Sarah nodded and slowly walked over, not fully trusting turning her back on the Goblin King. Once she was settled, Jareth approached, standing in front of her.

"Close your eyes." He instructed gently. She obliged, and held her breath. It was a few moments before she felt the brush of something foreign but not unwelcome in her mind. Were it not for the soothing voice murmuring back to her, she would have bolted out of the room. It felt like velvet, and she felt things low in her body tighten.

Power trickled through her mind, brushing gently against memories of her family and old friends. It almost felt as if a large feline were rubbing against her. Of course, that large feline would be Jareth and the thought of him kneeling by her side and butting his head against her leg was enough to make her giggle.

"Concentrate." A voice whispered, and she was back to sitting silent and still. Something stirred at the back of her mind and she gasped, recognizing it as the thing from before.

"Jareth! Get out now!" She didn't know if she had yelled out loud, but she knew he needed to get out. It slithered faster towards him, mercilessly tearing through her mind, eliciting small whimpers from her mouth.

With an impressive push, Jareth was tossed from her mind and landed hard on his butt, momentarily stunned.

"Jareth! Are you all right?" Ashter hurried over to his friend's side and helped pull him up. He nodded slowly.

"What just happened? Lady Sarah was screaming, she-"

"Sarah!" He had forgotten about the girl while he was trying to regain his composure. She was still sitting in the throne, hands gripping the arms so tightly her knuckles were white. She still hadn't opened her eyes, the only sounds her small whimpers. He approached her cautiously and kneeled before her, his hands hesitating just above hers'.

"Sarah?" He placed his hands over hers' and she screamed, yanking them back and cradling them close to her body. Her eyes were wide, staring back at him, mouth open as if she were getting ready to scream.

"He wants me to forget. He told me…Told me he was going to-to…" She shivered, as if remembering something horrible, and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Who wants you to forget? What is he going to do?"

"I don't know! I don't know who he is! He said he was going to kill you!"

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AN: Bah! I'm sorry it took so long to update! I've been so wrapped up in my fav RPG Lunar again that I haven't been updating. I actually had this chapter finished a while ago BUT (don't hit me yet!) BUT I was re-reading and thinking of rewriting the entire chappy because I didn't like how it was going. Needless to say I didn't.

Review Please!

~Neoshipper~