Disclaimer: I own nothing *cries* …nothing…*cries some more*

Too Late?
By Cariah Delonne.

Chapter 5

Sarah scowled as she retraced her footsteps, trying to find her way to the old man, with the irritating bird-hat. There was no Hoggle here, no-one to share her thoughts with, and she was certainly not going to speak out loud for Jareth to mock her.

Finding herself in the warrens below the Labyrinth, Sarah scowled into the dim depths of the tunnels opening up before her. Reminded vaguely of aboveground sewers, she wrinkled her nose in disgust and took a tentative step forward.

Spying her move from his position above her, Jareth raised his eyebrows in surprise. She was being cautious. Very cautious. Certainly not a precaution she took in her last visit to his Labyrinth. "Well well Sarah," he muttered to himself, "Perhaps you have grown a little after all."

*****

Not hearing his soft words, Sarah frowned at the numerous openings before her. There had not seemed so many options on her last visit, Although, she thought wryly, I was running at top speed at the time.

Would you go left or right?
They both look the same…
Shows what you know don't it.

The words drifted to her from nowhere, and she looked again at the tunnels. Of the five openings before her, two were less moldy, less derelict than the remaining three. She sighed. Although those tracks were more used, it did not help her predicament. They could be used for both good and evil purposes. The tunnel she and Hoggle had fallen through into the Bog of Stench wasn't moldy either.

She swore under her breath, and took the cleanest tunnel, the one nearest to her. She prayed the Labyrinth had no lower levels she could fall into. She had spent most of her thirteen hours last time falling into unseen holes and trapdoors. Falling into the oubliette, into the Bog, out of the crystal… she shuddered. Bubble baths had lost all of their magic after that night.

Walking down the musty tunnel, Sarah dwelt more than ever on that night, and on the events which had led her to the castle, to Toby, and towards reality. In the midst of a fairytale region, she had found the importance of reality, something she had shunned from an early age.

*****

"Is there a time limit on this?" Sarah called out to the empty air as she finally pulled herself out of the tunnels. She gazed around in shock as she took in the great stone walls of the Labyrinth – the ones she assumed she had already passed through.

Jareth watched her expression with amusement. The dumbfounded look of shock at finding herself further behind in the Labyrinth made him smile in glee.
"Something wrong?" he enquired sweetly.

Sarah turned sharply on her heel to find Jareth cross-legged on the wall, staring down at her with glittering eyes. "Time-limit?" she repeated, forgetting about her change in position within the Labyrinth. Stupid, naïve girl, to think that it would be the same.

"No Sarah, this is not a race. This is a battle. You have already heard me offer you all that you could have had if you forfeited. But no – you did not care for my generous offer." He looked almost sad for a moment.

Sarah watched his expression. He had not changed from her last meeting with him, the look of contempt he had given her remained, and his appearance had not changed – she doubted if he had gained one line on his face.

Frustrated with games she did not understand, Sarah sighed. "So am I to make it to the castle at the center, or claim a jewel, or rescue some lost soul? What do I have to do to go home?"

Jareth laughed. "I like the sound of the last challenge Sarah…" his voice resonated around the Labyrinth and she turned away from where he had last been.

"Always needs to have the last word," she muttered, "and what better way to have it than to disappear so there is no-one to argue with him."

Jareth laughed. "If thinking that makes you feel better Sarah," he said to himself. Kicking goblins out of the way, he made his way towards the throne room. "Bring me that blasted dwarf! Hoghead, or whatever his name is!" Jareth made a point never to get a name correct. It made creatures feel like they meant something if people remembered their names.

The dwarf in question waddled into the throne room moments later, to find Jareth stretched luxuriously over the throne, riding crop lazily tapping his ankle.
"Ahhh.... Higgle…"
"Hoggle," the dwarf croaked.
"Whatever." Jareth smiled indulgently.

A/N: Ok, well, yes. This has taken me ages! I know where I want to end up; it's just getting there first!
Thank you all sooooo much for your reviews!
In most of the Laby fanfics I've read, Sarah comes to an understanding about Jareth's personality and how he ticks, but I'm going to try and accomplish the opposite. In some ways, I don't like Sarah, but I do like it that she isn't going to change because someone told her to, or because someone was arrogant enough to think he could offer her her dreams. I want Jareth to understand that in this fic, and ultimately, an understanding between the characters.
Perhaps even a happy ending…
Please Review!