...Though We're Strangers Till Now

by Jacqui

Note - All the original characters do NOT belong to me, although the rest of them do. Last names of those characters who didn't or don't have them are entirely fictional. This is my first attempt at Labyrinth fanfiction, so reviews would be really nice and appreciated. This story is mostly based on the movie, but there's a few elements from the book thrown in here and there. I read Labyrinth analyses, various fanfiction, and also came up with my own conclusions and ideas. So, this entire story will entail all three of those sources of information. It may be weird, it may be good, either way, as I mentioned before...feedback is always appreciated and adored. :) Oh yeah, Jim Henson, Brian Froud, and everyone who had a hand in creating this movie are geniuses.

Chapter 5: Starting Over Again

Sarah couldn't believe this. She was trapped here, victimized by Jareth's continuous sarcasm and torment. The worst part about it all was that she began to realize that this wasn't just a dream, it was as real as the last time she was here. Only now, she was Jareth's servant, she saw no difference in that word and slave. Either way, she hated the fact that she 'belonged' to anyone. She also hated that he had scared her, she had promised herself that she wouldn't let that happen; she was too old to be acting like a frightened little girl. She sat on her bed, tears staining her face as they poured from her eyes. She hated him. She ranked him right up there with her stepmother. She felt completely betrayed as far as life went, and at that thought, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Minutes passed as she cried, and then she heard a casual knock on her door.

"Miss? Are you still awake?" came Helori's voice from behind the door.

"Yes, I'm just going to bed now," Sarah called back.

"I was sent just to inform you that His Majesty would like you to meet him in his office tomorrow when you awake." Helori had her ear pressed against the door, barely being able to hear Sarah through her sobbing.

"Alright, good night," Sarah replied, scooting up to the top of her bed to get beneath the covers.

"Good night miss," Helori sighed, making a retreat to her own chambers.

"I'll show him up tomorrow," Sarah said to herself. "I'll make him see that he doesn't frighten me anymore, he went too far tonight." She reached up slowly, dowsing the candles by her bedside to kill any remaining light in the room. Then, she settled down and quickly fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Sarah awoke to Helori's shrilling voice.

"Miss! Miss, wake up! His Majesty is expecting you!" Helori shrieked, rustling Sarah from her bed.

"Okay, okay. Let me put some clothes on," Sarah said sleepily.

"No time to dawdle, miss, he's waiting! It isn't wise to keep the Goblin King waiting!"

"Where are my clothes?" Sarah asked, looking around her room for the clothing she was wearing when she arrived.

"Oh, I didn't think you would need them anymore. So I had His Majesty's personal seamstress make you some!" Helori replied cheerfully, believing she had done a good deed.

"You what!?" Sarah exclaimed. "Those were my only clothes, I can't wear these tight dresses and corsets all the time!"

"It's the proper attire to wear when in the presence of His Maces--"

"I don't care! I want my clothes back, please!" Sarah was becoming frantic. She heard Helori inhale deeply, then release it with a quick sigh.

"Of course miss, you shall have them back this evening. But until then, you must wear what I've brought you. The corset isn't necessary for this one..." Helori was clearly disappointed, but Sarah ignored that.

"Thank you, now please let me change and I will be out as soon as I can," Sarah said in an exasperated voice. Helori curtsied quickly, and stepped out of the room. Sarah had little time to realize that she had fallen asleep in the same dress she had worn the night before. How she slept was a complete mystery! She hurried and took off her current dress and slinked herself into the one that Helori had left for her. It wasn't much of a formal outfit. The fabric was an off white color, and it didn't long sleeves but shorter ones that ended at the shoulders. The bottom was loose around her legs, but it didn't widen as it went further down, ending at her ankles. The bodice was perfectly loose, just a little under a form-fitting size. The neckline was high, concealing what her other ones didn't. Sarah wasn't trying to impress Jareth at all with her physical appearance. She quickly put on some slippers that matched the dress, although they had no heels. They felt like the ones she would wear around her house, with smaller rounded ends. When she pulled the door open, she saw Helori standing right outside, waiting with extreme impatience. Sarah thought Helori was going to explode at any minute, or pass out from fright.

"Let us go miss, he's waited long enough!" Helori barked as she grabbed Sarah's arm and whisked her down the path to Jareth's study. The girl didn't slow down until they were standing outside the same room Sarah had been brought to the day before. A voice broke from behind the doors.

"Come in Sarah," said Jareth, his tone sounded as if he were in a better mood than she thought he would be. Helori squeaked when she heard his voice, and she bid Sarah good luck before darting away.

"Well he doesn't scare me," Sarah said quietly as she raked her hand through her hair a few times to clear away the tangles. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

"Finally awake I see," Jareth said coolly. Not looking up from the document he was reading.

"Yes, I--" before Sarah could speak, his hand shot up and stopped her.

"It is not important. I've asked you here for one reason only. I wanted to get a few things clear between us." His voice was steady, as he set his document down on the top of his desk. Sarah twitched as his eyes then concentrated on her.

"You've made everything perfectly clear already, Jareth. I'm to be your personal servant, did I miss something?" Sarah retorted, holding on to her vow of refusing to be frightened by him.

"That is not what I meant," Jareth replied. "I'm speaking of our personal relationship."

"I wasn't aware that you wanted a relationship with me." She was surprised, but sarcastic.

"If you are to be my servant, Sarah, we must interact with one another. I do not want things to be coarse between us. I see no point in both of us trying to overpower the other in a duel of mental ability. It does seem tiring and pointless. I would like us to be--"

"Friends?" Sarah finished. Her hands clenched at the sides of her dress, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes. Friends," Jareth said in return. His eyes were burning into her again, they never moved from her once.

"If you would have asked me this last night, I would have laughed in your face." Sarah was clearly showing her disbelief with that statement.

"You were not cooperating with me then. I had asked you a simple question, but you refused to answer it and kept creating ways around it." Jareth stood up and walked around his desk. Sarah backed up a little as he came closer to her.

"I told you I didn't want to talk about it...but you just kept pushing me, so I finally broke. And I wasn't happy when I finally did tell you." Sarah remembered her secret promise, and she stopped moving. Jareth stopped a few feet from her.

"Well, I want to start over, Sarah. I do not have much company in this castle, visitors are rare and messengers only present themselves when an important event arises. Since you are going to be here within my castle with our proximity not too far apart, I felt it would be beneficial for us to be comfortable around one another." Sarah had not seen him this way since she arrived. But she wasn't complaining, she just didn't understand why he was being so cordial with her now.

"So I can never leave to return home, is that what you're saying?" she said, not knowing how to respond to him.

"You would have to prove to me that your true desire was to return home. Until you have done so, I am afraid that is one wish I can not fulfill." Sarah's eye dropped to the floor. Half of her wanted to go home, but the other half railed against it. Jareth stepped toward until he was inches from her. Reaching upward, he cupped her chin and lifted her eyes to face him. "I don't want us to remain enemies, Sarah." His eyes penetrated hers, searching for a real answer from inside her, not just whatever she felt like saying.

"If that is all you want from me, Jareth," she whispered, tears once again burning at the corners of her eyes. Jareth nodded reassuringly, allowing his hand to drop back down to his side. As Sarah looked around the room, trying to keep the tears from making a complete breakthrough, her eyes caught sight of a large glass jar. It was wide at the bottom, but slowly curved inward to create a long neck, she guessed it was for wine of some sort. The bright red mixed with black had given it away, just as much as the peculiar design that was carved into it. She quickly removed her gaze from it, making sure Jareth didn't notice her staring.

"So be it." Jareth said, returning to his desk.

"Jareth..." Sarah whispered, choking back the last of her tears.

"Yes?" he replied immediately, turning to face her.

"Since you have already taken the first step in starting over, may I take the next one?" She asked politely.

"Yes, you may...but what are you asking of me?" Jareth said in a puzzled voice.

"Will you be free to meet me in the gardens this afternoon? I heard Helori saying something about it being really beautiful." She replied.

"I have a prior engagement this evening, so our time would be short," his said, nice and evenly.

"Is this an engagement where you will wish me to accompany you?" She asked again.

"Possibly," he said as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Let's see how things go this afternoon."

"May I--"

"Yes, Sarah. You may go." Smiling lightly, she felt the obligation to curtsy. But insteadm she bowed slightly, and made her exit.

Sarah didn't even bother allowing Helori to help her at all while she was getting ready. She figured now that she knew she would probably never be going home, she would apply her upcoming new life there, to her new one here. Although, she didn't want to make up with her stepmother, probably ex- stepmother by now, after what she had done. Something inside her mind pressed her into making things work with Jareth. She was his servant after all, and even though she didn't like that idea, she had to get used to it. She found it hard to come to terms with not having any rights or privileges other than those assigned to her, but she was managing. She didn't want the pain of having to avoid Jareth every time she was there in his castle, or playing the willing servant girl every time he wanted her to do as he commanded. She simply wanted, more than anything, to have someone she could call a friend. It wasn't that she didn't have them in her hometown, but since they had graduated from high school, nearly all of her friends had moved away to go to universities and colleges in other states. Only a few remained, and they were the ones who didn't really have time for personal time together. They occasionally talked on the phone and made plans, but nothing ever came of it. She wanted to have a friendship where she would be able to spend time with the person and talk and just be herself. This was her chance.

She bathed quickly, spending equally five minutes on her body and her hair. She wrapped a thick towel around her as she stepped out of the tub. Although made of a different material, she was thrilled that even in the Underworld they had towels, she hated to step into cold air when she was done taking a bath. She sat down at her vanity and combed out her hair. When it was completely dry, she combed out any excess tangles that remained. Surprisingly, her hair had a beautiful shine to it, and there was much more volume to it than normal. She mentally thanked Helori for whatever was in that shampoo. Then she began applying her makeup. She lightly shadowed her eyes, then finished them with the mascara-like substance she had used the night before. She looked down at the palette that sat in front of her.

"Which one did she say was for the lips?" She searched the tray until she found a small dish that held a glossy liquid. She quickly applied it to her lips, giving them a silky look and feel. Whirling around, she saw the dress that Helori had left for her as well. A beautiful violet dress lie on her bed. She went over to it, picking it up to examine it. The sleeves cut off at the shoulders, but they were fluffy. The neckline went straight across without any dips, she figured this was to expose just the top of her breasts as if to tease an onlooker. She blushed at that thought. She noticed that at the waist, the dress began to get wider, although she wouldn't necessarily say it was poofy. It curled out into a wide bottom skirt. She saw that this dress would need a corset, and she sighed as she picked it up from the bed where it was lying underneath the dress. She also noticed that many crystal-like sequins were sewn everywhere on the dress except for the bodice. The hems of the sleeves and skirt bottom were trimmed with ribbon in a darker shade of violet. She took a deep breath, sucking her stomach in as much as she possibly could, and stepped into the corset. You can get this thing on without anyone's help. She thought, gradually pulling it up to her torso area. She made sure that her breasts were hidden enough by the corset so that they wouldn't show too much. Then, she slowly slipped into the dress, being extra careful not to rip or pull the fabric. She was amazed at how well it fit her. The dress missed the floor by only a few inches. The slippers, which matched the dress to perfection were beautiful, with a satiny violet material on the outside. They resembled pumps almost exactly. She whirled around in front of the mirror above her vanity, giving herself a beauty seal of approval. Helori had left her a small map of the castle and its grounds so that she wouldn't worry about getting lost. She grabbed the map without further hesitation, and quickly made her way toward the gardens.

She was surprised to see that Jareth had beaten her there. Before she rounded the corner and presented herself, she slipped behind a giant bush of what looked like honeysuckle. Her eyes examined him from where she hid. He was wearing a black shirt, the sleeves incredibly loose, but not frilly at the cuffs. He wore no coat this time, but instead he was wearing a black leather vest. His pants were black as well. She couldn't help but notice that he still had not taken his gloves off, and now she wondered why. His shirt was tucked in, as usual, but he had not worn a coat like he had been earlier. He was pacing, and every time he turned, she noticed that his shirt was open! She was almost tempted to stay there and watch him longer, but she pushed herself to go up to him. Clearing her throat, and firming her dress out, she stepped out of her hiding place.

"My apologies for being late," she said, walking up to him quickly. She startled him as he stopped his pacing abruptly and looked in her direction.

"Apologies aren't necessary," he replied. She smirked slightly as she noticed his eyes looking her up and down. He mentally shook himself, offering his hand.

"Thank you," she said sweetly, placing her hand in his. He led her over to a small stone bench, letting her sit down before him. "Jareth, I'm finding all of this hard to believe," she said skeptically.

"Find what hard to believe, exactly?" He replied, sitting down after she had done so.

"This entire situation, I mean..." she was trying to find the words to explain it to him. "Just yesterday weren't even wanting to be in each other's presence. You would treat me like a stepchild you didn't want, and I wouldn't treat you any better...we just weren't getting along. Now this?" Jareth saw the concern in her eyes, as if she wasn't ready to believe that he truly wanted a friendly relationship with her.

"I was not lying to you when I asked for better relations, Sarah. I don't say things I don't mean," he said, his eyes wandering over her attire. "Last night I was only trying to understand why you made a wish such as yours. My harshness comes with the territory of my position as Goblin King. To maintain order, I must be rigid with those who do not obey my commands."

"Are you saying that I can trust you, then?" She noticed that his gaze lingered on her breasts more than anywhere else, she blushed at first, but a triumphant smirk crossed her lips afterward. Quickly cleared her throat, she brought his attention back to her.

"If you are willing to trust me, then yes." Sarah cleared her throat and moved her body into a more comfortable position before continuing.

"Alright." Her voice lowered a little, finally accepting his offer of friendship.

"Sarah, I remember you saying something about a script last night. Everything else was clear except that part."

"Oh." Her gaze fell away from him. "Well, it was a crazy idea, really." Sarah was trying to avoid the topic, and Jareth recognized this immediately.

"Sarah..." he said in a slightly chiding voice.

"I was making a script for a movie. It was based on this....The Labyrinth. I loved the play so much, I wanted to make it a movie. I wanted others to fall in love with it as much as I had. It was a dream of mine." Jareth watched as she explained it to him, but he couldn't help but notice that it caused her so much pain to even talk about it.

"I am sorry that your dream did not happen," Jareth said with a touch of sympathy in his voice. She loved the Labyrinth. Why, he didn't know, but he couldn't stop himself from wondering.

"Anyway, aren't we supposed to be talking about more interesting things?" Sarah said, blinking back her tears before they could even begin. Jareth nodded in agreement and promptly changed the subject.

They had been talking for at least a couple hours, nothing too specific, just mild chit-chat about Jareth's work and Sarah's life since he had last seen her. They had been thoroughly enjoying themselves when a messenger came to them suddenly, presenting Jareth with a sealed envelope. Sarah noticed Jareth's face become serious as he accepted the envelope and dismissed the messenger. After opening the letter, he read it for a for moments. Then he abruptly stood and turned his gaze back to Sarah.

"We must go," Jareth said quickly, holding his hand out to her.

"Go where?"

"Remember my previous engagement? Well it is going to occur sooner than planned." Jareth's voice had a cold tone as he spoke.

"Does this mean you are requesting my company?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. Take my hand, we haven't much time." Sarah obediently took his hand and he helped her up. "This may feel overwhelming at first, but it won't harm you." He whispered, pulling her closer to him. As he closed his eyes, he concentrated intensely on one thought only. Sarah watched as everything around her began to shift and become blurry. Her body tensed as she felt herself becoming transparent. Then, they were gone.