Woo! Look, my first EVER S/J ficcie! Be gentle people, this is my first time writing the two together. Lol. Anywho, I hope you enjoy and do please review because I would love to know your thoughts! Thanks! ^_^
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters; they indeed belong to Henson, Inc. I do however own Bryan and any character that is not in the movie unless otherwise stated. Heh.
Once More With Feeling
1. Again?
"Hey! Sarah! Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…!" little 5-year old Bryan chanted as he tugged at the leg of the woman's jeans.
Sarah Williams rolled her eyes and shoved her waist length raven hair over one shoulder as she turned to face him, "What, Bryan?" Her hazel eyes pinned the small boy to the spot for about 10 seconds before the little ball of energy bounced before her excitedly.
"Read to us, Sarah! Read to Toby and me about the Goblins again!" Bryan grinned and clapped his small hands together and 7-year old Toby joined in with the bouncing marathon. Sarah, now 21, laughed softly and ruffled both boys' hair before crying out, "Alright, alright! I give! I will read to you two." Both boys cried out happily and raced into the living room, pouncing onto the couch and settling down eagerly as they awaited her arrival with the familiar red book they had both learned to love so well. Sarah grinned to herself and grabbed the familiar book, halting momentarily to run her hand almost lovingly over the familiar worn cover before making her way out into the living room.
She sighed as she remembered the last few years, graduating an honor student at her high school and moving out of her parent's house at the age of eighteen, of college and how she had moved into her very own apartment. She had gotten her first job at a local book store at the age of seventeen, now working at a local coffee shop, waitressing and receiving generous tips. She knew that without the little red book, she would not have turned out the way she had. Her adventure made her the person she was now and she could not bear to part with the small reminder of her triumph in adolescence, keeping it all these years and telling Toby the story over and over again. Her thoughts drifted to the Goblin King and she secretly wondered what had happened to him. Was he all right? Was he even alive? She shook herself from the train of thought as she entered the living room; both boys bouncing excitedly once they spotted the red book nestled between her hands. She smiled at Toby and then at Bryan. Bryan and his family just recently moved in next door and she recalled the day when Toby excitedly called her cell phone and told her of his new playmate, nearly talking for an hour from his excitement. The two boys immediately got along from the start and every day they played together. Sarah grinned and sat between the boys and both immediately curled up against her, eyes glued to the small book that she slowly opened and started to recite, the familiar words flowing over them as her voice softly yet passionately spoke each one.
Soon enough, the story was over and she closed the book, looking down to see both boys sound asleep against her. She looked at the clock across the room and it chimed eleven-thirty, making her smile. She carefully got up and picked a sleeping Toby up, cradling him against her as she slowly and silently made her way to his room upstairs where she laid him down on his bed, taking his shoes off and tucking him in under his blankets. She smiled and ran the back of her hand along his cheek before kissing his forehead, straightening and walking out of his room, setting the little red book on his nightstand before turning off the light and leaving the door open a crack. She grabbed a few blankets out of the upstairs closet and a pillow out of her old room, quickly moving down the stairs to make small Bryan comfortable. She sighed and went upstairs to her room, plopping down onto her old bed, her eyes closing happily as sleep slowly claimed her body. Her eyes snapped open however when she heard Toby's voice, mumbling sleepily, "I wish the goblins would come and take Bryan away…" he yawned, "Right now." She sat up quickly as a clap of thunder shook the house, the lights flickering off. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach and only one word floated through her mind; No.
She jumped up blindly in the darkness and stumbled her way to her door and flung it open in her haste as she tore through the hallway, almost falling down the stairs as she made her way to the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks however when she saw a familiar figure dressed in black, "Jareth."
Jareth smirked at her and raised an eyebrow, "What a pleasant surprise."
Toby ran towards Sarah and clutched her legs desperately, crying, "Sarah! I didn't mean to! It just came out!"
Sarah patted Toby's head and she glared at Jareth, yet talking to Toby, "don't worry sweetie, we'll figure something out." She pried Toby off of her, "Go back to bed, Toby…" Toby sniffled and he scurried up the stairs and out of sight. Sarah waited until she heard the sound of a door closing before facing her once-adversary fully, "Give him back, Jareth."
Jareth raised an eyebrow and absently tugged a glove, his eyes never leaving hers, "We've been through this before, Sarah."
Sarah too raised an eyebrow and she crossed her arms over her chest, "And it looks like we shall be going through it again."
Jareth sighed and he walked towards her slowly, "Sarah… I cannot give Bryan back. One must run my labyrinth in order to regain what was rightfully taken."
Sarah watched him warily, her gaze never leaving his, "Fine. I will."
Jareth stopped walking and regarded her for a minute before he looked down at the ground, "Tell you what… Let's make a bargain, shall we?" He smiled a wolfish grin and Sarah almost took a step backward, "You will have thirteen hours once again to reach the castle beyond the Goblin City. If you win, I will send both you and Bryan back without a second thought. If I win, " His smile widened, "I will send Bryan back, but you must stay with me."
Sarah thought it over in her mind before she nodded, "Fine. But no cheating." She raised an eyebrow at him and Jareth chuckled, their surroundings slowly fading into the picturesque scenery that was the Underground. Sarah looked around and realized in slight dismay that they were indeed standing upon the very same hill from all those years ago and her eyes automatically strayed towards the massive structure laying before her feet in all it's pre-dawn glory.
Jareth moved up behind her and murmured into her ear, "Remember, princess. Thirteen hours before you are mine."
Sarah jumped slightly and she rolled her eyes, snorting in obvious amusement, "Dream on, Goblin King." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest once again, "You're not gone yet?"
Jareth smirked that devilish smirk of his as he arched an eyebrow, "You may not like the circumstances but I do believe you have no choice in the matter now." He chuckled and brushed a few errant locks away from her neck from behind before lightly kissing the skin just below her right ear. He murmured, "Happy hunting…" before disappearing into thin air. Sarah shivered as the cool morning breeze surrounded her body and she pulled her arms closer to her body before turning to face her newest and oldest challenge.
The sunlight slowly crept a path fully over the labyrinth, bathing it with its light and causing the labyrinth to glow slightly in the dawn, the labyrinth itself stretching for miles and miles, as far as the eye can see into the distance. Sarah squinted as her eyes roamed over the ancient structure and she raised an eyebrow, "Oh good, I thought this was going to be easy." She rolled her eyes and looked down at the hill she was on, "Well, I suppose I should get moving…" She smirked, "Come on, feet!" She snickered before trudging off down the hill towards the outer wall of the labyrinth.
Her entire body skidded to a complete halt as she craned her head back to look up the massive wall standing before her. Her eyebrows rose in slight surprise as she put her hands on her hips, her head moving now to look both ways. An eyebrow rose once again as she sighed softly, "Like the Energizer Bunny… It just keeps going and going and going…" She thought to herself, 'Maybe if I walk along the never-ending wall, I'll find a door?' She shrugged to herself, "Might as well…" She turned left and started jogging at a slow pace, her bell sleeves fluttering behind her slightly and her long raven hair bouncing behind her. She eventually slowed to a walk and she dramatically called out, "A door, a door! My kingdom for a door!" she grinned and to her surprise the wall right next to her cracked and slid inwards, letting her in. She peered at it cautiously, raising a skeptical eyebrow, "Creepy…" before she slowly ventured her way inside. The wall immediately slammed shut behind her and she jumped about a foot in the air in surprise before clutching her shirt right above her heart and mumbling, "Yeah, ha ha so funny!" She started walking to the left, still mumbling, "Yes! Let's give the poor girl a premature heart attack before her quest is over! Oh, such fun!" she clapped her hands sarcastically together before she stopped, turning to face the way she just came, "Wait a second…" She turned back around, "This doesn't seem right…" she put a hand on her left hip and brought the other one to her mouth, covering it in thought, "Hmm… Which way, which way…" She looked at the wall to her right warily as if she were afraid it might grow teeth and bite her, and then she looked to the ground. Her eyes lit up as she saw a sort of heavy-duty vine growing up the side of the wall and she looked around cautiously before grabbing it, testing its durability before slowly heaving herself up onto the wall, no longer touching the ground. She looked around herself as she climbed, her face scrunching up slightly in amusement, "I feel like a monkey, climbing up this thing the way I am…" She slowly pulled herself up to the top and she found parts of stone that stuck out, providing convenient footholds the entire way up and she climbed up onto the top of the wall, sitting on it with legs on both sides of the wall.
She looked out towards the castle and she sighed, "I'm coming, Bryan." She hoisted herself up onto her feet, thankful of her previous years in gymnastics, finding her balance easily. She looked at the wall seven feet away, running parallel to the one she was currently perched on and took a deep breath before jumping onto it, landing awkwardly but quickly regaining her balance. She smirked, looking down at the ground far below, almost laughing, "One small leap for man; one giant leap for freedom." She shook her head at herself and quickly moved down the wall, continuing the Leap For Freedom for some time until she finally ran out of wall. She looked at the hedge maze stretched out before her and she pouted, "Well, it was fun while it lasted." And she looked around for a way down, frowning when she saw no opportunities and she huffed, "Well this simply won't do…" She finally spotted a dead tree a few paces back and her eyes lit up as a smile slowly appeared on her face, "I saw a tree and its name was BINGO!" She skipped her way down to the tree, stopping just before it and reaching out towards it before she swung onto it like the monkey that she was and easily climbing down. She raised an eyebrow at the tree and looked all around her suspiciously, "This is just way too easy…" She sighed and then turned to walk the way she came when she jumped a few feet into the air in slight shock and surprise mixed together, "Jiminy! Put a bell around your neck for pity's sake!" She breathed, glaring at the familiar form that leaned against the wall so casually.
Jareth chuckled and pushed off from the wall, slowly sauntering his way towards her and pouting slightly, "And miss the chance to surprise you? Why, that thought is absolutely out of the question." He circled her slowly like a predator to its prey and Sarah watched him from the corner of both eyes, not one muscle moving in her body, other than her eyes.
She raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively, "What do you want, Jareth?"
Jareth smirked and raised an eyebrow in return, "Merely wanted to see how my heroine is withstanding my magnificent labyrinth…" He looked around at the hedge walls, "Judging by our surroundings, it seems that you are indeed doing very well." He arched an eyebrow in slight amusement and Sarah looked at him warily, not trusting that look he was giving her one bit. He moved closer to her and she took an involuntary step back, her eyes widening as his arm managed to snake its way about her waist, a small squeak of protest trying to escape her throat as he pulled her closer to him. Her hands automatically pushed against his chest as she practically bent backwards over his arm to avoid contact with him. He laughed, a rich velvety sound that escaped his lips as he leaned over her, amusement dancing within his mismatched gaze, "I do so enjoy our time together. Do you not, my sweet?" Sarah fervently shook her head no as the small little nagging voice inside of her screamed, "YES!" He arched a delicately shaped eyebrow, his smile still remaining on his lips, "No? My dear, it seems to me that you may be lying…" His free hand, blessedly devoid of its usual soft leather encasing, drifted along her cheekbones and she could not suppress the small shiver the ran through her body at his touch. Jareth chuckled and she pulled her face away a bit too late, a slight blush staining her cheeks when she realized he knew her reaction to his touch. He purred lightly in the back of his throat as he pulled her even closer and Sarah swallowed forcefully, her mouth suddenly dry, her eyes automatically seeking his out in surprise when she heard him speak again. "No…" He almost whispered, the pads of his fingers once again moving lightly over her soft skin, "You are supressing your feelings… No matter, they shall surface soon enough." He smirked before he slowly leaned in, his eyes darting from her lips to her eyes repeatedly. Sarah's eyes widened when she realized just exactly why he was leaning in and she froze to the spot, her mouth almost falling open in shock when she felt his lips just barely brush across hers. He pulled back and smiled at her, "Yes… Until later, my sweet…" He grinned and disappeared, leaving her to stumble about from the sudden absence of his warmth. Sarah breathed heavily as stars threatened to cloud her vision, her eyes darting about wildly as her currently fogged brain tried to decipher what exactly just happened.