Nothing Left

By: CreativeImagination

Chapter Four

Great… Now It's Gonna Rain…

Jareth had left quiet some time before Sarah got to a very long hallway, narrow and slanting sideways. She paused before going down it, something pulled at her not to… but it seemed the quickest way.

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"What's the matter with me?" Jareth growled "why am I helping her?"

Because you love her, a small voice in the back of his mind snapped and your trying to make up for what you did to her the LAST time she was here. Instead of apologizing like you SHOULD. Jareth waved the thought away and sat on his throne.

"Perhaps," he thought a moment "perhaps I shouldn't rely on Hogwart this time…" he mused over this a while and stood to his feet. "I'll lead her back to the beginning." He snapped his fingers. "She'll lose and have to stay here." He smirked at himself for being so clever, and then noticed he'd been talking to himself. He brushed it off, that is, he did… until he heard a very loud scream.

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Sarah had been nearly halfway through the hallway when the floor opened up from under her. She let out a short gasp, but fell on her hands and knees. Quickly she got to her feet and growled. Something rumbled, and the hole she'd fallen though was covered by a stone.

Great, she thought bitterly just what I needed. To be confined in a small dark space where Jareth can find me… She shuddered at the thought. Her eyes adjusted and as they did she noticed that she was tangled in web. Web, she thought bitterly wonderful. Now I'm stuck in here with spiders. Something moved and she tried to turn sideways but, unfortunate for her, she was stuck. The thin sticky strands clung to her like wet thread, only wetted with super glue. The massive creature decided to move and that's when she let out a loud ear splitting scream. A very large black spider was smirking at her, all hundred eyes said the same thing… dinner time.

"What now?" Jareth groaned until he realized Sarah was in Arco's web. "Good job Sarah…"

"Well sorry," she growled "wasn't aware you had GIANT SPIDERS lurking about." He smirked at her but didn't have time to mock, a very large arachnid was between him and Sarah.

"Now," he said summoning a sword "before I save you and all… and very well may die in the process, you wanna say anything?"

"Uh," she paused "if I live though this, I'm sending you all my therapy bills."

"Anything even remotely encouraging?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said "don't die." The spider leapt forward towards Jareth and he managed to back if off a little, keeping it away from Sarah as well as possible. Once he'd turned the creature around, Jareth was now standing in front of Sarah, very much like a knight in shining armor. He turned and swung his blade over (very artistic) in an attempt to cut the web. Too bad the sword broke.

"Sarah?" he asked ducking the spider's leg "now would be a good time for one of those GREAT ideas you keep having…"

"Why won't your sword work?" she asked. Jareth paused a moment.

"Do you have any iron?" he asked blankly and she rolled her eyes as he bobbed and weaved the oncoming blows.

"Oh yeah, I ALWAYS carry a large block of iron in my purse," she grumbled and he glared at her.

"NOT HELPING," he snapped.

"No, wait," she thought a moment "I have a hair pin, that's iron."

"A hair pin?" he said blankly "where is it? Your bag?" She paused a moment.

"My pocket…" she muttered. He turned and dove under the web.

"Which one?" he asked and she glared at him "be pissed at me another time, it's not my fault you keep hair pins in your pants. Now WHICH pocket or I'll search them all!"

"Your left," she muttered and he fumbled a moment with getting it and touched it to the web. Broke easy. He got her hands free and shoved the pin in her hands and grabbed his sword, going back to fend the spider off once more. Once she'd snapped all the web off she watched a moment, Jareth klutzily try to slay the spider. She sighed. "Gimme your sword," she stood beside him like it was nothing.

"Hell like I'd give you a sword," he breathed.

"Jareth," she growled but he ignored her. "Fine, have it your way." Swiftly she kicked him, right in the crotch and he went down for the count. "Sorry Jareth," she murmured and grabbed his sword. She ran directly for the spider, who (amazingly enough) and backed off pretty far. Though now, it was charging. Sarah ducked and the massive creature ran right over her, not even knowing where she'd gone. It looked around a moment, and then spotted Jareth. Before it got a chance to move again, Sarah jammed the remains of the sword into the creature's thorax. It let out a long scream and backed up, running into walls here and there. It disappeared into the darkness. "Great," she muttered tossing the sword aside "not its gonna rain…"

"You could've ran," Jareth muttered, still breathing hard when Sarah sat against the wall, next to him.

"I know," she breathed.

"You kicked me," he growled.

"Yeah well," she took a long sigh "that's what you get for having a penis." Jareth looked at her for a moment, a little shocked. "Are you ok?"

"Oh yeah," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm "just peachy."

"I'm sorry," she said "I didn't WANT to kick you. I asked you…"

"I know," he moaned "I know ok?"

"Ok," she said, almost too quietly. "Thank you…"

"For what?" he asked blankly.

"Helping me," she said.

"Helping or saving?" he asked, eyes coming back with their usual amusement.

"Bit of both," she said blankly "but I don't have time to sit around and chat Jareth. I need to get going…"

"What's your rush?" he asked.

"Uh," she paused "got a labyrinth to beat here…"

"Don't worry about it," he muttered "I'll show you the way."

"You?" she paused. Everything told her NO DO NOT, I repeat, NOT FOLLOW THAT MAN. But he'd just helped her, and… she pushed the idea out of her mind.

"No, Arco," he said sarcastically.

"Who?" she asked.

"The spider!" he motioned to where it had run off "I was being sarcastic." She got up and held out her hand, to help him up and he looked at her, oddly.

"Ok," she said "truce?" Jareth paused a moment, and then a very large grin came upon his face.

"Truce," he smirked and took her hand. Ah, what little these mortals knew….

Author's note: Ok Amy, you can't yell at me now. I updated TWO whole stories… and I still need to review yours… BUT STILL! Anyways, I'm real tired so I'm gonna sleep now. Here's my talkie thingy ma-bobers.

LadyLuck321: Yep, a new one.

Kaori Yamanshi: Nick reminds me of a guy I've dated once… can't say I remember why I dated him… musta been a week long high or something :laughs: or maybe I lost one to many brain cells.

Acantha Mardivey: don't you GEEZ me young woman. :shakes finger: have you finished your paper young lady?

Conner: YEAH? Well… we heart you too.

Innogen: OoOo… smart! You make a lotta sense - Good idea too, but I don't think Jareth's forgiven her quiet yet. You got a good idea of what's coming though. But shhh, I don't wanna give it away.