Nothing Left

By: CreativeImagination

Chapter Six

It's Not Fair

Jareth paced his throne room, over and over again. He'd kicked everyone out once he'd returned, he didn't want to deal with his goblins running amuck. He disliked the fact that now, he had something swelling in the pit of his stomach. Something he'd never in his life ever felt before, though somehow he knew what it was… guilt. That small voice in the back of his mind was now exceedingly loud, and as much as he ordered it, or pushed it back, it just kept growing louder.

How could you be so stupid? It growled she trusted you! For once, someone actually, truly trusted you. How can you expect her to LOVE you when she can't believe anything you say? Its always one step forward and three steps back with you, isn't it? Jareth sighed and sat on his throne.

"Alright," he muttered quietly "I lied to her, what do you expect me to do about it now?"

APOLOGIZE!

Jareth practically jumped at how loud the voice's last word was. Slowly, the voice faded and Jareth tapped his foot on the floor, there was only twenty minutes left and then she'd be his. Or he could ask him to forgive him and she could go home, and probably never give him a second thought.

"It's not fair," he growled and quickly slammed his mouth shut. Look what she's doing to you, he thought bitterly, you're worse than you were the first time. Now I know what I can do, and I know what I should do. But since when do I do what I SHOULD do? He thought another moment. Never… but this is Sarah. I love her, don't I? He nodded to himself. And I want to make her happy, even if I never see her again… and she never talks to me… and she hates me with every fiber of her being… He sighed but nodded nonetheless. Good, he thought bitterly let's find her then

…………………………………………………………..

Sarah had found herself back by the doors of the labyrinth. There was no possible way to find her way to the center in four hours, not unless she found a direct path. She leaned up against the doors and sighed.

Now, would you go left, or right?

They both look the same

You're not going to get very far

Which way would you go?

Me? I wouldn't go either way.

Sarah thought about what Hoggle had said, at the time she was quiet annoyed with his games but now that she thought about it… Sarah stood to her feet and walked across the way from the door and lifted her hands to the wall. She pushed through. She looked around a bit and there was a straight path to the castle. She paused, this was too easy, there had to be a trick. She walked a ways, it SEEMED safe enough. Not more than three hours later she was in the goblin city, which… more or less was empty. She looked at her watch, twenty minutes left.

"Well its better than last time," she shrugged and made her way to the castle.

……………………………………………………..

Jareth summoned a crystal and as he did, the throne room's door flung open and Sarah stormed in. He paused a moment, his mouth slightly ajar from shock and he smirked at her. She'd found the path, that was good. Only problem was now, she was pissed at him and he'd lost his chance to make it up to her by helping her.

"Send me home," she ordered, stopping directly in front of the goblin king. He looked shocked, which he should be, she thought bitterly.

"Glad to see you again, Sarah," he breathed and she rolled her eyes.

"Cut the crap Jareth," she snapped "send me home." He looked at the clock, fifteen minutes left. Well that just wouldn't do, would it? He snapped his fingers and the clock stopped, Sarah saw too and frowned. "What'd you do that for?"

"So we can talk," he said stiffly.

"I don't want to talk," she spat "I want to go home. You have no right to keep me here, I solved your stupid Labyrinth."

"I don't plan on it," he said, almost sadly "but I hate to depart from you with bitter feelings, as we did last time." She paused a moment, not knowing what to say and then stomped her foot on the ground.

"I don't care what feelings I leave with," she snapped "either I'm angry with you or I hate you, it doesn't matter."

"Don't be foolish Sarah," he whispered and she sighed angrily and walked in a small circle to keep herself from hitting him.

"You hide behind your words, Goblin King," she snapped "you make things sound no was bad as they really are. You just want to talk," she sneered "talk about what, Jareth! I have nothing to say to you. You're a lying, cheating, self-absorbed… ARGH!" She clenched her fits and kicked a wall. "You're SO frustrating!"

"You may not have anything to say to me, Sarah," he said finally "but I wanted to… apologize." She froze. The Goblin King… apologizing… to her? Admitting he was wrong? Her face softened a moment and then went hard again. It had to be a trick. Jareth watched as her shield came back up, though it'd fallen for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said finally, taking every once of his strength not to gag on the words "I was wrong to have deceived you. I hope you can forgive me."

"What's your catch?" she asked harshly.

"No catch," he said simply.

"Nothing?" she asked and he shook his head "why are you…?"

"Because!" he tossed his hands in the air "I'm sorry! The guilt is driving me insane, Sarah, I'll admit. It was foolish of me to lie to you, even after I saw you put your faith in me to help you. My pride did not see fit for you to win again, though part of me wrenches with the idea of you winning, another part is glad. The words," he paused a moment "the words you said once before, the same ones I'm sure you'll speak in less then an hours time, they both kill me and make me rejoice. You will win again, Sarah. You will go home, you'll leave and think nothing of this place, as you did before. But I don't want you to go as you did last time, not in anger and frustration with me. Don't think of me as the villain, though I'm sure that's all you see me as. But that's not what I am. I'm what you expect me to be. How charming can a creature that rules over goblins be? How kind?"

"Stop it," she whispered.

"No," he snapped "I will not stop! Look Sarah, time has frozen, I have done it for you, again. I will not rush you into deciding, racing against the clock. You have all the time in the world Sarah, so please, I implore you, talk to me."

"You tricked me," she snapped "what makes you think I can trust you?" She crossed her arms. "What am I to say to you anyways? There's nothing to talk about…"

"There's plenty," he said "or do you so quickly forget the way you looked at me in the ballroom?"

"That was one dance," she snapped "might I add, I was fifteen and drugged."

"It does not matter if it was one dance or a thousand," he said simply "and I did not drug you. That peach was magick, simply to get you in the ballroom. THAT'S why it felt like everything was dancing, it was magick, not drugs. You didn't hallucinate anything, I was there, you were there, it happened."

"Great," she shrugged "now that we cleared THAT up, can I go home now?"

"Sarah," Jareth sighed, his voice was tired and soft. "Why don't you understand?"

"What do you expect me to understand?" she asked "you tricked me last time so my time would run out."

"That's not true!" Jareth growled and sat up. Sarah went quiet, she hadn't expected this reaction from him. "Sarah when I told you I'd never lied to you that was the truth. The first time you came here, everything I said was true. And don't you find it strange that the first time you weren't even so much as scratched? Even after falling into oubliettes, crashing down with bridges, the fireies? Ever wonder?"

"If you're implying that you protected me," she snapped "I don't believe it for a second."

"What about THIS time?" he asked "did I not protect you? Risked MY life?" she didn't say anything, but just looked at him.

"You didn't lie at all, the first time," she repeated.

"No," he said quietly.

"Nothing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you think every girl that wishes their siblings away I offer their dreams to?" he asked, his eyes growing hazed "No." he snapped when she just looked at him "I don't. I looked into your heart and into your mind and liked what I saw." He smirked a little.

They don't care about your mind, your heart, or anything else.

Karen's words flew around in Sarah's mind and she had to remind herself to breathe. Had Jareth truly… loved her?

"But then," he said "you didn't want to talk, right? You want to go home now?" Sarah paused for a long time and looked at him questioningly. "You know the words Sarah. You can banish me whenever you wish, or you can forgive me and I can send you home."

"I'd like to go home," she nodded.

"I'll warn you," he said "if I send you home, of my freewill that would likely cause me to drop in from time to time." She didn't say anything. "Banishing is so much easier if you'd rather not deal with me."

"Your so dramatic Jareth," she muttered and smirked a little. "For you to step up and say you were wrong, and you being possibly more stubborn than I am, is nothing short than amazing." She thought her words carefully. "And," she paused "and even if you hadn't, I don't think I'd have the heart to banish you again anyways. You may be a pain in the ass Jareth, but you're not evil. So yes, I forgive you."

"Thank you," he muttered, slightly embarrassed at his actions. The words he'd spoken moments before had been so passionate and true that now that he'd said them, he felt more or less, silly. They appeared in Sarah's room and she smiled and looked around. Nick had passed out on her bed, and she gave a dry sarcastic glare. "Interesting," he muttered.

"Yeah," she shook her head "thank you for taking me home." He looked at her in surprise, Sarah, thanking him?

"Of course," he said gladly, trying to hide his shocked expression.

"Is he going to remember?" she asked. Jareth nodded and she gave a short sigh "that's ok, I'll just tell him he dreamt it all."

"What'd you tell Toby?" he asked. Sarah paused.

"How'd you know he remembered?" she asked.

"All kids do," he shrugged "don't know why, they just… do. So what'd you tell him?"

"Never to say the words," she admitted and Jareth laughed.

"That's smart," he said "but I suppose I should go. If you need me Sarah…"

"If I need you," she repeated and he nodded firmly at her.

"Call."

Author's note:coughs: I keep getting sick. I didn't go to school so, I couldn't update (I'm in high school we all get laptops (it's a public school, the whole district has them) and at school we have wireless internet so since I was sick, I didn't get to update). Conner's been doing a lot better :giggles: and I'm so glad because I just hate it when he's upset.

Conner:tackles authoress with a hug: hey, you wrote another chapter.

Conner… get off me.

angelwingz202: Thanks.

Conner: I know. You're all very wonderful -

ItsACrystalNothingMore: Tez you gotta stop being sad around him. He's gonna start-

Conner: YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE! MY ONLY SUNSHINE! YOU MAKE ME HAPPYYYYY WHEN SKIES ARE GRAYYY!

Singing…

Kaori Yamanshi: No I won't take that long. - I like the bird hat, he's funny.

LadyLuck321: Now wait a second, why dose everyone assume I dislike my muse getting affection from other people:looks at Conner:

Conner:grins: I have NO idea. Thank you for the hugs/kisses by the way. - Made my day.

Theshadowcat- In the words of my muse, Jareth's such a prick.

Conner: Thank you, I'm feeling much better now.

Jazzy021: Thank you - I've been told I'm slightly humorous once and a while. Yes I did.

Divine Dark Angel- wow… she's really scared of spiders, isn't she? Not me, I like them :shrugs: I'm such a tom boy I know. Thanks for the review.

Acantha Mardivey:laughs: What your gonna do to Jareth… that's funny. :thinks a moment: uh… better yet, not its not. - Anyways, sorry no updated yesterday, my cold had a relapse and I stayed home. But I DID get to write a whole lot so-

Conner:kisses on forehead: yes I know you love me. Now if you'd stop ruffling my hair I'd be in heaven. -

ItsACrystalNothingMore: Aw Tez, I'm sorry bout what's going on. I hope everything turns out ok. It always does. And don't be sad, cause if you are… I think Conner's gonna start singing…

Hippie99: I like spiders too, though my mother is terrified of them, I think they're kinda cute. :thinks a moment: yeah I'm a tom boy, I know. Anyways:grins: yeah, Jareth needed a good 'I'm the hero' moment.