Disclaimer: See Chapter One...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All's Fair in Love and War"
Chapter Five: Temptation and Frustration
By Ann Parker and Whiteowl
~~~
"What the hell is this?" Parker looked down at her skirt and then glared at Jareth.
"I think it suits you," his eyes raked her form, "quite well." The skirt hugged her every curve and flared out at
the bottom, near her ankles. It would be fun trying to get through the labyrinth in this thing. However, she did
like the silver color, not that she would tell him that. "Don't you like it?" He smiled at her wickedly. Miss
Parker gave him a glare that would have made most people step away from her, but like Jarod it had no effect on him.
Instead, he stepped forward. Miss Parker was tempted to step back, the man really had no concept of personal space,
but she held her ground. "Well?"
"Well what?" Parker snapped back at him.
"Don't you want to thank me?"
"For what?"
Jareth chuckled and stepped back, "You and Sarah are more alike than you know. Oh, and you may want to hurry, time
is running out." With that he disappeared, leaving Miss Parker alone, still wearing the silver skirt.
~
Elsewhere, three men sat at a circular table, watching a fourth pace angrily in front of them. Behind him stood a
large opaque screen on a wall. On the screen was Miss Parker in her new skirt, trying to figure out what to do next.
The pacing man growled at it, baring sharp teeth.
"The Goblin King must not be allowed to interfere any further. The chosen ones' destinies are already set in our
scrolls and we can not allow this...this man to throw them into chaos." He slammed the flats of both palms against
the table as he finished speaking. The others sat quietly and watched him.
When they spoke, it was with one voice, "We agree, do as you wish to put the chosen ones' destinies back on the
correct path."
The man standing grinned fiercely, "With pleasure. I did not write the scrolls for this to happen." He bowed to the
three in front of him before turning to leave. On the screen, Jarod disappeared as Sarah pulled herself out of the
hole.
~
"Thanks," Sarah looked up as she pulled herself over the edge of her prison. Jarod was no where to be seen. "Where?"
She glanced around but finally gave up and turned to the path at her side. If she was going to find Parker, she had
a lot of ground to cover.
Quickly, she jogged down the path, once again it was a straight line and she studied the wall opposite the one
Parker and she had gone through, but this time she could find no hidden passages. She was so focused on the wall
that she didn't notice the changes under her feet. The stone had changed to a rough gravel and then to dirt. The
wall opposite the one she was concentrating on had gradually moved farther away as she traveled, until it was no
longer in sight. Then her wall stopped all together and Sarah halted, shocked. Mutely, she took a look at her new
surroundings. There was nothing, an open plain of red dirt that matched the sky overhead. The wind kicked dirt up
into the air where it danced like a demented cyclone. This was nothing like she was use to, there were no passages
no choices of left or right. And as she turned around, she realized that the wall had disappeared. Sarah turned
around again, looking for any landmark to go by.
She shook her head, forcing herself out of her shock. Then turned in the direction she thought she was facing when
the wall stopped and glared at the sky, sure this was Jareth's doing. With a sigh, she started walking, while the
wind blew more dirt into the air.
~
Parker cursed Jareth for what was probably the seventh time in so many minutes. The skirt was constantly getting
caught on the underbrush of the forest and she had to take the time to untangle it because this skirt didn't rip.
Magic, wasn't it wonderful. "I am going to kill him when I'm through with this...both of them," she muttered to hers
elf. She continued on her current path, no direction in particular. She had no clue where she was going. "This
place is definitely the worst location Jarod has ever picked," she said and then stopped walking. "Wait, I guess I
picked it, grrrrr..."she growled at her own impatience. Then again, how the hell was she supposed to know that
saying a line out of a book would cause this disaster? Sighing, she continued walking for what seemed like hours.
"You better show your gratitude when I get you out of here Jarod." She paused, how did she expect him to do that?
He seemed to be fine here and she had already threatened to take him back the Centre after this. What she really
wanted to do was... "Ugh," she growled at herself. She won't allow herself to admit what she wanted. She cursed
herself as she walked, distracting her from the drastic change in her surroundings. It was still a forest but it
was leading down to a cliff. The path that was she currently on had many obstacles to maneuver around. The only
problem was that she didn't notice them. She tripped over a root of a tree and began falling down the path. She
screamed as she was tossed around, continuing straight down to the edge of the cliff.
~
"You have to let me help her!" exclaimed Jarod. Jareth yawned and glanced at the man before him, noticing the
passion and concern in his brown eyes. What fun.
"She isn't going to get hurt...badly. Why don't you just relax?" he stated, his amusement all too clear in his voice
. Jarod growled at Jareth.
"Please! Let me help her!" he pleaded. Jareth rolled his eyes. This man was clearly in love by the state of
desperation in his voice. It was sad really, falling for someone that was clearly unattainable. Jareth blinked,
noticing the flaw in his own thinking.
"Just go," Jareth growled, waving his hand. He quickly sent Jarod to his love. Jareth called a crystal to him and
sat back in the throne. Of course he would not have let the woman get hurt, where was the fun in that. A devilish
smile crossed his face as the scene unfolded. They were really an amusing pair.
~
Miss Parker clung to the ledge, hanging from the cliff. She was cursing herself for not noticing the cliff in the
first place. How the hell was she going to survive this one? The guys wouldn't let her die would they? She knew
they could see her every move. Maybe they were just waiting for her to beg for help. Well that wasn't going to
happen. Her hand slipped and as she struggled to regain her grip, the rocks below her feet began to crumble. Okay,
so maybe she would beg...just a little. "Help," she called softly.
"Well, that's something I never thought I'd hear," commented Jarod sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood while
bending down to help her. "The mighty Miss Parker asking for someone to rescue her." Miss Parker bit back her
sarcastic retort. There would be time for that later. Right now she just needed to get off this ledge. She looked
up at him and heard him gasp softly. He must have seen the fear in her eyes. "I'm here Parker," he whispered, this
time with concern in his voice.
"Jarod...please..." she said faintly. He offered her an encouraging smile as he grabbed hold of her arms. He
slowly began to pull her up.
"I've got you," he said. He continued to pull and she gained footing on the cliff. She pushed while he pulled. She
was just about to the top of the cliff when the wall crumbled again, she lost her footing, and she fell forward.
Right into Jarod's arms and they fell backward, her landing on top of him. He noticed the weakness in her body.
"It's okay, I've got you," he whispered, stroking her hair. She sighed and just laid there in his arms. She felt
so safe there. His touch was so soothing. Finally her mind focused. She pulled herself up.
"Thank you," she said. Jarod smiled. "But how did you save me? Wouldn't I have won this...thing...if I were here
with you?" she questioned. Jarod sighed and stood up.
"Hold my hand," he replied. She raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Jarod sighed.
"Just trust me here. Try to hold my hand," he countered. She rolled her eyes, wondering where this was going, but
tried. When she tried to touch him her hand went through his. She looked at him and then tried again.
"What are you, a ghost?" Jarod chuckled at the question.
"Um...sort of. Jareth has a spell on me so I can interact with you but you still can't catch me...until you reach
the castle," he replied.
"But then how did..." she started, not wanting to comment on the comfort he had just provided.
"How do I feel so real? I can seem as real as I want to," he finished for her, placing a hand on her cheek. For a
moment she lost herself in his touch until her brain got in the way. She pulled away causing Jarod to sigh. He knew
it wouldn't last, he had just hoped that it would. She walked away and leaned against a tree, staring at the ground
. "You can't keep doing this, you know." His statement made her raise her eyes to his gaze.
"Do what?" she countered, her normal venom in her voice, her mask slowly being put back up. Jarod walked over to her
and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She felt her knees began to weaken and thanked god she was leaning against a
tree.
"Denying your feelings," he whispered.
"What feelings? I don't have any feelings for you," she shot back. She expected to see pain flash in his eyes but
didn't. He had seen right through her. He leaned in and gently kissed her. When the electricity shot through her,
at first she tried to push him off but her hands went right through him. Damn Jareth and his magic. She couldn't
take it anymore and melted into his kiss and began to kiss him back. That was when he pulled away.
"I don't believe you." With that he vanished before her eyes. She crumbled down to the ground as a few tears rolled
down her cheeks.
"I don't either," she whispered. She sat there for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally she forced herself to
stand up and wonder through this maze, this time watching her step. She had a new determination to win. She wanted
, no, needed Jarod's lips on hers again. Not that she was going to tell him that, she thought with a smirk on her
face.
~
Sarah trudged on, trying to forget the uncomfortable feeling of dirt in her shoes and socks. The whirling wind had
picked up and her clothes had a red tinge to them. Her arm was covering her nose and mouth, and Sarah had a sinking suspicion that she was in the Labyrinth's version of a desert in the middle of a sandstorm. Everything was a red haze of dirt, but it was eerily silent except for the howl of the wind. She could see about five feet in any direction through the storm, but she couldn't make anything out other than a continuous sea of red. She was beginning to hate the color. Her sense of time was shot, and she had no idea how long she'd been in this desert. The storm had erupted ten minutes after she entered and hadn't let up since. The surrealness of the entire experience, combined with the silence and the feeling that she was hopelessly lost, had the unique effect of being calming and irritating at the same time.
Needless to say, this was not Sarah's favorite place in the Labyrinth. Wandering around, with no idea where you're
going soon becomes tiresome. Especially when you're getting coated in fine red dust. A gust of wind whipped dust
into her eyes and she added goggles to the growing list of items to bring if she ever came here again. Of course,
her first item was a gun to shoot Jareth with if he ever tried to take her again. Scratch that, if he ever got near
her again.
She blinked, trying to get the particles out of her eyes. The wind was getting worse and she had to stop after every
few steps to get the dust out of her eyes. But now the gust was threatening to knock her off of her feet, and the
howl had turned into a deafening roar. The odd thing was that she wasn't aware of when the change had taken place.
If it had been a storm before, now it was a hurricane. In the time it had taken her to clear her eyes, it had changed
without warning, and without Sarah even noticing. Surprisingly she wasn't afraid. If Jareth wanted her dead she'd
already be so. What a comforting thought, her existence was in the hands of a fickle fae.
She stopped walking and sighed, wondering if she attempted to empty the dirt out of her shoes, would more be swept
in than she could pour out. She decided against it. Somehow the idea of undressing in the Labyrinth, even taking
off a shoe, didn't appeal to her. Not with the looks Jareth had been giving her. His eyes burned. She felt naked
even when fully clothed. And his voice, the way he rolled her name off his tongue, was like velvet against her skin.
The memory of his voice and intense gaze made her shiver despite the heat of her present surroundings.
'Speaking of heat...' Sarah stopped herself and told the voice in her head to shut up. It didn't know what it was
talking about. 'But you do,' the voice nagged, 'if you were honest with yourself, you'd realize that you like the
effect he has on you.' She decided to ignore the voice in her head. The wind was so bad she could hardly stand up
and her visibility was gone. Her eyes were squeezed shut to keep out the dust out. Sarah concentrated on standing
up, trying to block out her errant thoughts. 'Admit it. You have feelings for him.'
Sarah sat down, continuing her mental battle. Just shut up already, the man's a jerk. A cute jerk, but still a jerk.
Damn it! She winced inwardly. Okay new topic, getting Jarod out of the Labyrinth before their time ran out. First,
she had to go find Parker. The wind blew harder, dust penetrating her clothes. Damn it, why did she have to get lost
here? Why did she have to even be in the Labyrinth again? Because Jareth had challenged her, and she felt
responsible for Jarod's predicament. Jareth just knew exactly how to bait her and play with her emotions. It made
her so angry, one moment she would be bold, standing up to him, the next confused when he stepped close to her,
speaking in an intimate tone. And his eyes were even worse, at times hard and unreadable, then softer as if he
almost cared for her. Why did he have to be so complex? If he would just give her a straight answer..., but no,
she knew how much he enjoyed toying with her. Truthfully, she enjoyed their arguments when his eyes shone bright
and that quirky, cocky smile played on his lips. He looked so... Damn it! She was not going to think about how good
he looked then.
Sarah hung her head, defeat by herself. All right, so she was attracted to him. Maybe even more than attracted, but
with all the mixed signals he sent her, she didn't want to think about that. If he felt nothing... Well. She wasn't
about to let that bastard break her heart.
~
Miss Parker continued her journey though the massive hedges. Everywhere she turned she saw green, and green, and
green... "What I would pay to see any other color besides green," she muttered as she glared at the plants around
her. She felt like she had seen the same thing over and over again for the past hour. She rounded the corner of the
stone path and groaned. It was never-ending.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a stone that was slightly tilted on its side. "Hey, that looks like the
stone I passed a while back..." She froze and spun around. "Damn it! That IS the stone!" she growled. This whole
time she really had been going in a circle. Glaring at the sky she yelled, "I bet you find this amusing, don't you?"
The wind sped up and she swore she heard laughter.
Frustration took her over and she kicked the stone, causing her to trip and fall. "Damn this skirt!" She pounded
her hand into the ground as she leaned against the hedge.
"Hey, watch where you're going lady," a little creature appeared from beneath the stone, soon followed by a second.
"Yeah. You're mother's a fraggin' aardvark," a second yelled, before grabbing the edge of the crooked stone and
lifting it up.
"My mother's a what!?" she exclaimed, looking around to something...anything to throw at these...these things.
Finally, her eyes landed on her feet and her black stiletto heels. "Perfect," she commented, and reached for her
shoe. An evil smirk appeared on her face as she quickly grabbed it and tried to whack the creatures.
"Ahh! Run away!" the two obnoxious goblins disappeared beneath the still askew stone.
"Son of a..." she clenched her teeth. "I really hate this place." Pushing with her hands, she stood back up and
started to walk away.
"She's gone. She was worse than Jareth, he never tried to kill us."
"Well he did put us in an oubliette, does that count?"
"No stupid. We got out. Now, you got it?"
"I got it." Quickly, the stone dropped into place and the floor was once again seamless. The sound of the stone
dropping caused Parker to turn around and glare. She muttered something under her breath as she continued walking.
A few minutes pasted and the only sound to be heard was the growling of her stomach. "Ugh, food would be nice..."
she said to, well, the hedges.
Rounding another corner, the hedges seemed to separate, leading to a circular clearing Parker hadn't noticed before.
"Yay, something different," she said sarcastically and glanced around. In the middle of the clearing stood a lone
fruit tree, the answer to her prayers.
"Food," so what if it looked suspicious and nothing in this place came without a price. Right now, she could care
less. Parker extended her hand and the fruit easily came off with a slight tug. "Huh, a peach."
~
Sarah ran through the Labyrinth. She didn't know how long she'd been in that damn desert, but she had a lot of
ground to cover now if she was going to find Parker. Sarah wasn't sure how to do that exactly. Parker could be
anywhere. So she let her feet guide her; they'd led her through once before. If she reached the castle and Parker
didn't, Jarod was still lost. So it was no use going on without her. Sarah slowed down to a jog as the cramp in her
side got worse. She was in the hedge maze now, and Sarah remembered how hard it had been for her and Hoggle to get
through. If Parker was anywhere this was it. Ahead of her, Sarah saw a long corridor, to the right and left the
lanes curved away back the way she came. She didn't want to go back so straight ahead it was.
After a few minutes, Sarah was getting worried. There weren't any signs of Parker and the Labyrinth was continually
changing. Maybe Parker was somewhere behind her. Time was running out. Just then Sarah stumbled upon Parker's black
shoe, and relief wash over her. This had to be the right path. Sarah quickened her steps.
Parker lay beneath the tree. She appeared asleep but Sarah knew better. "Damn him," she bit the words out as she
picked up the peach from Parker's hand. The woman had actually eaten about half of the thing before succumbing to
the spell. As Sarah watched, Parker was already starting to fade away. Great. There was only one way to catch her
now. She glared at the peach as if it was going to bite her, before bringing it to her lips.
"Sarah wait," his voice came from the side of her. "This test is for Parker, and Parker alone." He was dressed in
all black again, Sarah observed grimly.
"I've followed her this far, why not the rest of the way? I'm not afraid." She was daring him to try and stop her.
To react, do something that would give her a reason to dislike them. On top of the ones she already had. They just
weren't enough. Because if not, if she ate the peach and still felt this way... She could lose herself fully dancing
in his arms.
Her remark puzzled him, what was there to be afraid of? Perhaps there was more to her guise of bravery than met the
eye. A challenge. Well he could not let this opportunity pass him by. Once in the dream she would be in his power.
'By all means fight, eat the forbidden fruit. This time you will have no where to run,' he smirked to himself as he
watched her take a bite. 'This time Sarah Williams, you will be mine.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whiteowl: See, we aren't dead yet...
Ann Parker: Yep, we've just been a little preoccupied...stupid schoolwork... Sorry for the delay!
Whiteowl: Thank you to ladyicondraco for her support and interest. I promised you a new chapter by the end of this
week and here it is.
Ann: And since we took...*checks website*...four months to update, we gave you guys an extra long chapter! At least
that is good, right?
*Muffled cries from behind the computer*
Jareth: I'm sorry the authors are a bit preoccupied right now. *Cries from the gagged girls* Jarod and I will be
finishing this segment.
Jarod: You didn't do anything to gags in their mouths did you? We don't need them to pass out or something... You
haven't seen Ann when she's cranky.
*Ann glares at Jarod and says something unrecognizable*
Jareth: Of course they're not hurt. Only out of the way. Whiteowl would attack us if she weren't tied up. Trust
me. *Whiteowl struggles against bonds* Besides this could be fun. *Girls look at each other and become pale* *Guys
grin at each other* Now to conclude this episode... Why don't you wrap it up?
Jarod: All right. Well, we promise the next chapter will be out ASAP...*both Jarod and Jareth send evil glances
at girls*...we have ways to enforce that, don't we? *Jareth smirks and nods* Bye for now, and to please Ann and
Whiteowl, please review!
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"All's Fair in Love and War"
Chapter Five: Temptation and Frustration
By Ann Parker and Whiteowl
~~~
"What the hell is this?" Parker looked down at her skirt and then glared at Jareth.
"I think it suits you," his eyes raked her form, "quite well." The skirt hugged her every curve and flared out at
the bottom, near her ankles. It would be fun trying to get through the labyrinth in this thing. However, she did
like the silver color, not that she would tell him that. "Don't you like it?" He smiled at her wickedly. Miss
Parker gave him a glare that would have made most people step away from her, but like Jarod it had no effect on him.
Instead, he stepped forward. Miss Parker was tempted to step back, the man really had no concept of personal space,
but she held her ground. "Well?"
"Well what?" Parker snapped back at him.
"Don't you want to thank me?"
"For what?"
Jareth chuckled and stepped back, "You and Sarah are more alike than you know. Oh, and you may want to hurry, time
is running out." With that he disappeared, leaving Miss Parker alone, still wearing the silver skirt.
~
Elsewhere, three men sat at a circular table, watching a fourth pace angrily in front of them. Behind him stood a
large opaque screen on a wall. On the screen was Miss Parker in her new skirt, trying to figure out what to do next.
The pacing man growled at it, baring sharp teeth.
"The Goblin King must not be allowed to interfere any further. The chosen ones' destinies are already set in our
scrolls and we can not allow this...this man to throw them into chaos." He slammed the flats of both palms against
the table as he finished speaking. The others sat quietly and watched him.
When they spoke, it was with one voice, "We agree, do as you wish to put the chosen ones' destinies back on the
correct path."
The man standing grinned fiercely, "With pleasure. I did not write the scrolls for this to happen." He bowed to the
three in front of him before turning to leave. On the screen, Jarod disappeared as Sarah pulled herself out of the
hole.
~
"Thanks," Sarah looked up as she pulled herself over the edge of her prison. Jarod was no where to be seen. "Where?"
She glanced around but finally gave up and turned to the path at her side. If she was going to find Parker, she had
a lot of ground to cover.
Quickly, she jogged down the path, once again it was a straight line and she studied the wall opposite the one
Parker and she had gone through, but this time she could find no hidden passages. She was so focused on the wall
that she didn't notice the changes under her feet. The stone had changed to a rough gravel and then to dirt. The
wall opposite the one she was concentrating on had gradually moved farther away as she traveled, until it was no
longer in sight. Then her wall stopped all together and Sarah halted, shocked. Mutely, she took a look at her new
surroundings. There was nothing, an open plain of red dirt that matched the sky overhead. The wind kicked dirt up
into the air where it danced like a demented cyclone. This was nothing like she was use to, there were no passages
no choices of left or right. And as she turned around, she realized that the wall had disappeared. Sarah turned
around again, looking for any landmark to go by.
She shook her head, forcing herself out of her shock. Then turned in the direction she thought she was facing when
the wall stopped and glared at the sky, sure this was Jareth's doing. With a sigh, she started walking, while the
wind blew more dirt into the air.
~
Parker cursed Jareth for what was probably the seventh time in so many minutes. The skirt was constantly getting
caught on the underbrush of the forest and she had to take the time to untangle it because this skirt didn't rip.
Magic, wasn't it wonderful. "I am going to kill him when I'm through with this...both of them," she muttered to hers
elf. She continued on her current path, no direction in particular. She had no clue where she was going. "This
place is definitely the worst location Jarod has ever picked," she said and then stopped walking. "Wait, I guess I
picked it, grrrrr..."she growled at her own impatience. Then again, how the hell was she supposed to know that
saying a line out of a book would cause this disaster? Sighing, she continued walking for what seemed like hours.
"You better show your gratitude when I get you out of here Jarod." She paused, how did she expect him to do that?
He seemed to be fine here and she had already threatened to take him back the Centre after this. What she really
wanted to do was... "Ugh," she growled at herself. She won't allow herself to admit what she wanted. She cursed
herself as she walked, distracting her from the drastic change in her surroundings. It was still a forest but it
was leading down to a cliff. The path that was she currently on had many obstacles to maneuver around. The only
problem was that she didn't notice them. She tripped over a root of a tree and began falling down the path. She
screamed as she was tossed around, continuing straight down to the edge of the cliff.
~
"You have to let me help her!" exclaimed Jarod. Jareth yawned and glanced at the man before him, noticing the
passion and concern in his brown eyes. What fun.
"She isn't going to get hurt...badly. Why don't you just relax?" he stated, his amusement all too clear in his voice
. Jarod growled at Jareth.
"Please! Let me help her!" he pleaded. Jareth rolled his eyes. This man was clearly in love by the state of
desperation in his voice. It was sad really, falling for someone that was clearly unattainable. Jareth blinked,
noticing the flaw in his own thinking.
"Just go," Jareth growled, waving his hand. He quickly sent Jarod to his love. Jareth called a crystal to him and
sat back in the throne. Of course he would not have let the woman get hurt, where was the fun in that. A devilish
smile crossed his face as the scene unfolded. They were really an amusing pair.
~
Miss Parker clung to the ledge, hanging from the cliff. She was cursing herself for not noticing the cliff in the
first place. How the hell was she going to survive this one? The guys wouldn't let her die would they? She knew
they could see her every move. Maybe they were just waiting for her to beg for help. Well that wasn't going to
happen. Her hand slipped and as she struggled to regain her grip, the rocks below her feet began to crumble. Okay,
so maybe she would beg...just a little. "Help," she called softly.
"Well, that's something I never thought I'd hear," commented Jarod sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood while
bending down to help her. "The mighty Miss Parker asking for someone to rescue her." Miss Parker bit back her
sarcastic retort. There would be time for that later. Right now she just needed to get off this ledge. She looked
up at him and heard him gasp softly. He must have seen the fear in her eyes. "I'm here Parker," he whispered, this
time with concern in his voice.
"Jarod...please..." she said faintly. He offered her an encouraging smile as he grabbed hold of her arms. He
slowly began to pull her up.
"I've got you," he said. He continued to pull and she gained footing on the cliff. She pushed while he pulled. She
was just about to the top of the cliff when the wall crumbled again, she lost her footing, and she fell forward.
Right into Jarod's arms and they fell backward, her landing on top of him. He noticed the weakness in her body.
"It's okay, I've got you," he whispered, stroking her hair. She sighed and just laid there in his arms. She felt
so safe there. His touch was so soothing. Finally her mind focused. She pulled herself up.
"Thank you," she said. Jarod smiled. "But how did you save me? Wouldn't I have won this...thing...if I were here
with you?" she questioned. Jarod sighed and stood up.
"Hold my hand," he replied. She raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Jarod sighed.
"Just trust me here. Try to hold my hand," he countered. She rolled her eyes, wondering where this was going, but
tried. When she tried to touch him her hand went through his. She looked at him and then tried again.
"What are you, a ghost?" Jarod chuckled at the question.
"Um...sort of. Jareth has a spell on me so I can interact with you but you still can't catch me...until you reach
the castle," he replied.
"But then how did..." she started, not wanting to comment on the comfort he had just provided.
"How do I feel so real? I can seem as real as I want to," he finished for her, placing a hand on her cheek. For a
moment she lost herself in his touch until her brain got in the way. She pulled away causing Jarod to sigh. He knew
it wouldn't last, he had just hoped that it would. She walked away and leaned against a tree, staring at the ground
. "You can't keep doing this, you know." His statement made her raise her eyes to his gaze.
"Do what?" she countered, her normal venom in her voice, her mask slowly being put back up. Jarod walked over to her
and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She felt her knees began to weaken and thanked god she was leaning against a
tree.
"Denying your feelings," he whispered.
"What feelings? I don't have any feelings for you," she shot back. She expected to see pain flash in his eyes but
didn't. He had seen right through her. He leaned in and gently kissed her. When the electricity shot through her,
at first she tried to push him off but her hands went right through him. Damn Jareth and his magic. She couldn't
take it anymore and melted into his kiss and began to kiss him back. That was when he pulled away.
"I don't believe you." With that he vanished before her eyes. She crumbled down to the ground as a few tears rolled
down her cheeks.
"I don't either," she whispered. She sat there for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally she forced herself to
stand up and wonder through this maze, this time watching her step. She had a new determination to win. She wanted
, no, needed Jarod's lips on hers again. Not that she was going to tell him that, she thought with a smirk on her
face.
~
Sarah trudged on, trying to forget the uncomfortable feeling of dirt in her shoes and socks. The whirling wind had
picked up and her clothes had a red tinge to them. Her arm was covering her nose and mouth, and Sarah had a sinking suspicion that she was in the Labyrinth's version of a desert in the middle of a sandstorm. Everything was a red haze of dirt, but it was eerily silent except for the howl of the wind. She could see about five feet in any direction through the storm, but she couldn't make anything out other than a continuous sea of red. She was beginning to hate the color. Her sense of time was shot, and she had no idea how long she'd been in this desert. The storm had erupted ten minutes after she entered and hadn't let up since. The surrealness of the entire experience, combined with the silence and the feeling that she was hopelessly lost, had the unique effect of being calming and irritating at the same time.
Needless to say, this was not Sarah's favorite place in the Labyrinth. Wandering around, with no idea where you're
going soon becomes tiresome. Especially when you're getting coated in fine red dust. A gust of wind whipped dust
into her eyes and she added goggles to the growing list of items to bring if she ever came here again. Of course,
her first item was a gun to shoot Jareth with if he ever tried to take her again. Scratch that, if he ever got near
her again.
She blinked, trying to get the particles out of her eyes. The wind was getting worse and she had to stop after every
few steps to get the dust out of her eyes. But now the gust was threatening to knock her off of her feet, and the
howl had turned into a deafening roar. The odd thing was that she wasn't aware of when the change had taken place.
If it had been a storm before, now it was a hurricane. In the time it had taken her to clear her eyes, it had changed
without warning, and without Sarah even noticing. Surprisingly she wasn't afraid. If Jareth wanted her dead she'd
already be so. What a comforting thought, her existence was in the hands of a fickle fae.
She stopped walking and sighed, wondering if she attempted to empty the dirt out of her shoes, would more be swept
in than she could pour out. She decided against it. Somehow the idea of undressing in the Labyrinth, even taking
off a shoe, didn't appeal to her. Not with the looks Jareth had been giving her. His eyes burned. She felt naked
even when fully clothed. And his voice, the way he rolled her name off his tongue, was like velvet against her skin.
The memory of his voice and intense gaze made her shiver despite the heat of her present surroundings.
'Speaking of heat...' Sarah stopped herself and told the voice in her head to shut up. It didn't know what it was
talking about. 'But you do,' the voice nagged, 'if you were honest with yourself, you'd realize that you like the
effect he has on you.' She decided to ignore the voice in her head. The wind was so bad she could hardly stand up
and her visibility was gone. Her eyes were squeezed shut to keep out the dust out. Sarah concentrated on standing
up, trying to block out her errant thoughts. 'Admit it. You have feelings for him.'
Sarah sat down, continuing her mental battle. Just shut up already, the man's a jerk. A cute jerk, but still a jerk.
Damn it! She winced inwardly. Okay new topic, getting Jarod out of the Labyrinth before their time ran out. First,
she had to go find Parker. The wind blew harder, dust penetrating her clothes. Damn it, why did she have to get lost
here? Why did she have to even be in the Labyrinth again? Because Jareth had challenged her, and she felt
responsible for Jarod's predicament. Jareth just knew exactly how to bait her and play with her emotions. It made
her so angry, one moment she would be bold, standing up to him, the next confused when he stepped close to her,
speaking in an intimate tone. And his eyes were even worse, at times hard and unreadable, then softer as if he
almost cared for her. Why did he have to be so complex? If he would just give her a straight answer..., but no,
she knew how much he enjoyed toying with her. Truthfully, she enjoyed their arguments when his eyes shone bright
and that quirky, cocky smile played on his lips. He looked so... Damn it! She was not going to think about how good
he looked then.
Sarah hung her head, defeat by herself. All right, so she was attracted to him. Maybe even more than attracted, but
with all the mixed signals he sent her, she didn't want to think about that. If he felt nothing... Well. She wasn't
about to let that bastard break her heart.
~
Miss Parker continued her journey though the massive hedges. Everywhere she turned she saw green, and green, and
green... "What I would pay to see any other color besides green," she muttered as she glared at the plants around
her. She felt like she had seen the same thing over and over again for the past hour. She rounded the corner of the
stone path and groaned. It was never-ending.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a stone that was slightly tilted on its side. "Hey, that looks like the
stone I passed a while back..." She froze and spun around. "Damn it! That IS the stone!" she growled. This whole
time she really had been going in a circle. Glaring at the sky she yelled, "I bet you find this amusing, don't you?"
The wind sped up and she swore she heard laughter.
Frustration took her over and she kicked the stone, causing her to trip and fall. "Damn this skirt!" She pounded
her hand into the ground as she leaned against the hedge.
"Hey, watch where you're going lady," a little creature appeared from beneath the stone, soon followed by a second.
"Yeah. You're mother's a fraggin' aardvark," a second yelled, before grabbing the edge of the crooked stone and
lifting it up.
"My mother's a what!?" she exclaimed, looking around to something...anything to throw at these...these things.
Finally, her eyes landed on her feet and her black stiletto heels. "Perfect," she commented, and reached for her
shoe. An evil smirk appeared on her face as she quickly grabbed it and tried to whack the creatures.
"Ahh! Run away!" the two obnoxious goblins disappeared beneath the still askew stone.
"Son of a..." she clenched her teeth. "I really hate this place." Pushing with her hands, she stood back up and
started to walk away.
"She's gone. She was worse than Jareth, he never tried to kill us."
"Well he did put us in an oubliette, does that count?"
"No stupid. We got out. Now, you got it?"
"I got it." Quickly, the stone dropped into place and the floor was once again seamless. The sound of the stone
dropping caused Parker to turn around and glare. She muttered something under her breath as she continued walking.
A few minutes pasted and the only sound to be heard was the growling of her stomach. "Ugh, food would be nice..."
she said to, well, the hedges.
Rounding another corner, the hedges seemed to separate, leading to a circular clearing Parker hadn't noticed before.
"Yay, something different," she said sarcastically and glanced around. In the middle of the clearing stood a lone
fruit tree, the answer to her prayers.
"Food," so what if it looked suspicious and nothing in this place came without a price. Right now, she could care
less. Parker extended her hand and the fruit easily came off with a slight tug. "Huh, a peach."
~
Sarah ran through the Labyrinth. She didn't know how long she'd been in that damn desert, but she had a lot of
ground to cover now if she was going to find Parker. Sarah wasn't sure how to do that exactly. Parker could be
anywhere. So she let her feet guide her; they'd led her through once before. If she reached the castle and Parker
didn't, Jarod was still lost. So it was no use going on without her. Sarah slowed down to a jog as the cramp in her
side got worse. She was in the hedge maze now, and Sarah remembered how hard it had been for her and Hoggle to get
through. If Parker was anywhere this was it. Ahead of her, Sarah saw a long corridor, to the right and left the
lanes curved away back the way she came. She didn't want to go back so straight ahead it was.
After a few minutes, Sarah was getting worried. There weren't any signs of Parker and the Labyrinth was continually
changing. Maybe Parker was somewhere behind her. Time was running out. Just then Sarah stumbled upon Parker's black
shoe, and relief wash over her. This had to be the right path. Sarah quickened her steps.
Parker lay beneath the tree. She appeared asleep but Sarah knew better. "Damn him," she bit the words out as she
picked up the peach from Parker's hand. The woman had actually eaten about half of the thing before succumbing to
the spell. As Sarah watched, Parker was already starting to fade away. Great. There was only one way to catch her
now. She glared at the peach as if it was going to bite her, before bringing it to her lips.
"Sarah wait," his voice came from the side of her. "This test is for Parker, and Parker alone." He was dressed in
all black again, Sarah observed grimly.
"I've followed her this far, why not the rest of the way? I'm not afraid." She was daring him to try and stop her.
To react, do something that would give her a reason to dislike them. On top of the ones she already had. They just
weren't enough. Because if not, if she ate the peach and still felt this way... She could lose herself fully dancing
in his arms.
Her remark puzzled him, what was there to be afraid of? Perhaps there was more to her guise of bravery than met the
eye. A challenge. Well he could not let this opportunity pass him by. Once in the dream she would be in his power.
'By all means fight, eat the forbidden fruit. This time you will have no where to run,' he smirked to himself as he
watched her take a bite. 'This time Sarah Williams, you will be mine.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whiteowl: See, we aren't dead yet...
Ann Parker: Yep, we've just been a little preoccupied...stupid schoolwork... Sorry for the delay!
Whiteowl: Thank you to ladyicondraco for her support and interest. I promised you a new chapter by the end of this
week and here it is.
Ann: And since we took...*checks website*...four months to update, we gave you guys an extra long chapter! At least
that is good, right?
*Muffled cries from behind the computer*
Jareth: I'm sorry the authors are a bit preoccupied right now. *Cries from the gagged girls* Jarod and I will be
finishing this segment.
Jarod: You didn't do anything to gags in their mouths did you? We don't need them to pass out or something... You
haven't seen Ann when she's cranky.
*Ann glares at Jarod and says something unrecognizable*
Jareth: Of course they're not hurt. Only out of the way. Whiteowl would attack us if she weren't tied up. Trust
me. *Whiteowl struggles against bonds* Besides this could be fun. *Girls look at each other and become pale* *Guys
grin at each other* Now to conclude this episode... Why don't you wrap it up?
Jarod: All right. Well, we promise the next chapter will be out ASAP...*both Jarod and Jareth send evil glances
at girls*...we have ways to enforce that, don't we? *Jareth smirks and nods* Bye for now, and to please Ann and
Whiteowl, please review!