Here's where I got up to in my dream. Unfortunately I woke up at the climax. Just as Sarah was facing down Jareth. Can you believe that! I was decidedly put out and have had to improvise so forgive me if its rubbish. Blame my subconscious. Oh and I should have made it crystal clear in the beginning that Sarah knows she loves Jareth. Just thought I'd clarify that so it doesn't look like she's magically fallen in love with him.

Disclaimer: Don't own Labyrinth or any of its characters. I've also borrowed a phrase from Peter Pan but I don't own that either.

Chapter 4: Face it

The look on Jareth's face made her shiver violently. He was enjoying this immensely. Feeding off her fear.

"Get up," he sneered.

Sarah struggled to her feet. Her eyes were wide with fright and her heart was pounding frantically in her chest. She bit her bottom lip anxiously. "What…" she choked then cleared her throat and tried again, "Why have you brought me here?"

Jareth's eyes glinted menacingly and she stepped backwards.

"Why have I?" Jareth's voice was low and dangerous. Oh heck, she didn't like that look in his eyes. Panic began to flutter in her stomach. Pure instinctive panic. He advanced towards her with the fluidity of a Panther and she retreated just as quickly, trying to keep as much space between them as possible.

"You, Sarah, wished to see how I was and here is your answer." His voice echoed loudly.

"But…you're…you're not…"

"Why do you think my subjects crawl through the tunnels? Cringe at the slightest noise?" He paused and stepped forward, Sarah stepped back. "You made me like this Sarah," he hissed, "My life is a shadow. I am darkness."

Sarah turned to flee, forgetting there was nowhere to run and fell off the edge of the platform the edge of which she'd backed herself up against. Screaming she clutched the rim. Hanging above oblivion by the tips of her fingers. Not for long as she lost her grip and fell.

She seemed to be falling for a long time. Maybe there wasn't anything for her to hit. Maybe she'd just fall forever.

Just as she thought this Sarah hit something hard and rolled across the floor that she was sure hadn't been there a moment ago.

Sarah leapt to feet feeling her body ache from the numerous bruises from the falls. The thought that she should have broken something by now flitted momentarily across her mind before it was replaced by the urge to run as far and as fast as possible.

She ran off into the darkness, her heart thumping wildly. She loved Jareth, she wanted to help him but at that moment her love was outweighed by fear. She was absolutely petrified of him.

"You can run but you can't hide." The voice was threatening and it was everywhere. She could be running towards him for all she knew.

"And even you can't run forever, Sarah. Eventually you'll have to stop and then…"

Sarah stumbled but righted herself. She could feel his presence. He was all around her but getting closer.

Why run? He was going to get her in the end anyway but she kept running.

Her legs would no longer move. Sarah stopped to catch her breath.

"You can't escape me Sarah. I'm always there."

She felt a hand close round her throat and an arm snake around her waist, holding her still.

"You actually thought you could get away?"

She could feel him behind, the heat from his body on her back. However she could also feel his hand on her neck. A hand that was slowly tightening its grip. Slowly cutting off her air.

"Jareth!" She choked as his hand closed over her windpipe.

'Once she's dead, I'll be free,' Jareth thought bitterly and tightened his grip.

"Stop Jareth," she pleaded. The edges of her world were going black.

Jareth frowned. 'Finish her' one part of his mind screamed at him, the part that had created this nightmare world.

"Please…" Sarah whispered, her voice barely audible. The pressure eased, and she could breathe again. She slumped to the floor gasping and brushed the tears from her face.

Jareth melted into the shadows behind her. He hadn't been able to kill her and he knew that he'd suffer the consequences later.

Sarah was crying softly, partially in relief and partially for Jareth. She'd really thought he was going to kill her. She rubbed her throat. Something was wrong with him. He'd gone dark. (A/N does that sound right?) That couldn't be her fault…could it?

"Missy? Are you alright?"

"Hoggle?" Sarah wiped her eyes and squinted into the darkness. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find yeh. Told yeh I'd led yeh to Jareth's castle didn't I? Looks like you've seen him already."

"Oh Hoggle," Sarah's breath caught in her throat, "What's wrong with him?"

"Well this all started when you left, missy. Sorry but it's the truth. It appears that you leaving him had a devastating effect."

Sarah stood up, determination on her face, "Then I have to sort this out."

"I can't let yeh…"

"Hoggle just get me to the castle please."

Hoggle wavered then sighed and walked off into the darkness. Sarah followed.

I was going to cut the chapter off there but I decided that it wasn't long enough. Lucky for you.

Sarah crawled up the disgusting chute. The floor was slippery with something and every now and then Sarah would end up on her stomach, mired in the slime.

Hoggle had pointed out the tunnel as the quickest way to get into Jareth's castle without risking the unstable Labyrinth that seemed to want to kill anyone who dared to try and enter it.

Sarah stood up and brushed off most of the gunk. She appeared to be in the dungeons. Determined not to look in the cells she made her way through the dripping corridors until she got to the stairs leading out.

At last Sarah found the doors to the throne room and not a moment too soon in her opinion. True she hadn't seen much of the castle before because she was too intent on saving her brother but she could have sworn it would've never been like this. For starters there wasn't a Goblin in sight, it didn't look like there had been anyone in the castle for years judging by the amount of dust on the floor and the cobwebs…Sarah shuddered. The spiders had been enormous. Her mind came back to the problem at hand. Jareth. She didn't have a clue what she'd do once she got in the throne room; provide that Jareth actually was in there.

She opened the door and winced at the creak of the hinges. Well he knew she was here now. Sarah licked dry lips and strode into the throne room.

It was empty.

Sarah released the breath she was holding.

"Hello Sarah."

She jumped and whirled around trying to find the source.

"Can't you see me?" Jareth whispered. "Isn't it funny that you fear things more if you can't see them? Fear the unknown." Sarah tried staring into each corner of the room. Attempting to decipher any possible shapes,

"If you can't see something," his voice was eerie, threatening, "You don't know if it might be creeping up behind you." The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she spun around. There was nothing there.

A slight movement in one of the corners caught her eye, though she had been staring at it but moments before and was sure there had been nothing there then.

Jareth glided out of the shadows, black cloak billowing out behind him and stood in front of her.

"You know it really is a pity that you decided to seek me out…"

"Don't give me that Jareth," Sarah said braver than she felt, "Why did you want to kill me? No, don't answer that." She added as an after thought. "Why didn't you finish killing me?"

"Oh I am sorry." He didn't sound sorry, "Would you like me to finish what I started?" Sarah could tell that he meant it and began to back away.

Jareth muttered something in an unknown language and the floor under her buckled then shot up in the air. Sarah found herself standing on a crumbling ledge miles up in the air. There was nothing to stop her falling save a few centimetres of dirt. Her back was against a sheer rock face.

Her body immediately broke out in a cold sweat. It was her nightmare. She closed her eyes willing to wake up.

When she opened them they focused on a pair of mismatched ones below her. Jareth was lounging on his throne. His face showed faint amusement at her predicament but his eyes…they showed something completely different. Some of the ice had melted.

"Jareth you've got to stop this. Your kingdom needs you." Only after it was out of her mouth did Sarah realise how lame it sounded.

Jareth said nothing.

How on earth was she going to get him to snap out of it?

"Aww, Jareth, did I wound your pride?"

"WHAT?" He bolted up.

Oh, so taunting worked. "I beat you and the Labyrinth, that's why you're sulking."

Jareth stared at her gob smacked, "You dare defy me Sarah?"

Bingo, that sounded about right. He was no longer doing the eerie 'I am darkness' voice. Now all she had to do was get down on the same level as him because he sure wasn't going to come up to her. However that involved jumping. Sarah had to swallow the bile that rose up into her throat at the thought. The question was whether he'd let her fall to her death.

"I'm coming down Jareth." She warned.

Jareth just laughed at her, "You're scared of heights Sarah. You won't jump."

Sarah felt anger creep up on her and with it came recklessness. "Oh really," she hissed and closing her eyes she leapt off the ledge. She immediately regretted it.

Fortunately she wasn't falling for long when she was caught in two strong arms. She opened her eyes to see two mismatched ones.

"Thanks Jareth. You can put me down now." She said shakily.

"You are the most idiotic mortal I have ever met."

"Er…thanks. So can you out me down?"

"I don't know about that," he purred tightening his grip. Sarah was beginning to wish that he was being the creepy Jareth. That one didn't annoy her half as much as this one was beginning to.

"Damn you Jareth." She struggled, "PUT ME DOWN!"

Jareth let go and Sarah was dumped unceremoniously on the ground

She gritted her teeth. "Was that really necessary?" she hissed.

Jareth gallantly offered her his hand. Sarah stared at it for a moment as if it was going to bite her. Cautiously she put her hand into his and Jareth pulled her to her feet but he didn't let go. Sarah's breathing quickened. Her thoughts whirled aimlessly. Suddenly it was if all the right thoughts collided and SNAP. The reason Jareth had been acting so weird presented itself.

"Jareth, do you love me?" The atmosphere shattered into a thousand fragments. Jareth let go as if she'd burned him.

(A/N Yeah we all know that he loved her and she broke his heart so he kind of went all evil. But poor Sarah has been a tad slow. She's had all this awful stuff happen to her and only now has time to put it all together)

"What?" He whispered.

"You asked me to love you Jareth but you never told me you loved me. Jareth do you love me?" Sarah's heart was screaming at him to reply in the affirmative but Jareth didn't say a word.

He couldn't show emotion. Emotion meant weakness. Last time he'd shown weakness she'd torn him to shreds. So he just looked at her and made no answer.

Sarah broke their eye contact angrily. She'd gone through it all and still he wouldn't admit he loved her. 'Or maybe he doesn't' she thought sadly.

"Take me home Jareth" she sighed.

Jareth was surprised by her reaction. Was she upset?

"Sarah," he asked gently, "Do you…?"

Sarah bit her lip, "No," she answered immediately without letting him finish. There was no way she'd make a fool of herself if he honestly didn't love her.

"Sarah," Jareth lifted up her chin with his fingers.

Before Sarah could protest at the unauthorised contact Jareth had pressed his lips to hers.

Originally Sarah had been going to pull away but the moment their lips touched the thought vanished.

It felt like molten sunlight had flooded through her veins. She deepened the kiss. Wrapping her arms around Jareth's neck. Jareth responded by putting an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. The other hand slid through her hair.

Breathless Sarah pulled away for air.

Jareth looked down sadly into her shining eyes.

"Sarah…Its time for you to wake up."

Sarah frowned, "What?"

"Its time for you to wake up." Jareth faded out of her arms.

"No," Sarah gasped.

"NO!" Sarah screamed sitting bolt up in bed.

Moh ha ha ha ha!

Gi Xian: It didn't exactly come to me in my dreams but just as I was drifting off to sleep.

Moonjava: Thank you

Vampirehelsing: She hadn't driven him mad per say, although I'd say he wasn't too far from it.

Nugrey: Thanks for the tips. It wasn't exactly a computer nightmare but one of those really weird ones. Flying disks was just the best way for me to describe it.

Lady-Seoh-Phoenix: Yes I thought it was very interesting hence why I decided to do a fanfiction on it. Especially since I hardly ever have dreams like that. Or I do have them then I foget them. When I woke up from this one I had a pen and paper next to my head so wrote it down at about 2.00am and I'm glad I did because by the next morning I'd almost forgotten it.

shatterdheart: Thank you I was worrying that it was a bit too sureal to be a fanfic

Mel: Sarah breaks through to him in the end.