Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth

Chapter 8

Jareth sat beside Sarah until she stirred a few hours later. She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked over to Jareth once her vision had cleared.

"How long was I asleep," she asked him after a moment.

"Couple of hours I guess."

"Oh," Sarah lay there staring at him then, waiting for Jareth to do, well to do something. Jareth though simply sat there in silence.

"Earth to Jareth, you in there?"

He shook his head as if to clear it and looked at Sarah. "Did you say something?"

"Oh no, of course not," she muttered sarcastically.

"Well, what did you say Sarah?"

"Nothing important. You just seemed to be somewhere else that's all." She sat up now and looked at him. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be Sarah?" He looked at her puzzled. "Sarah, why didn't you want to believe I cared about you?"

She sighed at this, knowing he would eventually bring the subject up, but at the same time hoping he wouldn't.

Sarah lay back on the pillow, getting herself comfortable. "I guess you're not going to let me get away with not telling you this now are you?"

Jareth smiled at her, "Not a chance."

"Jareth, you know what I was like when I was 14, I felt that nobody cared about me. It seemed as if nothing was fair and that was part of why I wished Toby away. Well, when I was 16 my father pretty much stopped acknowledging me altogether-"

"But you told me that you were going to have lunch with him the other day."

"Hush, don't interrupt. Every now and then he decides to contact me, I suppose he feels obligated to. But for the most part, since I was 16 I've been ignored my family. When I was 17 I lost all of my few friends because I didn't want to get off my face on drugs with them, not they really noticed when I left either. Since then I've been pretty much alone. Occasionally someone at one of the nightclubs I visit will talk to me, but only because they want something in return, something I refuse to give to them. I guess after being alone for so long it seems as if nobody could care, not unless they want something. So I couldn't let myself believe that you did."

All of this had been told in a very matter of fact tone which Jareth found made him uncomfortable. She seemed very detached as she spoke.

"Sarah, you don't have to believe me, but I really do care. I don't want anything from you that you are not willing to give me. If you will give me your friendship though, that's all I ask of you."

She looked at him, her stony façade failing her. "Really Jareth? That's all you want?"

"Yes Sarah, that's all."

She sat up and reached out to him. Jareth stood and came to sit on the bed beside her and then wrapped her in his arms as she let herself cry.

As she cried into his chest though Sarah was smiling. 'He really cares about me, I can't believe it. Somone actually cares.'

AN: Thanks for reviewing everyone. Sorry it's short and so long since I updated, haven't had a lot of time to write. Please leave me a pressie on your way out.