I know, that i haven't updated in a while but i assure you im alive and have not abandoned this story. I've been busy with School , work, and being engaged. Yup, my boyfriend proposed to me as a christmas present. Well i shall add one more thing, all of you should seePhantom of the Opera. It's a great movie, i've seen it twice already and am going to see a third time very soon.

This Chapter is dedicated to Creative Imagination, because she is a great authoress and she inspired me to update.

Off the Beaten Path

Chapter 10

The next morning Sarah was still asleep when Peter stopped by to check on her. He walked up to her apartment door and knocked. There was no answer, so he figured she was most likely sleeping. He let himself in, sat on her couch and made him self comfortable. He turned on the tv, and started flipping through the channels , only to find that there was nothing on. As he turned the tv off he heard strange noises coming from Sarah's room. As he continued to hear the strange noises he had a feeling that something was not right. He got up and started walking toward Sarah's bedroom door, before entering he put his ear to the door and thought that he heard a mans voice. Cautiously he opened her door to find Sarah lying in her bed, and then to another man who was in the middle of moving away from the bed. It was dark and all he could make out was a strange man with Sarah in his arms.

"Put her down now!" Peter yelled

The man in the shadows said nothing , but stepped forward into the light making Peter Gasp when he saw who it was.

"I... I said put her down" Peter stuttered

"Peter it has been quite along time hasn't it"

"I'm not interested in talking about the past Jareth, now put her down and leave."

"If you want me to leave fine, but I'm taking Sarah with me"

"If you take her against her will, she'll never love you"

Jareth paused and looked at Peter with a puzzled look on his face.

"She told me everything , now I want to hear your side of the story"

"I don't have to tell you anything" Jareth spat back

"Fine then, in guess then I won't tell you that she told me.." Peter replied

Jareth growled "What do you know?"

"A lot more than you do"

Jareth bit his lip ,not once breaking the mask of goblin king he wore. He had never once exposed his feelings about Sarah to ANYONE. He wanted to know what Sarah had told Peter.. but that would mean he would have to share his feelings. It took him a bit to figure out what to do.. he looked down at Sarah who was still fast asleep in his arms.. not making any movement , looking quite content. Finally he gave in

"If you tell me what she told you, then I will tell you my side of the story. That's my deal"

"Not so fast, you tell me your side of the story first then I will tell you what she told me."

Jareth grumbled "fine."

Jareth sat down on Sarah's bed with her still in his arms, and began to tell Peter his story. As both men were talking they didn't seem to notice that Sarah was slowly waking up.

Sarah awoke to the sounds of people talking in her room. Not knowing who it could be.. she pondered on the subject. Then noticing she was in someone's arms , she decided that she was in the company of friends. Whoever was holding her.. was quite comfortable. Tuning into the conversation she suddenly recognized the voices. One was Peters and the other was ..Jareth's. Jareth was talking - telling Peter a story actually... the story about how the meet. But this was different she was hearing Jareth's point of view of everything that happened while she was running the Labyrinth. Then she nearly gave up her act... when she heard Jareth say something that she had never heard before.

"After she defeated me, I was a wreck. My emotions were out of control. It was at that point that I realized that I was truely in love and couldn't live without her.

Sarah was shock , she though Jareth was just arrogant and cruel, she had no clue that he was capable of love.

As Jareth finished his story , Peter started to speak.

"I had no idea..." Was all that Peter could come up with.

"Now you have to keep up your end of the bargin...." Jareth reminded him.

Peter was about to speak when he saw Sarah's eyes open, he smiled.

"Why don't you ask her.."

Jareth looked a Peter puzzled for a moment, and then looked down to see Sarah looking up at him.

She looked at Jareth and said "It's not polite to stare you know...." she paused for a moment before adding " and by the way why are the two of you in my room??"

Peter and Jareth looked at each other trying to come up with a lie. Sarah looked at the two of them curiously.

"Do you two know each other???"

They both answered "Yes."

Sarah tore her gaze from Jareth's face to Peter.

"How?"

Peter swallowed and proceeded to answer Sarah's question.

"When I was about four, my sister kinda wished me away. So I kinda lived with Jareth for a while, and we sorta became friends as I got older. When I was Eighteen , I asked Jareth to let me live the rest of my life aboveground. He did'nt understand why I would want to.. But let me go anyway."

Sarah seemed shocked at first but then regained her composure.

"You still haven't answered my question... why are the two of you in my room???"

"Especially you Jareth" She added glaring up at him.

She got no answer and became quite angry.

"Put me down and get out NOW!" she yelled "Both of you out of my appartment now!"

Jareth set Sarah down on her bed, and then followed Peter of out Sarah's room, and out of the appartment. Once outside the Apartment Jareth conjured a crystal and in an instant both of them were standing in the Throne Room.

"That went well" Peter said scarcasticly

Jareth just glared at Peter shaking his head.

Sarah sat up in her bed, with her pillow in her arms. Putting her chin on the pillow she sighed. She was glad that she had woken up when she did or else Peter would have told Jareth what she feels toward him. How she tried to kill herself because she was so in love with him.

'If Peter tells him.. he is so dead.' She thought.

Sighing again, she started thinking about the conversation she had overheard. Jareth loved her, and she loved him. But she couldn't let Jareth know that.

Jareth looked at Peter "Will you still tell me her story??"

"Yes, I don't think I should, but you have the right to know."

Peter looked at Jareth. "Where should I begin?"

"Start from where you see fir to start, just don't tell any part from when she defeated me.. that memory still hurts."

Peter shallowed and began to talk.

"It all started when she escaped from the underground."

TBC..