Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I own nothing. Blah, blah, blah. I hate you all for reminding me.

Sarah didn't know how long they fell. It seemed like an eternity of black night. She had stopped screaming when it bounced off the walls and sent her a splitting headache. Apparently Alice had thought the same thing because neither did she yell. Sarah squeezed her eyes closed as she also squeezed her friend's hand. Alice sent her back a reassuring squeeze as the air whipped past them sending their hair flying wild and loose. Sarah's thoughts drifted from the terrifying eternal dark around her to the sweet face of Toby. Would this be how she lost him? Would she run out of time and loose her brother forever? She couldn't allow that to happen. And none of it would have happened…if it hadn't of been for Jared.

Suddenly Sarah became aware that she wasn't falling through a small hole anymore…and that she wasn't falling as fast. Opening her eyes she saw that she and Alice had fallen into a vast cavern…with sharp rocks below them. Shit! She mentally cursed. But then she went back to realizing that she and Alice were moving slowly down their hair not flapping about so violently. It reminded her of her falls from the ballroom and the Escher room. She looked over at Alice and saw her staring down so she did the same and saw a flat rock, or rather boulder, below them.

Their feet touched the rock and so as to not get hurt from the shock of pressure of their feet they bent their legs and landed in a laying position. Sarah gasped from fear, still afraid of the dark around them even it were not as black as the tunnel they had just fallen through, and shock. She lay there like a fish mouth opening and closing. Alice, on the other hand, was…laughing?

"Oh…my…god," she gasped out in-between her fit of giggles. "That was so bloody awesome!"

Sarah shot up staring at her as if she had just grown another head. "You thought that that was fun?" she nearly exclaimed. "We almost died!"

"Come now, I would never let you die in my Labyrinth…it's against the rules," a smug voice said from behind Sarah. Before anyone could blink Sarah had spun around and jumped to her feet grabbing the lapels of the brown leather jacket Jareth wore in her fists. Alice couldn't believe it, and neither could Jareth. She must be really pissed, he thought not sure whether to be wary or laugh.

"How could you?" she hissed through clenched teeth. There was so much emotion in her voice Jareth was surprised to find her eyes as dry as the desert. "What did you do to them? What did you do!" she yelled shaking him.

"Sarah, if I were you I would unhand me before one of us does something you will regret," Jareth said slowly and calmly but with a cold fierceness to his voice.

Sarah glared at him but released him catching the fact that he said 'you' and not 'one of us'. "What did you do to them?" she asked again a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I fear I have no idea what you talking about," he sighed. He then lowered his gaze to the still sitting Alice and smiled at her pleasantly. "Well, hello Alice. How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"

Alice smirked. "It's a piece of–"

"No! No distractions! I want answers now Jareth. What did you do the Labyrinth and those within it! Why didn't my friends answer my call! Why were the Worms missing and this scarf behind!" Here she produced the scarf. "Why are Jim and Tim and Alph and Ralph missing? Where are the things that changed my marks? Why is the Labyrinth in shambles!" Finally her eyes were getting moist. "What the hell did you do?" she almost whispered.

Now the Goblin King's anger was ignited. "What did I do?" he asked beginning to stalk around her arms behind his back. "Nothing!" he hissed. "The Labyrinth's inhabitants are my subjects! The Labyrinth itself was under my rule. I have done nothing to them! Did you think you were really so special that after you left I destroyed my home?" he sneered. "Well think again little girl. You did this."

Sarah gasped stepping back from the Goblin King as he stopped right in front of her leaning in slightly. "I did this?" she whispered her voice barely audible. "How?" she asked the tears forming at the corner of her eyes. But then she glared at him frowning. "You lie."

"I told you before; I don't lie. The truth hurts, little girl. It hurts like hell. You destroyed my home when you beat me. Don't you remember the way the stairs and columns broke apart when you fell during out last encounter? Did you think it was merely for affects? Then you are even more gullible now. The Labyrinth is an entity unto itself. You beat it and destroyed it. The magic of it is slowly dying because it is sad."

"Sad?"

Jareth growled. "I don't know!" he admitted. He didn't know. He could only surmise that the Labyrinth was never beaten before and so now it was in a state of something akin to the depression in the Above world. Slowly it just stopped 'caring' and thus all the inhabitants disappeared and its physical form crumbled. Its magic began to dissipate. The Goblin King knew how it felt and wondered if maybe it happened partly because of him. All he knew was that one day he was the only one left. "It has never done this before. It is falling apart!" He pointed down to the ground below the boulder and both Alice and Sarah walked to the edge to look over. "See that water down there?" Alice and Sarah nodded. Below them was about an inch of water running slowly through the boulders and rocks scattered about. "This use to be a huge and great river but after your little departure it became nothing more than a trickle of water that grows less every day."

Sarah moved away and looked down the other side. She realized that they were in a type of canal and that had the water been back to normal the rock they were standing on were be completely engulfed in water. "You mean…I did all of this?" She spun around with a look of expectance on her face. "But I only stopped calling upon my friends like two years ago. If what you are saying is correct then they wouldn't have come before then."

Jareth sighed. "Don't you see? You were calling them and so they were needed and Labyrinth was called to use its magic. But when you called them they were not looking too good, were they? The only thing keeping them here was you. When you stopped calling…they stopped existing."

Now the first tear fell from her eyes. "You…You mean they're…dead?" she choked out.

"I honestly don't know what happened to them. They just disappeared. Just like everything else. The Labyrinth doesn't do anything. The first act of magic it has really done after your first time through was when the opening appeared for you."

"Why did it do that?" Alice asked looking at Jareth in confusion. "It wasn't there before and then it was. It was as if it listened to Sarah."

Jareth tapped the side of his head. "Ah, so we can see that being blonde does not automatically mean that you have no brain cells. Very good."

"Thank you," Alice smiled proudly…until her face fell in confusion. "Wait…"

"But why?" Sarah asked.

"I. Don't. Know," Jareth bit out. He hated having to keep saying that statement.

"Well, for being the King of the Goblins you sure don't know anything," Sarah grumbled.

Growling the Goblin King glared at her. "At least I didn't kill my friends."

"You bastard!" Sarah exclaimed launching herself at him. But Alice grabbed her around the waist to hold her back. "You inconsiderate bastard! I'm glad I destroyed your home! I only wish you were destroyed along with it! Erg! I hate you! I can't believe I ever thought you were wonderful and beautiful and–" she cut herself off.

Jareth arched an eyebrow. "Really now? Did you think all this of me?"

"Yeah, when you were Jared! When you were my friend! When I thought I liked you. When you kind. When you were sweet. When you were able to actually be civil!"

"Is that so?" he smirked. "When you thought you liked me?"

Sarah blushed and mumbled something under her breath looking at her feet no longer struggling against Alice's hold over her.

"What was that, dear? I didn't hear you," he taunted.

"I said 'yes'!" she yelled looking back up at him. "I said I did think I liked you because you were kind and not an ass like you usually are. You weren't you! You actually cared about then! Even though my heart knew it could never be," she added softly looking down again.

The Goblin King felt a pain of sadness in his chest. But he quickly smothered it glad that Sarah and Alice did not see the quick stricken look he had on his face. His eyes hardened and his face went emotionless. "Goodbye Alice. Hope you do well." And then he disappeared with a small amount of glitter left in his wake.

"Why do I let her get to me like this?" Jareth growled when he reappeared in the throne room. He immediately willed a crystal into existence and threw it at the wall. He was going to do another one when he heard a throat being cleared. Spinning around he saw Toby sitting on his throne with a figure in red and black leaning against it. They were both shaking their head. Groaning he let out a sigh.

"Violence is not a good thing in front of children, cousin."

"Neither is stupidity, but lo and behold here you are," he said in a half mutter. He glared at Toby but Toby only smiled at him. "Toby…get out of my throne." It was then he noticed the crystal that he had let him use so he could keep an eye on his sister. It was in Toby's hand and Jareth instantly knew that the child and his cousin had been watching him. With a sigh he walked over and picked Toby up setting him on the floor. Falling into his throne he threw on leg over purposely hitting his cousin. "Do you enjoy seeing me admit I have no clue what is going on in my kingdom Ganith?"

"Oh, I was hardly paying attention to you," the fire lord said. A sly smile crept onto his lips. "I was more interested in the water goddess."

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Cousin, she is a mortal. Keep your head and heart in check or you'll get it smashed into oblivion."

"Oh," a quirk of the brow. "Like you?"

Toby turned around and plugged his ears so he didn't have to see or hear the lewd and crud statements and insults thrown between the Fae royalties.

Sarah and Alice were picking their way through the sharp rocks to the other side of the small ravine in silence. Both were thinking about what the Goblin King had said and the little confession Sarah had accidentally let slip.

"Sarah, I think you're being too harsh on Jareth," Alice finally spoke jumping off of a piece of stone broken off from the ceiling.

Sarah growled. "There is no such thing. He stole my brother (never mind that I asked), he tricked me back then and he tricked me now, he's lied to me, and now he's saying it's all my fault that the Labyrinth is breaking down. That's probably a lie too. Gods be damned, I hate him."

"Do you really? Or are you just saying that so it won't hurt?"

Sarah froze and turned around to face Alice. "So, Alice, how is your mother doing? How's your father? How's your damn dog!" Sarah yelled. "How the hell is your school?" A pause. "How is your mother's fiancé?" she hissed deadly through clenched teeth. She had called Alice's mother and asked for a few more details in case Alice called or something. That was how she found out about Roger Wright.

Alice looked at her sadly. She knew she had been found out. She knew it wasn't a secret; hadn't been for a while. But she desperately wanted to believe that Sarah didn't know. But she wouldn't lie anymore and pretend everything was okay. "Mummy is fine. Dad was fine…kinda. Nerissa was fine. School was school."

"And Roger?" Sarah questioned raising an eyebrow. She noticed that Alice visibly blanched and told herself she would get all the details.

"Let's just say that Mr. Wright isn't Mr. Right," the blonde sighed sadly.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked as she walked over and placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Roger started dating my mom when she and my dad were separated and thinking about divorce. So mummy filed for divorce and custody over me with my daddy getting me for vacation time. The divorce is almost final and then my mother and Roger are going to get married."

"Well, what's so wrong with that?"

"Roger doesn't love my mother! He's only with her for the money and sex." Alice shook her head. "He looks at other women and I know he has several mistresses; one of them called the house looking for him. And worse than that…" she trailed off.

"Alice, what is it?" Sarah asked worriedly now.

"It was really late at night and Roger had been drinking…a lot…and mummy was gone because she was called to work for an emergency. We were re-doing my room and so my door was down but I had a sheet over the doorway for privacy. Well, sheets can be moved easily and there is no way to lock them." Taking a shuddering breath she closed her eyes. "I was asleep and it was hot so I was just wearing a large T-shirt that was my father's for a nightshirt with a sheet over me so I didn't hear him come in or realized that he had lain down next to me with his hand under the covers. But I woke up when I felt his fingers glide over me under my shirt. He was stroking my chest and then his hand slid down to my underwear and…" but she didn't finish because she started crying.

Sarah pulled Alice to her in a supporting hug trying to quell her poor friend's tear and sobs softly in her ear. "Shush, it's okay now Alice. He can't get you now. You're safe here with me. Oh, dear Alice, don't cry," she crooned softly. She stroked her friend's blond hair as she continued to mutter words of encouragement.

"WHAT!" the fire lord exclaimed in fury. His clothes ignited in flames and danced dangerously mirroring his red eyes perfectly that were now not soft and gentle but dark and blazing in wrath. "How dare he touch her!" he roared.

"Ganith! Contain your temper or you will be forced to leave!" Jareth shouted.

Ganith's clothing slowly simmered down until they were back to normal as if nothing happened. His eyes, not so violent now, were still smoldering though. "I will go Above just to teach that ass not to touch women," he glowered.

"Come now, cousin, she's just a mortal," Jareth laughed from his place on the throne. The three of them had been watching the duo in the crystal set upon the pedestal with carved goblins upon it.

"Like Sarah?" Toby asked not bothering to hide his smirk.

Jareth glared at Toby again for the umpteenth time during those first few hours but said nothing. "I swear cousin; it's so much unlike you loosing your head over a mortal girl. Before we know it you'll be sprouting love sonnets," he sighed in irritation.

"Don't worry my dear cousin; you still take home the gold for love sonnets," Ganith smirked jumping out of the way of the crystal ball that was thrown at him. "Tsk, tsk," he said wagging his fingers.

Muttering darkly Jareth produced another crystal. Toby on the other hand was rolling his eyes. "You guys act more like children than I do."

"From the boy who wished himself away when his sister ignored him," Jareth said airily.

"From the Fae who cheated to having her back," he replied right back in perfect imitation.

"Touché!" Ganith laughed as the Goblin King glowered at the smiling boy.

"You should go back home Alice. After we beat the Labyrinth and that crummy cross-dresser then you have to go back your family."

Sarah and Alice had made it to the other side finally walking side by side holding hands. Sarah remembered last time that her friends had kept disappearing when she looked away and she wanted to make sure she didn't loose Alice, even if the magic wasn't working properly. They were looking down different tunnels to find which way to go; the one to the right, the one to the center, or the one to the left.

"I know I should, but I don't want to. Mother doesn't know about the few incidents with Roger and I don't want to tell her because it would break her heart. She really thinks she loves him. I don't even know what real love is so who am I to ruin her happiness?" Alice shrugged. Roger had wandered into her room at night a few times until she started locking the doorknob with her chair; her mother wouldn't let her get a lock on her door. But Roger looked at her a certain way when her mother wasn't watching and was too friendly around her. He 'accidentally' brushed up against her a few times and hugged her 'good morning' and 'goodnight' every day.

The brunette sighed rolling her eyes. "Do you think your mother would be happy if she found out her future husband was molesting her only daughter? Do you think she would be happy if her future husband was able to go farther that simply caressing? I think she would want to know Alice. She already knows that you don't like him very much but she doesn't know why. Tell her." She looked at the central tunnel. "Let's go this way."

"I know, I know!" Alice groaned in frustration. "But I won't ever let it get that far. I'll tell him to stop and threaten to tell my mother or something if he doesn't."

"And if he doesn't? What if he tests you?"

"Then…then…then I'll tell."

"You need to tell now. You need to go home and tell now."

Alice looked down the dark hallway they were now walking down and felt Sarah's grip tightening. "I don't want to go home. My mother is never home and when she is she is with Roger," she spat the name out. "She doesn't care if I'm gone or not."

"Alice, you're mother called me in tears pleading to ever deity that you were safe. She loves you. You should be grateful," Sarah said trying to keep the fear of the darkness out of her voice. "She probably regrets every time she must leave you. She thinks you're safe with Roger but you have to tell her otherwise."

Alice didn't say anything and the duo passed in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes as they walked through different passages and tunnels. In the dark it is said your other senses heightened and as the two girls found out that was absolutely true. In the dark they presently traveled in they couldn't see their hand in front of their face. But they could hear the noise of their breaths and shuffling feet in the silent dark louder than thought possible; they could smell the musty earth and walls surrounding them caging them in; could taste the sour air every time they opened their mouths for a gasp or squeak; and they could feel the ground slowly rise under their feet as if they were climbing a steadily rising hill. The air was not so stale a few minutes later and a few minutes after that even more so. Also, the dark void they found themselves in was slowly becoming more luminous and open spaced. Soon they could see pure sunlight as the passageway exited into the open air of the world outside.

"Thank the gods!" Sarah breathed tugging Alice's hand to make her run. So they jogged to the beckoning sunlight and a welcome smile on Sarah's lips at the thought of leaving the crowded, dark tunnels behind.

Toby stood off to the side of the room whispering to Ganith as Jareth lounged in his throne holding the crystal between his fingers. He smirked at the relieved look in Sarah's eyes at seeing the sun and told himself that the smile she had on that was so filled with joy did not make him feel light and airy. Such a thing was not possible. Then why was his heart beating faster when her beautiful green eyes filled with light? Damn mortals.

"Okay, then everyone is happy," Toby said nodding. "You do that and I'll start bugging the ever living crud out of him."

"Right," Ganith agreed holding his hand out which Toby promptly took and shook. With grinning lips and eyes of deceit the boy and Fae turned their gaze to the Goblin King who, just now having looked up from his crystal, felt a pang of worry as he took in their faces. Oh dear.

Hah! Done with that chapter. FINALLY! I have things planned out and while they are happening they are happening differently that I had intended. Oh well, all's good in Greenland. (Don't ask, even I don't know what that statement meant…) Oh, and Lady of the Labyrinth…you better hurry up and update. (Nice impression)