Chapter Four: Back Down Where You Once Belonged

Sarah didn't move for a moment. She couldn't. At the sound of those words, that voice, her heart had almost stopped beating. Eventually she began to stir, slowly twisting round in her seat until she could see the man standing behind her. He was standing near the window, slightly in the shadows, so that for the moment Sarah couldn't see his eyes. The dim lamplight picked out the golden streaks in his hair, which still fell around his shoulders, and glinted against the faint metallic sheen of his cloak. It was him, there was no question of that. But even so, Sarah still ventured, questioningly:

'Jareth?'

He smiled slightly. 'Whom else did you expect?'

He stepped fully into the light and Sarah caught her breath in surprise. He looked younger than she remembered, and for a few moments she was at a loss as to how that was possible. But then, she reasoned to herself, he probably wasn't mortal, so he would have stayed the same even though she had grown older.

'It's surprising how different things appear in later years, isn't it?' he asked pleasantly, as if he had been reading her thoughts.

'Yes,' Sarah replied briefly, her eyes still travelling over him.' I didn't think… I didn't know if you'd answer when I-' she broke off, frowning. 'Hang on, I didn't call you! I was about to, but I didn't-'

'Oh come now, Sarah!' he exclaimed impatiently, staring down at her. 'Don't you think that we are beyond all of that? Do you really think that I wouldn't know when you wanted to see me? That I wasn't waiting for when you'd be ready to see me again?' His voice dropped, softening in tone so that it brushed against her ears like velvet.

'Waiting?' Sarah caught at his last words. 'You've been waiting? For … for me?'

This time, it was his eyes that travelled over her. There was something in their depths. Something like hunger. But Sarah didn't quite catch their expression; she was too mesmerised by the eyes themselves. The two shifting, conflicting colours that burnt so brightly in his face, and that had seemed to possess the ability to look directly into her soul. And the face itself, so perfectly sculpted, so beautiful, yet so earthily handsome at the same time. He smiled slightly at her, but his face betrayed nothing.

'Yes, waiting for you. I've been watching over you, Sarah. Watching as you conjured your dreams … you once rejected my offer to show them to you. Do you remember?'

Remember? She had spent the last few days – no, the last few years – doing nothing but remember. Even when she had ruthlessly suppressed them, the memories had still danced tantalisingly in front of her eyes. And then lately … lately there had been that feeling that perhaps, after all, she had not understood quite so much about her experience in the Labyrinth as she had previously thought. And more specifically, she had not understood as much about Jareth as she had thought. She looked up at him again. He seemed different, but where exactly that difference lay, she couldn't quite tell. Something in his face. Something in the way he looked at her. He was very still as he stood in front of her. She knew that he was watching her carefully, even though his expression appeared almost completely blank.

'For someone who has been waiting for all of this time, you don't appear to be very interested now that you're here,' she said suddenly.

Jareth smiled at her again.

'I am only here because you wanted me to be. I don't know what it is that you want of me, and until I know that I am not going to impose my own…emotions onto you.'

'It didn't stop you the last time,' Sarah retorted, the old anger flaring up in her again. 'Besides, I only wanted to make sure that I hadn't killed you or something like that.'

'Ah. Well, now that you have seen the proof with your own eyes, do you wish for me to leave?'

'No!'

The word sprang to her lips before she had had a chance to think about it. She could have left it there. As Jareth had pointed out, she had now seen him and so any fears that she may have had would be put to rest. He would be out of her life. But the image of those final moments, when he had slowly vanished in front of her eyes, taking her crystal dreams with him, came into her mind once more. In that moment, Sarah realised that she could not go through that again. Last time, she had been a teenager – little more than a girl, really – who had wished her brother away. This time she was an adult, meeting Jareth on equal terms. She had defeated him and there was nothing that he could do to her. It was her choice whether he remained or departed.

'I … I don't want you to go. Not yet.'

His body had been turned toward the window, and now he twisted around to look at her again. He still said nothing, refusing to make this moment any easier for her. Sarah took a deep breath.

'Lately I've had the feeling that…or rather, I've been thinking that the last time we met I-' She broke off and ran her hand through her hair impatiently. 'What I'm trying to say is that I've come to realise that I didn't understand everything that happened in the Labyrinth, and I want to understand. And…' her voice faltered again as she met his eyes a little shyly. 'And I think that you're the only person who can help me understand it all.'

Jareth continued to watch her, but he started to move toward her very slowly. There was a subtle change in his face; something akin to excitement was stealing across his features.

'Do you mean that, Sarah? Really?'

His voice was so soft and gentle that Sarah felt a sudden tightening in her chest.

'Yes. I do mean it. I…I need you to help me understand, Jareth.'

Jareth nodded slowly, still drawing ever nearer until he was standing over her, gazing down into her face.

'If you truly wish to understand, then there is only one place where that will be possible. You know that, don't you?'

He had stretched out one gloved hand and, very gently, ran a finger down the side of her face.

Sarah swallowed hard. Somewhere, deep down, she had always known that she was destined to return to the Underground. She had seen it countless times in her dreams and in her fondest imaginings she had pictured herself back there. Now was her opportunity, and despite the fact that for so long Sarah had told herself that Jareth was the villain of the piece, it seemed natural that it was him who was taking her back. The colours of his mismatched eyes shifted, just the way Toby's did when the light hit them, and she felt as though they were directly into her soul, demanding a decision from her.

'I'm ready to go back,' Sarah stated.

Once again, that enigmatic smile flickered at the corners of his mouth.

'Good.'

The air around them rippled slightly, as though space and time had come to an unexpected halt and then restarted. The walls of Sarah's bedroom had vanished and in their place were stone, marble and heavy tapestries.

'Welcome back, Sarah.'

Jareth's voice came from behind her. She turned to face him and her eyes widened in surprise at his change in appearance. A few seconds ago he had been clad in deep, midnight black. Now he was in white and grey with – as always – the amulet around his neck.

'I didn't realise that you meant right this second,' she replied, trying to get her bearings again. 'Although I should've known, I suppose. How long are you going to keep me here?'

He frowned slightly. 'You are free to leave whenever you wish, Sarah. You are not here against your will, and no one has the power to keep you here. But as you told me that this is what you wanted, I saw little point in delaying it.'

He was being, Sarah told herself, incredibly reasonable. There was still that aura of arrogance about him, but so far he had not attempted to frighten her, or even to intimidate her. Even when he had been standing over her, there had been something very tender in his look. Sarah nodded vaguely at his words of reassurance and allowed her eyes to travel over the room they were standing in. It was large, with high ceilings and a cool marble floor, upon which were thick, luxurious rugs. A set of french windows opened out onto a balcony that was laden with sweet-scented flowers. Sarah glanced back at Jareth and then stepped out onto the balcony. It overlooked ornamental gardens, which were filled with intricate hedges and exquisitely crafted fountains. At the extreme left-hand side, Sarah could make out the beginnings of the Goblin City. But on the horizon, stretching out as far as she could see in every direction, lay the Labyrinth itself. It looked, if anything, even larger and more imposing than it had the last time. Sarah shook her head slightly as she looked at it, marvelling to herself how she had ever managed to traverse that immense, undulating web of pathways and passages.

'I could have been killed,' she thought to herself incredulously. And yet she had taken up the challenge with barely a second thought. What happens, she wondered, to that arrogant courage of childhood? Sarah wondered vaguely if she would be capable of such bravery again.

'You were very brave.' She hadn't been aware that Jareth had joined her on the balcony, and at the sound of his voice, she started slightly. 'I admired that. You were a very worthy adversary, Sarah. I watched you, you know, every step of the way. You were astounding.'

Sarah felt a faint smile twitch the corners of her mouth and turned away from him, wondering if her really did have the ability to read her thoughts. She looked out across the Labyrinth again and realised, for the first time, that it was sunset. It had been a little after midnight in her parent's house – time worked differently in the Underground. The whole view was tinged with a reddish-gold light that only heightened the dramatic beauty of the Labyrinth. Sarah smothered a yawn. It had already been a very long day, and at this rate, it would be even longer.

'You must be tired,' Jareth observed, a note of concern in his voice. 'You should rest. There will be plenty of time for understanding tomorrow.'

He offered her his arm and after a second's hesitation, Sarah took it, allowing herself to be guided through the myriad passageways of Jareth's castle. It was, she thought as they walked, remarkably quiet. Every now and then they would pass a doorway and Sarah would catch a glimpse of large, ornate rooms. But there was never anyone in them. She wondered vaguely where all of the Goblins were, but most thoughts were driven out of her head by the sensation of Jareth's arm supporting hers.

'I hope that this meets with your approval,' Jareth said pleasantly, stopping abruptly outside of a heavy wooden door that was covered in ornate engravings. He pushed it open and released Sarah's arm, ushering her inside. Sarah gasped slightly as she looked around. Many candles lighted the room and the air held a sweet scent that came, Sarah realised, from the masses of flowers that were standing in vases on every available surface. Soft white curtains billowed out from the open window, which in turn gave onto a large balcony similar to the one they had just come from.

'When did you… How did you…?' She turned large, amazed eyes upon him.

'Magic,' Jareth replied, waving a hand in the air. 'Before you retire, would you do me the honour of drinking with me?'

He indicated a low table that bore a decanter and two glasses. Sarah, half-amused and half-flattered by his courtly formality replied gravely, 'I would love to.'

Jareth poured out the liquid and then handed one of the glasses to Sarah.

'To your return,' he said, touching his glass against hers.

Sarah smiled in reply and raised the glass to her lips. The liquid inside smelt both warm and cool at the same time, and Sarah closed her eyes. Jareth watched her as she drank, his eyes narrowing slightly. Only when she was finished did he take a small sip from his own glass.

'I will leave you now,' he said. 'Sleep well, Sarah. Tomorrow will hold many surprises, I think.'

'Goodnight, Jareth,' she replied.

The door closed behind him, and Sarah let out a long breath. She had not been aware of the slight tension in her body, but now that she was alone, she felt herself slump slightly. Not surprising really – after all, when she had got up that morning she had never guessed that she would find herself back in the Underground. She looked about the room in which she found herself. It was vast, but comfortable. In a sudden, childlike wave of excitement, Sarah stretched out her arms and started spinning until she almost fell over, laughing out loud. She staggered slightly, breathless and with her head in a whirl. The scent of the flowers was almost intoxicating and Sarah was suddenly aware of a feeling of utter peace and contentment.

ooOoo

The early morning light stole through the slightly open curtains and touched the face of the young woman lying in the bed. She stirred slightly, rolling over and pulling a pillow into her arms, snuggling up against it. It was still some after that before Sarah began to wake up. She opened her eyes lazily, not really seeing what was around her. There was a haze of thoughts and images in her head, semi-dreams that she couldn't quite remember. The image of a crystal globe floated across her consciousness – that and a pair of mismatched eyes.

'Dreaming of Jareth again,' she thought.

Sarah blinked, here own eyes starting to focus on her surroundings. She sucked her breath in sharply at the sudden realisation that she was not in her own room. She sat up and looked around as memories of the previous night came flooding back. The thought that she must have been crazy to place herself in his hands again reared up in her mind, but was banished within a second. She still had that peaceful, content feeling, even though her head did feel a little strange. It wasn't sore; it was more like detachment. Sarah lay back and stretched luxuriously in the bed. The window was still slightly open, and a fresh breeze was gently playing with the curtains. Sarah threw back the bedclothes and stepped out onto the balcony. Her view from here was much the same as the one she had seen last night. Sarah leaned on the stone support, trying to work out exactly where she was. They seemed to have walked for a long time last night, but without having really moved that far from where they had been. But then, she mused to herself, Jareth could probably rotate the entire castle – or even the Labyrinth itself – if he wanted a different view. She gave up trying to figure it out – her brain didn't seem to want to solve problems anyway. It was too busy lingering over the sight of the gardens and the scent of the cool, fresh air. Sarah herself lingered, gazing out at the light haze that rested on the horizon, partially hiding the immensity of the Labyrinth. She was still day dreaming when she heard a voice calling her name. Looking down, she saw Jareth standing on one of the terraces, looking up at her.

'Breakfast is almost ready,' he called up to her. 'Will you dress and come down?'

Sarah recalled the twisting passageways that lay outside her door. 'I don't know the way!' she called back.

'I will be with you in a few moments to escort you down,' he answered. He walked toward the castle and disappeared from view.

Sarah had only just finished dressing when she heard a light tap on the door. Jareth stood on the threshold, his eyes raking over her as she stood before him. He was still treating her with the utmost gallantry, and Sarah accepted his arm once more as he whisked her through the corridors. The sunlight seemed almost unnaturally warm and bright when they finally reached the outside, and once again the heady scent of flowers threatened to overpower her. A table had been prepared on one of the terraces and Jareth seated her at it. It was laid with a simple breakfast of fruits and exotic looking pastries.

'Sarah,' Jareth began, as they helped themselves to the spread, 'there is something that I want to tell you before anything else happens.'

She looked at him expectantly.

'As I have already said, you are a guest here in the Underground, and so you are free to come and go as you like. You may go anywhere you like within the castle grounds and the Goblin City, but I must ask you to keep away from the Labyrinth. There are many…dangers in there-'

'You don't need to tell me that !' Sarah broke in.

'You know less than you think of the Labyrinth,' there was a hint of coldness in his voice, the sudden change in his tone distracted Sarah to the extent that she failed to notice the faint, malicious glitter in his eyes. 'The dangers that you encountered are nothing compared to some of what lies out there!'

Sarah frowned, her chin raising slightly in that familiar attitude of defiance. 'But-'

'I am only speaking out of concern for you welfare, Sarah,' his voice dropped back to it's velvety, seductive tones. He looked at her pleadingly. 'I could not bear for you to be…damaged in any way. If you wish to go anywhere in the Labyrinth I will take you myself, but I ask you not to wander in there on your own.'

'All right,' she said softly. 'I promise I won't go into the Labyrinth alone.'

Jareth sat back in his chair, a pleased smile hovering over his mouth. They continued their breakfast in a pleasant manner, Sarah observing Jareth carefully when he wasn't looking. She didn't notice him watching her, or the strange look that crept into his eyes when he did so. It was toward the end of the meal that Sarah suddenly spoke up again.

'Jareth, there is something that I would like. I would, while I'm here, very much like to see Hoggle.'

Jareth looked a little taken aback by her request. 'Hoggle…you want to see the Dwarf?'

'I haven't seen him, or any of them for a while now, and like to while I'm actually in the Underground. You don't mind, do you?' she added, noticing that he was still hesitating.

'Mind? No…no, of course not! You can see Hoggle whenever you wish.'

Sarah smiled happily and twisted around in her chair, looking over at the castle behind them. It looked quite pretty with the sunlight playing over it and the green gardens surrounding it. Sarah folded her hands on the back of her chair and rested her chin on them. She had the feeling that she was going to enjoy her second visit to the Underground far more than she had her first.

ooOoo

Sarah felt as though she was floating as they walked through the Goblin City, and then down into the Labyrinth. Her feet really were connecting with the ground, but she had the sensation that she was actually skimming along about a foot off the ground. After breakfast, Jareth had left Sarah to wander around the gardens, but now he was taking her through the Labyrinth itself. She looked about curiously, wondering if she would recognise any of the places that they passed.

'Well, Sarah, you wished to see your friend Hoggle. There he is,' Jareth said suddenly.

They had stopped in a courtyard that was in ivy and tiny white flowers around all of its walls. Working his way along the walls was Hoggle, engaged in the same activity as when Sarah had first met him, that is, getting rid of Fairies. Jareth smiled slightly to himself.

'Why don't I leave the two of you alone?' he enquired smoothly and melted into the air.

Sarah stood for a few moments longer, and then called softly, 'Hoggle!'

The little man turned around, and Sarah found herself looking into the craggy, weather-beaten face of her old friend. With a laugh of delight, Sarah ran over to him and fell to her knees, flinging her arms around the Dwarf's neck.

'Oh, Hoggle, it's so good to see you again!'

Hoggle, however, did not respond but merely stood somewhat limply in her embrace. Sarah pulled away from him and stared searchingly into his face.

'Hello, Sarah,' he said dully.

'Hoggle … Are you all right?' Even within those few seconds, and in her elated mood, Sarah had noticed the strangeness of her friend's behaviour. A sudden inspiration struck her. 'Don't worry, Hoggle. I asked Jareth to bring me back here. I wanted to come, I'm going to be staying here for a while.'

Hoggle nodded. 'Yes, I know all about that. Jareth told me.'

He turned away from her and continued spraying. 'Damn Fairies,' he muttered as another one fell to the ground.

Sarah remained kneeling, watching him with growing incredulity. Hoggle had always been rather gruff, but he had been a good friend to her and whenever he had come to visit he had always seemed genuinely pleased to see her. Admittedly, their meetings had become less frequent, and she had been so busy with work that she had not called upon him or any of the others for some months. But she had never forgotten any of them, not for a second.

'Hoggle, I'm sorry that I haven't seen you for a while, it's just that I've been really…' the words died on her lips.

Hoggle had turned around and was staring at her. He shrugged slightly. 'You got your life over there; I got mine in the Underground. You'll come when you'll come, and that's an end to it.'

'Aren't you pleased to see me?' Sarah asked, aware that she sounded like a petulant child, but unable to stop herself from saying the words.

'I've seen you before,' he replied. 'Ain't nothing to get excited about.'

Another Fairy drifted downwards with a faint sigh.

'That'll do for in here,' Hoggle said, resting the spray over his shoulder. 'I guess I'll be seeing you 'round then.'

And with that, he stomped through an opening in one of the walls. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. Hoggle's strange behaviour had left her feeling cold and sick. She gazed around the stone walls of the courtyard. They towered over her. Even standing on tiptoe, she still couldn't see over them. Now that Hoggle had left, it was incredibly quiet. Sarah strained her ears. Absolutely quiet. There wasn't even the sound of birdsong. She frowned slightly – she didn't remember the Labyrinth being this quiet. Unless she had been too busy thinking about Toby to notice. Sarah wandered around the paved courtyard, but the eerie silence was starting to make her feel uneasy. Perhaps it was just in this one area that it seemed so quiet. She had stopped near another entrance, and without another thought, walked through it. She found herself in a wide avenue that had a wall on one side and a tall hedge on the other. Sarah began to walk down it, memories of her last journey through the Labyrinth returning with every step she took. It would be hard to tell how long she wandered along the pathway for – time does move differently after all – but eventually, Sarah heard a loud rush if air in her ears and someone grabbed hold of her arm, whirling her around violently.

'I told you, I warned you not to wander through the Labyrinth on your own!'

Jareth shook her; his face was filled with a rage that Sarah could not comprehend.

'This morning – only a few hours ago – you swore that you wouldn't do this!'

His grip on her arm tightened until Sarah almost cried out in pain. She tried to wrench herself free, but he was far too strong for her.

'You're hurting me!' She shouted at him, but it made no difference. 'Look, I'm sorry. I was alone in there and it felt really creepy. I was just…Hoggle wouldn't even talk to me, I didn't know where you were, and…'

A wave of dizziness swept over her and she felt her knees buckle. For a few seconds she was grateful for Jareth's tight hold on her arm, as it was the only thing that was keeping her upright.

'You should have waited for me, Sarah.' His voice sounded gentler now, and she felt that vicelike grip relax a little. She felt as though her veins had been filled with ice water; her vision had become blurred.

'I don't feel very well,' she murmured.

'Poor Sarah,' his voice was close to her ear. 'Your "friend" upset you very much, didn't he?'

'He didn't want to see me,' she said softly. She felt as though her body was separating completely from her mind and the effort of standing was more than she could endure. But then she wasn't standing; she was lying on something soft. Sarah managed to force her eyes open. She was back in her room, and Jareth was sitting next to her on the bed, holding a glass to her lips.

'Drink this,' he urged kindly. 'It will calm you.'

Sarah drank thirstily. It was similar to what she had the night before, and within a few moments she felt peaceful and refreshed. But also incredibly sleepy. She could barely keep her eyes open.

'I'm sorry,' she said to Jareth, who was standing over her with watchful eyes. 'I'm not being a very good guest.'

'Lie back and sleep,' he commanded softly.

Sarah gratefully arranged herself on the pillows and closed her eyes. Jareth continued to watch her. If Sarah had woken then and looked up at him, she probably would not have recognised him. The handsome features had become distorted by some unnameable emotion and the eyes flashed with pure, cold hatred.

'Yes, sleep now, Sarah,' he murmured softly, the sibilance of his voice biting the air. 'Forget about your so-called friends. Very soon you'll be entirely mine, and you will give me everything that I want. And willingly! You will give it very willingly! But for now, sleep.'

To be continued...