Hello, readers. I am sorry that it took so long to update. I have been super busy and I have been working on an epilogue to Just Another Statistic. You cannot believe how difficult that is… sigh. Oh well. Anyway, here is chapter Three. My most sincere thanks go out to Lady Galriee, FavGhost, Outlaw-Lanaya, tinkerbellluver, Labyrinth Mistress, Rai Medvedsky, The Faery Dreamer, mistude, and Katy16. They were my first ten reviewers. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth or any of its characters. But I do own Selwin and Teresa.

Chapter Three: A Friend Pays a Visit

The Aboveground—11:57 PM, Sarah's house

Sarah looked at her scrupulously clean room for one last time. Her books were still on their shelves along with her toys. The paper clippings of her mother's plays were still on her mirror and her posters were still on the walls. She wouldn't bring these things with her. They were the things that had mattered most in her life for so many years but now they seemed small and insignificant. She would leave these things behind to signify the end of her old life and the beginning of her new life.

A soft knock brought Sarah out of her thoughts and she looked towards the door. "Come in."

Jareth stuck his head in. His eyes were filled with a gentle look that Sarah had become used to in the past week. His hair was down to his shoulders still but there was only one layer and it was all blonde. He'd changed it for the funeral. Sarah had cried when she saw it.

"Are you ready yet, Sarah?" Jareth's gentle voice was like a caress and Sarah nodded. She was ready. Silently, she pulled on her favorite cloak made for her by her mother during one of her phases. Then she pulled on her school backpack and walked to the door and Jareth's waiting arms. He covered her hand with his own and led her down the stairs into the living room where the furniture was covered with plastic. Sarah shivered as she tried to remember what the living room used to look like. It used to be so warm; so inviting but now it just reminded her of death.

Jareth stopped walking when they arrived in the middle of the room and turned her to face him. "Close your eyes," he whispered as he collected the magic that he needed to take her to the Underground. When she was relaxed enough he commanded the magic to take them back to his kingdom. The room around them shifted and the air whooshed about them. They were soon gone leaving the house empty.


The Underground—Jareth's Quarters

Sarah opened her eyes and saw… black. Sitting up, she looked around and recognized a canopy bed, closed to block out the light. Yawning, Sarah tried to collect her thoughts. She remembered leaving the Aboveground and she remembered arriving in the familiar throne room. But after that there was nothing. Apparently she'd been more tired than she'd thought. Curious to see where she was, Sarah pulled some of the black fabric aside and looked around. She was in a large room that was immediately identified as a bedroom. There was a dark wood desk that was covered with papers in one corner and next to it was three doors. Sarah slid off the bed – this feat was made easy since the sheets were a slippery fabric – and walked over to the first door. Opening it, she found herself looking into a bathroom that was as large as her living room. An underground tub was in the middle of the floor and Sarah was surprised to see that it was the size of a swimming pool. Around the tub, large arrays of bottles were lined up. Each was labeled neatly. Sarah walked over to the edge slowly, feeling an instant desire to take a long, hot bath. Instead, she turned around on the stone floor and exited, closing the door behind her. Then, back in the bedroom, she turned and faced the middle door. Slowly, she turned the handle and looked inside. Her eyes widened and she let out a quiet laugh. Inside was a large assortment of clothes. Dresses in every color imaginable, nightgowns that looked as if they were liquid; pants; shirts; and shoes. Shaking her head, Sarah closed the door, making a mental note to look through that entire wardrobe soon.

Finally, Sarah turned to the third and last door. Turning the knob, she took a deep breath before opening it. She yelped and fell backward when the door opened without her and someone walked in. It was Jareth and he was smiling with amusement. "I see you have woken up, now," he said with laughter in his voice as Sarah glared up at him from the floor. He closed the door behind him and leaned down, offering her his hand. She took it and he hoisted her up onto her feet. Sarah looked him over with an appraising eye. He was dressed in a royal blue cloak and a white, loose shirt with black pants. His hair was back to the way she remembered it. "Do you like your rooms?" he asked coolly, noticing her look.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Are all those dresses mine?"

Jareth nodded with a small smile. "Yes, they are. Do you approve?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "Are you seriously asking me that, Jareth? I haven't seen so many clothes in all my life! Not even in the mall!"

Jareth nodded solemnly. "My cousin told me that you would love all those clothes. He also helped me choose out the ointments in the bathroom." Gesturing toward the first door, he smiled. "Why don't you go bathe so I can show you around more?"

Sarah nodded, looking up at Jareth. "Where do I put my clothes?"

"There's a slot on the far end of the room. Just dump them in there. A fresh outfit will be waiting for you out here. I shall meet you in an hour."

"Okay," Sarah whispered as she smiled up at Jareth. Her heart thumped in her ears as she turned around to the bathroom door. Before she could open the door, however, Jareth was behind her, putting his arms around her waist to rest on her belly. He pressed his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. Sarah felt herself blush as they stood like that for a long time. Finally, Jareth pulled away and, without a word, he strode out through the door he had come in through. Sarah stood staring after him with her mouth hanging open. Then she shook her head in exasperation and turned on her heel, slamming the bathroom door open. She muttered under breath as the door closed behind her. Quickly, she stripped off her jeans and T-shirt and tossed them in a gap in the far wall. Then, she bent by the edge of the tub and examined it for a switch or something to turn the water on. Not finding one, she cursed softly.

"Where is the faucet?" she muttered as she felt the edges. "Oh," she sighed as she found nothing. "I wish that I could figure out how to turn the water on." Suddenly a spigot was next to her feet with two knobs next to it. Sarah laughed as she reached for the knob labeled HOT and turned it. Water streamed out. Sarah smiled as she turned and looked around her. Seeing a bottle labeled "BUBBLES – ROSES" she opened the cap and poured a large amount into the rising water. When the bubbles had reached the brim of the tub, Sarah turned off the water and slipped into the steaming water. She gasped as the steaming hot water surrounded her. "I wish this wasn't so hot."

The water cooled down enough so that it wasn't too hot but it was still soothing to her muscles. Sighing, she submerged herself until only her nose and above was above the floral-scented bubbles. She looked around, taking in each label and tried to decide which combination of lotions, shampoos, and other assorted scents to use. She smiled under the water level and let her mind wander to where she was now. If three weeks ago someone had told her that she would be bathing in the Goblin King's palace she would have laughed in his face and gone home to daydream about it. Never had she actually believed it could happen. Maybe dreams did come true.

After she was done washing her body under the water with scented soap and washing her hair with the same scent – both rose – Sarah hoisted herself out of the tub and reached for the lotion. She lathered a generous amount onto her skin and then stood on the stone floor, scanning the room for the towels. Locating them, she walked over and wrapped a fluffy white one around her body and then one around her hair. She smiled faintly as she left the bathroom and turned to the door to the closet. Once inside she scanned the racks for something comfortable. She decided on a long midnight-blue skirt and a silver satin peasant shirt. She also found underwear and a pair of comfortable blue ballet flats. Once she was dressed she wandered back into the bathroom ad located a comb on a stone counter set into the wall. Standing in front of a gold-inlaid mirror she brushed her hair, working out the tangles. Then she brushed it until it was smooth.

Finally Sarah walked back into the bedroom to find Jareth lounging on a large armchair in the corner. He looked her over with an approving eye. "I see you liked dressing yourself up," he said.

Sarah nodded slowly. "Thank you for the things, Jareth," she said quietly.

Jareth shook his head. "No need for thanks, Sarah." Jareth stood, walking towards her. He held out his hand and nodded toward the door. "Now that you are refreshed: may I escort you to breakfast? I have a few someone I would like you to meet."

Sarah nodded. "Sure." She took his hand and he led her out of the room and through the third door. This door opened out into a garden. Sarah stared at the flowers around her. She heard Jareth chuckle as he lead her down the dirt path and passed the bushes of lilacs and the mulberry trees. Birds sang and butterflies fluttered past. "I didn't really think that you were the kind of guy to have a garden," she whispered as Jareth continued to walk down the path. He chuckled softly.

"You have no idea how relaxing this place can be when I am having troubles in court. And besides: the Labyrinth makes the rooms in this place. I had no hand in its creation although I must admit that I enjoy it." They'd reached the other side of the garden and were standing in front of a large door. He opened it and motioned for Sarah to go through. She walked through and instantly recognized the room that she was in. It was Jareth's throne room. She had only walked through once and even then only for a few seconds but it was so familiar. The memory of a song drifted back into her head.

"How you turned my world you precious thing

You starve and near exhaust me.

Everything I've done I've done for you

I move the stars for no one."

Sarah sighed slightly and Jareth looked down at her, closing the door to the garden. "You okay?" he asked.

Nodding, Sarah smiled up at him. "Just thinking about the last time I was here."

Jareth smiled back at her and again offered her his arm. "Let's go eat. I don't know about you but I am starving. And that food you ate back in the Aboveground was atrocious. You are going to love the stuff we have here." Chuckling, he led her to a flight of stairs. At the top, Sarah inhaled deeply.

"What is that smell?" she sniffed the air experimentally. "It smells delicious!"

Jareth nodded gravely. "This is the food that you will be dining on from now on. As I said: you are going to love it." They had reached a long oak table and Jareth pulled a chair out for her. Sarah sat down and looked around. The room was impressive. The walls were an ivory color and large windows lined both sides. The lining between the ceiling and the wall was golden and beautiful stone pillars came down between each window. Sarah was sitting to the right of Jareth's chair which was at the head of a long rosewood table.

"This place is beautiful, Jareth," Sarah said reverently, turning to the man beside her. Jareth only smiled before the doors at the far end of the room swung open and two people – a man and a woman – walked through. Sarah's eyes widened as she looked at the pair. They were gorgeous. "Who are they?" she whispered. Jareth shook his head in annoyance. Standing, he addressed the man and the woman walking toward them.

"You're late, Selwin," he said. "The food is going to get cold. And I have a very delicate guest with me that needs to be fed. Did I not specifically say 8:00?"

The standing in front of Jareth shook his head and laughed. "It's only 8:03, Jareth. And I don't think that your friend is all THAT delicate." He turned a pair of incredible blue eyes to Sarah. Sarah blushed. The man bowed and turned toward the woman standing next to him. "This is my cousin Teresa of the Greater Kingdom. And I," he turned back to Sarah, "am Selwin, Prince of the Greater Kingdom."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly and she stood up swiftly. She curtsied clumsily, her face growing even redder. "My name is Sarah of… uh… New York." She pushed a lock of hair away from her face, trying in vain not to show how embarrassed she was. Selwin laughed quietly and he extended a hand, lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes.

"I know who you are, Sarah. The whole Underworld is talking about you. You do know that you are the first woman to conquer Jareth, here. And I don't mean with his little game although you are the first to do that, too." He smiled at her confused expression but declined to say more. Sarah saw Jareth stiffen out of the corner of her eye. "Why don't we sit down?" Selwin said, breaking an uncomfortable silence. "I think that our little Jareth might keel over if he doesn't fill his royal stomach." Smiling, he went to the other side of the table and pulled out the chair across from Sarah. The woman – Selwin's cousin Teresa – sat down gracefully, brushing her long skirts so that they pooled gracefully around her. Jareth was behind Sarah again, pulling out her chair for her. When she sat down, Jareth squeezed her shoulder before retreating to his own chair.

As soon as they were all seated, ten or twenty goblins scurried to the table, carrying heavily-laden platters. Sarah felt her mouth water as she looked at the colorful fruits that were arranged in patters and the steaming meats. When the plates were resting on the table, the goblins moved back to stand against the walls discreetly. Jareth picked up a pair of forks and lifted a pungent sausage. He offered it to Sarah. "Sausage, my dear?"

Sarah nodded, smiling politely. She saw Selwin piling food on his cousin's plate. He caught her gaze and winked. Blushing, Sarah looked back at the plate that Jareth was offering her. It was covered with peaches. Sarah felt laughter bubbling up as she looked over at Jareth's face which was suspiciously innocent. "You have got to be kidding me."

Jareth shook his head. "I have no clue what you mean, my dear. I thought you like peaches." Sarah saw the corner of his lip quirk slightly. Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head.

"Jerk," she muttered and reached over for the platter of waffles. Jareth caught her wrist.

"I have to serve you, Sarah. It is custom." He was still smiling slightly and it was aggravating her. She nodded curtly and he scooped a couple of waffles onto her plate. "Would you like syrup?"

"Yes, please." Sarah said absently as she looked discreetly over at Teresa. She was already daintily taking bites out of her waffle. And Selwin was scooping spoonfuls of oatmeal into his mouth. There was something that irked her about the woman across from her. It wasn't really the cut of the dress that slipped far below what was modest. And it wasn't her skin which the perfect color, the perfect texture; the kind of skin that any girl would kill for. And even the sly looks that she shot at Jareth at regular intervals didn't bother Sarah too much. No. It was something in her eyes…

"Sarah!" Jareth put a finger under her chin and brought her face up so he could look at her. "You okay? You spaced out." His face was concerned.

Sarah nodded and looked down at her plate. It was full. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about something." She smiled apologetically and picked up her fork and began to eat. She was going to have to be careful around this Teresa. That was for sure.


Teresa sat between her cousin and Jareth, the King of the Labyrinth. She sat straight and majestically, mentally checking that her greatest assets were accentuated by the way she folded her hands in her lap and crossed her ankles. Behind her apparently peaceful composure, however, she was plotting. The woman that Jareth called "dear" was ugly compared to her. Her hair was brown and muddy and was extremely monotonous compared to her own golden hair. Her skin was slightly brown and her clothing was absurdly unsightly. All in all, Teresa felt very confidant. She was going to win the king over and she was going to take over his kingdom.

A few years ago, when Teresa was still innocent and ignorant in the ways of men, she had dreamed about Jareth one day coming and riding away with her into the sunset to live happily ever after. But innocence was fleeting at best and soon Teresa was dreaming about how he would take her as a mistress first and then slowly his lust for her would grow and grow before he had to take her as his queen. Then she would rule his kingdom at his side. All her dreaming and plotting had proved futile, however, and she was soon overcome by her need to banish her needs and desires. She had become a courtesan.

Still, when her desires should have been quenched, she yearned for Jareth and his famed skills as a lover. It hadn't been hard to convince the High King – her uncle – to demand that Jareth marry in a year. And it had taken even less to convince her cousin to take her with him. She had always been Selwin's favorite. This Sarah girl was only a minor road block. Teresa knew that her sensuality would provoke Jareth to her. And even if that didn't work… well, the apothecary was always willing to house her for a few nights in exchange for naught but a drought of poison. Teresa let a small, satisfied smile cross her face. Sarah would pay for interfering.


Sarah looked warily over at Teresa. Her smile unnerved her and Sarah couldn't figure out why. She tried to concentrate on the conversation that Jareth and Selwin were having but her eyes kept flicking warily over to Teresa. They were all sitting on a circular couch – Sarah loved the thought of such a couch for some reason – and Jareth and Selwin were discussing something about politics. Sarah tried yet again to turn her attention back to their discussion.

"—the fairies are revolting again," Jareth was saying. "I have had the goblin Hoggle tending to it but he has been… distracted lately."

Selwin nodded. "Yes. The Greater Kingdom is having such problems with the pixies. They keep attacking crops and I swear they are reproducing like rabbits. Probably worse."

Jareth laughed. "I don't think that is possible. And don't say stuff like that, Selwin. You'll jinx it. We just got rid of those little rodents and… well…" He shrugged.

Sarah looked over at Jareth. Something had just occurred to her. "What do you mean the fairies are revolting?"

Jareth took a deep breath. "They are the most obnoxious creatures in the Underworld. Rivaled only by the pixies, of course." He looked over at Selwin who was smiling. "I do believe that you saw them when you were here for the first time. They have their own realm somewhere in between this one and the Aboveground. But they have apparently decided that their own land isn't good enough and are attacking the farmers and some of the Lower Fae. There haven't been many fatalities but there have been enough to cause alarm. Your friend Hoggle is researching what will work best on them but he hasn't gotten very far."

Selwin nodded. "They are a complete and utter nuisance. I don't really understand how Jareth has put up with them for so long. How much do you know about the Underground?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not much. But I would love to find out more. How many different creatures are there?"

"Too many to name all in one sitting," Jareth said with a smile. "But I will keep it in mind that you want to learn more. I shall arrange for a tutor as soon as I possibly can." He smiled again, his hand gripping her elbow gently.

"Well," Teresa was looking at Jareth's hand with an intensity that was scary, "I think that it is unethical and unladylike for a woman to know much about politics. She should be more concerned about what is in fashion and who the best persons to be acquainted with are. She must also be learned in current gossip."

Jareth shook his head. "I disagree. In fact—"

"What is a woman worth if all she cares about is clothes and gossip?" Sarah said as politely as she could.

Teresa glared at Sarah. "What use is she if she tries to do things that are meant for men?"

"I think that it is completely erroneous to think that so many people think that a woman is worth no more than what she can give to a man. And it is worse still for the woman to think that she is worth no more than that." Sarah was still smiling but her eyes were filled with resentment for the woman across from her. She ignored Jareth and Selwin when they tried to change the subject.

Teresa's eyes were lit with the same fire and resentment. "It is highly unattractive for a woman to try to do things that are meant for men only."

"You keep saying that, Dearest Teresa," Sarah said sweetly. "But I am still waiting for facts for this. Why don't we ask these men here which they prefer: a woman with sawdust in her head or one who can actually have an intelligible conversation with them." She looked over expectantly at Jareth and Selwin. Their mouths were open slightly but Jareth had a twinkle in his eyes.

Clearing his throat, Selwin stood up. "I, um, think that we better get going, Teresa. We have to speak to my father tonight before we settle in." He smiled at Jareth who stood up as well. Extending his forearm, he winked at Jareth. "And do try to keep out of trouble while I am gone."

Jareth grasped his friend's arm firmly and smiled slyly. "I shall see you tonight at dinner, Selwin. You are, of course, invited tonight's festivities."

Selwin nodded, releasing Jareth's arm who did the same. "Of course." He turned to Sarah and bowed to Sarah and extended his hand to Teresa. "Come, my dear cousin. You and Lady Sarah can continue your riveting conversation tonight."

"Tonight?" Sarah asked, turning to Jareth.

Jareth nodded, looking abashed. "Yeah, well, there's a ball. I forgot to tell you."

Sarah shook her head in exasperation. "Well what am I supposed to do?" She stood and looked Jareth in the eye.

Jareth shrugged. "Dance, of course."

"We'll, uh, just be going," Selwin stammered as he grasped his cousin's hand and pulled her out of the lounge. Sarah and Jareth didn't notice.

"I don't even know how to dance, Jareth," Sarah said through gritted teeth. "Let alone how to act at a formal ball. You could have at least warned me!"

Jareth pressed his lips together and gave Sarah an odd look. "Why are you so upset?"

"I…" Sarah paused, frowning. "Because you just brought me here last night and yet you plan to take me to some formal thing where I am going to be the only human in a crowd of elves…"

"Fae, Sarah," Jareth said with a sigh. "We're called Fae. And if you don't want to go then you don't have to. I could always take Teresa."

Sarah stopped and let her mouth drop. She saw the satisfied look on his face. "F-fine," she said, resigned. Jareth smiled.

"Now, why don't we take care of your not knowing how to dance? I will have one of the maids choose out a suitable dress for you." Sarah nodded, glaring down at the floor. She hated losing fights.

Jareth lifted her chin and lifted an eyebrow. "You're beautiful when you're angry, you know that?" Sarah glowered but he just chuckled softly and pressed his lips to hers. Sarah's eyes flew open wide as she looked at him. His eyes were closed, however as his hands moved to the back of her neck. After a moment, he pulled away slightly and opened his eyes slightly. "It's rude to stare, dear."

Okay. So there you go. The next chapter will have a little innuendo in it if all goes as planned and I don't start changing things. :-) And just a little interesting fact: the name Seliwn means "friend from the palace." I really like reading baby name books! –LOL-

Love you all!

Shigure