Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth.

Once Upon A Time

Chapter 4
Facing the Face

"Just whose genius' idea this was?" Hoggle snarled at Lir, pulling down his shirt. His face burned bright red that matched his cap's color. He patted his head to confirm he still wore the hat.

"Master dwarf…" Lir tried to placate him.

"Oh, it's Hoggle! For the sake of the king's skinny breached legs, my name cannot be that difficult to remember. Hoggle! Not master dwarf, not Higgle, nor Hogwart!" he cried, stomping his foot on the ground.

Lir pulled backwards. "I'm sorry…Hoggle. I just wanted to help."

"No, don't ya try that trick on me. A hero ya just wanted to be. I know yer kind o' boys," Hoggle spat, glaring Lir with a murderous expression. "Ya are just interested about fame an' swooning damsels to praise ya and listen to yer stories! Ya are a selfish little boy. And ya sure wouldn't last even a minute in the Labyrinth. Just look what ya have done now!"

"That, Hoggle, is unnecessarily harsh." Lir pulled back his shoulders. "I cannot be blamed for loosing Lady Sarah's company. In that green hell not a person could see a thing."

"Ya fool! Don't ya get it? If something happens to her, we'll be neck in deep trouble with the King…"

"His Majesty? You mean the King of the Sunrise Land? I thought you didn't know him!" Lir staggered at the revelation.

"Not him, boy. The Goblin King." Hoggle shook his head and let go of his jacked. A worry flickered in his eyes. "Ya wanted to meet faes. Well, 'tis might be yer chance, but don't blame me if ya're not pleased. Things don't always go as in yer songs."

Hoggle turned away, both detesting and envying Lir's clueless face, and felt a tight knot forming in his stomach. Call him coward, all right, but Hoggle would give anything to avoid meeting Jareth if something happened to Sarah.

"I don't understand," Lir confessed, scratching his head as he followed Hoggle. "You say this king of yours - this, this Goblin King - would harm Lady Sarah?"

Hoggle hmph'ed at the designation knowing it annoyed Sarah. He shivered all of sudden, wondering if Sarah was in trouble and needed their help. "No, even if ya can never know for certain about him. He did...change, once. And not for better." Hoggle didn't look at Lir, voice hesitant. "He says he's different now, but me... I'm not sure if that's true."

"I've heard about the land of the Labyrinth," Lir muttered after a while. "My master told it's a place of unspeakable wonders and dangers. It is told to be ruled by a capricious king, volatile, charming, and dangerous, who lives in the castle behind twisting corridors of his magical maze. He's told to be master of illusions. The mortals facing him never have a chance..." his voice dwindled.

"That much is true, lad," Hoggle snorted. "My grannie told me once that his own people cast him away and commanded to rule over the Labyrinth as a punishment."

Lir shivered. "The king must be very bitter if that is true..."

Hoggle glanced at him, hesitating. "If he wasn't so full of himself, he'd be. I think."

"But I don't understand what it has to do with Lady Sarah?"

Hoggle scowled at the question. He stopped and turned, pointing his finger at the fair-haired boy.

"Now, look! Jareth's been plotting years to get back on Sarah for beating him in his own game. I should know since I was the first to taste his retribution. He plotted and played, and tricked her to return. And I'd be a droolin' fool if I'd believe, even for a wink, that he let her go after finally luring her in his world."

Lir's eyes widened.

"We better find Sarah, and soon," Hoggle muttered, turning.

Lir followed him in silence.

oxox

Sarah had learned that few things made her seething with rage. One of them was calling to insurance companies. Talking to goblin kings definitely belonged to that same category, she decided.

As to emphasize her point, she scrambled up and crossed her arms on her chest, holding on to her bleeding wrist. Apparently, her sign of annoyance didn't impress Jareth, for he grinned, leaning against the tree, and toyed with his silver crest. She narrowed her gaze. "Don't play games with me, Jareth. Why are you here?"

He ceased fidgeting his medallion, letting it fall, and looked up. The solemn expression on his face felt eerily disturbing. "Why should it be so surprising that I am worried for you?"

She brushed off the sudden jittery sensation in her stomach and asked instead, "I thought you said you couldn't leave your kingdom?"

His eyes flickered at her words and he flashed a lazy smile. "I said I had to take care of my kingdom, Sarah. That is hardly the same."

She glared at him, unsure if she could trust his words. Finally, rolling her eyes at his bravado, she sighed in defeat, "Well, I appreciate your intervention with the dryads. So, thanks. But, really, there's no any special reason for you to stay away from your duties."

"And leave you alone?" Jareth cocked up his brown, his tone suggesting that a mere idea was more than ridiculous.

"It's only matter of time before Hoggle and Lir find me," Sarah argued, and backed when he took a step closer. She didn't have time to even protest when he clasped her hand in his own, revealing the red gash in her wrist.

"You know, Sarah. I'm less and less convinced with your idea to leave. The dwarf hardly qualifies as someone capable protecting you from the hazards of this world," Jareth tutted, pulling a white handkerchief out of thin air. Carefully, he wrapped the cloth around her wrists. Somewhat amused Sarah noticed an embroidered golden 'J' and fine lace encircling the cloth's rim. "I trust in the bard-boy's abilities even less. It appears he lives his head in the clouds." He looked up.

"Truly, Jareth, why do you need to be so judgmental?" she snapped, pulling her hand back. "We've done quite well until now, even without your help."

His eyes hardened. "Still so stubborn."

"No, I only want to find sir Didymus. He's my friend. That's not stubbornness but loyalty." Sarah repeated. "I don't understand what makes it such a difficult concept."

Jareth regarded her silently and turned his back to her, stepping away. The light filtering through the foliage tinted his wild, blond hair with green and yellow. He stared into the depths of the surrounding trees, listening to their gentle rustle. "Tell me, Sarah. What do you think he'll say when you finally find him?" he asked in a soft voice and turned to look at her.

Sarah didn't answer.

"Do you honestly think he'll be overjoyed to learn he has been granted a return? Do you think he even wants to come? He lost everything when I banished him. Many a thing can change even in the little knight's heart."

"I don't know, but I want to ask," Sarah said at last. "He deserves that much at least."

"I was his king, and he betrayed me," Jareth reminded coolly. "It's my own council to decide how to rule over my subjects. Too much leniency leads only to chaos, especially when one rules over the goblins."

"As I see it, your way of ruling have very little impact on those little beasts," Sarah was quick to remind. "If possible, they are even more ruthless nowadays."

"You know the reason for that just as well as I do." Jareth glanced up, locking his hands behind his back. "The goblins are part of the land and reflect their king's heart. Much remains to be fixed."

Sarah shook her head. "Precisely because of that. Jareth, you must understand that I cannot come back. Not now. You ask me to trust you without giving me any reason to do so."

His face was masked as he glanced at her, speaking slowly, "You remain adamant on this, I see."

"Don't tell me you're surprised."

He almost smiled, stepping closer. "No, I guess I'm not," he confessed, bringing his hand on her cheek. The touch of his cool leather-covered fingers felt soothing. He cupped his hand on her chin, and she fought to hide the sensation his closeness caused as she looked into his odd, gleaming eyes.

Her eyes shut, almost involuntarily, as he gently touched her lips with his mouth.

He let his hand fall and took a step back. "Take care, Sarah. I have some pressing matters to attend to and cannot watch over you during that time."

She smiled despite herself. "In that case I suggest you better hurry back and fix whatever still needs fixing in your kingdom."

Jareth tilted his head. Something, a fleeting emotion, flashed across his eyes. He opened his mouth, then changed his mind, and simply said, "Be careful, Sarah."

She watched him walk away from the clearing, trying to decide the emotion that had played in his eyes. Only when she had lost last trace of the last strand of his wild-haired head, she was able to name it.

It was regret she'd seen.