Chapter 5, The End Of A DayDream

Sarah awoke more rested than she had ever been. She stretched her arms over her head, just barely touching the ceiling. She sat and looked around, the sun was peaking over the horizon as a new day began in the Labyrinth. Hoggle wrangled up breakfast while Sarah bathed.

For such a dirty oaf, Hoggle actually had a pretty nice bathroom, complete with soap and bubbles. After waiting for the tub to fill she lowered herself in the streaming water. She enjoyed how the warmth made her skin tingle as she relaxed to lean back against the wall of the tub. It was quiet, and peaceful. After a while Sarah found herself thinking about her dream. I have no idea where the hell that came from...I certainly never imagined anything like that. She recalled the more, intense moments of her dream. Her face grew hot and a sharp feeling flashed through her abdomen as she pictured the look of raw passion on the Goblin King's face, and the way his breath felt against her skin.

She'd never experienced anything like it. Sure, she'd been all hot n' bothered before; after all, she wasn't exactly new to the world of carnal pleasures. But the feelings, the emotion he brought out of her and that she brought out of him, she'd never felt anything so strong before. Maybe that's what it's like...She thought. Her hand trailed the length of her inner thigh beneath the bubbles. A smile graced her lips as she thought about it.

Sarah wasn't a prude in any means, she thought of herself to be quite experienced in a lot of things. But, when it came down to it she was ultimately still a virgin. She'd had boy friends over the years, some were even considered to be pretty serious. She'd experimented and teased, but all in all, when she thought of truly losing her innocence, the people she was with just didn't fit. She didn't think anything of it, when she found herself in a situation that felt right, well then that was that.

Sarah hadn't noticed she was touching herself until a knock at the door almost sent her over the edge of the tub.

"Sarah, whenever you're ready breakfast is done." Hoggle said through the door, a hint of bashfulness in his voice.

"Uh, ok. I'll be right out!" She shouted, almost leaping out of the tub at the thought of what she was doing, and the thought of her thoughts.

Sarah entered the main room of the cottage, dressed in the same jeans and T-shirt she had been wearing the night she came. She was going to need to find some other form of clothing soon. She sat at the table and devoured everything in sight. Hoggle merely watched questioningly.

"Uh, Sarah?" Hoggle asked politely. Sarah looked up from her plate.

"Yes?" She saw he was holding a rectangular box in his arms.

"This arrived in front of the door this morning, and I don't think it is for me." The bashfulness returned to his voice. Sarah got up and took the box from him. There was nothing special about it, to her it just looked like a plain brown cardboard box. When she opened it, a look of confusion played across her face.

"Hoggle, what is this?" She asked, her gaze never leaving the contents of the box.

"It is a dress Sarah, I'm assuming this is what you'll be wearing at the Ball you said you're going to?" He looked up at her for some kind of confirmation.

"Ah, yes. That makes sense. But, how did it get here? No one knows where I am." She hadn't really thought about what she had just said as she pulled the gown from its confinement.

"Um, well I assume it must be from Jareth. He knows you're here." Hoggle was surprised she hadn't caught on to that obvious fact.

Sarah was too busy admiring the dress to hear anything Hoggle was saying. But once he had said Jareth's name, Sarah was immediately thrown from her daze and a rush of anger flew over her.

"How! How dare he! He thinks he can just plop me off somewhere, watch me through my window and not have the decency to tell me what the hell is even going on! If I hadn't run into that old man I wouldn't have the slightest idea why I was here or why an eccentric ball gown has shown up on my door step! And of course it's from him. He sends me something so beautiful that it should have me giggling like a twelve year old and instead i've got smoke coming out of my ears! The nerve of that man!" Sarah stomped around the room cursing to herself. Hoggle stood there like a tree, unable to hide the confusion that now engulfed him. Why is she so upset?He thought. He would have expected her to be happy, she used to love dressing up.

"Uh, Sarah. Jareth is the King of this place, it is his job to know everything that goes on. I wouldn't be surprised if he was watching your conversation with the old man, or more likely, that he was the old man, being the rat he is." Hoggle watched carefully for Sarah's reaction. "Either way, I'm sure he knew that you know what's going on, and therefore, felt no need to explain the significance of the dress. He can be quite short with people." Hoggle watched as Sarah's body stood motionless. He was getting worried she might bring down the whole house.

"I see. No, you're absolutely right hoggle. I wasn't thinking rationally, it all makes perfect sense. But, for the time being let's say he was watching me talk to the old man and not that he was the old man. I think I might kill him in that case." She looked up at him, trying to suppress her anger. "I'm going to go hang this up." She said before walking into the guest room, shutting the door behind her. Hoggle gave a sympathetic look as he heard the lock click.

Sarah lay on the bed deep in thought. This isn't so bad...I just need to rein myself in. There's no reason to be this upset. She had been working on controlling her impulses, her temper especially. She got up and crossed over to her dress that was now hanging on the door of an old armoire. It was floor length, and had long sleeves that hung just off the shoulders. The sleeves bellowed in numerous layers at the elbow, leaving about a foot of material hanging from her arms. It had a corset back, while the front was completely plain. It had a square neckline that Sarah guessed showed more than its fair share of cleavage. Sarah lifted her hand to feel the soft material of the gown. It was made of something similar to velvet, and was dyed a deep royal purple that was so rich and vibrant she thought all the worlds plums were used to make it. There was delicate silver and gold lace trim along the inner edge of the neckline, she noticed that this same pattern continued around the rim of the inner layers of of the sleeves. She couldn't see until now, but there was a light flowery pattern down the center front of the dress that shined when the light hit it. There was no question in Sarah's mind that this dress was made for her, both literally and figuratively.

Sarah turned from the dress and left the room, determined to continue on with her day, pushing thoughts of Jareth far away from her mind.

Jareth stood in front of his mirror, viewing himself in a seductive pose. He really didn't care much for formal balls such as this. There would be far too many people, especially when the only person he cared to see was Sarah. He let out a sigh and conjured a crystal. He vanished instantly, utterly unsure of how the night would enfold.

Sarah stood in front of her dress, gaping at it in excitement and fear. After she put the dress on she pondered on how to go about tying in. She was about to call for Hoggle when she lost her breath mid-sentence. Somehow, the dress had tied itself, leaving Sarah gasping from the surprise of it. She watched in the mirror as it seemed to mold itself to her body, accentuating every one of her curves perfectly. "Alright, that was weird." She said to herself. "Oh shit! I don't have any shoes to wear, and what am I supposed to do for my hair? O god I completely forgot about make up!" Sarah was on the verge of having a mental break down when she felt something soft beneath her feet. She lifted the dress from the floor to see a pair of violet slippers on her feet. "Well, that was convenient." She returned her gaze back to the mirror in a continued fit of worry.

Sarah's mouth dropped to the floor with a thud when her eyes met the mirror. She wasn't sure if she should start screaming with joy, or in utter fear. Her face was perfect, apparently the dress came with its own instant make up kit. She had flawless skin and pale rosy cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with light purple glitter and deep black eye liner that made her eyes explode. The next thing she noticed was her hair. No longer plain and straight, it shone in flowing waves that accented and curled in all the right places. Slightly curled pieces framed her face and small metallic flowers surfaced on either side of her head just above her ears. She wasn't one to gape at herself, but she was just about in tears seeing the way she looked now, and realizing just how dingy she really was from staying in Hoggle's dusky cottage.

She saw a light flickering from beneath the door and approached to see what was going on. When she opened the door she expected to find Hoggle, but what awaited her took her breath away. Sarah stepped from Hoggle's dirty old bedroom onto the walkway leading up to a grand and extravagant castle. A young man suddenly appeared and reached for her hand. "My Lady." He said and bowed, helping her step down. Sarah looked back and saw she was stepping out of a carriage. So many random and crazy things had just happened to her, that she decided to overlook this one. " Thank you Sir." She said and nodded. She walked up towards the entrance, trying not to gape at the scenery.

There was so much going on all at once, carriages came and went as more and more people appeared, scores of finely dressed men and women lined the huge staircase leading up to the entrance of the castle. She lifted the skirt of her dress and proceeded to climb the steps as gracefully as she could. She felt many eyes scanning her, though she couldn't tell if they were friendly or foe. When she reached the door she was passed through by two guards which were on either side of the door. She then entered the main lobby. There, there were small groups of people lost in pleasant conversation. She was unsure of where to go next and looked around for the next door.

"Excuse me Miss, correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe you're lost." came a deep voice from behind her. She turned to find an immensely handsome gentleman starring at her with a devilish grin. "Please, if you'll allow me?" He dipped his head slightly, placing one hand over his heart and extending the other in a gracious bow.

"I'll allow you to show me to the ball room, if that's where you're headed." She said with a flirtatious spark. He stood straight and took her arm in his as he led her across the room.

"May I ask thy lady's name?" He asked, the grin never leaving his face.

"Sarah, and who would you be good sir?" Sarah was really playing up this whole medieval lingo thing.

"My name is Alasdair, and I must say Lady Sarah, you are quite a vision." He looked at her with a seemingly genuine smile. He had dark brown hair that was tousled in a boyish coif. He had a slim face with chiseled features and piercing frost blue eyes. He looked dangerous.

She looked away with an innocent grin, not wanting to look him in the eye. He smiled to himself before saying, "It's looks as if we're arrived my lady." They stood in front of a wall. Sarah looked around in confusion.

"Um, where is everyone?" She asked, and he gave a light chuckle. He leaned into her slightly and said,

"Why don't you look again." He let the last word linger on his tongue, in a seductive manner. Sarah looked at the wall again and saw an enormous ball room, filled with the twirling colors of dancers as they pranced in a unified fashion around the dance floor.

"Oh my." Was all Sarah was able to say. Everything was white and gold with intricate decorations of rich colors and sophisticated fixtures. Extravagant statues and golden chandeliers were scattered throughout. Alasdair led Sarah into the ballroom, her hand laid gently on his. They stopped just before entering the dance floor. He turned to her and brought her hand to his lips.

"I do believe this is all I'm allowed to do. Perhaps I'll be able to steal a dance with you at some point." Sarah gave a shy smile of acceptance. "Until then, my lady." And with that he seemingly disappeared.

Jareth stood amidst the crowd and watched as his cousin attempted to beguile Sarah. A furious rage of jealousy coursed through him. Although he was sure his cousin was unaware of who she was, Jareth felt the need to come at him with a sword. It was one thing to go after His Sarah, but to do it with dishonesty, to place a spell over her was unacceptable. Jareth would make sure he knew to never attempt such a thing again. He watched Sarah walk through the crowd of people, it seemed that only he noticed the hundreds of eyes glued to her. As she wandered, taking in all the sites and spectacles, Jareth followed close behind. A fire burned through him as he watched Fae after Fae approach and attempt to beguile her. The only thing keeping him from attacking them was the fact that Sarah was completely unaffected by their spells. Interesting...Perhaps the Labyrinth is protecting its Champion? he wondered.

It wasn't until she had made her way to the other side of the room, free of wandering eyes and conniving suitors, that Jareth finally looked upon Sarah. If it wasn't for all the rage coursing through his veins he would have been taken back in awe. He knew why all of the Fae were so eager to acquire her. She was truly the most beautiful woman there. He watched her as she stood alone, with firm confidence. She looked like a princess.

Music started to play as the guests took their places for the dance. Sarah watched in wonderment as a rogue hand reached out and pulled her into the masses. Sarah tried to escape, she didn't know how to dance? But it was too late.

The room swirled as the masses of magical beings danced in unison. Sarah's mind fluttered as her feet seemed to move effortlessly, never missing a step. She switched from partner to partner, giving each an innocent grin as they placed their hands around her waist to twirl her to the beat, and pass her on to the next.

Sarah was busy making sure her feet didn't develop a mind of their own when her next partner appeared. She felt his hands encircle her waist. Pulled out of her focus, she stumbled forward placing her hands firmly against the form that had surprised her so. She felt the softness of his clothing against the firmness of his body and looked up to greet her partner with a sympathetic smile.

The moment their eyes met her smile quickly faded as strong arms lifted her into the air. He spun her around, never taking his eyes from hers; a playful smile creeping across his lips. For a moment she was lost, caught in the gaze of his mismatched eyes. An eternal moment passed in a few quick seconds as he placed her gently on the ground. The music slowly faded out, as the guests turned in applause. It was then that he took his moment. He reached out and took Sarah's hand in his, graciously bowing as he planted a soft kiss upon her hand. Her eyes never left his face, and he returned the same devilish smile as he spoke,

"Hello, Sarah."

There were a number of thoughts racing through Sarah's mind, but all she managed to mutter was "J-Jar.." before the next song started. Jareth took Sarah firmly by the waist, and encompassed his free hand in hers as he led her around the dance floor. The room was spinning, everything was moving too fast for her to register, she couldn't stop, she couldn't think; all she knew was Jareth, here, in front of her now.

Jareth however, didn't seem to notice her dazed state and leaned into her, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

"You look beautiful tonight" he whispered, a sly smirk graced his lips, sending a shiver down her spine. "That dress makes you look positively...exquisite. Purple is definitely your color." He added in a casual tone. Sarah managed to give him as sincere a grin as she could manage. "Thank you, you look very nice yourself." She tacked on the end to return the compliment.

There was no hiding the panic that was sweeping through Sarah. She fought within herself to muster whatever prowess the Goblin King was radiating, but was failing miserably. The truth was however, that Jareth was ripping himself apart inside, he was panicking even more than Sarah was, and he'd called upon every ounce of charming demeanor he had in him just to carry along this one sided conversation and keep the two from colliding into the wall.

Moments from the goblin festival, and images of her dream played through her head over and over, she couldn't get him out of her head. The moment he took off his mask that night, the moment she saw him, she couldn't see anything but his face. Suddenly, so many emotions burned their way through her very core, awakening something very deep within Sarah, a realization. She knew at that moment that nothing was what it seemed, and that words spoken at fifteen, were far different than words spoken at twenty. She had thought of nothing else. And now, it was happening again; but this time it was real...so she hoped.

At some point the danced slowed, until the crowd was moving at an elegant crawl. Jareth and Sarah glided through the sea of faces, but each saw no other. Sarah swore she was hovering as a calming peace settled over her. She closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest.

When she opened her eyes, she half expected to be sitting in Hoggle's cottage again, but instead they were twirling on the balcony. The moon was full and bright, casting a blue gaze over the labyrinth. Sarah gently pulled away from his embrace and walked over to lean on the edge of the balcony. Her eyes shone bright with a light Jareth had never seen before. A broad grin stretched across her face as she turned back to look at Jareth. Oh how she gleams! He thought, as a grin of his own appeared.

"Jareth, this is absolutely beautiful! I've never seen the labyrinth like this." Her passion beamed onto Jareth, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Look at all her passion! Passion for the Labyrinth nonetheless! She's perfect. He thought, lost in Sarah's emerald eyes.

He finally stepped to join her at the railing, placing his hands on the bar since he hadn't decided on what else to do with them. He looked out over his labyrinth, watching her from the corner of his eye.

"The Labyrinth is really quite a beautiful place dear Sarah, such a pity you were only able to experience its dark sides your first visit." A wave of remorse swept over him at the thought of what occurred five years ago, he quickly pushed it away, not wanting to be drawn from the moment.

"I would really love to see it." She replied, her eyes still sweeping over the scenery.

"And I would love to show it to you." His voice was honest, and hopeful. Does that mean she doesn't plan on leaving...just yet? He pondered the thought for a moment. What if she didn't leave? What if I could find a way to make her stay... His thoughts trailed off as he heard a small sigh escape from Sarah.

"I don't think I've ever even imagined something so beautiful." Her chin firmly rested on her fist at this point, the moon light casting a silver shimmer across her skin. Thoughts of the labyrinth were now completely gone from Jareth's mind, completely entranced by the woman before him. He looked at her deeply, seeing every inch of her. The curves of her body, the way she had truly grown into a woman over the past years, all the things hidden beneath the folds of her dress enticed his wildest desires. Her long flowing hair as dark as the night sky, her soft pale skin, oh how badly he wished to caress it, her plump pink lips beginning to be kissed, and most of all her eyes. Two glowing green orbs which held more cruelty than he thought even he possessed. He desired every inch of her, she was literally breathtaking. It wasn't until he remembered to breath again that he replied, "Neither have I."

She turned to meet his gaze. They were close now, too close. What happened next was a complete shock to both Jareth and Sarah. He hadn't planned it, he hadn't anticipated this moment, no matter how many times he had played it out in his head. He was lost, as he watched himself lower his head and place weightless kiss on Sarah's lips. His mouth lingered for a moment, allowing his mind to return to his body before pulling away and looking into the crystal eyes that stared back at him.