A/N: This chapter took me longer than I would have liked, but I think it turned out well. There are several Labyrinth/Bowie/Connelly jokes imbedded in the last challenge. If you'd like to know what they all are, let me know and I'd be happy to reveal them to you. Special shout-outs go to LittleRin26, Operaphantomgrl, lonely 27, MoonPrincess623, DarkJasmine, Jareth Lover 16, sandy162, EunHee Kim, Kactus Wrynn, Full-Empty-Spirit, wedimagineer, xAngel-Of-The-Operax, gamesofmakebelieve, gothlena13, PrincessBiscuit, LittleMargarita, ShadowHeartofFaith, notwritten, I'Like'Cheetos, angel56335, tfstarlight, TheraSerenity, scifigeek10, Kiruya, and KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun. Thanks so much for reviewing this fic. Your reviews keep me fueled to keep on writing. Remember – reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.

Disclaimer: Even though I totally think I should own the movie (I'd make sure there was at least four sequels), the people who own it don't seem to want to give it to me for free. Bummer!


Just as Sarah was beginning to panic, a familiar smell wafted towards her. She broke free of the strong hands and whipped around. Her eyes took in recognizable blond hair and twinkling mismatched eyes. It took her a moment for her brain to catch up with the rest of her body. Her breasts were still heaving from the fear of being kidnapped and she was trembling. When she finally realized that she wasn't in danger, anger took over. She slugged the Goblin King in the arm.

"What the hell, Jareth!" she cried. "You nearly scared the life out of me."

"I just wanted some time alone with you, Precious," he replied, cupping her cheeks with the palms of his hands. "I'm sorry I scared you. Though, I must say, you look beautiful when you're angry."

"You know, if we get caught alone, we could be in a lot of trouble," she warned, her anger beginning to subside.

"Then we just have to make sure we don't get caught," he purred.

Jareth pulled her face to meet his. Warm lips pressed upon equally soft, warm lips. Her arms went around his neck, almost of their own volition. His went around her waist, pulling her body flush with his. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue access to her warm, moist mouth. He tasted her, thinking there was nothing sweeter than his Sarah. Slipping one of his hands from her waist, he began to caress her breast. Her nipple was already tensed into a hard little bud. He brushed it with his thumb, eliciting a moan from his beloved.

"Sarah!" Liam called, somewhere near the dais.

Both Sarah and Jareth emitted matching groans of annoyance. Pulling away from their kiss, they stood in silence. Jareth leaned his forehead onto hers and waited for Liam to go away. Unfortunately, he was being most persistent. They heard another voice join the search for the pretty brunette. She rolled her eyes.

"Have you seen Sarah?" they heard Liam ask someone.

"Not since we recessed for refreshments," Raghnall replied. "You go that way and I'll keep searching around here."

The couple heard footfalls running away from the dais. Sarah took a deep breath and continued to hold Jareth to her. He could feel the rise and fall of her breasts against his chest and the steady beating of her heart. It felt like home to him. They both knew that they couldn't stay under the dais forever. Just as Sarah was about to walk back out into the daylight, the cloth covering the dais parted and a face looked in on them. Sarah gasped and Jareth groaned and covered his face with his hand.

"Are you two finished under here?" Raghnall asked, smirking. "I can't keep stalling Liam out here." Sarah giggled and stepped over to the High King. He held out his arm and escorted her from under the dais. "Stay here for a moment, my son. It won't do for people to see both of you walking from under the dais. Besides, it looks like you could use some time to pull yourself together. We'll see you at the next event."

The light hit Sarah's eyes and she squinted against it. Her face was flushed, both from her passion and getting caught. Raghnall seemed to be quite amused about this latest turn of events. He had seen Jareth pull Sarah under the dais and worked hard to make sure it went unnoticed by everyone else. Silently, he continued to cheer on his son while maintaining a neutral stance to everyone else.

Raghnall walked her up to the dais and helped her to find her seat before conjuring up a plate of hors d'oeuvres. Sarah ate her refreshments and watched the crowd as people began to file back into their seats for the last two events. Catrin returned and took the seat next to hers. They made small talk as they waited for the second half of the tournament to start. Trumpets interrupted them as the men were led back to the tournament grounds. Fagan stood to make his announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will commence with the second half of the tournament. Are our suitors ready for the third challenge?"

"Aye!" cried Jareth, Liam, and Gough.

"This third event was created by Lord Liam of the Nymph Kingdom," Fagan announced. "It is a test of intelligence and logic. Lord Liam has challenged each of the suitors to a game of riddles. Each of the men will be given a riddle. If they solve it correctly, they remain in the game. If they give an incorrect answer, they are out. The first one out will earn no points. The second one out will earn 10 points. The last one remaining will earn 25 points. We shall go in order starting with our third place finisher. Lord Liam, are you ready?"

"I am," Liam replied seriously.

"Listen to the following passage and reveal to us what is so unusual about it:

"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honour got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a youg girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ..."

Liam thought for a few minutes and recited it several times in his head. He recognized it, that was for certain. The passage was from 'Gatsby' written by Ernest Vincent Wright. What was so unusual about it? His face lit up with the realization of the answer to the riddle.

"The letter 'E' is the most commonly used letter in the English language, yet in the whole passage, there is no 'E' used," he answered.

"Lord Liam, you are correct," Fagan announced. The crowd cheered and Fagan turned to Gough. "King Gough, are you ready for your riddle?"

"Yes," Gough replied.

"You approach two talking doors. One door leads to the City of Truth, while the other door leads to the City of Liars. You do not know which door is which. You are able to ask only one question to determine which door is which. The door that leads to the City of Liars always speaks lies, while the door that leads to the City of Truth always speaks the truth. You want to go to the City of Truth. What question do you ask to determine which door leads to the City of Truth?"

Sarah tried desperately to suppress the laugh that wanted to escape her lips. Looking over at Jareth, she could see that he, too, was having a hard time keeping a straight face. Their eyes locked and Sarah fought harder to keep a laugh from escaping her lips. Tears began to stream down her face and Jareth's mouth was beginning to hurt from clenching his teeth together. Catrin noticed the red face and tears of Sarah and became concerned. With a wave of her hand, she transported them away from the dais. Free from the prying eyes, Sarah began to laugh gaily.

"Would you mind cluing me into the joke?" Catrin asked in mock irritation. Her eyes glittered with mirth at the sight of the laughing Mortal before her.

"I-I'm sorry," Sarah stammered, bringing herself back under control. "When I ran the Labyrinth, there were two doors that gave me this same riddle. I answered it correctly and ended up in an oubliette for my conceit. Hoggle had to rescue me." Catrin gave her a quizzical look. "I guess you had to be there."

"Are you feeling up to returning?" Catrin asked, grinning.

"I think so," Sarah replied.

Sarah schooled her face into a mask of indifference and Catrin noticed, again, how well matched she was to her nephew. She waved her hand and the two women reappeared on the dais with Raghnall, Fagan, and Allie. Fagan was watching Gough working through his riddle, but Allie and Raghnall gave the returning women confused looks. Catrin shook her head as if to say that everything was alright. Allie shrugged and turned her head to continue to watch the tournament. Raghnall kept his eyes on the green-eyed beauty for just a moment longer before turning his own head back to the event at hand.

"King Gough, do you have an answer?" Fagan asked.

"I believe I do," Gough answered. "You should ask one of the doors - "If I were to ask the other door which door leads to the city of truth, what would he say?" Then you pick the opposite door of what he tells you."

"King Gough, that answer is correct," Fagan stated. Gough looked visibly relieved for a moment before his face settled back into an arrogant smirk. "King Jareth, it is your turn. Are you prepared to begin?"

"I am," Jareth replied.

"While exploring the wild highlands of Ireland, Robert was captured by Goblins. The chief of the Goblins told him he was allowed one final statement on which would hinge how he would die. If the statement he made was false, he would be boiled in water. If the statement were true, he would be fried in oil. Since Robert did not like either option, he made a statement that forced the Goblins to release him. What is the one statement he could make to save himself?"

Liam snorted. It would figure that Jareth would get a riddle about Goblins. He's the only one who truly understands the creatures. Sarah smirked and watched Jareth as he quickly came up with the answer.

"Robert said: 'You will boil me in water.' The Goblins were faced with a dilemma. If they boiled him in water that would make his statement true, which means he should have been fried in oil. They can only fry him in oil if he makes a true statement, but if they do, it would make his final statement false. The Goblins had no way out of their situation so they were forced to set Robert free."

"King Jareth, that is correct," Fagan announced. There were loud cheers at the news. Others were wondering how long this contest could go on with an intelligent mind like Liam's and a master riddler like Jareth. "Since this was a tie, we will continue with a second round of riddles. Lord Liam, are you ready for your next riddle?"

"Yes," Liam replied.

"It's more powerful than the Gods," recited Fagan. "It's more evil than the devil. The poor have it. The rich need it. If you eat it, you'll die. What am I?"

Liam pondered this latest riddle. What is more powerful than the Gods? Liam couldn't think of anything that was more powerful. More evil than the devil? Well, should the devil really exist, Liam didn't think much could be more evil. What could the poor have but the rich need that would kill you if you ate it? The answer came to him. It was simple, really.

"I have an answer," Liam said triumphantly. "It is nothing. There is nothing more powerful than the Gods or more evil than the devil. The poor have nothing and the rich need nothing. If eat nothing, you will die of starvation."

"That is the correct answer," Fagan announced. The crowd cheered and Liam beamed. "King Gough, are you prepared to answer your second riddle?"

Gough was annoyed at Liam's choice for an event. It was already boring him. He snuck a peek at the dais and caught of glimpse of Sarah leaning forward to talk to one of her Goblin friends. A grin broke out on his face as he realized that he had the most wonderful view of her cleavage in her new position. He stood there for a moment, daydreaming about touching and tasting the creamy skin of her breasts, before he realized that his name had been said more than once.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "What did you say?" The crowd tittered in amusement.

"I asked if you were prepared to answer your second riddle," Fagan replied, smirking.

"Yes," he said, trying to get the image of Sarah's breasts out of his mind so he could concentrate.

"The music stopped. The woman dies. Why?" Fagan asked.

Sarah watched as Gough desperately tried to come up the answer. His eyes kept trailing back to the dais and her chest. Sarah, though fair-minded, was also desperate to get rid of Gough. She knew what would happen should she give him a glimpse to distract his perverted mind. It wasn't fair, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"King Gough, do you have an answer?" Fagan asked after several minutes.

"I do not," Gough admitted, reluctantly. He was frowning and red with frustration.

"I am sorry, King Gough," Fagan replied. "As Lord Liam has answered his riddle correctly, you have been eliminated from the contest. King Jareth, are you ready for your next riddle?"

"Most definitely," Jareth stated.

"There are twenty-four married couples on a plane and three single pilots. Five of the couples are on their way to a honeymoon. Seven of them are going on a fishing trip in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The plane crashes in New Orleans, Louisiana. Every single person dies. How many people do they bury?" Fagan asked.

Sarah watched Jareth as he worked through the problem with lightning speed. She got the feeling that he enjoyed this challenge. As the Lord of the Labyrinth, a riddle in and of itself, he liked solving riddles. He stood with his hand massaging his chin for a few moments before a smile of victory decorated his handsome face.

"They buried three people," Jareth stated proudly. "There were only three single people aboard the plane: the three pilots."

"You are correct," Fagan announced. The crowd broke out into even louder applause. Liam looked annoyed with the attention his cousin was getting from the spectators. "Lord Liam, are you ready for the third riddle?"

"Aye," Liam affirmed.

"There were two mothers and two daughters and they all went fishing. All of them caught a fish but when they counted, there were only three fish. How is this possible?" Fagan asked.

At first, Liam was completed baffled by the question. How can four people go fishing and bring back three fish if everyone caught a fish. Several minutes went by and he still hadn't come up with an answer to the riddle. Fagan asked him if he needed more time and Liam asked for another five minutes. Looking in the crowd, he thought it was interesting how many people came to see this tournament. It looked like several generations were sitting in the stands. That's when the answer came to him.

"There were only three people fishing," he answered. "The first was a grandmother, the second was a mother, and the third was a daughter. The mother was the daughter to the grandmother and mother to the daughter. The grandmother was the mother to the mother and the daughter was the daughter to the mother."

"That is the correct answer," Fagan replied. After the applause died down, he continued. "King Jareth are you ready?"

"Yes," Jareth replied.

"You are a clever thief charged with treason against the king and sentenced to death. But the king decides to be a little lenient and lets you choose your own way to die. What way should you choose?" Fagan asked.

The crowd was silent as Jareth thought through this riddle. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of the correct answer. However he chose to die, it would be painful and immediate. What was the point of this question? He loathed giving up, but he couldn't think of the answer. He finally came across the one riddle he couldn't solve. What was he overlooking?

"Do you have an answer?" Fagan asked after several minutes.

"I do not," Jareth reluctantly admitted, stunning Liam and the rest of the spectators.

"This event goes to Lord Liam," Fagan announced. Liam beamed and bowed to the applause he received. For the first time in his life, he won against Jareth. It was a heady feeling. His chest swelled with pride. "Please change the score to reflect the outcome of this event."

The score keeper quickly changed the scoreboard for the third time. It now read:

First Place - Jareth: 45 pts

Second Place - Liam: 35 pts

Third Place - Gough: 25 pts

"The fourth, and final, event was chosen by the Champion of the Labyrinth, herself," Fagan explained. "Each of the suitors will be asked the same question. They will then be asked to seal their answer into a crystal until it is time to be revealed. Each correct answer will be worth five points. The final question is worth 50 points. The questions will be randomly selected. Are the suitors ready?"

"Aye," they answered in unison.

"What is Lady Sarah's favorite book?" he asked, reading a slip of paper he pulled from a small drum. After all three suitors completed their answers, he told them to reveal.

Liam answered, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Jareth answered, "Labyrinth."

Gough answered, "Pride and Prejudice."

"The correct answer is 'The Wizard of Oz,'" revealed Fagan. "Lord Liam earns five points, while the other two suitors earn none." Fagan rolled the drum and pulled out another slip of paper. "What is Lady Sarah's favorite song?"

Liam answered, "Under Pressure."

Jareth answered, "As The World Falls Down."

Gough answered, "Stairway To Heaven."

"The correct answer is 'Under Pressure,'" announced Fagan. "Lord Liam earns five points." He pulled another question from the drum. "What is Lady Sarah's favorite movie?"

Liam answered, "The Man Who Fell To Earth."

Jareth answered, "The Dark Crystal."

Gough answered, "A Streetcar Named Desire."

"The correct answer is 'The Man Who Fell To Earth," stated Fagan. "Lord Liam earns five points." Rolling the drum again, he pulled another piece of paper. "What is the Lady Sarah's favorite holiday?"

Liam answered, "Halloween."

Jareth answered, "Christmas."

Gough answered, "Christmas."

"The correct answer is Halloween," revealed Fagan. He rolled the drum and pulled out the next question. He went over to Sarah and whispered in her ear. Sarah smiled and promptly shut her eyes. Fagan returned to the front of the dais to ask the next question. "What color are Lady Sarah's eyes?"

Liam answered, "A sparkling green."

Jareth answered, "The color of the purest jade."

Gough answered, "Green."

"The correct answer is green," said Fagan. "All three suitors earn five points." Again, the drum was turned and another question was selected. "Name the sibling of Lady Sarah."

Liam answered, "Toby."

Jareth answered, "Tobias Frederick Williams."

Gough answered, "Freddie."

"The correct answer is Toby," revealed Fagan. "Lord Liam and King Jareth receive five points." He pulled another slip of paper from the drum. "Before coming to the Underground, what was the Lady Sarah studying in school."

Liam answered, "English."

Jareth answered, "English."

Gough answered, "Drama."

"The correct answer is English," said Fagan. "Lord Liam and King Jareth receive five points." The next question was pulled. "What is the one thing that scares Lady Sarah more than anything else?"

Liam answered, "Spiders."

Jareth answered, "Snakes."

Gough answered, "Rodents."

"The correct answer is snakes," revealed Fagan. "King Jareth earns five points." He pulled another slip of paper from the drum. "What is Lady Sarah's birthday?"

Liam answered, "May 15."

Jareth answered, "June 27."

Gough answered, "December 12."

"The correct answer is June 27," stated Fagan. "King Jareth earns five points. We come to the final question. Scorekeeper, please change the scores to reveal the results up to this point."

The scorekeeper changed the scores as requested. The scoreboard now read:

First Place - Jareth: 70 pts

Second Place - Liam: 70 pts

Third Place - Gough: 30 pts

"The Lady Sarah used to recite lines in the park as a child," Fagan began. "What was the only line she could never remember?"

As the men began to place their answers in their crystals, Sarah went up to Fagan and took the slip of paper from his hands. Indeed, the question he asked was written on the slip of paper in her handwriting. There was only one problem. Sarah never wrote that particular question. How had it ended up in the drum? Sarah went back to her seat to ponder this question.

Liam answered, "'I shall take the heart,' returned the Tin Woodman; 'for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.'"

Jareth answered, "You have no power over me."

Gough answered, "Was ever book containing such vile matter so fairly bound? O, that deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous place!"

"The correct answer is 'you have no power over me,'" Fagan revealed. "King Jareth earns 50 points. The winner of this tournament is King Jareth. Lord Liam is in second place. Our third place finisher is King Gough."

Sarah's heart began to race as she realized her plan had worked. Allie raced over to her and gave her a big hug. Catrin stood and embraced the brunette. Raghnall worked very hard to school his face into indifference, but he was both relieved and ecstatic over the results. It had been a gamble, but, ultimately, Lady Sarah had known that Gough did not know enough about her to win her event.

Gough reluctantly transported himself to the dais. He bowed before Lady Sarah and placed a wet kiss upon her hand. He then turned to Raghnall and bowed deeply with respect. Through clenched teeth, he relinquished his courtship of Sarah. Raghnall accepted it and broke the ties binding Gough and Sarah. With a final bow to Sarah, Gough transported himself back to his kingdom to lick his wounds.

Fagan invited everyone to the ballroom to celebrate the victory of Jareth and Liam. The party went well into the night. Sarah danced with both of her suitors and thoroughly enjoyed herself. She and Catrin got a chance to talk some more and their friendship bond grew stronger. After the celebration, both Liam and Jareth escorted her to her room. They made plans for a music night for the following evening. She said her goodbyes and slipped into the room. With a smile on her face, she slipped into bed. Her dreams, that night, were of her chasing a little giggling blond boy with green eyes.