Chapter 9.

Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat, as she tried to think of an answer that would suffice. Instead, she heard herself question, "Where did you hear that name?" The moment she'd said the words, she feared. Would he punish her for importance in asking a question instead of answering his?

The Master lay on his side, watching her. "You spoke that name after I'd ravaged you." He said softly. "Odd that you would speak the name of another man; beg his forgiveness, don't you think?"

Sarah wanted to hide her face. "I don't remember saying that name."

"Hardly a common name." He stated coldly. "Who is this person, who was on your mind after the loss of your virginity?"

Sarah turned on her side, looking at the wall. "Someone I once knew."

"And what grievance does he have that you would wish him to forgive you?" He pulled her back to face him. "Speak, slave."

Sarah considered how to explain her relationship with the Goblin King. "He was someone who offered me my dreams, but at a cost I could not…or would not pay."

"A rejected would be lover?" The master said in a curt tone.

"No, it wasn't like that." Sarah protested. "There was never any…I mean…yes, I danced once in his arms…but that's all..I never even kissed him…"

"Would you have liked to kiss this man? This Jareth?" The master pressed her for information.

Sarah shook as she tried to answer the question. "I can't answer that…I don't know."

"Don't lie to me, Green eyes, every woman knows when she wishes to be kissed." He exclaimed harshly. "Did you wish for him to kiss you?"

Thinking back, Sarah closed her eyes, remembering the first time she'd seen the too beautiful to be real Goblin King. It had been in her parent's bedroom just after the Goblins had carried off Toby. He has stood in the open windows as the storm raged outside, lightening outlining his silhouette. He had been the most beautiful thing Sarah had ever seen, and the look in his mismatched eyes, the smile on his full and generous mouth…"Yes…" she sighed. "Yes, I wished him to kiss me." Her mind was not seeing him leaning over her suggestively in the tunnel just before he'd set the cleaners on her and her companion. "Oh God, yes." She shivered under the memory.

Jareth looked at her reminiscing and wished he could enter her mind and torture her memories. Feral eyes and a viscous mouth reacted. "Go back." He said touching her brow. "To the moment you met this man." He watched as her face lost the tightness, and as the spell bound her to what was in her mind. "Show me, your dark secret desire, my girl. Show me what you wished."

Sarah was walking though a dark mist, and she could hear the lightening outside. There was a storm, approaching. She was in the hall, and one moment the baby was crying, the next was silence, frightening fearful silence. Sarah remembered the dread and alarmed horror that had shot though her. She entered the bedroom, and found the light switch would not work. There was scurrying and snickers and giggling sounds. Every shadow seemed to be alive in the room. Sarah put a fist to her mouth, not again, oh God did she have to live this moment again? Had she not run it over and over enough? Would she ever end paying for those stupid thoughtless words? Dresser drawers opened and closed, windows rattled, and little feet scurried. Sarah squeaked with fear.

The French door window, latched against the storm burst open suddenly. The wind came rushing in; Sarah covered her face to protect herself from the claws of the owl that had been beating its wings on the window. There was a dark swirl of glitter, then the bird was gone and a man stood, casting a frightening shadow. Sarah looked at him, awestruck by his beauty.

The Goblin King looked about the room, "What am I doing here?" He railed at her.

Sarah teetered, "Goblin King." She swooned.

Jareth moved in the blink of an eye, catching her in his arms before she collapsed. "Sarah Williams!" He stormed at her. "What have you done this time?" He shook her gently. "Don't you dare swoon on me, you troublesome girl."

Sarah grabbed one of the arms of the man holding her from falling. "Oh God, how did this happen?" She looked up at him with a hopeful expression. "Did you reorder time?"

"One does not reorder time on a whim little girl." He sniped.

"Oh God, don't tell me I wished this…." She racked her brain, where had she been, what had she said. Then she groaned falling to her knees with the Goblin King still holding her and kneeling as well. "Oh God When will I learn not to use those words!" She began to cry hysterically.

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Jareth waited until the sobs had subsided. "Sarah," His voice was rich, like dark chocolate, like velvet, like…only his voice could sound. His use of her name was like the promise of forbidden pleasure. "Sarah?"

Using the cuff of her shirt she dabbed her eyes dry, and looked at him, "Yes."

His arms were still holding her, "How did I come to be here in your parent's bedroom yet again?"

Sarah closed her eyes, hating what she had to say. "I misspoke, I said something unguarded."

"I see," He was suddenly amused by this turn of events. "And just what is it you said this time, little girl?"

Mind racing, she sought words to explain with out digging herself into a deeper whole. "I said your name at a very inopportune moment. And was asked why…"

Jareth snickered. "Have I become part of your common conversations?"

"Hardly," Sarah pulled free of his hands, "I put you and everything connected to you out of my mind when I returned." Her tone was biting and nearly hateful. "After what you did to me what did you expect?"

Jareth was truly taken aback. "What I did to you? What about what you did to me?" He stood up. "I don't believe I enjoy being a topic of your conversations, Miss Williams." He glared at her. "And I really don't like being pulled into a memory that is best left to rot." He spun on his heal and headed to the window. "Thank you so much for making me part of your little walk down memory lane, and good night, Miss Williams." He waved his arm, but nothing happened. The window now shut remained shut. Jareth made a face and waved again. He turned to Sarah. "Open that window!"

Sarah looked just past him and gasped. "What window?" A painting of a window stood where the widow should.

Jareth turned, frowned and groaned. "What the bloody hell is going on here?" He turned to Sarah. "I want to leave. You can go over your memories with out me."

"Go." She yelled back. "I'm not keeping you."

Jareth looked at the painting and growled in a dangerous tone. "You sure as hell are! I'm not doing this and you my dear, are the only other person here!" He looked at her and then wrinkled up his nose. "And what the bloody hell have you done to your hair?"

Sarah grabbed at her hair and looked in the mirror; it was not the long tresses that she'd worn on her first meeting with the Goblin King. Now she sported the shoulder length cut that she'd adopted. "This is wrong… this is not the way it happened. This is not the way I looked then…" She looked at Jareth. "I got this hair cut after I put you away."

"Put me away?" He asked with a dark ominous tone. "Put me away, like I'm some kind of toy?" He put one hand to his hip and growled. "I'm no toy, little girl, although you toyed with my feelings and affections."

"I'm sorry." Sarah said quietly. "I had no right to be flippant or mess about with your emotions and feelings like I did."

Jareth paused. "No, you didn't." He moved closer. "So why did you?"

Sarah turned from the mirror and looked at the man she knew as the Goblin King for the first time with as honest a gaze as she could find. "Because I was a selfish child and I didn't know any better." She felt miserable. "I never meant to hurt you anymore than I meant to wish Toby away."

Guardedly Jareth placed a gloved hand under her chin. "What did you wish for this time?'

"He asked me who you were," She said trying not to answer. "I told him you were someone who had offered me my dreams…He called you a rejected lover and I …said…."

"You said?" He repeated after her.

"I said we'd never even…kissed" She whispered the last word, so quietly that she hoped he had not heard.

Jareth placed his hand to his ear, "Do my ears deceive me?" he taunted wickedly. "We appear to be stuck here in an enchanted replica of your parent's bedchamber, all because you wished for me to kiss you?"

Sarah covered her face with her hands. "He tricked me into telling him my wish." She groaned.

The Goblin King snickered. "Well you've done it this time, Miss Williams. You've trapped us both in an enchanted memory, rather like an oubliette."

"There has to be a way out," Sarah dropped her hands and watched as he tried the door handle that now didn't work. "You're magical! Do something to get us out of here!"

"I'm afraid the only means of escaping this chamber is for me to kiss you…And that's not going to happen." He gloated as he moved to take a seat on the bed; he leaned back until he rested on his elbows. "So why don't you get comfortable and tell me how you've been."

Sarah stalked over to the bed. "Oh just kiss me and get this over with quickly. I've got things to do!" She commanded.

Jareth looked up at her with a victory smile. "No…I don't think so."

"Why the hell not?" Placing her hands on her hips she pleaded. "One quick kiss and this is over."

Jareth looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Sarah," His voice sounded sympatric. "If I were to kiss you, I assure you it would not be quick." He licked his lips suggestively. "It would be long, slow, hard and deep."

Sarah flushed and backed up a step. "That sounds almost obscene."

"If I ever grace you with a kiss, my girl, you'll know you've been kissed." He watched her with his owlish gaze. "I don't just kiss at a whim, do you?"

"No." she admitted then pleaded softly. "Couldn't you make an exception this time?"

"You've changed." He said observing her closely. "Matured a bit, I think."

Sarah turned her back on him, tapping her foot. "It's just one kiss…you'll hardly miss it!" Under her breath she then muttered. "Once I wake up I'm swearing off using the word wish."

Jareth smiled. "I don't recall that shirt clinging to your figure quiet so closely on our last meeting. Perhaps I was distracted."

Sarah looked down, and knew he was right. "Why is this happening? This is not the way it was."

Linking his fingers behind his head, he reclined flat on the bed. "Not my problem, not my fault."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"You're the one going around making careless indiscreet imprudent wishes." He waved a gloved hand at her. "You're the one who got us in this mess."

"You're the one who can get us out of it! Just kiss me." She stomped her foot.

Jareth closed his eyes. "Not interested."

"That's a switch." She accused. "You chased me all over the Labyrinth, now when you get your chance you're not interested."

Turning his head slowly, he looked at her though narrow slits. "Persuade me."

"What?" She blinked.

"Tempt me, Sarah; make me want to kiss you." He suggested as he closed his eyes and turned his head again. "Or just rot."

"Don't you have a kingdom to run?" She snapped.

His eyes remained closed. "It's still being repaired thanks to you, little girl." He smiled coyly. "I've all the time in the world. Can you say the same?"

"Time…how much time will pass while we are here?" She asked.

"None at all." He assured her.

"Oh just kiss me and get this over with!" She begged.

"Persuade me." He repeated this time moving his hips suggestively. "Or rot."

"You slimy bastard!" she turned her back on him. "Why did I ever wish that you would kiss me?"

"Because I turn you on." He teased with his eyes closed.

Sarah walked to the bed, and sat down, defeated and overcome with guilt. "Jareth, please kiss me." She asked softly.

"You're getting warmer." He said opening one eye a slit.

Tentatively she reached out and touched his face with gentle fingers. "Please, kiss me."

He gazed at her with a soft smile, "Warmer, but I think you can do better than that, can't you…my girl?"

Sarah lay beside him on the bed, and looked up at him with emotions she had not wanted known. "Please."

His hand moved from under his head, both hands gathered her closer as he rolled over and pressed his body to hers. "With pleasure." His lips crushed hers, and then suddenly Sarah felt like she was falling though space. She closed her eyes, and gasped for air.

When she opened her eyes she was standing face to face with one of the false alarms.

'Take heed and go no further!' it warned her rolling great stone eyes at her.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath. "Here we go again."