Disclaimer: The thrilling world of Labyrinth and all its delicious characters belongs to the late great Jim Henson. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement. (Do I really have to give Jareth back?)

A/N Thank you to you lovely people who are reading, reviewing, and setting alerts for my story! I am truly honored. I asked last chapter whether I should split the POV, and the vote was an even one to one, so I decided to be the tie-breaker. Sorry, Jareth just had to have his say. I know he seems soft right now, but fear not, his edge will return!!

Chapter 1

Waiting in an Empty Reality

Sarah's POV

"Sarah," her voice whined, "You never go on dates. Please, just this once? He'll only go if I find someone for his cousin."

I sighed despairingly and frowned, though the effect was slightly lost on my friend seeing as we were speaking over the phone. "I don't know, Ray, you know I'm moving bright and early tomorrow morning. I don't want to be hung over while traipsing up and down three flights of stairs."

"Oh come on, Sarah. I promise we won't stay out too late. Hell, I'll even help move some boxes tomorrow."

Wow. She must really like this guy. Rachel Hobson was not a fan of any sort of hard labor. Though, she'd never been hard up for dates either, so it was a little difficult to take her undying love for Mr. Right Now very seriously.

"Please..." she whined again. "I think you'll really like him, I mean, from what Scott's said and all."

Doubtful. I was one week post-graduation and less than a month away from my twenty-second birthday, and so far the opposite sex happily remained a complete mystery to me. I hadn't even been kissed. It wasn't as if I hadn't had ample opportunity – I was confident enough in myself to realize I was fairly attractive and of sound mind and spirit – but no one had ever interested me. "That's not exactly true, Sarah," my inner voice reprimanded, though it was quickly silenced by my iron will.

I'd gone on my fair share of dates – mostly to appease my stepmother and if I was honest with myself, to try and force my fanciful heart to let go of its ridiculous fantasies – but there was always something instantaneously wrong with each of my potential boyfriends. Almost as if something was inherently missing. Everyone thought I just held impossibly high standards, and perhaps they were right. I had already danced with my prince charming, albeit in a rather realistic dream, and I wouldn't settle for anyone less. I just had to hope that he really was out there somewhere. In the mean time, I'd just have to keep looking.

"Fine. But I'm driving myself separately."

Her answering squeal did not bode well for the headache that was already forming. "You won't regret this Sarah; I just know this is going to be great!"

"So what's his name, anyways?"

"Umm, Jason, or Jeremy, or something…I don't remember exactly, but he sounds gorgeous."

"What a minute, you haven't even met the guy? How do you know he's not some weird psycho killer?"

"Sarah, you think every guy's a psycho killer!" She laughed. "Chill! Now, go jump in the shower and make yourself even more gorgeous than you already are. We're meeting at Marcello's at seven. Don't be late!" She hung up before I had a chance to argue. She knew me too well.

I sighed indulgently once more and glanced around my bedroom. Boxes were stacked against the far wall and clothes lay scattered everywhere. By this time tomorrow, this would be Karen's guest bedroom, and I'd be living in a dump in the borough of Queens. It was strange to realize I was standing on the threshold of such a huge moment of my life. This quiet bedroom held so many memories that it was hard to imagine that another room in another building would ever be home to me. But this room was also haunted.

Six years ago I'd made the choice to pack up my deepest desires and move on with my life. Had I really been successful? A handful of friends who were barely more than acquaintances and party buddies, and a string of pointless dates, hardly seemed like an accomplishment to me. Nor had they brought me even a measure of the happiness I'd felt surrounded by my fairy tales. Still, I'd finally achieved that delightful image of 'normal' that was expected of me. I just had a hard time accepting normal as anything but an empty reality.

Jareth's POV

"Will she like it?" I asked anyone and no one as I surveyed the final touches of my newly decorated chamber. The black marble walls had been softened by sheer drapes in deep jeweled tones of purple, sapphire, and crimson. The ceiling had been painted to reflect a twilight sky, and satin sheets in the same sapphire color adorned the massive bed. The scent of jasmine hung heavily in the air, supplied on a warm breeze from the open balcony. A garden of the most exotic flowers now graced the patio area. Beyond the castle, the Labyrinth stretched nearly as far as the eye could see in tones of gold and brown. Every inch had been polished to a glimmering sheen, should she care to explore it.

Everywhere I looked, I could imagine seeing her.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. It was after all, just lacking a woman's touch."

I turned and offered a guarded smile to the woman behind me. Her capable hands adjusted the billowing curtains to their best advantage. While certainly beautiful, the Fae lady could not hold a candle to my love. Her long wheat-colored hair paled in comparison to the cascades of mahogany that I longed to lose my fingers to. Her blue eyes were not the deep pools of jade which haunted my very soul.

My love. How odd those words once seemed. I was after all, the Goblin King, incapable of anything other than cruelty, mischief, and perhaps desire. But my world was turned upside down when that mere slip of a girl challenged me and nearly won.

It had been six years…six torturously long years since I released her back to her mortal realm. How fitting that tonight – the night when we would finally be reunited after possibly the longest years in my very long existence – was the anniversary of our betrothal.

I had watched and waited patiently as she blossomed from a beautiful girl to a stunning young woman. As much as it had pained me to let her go, I had promised to give her everything she wanted: her brother returned safely, her friends' ascension to greatness, and more time to develop into the woman she was now. Although she had stubbornly clung to the notion that our time together was just a dream once she returned to the Aboveground – an unfortunate side effect of being human – she had not been able to abandon her fantasies altogether, and her dreams still sang of her promises to me.

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." I still remembered how terrified I had been. Had she ever suspected just how much power she held over me in that moment?

"I do love you, Jareth," she'd whispered as her fingers closed around the dream crystal I'd offered.

Tonight our wait would be over, for in the morning, Sarah Williams was leaving her parents' house to make a life for herself. This was her condition to having a few more years before taking her place by my side. It was time to fully remind her of her promised duty.

"Why, Goblin King, I do believe you've grown soft," she mused, no doubt taking in my far away expression.

"Only for her, Aetia." I straightened my posture and stalked purposefully towards the large closet hidden behind a mirrored panel. "Has Raelle made the arrangements?" I questioned while pulling out the set of mortal clothes I'd hidden for this very purpose.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Though I understand it took much convincing," a smile lit her voice.

I couldn't help but grin internally in response. I could only imagine what an irritant my servant must have been on Sarah over the past few months. As a hobgoblin, she was essentially considered goblin nobility, given her ability to shift her form, though her 'princess' tendencies could be exhausting. I'd been only too delighted to assign her the task of being Sarah's outgoing friend if only to gain some peace and quiet in the castle.

I took a steadying breath and closed my eyes, surprised and a bit unnerved by the surge of emotions flashing through me. Everything was about to change.

"Good. It is time to bring our queen home." With the toss of a crystal, I vanished.

Sarah's POV

By the time I made it to Marcello's, rain was bucketing down so hard that I could barely make out the entrance from the glare of the streetlamps on the slick pavement in the otherwise black night. After narrowly avoiding a ditch, and then soaking myself to the bone, thus wasting the hour I had spent on my hair and makeup, I was in no mood to play wingman and seriously debated just getting back in the car and heading back home.

Naturally, the place was packed. If I had in anyway been in doubt of the scowl that adorned my face, all I needed to do was judge the reactions of those around me. Apparently, looking murderous was the best way to get to the front of a large crowd.

"Sarah! Finally! I swear, you would pick tonight of all night's to start showing up late," Rachel's voice spiked through the mob of people crammed together like sardines in a can in the lobby of the restaurant. She scowled slightly while dragging me by the arm towards the bar.

Her scowl softened into a gleeful smile as we approached two tall men. Both were turned away from us, distracted by a baseball game or something, no doubt. I recognized the reddish-brown hair of Rachel's Scott immediately, meaning the other guy must be my mystery date.

I used the brief moments to assess him. From what I could see, he was tall and lean, though his posture spoke of a hidden strength. He had sandy blonde hair that was cut in a type of shag that brushed his collar. I felt a surprising urge to run my fingers through it to see if it was really as soft as it looked. As if he could feel my eyes on him, he turned to meet my stare. Intensity blazed through his cornflower blue eyes so strongly that I instantly blushed. What the hell was wrong with me? I never reacted to men like this!

"Sarah, this is Jared. Jared, Sarah," Rachel motioned between us before wrapping her dainty arm through Scott's.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sarah," he spoke softly before taking my hand and bringing my fingers to his mouth. He actually kissed my knuckle like some old-fashioned courtier!

His stare never left my face, giving me ample opportunity to continue studying him. I'd heard the expression 'cheekbones that could cut glass' but I'd never actually witnessed it until now. Mischief and promises danced in his eyes, causing a rumble of heat to flash through me. I fought back a whimper of embarrassment. "It-it's nice to meet you too…Jared," I stammered. Somehow his name felt wrong on my tongue, like I was pronouncing it incorrectly or something.

The whole moment felt suspended in time like an extreme case of déjà vu. Six years ago I might've said it was a meeting of fate. My entire soul seemed to resonate in some kind of recognition. "You look so familiar," I mumbled, my brain trying to connect his face with some distant memory. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I suppose I just have one of those faces," he chuckled softly. His voice was lovely, and strangely accented. He really was the stuff of dreams.

I caught a glimpse of Rachel's beaming face behind Jared's shoulder. She was doing her giddy dance, and it wasn't long before she made her symbol for 'check you later' before she and Scott disappeared into the crowd.

I settled my attention back on Jared's face, noticing that his unnerving eyes were settled on my chest. With a loud gasp, I looked down to see that the rain had made me positively indecent. My emerald shirt clung to my body leaving very little to the imagination. A lazy smirk appeared on his flawless lips as I crossed my arms in outraged indignation. "What the hell do you think you're looking at?"

"I think you know very well what has captivated my attention," the smirk widened into a delicious smile that promised very dark little deeds. "My dear, you are positively radiant."

"I don't think I know you well enough for you to speak to me that way," I narrowed my eyes at him, simultaneously delighted and mortified by his blatant display. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that I didn't slap him across his beautifully arrogant face. I supposed it was a good thing we were in a crowded bar.

"Perhaps not, though I hope to remedy that situation in the direct future." He bent his head nearer and whispered, "Tell me, Sarah, do you like stories? For I do believe you have stolen my heart away like some heroine in a fairy tale romance."

"That has to be the worst pick-up line I've ever heard," I replied rather breathlessly. I realized I had leaned closer to him as he spoke. One of my hands rested on the fabric of his black button-down shirt. He smelled incredible, almost like…

"Get a grip, Sarah! This guy is a sleazeball!" One voice raged. "But there is something so intoxicatingly familiar… right…about him…" another countered.

As my psyche frantically processed my next move, a large body shoved into my back, consequently forcing me to tumble into Jared's arms. I pushed against him and struggled to stand up straight as a flush of embarrassment spread across my face.

"I must say, I don't remember it being quite so easy to unnerve you," he grinned playfully, before reaching a perfectly sculpted hand to move a stray piece of hair away from my eyes. His skin never touched mine, but the jolt of electricity was there all the same.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired softly, though my heart was already thundering violently.

"Don't you remember me, precious thing?" A touch of sadness lit his eyes.

The light around us suddenly changed in a wash of glitter. The noisy crowd was nowhere to be seen. We stood, alone, beneath a dome of crystalline glass. Soft iridescent lighting cast a pearl-like quality over his features. I jerked back from his embrace as a cry escaped my lips. "You!"

His face had transformed. The lines were more angular, his eyes renewed to their wondrous mismatched state, and his hair had paled and changed into a mass of various lengths and textures. "Who else would it be, Sarah? Tonight, of all nights..." He stepped closer, holding a crystal in his outstretched palm.

"Where are we?" My voice was faint. I was fighting the urge to fling myself at him. He was here, my prince charming, my Goblin King, after so many years, and he was still just as beautiful and frightening as ever.

"Inside your dream. I've come to help you remember. Only thirteen more hours until we can be together again, dearest." He took the last step which separated us and wrapped my fingers around the crystal before pulling me flush against his chest. "You don't know how long I've waited for you, Sarah. Our time will soon begin." Never breaking eye contact, he lowered his head to brush his lips against mine, before everything went black.

Jareth's POV

"You have done well, Raelle."

"Thank-you, Sire. Does this mean I can return to the Underground now?" The tiny hobgoblin bounced back and forth on her heels. Delight was brimming in her yellow eyes and her rapturous smile nearly cast a beauty on her pale green face.

"Soon. I need you to stay here until after I bring the queen home."

"And Scott…"

"Yes, yes. I will uphold my promise. Though, I leave it up to you to find the means to trick him into it. You know I can't simply take him."

Her grin widened, if that was even possible. She was practically floating in her excitement now. "Oh, that won't be a problem. Not a problem at all. Just leave it to me, er, Rachel."

I fought back a laugh as she danced back into the shadows of the rainy night, before shifting into my owl form. The rain was heavy and cold on my feathers, but I found it somewhat soothing after the tumultuous encounter with Sarah. My blood was still boiling from being so close to her after so long. She was even more beautiful than my crystals had revealed. I'd known the fire she possessed in her spirit, but now I could see how that would translate into her passion as well. She may still believe me to be some dream, but she definitely remembered me, and was just as affected by my presence as she'd been before, if not even more so.

Even in my animal form, I could still feel the prickle of magic that had flowed between us after I allowed myself that brief kiss. If there were any doubts that she was my intended, they had crumbled once my magic had recognized her.

And she had taken the crystal. I knew she didn't realize what that meant, yet she had accepted it just the same. Nothing could stop me from claiming her now that she bore my mark on her soul.

I flew to a stop on a branch outside a two-story Victorian home. This vantage point offered me the perfect view of the sleeping raven-haired beauty beyond the window. Her face softened in her slumber and nearly took my breath away. I could hardly believe that my wait was almost over. For so long my life had been filled with nothing but an empty sort of apathy. Sarah's arrival had awoken a dormant part of me that I had given up hope of ever finding. I couldn't lose her.

"Sleep, precious thing. For with the dawn comes the beginning of all things." Tucking my head beneath my wing, I settled in for what I hoped to be my last solitary night of eternity.

A/N: Please keep the reviews coming. It only takes a few seconds to leave a comment, and it really does feed my writing machine! Are you as confused as Sarah? Do you like Raelle the hobgoblin? Who the hell is Aetia? Are you picking up on Jareth's possessive=love tendencies? Should there be more human Jareth later in the story? Hmmm?