Hello! First off I need to apologize for the super extreme absence of this story. But no worries, the rest of it is mapped out, and I promise to get it out at a much better pace from here on in! Thank you for the continued love the story has gotten and for sticking with it to see this chapter. And as always, thank you to Alex for her continues patience on her birthday gift. But who doesn't love birthdays being extended a couple extra months? :)

"Sarah? Where did he go?"

She smiled kneeling down to Alex's level.

"Probably back to his castle at the center of the Labyrinth. He has a habit of popping up and then disappearing again. It's all part of the journey."

"What journey?"

"The one we are starting right now. You see that castle in the middle of the maze?"Alex nodded that she did "Well we have thirteen hours to make our way there in order to save your sister. Are you up to the job?"

Alex looked at Sarah, glad to have a familiar face in this very very scary place.

"I want to save Stinky Liz, she is probably crying"

Sarah wrapped her arms around the girl. Wanting nothing more than to assure the child that Liz was perfectly save in the castle. But knowing, as much as she hated to admit it, that Alex was more likely to continue through the Labyrinth if she was concerned for the Liz's welfare.

"Then let's get going"

As they reached the bottom of the hill Sarah was thrilled to see a familiar little man spraying fairies and grumbling to himself.

"Hoggle! Oh my goodness! It's really you isn't it?" She ran to give him a hug, but as he saw her approaching he backed away and put his arms out.

"Nope. No physical affection."

"But Hoggle, we are friends"

"No we ain't. Hoggle has no friends. Hoggle is Hoggle's friend."

Sarah felt her heart break. She had feared this when she learned she was to be returning to the Labyrinth. The summer before her senior year of high school she decided that it would be best if she stopped seeing her friends from her time here. Even though Hoggle and Ludo were the only ones still coming when she called. The others having already realized they were not needed by the girl.

The last night Sarah called Hoggle and Ludo to her, she told them that she could not see them anymore. Hanging out with imaginary friends was not something a senior in high school ought to do. Hoggle had left immediately, while Ludo gave her one last hug and she hadn't seen them since.

"Sarah? Is he the one you told me about? The brave man who helped you in the story?"

Hoggle stopped and looked at the girl obviously perplexed.

"Yes, Alex this is Hoggle. Hoggle, this is my friend Alex we have to go to the castle beyond the Goblin City to reclaim her sister Liz."

Alex ran closer to Hoggle "Will you help me get Liz back?"

Hoggle was looked from Alex to Sarah "You told her about me?"

"Of course I did Hoggle; to this day you have been my greatest friend."

He nodded. "Fine, I'll take you as far as I can, but then you're on your own."

Alex jumped up and down. "Oh thank you!"

With Hoggle leading the way they made quick work of the beginning of the Labyrinth. He seemed fond of Alex, and wanted to do the most he could for her. However, he was still very cold toward Sarah, something she intended to amend before her limited time here was finished. Now that she had a different perspective she was able to see the beauty that was the Labyrinth. A world anything was possible and nothing was quite what it seemed. Sadness swept through her as she realized how much she missed it.

She also couldn't help but notice that the paths were slightly different. Sure they had come across minor challenges, such as a small furry creature trying to entice Alex down a dark brambly path that was clearly the opposite way from the castle. When Sarah went to speak up she received a very dark look from Hoggle. One telling her that she should keep her mouth shut.

Maybe the Labyrinth was set to be different for every person, and the rules of that being that the person whose journey it was had to call all of the shots. Even so it still seemed a bit too straight forward to Sarah. Was it the magic of the Labyrinth? Or the magic of the Goblin King?

"Which one Alex?" Hoggle asked as they stood in front of two very large doors each adorned with a knocker. This time Sarah knew better than to speak, she was merely a chaperone. Alex was the one who had to make the decision.

"This one" Alex pointed to the door on the left with the knocker in the funny face's ears.

They opened the door, walked in and immediately fell into a hole. Alex began screaming wildly until they stopped after a good ten feet. Sarah recognized their captors immediately, the helping hands.

"H… help" Alex whimpered.

"We are help, we're helping hands"

"Sarah?"

"Trust them Alex, they will help you, all you have to do is choose a direction."

Alex thought about it for a minute, thinking about her option much more thoroughly than Sarah had.

"Up, back up. Please. Out of this hole."

"She chose up?"

"She chose up!"

After a minute of tussling and turning they found themselves back on solid ground and in the middle of a long dark hallway.

"Well" Hoggle said. "Let's get to it"

Down the hallway a little further, they came across a goblin sitting on the floor.

"My and what do we have here?"

Sarah groaned, she knew they would bump into him but was angered and the little jump her heart gave at the thought of him.

"Hi, my names Alex and this is…"

"Ah yes we've been introduced" Sarah said. "Come on now, why the need for the games?"

Jareth stood removed his costume. "Because it can be fun to pretend to be someone else for a while, you of all people must know this Sarah" He smiled, looking into her eyes. Causing her heart to stop completely.

Breaking the stare he turned to Alex "And how are you liking my Labyrinth Alex?"

The little girl sighed as Sarah crossed her fingers.

"It's really hard" she admitted looking down at her shoes.

Sarah watched as Jareth's face softened "And do you know why it is so hard?" he asked kneeling down to her level.

"Because, it shows me how much I love my sister. If I didn't really want her back, I would just stop." She said looking at the Goblin King and nodding.

Jareth smiled and stood up "Perhaps I was wrong, it would appear that the child does understand the meaning of my Labyrinth."

A crystal appeared in his hand; he rotated it twice and tosses it in the air making the infamous gold clock appear. Sarah's stomach dropped six and a half hours had already passed they could not afford to lose any time. As Jareth twisted his fingers she saw that the clock was actually spinning backwards giving them two and a half extra hours.

"Thank you!" Alex jumped and wrapped her arms around Jareth's waist. He was startled by the affection but returned her embrace.

"No more dallying, you still have much more to finish."

"Will you come with us?"

Jareth laughed. "I still have my job to do, but this is not the last you will see of me."

He walked over to Sarah and leaned to whisper in her ear.

"But believe me; I want nothing more than to stay near you."

He kissed her cheek, the spark shocking both of them. Then he disappeared.

A/N Also, I should warn you that next chapter, this story will finally earn its M rating... I hope your ready for some delicious Jareth action. I sure know I am ;)