Abducted Chapter 2, a labyrinth fanfic

Abducted

a/n: okay, not a one-shot, due to demand! Still don't own it, just the plot.

"The governess had run away two months before; and for all [he] sought her as if she had been the most precious thing he had in the world, he never could hear a word of her; and he grew savage—quite savage on his disappointment: he never was a wild man, but he got dangerous after he lost her." -Jane Eyre

Sarah could feel the door digging into her back as Jareth towered against her. He was coolly waiting for her bout of rebellion to come. So when it did, without flinching, he quietly took her suddenly flailing wrists in his gloved fingertips and pressed both to either side of her head. She fought him as the wind picked up, sweeping her hair into her face. She fought him as the darkness choked around them.

Sarah Williams fought the Goblin King even long after his lips pressed softly to her temple.

"Sarah," he breathed against her skin. "Do not fight me on this—just accept what is." His head pulled back slightly to gaze commandingly into her eyes, demanding she obey. He knew how to use her weakness against her. Sarah inhaled sharply.

"Do you know what today is, Sarah?" Jareth grinned, slowly releasing her submissive wrists to cup her face.

Her eyes slid closed. "N-no."

"Think hard, dear girl." But the last thing her mind could form was what month it was. She was too busy focusing on how he felt, so close to her, too close.

You gave in, her angelic subconscious admonished.

I had no choice, Sarah thought back stupidly as a gloved thumb brushed against her bottom lip.

Sarah, it's not like he walked right out of a Hollister ad—he's not perfect. Even Fae have an Achilles Heel.

Sarah sighed, leaning into Jareth's touch, cheeks burning red.

Earth to Sarah Williams?! Are you off your bloody hinge??? This is Jareth—the same control freak who stole hours from your run, kidnapped Satan's baby, and flaunts his tight-ass pants in front of goblinized children. You really want to let him conquer you?

Anger flashed in Sarah's eyes—namely due to the mention of Karen, but the Evil Stepmother from Hell was soon followed by the crystal-clear memory of Jareth's cruelty. Rebellion bubbled in her veins, spewing and attacking his heart. An idea brewing, the girl visibly winced at the contact of leather. The Goblin King frowned. But he did not resist when Sarah suddenly but gently tugged the gloves from his fingers, mind working fast. Jareth had been appalled at the gentle physical contact, when suddenly his cheek was burning.

Sarah's hand was poised in the air to strike again.

That's your mastermind plan?! God, Sarah, you're losing your touch.

Jareth snapped. "You strike me with my own damn gloves?" he hissed, fisting his hands at his sides.

Sarah ignored him. "Just because you say it is, doesn't mean it is, Jareth. Here, you're on my turf, stripped of your authority. I'm not some goblin," she snorted indignantly, "you can just kick around. And I'm not that girl you met five years ago." Sarah swallowed and stared at the floor. "You missed her a few years ago. And she's gone now."

Jareth grunted. But her words had struck a chord of fear in him, of that she could see. He had pulled back a degree, inspecting her cruelly as if double-checking that the girl he'd snared, and whose heart he had stolen, was Sarah Williams, Conqueror of the Labyrinth. Cold eyes narrowed. Suddenly, a bitter growl exploded from his lips. "What has the world done to you?"

Sarah opened her mouth to retort indignantly that it was not the world, but more him, when Jareth stiffened above her, spine bristling in barely concealed rage.

"What the hell is going on out here?"

Jareth's heart froze inside Sarah. His locks were slowly molding into black and red, gold melting away as his ire dripped from the roots. His head was slowly turning to assess the imposer, when Sarah used her gloveless hand to wrap under his jaw and force his gaze back to hers.

"Jareth, stop it. It's just my R.A."

"Hey, you, bitch—no guys after 1, remember? Or did he steal your senses when he took your virginity? I mean, really?" the girl snorted.

The Goblin King's chest was rumbling with imprisoned growls, shaking as he fought to control the dark magic swirling around them. Sarah's hair was flipping up from the static electricity. Fear settled into the pit of her stomach. "Don't. Just ignore her, and leave. She does this all the—" but a hand clapped over her lips as he allowed the lightning to crackle in the depths of his eyes. His nails elongated and dug into her cheek, palm nearly bruising her jaw. He was distancing himself from her, arm outstretched as he muffled her pleas with him. His gaze remained trained on her as the shadows stirred and boiled into fits of his fury. They curled and bent at the space. Bricks rattled. The already shattered glass around them split off into even tinier fragments. Sarah was tearing madly at his grip. But it was useless.

Jareth was gone.

Only the Goblin King remained.

"Stay here," was all he said, but his voice grated her ears painfully, sending a violent chill racing up her spine. No longer smooth, it beckoned the surrounding darkness. And it obeyed. Shadows wrapped around Sarah as the Goblin King released her, effectively chaining her against the door.

He was pulling away faster than she could see, and was stalking towards Sarah's very cross rooming advisor, Mandy. Steady, determined and threatening steps. Slow and measured, a predator after his prey.

Sarah soon found that the less she struggled, the slower the shadows overtook her. She tilted her head back. It felt like slime, encasing her inch by inch as it drifted up her body. It rested at the base of her neck, threading at her skin. "Jareth," she forced harshly. She physically could not destroy him, but words had always held a sway over him. "Listen to me. You don't want to do this. If you so much as touch her, you hurt me." He paused midstride. "Yeah, that's right. Hey, you. Mythological dumbass! Let it go, or you're going to have to let me go."

"Never," the thunder roared around her. The shade was up to her jaw line now. Fingertips slid over her, caressed—almost as if it were Jareth who was pinning her still against the door, fighting with her to keep quiet. "I have owned you from day one, Sarah Williams. There will be no leaving, on either side, ever again."

"Did you pull that fallacy out of your ass?! Cut it out, Goblin King," Sarah spat. The possessiveness in the winds rattled her to the core. The idea of ownership was not one taken lightly. "You've got it all wrong. This isn't your fight, so shove it!"

"Hey, visiting hours are over, so bugger off, freak," Mandy snapped, drawing her robe tighter around herself. But the Goblin King ignored her, bare hands sweeping to his sides. Energy was snapping and pulling around his fingertips as he pushed the very air around them all at one innocent bystander: a very pissed-off Mandy. She bit her lip, but stood her ground. "God, Sarah, I swear—as if the stage isn't enough, you have to go and bed every David Bowie look-alike on campus."

Jareth's hand whipped back as if he meant to slap Mandy.

"Jareth, stop it!" Sarah screamed, twisting her head back and forth as she tried to shake off the darkness crawling up her neck and into her mind. His voice was there, in her head, though his lips made no movement.

'I will not let her talk to me this way, Sarah. You of all humans should understand I will not tolerate insolence.'

"Let it go, Jareth, she didn't mean it!"

'She has repeatedly insulted my human. Encroachment on my property is punishable by death.'

"No! This isn't your world, and I'm not yours. You may have my heart, but you don't have me. I swear, Jareth, you do this, and whatever chance we had will be thrown into an oubliette, damnit!"

'Shhh, relax. You'll only tire yourself, Sarah. I want you to enjoy this. I know I will.'

"This isn't the time for this—revenge, whatever—you're taking it out on my R.A. for Pete's sake. You know, she can give me hell if I ever get locked out of my room. Or, heaven forbid, more write-ups. You want to hurt someone? Then fine, here I am, Goblin King. I'm responsible for your broken labyrinth, I knocked you off your damn pedestal, so turn around and face me, you shitty coward—"

'Watch, Sarah.'

"I will not watch! I've sat back for too long while you try to control me again." Sarah's nostrils flared with ire. Her gaze flickered to the horror-stricken rooming advisor. "Mandy, run! Just scream, 'You have no p—'"

The slime slipped into and over her mouth, silencing her for good. The darkness slammed against her diaphragm—she could hardly breathe. She fought violently now, but it only served to weaken her further. It seeped into her mind. Wave upon wave of calm washed over her. Sarah's eyes were burning with unshed tears at what Jareth was doing. Mandy was, whether the Goblin King consciously knew it or not, Sarah's punishable replacement. He wouldn't have dared harm Sarah on purpose, but Mandy could easily be disposed of, a focal point for his uncontrollable anger that he'd too long suppressed. Jareth could feel Sarah's heart race within him, faster and faster like a bird fluttering against its cage, beating its clipped wings to death as it tried to free itself. And for a faltering moment, the two realized they could feel each other.

An undeniable anguish drowned Sarah Williams, a need for vengeance against herself. She wanted to claw at her face, but the shadows held her firm against the door. She screeched from behind her clamped jaw.

And a heart-breaking crack seemed to explode along the ridges of Jareth's insides, tearing from the inside out as he drew closer to Mandy. The mortal fumbled clumsily with her door handle but couldn't twist it right. She was cowering beneath him. He no longer wanted to be frightening. He wanted to let her go. As Sarah—no. Those were Sarah's emotions, not his. And he'd be damned, he growled, if he'd let her get in the way of this again.

In a fit of irritation, the Goblin King turned his back on Mandy and marched straight up to Sarah, taking her face in his hands. The darkness receded, washing to a puddle at her feet. Sarah blinked dejectedly. She fought for control of her thoughts. "I just wanted—"

"Keep your emotions to yourself, Sarah Williams," he interjected coldly. "This is your final warning—stay out of my way. Or so help me, by the gods, you will regret it. I may not harm a hair on your precious head, but your mind is a different tale altogether." For emphasis, his thumbs dug in against her temples. Sarah's eyes flashed open, her body collapsing into his arms. She shuddered.

Monsters. There were monsters everywhere. Their crimson fangs gnashed at her, rolling eyes burning her to her soul. Jareth collected her coolly in his hold, relishing her dependence on him. He had eyes only for her. It wasn't hard to ignore the placed figments of imagination. He feared nothing—save for her. Sarah clawed at his shirt, burrowing into his chest as the screams around her increased tenfold. Her strength buckled. Sarah Williams sobbed uncontrollably against the Goblin King. "Make it stop, Jareth. Make it stop. I don't want to be here." She felt like such a child. But the tearful pleas fumbled from her lips as the adrenaline pumped and forced logic from her brain. Safe. She felt safe in his arms, even as he narrowed his eyes, glaring down his nose at her.

'Go back to your room, Sarah', he chided her mentally. 'They cannot touch you there. Go back to your room. Wait for me there.'

Dumbly and with a ragged numbness to her movements, Sarah allowed the Goblin King to shove her forcefully towards her door. She slipped inside, Mandy far from sight and mind.

It didn't take long for Sarah to snap from her submissive trance. Even as the door closed behind her, the magic frayed and snapped, severing her from Jareth. She could feel his heart drumming wildly, a passionate wrath no human could stand to brew. Sarah winced, fingers clutching at her chest. Her eyes darkened. Her entire body was trembling from head to toe.

As quickly as the goblin fit had come, it vanished. Sarah's eyes flashed, and she nearly drowned in relief. She had to do something—had to block him out. But Mandy…

Screw her. Let Jareth deal with it.

Sarah turned to glare at the door, batting away her demonic subconscious. The angel on her shoulder had been replaced. "Believe it or not, I'm not worried about her. I warned him—he knows the boundaries he cannot cross and the consequences if he does. I'm more so worried of the fact that…if he does this every time I piss him off, there aren't going to be many more mortals in the Aboveground…are there?"

Who needs a weak, pathetic, hypocritical mortal man when you have Smexy right outside your door? I'm telling you, Sarah—he's bringing it back. And it's not like you can block him out. Where there's a will—hey, what are you doing?!

Upon her dutiful conscience's stupid musings, Sarah had re-stumbled upon her earlier plan of action. Yes, she could block him out.

Glancing down at the gloves in her hand, Sarah shoved them in a drawer, quickly locking her door and moving next to the window. It took her a moment to work the latch, but she finally shoved the panel closed, effectively shutting herself in. Rubbing at her arms, Sarah took a deep breath, and waited.

The wind outside her door was howling. Jareth's heart was still thundering madly in her chest. But Sarah focused on the door, diverting all her attention to it rather than give into the Goblin King's emotions. Should she stop fighting, they would overcome her, and she would be no better than him. Sarah shook her head sadly, remembering the distant revulsion etched on his face as Jareth had vanished, and the King remained. Lightning lit up the room suddenly. Thunder echoed in the hallway before giving way to another bolt, just outside her door. And through the light, she could see a shadow halt just in front of her door.

"Sarah."

She folded her arms, eyes narrowing as the shadow became a distinct set of legs beneath the crack of her door. Sarah glanced behind her at her unconscious roommate, snoozing away. Her teeth sunk into her lip. Hard.

"It's done. Open the door."

"Go to hell, Jareth." Her whisper was hoarse, but she knew he heard her just the same.

The temperature dropped again. Sarah suppressed the reflex to shiver. His heartbeat was slowing to a crawl, deadening in her chest. Jareth's voice was deadly quiet, warning her. "I will not ask again, Sarah."

She snorted, ignoring the way her hair was freezing all over again. "You didn't ask. You ordered, you pompous ass. So as far as I'm concerned, since I don't answer to you, you can take those demands and shove them up your—"

A roar of rage echoed in the hallway, fluctuating with pain. Sarah grinned madly at the door, unfolding her arms.

"Guess you discovered the doorknob's made of iron. C'mon, Jareth, can't you do better than that?" she antagonized under her breath. Then, louder, "Oh wait—you don't have your gloves! Such a pity." Confident in her barricade, Sarah whirled around and climbed atop the bunk bed quietly, sliding under the covers. The door was shaking on its hinges, but the Goblin King could do nothing—the entire framing was made of iron, and he had no control over it. Sarah gave into a laugh, which quickly dissolved into giggles. She'd managed to lock the Goblin King out of her room. The girl smiled, snuggling further beneath her covers. In all his magic, Jareth wasn't able to get her—

"Sa-wah?"

The girl in question practically flipped out of the bed. She squinted her eyes at the darkness, but found no reflection in her mirror. Sarah frowned. "Ludo?"

"Sa-wah! Sa-wah help," the beast rumbled somewhere.

"Ludo, where are you?" she whispered cautiously. She felt the bed shake slightly as Ashlyn mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, burrowing under her blankets.

"M'lady! Look yonder out thy window!"

Sarah's fingers couldn't fly fast enough. It took her several moments to fumble with the closed blinds, but she finally managed to pull and slide them up. She was on a 1 ½ story floor, if you could call it that—not quite ground level, but still low enough for an extremely tall, orange beast to balance a curious fox on his shoulder to peer in. "Didymus?!"

"Lady Sarah!" he exclaimed cheerily, brandishing his sword in the pale moonlight. "How we have missed you so! Surely you are doing splendidly? We—that is to say, my brothers and I—have not heard your call. In some time," he finished quietly. His bushy brows pushed upwards with concern, nose and whiskers wriggling in worry. Ludo rumbled in agreement below, eagerly raising a huge paw to wave at Sarah. Sir Didymus grasped hold of Ludo's ear. "Hold still, brother! Wait your turn, noble knight! Thy Lady Sarah is a patient lady."

Sarah sighed, glancing inside her room before whirling back around to lower the cracked window all the way. She was balanced carefully on her bunk, which was pushed up against the glass lengthways. Tottering for a moment, she scrambled to re-latch the iron panes. A thin layer of wired screen was all that separated her from her labyrinth friends. But it was enough, Sarah decided chillingly.

Ludo lifted Sir Didymus higher until his damp nose was nearly pressed against the iron screen. "Wilst thou let us in, m'lady?"

"Didymus—I cannot. I truly am sorry for not keeping in better touch. But you must understand—that night, I had to grow up. And I couldn't chance Jar—the Goblin King," she corrected herself bitterly, "coming back to snatch Toby away again. And you were the only link he could use to get to me. I couldn't risk it, Didymus." Sarah redirected her gaze. "You too, Ludo. I'm sorry."

"Lu-do fo-give Sa-wah," he growled appreciatively, beaming through his fangs up at her. Sir Didymus moved to place a sharp claw against the fabric separating them, but corrected himself violently, shuddering as he moved the claw to the hilt of his sword instead.

"My lady?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not this time, Didymus. You just missed your King, and he'll be missing you soon. I promise to call on you, but it's too fresh for this to start again. Please…please go back, Didymus."

He sighed, bowing his furry head in distress. "As you wish, Lady Sarah. But—we have no portal back. Mayhaps…could we use thy mirror, Lady Sarah?"

Sarah suppressed a laugh. "Are you sure Ludo will fit?"

Didymus allowed a toothy grin. "Magic, my lady, doth not dote on size, but the heart. Even should thy heart no longer belong to thyself…thy brother Ludo shall make it safely 'cross."

Sarah frowned for a moment, but before she could rethink Sir Didymus' words, Ashlyn groaned in the bunk below. Making up her mind quickly, she nodded at the two. "Alright. But hurry."

"My Lady—the screen?" Didymus was staring at her curiously beneath hooded eyes. Sarah's breath hitched. Jareth's heart was calm, too calm. He should have felt her elation at being reunited with old friends. He should have been royally pissed that she'd let them in, and not himself. His heart should have been thundering away with jealousy, threatening to rip through her chest. But it was quiet—and had oddly skipped a beat when she'd met Sir Didymus' solemn gaze.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," she muttered. "Stand back and get down." The two did as instructed, moving down and back several feet as Sarah made fast work at the wedged screen. She hammered away with the heel of her hand, pushing at the iron poles. "So, Didymus, where is Hoggle? Why didn't he come?" Two corners were free—two to go.

Ludo growled low in his throat, setting Didymus down and stepping sideways away from the fox. "Hogg-le in oob—oob—"

"What Brother Ludo means to say, Lady Sarah," Didymus interjected suddenly, "is that Brother Higsbrains has been detained."

Sarah Williams froze. The third corner was loose, and her hands were poised at the fourth. But they were shaking uncontrollably now. Her entire spine had gone rigid with suspicion. Her hair stood on end; the whites of her eyes glowing as she slowly twisted her head down to get a better look at Sir Didymus. "What—what did you say?"

Didymus frowned. "Lady Sarah, is something the matter?" His utter sincerity perplexed her. She didn't even notice her hand slip. And as it fell, it reflexively—accidentally—tore at the fourth and final corner of the iron screen. The fox did not speak until the final barrier lay triumphantly before him. "I merely stated that Sir Hoggswash was unable to accompany us, my lady."

'Didymus' turned his mismatched eyes up at her, baring his teeth in a feral grin. "Jareth," Sarah acknowledged, the name dripping off her tongue in a thousand waves of agony, dread, horror, and realization all rolled up into one blinding and heart-stopping emotion. Sir Didymus was not really there. The whole thing was a trap. Knowing nothing else, the shaken girl dove beneath her covers, drawing them beneath her and trapping the edges under her body. Just like when she was four, she hid from the nightmares. If she couldn't see Jareth, somehow, in her adrenaline-rushed mind that was resorting back to childhood antics, he couldn't see her. She could hear magic ringing like chimes, as Jareth no doubt transformed himself. Ludo huffed loudly in surprise, his howl filling the night air.

"Your services are no longer required," Jareth whispered, but the order tickled at Sarah's ear. His heart was pacing madly in her chest from the exertion of magic—the spells were practically singing in her veins. It made Sarah almost giddy. She fought to breathe evenly as the magic overtook them both, and she squeezed further beneath her safety net. But it was no use. The sound of wings flapping filled the air as a certain owl swooshed in and landed atop Sarah's covered head. It perched lightly, talons careful not to over-grip. The bird hooted amicably, and Sarah felt, in horror, as it leaned over and dug its head against her neck—nuzzling her. The owl cooed again, leaping off her head to the mattress surrounding, and she watched as shadows played him out tottering over to her stomach. Sarah tried to draw herself up into a ball, but Jareth had already carefully wedged himself in so she couldn't without drawing him closer into her warmth. This time, the bird squawked in irritation as Sarah managed to roll herself over and curl up the opposite way. She felt a prominent stab in her back—his beak. Jareth hooted low again, and it sounded almost like a lover's plea.

"Go away, Jareth, you overgrown birdbrain. Go peck somebody else. That was a rotten trick, and you know it." Her breath hitched as she felt him transform, sliding lengthwise down and around her as his body framed hers, her back to his chest. The proximity heightened her senses—his own heartbeat pounded away in her chest, aroused at how close it was to its master.

Jareth remained silent. His gloveless fingers walked up her blanketed body to her shoulder, then back down to settled on her waist. Sarah's eyes widened in realization of what he was about to do. So before she could squirm herself out of the five-foot drop, Jareth's fingers dug right into her most vulnerable, ticklish spot. It irked her beyond belief that he knew the location of such a weakness, but all anger erased itself as Sarah exploded into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Her hands left their protective blanket stations to try to block his attacks. Which was exactly what Jareth had been waiting for.

The covers were ripped off her head, affording her much-needed oxygen. She gasped. Despite her fit, his heart had remained calm inside. It felt…weird. Sarah exhaled loudly, chest still heaving, as she finally chose to face Jareth.

But she ended up rolling right into his chest. Her eyes slid up. Jareth's head was propped up in his right hand, his left still resting idly on her waist. He was grinning down at her, a gleam in his eyes. "Well, look at what I found. Hello, Sarah." In a rebellious fit of defeat, Sarah shoved angrily at his chest. But she only succeeded in pushing herself backwards and over the edge.

Fortunately, this Fae had quick reflexes. He caught her legs, but left her dangling upside down. Sarah swooned with dizziness, his heart still as her own mind raced with excitement. She twisted her torso around, astonished at Ashlyn's heavy-sleeper skills, when she realized Ashlyn was no longer sleeping.

Ashlyn was no longer in the room.

"What the hell did you do to my roommate, Jareth?" Sarah growled.

"Oubliette," he replied nonchalantly. Sarah's blankets had begun hissing. They slithered over and coiled around her legs, effectively trapping her in the same precarious position as Jareth transported himself directly in front of Sarah. He crouched down slightly until they were at an awkward eye level.

He looks even better upside down.

"Shut up," Sarah hissed at her demonic conscience.

An eyebrow rose. "Beg your pardon?"

"And Mandy? What happened to her?"

"I would imagine the Firey's have found a new toy by now."

Redirecting her attention, Sarah glared bitterly at him. The blood was rushing to her head, making it hard to think. Jareth steadily took hold of the base of her hairline, stroking behind her neck. Sarah fought his soothing ministrations. "Get me down, or you're going to have either a retarded or dead mortal on your hands pretty soon."

Heeding her warning, Jareth slid his other hand along the score of her back before pulling her head onto his shoulder and supporting her weight in his arms as the blankets released her. They seemed to hiss in glee at their master's triumph over the Lady Sarah. But the second her feet touched the ground, Sarah was at the opposite end of the room, brandishing a V-shaped rod. Jareth frowned in curiosity, stepping closer. Sarah waved it at him threateningly.

"You have to bring my roommate back. Mandy too. And then you have to leave. Okay?" She could barely force the words out as a sharp stab prodded at Jareth's heart. "And give me back what's mine, while you're at it."

Jareth crossed his arms indignantly. "You're still the same, stubborn little girl, aren't you?"

"And you're still a pain in my ass. Now get out before I—"

"Before you what, Sarah? Order me to death? Really," he drawled, face darkening. Sarah glowered, brandishing the rod in her hands again. Jareth sniffed at the air, eyes narrowing at the weapon in her hands. His grin was feral. "Oh, I see. You're going to…what, straighten my hair?"

"This has iron on it," Sarah snapped the hair-straightener in her hands. "And you don't like iron, do you?"

Jareth rolled his eyes.

"I don't have time for this."

"Neither do I! It's," Sarah glanced at the clock on her dresser, "four in the morning, Jareth. In case you forgot—we humans need sleep, or we get rather irritable."

Jareth snorted. "The way I see it, you already are. So really, it's like skipping a step. No use for it now, hmm?"

Sarah growled and charged him, straightener aimed at his throat as the iron hissed in the air, practically glowing from the heat. Jareth was too quick for her. He disappeared and reappeared behind her, gripping her wrists above her head in one hand, while the other held her struggling body still, painfully bruising her ribs. "This is ridiculous, Sarah. Drop the immaturity, and settle this like a real wo—what is that smell?!"

Sarah smiled innocently, giving a trapped strand of his hair a gentle tug. It was effectively burning the tress, and Sarah had to fight back another explosion of laughter as Jareth's eyes widened in pure horror.

"Damnit, Sarah!" he spat, tightening his grip painfully until she released the weapon. It vanished. But the damage to his hair had already been done. The stench filled the room, however small the sabotaged piece of hair was. And, apparently, Sarah realized with comical dismay, Jareth's head was eliciting more smoke than imagined.

"Must be something with the iron," Sarah muttered.

Jareth's enraged visage pulled back into a sneer. "Yes, something with the iron, you vixen."

"An eye for an eye, Jareth," she leered back, gesturing to her screen-less window.

"Do not put blame on me, you insufferable child. You removed it of your own will."

Neither had noticed that the steam of smoke from Jareth's hair was coincidentally lifting upwards—directly beneath the smoke alarm.

"You tricked me, you British con-artist. You falsely led me to believe… Ha, and you want me to trust a conniving little jackass like yourself? In your crystallized dreams, Goblin King."

Jareth's voice was somber. "You've taken it all for granted, once again, Sarah. Everything. Do you understand nothing? You take back what's yours, and an entire world dies. Your friends—everyone. The labyrinth will be reduced to nothing—much the way you left it, but for good this time. Our hearts, separated from their origins, will die. My kingdom would be at a loss. I would cease to exist. But you, I imagine, with what magic is in mine, would go on forever. Alone." Jareth reached for her, effectively trapping her jaw in-between his thumb and forefinger. "Would you really have me give it back?" he growled menacingly, daring her to wish for her heart.

Sarah pulled back, but Jareth remained firm, not letting go of her. "Trade it back, then. Mine for yours—"

"It does not work that way, Sarah Williams."

"And why the hell not?!" she yelled at the Goblin King. His hair was immediately submerged in black again, mirroring his bipolar mood—save for, of course, that one burnt, smoking strand. Jareth leaned into her face.

"Yours can be taken back, because it was taken unwillingly, whereas mine—"

The fire alarm exploded in a shrill, piercing panic. Sarah screeched, and in a moment of passionate instinct, Jareth pulled Sarah into his arms, effectively trapping her against him with his protective embrace. She curled obligingly against him as the overhead fire sprinklers hissed and began spitting out water. Sarah groaned, face softening. "Now you did it."

Jareth snorted, but released her. He shielded his face as he glared up at the sprinkler spouting havoc upon them. His hair was quickly dampening and plastering to his face. "I was not aware it could rain indoors."

Sarah rolled her eyes, spine bristling in irritation. "Your hair set off the fire alarm, Jareth."

"I do believe that is the pot calling the kettle black, Sarah."

"Whatever." She paused as she headed for the door, jerking it open. Students were filing out, soaking wet in their pajamas as they grumbled vile curses and plagues on whoever had disturbed their slumber. Sarah winced before turning around to face Jareth again. "You coming?"

The Goblin King narrowed his eyes. "I have no choice."

He turned his back on her, heading towards the window.

"Uh, door's this way."

"Does short-term memory run in your family, Sarah? Or have you easily forgotten your little prank?" he snapped, spreading his arms as he prepared to transform.

"Damnit, Jareth, you tricked me."

"You were warned."

Jareth's heart thudded loudly in her ears, and Sarah tried to block out the calm he was emanating towards her by his very presence. "When?"

"Today. What is today, Sarah?"

"Hell if I know, Jareth. The date is kind of the last thing on my mind when a mythological creature in tights barges back into my life in the dead of night." She glanced over at her calendar on the wall, squinting through the water's spray. "April first. What—oh."

"'Oh', indeed, my little fool."

a/n: so I seriously considered posting a blank chapter on April Fool's…but I didn't have enough bravery to face an angry mob. So, I was a nice little author.

Funny story: I went to ride my horse today, and in all of 5 seconds, I had been rammed against the barn, busted my knee, threw myself off him, and landed in a foot-deep pile of crap. And my mother caught it all on video. Youtube, anyone?

Thanks to all my reviewers for the first chapter. You guys seriously are awesome. If you haven't already, be sure to check out His Har Har Lee for all you Joker fans—again, I have not abandoned it. My mind's just been stuck in an oubliette.

Special thanks to: Danielle M Hyde, ScarlettIvy, bra4goten, Ecki, hazlgrnLizzy, chibi_blue_mouse, Rayne StarDust, Khata, L., notwritten, HappyMand, Thundara, lovelessblackinu, TiskTask, and ..!

Please Review!!!