Summary: Sarah over hears two intruders planning a crime.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of LABYRINTH

Rating: T+

Pairing: Jareth/Sarah

CALLING OUT:

Morning came to Sarah still in bed. She woke to find the space beside her empty and for a moment her heart sank. Had Jareth really been with her las night? Had she imagined the whole encounter with him? Sitting up, she replayed last night, searching for some small clue that it hadn't been real, but she could find nothing. She knew Jareth had been with her, could still feel the weight of his arms holding her. There was even the faint linger scent of him, magical and wild. She sat up quickly, the blanket pooling in her lap. His name was about to tumble from her lips when her head turned to see him striding down the hall towards her. A sigh of relief escaped her. "I thought…."

Jareth came to the side of the bed, sitting down on the edge. "I told you, I'm not leaving." He leaned in kissing her lightly on the forehead. "My intention wasn't to make you worry. I simply didn't want you to wake you up." When she opened her mouth to deny it, he shook his head. He'd seen the worry in her eyes, and the fear. Fear that last night had been nothing more than a dream. He'd had the same ill feeling upon the moment of waking. Jareth had thought he was in his bed back in the Goblin city. The moment he opened his eyes, relief flooded through him that he was still by Sarah's side. Jareth slipped out of bed not wanting to wake her.

Sarah let out a puff of hair, feeling foolish for ever thinking he'd left her. Pushing the covers off her legs, she sat crossed legged on the bed. "I'm sorry, I had thought you'd left, or that you'd only been a dream." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. Actually sleeping as long as she did, had done her some good. She was able to put last night out of her mind, to sleep away the fear from the safety of Jareth's arms. He made it better.

"I would have thought the same had I woken to an empty bed." Jareth tipped Sarah's chin up so he could look her in the eyes. The smile that curved her lips warmed his heart. He had wanted to give her time to wake on her own while he poked around her apartment. There were little to no mementos from her home. No pictures of Toby, the little brother she faced him to save.

"So," Sarah sucked in a breath and then huffed it out. "What do you want to do today? It's Saturday and I'm not going into work." She chuckled moving so she could climb out of bed. "We could go for a walk, grab something to eat the diner just a few blocks away. They make the best…."

"Sarah?" Jareth pulled her to a stop. "You're not seriously considering going out that door?" He had his powers, but during the day he couldn't use them as well as he'd be able to back in the Labyrinth.

"Yeah, I am actually. Why not?" Sarah scoffed. "It's not like they know where I live." Her eyes drifted down to his hands on her arms. He'd done it to make a point, and he had. "I will live the life I choose, and I won't live in fear."

Jareth took his hands from her, holding them up to show he wasn't going to continue to manhandle her. "They could find you if so motivated." He only wanted to protect her, but he could see she wouldn't allow him that. Not when she was so strong.

"I'm not worried about them." Sarah shrugged. "Jareth, I know you're worried, but I can defend myself." She turned from him to go to her closet, but she felt him reach for her again, she demonstrated her self-defense skills. Turning, she caught him off balance, and pushed him into the wall, her forearm pressed lightly into his throat. "Believe me now?"

Jareth cleared his throat, grasping her wrist lightly so he could pull her arm away from his throat. "Point taken. I shouldn't have doubted you." He grinned keeping his back pressed to the wall until he felt it was ok for him to move. Sarah continued to grin at him.

"Did I hurt you?" Sarah asked wrapping her arms around his neck. She only wanted him to see she was capable of saving herself. It had been a long time since her journey through the Labyrinth, and that had made her stronger.

"No," Jareth in return slipped his arms around her waist. "Will you at least reconsider staying in your apartment?" The woman before him was who'd he hoped Sarah would have turned into.

"Nope." Sarah replied cheekily. "I'm hungry." She moved out of his arms to get clean clothes for the day. There was a craving for some of the delicious food from the diner a few blocks away.

Jareth sat on the bed to watch Sarah work the pair of faded blue jeans up her long slender legs before buttoning them. She pulled off her oversized shirt only replace it with a black v-neck that hugged her delectable form. He nodded his appreciation of her chosen attire, smiling when she slipped her feet into a pair of strappy sandals. "Ready?"

"Are you?" Sarah chuckled. "Crowded streets don't seem like something you would handle very well." Though, she had seen him in a room full of people when they were in the ballroom.

"Are laughing at me?" Jareth glared playfully at her, a light scolding tone to his voice.

"Not at all, Your Majesty." Sarah answered.

GOOD TIMES DINER:

Jareth walked hand in hand with Sarah through the front door of a diner to a wide variety of colorful people, and not just their clothing. The varying shades of blues, pinks, reds, and yellow's left him seeing spots. "What is this place?" He asked, leaning close to Sarah to whisper in her ear.

"My friend owns this diner." Sarah answered. She looked around through the sea of patrons until she found the vibrant blue ombre mane of her friend. The first friend she made when she arrived in the city. "Mink!" She called taking her hand from Jareth's to wave enthusiastically. Rather than abandon Jareth by the door, she took his hand again, and pulled him along with her as she made her way towards the counter.

Minka Royale, owner of the Good Times Diner, looked up when she heard her name being called. Looking up she saw the sweet face of Sarah Williams coming towards her with a gorgeous man in tow. "Sarah!" Minka cried out with joy. "Oh my darling baby girl!" She bounced around the raised counter and gathered up her friend in a strong hug. "Where have you been keeping yourself, sweetheart?"

Sarah laughed hugging her friend in return. It felt so good, so calming to be surrounded by the vibrancy that only Minka could exude. "I couldn't wait any longer to come here for some of you delicious chocolate pancakes." Pulling back she glanced over her shoulder seeing Jareth's face. He looked s out of place, and yet, from her memories, he would fit right in if he would once more in the clothes he'd worn when they'd first met. "Where are my manners? Mink, this is Jareth."

"Hold on, you mean THE Jareth?" Minka smiled broadly, reaching out, she took the man's hands in between her own. "I am so pleased to meet you. Sarah never stops talking about you."

"Sarah," Jareth cleared his throat, pulling his hand from between the giant hands of the manly looking woman before him. "Who is this?" In anticipation of having his hands grabbed at again, he showed them in his pockets.

Sarah could barely contain her giggles. "This is Minka. She was the first friend I made when I moved to the city."

"She?" Jareth questioned lightly. The person standing before him didn't exactly appear to be female in origin.

"I am as much a woman as Sarah is." Minka replied hotly.

Sarah reached out putting her hand on Mink's shoulder. "Minka is a Drag Queen." She explained. Then to waylay any more questions of Mink's chosen life style, Sarah said, "We'll take two of my usual and we'll be at the counter."

Jareth followed Sarah, taking a seat beside her on the red swivel stools while their hostess toddled off on ice pick heels. "You have an interesting friend." He said angling his body towards her. "How did you meet might I ask?"

Sarah chuckled, "It was just after I moved in to the record store and it was late night, I was starving. This was the only place open with Mink working. We talked for hours, laughing, and just having fun. She's someone I talk to when I just need to get problems out of my head. Plus, she eats up every detail I've given her about you."

"Really?" Jareth asked arching a brow. "And what have you told her about me?" He almost didn't want to know what details Sarah might have divulged. "Did you mention how we met?"

"Well," sucked in air between her teeth. "I may have changed a few things about our first meeting." When Jareth didn't ask, she continued. "For as much as she knows, we met when I was in High School. You were a substitute teacher I had for a semester."

"How scandalous of you Sarah." Jareth teased. Even he knew the implications of a Teacher falling or a Student.

"I know, aren't I terrible?" Sarah asked playfully. "It's not like I could tell her you're the King of Goblins, that I was put to the test within your Labyrinth, and all the perils I survived. We may be friends, but she wouldn't believe what I went through."

"What else did you tell her?" Jareth was genuinely curious about everything Sarah might have imparted to her unique companion. It also warmed his heart to know she had a trusted friend that she felt safe enough to confide in. She wasn't alone as he'd feared these long years during their separation.

"I told her that we had a connection that went beyond any conventional means, that love burns brightly between us though being together has proven difficult. Then, all I had to do was describe you to her, and tell her how much I loved you and the way you would sing to me." Sarah reached up, her hand going to his face once more. Right now, more than anything she would give all that she had to see them once more in his castle with the sound of his song dancing on the air. Until now, she'd only had her memories to go on. She hoped he would sing to her again.

"Just the right amount of detail without giving too much away." Jareth nodded in approval and then turned to kiss the palm of her hand. He could see in her eyes the desire to leave this world, to return to his Labyrinth, and leave all of this behind her. "If I knew you would let me, I would take you away from all of this." His words were no more than a whisper against her skin.

"I can't," Sarah shook her head and then added, "Not yet." The light that fired in his bi-colored eyes; joy, disbelief, love, and eagerness. Most of all she saw hope in his gaze. It was a hope she felt. Soon she wanted to leave, to go back to the Labyrinth and be at his side.

"Then might I ask a favor of you?" Jareth knew she wouldn't want to grant what he was about to ask, but he had to ask her none the less. If she was going to leave this world with him, then some bonds had to be repaired.

"What?" Sarah asked, tensing beside him, feeling she wasn't about to like what he was going to say. The look on his face was one she'd seen before, only it had been after she'd said those words and sealed their fate.

"Before our time is up here, I would like for you to go and talk with your father." Jareth looked down at his hands, his long fingers interlaced. He knew what it was he was asking of her. After what she told him the previous night, he almost didn't ask her.

"Why would I do that?" Sarah was careful to keep her voice low and calm. She didn't want to draw attention to them.

"Because he's your father." Jareth answered in the same careful tone. "Because when you leave you'll regret not making things better between the two of you."

Sarah wanted to argue, but he was right. She would regret not making things right; she just didn't know where to start. "What do you want me to do? Show up on his door step like nothing happened?"

"In whatever way you decide, I'll be there with you every step." Jareth looked at her, and then straightened when the unique individual came sauntering over to them carrying two plates loaded with food.

"Here we are my lovelies!" Mink set the plates down with a smile. "Sarah swears by this breakfast to get her going in the morning." She looked at Sarah, the mood had changed in a short span of time. "What's going on, sweetheart?" Mink asked looking at Sarah.

"I'm thinking about going to see my father." Sarah answered averting her gaze from the penetrating stare Mink fixed on her.

"Are you insane?" Mink stood before her dear friend truly flabbergasted. "You told me how horribly that man treated you. Why would you want to go and see him?"

Delaying the answering of Mink's question, Sarah shoveled a fork full of eggs into her mouth, chewing noticeably. She hated the fact that Jareth was right about mending fences with her father. If anything it would give her a chance to see her brother again. Toby was the one she truly missed, more than she would ever be able to accurately describe to anyone. With a swallow, Sarah washed down her food with orange juice, and then explained. "Ten years. That's how long I've been here in the city. "

"That man doesn't deserve anything from you. He hasn't even tried to find you." Mink pointed out, her large hands resting on the counter. Then she looked at Jareth. "Was this your idea?"

Calmly, Jareth set his utensil aside, looked at Minka, and said, "It's a good idea."

"Oh, yeah… The A-Bomb was a good idea too, and look how that went." Mink muttered.

"Mink…" Sarah drew out her friends name. "Please…. Just let it go. I have to do this." She hated to admit it, but a decade was long enough to stay angry at her father when he was grieving. One of them had to bend, so she was going to take the high road and bend first.

"Sarah, that man hasn't lifted a finger to find you. Why would you go talk to him?" Minka asked.

"It's my little brother Toby. I want to see him again." Sarah admitted. That had the intended effect. It stopped Minka in her tracks.

"Ok," Minka threw her hands up in the air exasperated. "Just don't come crying to me when that man starts blaming you again."

"I love you, too." Sarah grinned and then went back to eating her food.

GRAND CENTRAL STATION:

Jareth had handled the hustle and bustle of the people moving through the station with ease, or at least he thought he had. All the people moving about, completely oblivious to each other, reminded him of his goblins when they were crammed into the throne room. His jaw clenched tighter each time another random person bumped into him. He didn't breathe an easy breath until he and Sarah were sitting in their seats on the train waiting for their journey to begin.

Sarah could see how all the people had unsettled her dashing Goblin King. Leaning over to him she asked, "Are you ok?" She took his hand, her thumb rubbing back and forth across his knuckles.

"It was just all the people." Jareth shook his head, and then rested his against hers. "They remind me of my goblins when they try to pack themselves into the throne room. When they're all crammed in, I feel like I can't breathe, let alone move." He chuckled.

"But you're so much taller than they are," Sarah teased.

"Yes, but when most of them are all piled in, they tower over me." Jareth replied. The here many hours he spent trapped on his throne while Goblins moved all about him. Those were the times when he had so much pent up energy that only a walk through the labyrinth would cure his restlessness.

Sarah laughed. "You poor thing." She could picture him squeezing himself between the Goblins as they were piled high on each other's shoulders. He would even be wearing a mask of mild irritation. Then, a few moments later, the train began to move. "No turning back now." She muttered tightening her hand on Jareth's.

"I'll be right there with you." Jareth whispered, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

Sarah snuggled closer to Jareth, drawing on his strength. "You've changed." She mumbled looking out at the scenery zooming by the window.

"What?" Jareth asked lightly.

Sarah sat up, turning in her seat, and drawing up her left leg wrapping her arms around it. "You've changed since last time I saw you. When I was running the gauntlet, and you came to me, you were domineering, and condescending. Now, you're gentle and kind. I saw glimpses of that when we were in the ballroom. I can still feel the weight of your hand as you held mine, the way you guided me on the dance floor."

Jareth nodded, wisps of his light blond hair falling into his eyes. "Sarah, I was like that because it was what you expected." He enlightened her. "The ballroom allowed me to show you the real me, the me who was falling in love with you. In that place I didn't want to control you, I didn't want you fighting what was happening between us. I wanted you to feel, just feel."

Sarah rested her chin on her knee. "I was so confused by you back then, and yet I knew I couldn't let you win. But in that beautiful little world, I almost gave in until I saw the clock." That was the one clear part of her journey. She couldn't give into Jareth, as much as she might have wanted to at the time.

"Still confused?" Jareth asked. He always knew that he wanted her. His offer to her hadn't been just a last ditch effort to run out the clock. He wanted her to consider him, to choose him, but she'd been too young.

Sarah smiled, holding up her left hand so the fluorescent light glinted off the grass green stone of her ring. "No."

Because he couldn't stop doing it enough, Jareth leaned down and kissed Sarah's knuckles just above where the ring graced her finger. "Good." Settling back in his seat, he moved his arm allowing Sarah to curl into his side. She did mention that it was a three-hour train ride to where her father lived. He closed his eyes letting the motion of the train lull him.

Three hours later, Sarah and Jareth were walking through the town that had been her home; the home she'd left. "It's funny how my feet still remember the way even though I haven't been here in years." She, with her hand in his, turned down a side street that quickly turned into familiar gravel crunching under her feet. "I used to come through here when I'd leave the park."

"The same park where you'd re-enact scenes from your beloved book." Jareth chuckled. It was how he'd come across her in the first place. She was a year younger, just starting to fall under the spell of the words.

Sarah stopped to look at him. "How did you know that?"

"I was the owl on the obelisk just before it rained on the day we officially met." Jareth answered. "Every time you spoke those words I felt pulled towards you."

"Huh…" Sarah bit her bottom lip, then turned to resume her walk towards her old home. Jareth followed after her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. The warmth settled his nerves. She wasn't too excited about seeing her father, but her dear Goblin King was right. This had to be done. It'd been long enough. And all too soon they were standing on her old porch with her hand poised to knock on the familiar white door.

Jareth watched Sarah, her closed fist shook slightly. She hadn't knocked on the door, she just kept staring at it. He stepped in closer to her, his hand resting on her shoulder. "It's only a door, Sarah." Jareth whispered.

"Yeah, I know." Sarah mumbled. "I don't have the best of luck with them, though, where you're concerned." She quipped. Sarcasm helped to ease more of the tension out of her. She remembered falling down the shaft of hands when she'd gone through one of the doors in the Labyrinth.

"Oh, hilarious." Jareth replied dryly.

Sarah sucked in a breath and then knocked three times. Heaving out air, she waited to see if the door would be open. There was no car in the drive way, and it was Saturday. Maybe her father and Toby were out. Though, she doubted it. Her father had been a workaholic when she'd been a teenager. He wasn't likely to change, not even for Toby. Sarah was about to turn, to abandon the high road when the lock clicked behind her.

"Hello?"

"Toby…" Sarah whispered his name.

TO BE CONTINUED: