Chapter Ten: Again With You

Gildan's Note: Sorrrryyy for the huge delay! Hopefully it was worth it cause this chapter is gonna get the middle arc of the story going! There probably won't be more than about 30 chapters ;n;

Sarah woke up feeling refreshed, which was a blessing considering the previous night's events. This was supposed to be the greatest adventure of her life! That's what she wished for! This wasn't right.

She slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, peering out at the landscape. She sighed; she didn't even know if she wanted to be here. Suddenly she was caught in a crazy love triangle, how cliché. She felt like this had come straight out of a play – she felt so stupid about everything. She heard someone coming into the room and turned around, but it was just Ambrosius, except he had something in his mouth.

When Sarah walked over she discovered it was a small wooden tube; she popped the lid off and a rolled piece of parchment paper fell out. She opened the letter and smiled,

"Dear Sarah,

I have matters of this Saturday's Ball to discuss with you, please arrive down by the river – I need your help picking the right wildflowers, ones not found in the gardens!

Love, Warrick"

'Love Warrick', she smiled, yes, Warrick was the better choice for her. She happily got dressed, glad to have tossed the Goblin King and all her feelings for him out the window.

Down at the water she realized Warrick was nowhere in sight.

"Warrick? Warrick?" she called out a few times, but there was no reply. Suddenly she felt two hands cover her eyes.

'Guess.' Said a whisper.

"Warrick?" She lifted the mysterious man's hands from her eyes and spun around.

"Correct." He said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek.

She laughed, "What sort of flowers did you want to show me?"

"Oh, that was just to get you down here, come, take a look at this." He led her by the hand to a blanket; set up was a simple picnic.

"Oh, how perfect!"

"Not yet, come, sit." They sat down and Warrick took the basket, and opened it. "Tell me what you see," he asked.

She looked inside, "Uh…nothing."

He held up a finger, "Watch." He closed the lid and placed a hand on it. After a moment he set it down. "Now, open it."

Sarah lifted the lid, and a million different colored bubbles came pouring out all around them, they lifted up into the sky, some popping as they bounced into Sarah and Warrick.

"Wow!"

"The Goblin King isn't the only one who knows how to use magic."

"I would have thought not, after all you did have that barrier up." She slapped a hand to her mouth.

"What do you mean 'I did'?" he asked concerned.

"Um…" Sarah shifted on the blanket. "N-nothing."

"Darling," he soothed, taking her hands in his, "You can tell me anything."

"Uh…it's just…Jareth broke the seal. He came to see me."

"Came to see you? What did he want?" Warrick looked in her eyes.

"Nothing really, and it was only once. I kicked him out of here, he's not coming back." She lied, well, half-lied.

"Only once hmm, well that's good. I'll reset the barrier tonight. Alright, what would you like in the basket now?"

Sarah took the basket into her lap and thought. "I'm not sure."

"Here." He sat up on his knees and leaned over to place a hand on the basket, he closed his eyes.

But after only about a half a minute…he opened them and looked down. "Sarah…" he whispered.

"What? What's wrong?"

"…you don't love me…"

"Warrick, actually, I…I think I do…" She placed a hand over his cheek, her fingers falling behind his ear. He lifted his hand from the basket and placed it over hers, feeling her soft skin on his face. He breathed deep and took her hand, kissing it.

"No…you don't love ME anymore."

"W-what?"

Warrick lifted his head, his eyes were suddenly blue, one pupil bigger than the other…or smaller than the other…she was not sure which…

She stood up fast, tears springing to her eyes.

"Sarah. Please. Listen to me."

"N-no! No, you tricked me, AGAIN. You…you pretended to be Warrick – to what, tell me you love me? And then do what with me huh? And then do what?" Tears streamed down her face.

"No…no…I would never take advantage of you-

"Too late! You pretended to be the…the person I might very well be in love with-

"I only did just to…just to be near you…not to…" but he couldn't finish, he hung his head, wiping the tears from his eyes with one hand.

"You're crying? …To make me feel sorry for you yeah? Just another trick!"

"Sarah no! I never meant to yell at you, never meant to throw that crystal. I was just so…so…jealous. But moreso…I was unbelievably…" he laughed and sniffed, "unbelievably…hurt."

"What are you talking about?"

He threw his arms in the air, unable to speak, trying to gesture at something, anything. He breathed quick and raggedly, and he suddenly transformed back to his real self. "Hurt because I've loved you ever since I saw you, ever since I appeared in your parents room, I wanted you to fail that labyrinth so bad, I wanted you to forget about your brother…but when I look back, when I look back I hate that I thought that's how I was supposed to get it, your love isn't something I want to 'get', it's something I want to receive. It's…it's what's kept me up at night, what's…as Warrick would say, what's made me bitter. And then here you come back, grown up, completely beautiful and…and there you go falling in love with someone else. Someone…better…"

Sarah didn't say anything; she was in too much shock.

"Heh, and here I am, a fool. I should just go. You're right. I'm going to go away and I won't come back." He turned to leave.

"Hey!" came a cry.

They both turned towards Warrick's castle, there he was running down the hill. He stopped short of the blanket. "Hey! Hey what are you doing here? I have a barrier."

"And I broke it you ninny of a king. Don't get your trousers in a twist, I'm leaving. And I'm not coming back."

"Like hell you aren't, I'm resetting a stronger barrier as soon as I get back the castle."

"Good for you." Jareth muttered, walking towards the bridge to the Goblin City.

"Wait!" Sarah called. He turned.

"Yes?" he asked.

But she didn't know what to say.

"Hmph." He turned around and kept walking. He did not look back.

"Sarah, Sarah! Are you ok?" Warrick hurried over to her.

"Yes, I'm fine. Go…go reset the barrier." She fell to her knees next to the basket.

"I'll send Didymus to come back here, and attend to you."

"I'm fine…please…I want to be alone."

Warrick sighed, "Alright…be careful out here, he's still nearby."

"Yes. I will."

Warrick hurried back up towards his castle, leaving Sarah to herself. She hugged her knees tightly and looked over at the basket, wondering…if Jareth had done anything to it the last time he put his hand on it.

She hurriedly grabbed it, but nothing was inside.

She knew what she had to do.
Or rather, she knew where she had to go.