DISCLAIMER: I don't own Labyrinth, Sarah or Jareth. I just borrow them occasionally for my own daydreams.

This story is based off the drawing by Pika-la-Cynique entitled 'Here's the Day You Hoped Would Never Come'.

Warning: This story is a darker look at the Labyrinth and characters. As such it deals with adult themes. Consider yourself warned.

Embrace the Darkness

The Plan

The feeling of the world falling from under her feet was too much for Sarah, her eyes snapping shut involuntarily at the odd sensation, a cross between falling and floating – and very disorienting. When her feet touched the ground next she released the breath she had been holding, embarrassed by the way she was gripping Jareth's arm. Taking a deep breath she cracked her eyes, finding herself standing before a roaring fireplace in a room with stonewalls. It was the walls that told her where she was.

"The castle beyond the Goblin City," she whispered, more to herself than Jareth.

Seeming to ignore her, Jareth moved toward the fireplace. He unfastened his leather cloak, letting it fall over the arm of the chair before turning to Sarah, a supercilious smirk pulling at his lips as he watched her…waiting. He could tell the moment it hit her by the look of sheer outrage and loathing that engulfed her face.

"YOUR ROOM?" she howled upon seeing the elaborate bed in the corner, covered with a feathered bedspread. "This had better be some badly thought out joke, Jareth! I may be facing an execution squad, but I sure as hell am not going to sleep with you solely for that reason," she hissed, her tone dripping with venom as she glared at him hatefully.

The Goblin King sneered at her, his lips curled in a cruel smile. "My dear Sarah, if all of this was some elaborate ruse to bed you, I would have done it before we left your apartment as I am not known to be patient when it comes to taking what I want."

A ripple of sadistic pleasure shot through him as her face fell. He could read the look in her eyes as plainly as if she said it aloud, she was hurt that he didn't want her. Although that was far from the truth, for what must happen over the next few days it would be better for both of them if she continued to think she was unwanted.

Struggling to control herself, Sarah stalked toward him, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she challenged his response.

"Then tell me, Goblin King, why the hell are we in your bedroom? I'm pretty sure this isn't part of the doomed woman's grand tour," she snapped sarcastically.

"First of all, you are not yet doomed and if you do what I say it is likely that you will not face execution at all. And secondly, I don't want anyone to know you are here as I am trying to buy us some time to prepare you for what is to come," he growled, his pale eyes narrowing in frustration as he glared at her. "My chambers are the only place in this kingdom where your presence will remain a secret, for at least the next day."

Sarah visibly deflated at his explanation, her shoulders slumping as her head dropped. Damn him…it makes sense, she thought ruefully. Sarah opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to formulate a reply, only succeeding in muttering, "Oh…okay."

"Now, if you are quite through with your outbursts for the moment, perhaps we can get down to business, Precious," Jareth said, his tone sharp with irritation.

Gesturing toward the bed, he pointed to her satchel, "Divest yourself of all iron and weapons," he instructed, his faced composed in an expressionless mask.

"Um…I don't think so," she retorted, her hands moving protectively toward her hips.

Two strides took him to her side, his hand quickly finding purchase in her hair he gathered it tightly at the nape of her neck. Twisting his fist just enough to make her wince, Jareth pulled her face toward his. His eyes darkened as he glowered at her.

"That was not a request, Sarah," he hissed fiercely. "You have two things to do until this mess has been cleared up – obey and trust me – either you do that or I will gladly turn you over the High Council myself. It matters not a jot to me whether you live or die. I have Toby now, my throne, for the moment, is secure."

It was a lie and he knew it. He would move the stars if he needed to in order to save her life if he could, but he needed her to stop fighting him and thinking that she was expendable might just do the trick.

Jareth gripped her hair harder, shaking her head briefly before thrusting her from him toward the bed.

"Don't defy me on this, Sarah. You gave me power over you, Precious, if I must I will make you obey. But this will all go easier on both of us if you just do as I say."

Sarah stumbled as he released her, her eyes flashing angrily at him. Rubbing her head she made her way toward the bed where she did as he instructed, muttering darkly all the while.

Settling into his chair by the fire, Jareth watched as Sarah removed the various protections she carried. She removed the blood ruby jewelry first, carefully tucking the parts into her leather gloves to protect them, before placing them in the satchel. Then she plucked the iron anthames from her hips, placing them in the inner pocket of the bag. Next she removed the torc and the blue pouch with the amulets in it, but it was the red pouch she took from around her neck that drew his attention, magic seeping from within it.

"Remove the iron and bring that bag to me," he demanded, his pale eyes intent on her as she moved.

Without questioning him, she did as he instructed, grumbling petulantly as she handed him the bag. Jareth's face flickered with surprise when he opened the pouch, before quickly schooling his features into his characteristic emotionless state.

"Do you have any idea what this is, Precious," he enquired, pulling the small crystal from the bag and balancing it effortlessly on his fingertips.

"Ludo gave it to me for my twentieth birthday. It is a crystal that he found in some rubble that was discarded from the castle," she replied, her fingers twitching as she fought the urge to snatch the crystal back from him.

Flipping the crystal around his hand, Jareth watched the images form inside it, the clear skin of the crystal glowing faintly.

"This, my dear Sarah, is the last crystal I offered you when you were here the first time," he breathed softly, unable to believe their luck that this particular item had found its way into her possession. "Inside it is a remnant of my own magic, Precious."

Casually, the Goblin King flicked the crystal to Sarah, who caught it quickly. As he suspected, when her hands touched the crystal it flashed to life, a brilliant blue glow emanating from within it as it replayed images from their time in the Room of Improbable Planes. If she can activate my crystals, I wonder what other power she has now, he wondered.

"You won't be able to keep the pouch Sarah, as the cord around your neck will be too obvious to the High Council. However, this crystal is special. I want you to find a way to secret it on your person and do not remove it for any reason," he instructed quietly, the intensity of his voice making her tremble despite herself.

Turning away from him, Sarah flipped up her sweater and tucked the crystal into her bra, settling it so it would not show. Once the crystal was secreted on her body, she unfastened her holster, carefully setting the lock on the gun before placing it and the spare magazines into her bag.

Seeing the gun, Jareth smirked wickedly at her, raising a sculpted eyebrow in surprise.

"Were you really going to use a gun on me, Sarah?" he drawled silkily. "Do you hate me that much, Dearest?"

Sarah tossed her head back, deep brown tendrils flowing over her shoulders as she frowned at him, "If you had attacked me, then yes. I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Nodding, Jareth gave her an approving smile.

"Good. If my plan works, I fully expect you to take every advantage you can and do whatever you need to do in order to survive," he murmured, his eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight.

"Yeah well, without my weapons and protections, I doubt I'll be able to do much of anything," she said bitterly. Perching gingerly on the edge of his bed, her hands lightly caressed the fluffy feathers of the bedspread as she fought the nagging fear that was settling into the pit of her stomach.

Sighing deeply, Jareth scowled at her.

"When are you going to realize that you must trust me in this Sarah. I will not leave you defenseless," he snapped in exasperation.

"Well getting snippy with me is hardly reassuring, Your Majesty, after all I'm the one with my neck on the chopping block, not you," she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Quickly he was towering over her once more, his strong hands hoisting her from the bed in one swift movement, eliciting a startled yelp from Sarah.

"And what of your attitude, Precious?" he hissed poisonously, his voice sliding into her chest as if it were a knife, "I am after all, trying to save your bloody life! Why must you fight me at every turn? Why must you insist on being irritating, infuriating and…."

Jareth faltered.

Having her so close to him after so long, fighting against him as the equal she had claimed herself to be when she defeated him, it was too much to bear. To hell with the consequences, he thought before crushing her to him, his lips seeking hers with a hunger he had not thought possible.

Jareth knew the kiss surprised her, even more than it surprised him. Sarah's body went rigid against his then just as suddenly as she tensed up he felt her melt toward him, kissing him back fiercely. The sensation of her responding so passionately nearly undid him.

Ye Gods….she will be the death of me yet, he mused, his inner-self and baser instincts at war with one another as he fought the urge to throw her down and ravish her then and there.

With more force of will than he thought possible, Jareth pushed Sarah away from him, seeing her glazed eyes open wide in shock as she landed back on the bed. Then just as quickly, they flashed brightly, pools of emerald lava snapping angrily at him.

"What the fuck was that, Jareth?" she demanded, a shrill note lacing her response.

"The fine line between lust and loathing, Pet…nothing more," he sneered, trying to quell the conflicting emotions that coursed through him, eating away at his resolve.

He wanted to shake her for being a spoiled brat. He wanted to taste more of her. Yet at the same time he wanted her out of his life so he could move on. Nothing about dealing with Sarah was ever simple – not ten years ago and certainly not now.

Without a word he spun from her, moving toward the fireplace, an audible growl rumbling from deep inside him.

His gloved fist lashed out.

Blinking slowly, Jareth heard a scream. It took him a moment to realize it was Sarah. Looking down, he saw crimson droplets pouring over his clenched fist, dripping slowly onto the shattered shards of the mirror that now littered the floor.

Sarah launched herself from the bed, grabbing a silk scarf from her satchel as she ran to Jareth. Seeing the stunned expression on his face, she gently steered him to sit in his chair. Sarah gingerly turned his hand, checking for embedded glass. She breathed a shuddering sigh of relief when the wound looked clean. Her delicate fingers tenderly slid the glove from his injured hand, wincing as the leather grazed the seeping cuts.

Wrapping his hand in the silk scarf, Sarah sat back on her heels and looked up at him. Jareth wasn't sure which was worse, the look of unbridled hatred she gave him when he broke the kiss, or the concern that filled her eyes as she peered at him.

The tension in the air was nearly palpable, threatening to suffocate her. The look Jareth gave her made her breath catch in her throat, his usually pale eyes were nearly black as he looked at her. Apparently, her thesis had been correct, at least where the Goblin King was concerned. Blurring the line between lust and loathing was certainly a powerful aphrodisiac, as evidenced by the look of unadulterated hunger that Jareth was now giving her. The longing in his eyes, combined with his feral smirk made her shiver, goosebumps racing down her spine.

Trying to lighten the mood, Sarah gave him a shaky smile, quipping, "Honestly, Jareth, there have to be more constructive ways to deal with your frustration than breaking mirrors. I don't know about you, but I think we are already dealing with enough problems, we don't need seven more years of bad luck."

His voice was rough as he answered, "If it were not for the problems we are now facing, I would be dealing with my frustration in a drastically different manner and believe me, it would be far more enjoyable – for both of us."

Sarah sighed. He was infuriating. One minute he was propositioning her, the next he claimed not to care if she lived or died. Then just as quickly, his kiss was devouring her as if he were a condemned man and she were his last meal. She knew what she wanted, what she had desired for the last ten years – him; but with the way he ran hot and cold, she couldn't get a bead on what he wanted.

Leaning her back against the chair across from him, Sarah closed her eyes and sighed.

"So, now that we've established that we are both on edge, irritating, infuriating and suffering from an incredible amount of pent up sexual frustration, can we agree to ignore them for the moment and deal with them after we save my life?" she proposed with a nervous chuckle, desperate to break the awkward feeling that seemed to wrap around them.

"I shall hold you to that, Precious," he drawled with a tired smile.

…Amongst other things, interjected his inner-self.

With her head lying on the seat of the chair, Sarah stared at the ceiling of his room. Stifling a yawn, she felt the irresistible urge to shut her eyes to rest, if only for a moment.

"You need to sleep, Sarah," he said, his voice once again soft, a soothing caress against her frazzled psyche.

Sighing deeply, she nodded. "Yes…as do you. But before I sleep, I want to know what your plan is. I want as much time as possible to prepare mentally for what comes next."

Jareth unwrapped his injured hand, letting the blood soaked scarf fall carelessly to the floor beside him. Pulling off his other glove, he ran his fingertips carefully over the cuts, flinching slightly at the sting of knitting flesh, as the cuts healed themselves.

Watching Jareth heal himself without so much as a second thought, Sarah chuckled, a wan smile glinting mischievously in her sad eyes.

"Nifty parlor trick, Goblin King. There are clearly perks to being Fae," she teased.

"More than you can imagine, Pet," came the quiet reply. "As to my plan, it is fairly simple. You are charged with treason for destroying the Labyrinth, therefore I plan to convince the High Council to let the punishment fit the crime."

Sarah looked up at him with trepidation, "You want me to run the Labyrinth… Again?"

Jareth merely nodded. With a subtle flick of his wrist, a plate of fruit, cheese and bread appeared on a low table between then.

"Eat something, Sarah. You need to keep up your strength."

Without thinking Sarah grabbed an apple from the tray, taking a vicious bite as she shook her head.

"You can't be serious! You said that no one in the last two years has survived past the outer layers," she protested, chewing thoughtfully as she considered this.

"True, but then again, you are the Champion of the Labyrinth. I would hope you are stronger and smarter than those who perished," Jareth replied.

Looking at him intently, she frowned at his cool, expressionless face.

"Would it kill you to show a little concern since you seem intent upon throwing me to the wolf that is your now, out-of-control Labyrinth?" she snapped testily. "And even if I make it to the center, what then? Do you expect the High Council to just pat me on the head, say 'well done you' and turn me loose?"

"No, I expect that they will then turn you over to me to deal with as the offended party," he replied, coolly biting into the peach he was holding. "We'll figure out what to do with you when that happens."

Sarah munched distractedly on her apple, her appetite fading fast at the thought of fighting her way through a Labyrinth that was now deadly - it had been frightening enough the first time around.

"But what if I can't get to the center? Then what will happen to me?" she asked, her eyes narrowed fitfully at the thought.

"That doesn't bear thinking of at this point, Precious. Focus on getting to the center. Nothing more."

"Easy for you to say," she muttered, "You aren't the one who is going to be facing a pissed-off, sentient maze intent on destroying anyone who enters the gates."

Sarah returned to eating, cutting a slice of the fresh cheese to eat with her apple. As much as she hated the fact that he was right, she would need her strength if she were to get through the more deadly Labyrinth. Sarah paused in mid-bite, her green eyes suddenly alight, "Jareth, if I took something from the Labyrinth, why can't I just give it back?"

Cocking his head, Jareth studied Sarah intently. Yes, she was as smart as he remembered. It was an idea that had merit. The problem was how to accomplish it.

"I had considered that as an idea, Sarah," he sighed, running a gloved hand through his hair, fluffing up the strands of wild hair that were wilting as if trying to match his mood. "The difficulty is how to go about doing that. Short of human sacrifice, which would have the same result as you meeting an execution squad, I don't know how we could simply give the Labyrinth back the power it gifted you with."

They sat and ate for several minutes, each lost in thought attempting to puzzle out a way to return the magical essence Sarah had to the Labyrinth. In many ways, Jareth believed it was the most logical course of action but magic being what it is, to return it to its source was always a dodgy thing at best.

Sitting forward, Sarah's eyes sought Jareth's, piercing his with fierce determination. He could see her wrestling with something, as the words formed on her lips. Speaking more to herself than to him, she hopped up, pacing the room as she spoke.

"So….the Labyrinth is sentient and possesses magic of its own. The Lord of the Labryinth merely manipulates the Labyrinth. Am I right so far?" she asked, gesturing with the half-eaten apple.

Jareth nodded, raising an eyebrow as he tried to see where her thoughts were leading.

"Okay….and the Labyrinth gave me something of itself, call it the 'moral magic' if you will…the stuff that kept the Labyrinth from being lethal. Now, I have that part of the Labyrinth and as a result, it has become dark and deadly, and you as the guardian can no longer control it."

Sarah continued pacing as she thought this through. She was on the edge of something that might help. It was there, lurking around in the mist of her mind, taunting her.

As she stood on the balcony, looking out over the moonlit twists and turns of the Labyrinth, the answer came to her. It was so simple, that they had both overlooked it.

Rushing to his side she pulled Jareth from his chair and dragged him to the balcony. Sarah waved her hand, gesturing toward the landscape that stretched out below them.

"What do you see, Jareth?" she excitedly demanded.

"My kingdom and the Labyrinth," he replied wearily. "Honestly Sarah, now is not the time…."

"No, no, no," she scolded, her hand gripping his arm as she leaned further over the balcony railing. "Look closer!" she instructed, pointing toward the Labyrinth.

Jareth's eyes followed where she was pointing, watching as the walls of the Labyrinth moved of their own accord, something they did regularly.

"Sarah, you know as well as I that the walls and pathways of the Labyrinth change…" he sighed.

"…At the whim of the Labyrinth," she exclaimed triumphantly. "That is how we give the magic back!"

Jareth stared at her, confused. He shook his head silently.

"Think about it…. In order for the Labyrinth to have a 'whim' in the first place, there has to be a brain of some sort. A heart. Something, somewhere that controls it. We have to find it. Once we find it, we should be able to come up with a way to give the power back," she blurted in a rush. "Once it has the power back, it should be able to heal itself, the kingdom, and set everything right!"

Nodding, Jareth pursed his lips, lost in thought as he considered her idea. It made sense the question was where the heart of the Labyrinth would be. The two of them discussed the matter a few minutes more, deciding to try the library first thing in the morning to see what they could learn in the history books.

Seeing Sarah yawn for the fifth time in as many minutes, Jareth decided they had both been awake long enough for one day. He looked pointedly at her and snapped his fingers ignoring the furious glare she gave him when she found herself clothed in a long linen nightgown.

"If you had just handed me the nightgown, I could have done it myself," she grumbled.

Jareth chuckled at her protestations, "And where would the fun be in that?" With an impish smirk burning in his eyes as he pointed toward the grand bed, "You. Bed. Now."

"I am not sleeping in your bed, thank you very much!" Sarah retorted, stomping back toward his bed-chamber. "Just give me a blanket and I'll curl up on the rug by the fireplace."

With a low growl of frustration, Jareth grabbed her shoulders, jerking her toward him until her back was pressed tightly against the hard leather of his breastplate.

"Really, Sarah… I tire of you constantly fighting me," he snarled in her ear. "As you so rightly put it, I am not the one facing a run through Labyrinth – you are. Therefore you need to get adequate sleep, so you will sleep in the bed. I have other things to attend to anyway."

Jareth frog-marched her to the bed, dumping her into the middle with ease. He stood over her, a faintly bemused smirk on his face as he watched her tug the covers down and climb under them. When she finally laid her head on the pillow he nodded.

Moving toward the door, he turned to look at her once more before extinguishing the lights. Sarah gasped softly seeing him silhouetted in the doorway. He was a puzzle; gentle and caring one minute, fierce and demanding the next. She longed to know what he was really thinking, but knew she would never find out because he hid too much.

"Good night, Precious," he whispered, the sound of his voice waking her from her reverie, making her tremble and bite back the urge to beg him to stay.

Then he shut the door.

BREAK

Grey walls flashed past as she ran, her breath coming in short gasps that seared her throat on their way to her lungs. Tears were streaming down her face as she pushed on, her sneakers slapping wetly on the cobblestones. She skidded around a corner, landing hard on her knee in a puddle, a soft scream escaping her lips as whatever was chasing her closed in. Sarah felt for her gun, it wasn't there…none of her protections or weapons were. He'd tricked her. She was stuck in the Labyrinth and it was determined to kill her. The Goblin King had sent her to her death. The thing grabbed her in its wickedly sharp claws. Sarah cried out, flailing her arms at the monster grabbing her. Swinging wildly, she felt her fist connect against flesh, and heard the grunt.

"Bloody hell!" Jareth swore, struggling to restrain Sarah as she fought him off. "Sarah, wake up!"

Hearing his voice, Sarah's eyes popped open. She shuddered, gasping deeply at the sight of the Goblin King, his eyes bright and wild as he looked at her from a mass of feathery blonde wisps.

"Nightmare," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Bad timing, I'm afraid, Precious," Jareth said, his voice urgent as he pulled her from the bed, before thrusting a stack of clothing into her hands and pushing her toward the bathroom. "Quickly, Sarah. You must change. The Royal Guard and High Council are on their way here."

Sarah whirled to look at him, the color draining from her face as her eyes widened in fear.

"Wha….How?" she moaned.

Shaking his head he muttered darkly, "They tried for you at your apartment shortly after we left. When they couldn't find you they decided you had been warned and tried to flee. I had no choice but to tell them that you had surrendered to me. Since you were already in my kingdom they decided to hold the trial immediately."

Sarah glanced toward the balcony, seeing that the sky was still dark but rapidly growing lighter as dawn approached. With a soft whimper she dropped the clothing on the bed and with one swift movement ripped the nightgown over her head. Seeing Jareth's eyes wash over her in surprise, she shrugged, tugging the dress from the pile of clothes he had given her.

"Fuck propriety, there isn't time," she cursed as she yanked the over her head."

Jareth couldn't help but smile at her outburst. She was far stronger than he gave her credit for.

Putting on the clothing Jareth had given her, Sarah frowned. There was no way she could get through the Labyrinth in a long dress and soft slippers. As hard as it was, she was trying to trust that he knew what he was doing, but the idea of fleeing the Labyrinth in an outfit more suited to a quiet evening at court did little to fill her with confidence.

Wrapping his arm around her, Jareth transported them into a small room with stone walls. Sarah peered around and groaned, it looked very similar to the oubliette he put her in the last time she was here. The barred door set into the wall told her it wasn't an oubliette, but a dungeon cell.

"Sarah, they will arrive soon and I will be unable to speak to you once they do," Jareth began, grabbing her hands in his as his gaze penetrated hers. "Listen to me Precious, and try to remember everything I'm about to tell you," he commanded, his eyes wild as he continued urgently. "The trial will happen quick. You will not be allowed to defend yourself. Do not speak. Let me handle things. And above all, you must keep your temper under control. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded, her mind whirling frantically as she tried to come to terms with the fact that this was indeed happening, whether she was ready or not.

Leaning toward her, Jareth fastened a necklace of thin silver around her neck. Hanging from the delicate chain was a small silver pendant, a silver owl clutching a crystal orb in its claws. Jareth picked up the pendant in a gloved hand and spoke softly. The orb began to glow faint blue. Lightly caressing the orb with his fingers, the orb went dark once more.

"Do not take this off for any reason. Once you are in the Labyrinth I will be unable to come to you or to manipulate things. This necklace is your only link to me. Through it I will at least be able to monitor your progress," he explained, his voice strained, while he struggled to retain his indifferent mask. "If you feel you are in absolute mortal danger, break the chain and the crystal and it will transport you straight to me."

"But…won't that get you in trouble?" she asked, her emerald eyes shining with concern.

Jareth lightly kissed her forehead, "You still surprise me Precious. But stop worrying about me and think of yourself. I'm tough enough to look after myself in this."

"Do you remember the Labyrinth," he continued, cocking his head as if listening for a sound she couldn't hear.

"You mean the sentient maze that is going to try to kill me? Um yeah…pretty sure I haven't forgotten about that…."

"Don't be obtuse girl, we haven't time," he snapped, "You know I meant the book you used to read."

"Yes, of course I do. I practically memorized it," she whispered, his sense of urgency allowing the icy tendrils of panic to take hold of her.

"Good. Remember it…all of it."

Looking toward the door, Jareth growled, his eyes dark as they returned to her.

"They have arrived, Precious. We are out of time. Trust that I will make sure you get what you need to protect yourself, the rest is up to you."

Biting back her fear, she squared her shoulders and looked at him, her emerald eyes filled with defiant fire, as she fought to calm her breathing.

"I'll see you when I get to the castle again," she said decisively, her voice even and sure despite the fear that had settled like ice in her veins.

"See that you do," he replied sharply, his fingers lightly caressing her lips before vanishing from the cell, leaving her utterly alone.