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. Some foul language (Sarah has a potty mouth). Consider yourself warned.

Embrace the Darkness

Ch. 4 - Judge, Jury and Executioner

Sarah fought hard after Jareth left to keep her fear in check. The idea that her fate would be decided and she couldn't even defend herself was such a foreign concept to her, that every time she thought of it, her mind ceased and the fingers of fear licked greedily at her heart.

Working to keep her fear at bay, Sarah swung the skirt of her dress between her legs and knotted it into the chain belt, effectively making a pair pantaloons. She stood in the center of the cell, her legs shoulder width apart and slightly bent. Sarah focused on breathing in slowly, stretching her body upward as she did so, before breathing out. Stretching her muscles she began her standard martial arts kata. As she concentrated on executing the defensive and offensive moves, she found that her fear eased, replaced with a sense of calm.

When she had exhausted her kata circuit, Sarah laid down on the small cot. The quiet ticking of the straw as it gave way beneath her body, was rhythmic and soothing. Within a few minutes she fell into a dreamless sleep and did not wake until she heard a key rattling in the lock of the cell door.

Sarah stretched and sat up to see a small goblin with a bulbous blue nose come in carrying a tray of food and a pitcher of water. She was thankful that he was a chatty little thing, because through him she that the trial was being set up to begin shortly.

"His Majesty said I was ta feed ya and ta make sure you ate it all," grumbled the goblin when Sarah tried to say she wasn't hungry.

Reluctantly, ate the meal Jareth had sent. Ordinarily she loved breakfast, but knowing that her fate would be decided shortly, she was a bit frustrated that what could be her last meal was just eggs on toast.

The least he could have done was send me a steak and a loaded baked potato, she thought wryly, as she choked down another bite of the dry toast. Bloody hell…even some jam would be an improvement.

Seeing a peach on the tray she grimaced and looked at the goblin. As if reading her mind he snorted and shook his head. "Everything," he crankily declared.

Sarah sighed and slid the peach into her pocket. "I promise to eat it in a little bit, I am full now," she explained, relieved when the goblin seemed to believe her, as he left the cell, the door clanking shut with a loud bang.

After eating, Sarah forced herself to lay back on the bed and try to sleep some more, knowing that sleeping while trapped in the Labyrinth would be a dangerous thing. As she laid on the bed, she tried to remember all of the survival training and camping skills her father had taught her when she was a child. Too bad they don't sell 'How to Camp in the Underground' books Aboveground, she mused idly, while trying to remember how to start a fire without matches.

She was lost in her thoughts of outdoors skills when she heard keys in the door to her cell. Swinging her feet onto the floor, she stood up, flipping her skirt down from her belt to drape around her legs. Looking toward the door, she tried to look fearful and weak. It wouldn't do any harm to make them think that I am just a silly mortal girl, she reasoned.

Without a word, a slender Fae male entered the cell, his dark hair pulled back in a low braid that hung down his back in a thick rope. Behind him entered a short, burly dwarf carrying a set of shackles. The dwarf grunted at Sarah as he grabbed her hands, clamping the shackles tightly around them before dragging her roughly from the cell, causing her to stumble over the uneven floor.

As she was led through the castle, it occurred to Sarah that she didn't need to pretend to be afraid, as in truth, she was terrified. The fear had returned, making itself at home in the pit of her stomach and as a result, the contents of her meager breakfast were threatening to make a second appearance. She swallowed hard, frantically trying to dislodge the lump in her throat that promised to suffocate her. Suffocation would be a kinder death than dying by the hand of a psychotically lethal Labyrinth, she groaned inwardly.

Pushing her through a set of heavy wooden doors, the dwarf who was leading her grumbled darkly. Sarah gasped as she found herself in the throne room. While it was the throne room she remembered, the set up for the trial was much different. On the dais where Jareth's throne usually sat, was a row of six elaborately carved wooden chairs. The chairs were occupied by what she could only assume were the High Council members, each one robed head-to-toe in white, including a white cowl that hid their faces from sight.

Before Sarah knew what had happened, she had been chained to a ring in the middle of the throne room. Realizing her vulnerable position, Sarah felt the familiar wave of panic threaten to overcome her. Struggling to maintain her composure, she took several deep breaths, allowing her center of gravity to hold her in place, she felt her body relax as her eyes swept the room in search of Jareth. A soft whimper escaped her when she couldn't find him. Then she got mad.

The bastard has abandoned me. I knew it. Never trust the villain, scolded her inner-self. You've seen enough horror movies to know what happens when a girl trusts the villain. They end up DEAD!

Thank you, Ms. Optimistic, she thought ruefully, although she had to agree with her inner-self.

At that moment, the doors to the throne room flew open and Jareth stalked in, the black leather of his cape swirling menacingly around his legs as he came to a stop near Sarah. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. Seeing the fury burning in his eyes she shivered, moving slightly away from him, her eyes fixed upon the chains at her feet.

"You are late King Jareth," intoned one of the robed figures. "We were preparing to begin without you."

Jareth laughed, the sound bitter and cold as it echoed around the throne room, drawing hesitant looks from the observers sitting in the gallery.

"Is it not bad enough that you insist on this trial when I have told you that no crime has been committed? But you dare come here - nay, invade my kingdom, take over my castle and perpetuate this travesty without me being present? I think not!" he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I say again – no crime was committed. The Labyrinth gave Sarah the power willingly, nothing that happened as a result of that is her fault."

The robed council-member in the middle of the row of members stood, a deep voice booming into the throne room, "It is not your decision to make, King Jareth. Had the damage been limited to the Labyrinth itself, then the right to decide her case would rest with you. As the damage to the Labyrinth also banished you to the outer-mists, thereby prohibiting you from acting in your role as King, the right to decide the girl's fate rests with the High Court Council."

Around the room, people whispered at the pronouncement. With her head down, her hair falling in a veil to hide her face, Sarah cast a surreptitious glance at the observers. She was dismayed to see many nodding their heads, agreeing with the statement made by the council member. What were you expecting? snarked her inner-self, The observers to stand up and tell the council they are wrong?

While peeking around the room, Sarah felt Jareth move closer to her. Before she could look at him, he wound a hand into her hair and thrust her onto her knees on the cold stone floor. Landing hard on her knees, Sarah cried out. Jareth snarled as he wrenched her head upward to look at him, his usually pale eyes dark in his anger, anger which rolled off of him in waves.

"Why did you destroy my Labyrinth, Girl?" he demanded harshly, his gloved hand giving her head a shake to punctuate his question.

Just as suddenly as he grabbed her, Jareth released his hold upon her hair, causing her balance to falter. Falling onto the stones of the floor, Sarah looked up at him angrily, her emerald eyes blazing they bored into him. Righting herself with a huff, she dusted off her skirt. Remembering what he had said earlier about losing her temper, Sarah took a deep breath before speaking.

" I didn't. Your Labyrinth destroyed itself when it gave me some of its power," she replied, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. "Power I didn't ask for and don't want."

"Then why did you accept the power, Girl?" asked one of the robed figures in a lilting feminine voice.

Turning to address the council-members, Sarah paused, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, "I didn't have a choice in the matter. I didn't know I had been given any power until His Majesty told me so yesterday. And as far as I know, I can't actually do anything with it willfully."

The council-members turned to one another, holding a quiet conference. As they spoke, several of them pointed at Sarah, gesturing angrily.

"You are aware that the penalty for the charges against you is death, are you not," asked another council-member, their voice gravelly and rough.

Sarah nodded, "Yes, His Majesty informed me of that."

"And yet you willingly turned yourself over to King Jareth knowing this?"

Blinking her eyes to force back the angry tears that threatened her, Sarah hung her head. She felt like an idiot for trusting Jareth now. After calming her breathing, she lifted her head to face the council deciding her fate once more.

"I may be terrified of what will happen because I have no wish to die, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let anyone think me a coward. So, yes. I knew what the punishment would be, and I surrendered willingly. I did not mean for anything to happen to the Labyrinth. If you must know, it pains me greatly that it has changed from the beautiful challenge it was, to the twisted death trap it has become," she replied, her voice cracking as the sadness in her heart laced her words.

Sarah felt Jareth move away from her, the sound of his boots against the hard stones, echoing inside her head in time with the pounding of her heart. She watched him stride toward the dais, stopping before the council-members. He turned momentarily and looked at her over his shoulder. Sarah gasped inwardly as for a fleeting second, his eyes looked worried and sad, before he blinked and they became icy once more.

"Since she maintains that she did not ask for the power, nor knowingly wield it to cause the damage that occurred, I move that the death penalty be removed from consideration and a punishment more in fitting with the crime be enstated," Jareth said, his face a carefully schooled mask of indifference, knowing it would never do for the council to have any hint that he cared about the fate of the girl. "While her fate is of no real consequence to me as I now have her brother as my heir, I do accept that she was not cognizant of her power and therefore should not be subject to death for something she had no knowledge of."

The council-members conferred once more. Sarah watched them dully, her emerald eyes faded as she tried to focus on what Jareth had said. He doesn't care about my fate? He has to be lying to them, or else why would he be trying to help me, she wondered.

- Maybe he isn't really trying to help you at all, countered her inner-self. Maybe he is trying to lure you into a trap, just giving you false hope?

Finally the head council-member spoke, the voice firm and authoritative, "And just what do you propose as a fitting punishment for the girl's crimes."

I'm standing right here you asshole, she thought sarcastically. And I'm hardly a girl anymore, dickhead.

Sarah watched as Jareth slowly moved closer to the members sitting upon the dais. Despite the dire situation in which she found herself, Sarah felt herself tremble at the power that emanated from Jareth as he stood in the room. It didn't matter that the council was sitting on the dais and his throne was no longer in the room, the way he stood and commanded the room clearly showed who held sway here. She only hoped the council would see that as well.

"Let her take on the Labyrinth that she has created by her actions. If you are going to put her to death anyway, why not as a result of the twisted Labyrinth that has been left to us since her run?"

Sarah winced inwardly as a hush fell over the room. Even the observers in the gallery stopped moving and whispering amongst themselves. The tension in the air at Jareth's suggestion felt as though a wet wool blanket was being held over her head.

"We will take that under consideration, King Jareth," replied the council-member with the lilting voice.

Sarah let out a breath that she had not realized she had been holding, her heart racing as she watched the figures on the dais.

Without further discussion, the robed council-members stood as one and left, leaving Sarah still chained in the middle of the throne room. Standing quietly, Sarah gasped as she felt something touch the back of her legs and noticed that a chair had appeared. Looking up, she saw Jareth nod imperceptibly toward the chair. Sarah followed his silent instruction and sat, hanging her head as she tried to conquer the fear that once again threatened to consume her at knowing that the council members were at this very moment outside deciding her fate. She concentrated upon her breathing, trying to still the frantic racing of her mind.

She lost track of time as she sat there alone. Jareth said nothing to her as he walked toward the back of the room and she was too afraid to look around for him, preferring to look at her lap and focus on keeping herself as calm as possible.

The observers in the gallery sat in their chairs talking amongst themselves. Sarah tried to ignore the fact that many of them kept looking at her as if she were part of a carnival freak show. Just when she thought she would scream if another snotty Fae looked at her like she had grown horns and a tail, the council members re-entered the throne room. Seeing them take their seats, it was all she could do to remember to breathe.

"We have made our decision," intoned the largest of the robed figures.

Sarah took a shaky breath as she stood, her back straight and her head held high while she looked at the council members. She heard Jareth's footfalls behind her as strode forward, pausing when he reached the foot of the dais.

In a loud voice the robed figure continued, "Sarah Williams of the Aboveground, we, the High Council of the Underground, seated at the pleasure of the High King Nuada, hereby sentence you to run the Labyrinth starting at sunrise tomorrow. You will have 3 days to reach the center of the Labyrinth. Should you fail, you will be removed to the dungeons of the High Court to await your execution. Should you succeed, your life will be spared, but you will remain a slave of the Goblin Court, at the whim of the Goblin King."

All of the white robed figures stood as one, intoning, "So say we!"

Jareth sold me out, she thought as the realization hit her. He probably knew what they would be likely to do and manipulated things to ensure that is what happened!

"You bastard," Sarah shrieked, her emerald eyes snapping venomously as she lunged toward Jareth, the chains pulling her up short. "You did this on purpose! Fucking fragile male ego couldn't stand being rejected," she snarled, her hands curled into tight fists as she struggled against the chains. "Give me no choice now, huh? Either die by Labyrinth or execution squad, or become your slave – just because you couldn't get me in your bed any other way!"

Two dwarven guards rushed toward her, stopping as Jareth raised a hand to wave them off. Sarah vaguely registered that the council members were still on the dais looking at her and the observers in the gallery had stopped their talking to stare. Scowling, she struggled against the chains, as Jareth stalked toward her, his boot heels sounding of hollow finality as he swooped down upon her. His hand flashed out quickly, connecting with her cheek and knocking her to the floor with a thud.

The sound of the slap rang out sharply in the throne room. Sarah gasped, her fingers lightly grazing the burning skin of her cheek as she looked at him, her green eyes wide. She was dimly aware of approving murmurs coming from the gallery of observers.

Jareth hauled her upward by her arm, his eyes darkening angrily as he shook her. He jerked her close to his chest, "I warned you to keep your temper in check, Precious. Above all, I must save face if I am to assist you in keeping your life. Don't give me reason to hurt you further. Know this, Precious – I will if you push me!" he hissed low in her ear, his fingers digging painfully into her arm.

Thrusting Sarah from him to land once more on the flagstones of the throne room, Jareth stormed from the room, the heavy wooden doors of the hall slamming shut with an ear-shattering boom as he passed them.

The goblin guards quickly moved toward her, tugging sharply on the chains as they moved to lead her from the room. Knowing this might be the last time she ever saw the council-members or the gallery of observers, Sarah straightened her posture and walked out of the room with her head held high, she wasn't about to meekly slink away – death sentence at the hands of a lethal Labyrinth or not

Sarah muttered angrily as she paced the small cell in the dungeon. She was furious, both at herself and Jareth, although if truth be told, she was mostly mad at him. I can't believe I actually bought his act about how he only wanted to help me, she thought as she paused to kick the leg of the bed.

"Insufferable, arrogant, back-stabbing bastard," Sarah snarled, as she delivered a fierce side-kick to the cell door, enjoying the satisfying clang that reverberated through the room.

"It is so nice to know that you have no problem expressing yourself despite the dire situation in which you have found yourself, Precious," drawled a cool voice from the hallway.

Looking up, she saw Jareth leaning against the door to the cell, the standing collar of his dark leather cloak framing his angular face, accented with wisps of white-blonde hair. Sarah growled, her fists clenching tightly, she barely registered the pain as her nails scored the palms of her hands with red crescents.

"And it is so nice to know that you are the coward I thought you to be, Goblin King," she snapped wickedly, spinning to pound the cell door with another side-kick. "What… it wasn't enough to have the Council hand down your revenge for you, now you've come to gloat but don't have the balls to poof your glittery ass into the cell?"

Jareth glared darkly at her, his usually pale eyes nearly black. He had expected that the council would make the recommendation it did and knew without a doubt that Sarah would be furious. Her reaction to the news was in no way a surprise, although the utter hatred and contempt with which she looked at him was more than he had expected. He had hoped that the feelings he knew she harbored for him would dull her initial feeling of betrayal, but apparently, they had not.

Jareth chuckled low from the other side of the door, "I hardly think you'll break the door with your kicks, Sarah – impressive though they may be."

"I'm not trying to break the door, I'm just warming up so I can kick your ass should you find the balls to come back into this cell," she growled at him.

His face changed, the angles becoming sharper and more distinct as he glowered darkly at her. He had indulged her outbursts before, but she was rapidly pushing him to anger. He could feel it bubbling beneath the surface as if looking for a way to vent.

"Believe me Sarah, I am not out here out of fear of you. While you will prove most formidable when you run the Labyrinth, I have nothing to fear from you," he replied, his voice laced with ice as he watched her pace the small cell. "I am outside the cell only because the Council has seen fit to seal it until an hour before sunrise tomorrow."

"Likely fucking story, Goblin King," Sarah muttered, her voice harsh and sharp as it echoed against the stonewalls. "Well then, if you only came down here to gloat, you can fuck off. I've got you figured out, Goblin King! You are a fucking coward. You don't have the balls to kill me yourself, but didn't want the Council to have all the fun. So you got them to agree to let your pet Labyrinth do it for you. I've a good mind to either off myself or just let my time run out and let the Council kill me, just to spite you, you spineless bastard!" she yelled, pounding the palms of her hands against the door.

Jareth didn't move. Out of her line of sight, he conjured a crystal and trained it on her, letting it fill with her emotions and what he saw worried him. The crystal showed him that she spoke the truth, she was considering merely giving up. He knew she would detest the idea of being a slave to his court, but he never thought she would rather die than accept that fate.

"Would remaining here in my kingdom be that terrible, Sarah?" he asked, his voice dropping low, an unreadable emotion flitting through his eyes.

Sarah paused her pacing and looked at him, her lips pursed in a scowl as she considered his question. Peering at him she frowned, he actually looked unsure of himself for just a fraction of a second. Did he really want her to stay that badly? No matter how much his touch thrilled her and the dreams she had of him for many years, he had betrayed her and put her in a no-win situation.

But it was a no-win situation even before he interceded with the council. If he hadn't offered the penalty he did, you might be facing certain death, instead of possible death or life as a slave in the Goblin Court, suggested her voice of reason, who finally decided to join the fray.

"I….um…that isn't the fucking point, Jareth," she snarled, her irritation showing clearly in her eyes.

It was with some degree of pleasure that he noted her use of his name, while hating the fact that it was in this situation in which it was used.

Quietly but firmly, he pressed her, "It is indeed the point, Precious. Would you rather die than remain here? I offered you everything once before, but you refused the offer. Since they Council wants you punished they could not merely leave you here and even if they did, I would be forbidden from making you the offer a second time. While being a slave in my court may not be the life I offered you before, I ask again, would it really be worse than death?"

He watched as she looked at him. The thought that she would choose death rather than remaining in his kingdom threatened to lay his emotions bare, as he struggled to retain a cool expression. Watching her, he tried to read her emotions. Her face momentarily softened as she considered things. He knew she wanted him, her dreams made that patently clear. But he also knew that her dreams were now much darker than her teen dreams of him had been. While that was to be expected as she matured, her desires were considerably darker than he thought possible. She no longer dreamt of being the princess, but wanted to be stronger than that, yet still to be cared for and wanted – things he could offer her much easier as a slave than as a princess.

As he looked at her, her eyes shifted, the green deepening until it was nearly black with hatred.

"I managed to get through the Labyrinth the first time and didn't fall for any of your lies. Not the crystal ball room and not at the end. So I really can't believe I was stupid enough to believe your lies this time. A mistake I will certainly not repeat," she snapped viciously.

Growling low in his throat, Jareth longed to reach through the bars and shake her fiercely, "I have never lied to you, Sarah. Not then and certainly not now. There is too much at stake."

"I call bullshit on that, Goblin King," she retorted angrily, her hands on her hips as she glared through the bars. "I can't believe a word you say anymore. I've got to hand it to you, getting the Council to not only agree to your terms, but to give me to you as a slave if I manage to save my own neck….now that was a stroke of genius. I'd really like to know who you had to fuck or pay off to manage that little trick!"

Fighting to quell his burning anger, Jareth stepped back from the cell door. There was nothing he could do at the moment to show her that he was telling the truth and could be trusted. Despite his anger, the last thing he wanted was for her to lose. While he relished the idea of having her as a slave to his court - to him - first and foremost, he could not stomach the thought of her death. Not her. Not the Champion of his Labyrinth. Jareth knew that his chances of assisting her through the Labyrinth would be hampered not only by the Council, but the Labyrinth itself, yet assisting her was the only way he could see to prove himself to her.

"I suggest you eat when dinner is delivered and sleep, Sarah," he said, his voice detached and indifferent. "Sleeping in the Labyrinth is dangerous these days as it preys upon the dreams and nightmares of those who enter its walls," Jareth drawled, his lips turned in his characteristic sardonic sneer.

In the end, her anger would be far more helpful in getting her through the Labyrinth alive, than fear or even love.

As he moved away from the cells, Sarah thought she heard him whisper….

Fear me….love me….do as I say...

Gripping the bars of the door tightly, she pressed her face against them, roaring down the corridor at his retreating back.

"I'd rather rot in hell than be your slave, Goblin King!"