Title: A Faded Memory

Author: Devlyne (Originally published as BelleAngeli)

Published: 12/1/2015

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, Jareth or Sarah. Nor do I in any way resemble Jim Henson, The Jim Henson Company, Henson Creature Shop or Disney. Any recognizable quotes belong to the aforementioned.

A/N: I keep telling myself that the story is almost done, but it keeps going. I reach the end of a chapter but I can feel it's not the end. I started writing this chapter intending on it being about their date but Christopher came to mind. I hadn't really tied up his story. As always, all non-story updates will be in my author's profile.

Chapter 13: An Interloping Interloper

It was unlike Jareth to disregard the potential for a problem to crop up. He liked working out each outcome so that there was little surprise in his day to day dealings with others. It was perhaps odd behavior for a man who liked trickery, but necessary for his own mental wellbeing. He found that if he spent a bit of time considering the reactions of his subjects that he had fewer headaches. The goblins were forever stumbling in to places they should not be and disrupting his plans. It was just easier to plan for every variable that his mind could think of.

This particular possibility had been discarded as impossible. Jareth was now beginning to think that it was a mistake to have done so. The problem was the young man sitting outside of the offices Sarah worked in. His hands were clasping the edge of the wooden bench and a bundle of flowers lay by his leg waiting to be presented. Anyone but Jareth might take pity on him given the situation but this was Jareth. Had the man not gotten the message the first time Sarah told him no?

Jareth felt exasperation building. It was the same exasperation he felt when dealing with his less intelligent subjects. Christopher was persistent in the face of continued rejection. Persistence, while admirable, was a problem what with Sarah's decision the night before. She had committed to tying her life up in this world and coming to live in his. It was unlike Jareth to doubt but the last time he'd made so grave a miscalculation, Sarah had gotten away.

No, he would not continue to underestimate this man as he'd done in the beginning. It was safe to assume that Christopher intended to continue his pursuit of Sarah. There were only a few possibilities for stopping him. One was for Jareth to make Christopher think Sarah had moved on and the other was to take her to Underground. The latter would be happening in short order. No, the question was what to do in the meantime?

If the pursuit were to continue, Sarah might change her mind about going with him to Underground. That pain Jareth had been having in his chest since arriving throbbed at that thought. Sarah had to go home with him. He was so close to achieving his goal and this one mortal was now threatening to bring it all crashing down. It would not do. He would not allow this. The mortal had to go.

"Christopher, isn't it?" Jareth called out to the man as he came up the hallway toward the offices. "You must be here to see Sarah. I was coming to pick her up for lunch." His hand held out for the man to shake if he wanted to

Christopher's head jerked upward at Jareth's voice and he rose. "Oh, yeah, Jason, wasn't it? Sarah's good friend from home." He took the offered hand and gave it a hard squeeze and firm shake before releasing.

"Jared, actually," He offered with a smile, "but we were barely introduced. " Jareth tried hard not to roll his eyes. He had little doubt that the man had gotten his name wrong on purpose. Did Christopher think that annoyance and posturing would send him away? No one could posture like a Goblin King could.

An awkward silence fell between the men as each struggled for something more to say. Jareth was enjoying watching Christopher fidget as he stood there. He should take pity on the man and further the conversation but it was just too much fun not to. The door to the office opened which distracted both men. They looked to see if Sarah would come out only to be disappointed. He tucked his hands in his pockets and took a seat on the bench opposite from where Christopher sat. The man took it as his cue to sit as well.

"So," Christopher cleared his throat before continuing. "You said you were taking Sarah out to lunch. I didn't know you were staying long in town. I was …that is, I thought it was just an overnight trip."

"Sarah convinced me that I needed to stay and see the sights." Jareth answered. His lips curled upward at the outward signs of the man's discomfort. "That and I'm trying to convince her to come with me on an education outreach trip. Schools for disadvantaged children, you know…Africa, rural China." Goblins, his mind supplied.

Christopher frowned at that. "Don't you think that's dangerous? There's some kind of rebellion going on in Africa and the war in the Middle East."

"There's always a rebellion or a war going on somewhere. We can't stop living because of it. Sarah's skill as a teacher would be of much use." Jareth responded. He shrugged as though brushing off the danger of his suggestion. "Besides, better that than her wasting her skill." He paused at this, letting the words sink in. "At the museum, I mean, of course. The likelihood of someone dying and Sarah managing to move up is slim. This is something she can do immediately."

The lies fell from Jareth's lips with ease though he mused that the thought had some merit. There were few teachers in his world because education was generally undertaken by family. Sarah could change it all. Of course, what would he do with smart goblins? They would make even more of a mess than they made now and on a larger scale. Still, she had asked him for an occupation in Underground at the start of this. He mulled over the idea.

With help, Sarah could bring an education system like the one the mortals used. If it worked, he would have a better labor force and it would expand. They would need teachers to educate the students which meant providing jobs. Actually, it sounded like a headache, but if she only started with his kingdom then it would not be so bad. It wasn't like he would suggest she educate all Underground, just the Labyrinth denizens. Jareth weighed education his subjects against the possibility of revolt. As long as Sarah was happy, he wouldn't mind not being king. He'd grown bored of it.

"Jaret…d, Christopher. What are you doing here?"

Sarah's voice brought Jareth out of his thoughts. He'd spent the last several minutes oblivious to the stare Christopher was giving him. The man's eyes were now turned on Sarah whom he'd risen to meet. At least the dolt had forgotten the flowers lying on the bench; a waggle of Jareth's fingers made them wilt a bit. He let his lips curl in to a bright smile and rose to greet her.

"I came to see if you wanted to have lunch. Your friend," Jareth emphasized that word, "seems to have beaten me to it."

Christopher was smirking. He had no idea how dangerous it was to be arrogant around a man some would say was the master of arrogance. Well, that could not go unpunished, Jareth decided. He would show this man what true arrogance looked like. That tiny voice in the back of Jareth's head which he often disregarded chimed in. It said that he should be careful because Sarah might be upset. She hadn't just stopped feeling for Christopher because their relationship had ended. It was all over Sarah's face how much seeing the man hurt her.

"I see." Sarah glanced to Christopher who had yet to say anything. The smirk faded from his lips as soon as her eyes were upon him.

"Ah, I," Christopher turned and scooped up the flowers before thrusting them at Sarah. "Here, I got you these. I was hoping…well, would you have lunch with me? Maybe we could talk…"

Sarah breathed out a long suffering sigh. "I told you yesterday, I need time." Well, except that she didn't need time because she'd made her choice. "And to be honest, the answer is a firm no. I'd like to tell you that I'll think about it more, but I don't want to. It doesn't feel right."

Alright, Jareth could admit that he was enjoying the pain the man was going through. He deserved it for continuing to show up where he wasn't wanted. This was the second time in two days he'd been told to go away. If he were truthful, Jareth expected Christopher would need reminding before it was over. The man seemed hard headed that way. It was an admirable trait sometimes, but irritating at others.

"So, that's a no?" Christopher asked.

There was something in Christopher's tone that Jareth didn't like. It was the intensity beneath the words that made goose flesh rise on his arms in warning. He'd heard men speak to women like that before. That superiority was not as distant a relic of the past as many people might hope. There were still men who wished to force their will on others. Jareth could not say that he was any better in retrospect of his and Sarah's first meeting. Yet, he had known to let her go while Christopher did not. Jareth's fist clenched as the air about them grew tense.

Sarah acknowledged him with a frown. "Yes, that would be a no."

"After everything, that's the only answer you have for me? No?" Christopher asked, disbelieving. "We've been together almost a year, Sarah. I've been with you through your depressions, through your self-doubts. I've put up with you working long hours and forgetting our dates because of it. And now, I do you a favor asking you to marry me, taking care of you and you say no?" The volume of his voice rose with each word.

"A favor," Sarah murmured, shocked. "Is that what you were doing, Christopher? You were doing me a favor because no one else wants me? Is that what you think?" The color had drained from her face at his declaration. "Well you can keep your favor. I don't need it." Sarah was turning away from Christopher when he grabbed her arm and yanked her back. His grip was painful and she twisted to get away from it.

"You think with all your problems, that anyone else would want you?" Christopher's face was mere inches from Sarah's. "Don't think I don't know about those pills you take. And all those dolls and toys you dote over in your guest room? I mean, my God, Sarah, what's wrong with you?" He gave her a little shake as though that would bring her to her senses. "I have done everything for you this last year. All of it just to make you feel safe and secure when what I really wanted to do was give you a good, hard slap."

Sarah, beware. I have been generous up 'til now. I can be cruel. Jareth's own words rose in his mind and he tasted bile in his throat. Was this how he'd sounded to Sarah all those years ago? When the red haze that had covered his vision cleared, Jareth had Christopher by the front of his shirt. The man was standing at an uncomfortable angle pressed against the wall over the bench. Jareth could hear Sarah calling his name and tugging at his arm to free Christopher, but he did not let go. His teeth bared in anger. He could rip this man apart with just a twist of his fingers. It would be the most satisfying display Jareth had watched in some time.

"Jareth, stop!" Sarah called out frantically. Her fingers dug in to the shirt Jareth was wearing as she tried to pull him away. "He's not worth it, Jareth. He's not. Please! Remember what I said yesterday, about not being a bad person."

He was a bad person. That was what Jareth had tried to tell Sarah the day before. He did not always do good things and often chose trickery instead. She was asking him to be good, or at least neutral, and let this go. Jareth wasn't sure he could do that. He wanted to hurt this man as he had never wanted to hurt another. That pain which had been growing in his chest was worse now than it had been. She was killing him with these feelings. His hands unknotted from Christopher's shirt and he took a step back. Sarah's hand never let his arm as she guided him a few steps away.

Christopher slid down the wall to sit on the bench staring up at the two of them. He did not move. There had been something in Jareth's eyes; it was there still and promised retribution. If it had been any other man, Christopher would have come up swinging but not this time. This time he would take what remained of his shredded pride and go. The flowers left lying on the bench as he pushed up and moved away down the hall. People had stepped out of their offices to see what was happening.

"I'm sorry." Jareth's voice had a tremor to it. He turned toward Sarah and lifted one hand to touch her arm where Christopher had grabbed. "Are you alright?" He hadn't used magic. It had always been his first instinct to use his magic, but he hadn't. He'd resorted to physical violence. He'd reacted instead of thinking and weighing his options.

Sarah's eyes moved up and down the hallway taking in their audience. "Yes. We should go." She whispered, giving him a gentle push in the opposite direction from Christopher. "I'm parked over here. Let's go get lunch."

Jareth's hand clasped Sarah's on his arm because he could feel it trembling. All he wanted to do was sooth her fear and worry. Without another word, he let Sarah lead them toward the exit to get to her car. She stopped only long enough to get her purse and car keys before guiding him the rest of the way out. Shouldn't he be guiding her? Men were always supposed to be the rock and pillar. Jareth felt exhausted instead.

"Do…we still have a date later?" Jareth asked, expecting the answer to be no.

She patted his arm and led him out to her car, unlocking it so that they could both get in. For a moment, they sat in silence letting the emotional drain of what had happened ease a bit. Her heart was pounding and she could hear the blood rushing through her ears. One moment Christopher had been yelling at her and the next Jareth had been on him. Sarah had stood there a moment not sure what she was seeing. The Goblin King, who was dressed as any other modern man, had attacked her ex-boyfriend. She'd never seen Jareth so livid.

Sarah glanced over at him, before murmuring, "Yes, we have a date later." Her seatbelt pulled on before she started the car and began to back them out of the space. "Thanks, Jareth…for defending me. I'm not sure I deserved it. What he said was true…you said the same thing once. Maybe I just take people for granted."

Jareth's hand covered hers on the steering wheel which caused Sarah to stop the car. At least the parking lot was empty, as they were now hanging half out of their parking space. His eyes were on her face as he searched for some sign of something. She had no idea what he was hoping to see or looking for. At last, that hand left hers so that he could touch her cheek and lean in to press a soft kiss to Sarah's lips. It was startling but also over before she could react.

"He was wrong. I was wrong." Jareth murmured before he let go and sat back in his seat.

She swallowed hard and tried to search Jareth's face at his words. He would not look at her but instead stared out the window. After a moment, she composed herself and finished backing out of the space. There was a deli a few blocks away that they could go to. That's where they would go for lunch. And maybe, while they were eating, the two of them could sort this out. Her world was tipping on its end again.