Title: A Faded Memory

Author: Devlyne (Originally published as BelleAngeli)

Published: 12/4/2015

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: Chapter 14 aka my attempt to start wrapping it up. The prologue is gone; I deleted it. It probably won't be coming back. It may become a one-shot standalone.

Chapter 14: Beginning the End

Sarah and Jareth managed to have a quiet lunch together. She took him to a deli a few blocks over and they'd ordered sandwiches. The deli was too crowded to sit and eat in so Sarah took him across the street to a small park. There were plenty of benches and the sun was shining warm through the trees. For a good part of their time together, both sat in silence not wanting to discuss what had happened. She was unsure what the kiss in the car meant and Jareth wasn't sure why he resorted to physical violence. It had been a knee-jerk reaction to seeing Christopher grab at Sarah's arm.

"Was it the first time?" Jareth asked, breaking the silence between them. He glanced at his companion to see how she reacted before looking away.

Sarah's head bobbed in an affirmative nod. "He never lifted a hand to me but I can remember little comments he would make." She sighed at the memory. "I guess I just brushed it off as his personality. It never entered my mind that he might get violent." Why would it have entered her mind?

They were silent again. Neither of them wanted to have this conversation. What would Jareth have done if he'd found out that Christopher had been violent before? Sarah did not want to know the answer to that question. She thought back to the confrontation in the hallway and how Jareth's face had turned red. One moment Christopher had been giving her a rough shake and then she'd been roughly shoved aside. Jareth had taken her place and was holding the man against the wall. He'd curled both fists in to Christopher's shirt and bared his teeth like some wild animal.

What startled Sarah most was that despite how red Jareth's face was, he was so still and silent. He had said nothing to Christopher; he had not threatened him or told him to stop. The goblin king had held him against that wall so hard that Christopher could not get away. Did Jareth know that Christopher had been struggling against him? Had he even been aware of where he was or what was going on? She had always expected that if the need arose Jareth would use magic to solve his problems. It had been a surprise when he hadn't.

There was fear. Sarah feared what would happen if Jareth ever turned that boiling temper on her. She wasn't sure if it made it worse or better to see the confusion on his face afterward. It was almost as though Jareth had no idea why he'd done it. She turned her head as though watching a passerby to get a better look at Jareth. He hunched over the wrappings for his sandwich, one elbow resting on his knee as he stared across the park. It looked as though he were trying to solve a problem of his own.

"You didn't use magic." She murmured. The paper crinkled as her sandwich remains were wrapped up. She busied herself with it so that she didn't have to look at him.

Jareth did not answer her for many long moments. No, he had not used magic. Why? He had always used magic for everything. There was no reason to do physical work of any kind when he had magic that could do it for him. His exercise came from other activities which were more enjoyable; horseback riding for one. The only answer was that it was because of Sarah. He had seen the man shaking her and had reacted to it. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen, but Jareth puzzled over it. No one had ever made him resort to physical violence before. That pain in the region of his heart began to throb again.

He finally answered, "No." Jareth shifted to look at Sarah, studying her in the sunlight. "I saw him shaking you and I reacted. It's strange; my first reaction has always been to cast a spell."

"But not this time?"

Jareth's head moved in affirmation. "I hope you can forgive me. I didn't mean to make a scene. Well, a worse scene…" The sandwich on his lap forgotten as Jareth resumed staring across the park.

Sarah frowned a moment before her frown turned to a smile and then a soft chuckle. "You got what you wanted though. I don't think anyone can deny that you're real. I can't. You should have heard what Amy had to say when I got my keys. She thinks blond hair is hot. And long blond hair…she was fanning herself."

"I'm taken." Jareth's smile could be heard as he spoke though he would not meet her eyes. "I think after you go back to work, I'll take a walk. Don't worry; I'll still be at the apartment at six. You said we still have a date later. And despite your new found belief, I think I still need to prove I'm real."

Her wrist turned upward so that she could see the watch on it. She would have to go back soon. There was a brief moment of panic at the idea of the Goblin King wandering around unchaperoned. He had a knack for finding mischief, and though Sarah understood that it was who he was, she worried. Well, he was not one of the children from the museum who needed to be babysat all the time. If Jareth wanted to walk around the city, then she was in no position to stop him.

She sighed, "I should be getting back. There are going to be questions." Not that Sarah worried about losing her job since she'd turned in her notice.

"Go on; don't be late on my account."

Sarah finished cleaning up the remnants of her lunch before stooping to take his hand and squeeze it. For a moment he lifted his eyes to her face and offered a light smile, squeezing her hand in return. Everything was going to be alright in one way or another. She had not recoiled at his physical assault on Christopher or the brief kiss in the car afterward. At least there was some little bit of hope that Sarah might someday forgive him his faults. Could he forgive himself? She left him sitting there in the warm sunlight to ponder this.

The man's words to Sarah echoed through Jareth's brain on repeat. He could not forgive himself for having once said the same to her. It had been almost seven years since Sarah's run through the Labyrinth. She was the first in all his years to have ever defeated him. Oh, he had sent many people through as a test of skill and they had defeated it, but never faced or defeated him. There were a few that had suffered injury and then others who had just been punished. In the end, those who had wished their children away only sometimes got them back. Sarah had been the only one to face and defeat him. He had offered her everything and she had turned away.

"They should never bend to our will because we want them to, but because they want to." He murmured aloud before pushing up from the bench to leave it. "You were selfish."

Jareth thought about finding Christopher and punishing him further. It would not be a good act but how many times must he repeat that he was not good. And this would be for a good cause, so that the man couldn't hurt anyone else. He would at some point, Jareth thought. Sarah couldn't be upset with him for at least teaching the man a little lesson, could she? He paused by a fountain in the park and gazed down at his reflection in it.

"Are you there? I have a little job for you," Jareth murmured, "I want you to find him and send him on a trip through the Labyrinth. Make sure he comes back in one piece, no bites taken out, do you hear me?"

The faint tittering of goblins echoed through Jareth's head and his lips curled in to a smirk. It wasn't as though Sarah would be seeing Christopher again. And if the man happened to learn that he shouldn't be cruel to others, then it was worth the headache if she did find out. He let the smirk fade and turned away from the fountain to head further in to the city. There were a few hours before he had to be back at Sarah's apartment and those would be used well. He would be prepared for their date tonight.

Sarah came home several hours later to get ready. She was glad to have the apartment to herself when she arrived though there was a faint flutter of doubt. There was always a flutter of doubt when it came to Jareth but that would lessen over time. He was, at least, doing exactly what he'd promised to do when this had begun; earning her trust. If he kept doing as he was now, Sarah had no doubt that in time she would forget her doubts and fears. They were useless in the face of his actions.

There had been plenty of gossip at the museum about the men who had been arguing in the hallway. And Sarah had fielded more than a few questions about where she'd met the blond gentleman. She was grateful that he had at least shown up in jeans and a button up rather than his normal vest and pants. That would have taken some explaining which Sarah wasn't sure that she would be up to. It was still more normal than other things people might wear. She'd seen someone in a bunny suit walking down 43rd once. At least Jareth's dress could be explained away as him being part of a theatre group.

Jareth had not mentioned where they were going to dinner so Sarah wasn't sure how to dress. She settled on an outfit casual enough to not look out of place in most cafes but dressy enough for a restaurant. He had said six and she felt sure that the Goblin King was nothing if not punctual. Or if not punctual, he would be fashionably late which meant no later than six fifteen. It would do no good to disappoint him by not being ready to go.

It seemed that Sarah wasn't the only person who had doubts. There'd been an odd tone to Jareth's voice when he'd asked if they still had a date that night. He had expected her to be horrified and turn him away. How could she? He might have saved her from far worse than a few bruises on her arm. Yes, there had been other people in the museum. Sarah couldn't help but remember that none of them had tried to intervene. It was a huge problem with the world today. People tended to turn a blind eye to problems that weren't theirs. She hated to think that any of her co-workers would have just let her be roughed up like that.

The knock on the door startled her and Sarah glanced at the time. It was a quarter to six which meant that Jareth was here early. At least, Sarah hoped it was Jareth. Doubt clouded her mind and she crept close to the door so that she could look out the peephole. Christopher would not stop by so soon after their argument; even he was not the brazen. She peered out the peephole and then smiled before turning the locks and tugging the door open.

"You could have come in."

Jareth was standing on the threshold with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. It was an old fashioned notion but he did like to keep to tradition. The jeans and button up of earlier were replaced with pressed slacks and a polo shirt. It set her mind at ease to see that she'd chosen her own outfit well. He offered the flowers over to her before coming in and closing the door.

"I'm supposed to be picking you up." Jareth chided. "The date doesn't just walk right in if he's not a resident…"

She could not help the roll of her eyes at him. And yet, the old fashioned sense and manners made her heart swell a bit. Wasn't this exactly what she'd been looking for? She wanted to be a princess when she was a child. That idea hadn't gone away when she'd gotten older. What if something more bloomed between them? They were going to be together a lot in the Labyrinth and would get to know one another. Sarah might find that she liked him a great deal. He was already much different than she thought he'd be.

"When you put it that way…"

His lips curled upward in to a smile and Jareth swept forward in a low bow. If he'd had a hat, Sarah was sure he'd have tipped it at her. His hair went dancing in every direction as he came up out of the bow, tangling around his neck and shirt collar. She laughed at the spectacle he made and stepped forward to help straighten his clothes. Her gentle fingers plucked at the long strands of hair to push them back behind slender shoulders.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" She teased, finishing her work with his hair.

That devilish gleam returned to Jareth's eyes as he quipped back, "En-courageable." He stepped forward to take her hands and spin her in a circle. "And you, my dear, may encourage me at any time." When she came to a stop before him, Jareth smiled. "Lovely."

Time halted as Sarah gazed in to his eyes and lost herself. He thought that she looked lovely and that brought a flush to her cheeks. At last she broke eye contact, looking down at where his hands held hers and gave a gentle squeeze. "We should go. Well…that is, we should go if we're going to be late."

"There's time." Jareth murmured. His hands squeezed hers in return. "Nothing but time."

One of his hands lifted to settle behind her and cup the back of Sarah's head. It only took a gentle press forward to bring their lips together. Where once there had been a struggle between them, now there was a dance. It was far more elegant than Sarah thought she should be capable of. He was the one leading this dance. The years had given her perspective but the last few days had given her the time she needed. Her hand touched the front of his shirt and tugged to draw him closer.

She broke the kiss, eyes lifting to his face as she spoke. "I'm still broken."

"I don't care," he answered. "We have time."

Sarah's lips turned upward and she inclined her head in agreement. There was no need to rush. She was still broken but he was willing to give her a bit of time. His hands squeezed hers before Jareth let her go and stepped back. It left a void that Sarah had not felt before and she found she did not like it. Her hand came up to grasp his arm and draw him back to her. Jareth only smiled in return and shook his head.

"I was going to get you a coat. It's gotten a little chilly out." He sounded amused by her refusal to let him get away.

She flushed bright red. "Oh. Front closet."

A soft chuckle escaped him as Jareth stepped around her and she could hear the closet open and the swish of fabric. They had time. That thought echoing through her mind. It was a good thought. He wasn't planning to rush her recovery or ask for anything more than they had. In time, maybe, he would ask for more. She knew that he wanted more. They would both cross that bridge when they came to it, together or apart.

"I had to call a taxi. I don't drive, as you've guessed." There was a playful snap of Jareth's fingers to illustrate his point before he helped her slip the coat on. "Come." His arm offered so that they could go.

"You never did say where we were going."

Jareth's smile widened as he patted her arm. "Patience is a virtue."

Their voices faded down the hallway after the apartment had been locked and closed. The old woman who peered out her apartment door to catch a glimpse smiled. It was nice that the young girl across the hall had found such a charming young gentleman. And never mind that her nosy neighbors would be gossiping about it come tomorrow.