Disclaimer: You know by now that I so wish I could own Jareth, but I don't. Pity me, don't sue me. Deal? Good. Now, on we go…

DanikaLareyna: Working on it, miss bossy! No, he didn't hit her, as in with a fist or hand… no, not Jareth. He was angry, and he… well, I'll explain that when I get back to it.

Sanoru: Honestly, I didn't intend to make it a cliffie. So sorry about that. I needed a stopping point, as the chapter was getting WAY too long, and that was the best I could do. But I think an update on how it all started should be up soon, so don't worry!

Robbie: Didn't Jareth explain this? Hmm… yes, he is off – he's heartbroken and suffering from emotional issues. The Labyrinth is what you make it – Wren doesn't need the same things that Sarah did, so while the places are similar, her obstacles don't come from kooky characters and adventures… Wren is 22-ish (I haven't decided specifically on her age), so her problems come from adult things, like Men. That's why he's there – Wren hasn't made him the villain, like Sarah did. Think about it – Sarah had expectations of what she'd come across in the Labyrinth, right? So does Wren – having seen the movie, don't you think her trek would be similar?

Anij: Okay, you are, like, one of the best reviewers. ahem Yes, he does. Yes, they do. Yeah, I know. Lol! And, sorry, but flip-flops just rule. They're quick and easy.

And, I must speak up in defense of Wren against Mary Sue allegations. Wren is not a Mary Sue. She's overweight, insecure, imperfect as they come, and rather flawed all the way around. She shoots her mouth off and often bites off more than she can chew, plus she has the inability to be neat, and is usually messy with her room or desk. She's not perfect with one tragic flaw, per definition of a Mary Sue. Sheesh… I think this chapter will go on about some more of Wren's characteristics, so please don't jump to MarySue-conclusions. I'll stop ranting now. Sorry for that interlude.

Hmm, do I have any new tunes for you all? Yes!

Stargate by Intuition (okay, these guys are little known, but they ROCK! Go listen to their samples on Amazon dot com, okay?)

Danger also by Intuition (these two songs are on the same CD… so awesome and mystical…)

Victory original or Mike Batt Mix by Bond (I highly recommend this. This is the music Wren hears, and it's just… way cool. I love Bond, being a violinist myself – so awesome)

Um, how about a brief break from the Labyrinth? Back to the present, for now… I'll finish how it all started later…

BTW, I believe this chapter has a brief reference to a ring in it… when I finish how it all started, you'll know what ring that is, and it will be explained.

Man, was it just me, or are the Finance meetings getting worse every time? I looked at my co-worker, and fairly good friend, Allie, who was seated next to me, and wondered if she was as bored as I was.

She was dozing, her head bobbing.

"Allie," I whispered, "Wake up,"

She opened her eyes and shot her head up, "I'm awake," she said, her words slurred, clearly showing she hadn't been, "I was just resting my eyes…"

I smiled at her, "Sure, and that head bobbing was just nodding to all that Tyler was saying, right?"

She gave me a meek smile, "Exactly. What has he been saying, anyway?"

I snorted. Tyler, the head of our finance department, was known for being long-winded at our quarterly meetings, and this was no exception. Currently, he was ranting on about getting back to the basics – whatever that meant. Being on a specialty team, these meetings rarely applied to Allie and the rest of my coworkers, but they still invited us out of respect. Basically, we had to sit through them, and try not to fall asleep.

"The question isn't what he's said, but what he hasn't said. Whatever – nothing important."

Allie nodded, "Well, nudge me if he looks this way, okay?"

"Sure thing." I giggled as she folded one arm and held the bridge of her nose with the other, making it look like she had a headache, and really was just closing her eyes. I wished I could do the same, but I knew that with my luck, Tyler would catch me. Besides, she really did look tired. I would do what I could to cover for her, and let her rest.

I leaned forward on the table Allie and I were sitting at (we'd arrived early enough that we had gotten seats around the rooms great, rectangular table. For those who weren't as early as me and my teammates, there were chairs and smaller tables around the walls of the room, with loads of walking space, too), doing what I could to block her from Tyler's view. Lisa, my manager, was watching me – she knew Allie was tired, and probably guessed that I was covering. Luckily, Lisa didn't really care. She was as bored as the rest of my team.

Well, I began to pretend to take notes on what Tyler was saying. Periodically, I'd lean over to Allie and nod my head, as though she'd just whispered something to me. Strangely, this seemed to be working. Tyler looked flattered that I was taking notes…

Yeah, if only he knew I was actually doodling pictures of Jareth.

I couldn't help it! He was so fascinating! Jareth, I mean – not Tyler. Tyler could so take lessons from Jareth on, well, everything. Tyler was a wimpy kind of man. He was tall enough, but had a baby face that he tried to hide with a beard, and no real muscle definition… Jareth has a young face, but accentuates it with his wild hair, and he's lean but you can so see he's strong. I guess it just radiates from him. And his clothes. For a moment I imagined Tyler – stuffy and work obsessed Tyler – with hair like Jareth, and wearing a glittery cape…

I had to suppress a horrid giggle.

And then I decided to doodle that.

I drew Tyler with spiky hair and a cape, pointing a finger at us all, and yelling, "Back to Basics!" This made me giggle more.

Ah, I missed Jareth. He'd been busy with some Underground issues, and I hadn't seen him in several days. I kind of had the feeling he was thinking about me – without warning, I'd get these horribly giggly moments that I liked to think meant he was thinking of me – but I also knew he was busy, and would come see me when he could. I'd been too busy to go visit him, since, you know, I couldn't exactly reorder time to make time for it. It was easier for him to visit me.

The finance meeting was being held in a very office-y room. It wasn't in my usual office building, but in a fancier one the company had recently purchased. This building, while allegedly nicer than ours, was also… stuffier. Our conference rooms weren't so formal looking. They had more color in them, so they seemed warmer. This room was cool neutral colors with high-tech video equipment, and it seemed almost… sterile. Very yucky, if you asked me. Plus, we all had to carpool to get here. The room wasn't overly packed with people, but there was enough to make the room fairly warm, and I felt like such a gold fish – this room had windows so people walking by could see us…

Bored with my doodles, I decided to count the people walking by the room. I looked up at the window – and jumped in my seat.

Lisa looked at me, sharply, and even Allie jumped from her doze. Quickly, I rubbed my back, pretending to have gotten a pinched nerve or something, and gave them both an apologetic smile, before I looked back at the windows.

Standing outside of them, in the hallway, was Jareth; big hair, cape, glitter, the whole shebang.

Oh no. What was he up to?

He was looking in at me, smiling his wicked smile. Somewhat frantically, I looked around to see who else had noticed that there was a very flamboyant Goblin King standing outside our conference room. Apparently, no one noticed him. My heart started racing… I looked back at him, my eyes feeling like they were going to pop out of my head. He raised a gloved finger and touched it to his lips, indicating that I needed to keep my mouth shut. Was I the only one who could see him there?

"Allie," I whispered in a frantic hush, "Do you see that odd fellow standing outside the window there?"

Allie opened her eyes and looked, then turned back to me, "I must have missed him – did he just walk by?"

I swallowed hard, "You don't see anything odd there?"

She frowned, "No… Wren, is something wrong?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm… I guess I'm fine. This meeting is just making me hallucinate."

She laughed and went back to looking like she had a headache. I looked at Jareth, asking him a silent question. He waggled his high eyebrows at me in answer. Fearful of what the heck he was up to, I gripped my pen tighter. I was the only one who could see him there – some of his special magic – and I was afraid. Very afraid.

He stepped right through the glass and entered the conference room. As he did, an odd salsa-y song filled the room – no one seemed to notice the music or the Goblin King. I blanched.

He walked to the open space, where there weren't any tables or people sitting or standing. When the song took on a rhythm, he started to dance.

I clamped my hand over my mouth to keep myself from laughing hysterically. I really wanted to… I mean, the Goblin King was doing a samba, or something, to music that only I could hear in my finance division meeting, and no one could see him doing it but me. And, at the same time, I was trying to listen to whatever nonsense Tyler was saying.

Jareth swayed to his left a few steps, cha-cha-ed a little to the beat, all the while keeping a straight and nonplussed face. Then, when the music lightened up a little, he threw his head back and spun around. His eyes met mine, and he waggled his eyebrows at me once more. I looked mortified, I know I did. He twirled out of his cape, revealing a better view of his shiny leather pants and poet shirt, and threw his cape over his head and across the room.

It splatted as it hit the white board, missing Tyler by mere inches.

I snorted with seriously wicked suppressed laughter.

Tyler looked at me, "Did I say something funny, Wren?"

Why does he have to use my first name? It makes me feel so childish.

I blinked, "No, Tyler, not funny ha-ha. I apologize, I was just… um…" Jareth had mamboed his way over to Tyler, and was dancing beside him, "I just think all this is, nice… back to basics. I think it's funny we've never thought of it before."

Tyler gave me a skeptical look, but smiled and went back to his speech. Jareth went on with his dancing.

With an ease that made me extremely jealous, he jumped effortlessly up onto the conference table. Still, no one noticed. Walking like a model on a catwalk, he stalked in his hooker-boots to where I was seated and started dancing right in front of me.

I went bright red, blushing like a maniac. Had he lost his mind?

Lisa looked at me, worriedly. She fanned her self while giving me questioning look, silently asking if I was really warm. I tried to look nonchalant, motioning that yes, it was just hot in the room. She nodded, but still looked concerned. Heck, she had every right be concerned. I was acting like a loon.

Jareth turned his backside to me and started swaying from side to side.

"Wren," Allie asked, quietly, "Are you okay? Don't be embarrassed about Tyler pointing out your snort…"

I shook my head, "I'm not, Allie… it's a long story. Is it warm in here, to you?"

She shrugged, "A little, I suppose."

I smiled and tried to pay attention to Tyler. The music finally ended and Jareth sat himself on the table, lying down on it length wise and propping his head up on an arm so as to look at me at eye-level.

He grinned. "Now, you have to admit, this was the most exciting meeting you have ever had, is it not?" he purred, his mismatched eyes shining.

"Jerk," I mouthed at him, without speaking.

His grin widened. "Oh, come on, confess. You adored it."

I said, or, rather, mouthed nothing, but couldn't keep a smile from tugging at my lips.

Absently, he looked down at my drawings I'd doodled earlier. He smirked at them. "Only you would draw that man with my hair… such a mockery."

I snatched up my pen and scribbled on the paper, How come the others can't see you?

He laughed, "Because I am not actually here!"

I coughed suddenly and looked at him sharply. What did he mean by that?

Jareth smiled innocently, "This is just an illusion I came up with, especially for you, my dear. Knowing that I would be busy for a while, last time I saw you, I slipped a crystal into your bag. I designed it for sometime when you were especially missing me…I fear it is your own fault that you triggered it during this meeting."

My mouth fell open. I grabbed the paper again, So, you're not really Jareth? Just an illusion?

He smirked, "Well, I am… but not live. This is, as you might say, magically prerecorded. I cannot be here in person to amuse you, so I had to find someway to lighten your day. Oh, would you look at the time? The magic is almost spent. I'll see you," he reached out a gloved finger and tapped my nose, "Later. Whenever I am finished Underground. Farewell, my dear Wren…" and he faded away.

I was seething… oh, yes, I would get him for this one.

I tried to keep working until my shift was over, but I really found myself unable to. I told Lisa I was sick and took the rest of the day off at noon. Once I was home, I turned my ring around and counted the small crystals, thirteen total, that were designed to take me to the Underground.

When I looked up, I was standing outside of Jareth's large study doors. Hmm… I had an idea….

Jareth's eyes widened from his spot behind his desk (which was piled with papers and scrolls) when I barged into his study and marched up to him.

"Wren," he said, genuinely surprised, "I apologize, dearling, but I am quite busy, as you can see-"

"Yes, you monstrous jerk, I can see that – just like I was terribly busy during my meeting this morning! Thanks to you, people think I'm crazy!" I threw my hands on his desk, causing his scrolls to rattle.

He winced while steadying them, "Ah – I can see you found my crystal…"

"Actually," I cocked my head and stormed around his desk to where he was seated in a chair, "I didn't. It just went on… so I was faced with an insane GK giving me a private table dance!"

His eyebrows raised, "That is not my fault – I cannot control what those crystals produce, you know. Like I say, they will show you your dreams, Wren. I am terribly sorry it was embarrassing…" his face fell a little, "I thought you would find it in your home, and enjoy a nice conversation…"

My face softened, but my resolve stayed strong. I could tell that he really was busy, and feeling stressed… but he knew better than to send me that. I wasn't going to halt my plan. "Still, Jareth, that was really uncalled for. I'm not a needy baby. I knew you were busy, and I was looking forward to just seeing you again, when you had the time. You know I don't care for illusions."

His eyes glinted at me, "Yes, yes, you have told me enough times," he sighed, and took my hands, kissing them gently, "All the same, you are a welcomed sight at the moment, so I refuse to apologize for sending the thing, in the first place."

I grinned, "Work that bad, huh?"

He shook his head, "Not bad, just dull. You are a welcome distraction from all the," he motioned to his desk and pulled a disgusted face, "Monotony."

"Really? You'd like something out of the ordinary, then?" my heart was racing. I was out for revenge… but this was risky. He'd want to murder me when I'd finished.

He gave me a curious look, "What did you have in mind?"

I hope he didn't notice me grit my teeth. His eyes widened as I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt – a not quite so low cut poet shirt (dang, he had a ton of those) – and kissed him forcefully.

That successfully stunned him… but I only had a moment before he'd recover. I forcefully hauled him to his feet, pulled him around me, shoved him against his bookcase behind him, and assaulted his mouth again. He tried to say something, but I didn't let him speak.

Keeping my mouth in constant contact with his – which wasn't easy, as he's a bit taller than I am – I moved him around and pushed him towards my target…

For the moment, the target was the rows of books (his study, by the way, was lined with shelves and cases, filled with books, scrolls and odd artifacts) that was beside his door. Jareth, I knew, would think my target was the long odd couch-thingy near that case… even though he ought to be suspicious of my sudden, and very uncharacteristic advances. My true target was the door.

I got him to the book case and kept him there – he was now (finally) starting to kiss me back… which was weakening my resolve, somewhat… can't help that, he really drives me wild…

But, I had to do this. It was too funny not to.

"Jareth," I said against his mouth.

"Hmm, what?" he murmured, while running his hands through my hair.

"I'm… sorry…"

"What for?"

"This!" I reached over his shoulders and yanked his shirt up and over his head, getting his arms stuck in it, and obstructing his view.

"Wren!" he hollered, shocked. I giggled as I grabbed the tops of his leggings and twisted them clockwise as far as I dared, grabbed the door handle, and ran for it.

I may not be a distance runner – being overweight tends to leave you with short breath over distance – but I'm good for short bursts of speed, with my oddly strong legs. I tore down the corridor racing towards the throne room as fast as I could. I reversed my ring as I ran, just in case I needed to get home in a pinch.

Curse that Goblin King! I could hear him hot on my tail, him and his long legs.

But, then I reached the throne room. I flew through the doors, which I'd already left open, grabbing the handle of the left one as I went through. The mud I'd made was still slippery and I skidded off to the side. Jareth, though, who didn't know there would be mud, hit it hard and slid.

Before going to see him, I'd coerced some goblins into helping me make a muddy pool out of the hole that was in the middle of his throne room. Excited at the prospect of seeing him fall into it and getting his lovely hair wet, I'd made a kind of slip and slide between it and the door, too, and had planned to get him angry enough to chase me.

My mouth fell open as Jareth gracefully skidded to a halt at least three feet before the pool, and rounded on me. I don't think he'd even gotten his boots muddy. Dang it! How could he have done that? And how the heck was he able to do it and still look so dang hot?

He smirked. "Wren, what ever have you been up to?" he said in a slight singsong voice.

I folded my arms from my spot on the floor, "You saw me coming, didn't you?"

He shrugged, "Naturally. I always know when you arrive here," he made slow, deliberate steps in my direction. "And, you forget, my goblins are loyal to me… two of your recruits told me what you were up to."

"Traitors!" I spat, half-heartedly. I watched his hooker-boots until he was right in front of me. I looked up at him. "Okay, so my trap failed miserably. You win."

He pulled a face, "Was this a contest?"

"No, but… your prank was better. Mine failed."

"What in the name of the Underground were you trying to accomplish?" he looked really baffled.

I smiled sheepishly, "Get your hair wet, and maybe a little muddy."

His eyes widened – I know the idea seemed very appalling to him, "Why?"

I looked down at my hands in my lap, "I thought it would be funny…" without warning, Jareth bent down and picked me up, hauling me over his shoulders, like a sack of potatoes. "Ah! Jareth! What are you doing! Put me down!" I kicked and flailed, but to no avail. He was too strong for me.

"PUT ME DOWN!" I roared.

I felt him laugh, "Well, dearling, only since you asked so politely..." With a plop, he dropped me in the pool.

"AAAHHHH!" my head went under for a second (when had it gotten as deep as this? It hadn't been very deep at all when I'd filled it... GK had probably had something to do with that)and I came up sputtering and wiping my eyes.

He stood at the edge of the makeshift pool, his head thrown back, laughing heartily at his own joke.

Whatever. I reached out a hand and grabbed his boot, pulling him in with me.

Jareth fell in with less dignity that expected. I think that was mainly because I caught him off balance. Either way, he splashed as much and sputtered even more than I had.

His hair, while droopy, still managed to stand up… just a little. Mud dripped from his hair. I snickered. He gave me a murderous look…

And then, laughing himself, pulled me close and kissed me softly. We squished with all the mud. As nice as kissing him is, the mud... yeah, ew. Just ew. I wont' say more on that.

I backed away from him, expecting another trick. "Hey – you're not mad?"

He shook his head, "Actually, I am furious with you… but," he laughed again, for a moment (I love to hear him laugh), "I really did need a break. Thank you, Wren, for this. Messy as it is… thank you."

"Oh… you're welcome…" There was a pause.

"You look awfully adorable with your hair so flat and dirty, you know."

"Shut it, GK."

Only problem with going and getting muddy in the Underground is that I have to go back home to shower.

I stepped out of my room, covered from head to toe in mud. I didn't think anyone would be home at that time…

"Wren, is that – Wren?"

I looked at Orla, my sister, who stood at the other end of the hallway, looking at me. She was looking at me like I was the Swamp Thing.

"Hi, Orla, I'm just going to get a shower here."

She blinked, "Um, okay… Wren?"

"Yes?"

"Are you covered in… mud?"

"Um… yes. This would be mud."

"Why?"

I smiled and walked past her into the bathroom, "Eh, crazy day at work."

A/N: Whoa! This was just a crazy idea I had… please let me know if it stinks. I don't think it's my best, but I just… I dunno. This is what happens when you have a notepad in a meeting at work, and you aren't paying attention to the actual meeting. I blame Tyler for this chapter. He's way too dull. Ironically, this chapter nearly wrote itself. It just… came out…

Review, please. I really appreciate it.

Special thanks to DanikaLareyna, who convinced me to mix it up a little. You're right, we all needed a little break. D Hope this is 'enough'. GOSH!