Disclaimer: Been here, done this, will say it again – no matter how much I wish the GK was mine, he is not. Poor, poor, pitiful me.

Yami Moon: Hmm, I have a feeling you chose as I did – forget the baby! I'll take the King! Ahaahahahaha! coughs I mean, uh, thank you for your review… heh…

Sanoru: Hee… I have since been barely able to listen to Bond's Victory, as I picture him doing a salsa dance… and it cracks me up too much… cha-cha-cha! He does have the moves, doesn't he?

Anij: Part of their relationship is that part of the time, Jareth likes to play Wren's way, you know? It's like when someone lets you win at something, just because they like to play with you… He was just messing with her. But go as far as mud? NEVER! Ahahaha! I'm SO glad you liked it, and that it was actually funny! I mean, I often think things are funny, but sometimes, it's just me…

DanikaLareyna: What, and you've never dreamed of Jareth doing a salsa in the middle of an office meeting? Okay... well, maybe that's just my twisted mind... Chocolate? Now who's naughty?

Notwritten: I like that you like it!

Oh, I have a good song for this chapter – simply exquisite, should anyone care to listen to it while reading, or whatever.

Si Volvieras a Mi by Josh Groban, the Closer album – I don't know the translation, but it's a lovely song, and it's what I listened to while writing this chapter.

Okay, so lets see if we can finish this start stuff… Wren is getting closer! So is Jareth… We shall see a break down, lots of teasing, and the end of the Run! At last!
Everything had slipped from my mind… nothing I had been thinking about mattered. I blinked my eyes sleepily and took in my surroundings.

I've never worn a ball dress before, but there I stood. And… I was crying. The room I was standing in was beautiful, with shinning walls and dangling chandeliers with glowing candles… and my dress was gorgeous. It was a shimmery jade color with a nice waist and long sleeves that drooped gracefully. My hair was also all wavy and nice… everything seemed splendid…

But no one was there. The room was empty. I had… missed the party, I guess. I could hear the lovely music faintly playing in the background, but that was about it. The rest of the grandeur was gone. Whatever great fun had occurred, it was over now. I had missed out on it.

I found a step to sit on, plopped down on it, and cried some more.

"Don't cry," said a soft voice. I looked up, to see a smiling man. Was he a man? No… he had to be something special. He looked very regal. He wore a dark suit that sparkled, with a high collar and ruffles at the neck and at his cuffs. His hands were gloved, too – something that fascinated me. His hair was kind of long and spiky and it had blue streaks through it…

I smiled as I saw his face. He was perhaps one of the most handsome men I had ever met… well, if I could remember meeting other men before him, I'm sure he'd be the hottest. His face was so… perfect. Smooth with high cheekbones, a slightly pouted mouth that turned at the corners and eyebrows that defied the rules of normalcy with a grace I'd never known. He looked somewhat familiar…

He extended a hand out to me, which I took. Before I knew it, he was dancing with me slowly. I frowned.

"The party finished, didn't it?" I asked, sadly.

He nodded, "Yes, but you wouldn't have liked it, anyway. Too crowded. Here," he moved a gloved hand across the room, "We have everything to ourselves. Much more room to talk and enjoy ourselves, don't you think?"

I smiled, "Oh yes, I agree. But…" I wracked my brain, there was something I was trying to remember and just couldn't… "What do we talk about?"

"We talk about you, Wren." His gloved hand touched the small of my back, giving me shivers. He looked surprised at this. "Do I make you nervous?"

I looked into his eyes… it never occurred to me to lie to him. "No. You thrill me. I've never met anyone like you… and you fascinate me."

His eyes widened, "W-what?"

I laughed, a bubbly kind of noise, "Well, why not? Is it so strange that I would…" my face fell, "Oh, I see. It's me, isn't it?"

He looked slightly confused, "You?"

"Yes," I nodded, "It's because I'm fat, isn't it? Ugly, too? I know… I'm… I'm used to it…" and then I remembered.

My insecurities from the past that had been hidden from me by an invisible barrier came crashing down on my mind. I recalled everything – even the part where Jareth threw a smushy peach in my face. Part of it must have squirted into my mouth when it hit and knocked me out…

I looked downward, feeling extremely self-conscious… I wasn't the type to wear a fancy ball gown, and here I was wearing one. It was a very strange feeling. I felt… naked. That's why I'd looked down… make sure I was dressed.

"Now, why would you say that?"

"Huh?" I looked up, meeting his eyes, "What do you mean?"

The Goblin King – and yes, I do say that I was still aware that I had, per amnesia, said he was the most gorgeous man alive… and said that he thrilled me… even though I was terribly embarrassed by it – looked down at my curiously, as if confused.

"I never said you were fat or ugly," he said the words with a sneer, as if the words were very distasteful to him, "You aren't either, so don't think of such things. Now, we were talking about you, Wren."

Obviously, he still thought I was under the peach-induced amnesia. And… was he trying to get me to talk? Maybe that was the whole point… eh, as if I minded. Jareth was a very attractive man – or, well, whatever he was – who, at the moment, actually wanted to dance and talk with me and hold me in his arms… heck, I didn't mind this at all.

Besides, if I could time it to where I was near the junkyard, before exiting this thing, and kept him with me the whole time, then I wouldn't have to worry about the song lyrics. Ha-ha!

I smiled at him, "What would you like to know about me?"

He twirled me and then pulled me close again, "Hmm, for starters, why don't you tell me what it is you've always wanted?"

I tried not to blush at this… it really was a personal question, but I knew that while under the peach amnesia – or pamnesia, as I was starting to think of it – I had been completely honest with him…

Oh dude! That was it! That was the whole point of the peach! Honesty – to show Jareth what it was you truly wanted, your intentions, etc. That had to be it… especially with me, as he didn't seem to know why I was in his Labyrinth, having wished myself away rather than a sibling.

And yet… I still felt like I couldn't lie to him in the ballroom.

"Acceptance," I said without thinking, "Unconditional friendship, and love. Someone who cares about me for who I am, not how much I weigh or what I look like. Someone who loves me for me. That's all I've ever wanted."

He frowned, "Truly? That's you're deepest desire?"

I smiled up at him, "Yes, it is. Unconditional acceptance, knowing that no matter what I do, or how I look, there's someone who cares…" a strange question rose in my throat and came out my lips before I had time to understand what it meant, "A good friend… do you have any friends?"

My question shocked him terribly – I could see it on his face. He covered the look quickly, giving me a seductive smile, "Friendship is an attribute I find simply stunning-"

I cut him off, "That wasn't my question. Do you have friends?"

His face blanked (that made, what, three times he'd done that so far? Something like that) and he thought for a moment before answering me. "One does not have the need for mere friends when in the company of such beguiling beauty…"

I got the feeling that he was trying to seduce me... Not because he wanted to, necessarily, but to stall me, or something. I wasn't sure. I doubted that he was sure either, since, as already stated, he didn't quite know why I was there.

But, in that moment, my heart began to ache. With the honesty of the Ballroom, I felt overwhelmed with great sadness… for the Goblin King. He didn't have friends. Everyone needed friends – everyone. I could feel the sadness evident on my own face, and when he leant closer, or tried to, I turned my head and faced him, meeting his lovely eyes head on.

I decided, right there, even as snooty as he could be, that I liked him. He was an interesting fellow… and I liked him. A small smile touched my lips, "Would you like one?"

He frowned, confused, "Would I like one of what?"

My smile grew a little. "Would you like a friend? Even a dumpy one, like me?"

Jareth's face paled and he staggered, mid step. "You… you would… do that?"

I shrugged, still smiling, "Sure, why not?" He stopped dancing right away, dropped my hands and slowly turned from me, almost staggering away. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, a little worried.

He moved over to an empty table that was still covered in a white tablecloth. He leaned on it, hunching his shoulders. "I can't do this…" his voice was barely above a whisper. I had a sneaky suspicion that he hadn't said it to me, but to himself. He stiffened when I came up behind him and placed my hand on his glittery suit's shoulder. "I've been… deceitful to you, Wren," he said with a shudder.

"I know you tried to be. But, with the way you and I seem to argue, I don't blame you – well, that and you are being honest to me, now, so that's a good thing, right?"

He looked at me sharply, "How could you have known?"

I smiled, "My own insecurities are no match for you're pamnesia juice."

"Pamnesia?"

I snorted, "The peach stuff that makes you forget. I know you got me with some, and it wore off a while ago. I remember everything, including you smacking me with a peach in the face to get me here…"

He raised a pointed eyebrow at me, "How long ago did it wear off, exactly?"

"Long enough that I knew the truth when I offered to be your friend. But, while my offer still stands, I'm adding a stipulation. While we're here, in this room that seems to keep you honest, I want to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer me truthfully." I put my hands on my hips and looked at him.

He straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "And if I refuse your offer?"

I laughed, "For a friend? Fine, your loss. I can just go back to nagging you. Think about it – why am I running this rat-race anyhow? For the right to stay here. So, you tell me, if I were to win, wouldn't you rather I be a friend than a nag? Trust me – heck, ask my sister, Orla – I can be a good nag."

The Goblin King seemed to stand there and think about what I was saying. Hopefully, he was thinking rationally. Rationally, me being a friend made sense… didn't it?

He nodded at me, "Very well. What do you want to know?"

The words came out in a rush, "Were you in love with Sarah?"

He frowned, "I told you not to mention her!"

"You said I could ask what I wanted to know! And, don't forget you agreed to answer. I'm trying to figure you out here," I marched over to him, grabbed hold of his gloved hand and proceeded to drag him over to the steps I'd been sitting and crying on earlier. I sat down and motioned for him to sit beside me. When he hesitated, I tugged on the edge of his coat, forcing him to sit beside me…

Dang, we made an odd pair. Two people sitting on stone steps: one overweight, in a jade ball gown who was slouching, and the other a very dignified who was perched delicately on the edge of the steps in a sparkly coat, as if worried that he'd get it dirty.

We sat there, with the faint music still playing in the background, for a long while before he answered me. His voice was strained, and I could tell that he really didn't want to tell me this (actually, I think he figured he could handle it all, and didn't need to tell anyone, ever) but since he had said that I could ask and that he would answer me, he had to.

"She wasn't the first to ever get so far… others had won. But Sarah… she was the first to demand so much of me… It was exhausting, but I was entranced. Most importantly, when I brought her here," he waved to the empty ballroom, "She didn't hid behind a mask. That's a big thing, if you didn't know it. It's truth… she had nothing to hide, no secret motives… and in such honesty, she actually sought for me…"

I nodded, "Yeah, I kinda got that part. But she also… left the ball room, didn't she?"

He nodded, grimly. I smiled at the face he pulled – he had to be honest here. "She was repulsed by the society and false faces around her…",

"So, masks here matter, don't they?" I inquired.

Jareth nodded, "They do. One who wears one is hiding, pretending… no mask is honesty."

"And you removed your mask to her. You were… gosh, you were giving her all of you, weren't you?"

There was a long pause. He stared blankly ahead of us, across the empty room. "Wren?"

"Yes?"

He looked at me sidelong, "How is it that you know so much of me and of this place? And of Sarah?"

Oh dear… how do I explain this one? It wasn't an easy story to tell. "Um… Hmm. It's actually a long story, and honestly, I'm not all that sure how it fits in. Perhaps it's a story for another time, when I'm not running the Labyrinth. Back to my questions. You loved Sarah, didn't you?"

He shook his head, making his wild hair fly around him. "No… but I thought I surely could. I took a great risk when she won the game. I offered her…"

I nodded, "I know what you offered."

"Do you? Really?" he said, in a sarcastic drawl, "Do you know how hard it was for me to offer it in the first place? Do you know how miserably painful it was when she seemed to think it was merely another test in the game, and her duty to refuse it with those words?" His voice rose and he quickly stood, crystal in hand, "Do you know disgusting it was to know that she, in the end, needed everyone from this place, even a bloody firery, and not me? You DON'T know!"

He hurled the crystal across the room, where it shattered and started a small fire. I didn't move.

"You're right," I conceded, calmly, "I didn't know… but I do now. Thank you for telling me that. That's all I wanted to know."

He staggered around, his chest heaving, and looking at me with a somewhat miserable expression on his face, "You… That's what you wanted to know?"

His eye twitched... I could tell his temper was building...

I smiled at him, "I wanted you to get that out of your system. By the way you've treated me so far, I assumed you were in pain… do you feel any better?"

His face looked murderous, "No, you insolent little brat! No!" He turned and threw several more crystals, which exploded more violently, in several directions around the ballroom. For a moment, I braced myself for the bubble to shatter, but he seemed to only hit objects like chairs, tables, and columns. I scrunched down and plugged my ears, waiting out the tide. I watched him, though. He threw and shouted, and at last he just stood there in the middle of the room, gripped his hands tightly, threw his head back, and simply roared. Then he dropped to his knees, silent.

I waited until I was sure he was finished. Yup – he had to be. He was just kneeling there, his chest heaving, not moving other than that. I got to my feet and went to him. I knelt down in front of him, a quiet smile on my face.

"Now, do you feel better?"

He looked away from me, seeming to be ashamed of what he'd done, in front of me. "You shouldn't have seen that, Wren. I…" he sighed, "I offer you my apologies for that childish tantrum-"

Acting bolder than I felt, I reached out and covered his mouth with my fingers, silencing him. He looked stunned. "What are friends for, Jareth, if not to be there for you when you're upset and hurting?"

He took my fingers from his mouth and held them in his gloved hand. As he did, he looked at me like I would probably look at a fiery, if I saw one – as though I were some oddly fascinating creature he'd never seen before. His mouth fell slightly open.

"I offer you my apologies for being so horrid to you, earlier… for the peach… but… I am the Goblin King… I don't need…" he couldn't finish it. The ballroom was still too much honesty. He couldn't lie to me and tell me that he didn't need friends.

I rolled my eyes, "Everyone needs friends, you ninny, and believe it or not, I forgive you for the peach thing. Now, come on, let's get out of here, so you can lie some more. I think it's taking its toll on you."

He glared at me, but raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers. The room around us popped – instead of shattering – and in an instant I was back in my own clothes and was falling fast…

I landed in a heap of junk, and not too delicately, either.

"OUCH!" I yelled, more angry than actually hurt. I landed right on my rump – and on something that was rather hard and not at all comfortable. I rolled over, trying to distinguish what I'd landed on, but I couldn't tell what the heck it was. Deciding it was probably best if I didn't know what it was, I got to my feet, brushed myself off, and looked around. I could see the end of the junk yard…

Wait, the junk yard?

I did it! I made it there, and Jareth still hadn't found the song lyrics! I made a whooping noise and did a little dance where I stood – my rarely seen happy-dance. It was kind of a hopping-bouncy thing… well, since rarely anyone sees it, I suppose I shouldn't describe it anymore. Some people find it weird… like Jareth…

"Are you allergic to peaches, Wren?" he asked from behind me. I stopped my dance and slowly turned and faced him.

"Um, no. Why?"

He smirked at me, "You looked like you were having a seizure – I assumed it was an allergic reaction to my peach."

I straightened up and looked at him, "That was my happy-dance."

"And why, pray tell, are you so happy?" he crossed his arms across his chest, while shifting to the side in a cocky-stance.

I smiled broadly, "I made it to the junkyard before you found the lyrics. I win!" I started dancing again.

His eyes looked me up and down, seemingly horrified by my danced (well, either he was horrified at my dance, or about ready to laugh hysterically… with him, it was a little hard to tell). "Who said I didn't find them?"

"WHAT?" I stopped dead. "No… you couldn't have…"

He rolled his eyes, "A trip to your music collection, back in your room, was all it took to find the song."

My eyes went huge, "You're a friggin liar!" I hissed.

"Let's see, you only have a handful of songs that could possibly be humiliating to you… and a glance at the lyrics was all I needed…"

"No… no…"

He smirked and cleared his throat, "Dear Wren, I agree with you, it is a lovely song…

"Under this pale lit sky," he sang in a smooth voice, "With you here by my side, there's nothing that I could hide, you know me better than anybody else…"

My jaw dropped. He'd found the song.

And he went on singing, "All of myself revealed, there is nothing I could conceal, my soul is yours to steal, take me where ever you want to!"

"Stop, Jareth, please," I begged, "Please don't sing the chorus,"

A wicked grin covered his face, and he went on, "Baby, I'm naked, naked with you…" he stopped singing. "Wren?"

I had turned and walked away. He'd done exactly what I knew he'd do with the song, which was Naked by Celine Dion. It opens with an awesome guitar solo… I love the song, just not the words. They embarrass me… so I long ago made up my own. So, not wanting to be mocked, I just walked away.

"Wait – Wren?" I didn't see his face, but I assumed he was confused. I felt his hand on my shoulder and he spun me around. His face was concerned and… upset.

"Why are you just… walking away?" he looked curious, "Walking away from a perfectly good opportunity to fight with me? That doesn't seem like you."

I sighed, "First of all, Jareth, you can't say that you really know me, especially only after a few hours of being around me. Secondly… I'm not accustomed to teasing… I've never… I've never taken it well." I looked away.

A hand touched under my chin and turned me back to look at him. His eyes were searching mine. "I think we both have much to learn about being friends, don't you?"

I smiled. Maybe that's what I needed from the Labyrinth… "Yes… I suppose your right."

He let go and stood back, holding a finger to his nose. "Does this junkyard smell to you? Hmm, yes, I believe it does smell. On now, let's be off – if I wanted to smell something horrid, I'd go sit in the bog…" he marched right on past me towards the end of the junkyard, which was actually in sight.

Then, about five minutes later, after we had left the junkyard in silence, Jareth broke the silence again. Throwing his arms in the air, he started to sing…

"Baby, I'm naked! Naked with you!" He paused and looked at me to gauge my reaction.

And then he started to run – albeit playfully – away from me, as I started chasing him and hollering loudly.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU JERK!"

Three hours later, or what I could only guess was three hours later, Jareth and I were slowly strolling through the Goblin City. So far, we had actually had a civil conversation, and were laughing over the movie. Up to that point, we'd talked over about everything you can imagine… my work, his work (mine was so dull by comparison), a few childhood memories, things we like to eat (he surprised me by saying fish – as it's not something he gets often), and tons of other things. It was… nice. Really nice.

"I still can't get past the talking worm…" he snickered in a very un-kingly manner, "And the lichen – it sounds horrid!"

I paused, mid-step, and looked at him, "No, that lichen stuff is real. I passed it on my way in… and touched it-" I stifled a gag reflex at the memory.

He looked mortified, "Have I really let my Labyrinth go so badly? Dear me…"

I smiled, and somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed. I glanced at Jareth, feeling suddenly panicked, "What time is it?"

He shrugged, "Twelve, I would imagine. You still have some time…"

I grabbed his hand and started running, "Nope, I ain't chancing it! C'mon!"

We ran the rest of the distance through the Goblin City, and in – literally – a few minutes, we were standing before the Castle. The doors opened wide right away and I yanked Jareth inside.

"My," he said, when I stopped running, "You can be quick, can't you?"

I glared at him – he wasn't even panting. I was shaking and breathless. "Yup – shocking – ain't – it?"

Once I caught my breath, I noticed he was smiling at me, gently. I then realized that I was still holding his hand. I let go with a sheepish grin. "Sorry… your hand's just too nice, I guess."

He smirked at that, "Well, itis myhand, after all."

I shook my head, laughing, "I have odd choices in friends." He pretended to look hurt. I only laughed again.

I looked around, not really sure what to do next. "Jareth?"

"Yes?"

"Um… what now?"

"Well…" he sighed, "You made it here…"

Where was the 'but'? I had a strange feeling. "I didn't win, did I? Somehow there's a catch, isn't there?"

Without a word, he motioned for me to follow him. We dashed up a few stairs and into…

The Escher room. I blinked. "Not this. I don't think I can handle this room…"

Jareth was already walking on a wall near me, having reached it first. "This isn't a test for you, Wren. This is where I come to think… my sanctuary, in a manner of speaking."

I frowned at him, as he walked past me, upside down. "Then, why did you bring Sarah here?"

He turned and looked at me, stepping off the wall and standing beside me, right side up. "I told you, I was offering Sarah something special… I thought she would accept… it was my last attempt to get her to stay."

I looked into his eyes, "So, why are you bringing me here?"

He looked away. "Wren… you don't want to leave behind your family. I can see it in you. You care about them, even if they anger you from time to time. You're wish to stay here was rash…"

I hung my head. He was right. "You're right…"

"I figured that much," he said quietly, "You knew the Labyrinth too well, I knew you would win, and then regret your choice to stay. You would be bound to stay here… and then hate me for it."

I said nothing. I wasn't sure what to say.

He pressed on, "So I assisted you, took away certain obstacles… I interfered, even more so than I ever did with… with Sarah."

"So… what does that mean, Jareth?"

He hung his head, "You won, but not completely. Because I helped you, I cannot keep you here, as you asked."

He… what? He did that to… to help me? To keep me from hating him? My face lit up and I jumped at him, startling him as I hugged him around his middle. (Man… he smelled good…) Then I felt his arms around my back, too.

Horror struck me – I had to go back. I looked up at him, quickly, feeling tears prickle at my eyes, "But then I have go to back! I mean, I want to… but…I also want to stay…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

He patted my back, "I'm fond of you, too, Wren," he said gently, "You fight with me."

I snorted and tried not to cry.

"Now, now," he cooed, stepping back from me. "Don't forget, you did still make it here in one piece. That does count for something."

I sniffed, "Yeah, chicken crap. You're… I mean, we are friends…"

He nodded, "Yes, we are. For you, I have a gift." He produced another crystal and rolled it around his arms (to my absolute delight! He hadn't done that at all since I arrived! He was rolling crystals again!) and caught it in his fingers. It popped faintly, and in his fingers, there was a ring.

I gasped, "What isthat?" I felt a little funny about a ring... what did it mean?

He smiled, "This," he showed me a flat band that came together, making a V shape on top – and there were clear jewels along the V shape, "Is, well, something I've never given to another. I created it for... well, for you. It's, as you can see, a ring. Those aren't diamonds, but crystals."

"Just like yours?"

"The very same, only smaller," he reached out and took up my left hand, sliding it onto my middle finger, the V pointing up my wrist, "If you wear it like so, and physically count the crystals, it will send you home or, if you are home, do nothing. Turn it the other way, with the point towards your fingertips, count the crystals, and it will bring you here, to the Underground, somewhere near me. There are thirteen crystals, in case you wish to know... this is, in essence, a key to the Underground."

I marveled at it… it was silver and sparkly… and I loved it. He'd given me a key to the Underground… to him. I felt tears sting my eyes and I quickly hugged him again. "Oh Jareth! Thank you so much! Does this mean that I can… I can visit you? I can come here and just… be me?"

He made a face, "You did win, and so part of your wish is granted – now, for heaven's sake, you emotional thing – stop attempting to ruin my shirts with your tears!"

I grinned up at him. "You won't be fully rid of me now, you know."

He rolled his eyes… but then a sly smile touched his lips. "In a way, Wren, I'm counting on that. Now," he went back to his stance of a King, very formal like, "It's time you got on home."

I gave him a grateful smile and did as he had instructed me to with the ring. It was an odd experience, just looking at it, counting the tiny crystals with my finger, and then looking to find myself back in my room, as if nothing had happened at all...

I sighed and sat on my bed, feeling very... nice. What a night! I was friends with Jareth... the Goblin King. I did what every normal twenty-something girl would do with this news.

I squealed and did a super-happy dance around my room, not caring how stupid I looked, even if Jareth himself could see me.

A/N: Dear me! That was long! But really, I'm tired of all this plot… I had to get it out, and I couldn't bring myself to cut it short. I apologize for it being so whoppin' long… and if you like long chapters, I apologize that I doubt others will be this long.

So, now you know how it started with Wren and Jareth – they just started out as friends. HA! The best things start that way, I think. And about the song, at long last – it is really called 'Naked' by Celine Dion, from her 'One Heart' Album, and I state here, for all legal purposes, that I do not own it. But, I hope it was funny…

Do review and tell me what you think. I can't make it better without feedback!