DISCLAIMER - I don't own Sarah or Jareth or the Labyrinth (unfortunately) they belong to Jim Henson & Co, and I'm definitely not making a profit from this.
All other NPC's are a figment of my own imagination.

The apartment was silent, oppressive, and terrifyingly lonely. In a sudden panic Sarah turned every lamp and light on in the lounge and kitchen, pausing to examine the set of 4 coffee mugs sat on the dining table. A small wild flower propped in one of them. She picked the flower up and went and sat on the couch, inhaling its faint scent before making a quick study of it in the sketchbook that lay on the couch next to her. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest as the door swung open and Ollie followed by Cassandra swept into the room, filling it with their laughter and talk. Hastily hiding the sketchbook under a pile of newspapers Sarah stood up glaring at him as he threw his overcoat on the back of a chair and headed into the kitchen.
"Sarah." Cassandra smiled walking over and patting her arm like she was a pet dog. "You closed up early, Ollie and I were going to pop in and check things over for tomorrow."
"Some of us have to sleep Cassandra." Sarah muttered turning away to go and close the soft drapes over the windows.
"Champagne Cassandra?" Ollie came out of the kitchen clutching Sarah's last remaining bottle from the depths of the fridge.
"Oh no darling I couldn't possibly, just a coffee for me thanks." She replied spreading herself out in Sarah's vacated spot. "What an ugly flower." She cooed reaching over before Sarah could stop her to pick the flower up off the table. "Wherever do you get all these silly things to paint?" She laughed again as Sarah firmly took it out of her hands before she could maul it to death.
"I happen to find it quite worthy of being painted thank you Cassandra."
"Ahh well, not all of us can be successful my dear." Cassandra replied smiling up at Ollie as he came out the kitchen holding mugs of coffee for them, ignoring the fact he hadn't bothered asking Sarah if she wanted anything. Sarah resisted the urge to throttle Cassandra who had conveniently forgotten that it was in fact Sarah's own gallery who was making Cassandra more "famous" or "infamous".
"Do us a favour Sarah, go and get something to eat, I'm suddenly hungry." He said turning the TV on. Sarah stood there and ground her teeth together.
"I was just about to go to bed. Its past midnight and I need to be in the gallery early. Like you."
"Stop pouting its not that late." Ollie finally looked up at her and for once saw that she was not going to give in to him. On examination he discovered that she looked different somehow, but couldn't be bothered to work out what it was that had actually changed. He turned back to Cassandra and began to talk about the exhibition like he owned the gallery. Sarah went and took refuge in the kitchen, automatically tidying up after him and placing the flower in a glass of water. Knowing she was beginning to get a headache she reached for the draw to get the pain killers, pausing as Ollie walked in and brushed himself up against her.
"Doll I've told Cass she can stay here tonight, can I give her some of your PJ's, she's not brought anything with her and I'm too pissed to take her home. You should have something that will be small enough for her." He said nuzzling Sarah's neck, pinning her against the cupboards. Sarah held her breath and closed her eyes. Damn him straight to hell. He smelt of Cassandra, but when he touched her she felt a desperate need to be held, to be loved and couldn't say no.
"I guess." She sighed finally as he grinned at her and gave her a peck on the cheek before walking out. She stood numb at the kitchen sink, the cold water running as she cursed him a thousand times in her head for implying she was fatter than Cassandra before downing the pain killers, wondering if they would even notice if she overdosed right here. Turning the tap off she noticed the cut on her finger was bleeding again and rummaged to find a plaster. When she couldn't find one she settled for a piece of kitchen towel and ventured back out into the lounge. Cassandra was giggling over the silk negligee Ollie was telling her he had bought for Sarah but since it didn't fit Cassandra should wear it instead. Feeling humiliated and a stranger in her own home Sarah bid them good night and left them to it, locking her bedroom door in the process. She'd be damned if she was going to let him stay in her bed tonight.
She undressed in the dark with only a sliver of moonlight to light her room and hesitantly looked at herself in the full length mirror hidden in one of the doors of her built in wardrobe. She stood there and watched as tears of shame burnt her cheeks. She was thinner than Cassandra, but he would never notice, she vowed to take up the diet again and closed the door on her sad reflection before putting a large t-shirt on to hide herself. She lay in her cold bed and watched clouds scudding across the quarter moon listening to them laughing, and eventually opening and closing doors, then silence. She knew they were in the spare room, no doubt shagging. The hot tears fell again until the pain killers kicked in and she fell into a dreamless sleep, facing Jareth would have completed her misery but he never appeared and she woke in the morning feeling wretched and heavy.

The shower was hot and the tiles on the floor cold as Sarah stepped out and grabbed a towel from the rack, displacing Gob who scuttled off to the sink muttering.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded covering herself up.
"Ungry."
"Doesn't his Majesty ever feed you?" Gob frowned over this question and obliquely moved out the way as Sarah reached over him for her toothbrush and the toothpaste.
"Not 'is job. Kingy too busy." Gob tried the toothpaste and spat it right out again. "Ugh. Not nice."
"You're not supposed to eat it."
"Why yer stick it in yer mouf den?"
"To clean my teeth." Sarah replied flashing her teeth at him. The goblin stood there thoughtfully then opened his mouth to return the favour. Sarah stared. The goblin, considering his size could open his mouth to vast proportions showing not 1 but 2 rows of spiky piranha like teeth. "Urm. Very nice."
"Fanks. Still ungry."
"Let me get dressed." Running her fingers through her wet hair Sarah rummaged for clean underwear and a plain neat business suit. Thinking she might not have time to return before the evening she also got out a black calf length loose fitting dress to take with her. Venturing from the bedroom she was deeply relieved to find everything still quiet, though considering it was only 6.30am she was also equally unsurprised that this was the case. She made toast and coffee and buttered a slice for Gob adding a large dollop of strawberry jam for him. He took the proffered slice and chewed slowly trying not to make crumbs on her table.
"Red stuff tastes good. Got more?" He asked shuffling towards the jar with a hopeful look. Sarah indulged him and gave him a spoon.
"You'll have to tell his Majesty he owes me a jar of strawberry jam." She said watching as Gob seemed to instantly get jam everywhere as he turned the jar on its side to get better access. "Stay here, I'll be back in a moment." The goblin looked at her through the glass jar and waved a sticky claw.

She hastily dried her hair grateful it preferred being straight and shiny rather than the mess it used to be when she was younger and applied a dash of makeup to try and improve her bloodshot eyes and pallid cheeks. Giving it up as a bad lot she threw some bits into a carryall and folded the dress on top. Finding her "posh" shoes she slipped them on and went back out to the living area. Gob was licking his claws. The jar was completely empty. Tidying away she downed the rest of her coffee before telling the goblin to scoot.
"Don't come back here tonight, if there are other people around." She told him as he nodded and disappeared with a pop and a faint hint of glitter.

The crystal glittered in his hand, casting tiny spots of morning light across the room as he slouched in his throne. Inwardly, despite his relaxed position he was in turmoil, mulling over again and again the few conversations he had had with her. Don't say her name a voice in his head whispered. If you say her name it will draw her attention, and you don't want that. They said the same about himself, lest his wrath at being distracted by hearing his name on the wind be directed at them. Yet as he watched her walking through autumns golden mantle in the park by the gallery he couldn't resist.
"Sarah."

The wind teased her, messing her hair and pulling at her coat as she tried to dial the number on her phone with chilled fingers and startled as she heard somebody call her name from a distance she slammed the phone shut and turned, expecting Chris or Anita to be seen hurrying up to her as she took a 5 minute breather in the park. Yet the park was empty. She reluctantly turned back to the phone and redialled the cancelled number, glancing around her impatient to have the conversation over and done with.
"Hello this is Grangefield Doctors Surgery how can I help?" Said a pleasant sounding young man at the other end of the line.
"Oh, hello, I'd like to make an appointment please." She mumbled, her face flushing.
"Certainly Miss…"
"Williams. Sarah Williams."
"Miss Williams, Dr Blake has an appointment free at 14.00 today if that's convenient?"
"No, not today, I'm sorry I should have said. Tomorrow perhaps?" Sarah replied trying to gather her thoughts.
"That's fine, there's a slot free at 11.00 if that is better."
"Yes. Thank you that will be fine."
"It's a pleasure, see you tomorrow."
She stood in the middle of the path listening to the dial tone from her phone before mentally kicking herself and turning it off, stuffing it back into her pocket.