Chapter 7

Sarah sat in silence for a few moments, the only thing interrupting that silence was the clock on Jareth's desk, which was quietly ticking away. Jareth replaced his glasses and watched Sarah carefully.

"Answer my other questions." Sarah said quietly, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but she could still feel her heart rate accelerating. Jareth watched her as he started answering her questions.

"I did not break into your apartment, though I did hear that an apartment building had been broken into. I hoped that it wasn't yours." Sarah rolled her eyes and snorted. "As for what's going on I've already answered that one. Why you is an easy question to answer." Sarah raised her head and cocked one brow, waiting for him to continue. "You're the one that destroyed my kingdom, the one who turned down the chance to live out your dreams with me." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest.

"Your double has done nothing but torment me since he showed up." Sarah took another deep breath. "Somehow whatever happens in my dreams when he is causing them happen for real. That's where these bruises came from." She brought her hand up to her throat and winced. The skin there was still tender. Jareth stood and moved so that he was sitting against the front edge of his desk.

"I could heal that, if you wish." He held out his hand, a soft glow emanating from his fingers. Sarah scuttled away from him, her eyes wide. Jareth flicked his wrist and the glow dissipated. "I'll take that as a no." Sarah swallowed and nodded.

"I don't trust you and I don't trust magic." Jareth chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"You've changed quite a bit these past few years Sarah." She scowled up at him.

"Yeah, there's this thing called growing up." Her green eyes darkened in anger. "Eventually you don't have time anymore for childish flights of fancy." Jareth cocked a brow and looked at her over the top of his glasses.

"What happened to you to make you so bitter?" Jareth reached for his cup of coffee and took a sip. "Something had to have happened to make you this way."

Sarah jumped to her feet. "You want to know what killed my wonder and excitement?" She was breathing heavily. "Being forced back into this world. Being in a place full of wonder and suddenly being thrust back here. This world is full of death and despair and evil." She felt tears start to brim in her eyes. Sarah wiped at her eyes angrily and Jareth sighed.

"If I had been able to Sarah I would have come and rescued you from this existence." She stopped wiping her eyes and glared at him.

"I don't need you or anyone rescuing me." She snarled. "I am the master of my own fate and the author of my own story. You should be overjoyed that I allowed to you be a part of my life in the first place."

Jareth chuckled and moved so that he was sitting behind his desk once more. "Now there is that Sarah Williams spunk that I remember so fondly." Jareth leaned back and took another sip of his coffee. "Now. Will you help me?" Sarah cocked a brow and sat back down.

"What does helping you entail exactly?" Jareth smiled and waved his hand. A heavy grimoire landed on his desk. Sarah jumped at the noise the book made on the desk and glared at Jareth. He chuckled lightly and opened the book. A light breeze blew through the room and the pages of the book turned. Jareth's eyes glinted and a strange light came off of the pages. Sarah stood on shaky legs and moved to look at the book. She cocked her head and looked at the writing. "I can't read it." Jareth adjusted the glasses on his nose.

"You may not be able to, but I can." Sarah stared at it a little longer.

"Is it written in Gaelic?" Jareth cocked a smiled and turned his gaze towards her.

"Very good Sarah. It is Gaelic, old Gaelic." He started reading and Sarah watched him. She couldn't quite believe that this was Jareth, part of Jareth. He didn't seem very much like the menacing Goblin King she remembered. As he read she sat back down and continued watching him.

His mismatched eyes skimmed the page and Sarah cocked her mouth to the side. She had never seen the real Jareth being studious, he was simply a cruel monarch that played with people's emotions to get what he wanted.

"See something you like?" Sarah almost jumped out of her skin. Jareth was still staring down at the book, his eyes skimming over the pages.

"W. What?" Jareth stopped reading and looked up at her. His eyes had taken on a green quality.

"You were staring at me." Sarah swallowed.

"I'm just trying to figure out how you're part of Jareth, the original Goblin King. You know, all seven pieces placed together. He didn't seem like the bookish type." Jareth chuckled and leaned back in the chair.

"I am a ruler of a kingdom. I had to be studious when I was a child to ensure my success as a monarch. From a young age I was groomed to be a ruler, just in case."

Sarah blinked and thought for a few moments before deciding just how she would respond to that.

"So. You weren't always in line to be goblin king?" Jareth snorted and shook his head.

"I have six older siblings, technically, without committing some heinous act of murder I shouldn't be on any throne. The fact that I am Goblin King now is a punishment."

Sarah blinked again. "You don't enjoy it? I mean, seven years ago you loved it, or seemed to." She started playing with her fingers, suddenly she felt incredibly awkward.

Jareth took off his glasses and took a long sip of his coffee before he said anything to her. "I am only telling you this so that it may persuade you to help me." Sarah nodded and swallowed. "As I said, I am the seventh child, the last in line, and the runt of all of my siblings." Sarah nodded again. "I am the only fair haired child, out of all of my siblings, even my twin sister has dark hair. I also was the only child of the High King that didn't hate every living thing that wasn't of Fae descent. By the time I was three years old I was thrown in a dungeon and forced to live there until I was eleven years old." Sarah's eyes widened and she held up one finger. Jareth nodded at her and allowed her to speak.

"So. There are different kingdoms in the underground, but your parents are the High rulers, and they imprisoned you just because you're not dark haired…" Jareth nodded and took another sip of coffee.

"They let me go at eleven, but they told me that I had to leave their kingdom because I was a disgrace. I ended up wandering the wastes for a long while and came upon a little goblin village. The bumbling idiots worshiped me, and they cared for me until I was back to full strength. At that point I started building my castle." Sarah nodded.

"So. This is a punishment how?" Jareth looked at her as though he was looking over his glasses, even though they were still on his desk.

"I can't go home Sarah, my parents all but disowned me, and the only way I will ever be allowed back is if I stop being such a disappointment."

She nodded slowly and continued playing with her fingers. "I'm sorry." She murmured. "I can't even imagine." Jareth snorted and replaced his glasses.

"Be happy that you can't, now…" He turned a few more pages in the book and continued reading. "You will be helping me, yes?"

Sarah thought for a few minutes and then sat up a little straighter. "No."

Jareth cocked a brow. "Excuse me?"

"I won't do anything to help you, but if the labyrinth really is doing that poorly, I will help. However, I need proof that the labyrinth really is that bad off." The lighting changed in the office and Jareth stood. His clothes had changed from his jeans and argyle sweater vest, and he was wearing an open, flowing, white, v-neck shirt, and tall grey breeches. Sarah swallowed. The last time she had seen him even remotely dressed like this was in the oubliette of the labyrinth.

"So be it Sarah." Jareth walked out from around his desk, the small heels of his boots clicking on the floor. Sarah started shaking and when Jareth was directly overhead Sarah was practically trembling in fear. Jareth placed his hand on the top of her head and she felt a strange sucking sensation that covered her entire body, before she fell over, the couch she was sitting on suddenly no longer holding her weight.

Sarah looked up at Jareth and stood, brushing orange dust off of her pants. She came at Jareth, her hands balled up into fists. "How. Dare. You!" She cried out. "You can't just kidnap people at will you maniac!" She was about to hit his chest with her fists, but Jareth sidestepped and Sarah was welcomed with an almost familiar sight of the labyrinth.

"Do you see what I mean now Sarah?" She swallowed and her eyes scanned the eerie landscape. The stone walls of the labyrinth were dark and almost greasy looking. The trees she could see were black, rotting where they stood. Strange animal sounds resounded from all around, sometimes they sounded like a dying moose, other times a fearsome tiger. The castle was in ruins, the large stone towers seemed to have been blown up. Sarah turned wide-eyed and looked at Jareth.

"This is all…all because of me?" She suddenly felt helpless and she wiped at her eyes before Jareth could see the tears that were threatening to overflow. "I'll help." She murmured before freezing. She heard someone else crying, more of a high-pitched wail. Jareth froze and swallowed. Sarah looked almost mesmerized and walked down the hill, wandering towards the noise. At the base of the hill, near the scummy, green pond was a crying little boy. Jareth moved a little further down the hill and crossed his arms over his chest. Sarah turned back to Jareth and cocked a brow. "Forgot to turn this one into a goblin hmm?" Jareth scowled and continued staring at the boy.

"Shhh little one." Sarah moved towards the boy and held her arms out. "I'm going to make sure that you get home." The boy sniffled and turned to stare at Sarah. The little blonde boy had wild unkempt hair and pale blew eyes. One of his eyes was horribly bruised, and Sarah felt a small tug at her heartstrings, until she looked closer at those eyes.

"…Jareth?"