"Do you know where you are heading, dearie?" Rumplestiltskin asked, his hands behind his back.

"Yes..." Danica stopped and looked ahead in the path she was following. It was a lot greener than when she first came into the labyrinth, and a lot warmer. But there was no clear indication of whereto the path lead.

Danica turned to Rumplestiltskin with a frown. He was smirking. Danica pondered a moment longer before she turned and continued down the path.

"I'm heading down the path."

"And do you know to where the path will take us?"

"No, not yet."

Rumplestiltskin giggled from behind her. When Danica turned to glare at him he was gone. She huffed and continued on her way.

"Who needs him anyway."

It wasn't until Rumplestiltskin was gone that she noticed the eye-plants that grew in small clusters on the side of the path. The plants cooed up at her, begging her to stop and shower them with attention. Danica was tempted but she knew she had to press forward. She glanced at her watch, she had only ten hours left. She mumbled her apologies to the plant and rushed down the path.

She continued down it until she came to where the path split into several different directions, each looking as promising as the next. Thick trees separated the paths from one another. The first path was as green as the path as she had followed before, vines and greenery grew abundantly on either side of the path. The second was a dry and sandy path, cracks had formed in the path and dried roots were spread alongide the path. The third path was covered in a thick mist, obscuring her view of what laid ahead.

Her first idea was to randomly select one but something told her it was not a smart choice. She had never truly liked the unknown so she shied away from the thrid path. The second path didn't hold any alure either. She huffed and pulled the red book from where she had stuffed it in her back pocket when she first arrived in the labyrinth. She hadn't gotten the chance to finish the book but she could recall something she had read within.

"'Nothing is ever what it seems'... Well that helps a lot," Danica huffed, "what exactly is these paths supposed to be then?"

She stood a moment before she stuffed the book back into her back pocket. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"It's better to know what you're getting yourself into I suppose," she said and looked down the dry path. She could see the heat shimmering over the path and a sandy wind blowing in the distance. "But it might be better to take a chance once in a while and move away from the familiar."

Taking a deep breath she pushed through the thick mist that hung over the path. Several moments passed before she broke through the mist. On the other side a soft dirt path twisted into the distance, small pink rosebushes grew either side of the path. Directly in front of Danica Rumplestiltskin was reclined on a white rock.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up," Rumplestiltskin said.

He stood and dusted of his jacket before straightening to face her.

"What?"

"You took your time getting here, stopped to pet the plants along the way?"

Danica frowned, "No, I didn't. There were a few other paths to rule out."

"Of course. After you," he said and bowed, gesturing down the path.

"Why do you keep following me?"

"Let's just say I'm invested in your future." With a giggle he started down the path.

"I'm not going to agree to that deal."

Rumplestiltskin turned back to her, trailing his eyes up and down her form and with a smirk said, "I wouldn't count on it."

Danica shook her head and walked past him, down the path.

RJRJR

Jareth stared irritably at the crystal he held in his hand. "He's helping her, again," he said, not taking his eyes off of the crystal.

"If I recall correctly I had a little help as well."

Jareth turned to glance at his wife, who stood next to his throne. With a flick of his hand the crystal disappeared and with his now-empty hands he pulled his wife onto his lap.

"Hogwash was as little help as a blind cripple," Jareth said, cupping his wife's jaw in his hand. "Rumplestiltskin is too helpful."

"But I'd never have made it to the Goblin City without Hoggle."

Jareth huffed a laugh, "You doubt yourself too much."

She smiled at that, tracing her fingers over his lips. "And you doubt the Labyrinth too much. It will not allow her to win if she's not worthy, you know that..."

Jareth sighed, turning his gaze toward the choas that could only be cauzed by goblins. They had renewed their determination to destroy his throne room and it was all to blame on his wife. After she had won the Labyrinth and said those words that broke his heart none of the goblins dared come near him. He was devastated and angry. But she summoned him, wishing herself apart of his life only a few days later.

He gazed at her from the corner of his eye, watching a loving smile dance over her lips when a goblin scampered past.

"You turn my world upside down, Sarah."

"You turn mine right-side up," she said and kissed him.