DISCLAIMER: Don't own the Labyrinth :(

WARNINGS: language, spoilers for the book/movie Pride and Prejudice

A/N: I just want to especially thank the many people who have been reading this. I really, really appreciate it. You know I treasure reviews ;)

"You have really bad timing..." I uttered through exhausted lips.

"Well, I had to wish you a Merry Christmas. Is that not what humans usually do?"

"Yes, but generally not in that person's bedroom the second that it turns into Christmas."

"I'm technically not in your bedroom, Sarah. I'm in the basement, outside your room." He smirked.

"Well, whatever. It's not normal human behavior."

I hated that he was upsetting me. First he disappears, for how long? And now he's just prancing back in after I have had one of the longest days in my life. I huffed.

"Sarah, why do people only give presents at Christmas?"

That took me by surprise. The last thing I expected from him were questions about human culture.

"Probably because people can't afford to give other people presents everyday but they still want to show others how much they love them, so they give them a present once a year instead."

He twirled crystals in his hand, making them dance. "I think that's very...materialistic. Don't you think?"

"Materialistic? It's once a year! Plus, if you think about it, you get a present but then you give a present right back to that person later during a birthday or something. It's just a cycle to show people that you think about them through the things that you give them. For instance, if I gave you a...jeweled crown...or...something...it would show that I'm thinking about you because, you know, you're a king and all..."

The crystals started spinning faster and faster. "So what you're saying is that people give presents to other people to show that they're thinking about them. Couldn't they just tell a person that they're thinking about them and not have to spend anything?"

"No because when you spend money on someone it shows that person that they are willing to give apart of them to you. Since money is considered valuable in human society, it means a great deal even if you get them a nic-nak."

He grunted. "I would never get you a nic-nak."

"Well, since you are so opinionated on the subject of presents, what would you get me, then?"

He chuckled as he pulled a long box out of his pocket. "I guess you'll have to open it to find out."

I was shocked that he had brought me a present. The way he was talking about presents...I assumed he thought the idea was stupid so he didn't bring me one.

"Ugh-"

"Just open it, Sarah! Don't seem so shocked." He rolled his eyes.

I opened it, carefully. The box was so beautiful I didn't want to damage it. Inside the box lay a glass rose. It had a gold stem and red petals. It was so beautiful...and heavy. I don't think this was cheap...wherever he got it.

"Thank you. I love it. I think I might put it above the fireplace. I can't just let it sit in a box."

He helped me place it where I wanted it and plunked down on the piano seat.

"You're most certainly welcome. So, what have you been doing this week?"

I recounted everything that had happened with babysitting, the party, Christmas Eve dinner, and Emmett. He carefully listened and processed everything that I had said making very calculated facial expressions. When I was done ranting about my week, he turned to me and said, "Sarah, you lead a very dull life."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was so serious. He reminded me of a doctor giving me the final results on a test for cancer.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Come to the Labyrinth with me." He said.

"We've already discussed that."

"Darn."

"Are you my friend?"

He blinked. "Well-yeah I guess, I am...that's a rather odd question."

"You left last time and then I didn't see you for a week so I was wondering if I was just you're amusement until you found some real friends or...something."

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, Sarah, when you find someone in my world who wants to be friend, call me. I'm curious to know why you need a friend when you obviously have this-Emmett boy of yours to talk to."

I scoffed. "I don't want just one friend. I would like to get different perspectives, not one that I can predict every time I need to talk to someone. Then, I wouldn't really need to talk to them because I will know what they are going to say."

"You make a good point. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just wondering-nevermind, it's nothing."

He rolled his eyes practically out of his sockets. "It is never nothing with you, Sarah. Just ask."

"Well, I was wondering about your parents..."

He grew cold and his eyes looked like they had been etched onto his face.

"I-I'm sorry...I didn't want to ask-" He put his hand up to stop me from speaking and he sighed a great, long sigh.

"Sarah, there is not much that I don't talk about, but the past is one of them. I have had horrible things happen to me and in some cases I have done terribole things to other people. I don't want to scare you off, yet so how about we just have some Christmas wine and forget about it?"

I really wanted to know what he was hiding from me but I instead I replied, "Okay, let's open it up!"

I hadn't had alcohol in so long, Karen only let me have some once in awhile so I readily agreed. I liked to think of myself as an adult, so whenever any type of alcohol was brought up, I made sure to guzzle it down. As Jareth filled up the last glass, I decided to ask him about something that was on my mind.

"Jareth?"

"Hmmm?" He murmured.

"Why is it so hard for you to find friends in your own world?"

"That's a very long story but, probably for the same reason you can't make friends in your world...we're just very different from the rest." He smiled.

I guess that answer will have to do for now. I didn't want to spoil the evening with him getting angry at me.

"Cheers to new friends! Forgiven friends..." He added.

I gulped mine down in one tip of the glass. Jareth fully raised both his eyebrows.

"I don't think it was that bad of a night."

"It wasn't, I just...need to relax, that's all."

"I see, I should go."

"NO!"

He looked back, startled. "I mean, ugh, please? Please stay?"

"I see your manners leave a lot to be desired...fine I will stay and we can watch a movie together." He made it seem like this would be a hard task for him, but I could see that underneath the façade, he was pleased that he could stay.

I put in the movie Pride and Prejudice. I was going to get a better action movie but all of them were upstairs and I couldn't go up there without waking someone up. At times like this I wished I wasn't such a sucker for romance movies. Now he was probably going to make fun of me...

We watched and surprisingly, he had nothing to say during the whole movie. I watched him carefully weighing his reactions to see what he had been taking from it. I suddenly found myself wanting to know everything he thought about the movie or hear him say anything, really. I was such a bad person to watch movies with because I could talk during the whole thing. Karen and my dad effectively ended movie night shortly after they started for that specific reason.

We had gotten to my favorite part where Elizabeth comes to Derby-shire and meets Darcy while her aunt and uncle say how wonderful he is. This was my favorite and least favorite part because Elizabeth and Darcy were reunited but they still weren't talking to each other. I also liked how he stood up and became her knight and shining armor after being an asshole about an hour ago. I think both of these things were alluring about him in the book and the movie. Somehow, he was irresistible. He was Mr. Darcy, the guy that every teenage girl fantasized about.

Finally, it had ended and I couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine! Tell me how stupid the movie was, it's okay. I know it is, I just really like that movie and I don't know why."

I could see he was confused by my outburst. "I don't think it was a bad movie. Actually, I was rather intrigued by it...I'm a little puzzled by some parts but other then that, I thought it was rather delightful."

"Oh...well what are your questions?"

"First, why did Elizabeth hate Darcy so much? I know that she had heard stories about him, but to me, he just looked really shy. Poor man." He shook his head.

I had to laugh at the pitying look he had on his face for a character of all people! "I think that Elizabeth just wasn't interested at all with him and so it wasn't necessary to try and get to the bottom of things."

"Hmmm, well I still feel bad for him. Which leads me to my next question, why do men always have to figure out the crazy girl in every love movie? Why can't the girl just be normal for once?"

"Because then it wouldn't be a good story." I smiled. I was enjoying his over thinking about such a silly movie.

He shrugged. "I just feel like the movie should start with the ending, I like stories better when they start out with the happy couple."

I shook my head at the discussion we were having. How did I end up having a discussion with the Goblin King about Pride and Prejudice? My life always had something spectacular around the corner. I was truly glad that he had come, despite everything. I couldn't help but wonder more about his past. Why wouldn't he tell me anything about it? How could something be so terrible that he couldn't talk about it with me? I felt a little betrayed and hurt that he felt he couldn't confide in me.

I think maybe if I want him to open up to me, I have to open up to him...but that's a can of worms I appreciated being taped shut...and then it hit me...now I understood why he didn't want to tell me. If I was in his same situation, I wouldn't really want to tell him, either. But I had to know. I would work on revealing more of my life next time we met if it meant that I could see more of what bothered him so much.

"Sarah, would it be okay if I visited with you on Wednesday?"

"Yeah, that's when school starts back up so you can help me with more of my homework." I flashed my big white teeth at him.

He shuddered. "I have always hated homework. You are lucky that we have already established we are friends otherwise I wouldn't bother."

"Haha! Well, I guess that's the price of friendship. Does this mean you're leaving me?" I asked, my tone growing sadder.

"I have to get back to my castle eventually, what will the goblins think if I'm disappearing everyday?"

"That you need some alone time because they are all annoying?"

"You are so smart. Maybe I will tell them that next time."

He walked to my door and *poof* turned into an owl and flew away from the house...from me. Why was it so hard for him to say goodbye once in awhile?