*I don't own anything Labyrinth*

Summer time as a mother of 5 kids is hell on wheels... I tried, I really did try. I can only say that I am sorry for the months of delay and hope you will forgive me. But at long last school has started again and I have time on my hands to spend on silly fanfics! I cannot promise a consistent update timetable but I will not leave a story unfinished forever that I swear. Without farther ado...

Chapter Four

The forests edge

Sarah was sure that a three hour road trip would be dull, awkward or at the very least aggravating.

Mostly it ended up weird.

She spent the first ten minuets almost holding her breath in anticipation of any one of those three things. While they didn't chat the silence was almost companionable. The radio playing out songs kept her mind from wandering and Jareth seemed to like the music. Sarah did suspect that if he chose to talk to her the aggravating possibility might happen but he did not.

About two hours into the drive and she decided more coffee was defiantly needed and stopped at a small truck stop. With a fresh drink and some snacks Sarah returned to the car and the waiting king within. He looked angry as she approached but she was too tired to care and took her time getting the car started. A sharp pain flared inside her, yet she couldn't place quite where.

"I am very pressed for time!" He complained, breaking her concentration on the odd feeling.

Throwing him a glare she shifted into drive and headed for the on-ramp. "So sorry," she mumbled to herself, absently noting the feeling drifting away.

Probably a side effect of no sleep, too much coffee and cranky kings. She thought stealing a glance at said man who was looking behind them at the gas station like he expected it to blow up or something.

"Forget something?" She wondered.

"No," He folded his arms and focused on the road ahead.

About an hour from their destination Sarah found herself constantly stealing glances at him. Her goblin king, sitting in the passenger seat of her old sedan looked so out of place. Needs more glitter, a bit of wild wind... Sarah mused. And then she was reliving their first encounter. His imposing figure, decked in black shimmering with magic and grinning that wicked grin. This memory was fast followed by every awful thing he did. Baby stealing. Snakes, turned scarf. The oubliette. The cleaners. That one made her shiver in remembrance. There was creepy fiery creatures that wanted to steal her head, a bog that still haunted her and that junk yard that almost fooled her, their grand battle at the gates wasn't all bad, his goblins were obviously not the warrior types. Then there was the impossible Escher room.

Sarah wanted to ask him so many questions. First and foremost she worried about her friends, then about his kingdom as well but just couldn't bring herself to ask him. She was somehow sure that he would not welcome the questions and that chances were he wouldn't answer them anyway.

The national forest sign passed them and Sarah, both exhausted and also far to energized; by the many cups of coffee she had downed in the last six hours, found that her feelings on the day were still in a horribly confused jumble.

Most she wrote off as her far too tired mind and body being unable to cope. Yet, at the same time, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling of worry and pity for Jareth. He sat, almost completely silent the entire trip, shoulders slumped and face drawn.

"Stop." He said, startling her out of her thoughts.

"What now?" She asked. He only stared at her as if to say "of course".

So she pulled off the road.

"Why here?" She wondered.

"I simply need to check something, await my return." He instructed and then he left the car and walked into the surrounding trees.

Seconds ticked by and Sarah felt somehow vulnerable. She began chewing on her thumbs cuticle as she scanned the trees where he disappeared. She leaned forward letting her head rest against the wheel.

Her stomach growled at her and she thought longingly about food that wasn't bought from gas stations. Then the pain started again, the odd pull that seemed to come from far away, it was getting worse too. Yet before she could give it much thought Jareth was back.

"Drive." Jareth demanded as he opened the car door and sat. "We are close." he added as he looked over the map again.

Sarah did as he asked, now simply wishing this was all done. And soon it would be, she could carry on with her life and he could go back and keep stealing kids and harassing their caregivers.

"Here." Jareth said, holding up the map for her inspection. Sarah glanced at it and nodded. About a mile in there was a trail head with a pull out for parking.

Sarah stiffed a yawn and stretched her neck. It was getting late now, just shy of five o-clock at this point she would be getting back late. She could almost feel her mind mentally groan at the thought of a four hour trip back in her sleep deprived state. Stealing a glance at the king by her side she wondered, again, why she offered him a ride. I'm just too soft, She thought to herself. Who willingly helps someone like him?

Images of Ludo danced through her head. Their first encounter frightened her, yet she wanted to help, even a monster shouldn't be so tortured. Ludo turned out to be nothing frightening at all. And here she was doing the same thing again, answering a cry for help.

Sarah let her eyes fall again on the man at her side. Ludo was one thing, he was a villain, a bad guy.

Worse still, she really had no clue what was going on with him. Sarah chewed at her cuticle and decided to see if she could get an answer. "What will happen when you get back?" She wondered, hopping for a hint.

Jareth slid his gaze at her, "Take back what was stolen." He mumbled.

"What was stolen?" She asked but he only looked out the window. The key? She guessed.

"It's just ahead." He said, dodging the question.

Sarah looked up and sure enough the place was coming up and she slowed their speed pulling into the small gravel turnout and parked her car. "Where are the supplies?" Jareth asked climbing out of the car and removing his leather jacket.

"Oh, uh in the trunk." Sarah said and popped the trunk before getting out of the car. Last weekend her and her room mates took a quick trip to a local lake so most of the gear was still in her trunk. Sarah riffled through it and pulled out a pack and a sleeping bag. "Its mostly dry things, trail mix and jerky, guess we should have got more?"

"I am a capable hunter Sarah." He said taking the things from her and draping his jacket over his arm.

"So," Sarah began, watching as Jareth shouldered the pack. "You're um." She stopped not really sure anymore. He was going, was about to walk into the woods and that would be that. But he was going alone. Sarah was reminded of her run through the labyrinth, when she was on her own it was frightening and well, lonely. That was, in part, why she latched onto her friends, at the time grateful for the company. "Will you-"

"I will let them repair the mirror." He said, cutting her off

Sarah felt a small smile curl her mouth, that wasn't what she was thinking about at all but the thought was appreciated, in fact it was almost a kindness coming from him.

And then he ruined the moment. "If I do not, your friends, will only become insufferable." He drolled out in an obnoxious manner.

Sarah huffed, "While I appreciate it, that was not what I was going to ask." She complained. Really he was such an ass!

Jareth turned his wicked smirk at her and raised a brow, "Oh, and what wish could I grant for your service?"

"Only a fool would wish around you," She retorted without missing a beat.

Jareth blinked a few times jaw slightly lose.

Was he, surprised by that? Sarah wondered, how odd...

"I wondered, if your royal pain in the ass will be okay!" She bit out at him, "You know, alone and..." Sarah coughed wilting under his steady gaze. "There might be bears, or wolves."

His slightly stunned look shifted into his customary grin and he lay a hand against his chest, "Sarah, are you offering to protect me? I had no idea you were such a warrior." He mocked.

"Thats not," she began stumbling over her own thoughts, "I'm not a warrior." she finished lamely.

"Then why would I need you?" He shrugged and turned away.

Oh, he was such a jerk! She thought glaring at him

Taking a deep breath he faced the looming trees. "Goodbye Sarah Williams." He said.

Sarah watched him walk away.

She should be getting back into her car driving away and never think about him again. But she stood rooted in place as she leaned against the car. He never looked back just headed toward the trail head. This was it...

Somewhere deep inside Sarah felt it again, a pull, sharp and almost painful it tugged and she found herself curling over like she had been punched. Sarah looked for him on instinct or from a deep panic she wasn't sure. He too was hunched over, leaning heavily against a tree like his legs would no longer hold him.

Thought and action became one as she ran to his side. "Jareth!" She called catching up in no time she skidded to a stop next to him. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer, his eyes wide. She felt it again, the sharp pull the breath taken from her lungs. She felt eyes on her, malevolent evil eyes. She stood, panicked as she scanned all around them looking for it.

The forest around them was silent not even a bird called.

Jareth pulled himself up, dropping his pack his eyes narrowed. "Something is coming."

"What is it?" She mumbled, no longer paying attention to the king at her side she searched all around them looking. She could feel it now. Whatever it was radiated power, like the approach of a train does, steady, rumbling the very bones of your body. And like a train Sarah felt the desperate need to get out of its path.

"Sarah," Jareth whispered.

"Yes?" she whispered back.

"Run!" He snarled.

Sarah wanted to do just that but didn't know where she should run too. "Where?!" She demanded.

He didn't answer simply shoved her away from him.

At a stumbling run Sarah tried to do what he asked. Car! Her mind frantically demanded and so she turned and went that way.

A loud roar echoed behind her. Sarah glanced to see some huge and black thing tackle Jareth to the ground. She heard a scream, which was most likely her own, and then something ran right into her with the force of the train she had been envisioning earlier.

Unlike Jareth, whatever hit her didn't tackle her down, instead she found herself skidding for several feet along the gravel. Breathing hurt, sharp pain laced down her side along with far to many scrapes and bruises.

Sarah felt the thing behind her, wild panic and instinct demanded she run but she only managed to half scramble up on her elbows.

"Whats this then?" A deep voice asked, Sarah turned, facing whatever it was that struck her. Wolf was what she at first thought, it was decidedly wolfish yet it was too black, too large and the fact that it was asking her questions chased that idea away. "Jareth so desperate he's consorting with humans?" It asked, stretching out the word human like it was a curse.

Sarah frantically backed away from the thing, a fast glance toward Jareth and she knew she was on her own in this. He was fighting with the other one, equal in size and color to her own assailant, he had a tight hold on its neck as it tried to snap at any part of him it could reach.

"Who are you little mortal?" It snarled, pulling her attention away from the king. The thing paced, head down it prowled around her.

Sarah scrambled to her feet turning to follow its path, trying to keep it within sight. "No one." She mumbled shaking her head. Sarah knew she needed to fight back, run or do something but fear had her paralyzed. Its eyes burned with a malevolent purple light that pulled on her mind.

"What lies," It rasped out at her, "You reek of magic." It stated snapping at the air giving Sarah like it might be tasting her.

"I have no magic," She said, hopping that keeping it talking would make a difference.

It made a sound somewhere between a bark and a growl that gave her the impression it was laughing at her. "Oh, it isn't your magic little one." Sarah took a step back but it advanced toward her so she froze again. "Tell me your name child, that my mistress might reward me." It said.

Fear crawled up her spine, winding its icy fingers through her chest. Looking into the purple depths of its eyes Sarah saw her own death.

Throat ripped open and her blood pooled below her in a sticky puddle.

"Run Sarah!" She heard Jareth yell, the thing turned away from her snarling at Jareth who still grappled with the other one.

With its eyes turned away her mind slammed back to reality. Sarah tried to run, wincing at the pain but pushing through. She needed safety but it was between her and the car. She tried anyway, getting several feet closer to the car but the thing was faster.

Snarling and snapping at the air it charged her again, blocking her path. Its eyes swung back to her, Sarah clutched the nearest thing at hand, a large-ish rock. "Stay back!" she begged.

"Why?" It asked again making the awful sound that made her think of laughter. "Do you think he would protect you? Silly little mortal, your life for what?" It tutted, full of false pity, "What could you possibly offer a dethroned king?" It asked.

Sarah swallowed against her overly dry throat, "Nothing, I'm nothing."

"Then your life means nothing." It snarled, then the thing began to advance toward her and Sarah threw the stone with all her might.

It simply dodged.

A cry escaped her as, moments after it dodged the thing leaped at her.

Lightning struck, or at least that what it felt like. A blinding flash knocked her and the wolf thing back, the very air cracked with a power that Sarah felt all the way through her entire being. Blinking away the stars in her eyes Sarah scanned the clearing. Her assailant, now ignoring her, turned to Jareth.

"You dare!" The thing demanded before, now ignoring her, it leaped at the goblin king.

Sarah choked out a yell of warning but Jareth didn't move from its path. He stood his ground, his un gloved hands held before him like he had an invisible ball between them. His face was still, but sweat beaded on his brow and every muscle in his body seemed tense. Sarah felt more than saw his magic. It cracked around him with a slight glow. His hair moved with an unnatural wind and his eyes shimmered a blue too bright to be human.

Where the wolf's approach felt like a train Jareth felt like a thunderstorm. He was primal power looming on the horizon, a force that could neither be controlled nor contained.

The thing, charged relentless and Sarah scrambled up yelling his name in panic when, just as it reached him, Jareth's power burst like a bomb. Again Sarah found herself thrown to the ground and momentarily blinded by the flash.

**End**

***What the hell just happened? Who is after them and why? Up next, Jareth says little on the matter but makes a demand of Sarah that must be met, for her life now hangs in the balance. Stay tuned and please review.***