*I do not own Labyrinth*
Chapter Five
No longer safe.
A bizarre feeling ran through her. It ghosted along her skin, making the hair on her arms stand on end, like during a thunderstorm. I love the rain... She thought randomly. The tree above her whispered with the wind and she watched the leaves dance. Sarah blinked at the bright blue sky, stars still dancing in her vision, mind playing catch up with reality.
Monsters. Death in malevolent eyes. Jareth!
She scrambled up, wincing at the few injuries she sustained and searched for him. He was laying still, sprawled out on the forest floor two large black marks scorched against the earth near him.
He's dead, that thing killed him!
Panic washed over her making her shake on unsteady legs as she scrambled to him. He lay on his side, a long tear in his white shirt now stained with bright red.
She turned him over, assessing the damage grimacing at the blood on his lip and the color blossoming along his jaw in a bruise. "Oh my god!" Sarah gasped.
"Hardly," Jareth mumbled, a weak smirk on his split lip, his eyes flickering open. "Though I appreciate the compliment."
Sarah ignored his comment, if he had strength to tease he probably wasn't gonna die. "It cut you," she pointed out though he must have know already.
Jareth closed his eyes running a hand over his face. Sarah slumped into a sitting position and took a few shaky breaths, replaying the events over again. So many small details. It was awful, a brush with death that they almost didn't walk away from...
Her hands started shaking. A mad giggle bubbled up accompanied by a few tears that she tried to sniff away. When that didn't work she covered her face and gave into the residual fear and the painful relief of being alive.
"Are you injured?" Jareth asked.
She didn't hear him over the ringing in her ears. Sarah shook her head, unwilling to open her eyes still she kept her hands over her face. She was alive. He was alive. Life moved on around them, birds began chirping again, the wind rustled the leaves of the trees. Sarah found it oddly annoying that the world didn't seem to care that she had just come so close to loosing her life.
Her hands were forcefully moved from her face and she jumped at the intrusion. Jareth stared into her face with his ice blue eyes "Sarah!" He demanded.
"What?"
"Are you injured?" He asked again.
At some point he had sat up and come closer to her. He held her wrists in his hands a look that could only be called worry on his face. "I, um." Sarah took a deep breath, mentally going over the encounter in her mind. "I don't think so, a few scrapes and I'm sure I'll be bruised tomorrow." She admitted, "Though, at least I'll see tomorrow right?" She said in an effort to cheer herself. It didn't really work.
Jareth nodded, dropping her wrists he scanned the area around them. Sarah watched him, and felt guilt pull at her, he was concerned for her when he was the one bleeding!
"What about you?" She wondered as she reached for the obvious wound on his side.
"A small wound," Jareth hissed as she pulled back the tattered shirt.
Sarah winced at the wicked looking gash along his side. "Doesn't look small."
"I will live." He said in response to her worried look.
"Hang on I have a first aid kit in the car." Sarah said, hurrying to get said item. Unsteady legs remained an issue but she managed well enough, reaching the car without falling though she did need to lean against it for a moment.
Doesn't look to bad, unless an infection happens. She thought, popping the trunk and digging for the first aid kit she had. She would need to thank her father for insisting she have one when she left for collage.
Back at his side she found him trying to stand up. "Don't move, we don't know if anything is broken!" She demanded but remained unsurprised when he ignored her and pulled himself up.
"I would know if something was broken precious." He said through gritted teeth.
"We should get to the car if you can walk." Sarah said looking for their enemy, Jareth seemed to have chased them off, "If they return..." She mumbled.
Jareth chuckled then hissed at the pain it caused. "If they return I doubt they would cause any problems."
"What do you mean?" Had he weakened them? she wondered.
Jareth waved a hand toward the black patches "They would be ghosts Sarah."
"Oh," She said, then looked again at the black scorch marks "Oh," she repeated now trying to avoid looking at them. "You, uh killed them then, with that light?" She asked, pulling out a long strip of bandage and the generic ointment the kit had.
"A simple way of putting it but yes," He said, pulling at his shirt slowly he winced again, "You seem surprised."
Was she? Sarah considered that as she dug in the pack, looking for an any extra bandages. "Nothing you did in the past was quite so, um.." She paused thinking of the feeling. "Primal?" She wondered. When she was fifteen the magic he used was small in comparison to this. Back then it hummed and sang, distinctly there, but not really directly threatening, like he was doing magic around her, but never at her.
Jareth laughed again, "An astute observation, your run through my labyrinth was child's play Sarah. They," he said, pulling her attention back to him, "Would see us both dead. A more forceful approach was needed."
Sarah swallowed against her dry throat that was also somehow threatening to drool. Jareth sat, his upper half naked, and despite the wound in his side he was... Yummy? Her mind offered. He was lean to be sure but also muscular in a non showy way that spoke of strength and not pure brawn like a body builder.
"What were they?" She asked, distracting herself by washing away the blood on his side.
"Amarok." He stated. At her frown of confusion he added, "Magical creatures, trained hunters."
"Oh," Was all she could manage in reply. What else do you say to that?
He offered no more info as she bandaged up the long, ugly gash along his side. With that done she picked up the remains of his shirt and held it up. It was torn, bloody and dirty. "I don't think its salvageable."
Jareth shrugged, then winced at the pain the movement caused. "I will survive."
"I might have some t-shirts in the car." She offered.
Jareth sighed, but did nod in agreement.
Sarah stood and headed back to the car. Her male roommates had a habit of leaving things in her car every time they took a trip. She wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a few hiding under the seats.
A quick search ended with two shirts and Sarah took one look at them and almost told him that she couldn't find any. In the end however she decided he would probably not want to remain topless. And so she returned to his side and presented him with the two.
"What the devil is on those?" He demanded.
"Look, they aren't mine, but they are what I've got." Sarah explained, she expected some level of annoyance at her offering but couldn't help but smile at his look of long suffering. "So which will it be, Metallica?" She said offering up the stark black one with the bands logo. "Or, Muppets." she said offering up the white one with bright images of Jim Henson's critters. At his blank stare of horror Sarah shrugged, "Or go shirtless I guess."
Jareth sniffed and grabbed the Black one.
As he struggled into it Sarah's wrist began beeping. A reminder on her watch to water her collection of houseplants.
"What is that?" He wondered.
"A reminder." She shrugged. "But my plants wont die before I get back tonight."
"You cannot leave." Jareth said, glaring down at the shirt in disdain.
Sarah froze at that, "What?" fear crawled up her spine like icy claws.
"You must remain with me until I deal with..." He paused his jaw almost clacking as he shut it. "Until I choose to let you return." He amended with an easy shrug.
Sarah felt cold panic wash over her. Every bad thing he ever did rose up in her mind, followed by Hoggle's steady reminders that she was very lucky to have escaped the underground at all.
"Never trust the fair folk Sarah," Hoggle insisted, "They steal what they can and convince ya with nice words to give em what they can't!"
Jareth stood again though he hissed at the pain he stood tall, imposing, powerful and dangerous. Even in a t-shirt he seemed a villain to her again.
A small part of her pointed out that he just saved their lives, that she might be overreacting. Maybe it was her recent near death experience, but her fear had taken hold gripping her with a wild panic.
Sarah took a step back from him, testing his words, looking for the truth, "You plan on taking me back?" Her emotions rolled chaotically, found memories of friends and adventure filled her with a thrill of excitement but dread and fear also ran a muck with memories that were anything but fun. "I agreed to take you this far nothing else!" she insisted, backing away from him.
"Sarah," He said, reaching to stop her retreat.
Dodging his hand Sarah backed away again. "I don't trust you!" She informed him. Her villain had returned full force as far as she could tell and along with him every bad memory of her trip in the underground.
Jareth chuckled, "I would be surprised if you did." but the smile faded fast and he glared at her."But that is irrelevant, you will remain with me until-"
"So now you're kidnapping me!?" Sarah said, cutting him off, voice rising in panic, "Again!" She added heart beating fast.
Jareth reached for her faster than she could dodge, taking an elbow he shook his head, "There are things you cannot understand. You must obey me for th-" He began.
"Like hell I do!" She insisted, "Give me one good reason goblin king!" She demanded pulling her arm out of his grasp.
"Sarah," Jareth began again, glaring down at her, "Do not defy me, again!"
"You have no power over me, remember?!" Sarah almost yelled, hopping it was true. It had to be true right?
"You willful, selfish little snipe!" He ground out at her. "Still think the world revolves around you?" Squaring his shoulders he stared her down, threatening and far stronger than she.
Sarah felt her knees shaking now, "Well it certainly doesn't revolve around you!" Sarah yelled, fighting against his dominating presence. "You cannot make me return there, you can't!" She insisted, fully set on running, getting in her car and driving away.
She managed three steps when Jareth blocked her retreat grabbing her shoulders he forced her to stop. Stark blue eyes glared down at her, the air heavy with what she now knew was his magic. He's gonna kill me! she thought and wondered, for a bizarre moment, if it would hurt?
"Sarah Williams cease this unseemly panic!" He demanded the very air cracked with his words. "Calm down!" he added with drawn out sigh.
For her part, Sarah froze but still remained determined. He cant force me, he can't! She reminded herself, staring at her shoes and refusing to look at him.
"Sarah, I have enemies as you have just seen. You have no power against them." Jareth paused taking a deep breath, the presence of power coming off him in waves slowed somehow. Shifting from the raw force of a strong wind to the calm brush of a breeze. Sarah felt her heart slow, her muscles relax and glaring up at his mismatch eyes as he held both her arms, not allowing her to move. "You have been seen now, your name is know to them, they will kill you because of your apparent link too me!"
Sarah looked up into his eyes, could almost feel the blood drain from her face, "What?" She whispered, disbelieving him.
Jareth let her arms fall free, "I did not mean for you to get so involved. But that is unavoidable now."
"But, I don't know anything, I have no magic, no ties to you, I'm no one!" She complained mind recalling the evil burning eyes of the Aramok.
"It will not matter," Jareth sighed, "But it is not just you, from now on any person you have contact with will be marked as a threat."
Sarah wilted, her fear of being kidnapped fell from her mind as the faces of everyone she knew crossed her vision, friends, family... Toby.
"If you do not stay with me everyone you know will be in danger." He said, sounding almost defeated.
"But," Sarah began, still afraid
"I am not the villain you paint me as," Jareth said, hands out almost pleading. "I offer no lie, no ulterior motive. I will not have innocent lives end because of me."
The sting of tears threatened behind her eyes and she looked up at him again. He's protecting them...me? She thought. It was, surprising. Sarah mentally shook herself, his words and warning playing over in her mind again. "Will I be safe if I stay with you?" she wondered though she could guess the answer.
"No." He stated, but smirked "I suspect this was just one of many attempts to stop my return. You will be subjected to these attacks but those you care for will be safe."
Sarah hugged herself. "I don't get a choice then." she said, though mostly to herself.
Jareth chuckled and shook his head at her. "Everyone has choices precious. Just because the options are terrible doesn't mean there is no choice."
Sarah felt the fear clutching at her heart but still, he did seem sincere. "Will you take me back home, when its safe?" she asked.
Jareth grinned, "Despite what you may have heard Sarah I have no need or reason to kidnap you to the underground. In fact you will likely be nothing but a nuisance, But that doesn't mean I want you dead."
Still hugging herself Sarah rubbed at her arms and thought. The truth was she knew she couldn't take a chance like this when the ones she loved were in danger. She would go, she only hoped that he was exaggerating the danger.
Jareth watched her for a moment waiting for her decision she assumed. He looked away from her, scanning the trees "You are right Sarah, I cannot force you." He said, not looking back at her his face hidden.
Sarah sighed. "I'll go,"
Jareth nodded, picking up his back he walked a few feet away.
I'm Crazy! she thought to herself but no matter how much she wanted to disbelieve him she just couldn't. What am I getting into? She wondered as she headed for her car to get some supplies for herself.
**End**
***So the King has a heart after all. What lies ahead for them now? Up next, Sarah now follows him for the sake of protecting her family. Jareth continues to avoid questions. Stay tuned and please review.***