*I do not own Labyrinth*

Chapter Eight

Questions and few answers

"Wake up Sarah."

The words broke through the last threads of sleep and pulled Sarah into the dim light of the fire. The aroma of wood smoke and the ever present scent of green filled the air that was still on the chill side of pre dawn.

"No," Sarah groaned, shaking her head, "Too early," she mumbled.

Jareth may have claimed to be someone who enjoyed the night but he was definitely a morning person too. "The day begins and we have quite a way to go, up up." He cheerfully informed her.

Sarah sat up, but remained curled in her sleeping bag, eying Jareth with suspicion. She forgave his chipper morning greeting when he offered up a warm cup of coffee along with a breakfast of fruit and yogurt. As Sarah slowly climbed out of her sleepy and not quite awake state she began to remember the previous night.

Stopping mid sip she looked down at the mug in suspicion. "Jareth?" she asked.

He smiled as he rolled up his blanket. "Yes?"

"Did you," she stuttered, half afraid of the answer. "did you drug me last night?"

Jareth laughed. "No,"

Sarah took a small drink, looked at the cup again, not quite believing him.

"I put a small spell on your drink." he said as he continued his packing.

Sarah coughed as she swallowed wrong and glared at him. "What?"

He stopped and looked over the dieing fire at her. His face a mask of pity and exasperation. "Sarah," he began shaking his head, "You couldn't sleep. Told me you regularly require aid to sleep, and you are going to be angry because I lent you aid last night?"

She was angry at his assumption and the fact that he had a point so she settled for just saying nothing about it as she climbed out of her sleeping bag.

"So what way are we going to head?" She wondered, not that she could really tell which way was which without a compass.

"We must move northwest for a time." He said, as he slung his pack and watched her expectantly, "There is a river that will help us mask our scent. Then to the heart of the forest."

Sarah stopped at his words. She had almost forgotten the monsters, the evil eyes. Feeling a chill skitter down her spine like a spiders crawl she scanned the woods around them. The memory of evil eyes watching her made her shrink in on herself.

Jareth, closed the distance between them, "Sarah?" He wondered at her frozen state.

She hardly noticed his words, the woods that had before seemed pleasant become sinister in her fear laced mind.

"We will be safe for a time." Jareth said reassuringly though it didn't help much. He pulled off his pack and began rummaging in it and pulled out a knife, "It will take some time before it is known that their scouts are dead and then some time for them to track us again." He held out the knife.

Sarah stared first at him and then at the knife. It wasn't a pocket knife, but wasn't huge either, more like a hunting knife really. "I don't know how to use this." She said as images of the monster haunted her again, flitting behind her eyes like a waking nightmare.

"Sarah," Jareth began, shaking her shoulder making her blink, "Do not think about them it will make us easier to track." She shivered wondering how she would be able to forget something like that. "And its a simple weapon precious," he added as he placed the knife in her hand, "The pointed end goes in your enemy," He smirked as her fear melted into annoyance at his remark.

She held it, feeling the weight of it in her hand and admitted that she did feel better knowing she had something.

"Shall we?" he said as he turned on one heel and walked out of the camp, leaving her with little choice but to follow. Sarah distracted herself by watching the tree's pass. It was a lovely forest and if this just a regular hike she would be enjoying herself more. The joy of being in nature was marred by recent events and the fact that she was a bit out of shape.

The sun was on the rise, though unable to actually see said sun, the day was moving right along. Sarah watched Jareth as he walked unstopping ahead of her. They didn't follow a regular hiking trail, Jareth simply left their campsite and walked into the tree's following, as far as she could tell, a rabbits track.

Sarah considered the mornings revelations as they hiked. Going over the events of last night around the fire and the half remembered words before she slept. Drugged... her mind reminded her. Still his intention wasn't really bad right?

Sarah was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice him stop until she almost ran into his back. "What?" She asked looking around his shoulder but there was nothing there that she could see.

Jareth hissed a "Shh" at her and scanned around them.

The forest seemed suddenly too quiet to her. Her heart sped up and Sarah strained her senses, feeling for the evil of the Aramok again but found nothing.

Jareth stood tense his eyes narrowed and then he spun on his heal to face her and put his hands on either side of her face. "Jareth wha-" She began.

"Do not fight me." He insisted.

Too afraid to do more than comply Sarah held still. Magic moved around them, surrounded them, shifting in a tight circle. Somewhere deep inside, her mind struggled against the magic, pushing against it in fear. "Do not fight me." again within her mind repeated. Sarah's mind was flooded with images of the forest, pushing out her confusion with flashes of trees, small animals and plant life. The images were so strong that she was soon lost within them, like she was no longer a person but only a tree within the forest. As a tree she felt something push against her mind with a intense desire to find something, but as a tree she didn't care and it soon moved on.

"Sarah," she heard as she snapped back from the sense of being a forest. Sarah opened her eyes looking at the face before her. Jareth looked strained, his bruises darkening against his pale face. "Sarah?" He repeated seeking some answer from her.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Something," He began, slumping to the ground, "searching for us."

"Why," she began. Sarah tried to remember what had happened but the memory of being a tree was drifting away, "A tree?" She asked in confusion. "I felt like a tree?"

"It was looking for a consciousness," he sighed rubbing at his face, "an intelligent consciousness. So we became trees."

Sarah opened her mouth only to shut it again.

"Not literally Sarah," He chuckled. "Had it been looking with its eyes we would have been seen. However a mind is easy enough to mask."

That didn't really make much sense but frankly she didn't care to ask more questions. "What was it?" She wondered instead.

"Something more subtle that a Aramok." He sighed and stood again, shouldering his pack and again began walking. "Unfortunately they will most likely keep searching till we are found."

He quickened his pace and Sarah had to almost run to keep up. "We will have to move faster,"

Sarah did her best to keep up, but he kept a grueling pace. The day moved on. They ate lunch. For several hours she distracted herself with writing out her homework in her head that she should have been doing this weekend. Unfortunately that just reminded Sarah that she would most likely fail her tests so she stopped thinking about it.

Twice more Jareth stopped suddenly and repeated the "turn into a tree trick" The feeling was beyond bizarre and she hated it. Not just the odd feeling of being a tree but also the fact that his hands on her face made oddly specific day dreams intrude on her mind when it was done. Daydreams that made her face heat.

Here I am. Taking a hike with the Goblin King. Her inner mind mocked. Being led by the nose, no real option to do otherwise. Sarah chewed on her thumb. What could make him so... vulnerable? Of course she had a few guesses but no real answers. Her trip through his labyrinth didn't really tell her much about the world he was from. He told her a few things, she guessed a few more but that was all. What kind of enemies does he have? Is it a rival kingdom?

"Jareth what is going on?" She wondered at last voicing the question. "What is happening in the underground?"

His steps paused but only for a moment and then he was walking again. "With any luck, nothing I can't undo."

"Jareth," She began again, "Tell me what is happening. I think I should know." She insisted.

Jareth snorted, "You wouldn't understand." he said, glancing over his shoulder at her as he adjusted his pack.

Pushing away the anger at his jab to her intelligence, "Try?" She insisted, not moving still. "I want, no..." She paused "No I deserve answers." She demanded, now that she was going with him her life was in his hands and she didn't even know why. Oh, she knew she was hunted along with him for their supposed connection, but not the who or really even the why.

Jareth stopped short and turned to her as she closed the distance between them. She said no more, just folded her arms and waited.

He leaned toward her, his face close enough their noses almost touched. Her heart stammered unexpectedly at the closeness, and her stomach did an impressive fip-flop.

"No." He stated. And then he was gone, walking away from her.

Sarah's mouth fell open, deflated for a moment. "Fine, I'll guess." She offered. Distracting herself from the rush of feeling that closeness brought. Jareth only huffed "First, you show up with no warning and an obvious problem that involves being unable to return."

Jareth sniffed, increasing his pace, "That's a gross simplification,"

Sarah ignored him and plunged on while trying to keep up with him. "You obviously lack the magic to return yet you can still fight and do other things."

"My power is inherent, it cannot-" He tried again but Sarah was having none of it.

"You seem to have enemies that are not lacking in power or the ability to travel magically," Jareth stopped and glared down at her as she closed the distance between them again "And, by what I've seen, want to make sure you don't return, or they want you dead."

"I simply made a slight miscalculation" he began, "one that I am perfectly capable of remedying and-"

"Stop doing that!" Sarah yelled.

"What?" He demanded.

"Speaking without telling me anything! God, you're worse than the Riddler!" She complained wanting to pull her hair out, but forced a calming breath instead. "That thing," Sarah continued, shivering again at the memory of its words, "Before you killed it, it called you a dethroned king?" She let the question hang, watching as his face contorted in a rush of emotion. His magic moved around her in a slow tight circle. Goose bumps ran up her arm and Sarah could almost feel the temperature drop. Still he was silent, his eyes closed.

Guilt flooded her. He was clearly angry and her pushing wasn't helping. "Jareth," She began, about to take it all back.

"Fine!" He snapped so loud she jumped. "Yes I am dethroned as it said." He snarled, "I fled the only way I could manage at the time and Yes I found myself unable to return! Your blasted mirror was the fastest way back and so I took a chance in contacting you."

"Was there a war?" She wondered, unable to imaging him losing his kingdom easily.

"No. Open warfare would have easily been handled" Jareth shook his head. "If that were the case I wouldn't be here. Underhanded methods were used against me. An enemy unknown and unlooked for."

"Who?" Sarah couldn't help wonder.

Jareth shook his head, his shoulders straitening, "Does it matter?" He wondered looking down his nose at her.

Sarah opened her mouth only to shut it again. Emotions flashed over his face as again that feeling of magic filled the air around them. Sarah blinked, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't," she began, yet unable to finish. I shouldn't bug him. I shouldn't be nosy. Shouldn't care. So many shouldnt's flowing through her mind.

Jareth shook his head. "No, you shouldn't." He began walking again."It doesn't matter. Whats done is done."

Sarah wanted to disappear, her guilt wrapped around her stomach so tight she felt ill. With no other option she began following him again.

"But," he began a calm smirk back on his face, "when has that ever stopped you before?"

The sting was gone from his voice now and Sarah smiled. "It hasn't." She merrily admitted. "How about you?"

"I am a King Sarah." He said, as though that was explanation enough.

She nodded but then confusion wrinkled her brow. Did he mean he could not do whatever he wished or that he could because of his kingship? Thinking back over what she knew of him she guessed the latter. "Kings do get their way a lot." She said at last.

Jareth laughed, "You must have a small understanding of kings."

Sarah quickened her pace to reach his side. "You are the only king I know Jareth."

"You must lead a dull life." He said, turning suddenly to the right and changing course.

Sarah shrugged, adjusting her own course to follow. "I am an average girl in an average world."

"Hardly." Jareth snorted.

"What?" she stopped walking, genuinely surprised by his choice of words.

"Average is the last word I would use to define you." He said, and again that wicked smirk was back on his face. "You are many things Sarah Williams and average is not one of them."

Sarah didn't know what to say to that. He continued on and she followed. Sarah kept her mouth shut mostly out of guilt. But her mind never stopped wondering and her imagination came up with a million possible reasons for his current banishment until she had to willfully think of something else.

The hours stretched silently until the sun fell behind the trees again on its rout to sunset. Adjusting her pack and scanning the sky she wished the scenery was a bit more varied. They sky, the trees and the back of Jareth were her most consistent options.

The surrounding trees, while pleasant in their own way had long lost their appeal in the last day. Jareth wasn't bad to look at. In fact he had a rather nice hind end. Those thoughts were ruthlessly squashed as ridiculous and pointless.

The longer she watch him though, the more she wished there was something else to witness. His shoulders slumped, and every time they passed a tree she noted that he would lean against each one a bit longer than necessary.

She shook her head against the intrusive erg to wrap an arm around him and help. She should not care that much about someone like him. He was fey, untrustworthy at best and likely to kidnap you and change you into a goblin forever at worst.

"How much farther?" Sarah asked aloud, breaking the quiet of the late afternoon.

"I suspect within a few days." He replied without looking back at her.

He seemed quite tired and she was beginning to feel the strain of such a long hike herself. "So we should make camp for the night?" She suggested hopefully only to watch him shake his head no.

"There is still plenty of daylight Sarah. We should not waste it." At that he did turn, that wicked grin on his face again. "Unless you want to prolong your time with me?"

"Why can't you just, you know magic yourself where you need to go?" She asked him ignoring the slight innuendo.

"Magic is," He began, "Well for a start its..." He stopped again clearly unsure what to say. "There are, um..." He tried again.

Sarah grinned at his lack of words. "Well whatever it is, it must be problematic." She moved past him. "It also seems to have odd rules that seem set purely to make life hard."

Jareth huffed as he began walking again. "Trust me precious, if the rules were not in place you and any other human I crossed paths with would be at my complete mercy."

"Oh yea, just like that?" Sarah said, a bit unsure what he meant, oddly happy that they were talking. Maybe she was reading into his posture too much. He had not said he was tired after all. For all she knew that's just how he looked all the time.

"The rules that govern the fey were put in place over two thousand years ago for the protection of Mortals, not us." Sarah glanced over her shoulder to catch that wicked grin on his face, again.

Sarah coughed a bit uncomfortable at the thought. "So what rules protect humans?"

"Many." He stated in annoyance. "All different, and based on circumstance."

"What rules protect me?" She wondered.

Jareth sighed, shaking his head as he moved past her again.

"Oh, come on, tell me?" she asked. The long hours of silence had gotten to her more than she knew. Now that he was talking again she wanted to keep it up.

"Do you always talk so much?" he wondered.

"Well birds aren't much for conversation and tree's only talk about leaves." She mocked. He actually laughed at that, the sound brightened her mood and she shrugged, "It passes the time." she offered.

"A mortal," He began, continuing his path through the forest. "one who has won their freedom from a fey is forever immune from said fey."

Sarah nodded then froze when the words sank in, "Wait, I'm immune to you?"

"In a manner of speaking," Jareth admitted scanning their surroundings before changing direction for the third time that day. "I cannot use magic against you in anyway that might harm or trap."

Sarah smiled at that, it was such an interesting turn. Hoggle never once mentioned this rule, that she was safe. In fact, her dwarf friend seemed to only want to stress how dangerous Jareth was. "Hoggle know about this rule?" She wondered.

Jareth actually laughed. "In the grand scheme of things that dwarf is among the lowest of fey. His powers are directly linked to me and the Labyrinth. He knows only what I allow."

Sarah smiled but after a few moments she remembered the mornings events. "Wait, You used magic on me last night." she pointed out.

Jareth glanced back at her his signature smirk on his lips and shook a finger at her. "No, I in fact put a spell on a cup of tea and you drank it. Not the same."

Sarah scoffed. "That's just a technicality." She informed him.

"When one is constrained by rules one finds every loop hole." He informed her.

"Good to know." Sarah admitted, feeling more than a bit sorry for Hoggle. "Why are you changing direction again?" She wondered as he climbed up a steep hill to their left.

"Necessity." He huffed as he reached the top and turned to offer a hand to scale the steep incline. "We should reach a small cliff within an hour. We will camp there." He began once she was up the incline and continued on. "Unless you insist on talking then we shall be all day."

Sarah stuck her tongue out at the back of his head and followed him without another word.

**End**

***So ends the first day. Up next Their path toward the heart of the forest continues, but they are still hunted. Stay tuned and Thank you all for reading.***