Exchange Fic #10: Precious Illusions, Part Two
The actual identity of the writer will remain secret until all the submissions are in and posted.
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Title: Precious Illusions, Part Two
Author: rikkitsune
Recipient: tallulah99
Prompt: I picked two of the three that were offered: Jareth and Sarah start a family; and How do Jareth and Sarah finally end up together?
Rating: R for smut, sexual references, mentions of mental health issues.
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: A few years after her return from the Labyrinth, Sarah embarks a mission of bringing the story to the world in the hope it will repair the damage she caused. Numerous encounters with the Goblin King over the span of more than a decade eventually convince Sarah that he wants something other than revenge.
Part One
Spring, 1984
Ensconced in the corporate box, Sarah was jittery with excitement. This was a big night. A huge night. The Broadway premiere of The Labyrinth!
It was still hard to believe her little creative writing essay had come this far. But people everywhere seemed to love the story and connect with it in a way she hadn't dared to hope for. Her book had caught on like wildfire, initially with the child and young adult markets, but then with the adult female market in an explosion she couldn't have foreseen if she tried.
At first, Sarah had suspected Goblin King trickery was behind the success with the book, especially considering Jareth's impromptu and rather sarcastic appearance at the book signing.
But then, when she'd actually met and talked to more of the fans, she began to understand what is was about The Labyrinth that appealed to them so much. She met many different versions of herself, old, young, male, female, all shapes and sizes. It had been a frightening, yet exhilarating experience and she feel awed and grateful for it.
During her bad nights, when calm and sleep simply evaded her, Sarah would trawl the internet for Labyrinth fanfiction. She was often astounded at the ingenuity and creativity of the fan writers - some of them wrote a lot better than she did! In her moments of amusement (and no small amounts of embarrassment), she wondered if Jareth was aware of all the NC-17 rated material featuring the two of them.
The one dampener on this glitzy Broadway evening was that her eleven year old going-on-thirty date - Toby - was sick in bed with the flu, so she'd had to attend the premiere alone. He'd promised to come along tomorrow night, but Sarah was doubtful he'd be well enough. They still had the rest of the season, even if she felt a little lonely without him as her escort.
Pathetic, really. But God knew there weren't any other takers. She hadn't seen Jareth in years - though the roses continued to arrive - and it wasn't as if hanging around and fantasising about someone who wasn't even human was healthy.
But, it didn't seem to matter that Sarah was wealthy, successful, attractive and independent, men just seemed to run a mile after a few dates with her. It wasn't as if she had trouble attracting men, just keeping them. Something about her seemed to put them off, but she hadn't been able to figure out what. Perhaps her mood swings? But she'd always been upfront about being mercurial and they never seemed to mind. At least at first.
After about seven of these train-wrecks (and a few broken hearts along the way), Sarah had given it all up as a bad job and prevailed upon Toby to escort her everywhere. It was a lot easier, and it meant Toby got to drag her out of the house and spend lots of time with her, an activity he seemed to enjoy.
On the upside, Sarah thought, coming back to the here and now with a slight smile, being here alone meant she got the corporate box to herself, and getting the corporate box to herself meant she could get just as smashed as she felt like. She wouldn't have to worry about Toby mentioning it to her parents. Her little brother didn't like it when she mixed alcohol with her medication (especially since Sarah tended to binge drink), but hell, she went out so rarely, and she deserved to cut loose every once in a while. Right? Right.
After her second glass of champagne (or perhaps her third, but what did it matter anyway) and her fifth canapé, the lights began to go down, signalling the beginning of the show.
Noting the safe, concealing darkness, Sarah stuffed down an excited giggle with a camembert smeared piece of almond bread. She kicked her very stylish, very expensive, very high, foot-mangling-torture-devices off her feet and scuttled over to the edge of the box. She'd be damned if she was going to sit back where she couldn't see the action properly! Besides, the seat was wrinkling her very stylish, very expensive, very short black silk scrap of modesty - er, dress. It had cost a fortune, but Sarah had decided to splurge. It was a special occasion.
The curtains lifted for the first act and Sarah wriggled with glee. It was happening!
"My, my, Sarah," a voice murmured, directly into her ear. "That is a very fetching half a dress you're wearing."
Muffling her squeak of surprise quickly with her hand, Sarah turned to glare at Jareth, sharply dressed in a tuxedo and looking like every woman's sexual fantasy embodied. He was leaning on the banister beside her, looking for all the world like he belonged there.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, hoping no one had noticed him apparently appearing out of thin air. "Must you sneak up on me every time we meet? It's rude you know!"
"I would have thought that my reason for being here would be obvious," Jareth replied, with a graceful gesture to the stage below. "I came to see the show. I thought some company would please you, since Toby is indisposed."
Sarah frowned. She knew that Toby and Jareth communicated regularly - it had started a few months after Toby's prodigious talent as a musician had begun to emerge. His progress seemed to grow in leaps and bounds with Jareth as a mentor of sorts. Toby was now studying the violin and the guitar simultaneously, after ditching the piano after a few months. He seemed to have a fascination with stringed instruments.
Deep down, Sarah knew Jareth didn't have any sinister intentions, but it was still hard to let go of her memory of him as her brother's kidnapper. The fact that they talked without her still made her feel squeamish and unsettled.
In actual fact, Jareth couldn't give two goblin's goolies about the show. A pale and clearly ill Toby had informed him a few hours earlier that Sarah was at the premiere without an escort, and that she would probably be pleased to see him.
Jareth had pounced on the opportunity to get Sarah alone. It was time to move matters… forward. He allowed himself a leer at Sarah's curves when she glanced away from him.
"You're still sending me the roses," she said, staring at her fingernails.
"And you're still keeping them," he answered. A… reliable source had informed him that the dried rose petals resided in a large crystal bowl on her coffee table.
Sarah blushed. "Well," she blustered "I don't have many people who like me enough to send me roses every week."
"Then that is a tragic loss for mortal men," Jareth told her, catching her eyes and holding them. "But a significant advantage for me."
His gaze was the most intense she had ever remembered it and Sarah's skin prickled with nervousness. She felt a little bit like a small fish looking up at a large and hungry shark.
"They're not... I mean the roses, they're not..." Sarah scrambled for a way to ask the question that was bothering her without sounding like a desperate lovelorn teenager. "They're not platonic roses, are they?" She winced internally. Oh well done Sarah. Smooth.
"Again, I would have thought that was obvious," Jareth told her softly, resting his chin in his hand and looking completely relaxed. Somehow, he seemed to have gotten closer, though Sarah was sure she was imagining it. "Unless I have somehow misinterpreted Aboveground courting rituals."
"Courting…?" Sarah's voice seemed to die in her throat, which had helpfully been crammed full of her suddenly-pounding heart.
"Mmm." Jareth was closer to her now, looking even more shark-like. She hadn't seen him move. "Although I must say, you have not been responding to my overtures in the manner consistent with Aboveground females. Though," he continued breezily, "I comforted myself with the knowledge that you are simply playing hard-to-get."
"I am not," Sarah squeaked reflexively. If it were possible to blush all over, she would have done it.
"No?" Jareth chuckled, flashing his sharp teeth. "Then I must conclude that you are, by all accounts, exceptionally dense."
Sarah opened her mouth to retort, couldn't think of anything to say in response, then shut it again. Jareth took the opportunity to close the remaining space between them. He slid an arm around Sarah's waist and pulled her against him.
"If you had thought to call me," Jareth murmured into her ear, "I would have come to you."
Sarah's body went into overdrive, shuddering. It felt like every nerve she had was screaming from his proximity. He felt just as muscular, just as male, as he had when he had trapped her in high school, although the woman she was now was rather more appreciative of his physique than the terrified teenager she had been then.
That didn't stop her from yelping, however, when his hand slid down to cup her backside and pull her closer still.
"Shhhhh Sarah." His voice was low and full of wicked amusement. "I can't seduce you in public if you make so much noise. We'll be discovered and it will be such a scandal."
"Seduce?" Sarah's brain seemed to have jammed on the word. Jareth had backed her up against a wall and his hand was sliding downwards over the back of her thigh, coaxing her to lift her leg and rest it around his waist. His other hand rested against the wall beside her head. She had no choice but to grasp the front of his jacket with both hands to keep her balance.
"Yes," he answered, lifting his free hand from the wall and tugging his black glove off with his teeth. "I am going to seduce you, Sarah Williams." He dipped his head and proceeded to lay open-mouthed kisses on her neck and shoulder.
It felt like the kiss he'd given her on the back of her hand at the book signing, only a million times better. Sarah tilted her head to give him better access, trying not to pant, or think about how she was just allowing him to do it.
All at once, she felt the silk ribbon sides of her panties rip and slide down her leg. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just what exactly did Jareth mean by 'seduce'?
"J-Jareth," she stammered, overwhelmed as his hand cupped her breast through the thin silk of her dress, his thumb brushing her nipple. "I don't think this is a good idea." She was no virgin, and she certainly wanted him, but she wasn't sure she could just have sex with him, right here in the corporate box.
"Hush, precious," he answered, trailing his fingers down her chest and stomach. "I am not going to ravish you here."
Sarah relaxed back against the wall with a mixture of relief and disappointment flitting across her face. Jareth laughed at her expression.
"Oh Sarah, I didn't say I wasn't going to molest you. There are plenty of other things I can do."
Before she could say anything, he kissed her. At the same time, she felt his bare hand press between her legs. Her gasp was effectively stifled by his mouth as he slipped a finger inside her.
Jareth stroked her shocked, unmoving tongue with his own, his hand mimicking his movements. He broke the kiss after a few moments and nuzzled her cheek with unexpected affection.
"Your body gives you away," he purred, inordinately pleased at how wet she was. He pressed Sarah more firmly against the wall, his hand rising from her leg around his waist, fisting in her hair.
Sarah's cheeks burned as she struggled with the embarrassment of being so obviously aroused and the delicious sensations his hand was creating. Her hands clenched and unclenched convulsively, screwing up the fabric of Jareth's jacket. Her breath was coming in little pants.
"If you want me to stop..." his tone was amused. Sarah shot him a filthy look. He laughed.
Sarah's head fell back against the wall and she swallowed a moan as Jareth slid another finger inside her. Distantly, she could hear the play, but it hardly seemed to matter as Jareth's fingers moved, and his thumb brushed against her clitoris. She mewled and ground herself against his hand before she could stop herself.
She was rewarded for this wanton display with a savage kiss. Their teeth clashed, but it didn't matter. Jareth caught her lower lip between his teeth, sending a sharp bolt of pleasure straight down to her lower abdomen.
"W-we're missing the play." Her voice entirely lacked the conviction Sarah was going for. Instead, it sounded like she was having an asthma attack. Well. She needed to at least make a token attempt to strive for decorum. Never mind that her hands had somehow ended up tangled in his hair.
Her hips shifted, seemingly of their own accord, grinding themselves against Jareth's hand. He whispered soft encouragements into her ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin. It wasn't her fault he seemed to know exactly what to say and how to touch her. Sarah had never had much difficulty orgasming, but she could feel her climax building already. It had been barely two minutes!
"Jareth," she whimpered as her body started to convulse.
Jareth had seen enough of her dreams to know that Sarah was a screamer. Of course, he'd never tell her that. In the dark, his grin was smug to the extreme.
Raising his head, Jareth kissed her as she came, silencing her cries and bracing her as she bucked against him. She tangled her tongue with his, the taste like cinnamon and cloves, heavy and comforting, as she rode the shock wave of pleasure.
Sarah relaxed back against the wall when the tremors passed, sighing as Jareth broke their kiss. He grinned at the post-orgasmic glaze in her eyes and gently withdrew his fingers, making her shudder. Holding her gaze, he licked his fingers clean and enjoyed the way the heat rose in her cheeks.
Collecting herself, Sarah slid her leg down from his hip and tottered a little on her feet. She felt cold all of a sudden. And confused. And embarrassed. She glanced around for her panties, but they seemed to have vanished.
"You're stealing my panties?" she asked incredulously, spotting a scrap of silk ribbon peeking from Jareth's jacket pocket. He smirked and smoothed down her dress with slightly wandering hands. He didn't answer, but helped her into a nearby seat.
"I believe we have not missed a great deal of the show," he said at last, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "I did not expect you to be so... receptive." He glanced at her and frowned when she hid her face in her hands. "Are you ill?" he asked.
"No. I'm mortified," she groaned.
"Why?" Jareth demanded, feeling a little stung.
"Because I was moaning and rubbing against you like a cheap whore!" Sarah hissed from between her fingers. After continuing to hide her face for a few moments, she ducked down and rummaged on the floor, locating her shoes and pulling them on.
By the time she had stumbled to the box exit, Jareth was blocking her way.
"You are being childish," he said flatly.
"I am not," Sarah snapped, shouldering past him with an effort and beginning to stride down the stairs. All she cared about was getting away. She couldn't handle this right now.
"Then why are you flouncing out like a child throwing a tantrum?" Jareth retorted, matching her pace.
"I am leaving, because I feel embarrassed, and cheap, and I don't want to deal with you right now!" Sarah had reached the entrance foyer. Jareth caught her by the elbow.
"You shouldn't feel that way," he told her firmly. "I was the one who instigated it."
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked. She winced internally at the slight edge of hysteria in her voice. She never could keep her composure around him. "I don't understand you, Jareth. Is this a big game for you? Are you trying humiliate me?"
Jareth stared at her in silence for a moment. He let go of her arm.
"I thought I explained myself clearly back there," he jerked his head towards the staircase. "Fae do not lie. But you, it seems, do not remember, or perhaps you refuse to accept my words as truth."
Sarah couldn't look at him. Her stomach twisted and churned umcomfortably.
After a long silence, he spoke again.
"Clearly you are not ready for this. You cannot accept me as a suitor rather than an adversary."
She didn't answer.
"I will give you space and time to think about this. But Sarah," the way he said her name made her look up fearfully, "Do not think for too long. I am not going to wait forever."
He was gone. Sarah hailed a cab and made her miserable way home, feeling she had just ruined something potentially extraordinary.
***
Summer, 1986
Sarah was painting in her studio the next time the Gobin King came to call. In the wake of the release of the Labyrinth movie, a huge market had opened up for merchandise. She'd found herself doing a lot of concept art for posters these days.
The roses had continued to arrive as if their last encounter hadn't happened. Sarah spent the "time and space" granted to her by Jareth to focus on her work and also on becoming more healthy.
She'd had a lot of time to think about what Jareth had said. After many months of ruminations, she supposed that it was possible he was simply interested in pursuing a relationship. Of sorts. She wasn't sure how the logistics would work, the two of them being in different worlds and all. Would he expect her to give up her Aboveground life and return to the Labyrinth with him?
She hadn't confided her thoughts to Toby, who was far too young and in any case, simply didn't need to know about his sister's love life. She assumed Jareth thought the same way, because her brother had never brought it up. In fact, the two of them hadn't spoken about Jareth at all.
Despite her gradual realisation that she most likely would be interested in seeing Jareth on a regular basis, something had always held her back from calling on him. She didn't know if it was pride, or a lingering suspicion that he would simply use her up and throw her away. Either way, Sarah had held off, figuring that Jareth would eventually come to her.
She just hadn't figured it would take so damn long.
A perfunctory knock on the doorframe had announced a visitor. Sarah turned with a smile, expecting to see Toby, but had faltered a little when she saw Jareth standing there instead.
So, the time had come. A tornado of butterflies erupted in her stomach.
"I see you haven't wasted the gift I gave you." There was no mockery in Jareth's voice, only calm observation. His eyes were on the painting, a detailed rendition of the battle in the Goblin City.
Calming from the initial surprise of seeing him suddenly appear in her home, Sarah smiled and set down her brush and palette. "It's been a while, Jareth."
He inclined his head. "You will notice that I knocked, this time. Let it never be said that I am not attentive to your wishes."
Sarah laughed at his put-upon air. "I did notice, thank you. However, I am out of 'Most Courteous Goblin King' medals, so you'll have to stay nailed to the cross until we meet again."
Jareth took a few steps closer and then leaned nonchalantly against the wall beside her. His sharp eyes swept the studio, taking in the many half-finished canvases, surfaces littered with clay sculptures and the precariously stacked folders full of concept art.
"I had hoped you might admit it, one day." Sarah continued. She stretched and yawned, then noticed Jareth's questioning look. "About giving me that gift, I mean. I knew I couldn't have done all this by myself. At first I wondered if it might be a bit of a double-edged sword. Although I must say, the financial gain has been enough to calm my misgivings." She had the grace to smile sheepishly.
"Of course it has," Jareth smirked. "I could never expect a human - least of all you, so in love with fame and notoriety - to be completely altruistic in their motives."
"The larger my profile, the greater my influence," Sarah answered simply. "Time is money and money is power. I would think that you, a King, would agree."
"But of course," Jareth answered easily. "And your kingdom is indeed on its way to being as great as mine. Your work has ignited the belief of millions across the Aboveground. You'll be pleased to know that the Underground is enjoying a time of great prosperity."
"I am glad," Sarah told him sincerely.
She took the opportunity to really look at him in the flesh for the first time since those thirteen fateful hours in the Labyrinth. Their other encounters had been so short, their last one mostly in the dark.
He was still as breath-taking as she remembered. They'd made a good choice, casting David Bowie to play him in the movie, she decided. They could have passed for siblings - but the real Jareth had that additional, unworldly beauty that was so difficult to capture in the Aboveground.
Jareth, watching her stare at him, smirked and eyed her playfully. "The erotic dreams are becoming a little tiresome, however."
"What?!" Sarah spluttered, an instant forest fire igniting her cheeks. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Except she did. And she was beyond embarrassed that he'd found her out. But it wasn't as if she could help it - honestly, hadn't the man read any Freud?
Besides, comparing every man she'd ever dated to that one sexy encounter with Jareth was a fail-safe way of making sure she stayed committed to her work. Who wanted to have sex when it would always be perpetually disappointing in comparison to a bit of heavy petting?
"Come, come my dear," Jareth laughed, tugging off his gloves, one after the other. Sarah's eyes followed his movements with more interest than was strictly polite. Gloves off usually meant… She swallowed hard when she finally realised he had paused to watch her watch him.
"Did I say your erotic dreams were tiresome?" he asked. "I meant the blow-by-blow - if you'll pardon the pun-" Sarah made a noise between a squeak and a choke, "-erotic dreams of all the bored, sexually starved housewives and inexperienced virginal teenage girls. And a few boys too," he added, as an afterthought. "They latch on to the Goblin King- not that human actor- for the most part, so all the dreams stream through like perverted fan mail."
"You've seen the movie?" Sarah blurted out, a tiny bit surprised. She had expected to see him at the premiere and had been sorely disappointed when he hadn't shown up. Steer the topic away from me dreaming about fucking him on my dining room table, she thought desperately.
"Of course," he answered, as if that much were obvious. "I would have been at the first screening, but for a runner in my Labyrinth."
So that answered that. "Well… what did you think?" Sarah asked, after a brief silence. She hated to admit that she really, really hoped he liked it.
Jareth grinned at her, flashing those too-sharp teeth. "It was tolerable," he told her. "That actor wasn't half as good-looking as I am, but I understood your human resources are limited, so I let it pass."
Sarah laughed, despite herself. "You've retained that modesty I remember so well," she chuckled. "I believe you said something similar at the opening night of the high school play."
She blinked in surprise as Jareth was suddenly way into her personal space. "The female lead however," he told her, twining her hair around his fingers "was an abysmally poor imitation of you."
Engage brain, engage brain, Sarah thought desperately, as she was overwhelmed with the dark, electrifying scent of him. He's just playing with me. I'm standing here looking like a total mess, in a holey t-shirt, cut-offs, coke bottle glasses and yellow paint in my hair. It's been almost two years since we've seen each other. I'm old. He is NOT flirting with me right now. Half of her wholeheartedly wanted a repeat of Broadway opening night, with uncut extras. The other half was screaming at her not to be so stupid.
"I'm sorry you didn't approve," she finally ground out, in an admirable parody of composure. "Was she not bratty enough?"
"Oh no," Jareth answered silkily, still playing with her hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be doing. "I admired the complete, brutal honesty with which you captured yourself, or rather, Mia." He leaned down, brushing her ear with his lips. "It was just that she was nowhere near beautiful enough to do you justice."
Despite her racing pulse, Sarah huffed a sardonic laugh and backed away, yanking the strands of her hair out of his hands.
"I assure you, you don't need to stroke my ego," she told him flatly. "I know I wrecked your kingdom and I have devoted my life to fixing it, in whatever small way I can." She folded her arms. "I expected that you would be coming to either have your revenge, or have me atone for what I did. So stop playing with me and get to the point. As long as it doesn't involve my brother, I am prepared to face the music."
Jareth stared at her, his face suddenly expressionless. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as they observed each other.
Finally, Jareth spoke. "Do you remember our last conversation in the Labyrinth, Sarah?"
"Of course I do," she answered. "It's quoted word for word in the book and the movie."
"So, you may have realised that you were a trifle young to understand what I was really offering you." It was not a question.
Sarah opened her mouth, then closed it. Well, yes, but it was always easier to tell herself that she was seeing things that weren't there. Hope always brought disappointment in its wake.
"I thought I had made things clear during-and after-our encounter at the Broadway opening night," Jareth continued, "but you are surprisingly naive, for such an intelligent woman. Or perhaps, purposely obtuse?" He fixed her with a penetrating stare. Sarah made a show of straightening her palette on the tabletop.
"I decided to give you some space after that, and wait for you to call on me," Jareth continued. "I told you I would come if you did. But you did not. And I believe you have had ample time to consider my intentions. So, once again, it seems I must resort to more forceful measures." He strode across the room towards her desk, Sarah staring after him.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked, as Jareth swept her folders and papers off her desk and onto the floor in one graceful movement. Was he seriously going to trash her studio?
Sarah shrieked again, flailing as Jareth lifted her effortlessly in his arms and then deposited her on the polished edge of her own desk, positioning himself easily and confidently between her thighs.
Jareth leaned forward, so that there was barely an inch between their faces, and gave Sarah his best predator's smile. If she'd been standing up… well, she would have needed to sit down again. Quickly.
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he purred. "I am going to ravish you on top of your desk. Thoroughly. Just like in those dirty dreams of yours involving the dining room table. I trust you have no objections? Last chance."
Sarah gulped, feeling him everywhere at once, particularly the hardness pressing against her through her thin cotton cut-offs. She'd fantasised about this moment for years, wondered what it would look like, what it would feel like. And now that the moment was finally here… she was crapping her pants.
"No objections," she forced out after a brief silence. "But I think-"
"You think too much," Jareth cut her off, then he was kissing her, and whatever she'd wanted to say didn't matter anymore.
Sarah sat cross-legged on the bed some time later, not caring a great deal about her nakedness, and watched Jareth get dressed. Every movement was efficient, graceful and annoyingly perfect. She felt the malicious urge to mess up his hair, untuck his shirt or unbutton his pants…
…actually, unbuttoning his pants would be a fantastic idea. Sarah smirked to herself and Jareth caught her expression.
If she only knew what a magnificent Queen she would make, he thought ruefully.
"Toby would be really interested in coming to visit you for a while," Sarah told him, breaking the silence. "I'm sure he'd love to explore the Labyrinth with you, if you can find some time for him at some point over the next few years."
"Next few years?" Jareth echoed, frowning.
Sarah quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you're leaving, obviously. I'll see you at the next big Labyrinth event I suppose. I'll make sure I'm wearing sexy underwear." She laughed, stretching and clambering off the bed. "You caught me in my work clothes this time."
Jareth caught her wrist as she bent to retrieve her clothes and tugged it upwards until she was facing him. "You think I'm leaving again," he said flatly.
"Of course," Sarah answered, raising her eyebrows in an expression of nonchalance. "Just like last time, and the time before that. And the time before that. Kingdoms to run, goblins to kick, etcetera. Right?"
Jareth released her wrist and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It seems you have misunderstood me yet again my dear. What do I have to do, short of getting down on one knee with a diamond ring?"
Sarah gaped at him for a moment, then seemed to recover. "Well, I wouldn't mind having you down on your knees," she quipped with an evil grin. "Plenty of things you can do down there other than wave a diamond ring around."
"Be serious Sarah," Jareth snapped. "You know what I want. I've wanted it since the day we met. Stop wilfully misunderstanding me!"
"I'm not!"
"You are. I've given you every opportunity to back away from this, to tell me in no uncertain terms to leave you alone, but you haven't. I worried that I might be… rushing things… so I've waited for you to call on me, to invite me into your life, but again, you haven't. You've been totally reactive. You seem quite willing to take what I have to offer, and then forget about me afterwards."
The two of them stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Sarah looked away first. He may be right on some points, but she'd be damned if she was going to admit it.
"I don't want to have this conversation now," she said, turning away to leave the room. As she reached the door, Jareth was blocking it. She hated it when he did that.
"Why can't we talk about this now?" he demanded.
"I'm naked."
Jareth raised an eyebrow, and Sarah's clothes were back on.
"I need coffee."
A cappuccino was instantly in her hand.
"Not a cappuccino. A macchiato."
"SARAH!"
"No, Jareth." She edged past him and walked out into the studio, tossing back her coffee. She stopped in front of her easel and discarded her cup, twisting her hair up into a messy bun and beginning to prepare her palette.
"You realise I could just take you to the Labyrinth against your will and keep you there." Jareth's fingers caressed the curve of her back under her shirt. "You would never be able to return to the Aboveground."
"But you won't." Sarah suppressed a shiver of pleasure and began to paint. She was not afraid of him, dammit. Her hand was not shaking.
"How do you know?"
"If you imprison me, the prosperity and goodwill I bring to your kingdom will fail. Not to mention the fact that you would prefer an equal over a slave any day."
She had him there. Jareth took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. His sharp Fae eyes scrutinised her face, searching for answers.
"Sarah. Why must you be so stubborn? Why won't you be my Queen? Do you find the idea abhorrent?"
Sarah imagined being the Goblin Queen for a moment. Living in the fantasy world of the Labyrinth, ruling it. Being able to see Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus, every day. Being able to love Jareth freely, start a family with him.
No, the idea wasn't abhorrent. Not by a long shot.
"Is your kingdom fully restored?" she asked, instead of answering his question.
Jareth looked slightly uncomfortable. "Well, no, but-"
"That's why," Sarah cut him off. "My atonement is still not completed."
"Sarah, you are being ridiculous," Jareth snapped. "You have done more than enough to settle your debt to the Labyrinth. Enough with this martyr's complex!"
"When the damage to the Labyrinth is fully healed and your kingdom is restored, I will marry you," Sarah told him.
Jareth clasped her left hand hard, twining their fingers together. He leaned forward so that their faces were almost touching. "Do not toy with me Sarah. The Fae do not take such promises lightly."
Sarah closed the gap between them and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "And I do not make them lightly, Jareth. Come for me on that day and I will go with you as your wife."
With a growl, Jareth, crushed her against him. Then they were on the floor, and her clothes were off again.
When Sarah woke, much, much later, it was dark and she was alone again. She had been carefully tucked back into her bed, she noticed, but it was too little too late. Their vigorous bout of lovemaking on the studio floor was going to leave spectacular bruises and she could already feel each and every one.
Part of her was grumpy about the wasted day, and all the work-related things she could have achieved. Ok, so she was a bit of a workaholic. But the posters were important!
Another part of her noted she was going to need a long hot bath if she wanted to be able to walk normally anytime soon. That brought a bit of a half-smug, half-embarrassed grin to her face. Jareth was certainly everything she'd fantasised about and then some. She may as well just throw out all her vibrators now and give up.
Deciding to give herself a break, just this once, Sarah rolled back over and let sleep claim her.
***
Fall, 1986
"Sarah!" The banging on the bathroom door resumed. "Are you okay? Open the door!"
Sarah, slumped on the floor with her back against the toilet, couldn't help smiling a little at the echo of authority in her thirteen year old brother's voice. He knew he became more weirdly compelling- more like him- as he grew older and he used this quality against her whenever he wanted his way.
She stared at the little stick in her hand, and bravely pretended her hand wasn't shaking. This wasn't the news she needed right now.
"Tobe, I'm fine," she answered wearily. "I just can't stand up yet."
There was a brief silence as the banging stopped. "It's positive." It wasn't a question and he didn't sound surprised.
"Yeah."
She heard a sliding thump and knew Toby had sat himself down on the floor against the bathroom door.
"It's Jareth's." Also, not a question.
"Of course it is," Sarah laughed, trying not to sound either hysterical or bitter. "I never leave the damn studio anymore, and he came here."
"What are you going to do?" Toby sounded apprehensive.
Sarah considered her answer. Her future with Jareth wasn't definite by any means. As it was, it had been more than a month since she'd seen him. Still, she knew she wouldn't be able to terminate the baby. It was a part of her, and Jareth, the result of something she felt was rather special, even if it didn't turn into something more permanent.
She also recoiled from the thought of adopting the child out after giving birth. It would be half-Fae and could never lead an ordinary human life. Not to mention, Jareth would never allow it.
"I suppose I'm keeping it," Sarah said softly, knowing Toby would hear. "You'll be an extremely young uncle."
***
Winter, 1987
Sarah lay on the studio couch, propped up with cushions and smothered with blankets. Her rapidly growing stomach had made it impossible to work at her desk, so most of her administrative work now took place on the couch, all other practical work done in short instalments.
All of her clients had been notified of Sarah's progressive pregnancy, and to her chagrin, she had been firmly informed that they were all capable of taking care of their own business, and the world would not fall down without her running everything.
So now, she was on "light duties." Toby was home in the evenings and made a point of commanding Sarah to stay on the couch or in bed while he took care of the cooking and cleaning. She defiantly did as much as she could during the day on her "work breaks", which were slowly but surely becoming more frequent. She didn't believe Toby should have to take on such a huge responsibility at such a young age, but the reality was that she was beginning to rely on him more and more. No one had said anything about feeling tired all the time.
Sarah wasn't aware she'd dozed off, but when she opened her eyes, she was lying on her side with the blankets tucked around her. The documents she had been reading were in a neat stack on the floor.
Sarah looked around blearily and realised Jareth was standing next to the couch, staring down at her. His eyes were blazing. It made Sarah quail a little inside.
Shit. He'd found out about the baby.
"You are with child." His voice was like a whip. "You are with child, and you did not tell me."
Sarah took a moment, both to adjust to his sudden, unannounced presence and also to figure out the best way to handle his anger.
"Truthfully Jareth, I am still coming to terms with it myself," she told him tartly. "Being a mother definitely wasn't on my short-term to-do list. Besides, I'm only three months pregnant. Although," she waved a hand at the stomach that seemed to suggest she was much further along, "You wouldn't think so to look at me. People are asking if I'm having triplets."
"The child is not entirely human," Jareth said, as if that explained everything. "Your pregnancy will be shorter and the child will grow at almost double the speed. Right now, he is at the developmental level of a human child at seven months."
"He?" Sarah echoed. Once her stomach had started swelling alarmingly, she had been too anxious to go to her obstetrician for scans. There would be too many questions that she couldn't answer. Consequently, she hadn't known the gender of the baby. She'd known that she needed Jareth's help, but had been too cowardly to call him. Calling him would mean finally coming to terms with the pregnancy. It would also mean addressing whatever it was going on between them. Perhaps even talking about feelings. Sarah had shrivelled a bit inside at the thought and decided procrastination was a much better idea. For three whole months.
"Yes," Jareth answered tersely. "Our son. I am here because I felt his presence. To say I was surprised would be a gross understatement. You should have told me."
"You could feel him?" Sarah was a touch weirded-out, but mostly fascinated. "Is it like a psychic bond?"
"It is infinitely more complicated than that," Jareth replied, with a superior expression on his face. He stopped, and seemed to realise he was still looming over her with his hands on his hips. He sat and arranged himself on the couch next to her, trying to look casual.
"I don't know how to explain it to you, because it is something that the Fae take for granted," he continued, raising a hand and placing it tentatively on her belly. Sarah watched his face as he gazed down at his hand. The mixture of love and pride there made her feel warm inside. At least that confirmed that he wanted the baby as much as she did.
"Is he healthy?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," he confirmed with a smile, meeting her eyes again. "But you will require the services of a Fae healer before much longer. I can monitor our son, but I cannot provide you with the treatment you need to carry and birth a Fae child."
"I'm not going to the Underground," Sarah told him flatly.
"You will not jeopardise our son's safety."
"Then bring your healers here to treat me," she replied. "There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to do that."
"Sarah." Jareth's voice was dangerous. "You are being unreasonable."
"We had a deal, Jareth," she insisted mulishly. "I'm only going with you once the Labyrinth is completely repaired and restored."
"Ah," Jareth purred. His sour expression gave way to one of triumph. "I've been meaning to bring that up, precious. You see, the Labyrinth is completely repaired and restored."
"What?" Sarah goggled at him.
"You heard me." Jareth was smirking like a cat that got the cream. "I have come to collect my future wife and child and take them home."
"How do I know you're not just saying this to placate me?" Sarah asked suspiciously. "It's been three months and I know what you're like Jareth. You'll twist the truth in so many pretty ways in order to get what you want."
"I will show you," Jareth answered simply. He pointed a leather-clad finger at the large, partly-filled canvas sitting across from them.
Sarah followed his finger and stared at what looked like a window leading into the entrance of the Labyrinth. It was like being plunged forcibly into her childhood bedroom again, the night she had challenged Jareth to win Toby back. She felt like she was fifteen years old again.
She made to struggle to her feet, but Jareth assisted her with one hand clasping hers, the other on the small of her back. She leaned on him for support without meaning to, totally absorbed in getting to the canvas for a better look at what lay beyond.
She completely missed the affectionate smile on Jareth's face as he looked down at her.
Sarah reached the canvas and saw that there was a rough sandstone window frame just on the inside of it. Hesitating for a moment, she pinned Jareth with a threatening look. "Don't you dare pull any tricks on me," she warned him. "I will not be taken against my will."
Jareth inclined his head in agreement. "Look until you are satisfied," he said. "There is no trickery here and I am not intending to kidnap you."
Sarah placed her hands on the stone windowsill and leaned into the canvas. Sunlight warmed her face and a light breeze ruffled her bangs. It smelled like spring time, a welcome contrast to the bitter snowstorm outside.
She gazed down the hill in front of her to the outer walls of the Labyrinth. It looked very different to the image burned into her memory. Instead of the barren, desert-like sandy hills she remembered around the borders of the kingdom, lush, shiny turquoise coloured grass rippled in the wind, punctuated by thick clumps of silvery flowers. They looked a bit like freesias.
The heavy orange sky had lightened to a pale, clear gold and Sarah could see strange green birds swooping across it, many of them dipping into the heart of the Labyrinth, then back out again.
The huge, sand coloured stone walls of the maze were as Sarah remembered, but were thickly draped with flowering vines that swayed gently. She could see the tiny fairies swarming around the flowers in small, glittering clouds. Further in, she spotted the bright emerald of the hedge mazes.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to the Goblin City and the castle in the centre of the maze.
"It's fixed." She could hardly believe it. Yet, there stood the castle, as whole and imposing as the picture she'd held in her mind for over a decade. It looked somehow cleaner and neater than it had been before and the pale stone towers gleamed in the yellow sunlight.
"Indeed," Jareth agreed, his lips inches from her ear.
"But just a couple of months ago..." she trailed off.
"You were not carrying the Goblin Kingdom's heir," he finished. "As far as the Labyrinth is concerned, it is now whole again."
Sarah stared at him incredulously. "Surely it can't be that simple?"
"It can," he said simply. "You were the Queen I chose years ago."
"So… what happens now?" she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say it.
"Well, you remember your promise Sarah," Jareth purred, drawing her into his arms and being careful not to put pressure on her stomach. "You promised me you would come with me and be my wife the day my kingdom was restored."
Sarah relaxed into his embrace with a rueful smile. "I kind of thought it would take a bit longer than it actually did," she admitted. "I thought I would have more time here."
"You can blame your own rampant overachievement for that," Jareth told her smugly.
"I wasn't expecting my ovaries to be overachievers as well," Sarah replied. "I didn't plan this."
"No, and nor did I, I promise you," Jareth told her, and he meant it. "Yet it is the best thing that could have happened. The Goblin Kingdom has an heir and in a matter of hours, it will have a Queen. That, more than anything you have done this past decade or so, has rebuilt the Labyrinth to its fullest potential. Or did you forget the reason it was so badly damaged in the first place?" Jareth gazed at her with a quirked eyebrow.
"Look, I'm sorry I shot you down, way back then," Sarah retored, laughing despite herself. "But honestly Jareth, I was fifteen! How could you expect me to understand?"
"That doesn't excuse your wilful blindness afterwards," he shot back. He pulled her a little closer and nuzzled her ear. "But it is no matter. You are bound by your word and I have you now, Sarah."
"Yes," Sarah said, accepting defeat and finding she did not mind a bit. "I suppose you do." She yanked Jareth's hair when his expression of smug delight became unbearable and then laughed again at his affronted yelp.
"Shall we?" he asked solicitously, sweeping a hand towards the canvas, which was now the size of a large doorway. The view of the outer walls of the Labyrinth was gone, and had been replaced with the stairs leading up to the castle. "Your subjects are waiting to greet you."
"Toby?" she asked. She didn't need to elaborate.
"His Royal Highness, the Duke," Jareth replied, loving her expression of pleased comprehension at Toby's new title, "Is waiting for us in the throne room."
Deciding she would argue with Jareth about continuing her freelance work later, Sarah gripped Jareth's hand a little more firmly and allowed him to help her through the doorway to the castle beyond the Goblin City.
The End
****
Title: Precious Illusions, Part Two
Author: rikkitsune
Recipient: tallulah99
Prompt: I picked two of the three that were offered: Jareth and Sarah start a family; and How do Jareth and Sarah finally end up together?
Rating: R for smut, sexual references, mentions of mental health issues.
Plot Summary/Author's Notes: A few years after her return from the Labyrinth, Sarah embarks a mission of bringing the story to the world in the hope it will repair the damage she caused. Numerous encounters with the Goblin King over the span of more than a decade eventually convince Sarah that he wants something other than revenge.
Part One
Spring, 1984
Ensconced in the corporate box, Sarah was jittery with excitement. This was a big night. A huge night. The Broadway premiere of The Labyrinth!
It was still hard to believe her little creative writing essay had come this far. But people everywhere seemed to love the story and connect with it in a way she hadn't dared to hope for. Her book had caught on like wildfire, initially with the child and young adult markets, but then with the adult female market in an explosion she couldn't have foreseen if she tried.
At first, Sarah had suspected Goblin King trickery was behind the success with the book, especially considering Jareth's impromptu and rather sarcastic appearance at the book signing.
But then, when she'd actually met and talked to more of the fans, she began to understand what is was about The Labyrinth that appealed to them so much. She met many different versions of herself, old, young, male, female, all shapes and sizes. It had been a frightening, yet exhilarating experience and she feel awed and grateful for it.
During her bad nights, when calm and sleep simply evaded her, Sarah would trawl the internet for Labyrinth fanfiction. She was often astounded at the ingenuity and creativity of the fan writers - some of them wrote a lot better than she did! In her moments of amusement (and no small amounts of embarrassment), she wondered if Jareth was aware of all the NC-17 rated material featuring the two of them.
The one dampener on this glitzy Broadway evening was that her eleven year old going-on-thirty date - Toby - was sick in bed with the flu, so she'd had to attend the premiere alone. He'd promised to come along tomorrow night, but Sarah was doubtful he'd be well enough. They still had the rest of the season, even if she felt a little lonely without him as her escort.
Pathetic, really. But God knew there weren't any other takers. She hadn't seen Jareth in years - though the roses continued to arrive - and it wasn't as if hanging around and fantasising about someone who wasn't even human was healthy.
But, it didn't seem to matter that Sarah was wealthy, successful, attractive and independent, men just seemed to run a mile after a few dates with her. It wasn't as if she had trouble attracting men, just keeping them. Something about her seemed to put them off, but she hadn't been able to figure out what. Perhaps her mood swings? But she'd always been upfront about being mercurial and they never seemed to mind. At least at first.
After about seven of these train-wrecks (and a few broken hearts along the way), Sarah had given it all up as a bad job and prevailed upon Toby to escort her everywhere. It was a lot easier, and it meant Toby got to drag her out of the house and spend lots of time with her, an activity he seemed to enjoy.
On the upside, Sarah thought, coming back to the here and now with a slight smile, being here alone meant she got the corporate box to herself, and getting the corporate box to herself meant she could get just as smashed as she felt like. She wouldn't have to worry about Toby mentioning it to her parents. Her little brother didn't like it when she mixed alcohol with her medication (especially since Sarah tended to binge drink), but hell, she went out so rarely, and she deserved to cut loose every once in a while. Right? Right.
After her second glass of champagne (or perhaps her third, but what did it matter anyway) and her fifth canapé, the lights began to go down, signalling the beginning of the show.
Noting the safe, concealing darkness, Sarah stuffed down an excited giggle with a camembert smeared piece of almond bread. She kicked her very stylish, very expensive, very high, foot-mangling-torture-devices off her feet and scuttled over to the edge of the box. She'd be damned if she was going to sit back where she couldn't see the action properly! Besides, the seat was wrinkling her very stylish, very expensive, very short black silk scrap of modesty - er, dress. It had cost a fortune, but Sarah had decided to splurge. It was a special occasion.
The curtains lifted for the first act and Sarah wriggled with glee. It was happening!
"My, my, Sarah," a voice murmured, directly into her ear. "That is a very fetching half a dress you're wearing."
Muffling her squeak of surprise quickly with her hand, Sarah turned to glare at Jareth, sharply dressed in a tuxedo and looking like every woman's sexual fantasy embodied. He was leaning on the banister beside her, looking for all the world like he belonged there.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, hoping no one had noticed him apparently appearing out of thin air. "Must you sneak up on me every time we meet? It's rude you know!"
"I would have thought that my reason for being here would be obvious," Jareth replied, with a graceful gesture to the stage below. "I came to see the show. I thought some company would please you, since Toby is indisposed."
Sarah frowned. She knew that Toby and Jareth communicated regularly - it had started a few months after Toby's prodigious talent as a musician had begun to emerge. His progress seemed to grow in leaps and bounds with Jareth as a mentor of sorts. Toby was now studying the violin and the guitar simultaneously, after ditching the piano after a few months. He seemed to have a fascination with stringed instruments.
Deep down, Sarah knew Jareth didn't have any sinister intentions, but it was still hard to let go of her memory of him as her brother's kidnapper. The fact that they talked without her still made her feel squeamish and unsettled.
In actual fact, Jareth couldn't give two goblin's goolies about the show. A pale and clearly ill Toby had informed him a few hours earlier that Sarah was at the premiere without an escort, and that she would probably be pleased to see him.
Jareth had pounced on the opportunity to get Sarah alone. It was time to move matters… forward. He allowed himself a leer at Sarah's curves when she glanced away from him.
"You're still sending me the roses," she said, staring at her fingernails.
"And you're still keeping them," he answered. A… reliable source had informed him that the dried rose petals resided in a large crystal bowl on her coffee table.
Sarah blushed. "Well," she blustered "I don't have many people who like me enough to send me roses every week."
"Then that is a tragic loss for mortal men," Jareth told her, catching her eyes and holding them. "But a significant advantage for me."
His gaze was the most intense she had ever remembered it and Sarah's skin prickled with nervousness. She felt a little bit like a small fish looking up at a large and hungry shark.
"They're not... I mean the roses, they're not..." Sarah scrambled for a way to ask the question that was bothering her without sounding like a desperate lovelorn teenager. "They're not platonic roses, are they?" She winced internally. Oh well done Sarah. Smooth.
"Again, I would have thought that was obvious," Jareth told her softly, resting his chin in his hand and looking completely relaxed. Somehow, he seemed to have gotten closer, though Sarah was sure she was imagining it. "Unless I have somehow misinterpreted Aboveground courting rituals."
"Courting…?" Sarah's voice seemed to die in her throat, which had helpfully been crammed full of her suddenly-pounding heart.
"Mmm." Jareth was closer to her now, looking even more shark-like. She hadn't seen him move. "Although I must say, you have not been responding to my overtures in the manner consistent with Aboveground females. Though," he continued breezily, "I comforted myself with the knowledge that you are simply playing hard-to-get."
"I am not," Sarah squeaked reflexively. If it were possible to blush all over, she would have done it.
"No?" Jareth chuckled, flashing his sharp teeth. "Then I must conclude that you are, by all accounts, exceptionally dense."
Sarah opened her mouth to retort, couldn't think of anything to say in response, then shut it again. Jareth took the opportunity to close the remaining space between them. He slid an arm around Sarah's waist and pulled her against him.
"If you had thought to call me," Jareth murmured into her ear, "I would have come to you."
Sarah's body went into overdrive, shuddering. It felt like every nerve she had was screaming from his proximity. He felt just as muscular, just as male, as he had when he had trapped her in high school, although the woman she was now was rather more appreciative of his physique than the terrified teenager she had been then.
That didn't stop her from yelping, however, when his hand slid down to cup her backside and pull her closer still.
"Shhhhh Sarah." His voice was low and full of wicked amusement. "I can't seduce you in public if you make so much noise. We'll be discovered and it will be such a scandal."
"Seduce?" Sarah's brain seemed to have jammed on the word. Jareth had backed her up against a wall and his hand was sliding downwards over the back of her thigh, coaxing her to lift her leg and rest it around his waist. His other hand rested against the wall beside her head. She had no choice but to grasp the front of his jacket with both hands to keep her balance.
"Yes," he answered, lifting his free hand from the wall and tugging his black glove off with his teeth. "I am going to seduce you, Sarah Williams." He dipped his head and proceeded to lay open-mouthed kisses on her neck and shoulder.
It felt like the kiss he'd given her on the back of her hand at the book signing, only a million times better. Sarah tilted her head to give him better access, trying not to pant, or think about how she was just allowing him to do it.
All at once, she felt the silk ribbon sides of her panties rip and slide down her leg. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just what exactly did Jareth mean by 'seduce'?
"J-Jareth," she stammered, overwhelmed as his hand cupped her breast through the thin silk of her dress, his thumb brushing her nipple. "I don't think this is a good idea." She was no virgin, and she certainly wanted him, but she wasn't sure she could just have sex with him, right here in the corporate box.
"Hush, precious," he answered, trailing his fingers down her chest and stomach. "I am not going to ravish you here."
Sarah relaxed back against the wall with a mixture of relief and disappointment flitting across her face. Jareth laughed at her expression.
"Oh Sarah, I didn't say I wasn't going to molest you. There are plenty of other things I can do."
Before she could say anything, he kissed her. At the same time, she felt his bare hand press between her legs. Her gasp was effectively stifled by his mouth as he slipped a finger inside her.
Jareth stroked her shocked, unmoving tongue with his own, his hand mimicking his movements. He broke the kiss after a few moments and nuzzled her cheek with unexpected affection.
"Your body gives you away," he purred, inordinately pleased at how wet she was. He pressed Sarah more firmly against the wall, his hand rising from her leg around his waist, fisting in her hair.
Sarah's cheeks burned as she struggled with the embarrassment of being so obviously aroused and the delicious sensations his hand was creating. Her hands clenched and unclenched convulsively, screwing up the fabric of Jareth's jacket. Her breath was coming in little pants.
"If you want me to stop..." his tone was amused. Sarah shot him a filthy look. He laughed.
Sarah's head fell back against the wall and she swallowed a moan as Jareth slid another finger inside her. Distantly, she could hear the play, but it hardly seemed to matter as Jareth's fingers moved, and his thumb brushed against her clitoris. She mewled and ground herself against his hand before she could stop herself.
She was rewarded for this wanton display with a savage kiss. Their teeth clashed, but it didn't matter. Jareth caught her lower lip between his teeth, sending a sharp bolt of pleasure straight down to her lower abdomen.
"W-we're missing the play." Her voice entirely lacked the conviction Sarah was going for. Instead, it sounded like she was having an asthma attack. Well. She needed to at least make a token attempt to strive for decorum. Never mind that her hands had somehow ended up tangled in his hair.
Her hips shifted, seemingly of their own accord, grinding themselves against Jareth's hand. He whispered soft encouragements into her ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin. It wasn't her fault he seemed to know exactly what to say and how to touch her. Sarah had never had much difficulty orgasming, but she could feel her climax building already. It had been barely two minutes!
"Jareth," she whimpered as her body started to convulse.
Jareth had seen enough of her dreams to know that Sarah was a screamer. Of course, he'd never tell her that. In the dark, his grin was smug to the extreme.
Raising his head, Jareth kissed her as she came, silencing her cries and bracing her as she bucked against him. She tangled her tongue with his, the taste like cinnamon and cloves, heavy and comforting, as she rode the shock wave of pleasure.
Sarah relaxed back against the wall when the tremors passed, sighing as Jareth broke their kiss. He grinned at the post-orgasmic glaze in her eyes and gently withdrew his fingers, making her shudder. Holding her gaze, he licked his fingers clean and enjoyed the way the heat rose in her cheeks.
Collecting herself, Sarah slid her leg down from his hip and tottered a little on her feet. She felt cold all of a sudden. And confused. And embarrassed. She glanced around for her panties, but they seemed to have vanished.
"You're stealing my panties?" she asked incredulously, spotting a scrap of silk ribbon peeking from Jareth's jacket pocket. He smirked and smoothed down her dress with slightly wandering hands. He didn't answer, but helped her into a nearby seat.
"I believe we have not missed a great deal of the show," he said at last, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "I did not expect you to be so... receptive." He glanced at her and frowned when she hid her face in her hands. "Are you ill?" he asked.
"No. I'm mortified," she groaned.
"Why?" Jareth demanded, feeling a little stung.
"Because I was moaning and rubbing against you like a cheap whore!" Sarah hissed from between her fingers. After continuing to hide her face for a few moments, she ducked down and rummaged on the floor, locating her shoes and pulling them on.
By the time she had stumbled to the box exit, Jareth was blocking her way.
"You are being childish," he said flatly.
"I am not," Sarah snapped, shouldering past him with an effort and beginning to stride down the stairs. All she cared about was getting away. She couldn't handle this right now.
"Then why are you flouncing out like a child throwing a tantrum?" Jareth retorted, matching her pace.
"I am leaving, because I feel embarrassed, and cheap, and I don't want to deal with you right now!" Sarah had reached the entrance foyer. Jareth caught her by the elbow.
"You shouldn't feel that way," he told her firmly. "I was the one who instigated it."
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked. She winced internally at the slight edge of hysteria in her voice. She never could keep her composure around him. "I don't understand you, Jareth. Is this a big game for you? Are you trying humiliate me?"
Jareth stared at her in silence for a moment. He let go of her arm.
"I thought I explained myself clearly back there," he jerked his head towards the staircase. "Fae do not lie. But you, it seems, do not remember, or perhaps you refuse to accept my words as truth."
Sarah couldn't look at him. Her stomach twisted and churned umcomfortably.
After a long silence, he spoke again.
"Clearly you are not ready for this. You cannot accept me as a suitor rather than an adversary."
She didn't answer.
"I will give you space and time to think about this. But Sarah," the way he said her name made her look up fearfully, "Do not think for too long. I am not going to wait forever."
He was gone. Sarah hailed a cab and made her miserable way home, feeling she had just ruined something potentially extraordinary.
***
Summer, 1986
Sarah was painting in her studio the next time the Gobin King came to call. In the wake of the release of the Labyrinth movie, a huge market had opened up for merchandise. She'd found herself doing a lot of concept art for posters these days.
The roses had continued to arrive as if their last encounter hadn't happened. Sarah spent the "time and space" granted to her by Jareth to focus on her work and also on becoming more healthy.
She'd had a lot of time to think about what Jareth had said. After many months of ruminations, she supposed that it was possible he was simply interested in pursuing a relationship. Of sorts. She wasn't sure how the logistics would work, the two of them being in different worlds and all. Would he expect her to give up her Aboveground life and return to the Labyrinth with him?
She hadn't confided her thoughts to Toby, who was far too young and in any case, simply didn't need to know about his sister's love life. She assumed Jareth thought the same way, because her brother had never brought it up. In fact, the two of them hadn't spoken about Jareth at all.
Despite her gradual realisation that she most likely would be interested in seeing Jareth on a regular basis, something had always held her back from calling on him. She didn't know if it was pride, or a lingering suspicion that he would simply use her up and throw her away. Either way, Sarah had held off, figuring that Jareth would eventually come to her.
She just hadn't figured it would take so damn long.
A perfunctory knock on the doorframe had announced a visitor. Sarah turned with a smile, expecting to see Toby, but had faltered a little when she saw Jareth standing there instead.
So, the time had come. A tornado of butterflies erupted in her stomach.
"I see you haven't wasted the gift I gave you." There was no mockery in Jareth's voice, only calm observation. His eyes were on the painting, a detailed rendition of the battle in the Goblin City.
Calming from the initial surprise of seeing him suddenly appear in her home, Sarah smiled and set down her brush and palette. "It's been a while, Jareth."
He inclined his head. "You will notice that I knocked, this time. Let it never be said that I am not attentive to your wishes."
Sarah laughed at his put-upon air. "I did notice, thank you. However, I am out of 'Most Courteous Goblin King' medals, so you'll have to stay nailed to the cross until we meet again."
Jareth took a few steps closer and then leaned nonchalantly against the wall beside her. His sharp eyes swept the studio, taking in the many half-finished canvases, surfaces littered with clay sculptures and the precariously stacked folders full of concept art.
"I had hoped you might admit it, one day." Sarah continued. She stretched and yawned, then noticed Jareth's questioning look. "About giving me that gift, I mean. I knew I couldn't have done all this by myself. At first I wondered if it might be a bit of a double-edged sword. Although I must say, the financial gain has been enough to calm my misgivings." She had the grace to smile sheepishly.
"Of course it has," Jareth smirked. "I could never expect a human - least of all you, so in love with fame and notoriety - to be completely altruistic in their motives."
"The larger my profile, the greater my influence," Sarah answered simply. "Time is money and money is power. I would think that you, a King, would agree."
"But of course," Jareth answered easily. "And your kingdom is indeed on its way to being as great as mine. Your work has ignited the belief of millions across the Aboveground. You'll be pleased to know that the Underground is enjoying a time of great prosperity."
"I am glad," Sarah told him sincerely.
She took the opportunity to really look at him in the flesh for the first time since those thirteen fateful hours in the Labyrinth. Their other encounters had been so short, their last one mostly in the dark.
He was still as breath-taking as she remembered. They'd made a good choice, casting David Bowie to play him in the movie, she decided. They could have passed for siblings - but the real Jareth had that additional, unworldly beauty that was so difficult to capture in the Aboveground.
Jareth, watching her stare at him, smirked and eyed her playfully. "The erotic dreams are becoming a little tiresome, however."
"What?!" Sarah spluttered, an instant forest fire igniting her cheeks. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Except she did. And she was beyond embarrassed that he'd found her out. But it wasn't as if she could help it - honestly, hadn't the man read any Freud?
Besides, comparing every man she'd ever dated to that one sexy encounter with Jareth was a fail-safe way of making sure she stayed committed to her work. Who wanted to have sex when it would always be perpetually disappointing in comparison to a bit of heavy petting?
"Come, come my dear," Jareth laughed, tugging off his gloves, one after the other. Sarah's eyes followed his movements with more interest than was strictly polite. Gloves off usually meant… She swallowed hard when she finally realised he had paused to watch her watch him.
"Did I say your erotic dreams were tiresome?" he asked. "I meant the blow-by-blow - if you'll pardon the pun-" Sarah made a noise between a squeak and a choke, "-erotic dreams of all the bored, sexually starved housewives and inexperienced virginal teenage girls. And a few boys too," he added, as an afterthought. "They latch on to the Goblin King- not that human actor- for the most part, so all the dreams stream through like perverted fan mail."
"You've seen the movie?" Sarah blurted out, a tiny bit surprised. She had expected to see him at the premiere and had been sorely disappointed when he hadn't shown up. Steer the topic away from me dreaming about fucking him on my dining room table, she thought desperately.
"Of course," he answered, as if that much were obvious. "I would have been at the first screening, but for a runner in my Labyrinth."
So that answered that. "Well… what did you think?" Sarah asked, after a brief silence. She hated to admit that she really, really hoped he liked it.
Jareth grinned at her, flashing those too-sharp teeth. "It was tolerable," he told her. "That actor wasn't half as good-looking as I am, but I understood your human resources are limited, so I let it pass."
Sarah laughed, despite herself. "You've retained that modesty I remember so well," she chuckled. "I believe you said something similar at the opening night of the high school play."
She blinked in surprise as Jareth was suddenly way into her personal space. "The female lead however," he told her, twining her hair around his fingers "was an abysmally poor imitation of you."
Engage brain, engage brain, Sarah thought desperately, as she was overwhelmed with the dark, electrifying scent of him. He's just playing with me. I'm standing here looking like a total mess, in a holey t-shirt, cut-offs, coke bottle glasses and yellow paint in my hair. It's been almost two years since we've seen each other. I'm old. He is NOT flirting with me right now. Half of her wholeheartedly wanted a repeat of Broadway opening night, with uncut extras. The other half was screaming at her not to be so stupid.
"I'm sorry you didn't approve," she finally ground out, in an admirable parody of composure. "Was she not bratty enough?"
"Oh no," Jareth answered silkily, still playing with her hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be doing. "I admired the complete, brutal honesty with which you captured yourself, or rather, Mia." He leaned down, brushing her ear with his lips. "It was just that she was nowhere near beautiful enough to do you justice."
Despite her racing pulse, Sarah huffed a sardonic laugh and backed away, yanking the strands of her hair out of his hands.
"I assure you, you don't need to stroke my ego," she told him flatly. "I know I wrecked your kingdom and I have devoted my life to fixing it, in whatever small way I can." She folded her arms. "I expected that you would be coming to either have your revenge, or have me atone for what I did. So stop playing with me and get to the point. As long as it doesn't involve my brother, I am prepared to face the music."
Jareth stared at her, his face suddenly expressionless. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as they observed each other.
Finally, Jareth spoke. "Do you remember our last conversation in the Labyrinth, Sarah?"
"Of course I do," she answered. "It's quoted word for word in the book and the movie."
"So, you may have realised that you were a trifle young to understand what I was really offering you." It was not a question.
Sarah opened her mouth, then closed it. Well, yes, but it was always easier to tell herself that she was seeing things that weren't there. Hope always brought disappointment in its wake.
"I thought I had made things clear during-and after-our encounter at the Broadway opening night," Jareth continued, "but you are surprisingly naive, for such an intelligent woman. Or perhaps, purposely obtuse?" He fixed her with a penetrating stare. Sarah made a show of straightening her palette on the tabletop.
"I decided to give you some space after that, and wait for you to call on me," Jareth continued. "I told you I would come if you did. But you did not. And I believe you have had ample time to consider my intentions. So, once again, it seems I must resort to more forceful measures." He strode across the room towards her desk, Sarah staring after him.
"What are you doing?!" she shrieked, as Jareth swept her folders and papers off her desk and onto the floor in one graceful movement. Was he seriously going to trash her studio?
Sarah shrieked again, flailing as Jareth lifted her effortlessly in his arms and then deposited her on the polished edge of her own desk, positioning himself easily and confidently between her thighs.
Jareth leaned forward, so that there was barely an inch between their faces, and gave Sarah his best predator's smile. If she'd been standing up… well, she would have needed to sit down again. Quickly.
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he purred. "I am going to ravish you on top of your desk. Thoroughly. Just like in those dirty dreams of yours involving the dining room table. I trust you have no objections? Last chance."
Sarah gulped, feeling him everywhere at once, particularly the hardness pressing against her through her thin cotton cut-offs. She'd fantasised about this moment for years, wondered what it would look like, what it would feel like. And now that the moment was finally here… she was crapping her pants.
"No objections," she forced out after a brief silence. "But I think-"
"You think too much," Jareth cut her off, then he was kissing her, and whatever she'd wanted to say didn't matter anymore.
Sarah sat cross-legged on the bed some time later, not caring a great deal about her nakedness, and watched Jareth get dressed. Every movement was efficient, graceful and annoyingly perfect. She felt the malicious urge to mess up his hair, untuck his shirt or unbutton his pants…
…actually, unbuttoning his pants would be a fantastic idea. Sarah smirked to herself and Jareth caught her expression.
If she only knew what a magnificent Queen she would make, he thought ruefully.
"Toby would be really interested in coming to visit you for a while," Sarah told him, breaking the silence. "I'm sure he'd love to explore the Labyrinth with you, if you can find some time for him at some point over the next few years."
"Next few years?" Jareth echoed, frowning.
Sarah quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you're leaving, obviously. I'll see you at the next big Labyrinth event I suppose. I'll make sure I'm wearing sexy underwear." She laughed, stretching and clambering off the bed. "You caught me in my work clothes this time."
Jareth caught her wrist as she bent to retrieve her clothes and tugged it upwards until she was facing him. "You think I'm leaving again," he said flatly.
"Of course," Sarah answered, raising her eyebrows in an expression of nonchalance. "Just like last time, and the time before that. And the time before that. Kingdoms to run, goblins to kick, etcetera. Right?"
Jareth released her wrist and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It seems you have misunderstood me yet again my dear. What do I have to do, short of getting down on one knee with a diamond ring?"
Sarah gaped at him for a moment, then seemed to recover. "Well, I wouldn't mind having you down on your knees," she quipped with an evil grin. "Plenty of things you can do down there other than wave a diamond ring around."
"Be serious Sarah," Jareth snapped. "You know what I want. I've wanted it since the day we met. Stop wilfully misunderstanding me!"
"I'm not!"
"You are. I've given you every opportunity to back away from this, to tell me in no uncertain terms to leave you alone, but you haven't. I worried that I might be… rushing things… so I've waited for you to call on me, to invite me into your life, but again, you haven't. You've been totally reactive. You seem quite willing to take what I have to offer, and then forget about me afterwards."
The two of them stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Sarah looked away first. He may be right on some points, but she'd be damned if she was going to admit it.
"I don't want to have this conversation now," she said, turning away to leave the room. As she reached the door, Jareth was blocking it. She hated it when he did that.
"Why can't we talk about this now?" he demanded.
"I'm naked."
Jareth raised an eyebrow, and Sarah's clothes were back on.
"I need coffee."
A cappuccino was instantly in her hand.
"Not a cappuccino. A macchiato."
"SARAH!"
"No, Jareth." She edged past him and walked out into the studio, tossing back her coffee. She stopped in front of her easel and discarded her cup, twisting her hair up into a messy bun and beginning to prepare her palette.
"You realise I could just take you to the Labyrinth against your will and keep you there." Jareth's fingers caressed the curve of her back under her shirt. "You would never be able to return to the Aboveground."
"But you won't." Sarah suppressed a shiver of pleasure and began to paint. She was not afraid of him, dammit. Her hand was not shaking.
"How do you know?"
"If you imprison me, the prosperity and goodwill I bring to your kingdom will fail. Not to mention the fact that you would prefer an equal over a slave any day."
She had him there. Jareth took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. His sharp Fae eyes scrutinised her face, searching for answers.
"Sarah. Why must you be so stubborn? Why won't you be my Queen? Do you find the idea abhorrent?"
Sarah imagined being the Goblin Queen for a moment. Living in the fantasy world of the Labyrinth, ruling it. Being able to see Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus, every day. Being able to love Jareth freely, start a family with him.
No, the idea wasn't abhorrent. Not by a long shot.
"Is your kingdom fully restored?" she asked, instead of answering his question.
Jareth looked slightly uncomfortable. "Well, no, but-"
"That's why," Sarah cut him off. "My atonement is still not completed."
"Sarah, you are being ridiculous," Jareth snapped. "You have done more than enough to settle your debt to the Labyrinth. Enough with this martyr's complex!"
"When the damage to the Labyrinth is fully healed and your kingdom is restored, I will marry you," Sarah told him.
Jareth clasped her left hand hard, twining their fingers together. He leaned forward so that their faces were almost touching. "Do not toy with me Sarah. The Fae do not take such promises lightly."
Sarah closed the gap between them and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "And I do not make them lightly, Jareth. Come for me on that day and I will go with you as your wife."
With a growl, Jareth, crushed her against him. Then they were on the floor, and her clothes were off again.
When Sarah woke, much, much later, it was dark and she was alone again. She had been carefully tucked back into her bed, she noticed, but it was too little too late. Their vigorous bout of lovemaking on the studio floor was going to leave spectacular bruises and she could already feel each and every one.
Part of her was grumpy about the wasted day, and all the work-related things she could have achieved. Ok, so she was a bit of a workaholic. But the posters were important!
Another part of her noted she was going to need a long hot bath if she wanted to be able to walk normally anytime soon. That brought a bit of a half-smug, half-embarrassed grin to her face. Jareth was certainly everything she'd fantasised about and then some. She may as well just throw out all her vibrators now and give up.
Deciding to give herself a break, just this once, Sarah rolled back over and let sleep claim her.
***
Fall, 1986
"Sarah!" The banging on the bathroom door resumed. "Are you okay? Open the door!"
Sarah, slumped on the floor with her back against the toilet, couldn't help smiling a little at the echo of authority in her thirteen year old brother's voice. He knew he became more weirdly compelling- more like him- as he grew older and he used this quality against her whenever he wanted his way.
She stared at the little stick in her hand, and bravely pretended her hand wasn't shaking. This wasn't the news she needed right now.
"Tobe, I'm fine," she answered wearily. "I just can't stand up yet."
There was a brief silence as the banging stopped. "It's positive." It wasn't a question and he didn't sound surprised.
"Yeah."
She heard a sliding thump and knew Toby had sat himself down on the floor against the bathroom door.
"It's Jareth's." Also, not a question.
"Of course it is," Sarah laughed, trying not to sound either hysterical or bitter. "I never leave the damn studio anymore, and he came here."
"What are you going to do?" Toby sounded apprehensive.
Sarah considered her answer. Her future with Jareth wasn't definite by any means. As it was, it had been more than a month since she'd seen him. Still, she knew she wouldn't be able to terminate the baby. It was a part of her, and Jareth, the result of something she felt was rather special, even if it didn't turn into something more permanent.
She also recoiled from the thought of adopting the child out after giving birth. It would be half-Fae and could never lead an ordinary human life. Not to mention, Jareth would never allow it.
"I suppose I'm keeping it," Sarah said softly, knowing Toby would hear. "You'll be an extremely young uncle."
***
Winter, 1987
Sarah lay on the studio couch, propped up with cushions and smothered with blankets. Her rapidly growing stomach had made it impossible to work at her desk, so most of her administrative work now took place on the couch, all other practical work done in short instalments.
All of her clients had been notified of Sarah's progressive pregnancy, and to her chagrin, she had been firmly informed that they were all capable of taking care of their own business, and the world would not fall down without her running everything.
So now, she was on "light duties." Toby was home in the evenings and made a point of commanding Sarah to stay on the couch or in bed while he took care of the cooking and cleaning. She defiantly did as much as she could during the day on her "work breaks", which were slowly but surely becoming more frequent. She didn't believe Toby should have to take on such a huge responsibility at such a young age, but the reality was that she was beginning to rely on him more and more. No one had said anything about feeling tired all the time.
Sarah wasn't aware she'd dozed off, but when she opened her eyes, she was lying on her side with the blankets tucked around her. The documents she had been reading were in a neat stack on the floor.
Sarah looked around blearily and realised Jareth was standing next to the couch, staring down at her. His eyes were blazing. It made Sarah quail a little inside.
Shit. He'd found out about the baby.
"You are with child." His voice was like a whip. "You are with child, and you did not tell me."
Sarah took a moment, both to adjust to his sudden, unannounced presence and also to figure out the best way to handle his anger.
"Truthfully Jareth, I am still coming to terms with it myself," she told him tartly. "Being a mother definitely wasn't on my short-term to-do list. Besides, I'm only three months pregnant. Although," she waved a hand at the stomach that seemed to suggest she was much further along, "You wouldn't think so to look at me. People are asking if I'm having triplets."
"The child is not entirely human," Jareth said, as if that explained everything. "Your pregnancy will be shorter and the child will grow at almost double the speed. Right now, he is at the developmental level of a human child at seven months."
"He?" Sarah echoed. Once her stomach had started swelling alarmingly, she had been too anxious to go to her obstetrician for scans. There would be too many questions that she couldn't answer. Consequently, she hadn't known the gender of the baby. She'd known that she needed Jareth's help, but had been too cowardly to call him. Calling him would mean finally coming to terms with the pregnancy. It would also mean addressing whatever it was going on between them. Perhaps even talking about feelings. Sarah had shrivelled a bit inside at the thought and decided procrastination was a much better idea. For three whole months.
"Yes," Jareth answered tersely. "Our son. I am here because I felt his presence. To say I was surprised would be a gross understatement. You should have told me."
"You could feel him?" Sarah was a touch weirded-out, but mostly fascinated. "Is it like a psychic bond?"
"It is infinitely more complicated than that," Jareth replied, with a superior expression on his face. He stopped, and seemed to realise he was still looming over her with his hands on his hips. He sat and arranged himself on the couch next to her, trying to look casual.
"I don't know how to explain it to you, because it is something that the Fae take for granted," he continued, raising a hand and placing it tentatively on her belly. Sarah watched his face as he gazed down at his hand. The mixture of love and pride there made her feel warm inside. At least that confirmed that he wanted the baby as much as she did.
"Is he healthy?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," he confirmed with a smile, meeting her eyes again. "But you will require the services of a Fae healer before much longer. I can monitor our son, but I cannot provide you with the treatment you need to carry and birth a Fae child."
"I'm not going to the Underground," Sarah told him flatly.
"You will not jeopardise our son's safety."
"Then bring your healers here to treat me," she replied. "There is no reason why they shouldn't be able to do that."
"Sarah." Jareth's voice was dangerous. "You are being unreasonable."
"We had a deal, Jareth," she insisted mulishly. "I'm only going with you once the Labyrinth is completely repaired and restored."
"Ah," Jareth purred. His sour expression gave way to one of triumph. "I've been meaning to bring that up, precious. You see, the Labyrinth is completely repaired and restored."
"What?" Sarah goggled at him.
"You heard me." Jareth was smirking like a cat that got the cream. "I have come to collect my future wife and child and take them home."
"How do I know you're not just saying this to placate me?" Sarah asked suspiciously. "It's been three months and I know what you're like Jareth. You'll twist the truth in so many pretty ways in order to get what you want."
"I will show you," Jareth answered simply. He pointed a leather-clad finger at the large, partly-filled canvas sitting across from them.
Sarah followed his finger and stared at what looked like a window leading into the entrance of the Labyrinth. It was like being plunged forcibly into her childhood bedroom again, the night she had challenged Jareth to win Toby back. She felt like she was fifteen years old again.
She made to struggle to her feet, but Jareth assisted her with one hand clasping hers, the other on the small of her back. She leaned on him for support without meaning to, totally absorbed in getting to the canvas for a better look at what lay beyond.
She completely missed the affectionate smile on Jareth's face as he looked down at her.
Sarah reached the canvas and saw that there was a rough sandstone window frame just on the inside of it. Hesitating for a moment, she pinned Jareth with a threatening look. "Don't you dare pull any tricks on me," she warned him. "I will not be taken against my will."
Jareth inclined his head in agreement. "Look until you are satisfied," he said. "There is no trickery here and I am not intending to kidnap you."
Sarah placed her hands on the stone windowsill and leaned into the canvas. Sunlight warmed her face and a light breeze ruffled her bangs. It smelled like spring time, a welcome contrast to the bitter snowstorm outside.
She gazed down the hill in front of her to the outer walls of the Labyrinth. It looked very different to the image burned into her memory. Instead of the barren, desert-like sandy hills she remembered around the borders of the kingdom, lush, shiny turquoise coloured grass rippled in the wind, punctuated by thick clumps of silvery flowers. They looked a bit like freesias.
The heavy orange sky had lightened to a pale, clear gold and Sarah could see strange green birds swooping across it, many of them dipping into the heart of the Labyrinth, then back out again.
The huge, sand coloured stone walls of the maze were as Sarah remembered, but were thickly draped with flowering vines that swayed gently. She could see the tiny fairies swarming around the flowers in small, glittering clouds. Further in, she spotted the bright emerald of the hedge mazes.
Finally, she lifted her eyes to the Goblin City and the castle in the centre of the maze.
"It's fixed." She could hardly believe it. Yet, there stood the castle, as whole and imposing as the picture she'd held in her mind for over a decade. It looked somehow cleaner and neater than it had been before and the pale stone towers gleamed in the yellow sunlight.
"Indeed," Jareth agreed, his lips inches from her ear.
"But just a couple of months ago..." she trailed off.
"You were not carrying the Goblin Kingdom's heir," he finished. "As far as the Labyrinth is concerned, it is now whole again."
Sarah stared at him incredulously. "Surely it can't be that simple?"
"It can," he said simply. "You were the Queen I chose years ago."
"So… what happens now?" she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say it.
"Well, you remember your promise Sarah," Jareth purred, drawing her into his arms and being careful not to put pressure on her stomach. "You promised me you would come with me and be my wife the day my kingdom was restored."
Sarah relaxed into his embrace with a rueful smile. "I kind of thought it would take a bit longer than it actually did," she admitted. "I thought I would have more time here."
"You can blame your own rampant overachievement for that," Jareth told her smugly.
"I wasn't expecting my ovaries to be overachievers as well," Sarah replied. "I didn't plan this."
"No, and nor did I, I promise you," Jareth told her, and he meant it. "Yet it is the best thing that could have happened. The Goblin Kingdom has an heir and in a matter of hours, it will have a Queen. That, more than anything you have done this past decade or so, has rebuilt the Labyrinth to its fullest potential. Or did you forget the reason it was so badly damaged in the first place?" Jareth gazed at her with a quirked eyebrow.
"Look, I'm sorry I shot you down, way back then," Sarah retored, laughing despite herself. "But honestly Jareth, I was fifteen! How could you expect me to understand?"
"That doesn't excuse your wilful blindness afterwards," he shot back. He pulled her a little closer and nuzzled her ear. "But it is no matter. You are bound by your word and I have you now, Sarah."
"Yes," Sarah said, accepting defeat and finding she did not mind a bit. "I suppose you do." She yanked Jareth's hair when his expression of smug delight became unbearable and then laughed again at his affronted yelp.
"Shall we?" he asked solicitously, sweeping a hand towards the canvas, which was now the size of a large doorway. The view of the outer walls of the Labyrinth was gone, and had been replaced with the stairs leading up to the castle. "Your subjects are waiting to greet you."
"Toby?" she asked. She didn't need to elaborate.
"His Royal Highness, the Duke," Jareth replied, loving her expression of pleased comprehension at Toby's new title, "Is waiting for us in the throne room."
Deciding she would argue with Jareth about continuing her freelance work later, Sarah gripped Jareth's hand a little more firmly and allowed him to help her through the doorway to the castle beyond the Goblin City.
The End