Chapter One

Don't You Understand That I Can't?

Sarah sat in front of her laptop, unable to come up with the first sentence. She was annoyed that she'd gotten so far in her previous document, that it was so full of life and colorful characters, when her battery went out. She wanted it to captivate her reader, take them to another world. She wanted to clearly describe their own emotions to them; depression, fear, and love. She shrugged; it'd be a does of good karma as well, which she needed desperately.

"This is hopeless," she sighed to Bella, whose only response was a loud obnoxious meow. Sarah rolled her eyes and turned her head to the side, looking into the crystal glow of her laptop screen. She was on chapter three when a loud thud came from her bedroom. Sarah's head whisked around, in the direction of the noise. Eyes wide, she vigilantly made her way to the dining room's light fixture. She switched it on, nothing.

Great she thought this has horror movie written all over it. A groan followed and soon the sound of stumbling. Sarah slowly made her way across the room and stood before the door, which had seemed to grow more sinister in the darkened room. As more tripping was heard silent curses followed and Sarah grasped the door handle firmly. Could be a ghost she though. The door handle eased it's way down and clicked. Sarah tried her hardest to keep the door shut but it started creaking open. Out of instinct, Sarah started saying a spell.

"He who is strong, he who is mighty

Lend thine power to this charm

Demons turn on your heels and ru-"

"Wait a second," the voice was strong and firm. Sarah was taken aback for a moment, seeing the notorious Goblin King stand there in all his glory. He looked exactly the same, blond spiky hair, mismatched eyes, and even the same attire. He stood in the doorway, looking slightly amused with the shocked expression on the poor woman's face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice dripping with ice.

"What do you think?" he asked, leaning up against the doorframe.

"I don't ask questions to which I know the answers," she said, less viciously this time.

"Funny," he said arching his eyebrow "it seems that you do, so often in fact."

"You didn't answer me," she said repeating herself "what do you want?"

"Since when do you use magick?" he asked, keeping off the subject "you know that's very dangerous to use, especially on other magickal beings."

"For that last time," she snapped "what the hell do you want?"

"I've come to ask a favor of you," he said bowing slightly. Sarah turned on her heel and started back for the kitchen.

"Get out of here," she ordered, not looking back.

"Then you send me to my death," he said solemnly, as he bowed again. Sarah walked a little farther and then stopped and finally turned around.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's a very long story," he sighed and then motioned to the kitchen table "can we sit?" Sarah gave a worried glance and then submitted.

"Alright," she said and tried flicking on the light fixture again. "What's with trying to scare the living daylights outta me?"

"Humm," Jareth seemed to ponder this a moment and took a long blink, when he opened his eyes the light came back on. "Wasn't me," he swore "your light went out."

"Nifty trick," she smiled but quickly shook off her friendly mood. She was supposed to be mad. She was supposed to hate Jareth...wasn't she? She thought so. But she kept having pangs of compassion and even wanting his friendship and acceptance for some odd reason. She tried to shake that off too.

"Alright," he said sitting down "as I've said, this is a long story but I'll try to make it as short as I can."

"Ok," she said, sighing slightly "start."

"Well," Jareth took a long pause and took a deep breath "I need you to marry me."

"WhAt?!" Sarah asked, shocked.

"I figured that would be your response," he sighed, putting his hands over his face.

"Explain this to me," she said, trying to calm herself.

"If a Goblin King's true love refuses him," Jareth said taking his hands away from his face "then he must either convince her or marry the woman his parents have chosen."

"Your going to have to explain this more," she sighed.

"Out of the three-thousand and twenty-four years I've lived, I have only found one woman I want to wed, and that's you." At this Sarah blushed but Jareth chose to ignore it for the time being. "But, since you left Underground, and beat the Labyrinth and left me, and obviously don't want to marry me then I must marry the bride my parents have chosen."

"I don't see were you dying comes in," Sarah said bluntly.

"If I don't marry you," he said seriously "I will have to marry Legba."

"Not understanding...." Sarah complained.

"She's evil!" he snapped "she's evil and she'll end up murdering me."

"Well why don't you tell your parents that," Sarah yawned, uncaringly.

"I have," he said bluntly "they don't care."

"Ah," she teased "so not caring about other people does run in your family. I thought maybe it was just you."

"Sarah I'm being serious," he snapped.

"So am I," she said standing up. "But you see, I really don't care."

"You will," he said "when the whole Labyrinth dies along with me. I and it are connected, a spiritual bond."

"And?" Sarah said again.

"You can't expect me to believe that you don't care," he said, shocked as he stood up. She shook her head.

"I don't."

"That's a lie," he snapped.

"Believe what you like," she grinned "and if that's all, would you mind leaving?"

"You don't understand," he said "if I die, the Labyrinth will too. All your friends along with it."

"That was a life I lived when I was fifteen," she said "I'm not part of that anymore."

"You think your not part of it," he laughed "your insane! Your more part of it now that you ever were before. Sarah, you don't seem to comprehend."

"NO!" she snapped "you don't understand! I don't belong there. I never did. I shouldn't have ever wished Toby away or... or..."

"Look at you," he said "your more part of it than you were when you were fifteen. You keep telling yourself that you have nothing to do with magick and that your normal. Sarah, your Wiccan and you write fairytales. You are possibly the most unique person Aboveground and you keep telling yourself that your normal. Your NOT normal."

"I'm tired of being different Jareth," she admitted loudly "don't tell me who or what I am just because you can spy on me in your spare time. You don't know me."

"Sarah Williams," Jareth started listing "born November 24, 1983. Mother left her when she was two, died when she was seven and a haft. Loves the colors blue and green. She's a writer, loves kids, and wishes she could live on the beach but can't afford a house. Hates her stepmother with a passion. Loves her brother dearly, after an interesting experience involving a goblin king. She hasn't been on a date since she was fourteen, though she's been asked many times. She's good in history, not so wonderful in math, loves English and knows two and a half languages. She doesn't think she can sing, personally, I think she can. She knows how to swing dance, took classes while she went to collage. She's afraid of the dark and of-"

"OK!" she yelled and Jareth stopped and gave an almost apologetic look.

"Don't tell me I don't know you," he said "I'll keep listing until I'm blue in the face."

"What do you want?" she asked in a whisper and he sighed.

"I've told you," he said.

"I can't marry you," she said "if it was anything else, sure, but, marriage?"

"Just until I figure something else out," he swore "its not permanent."

"Why can't you figure something else out now?" she asked, tilting her head.

"It'll take me a few months," he admitted "and I don't have that long."

"I can't," he sighed. Jareth groaned in rage and she started to cry. "Don't you understand that I can't?"

"Truthfully," he sighed "I should make you. I really should make you marry me. I can you know, easy." Sarah's heart stopped, she was doomed. "But," he said closing his eyes "I won't. If I will truly make you that unhappy I won't force you." Sarah looked at him, with the same confusion and wonder she had when she first met him. Jareth started to fade and Sarah grabbed his arm and he faded back in. "What?" he asked harshly.

"Let me get my things," she sighed.

"No," he said stubbornly.

Author's note: I must give a HUGE thanks to my Editor LadyAniviel, she really did a good job on this. Also, my goblin friends (can't forget them) and my faithful readers. You all rock. Hope you like the first chapter, more on the way.