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Big thanks to all who have read and reviewed. The Fairy-Tale Quartet Challenge - that of referencing Beauty and the Beast in a Labyrinth story was an interesting experience. While I often (ok, most of the time) work with humor, I would never have thought to put our fave Labyrinth characters in a "western" genre. I was very unsure at the start but ended up being pleased with the results. Be sure to check out other participants in the challenge, "Clockwork Beauty" by Ellen Weaver and upcoming stories by Jalen Strix and FrancesOsgood.

I would suggest that if you're in the doldrums or need some fresh ideas, try writing in a different genre. It can be an exciting (and possibly frightening) experience.

Sarah was riding the very same horse that had left her father alone on the trail. The horse had sized her up the second she put her foot in the stirrup and decided that it would be prudent to do whatever she asked immediately and without question. She urged the animal into an easy, ground covering canter, heading for the patch of scrub pine where she had encountered that insolent owl. She was going to pull his wings off first, then pull each tail feather out, one by one. And then she was going to get mean.

She brought the horse to a halt and leapt off, tossing the reins over a branch. The horse, philosophical as always, caught its breath and started to look for things it could eat.

There on a low branch, about six feet off the ground, sat a perfectly ordinary barn owl, not in the least bit magical or kingly, quietly snoozing. It was a rude and terrifying awakening when Sarah made a grab for the befuddled owl, shaking his perch and screaming into his ear. The poor owl fell nearly to the ground before he managed to get himself together enough to power his way into the air. Disoriented, the owl flew straight up just to get away from the angry roars and then leveled out into some serious speed flying.

The owl frantically beat wings back to his nest. Even his squalling mate and offspring were more tolerable than the shrieking harridan that had interrupted his sleep. As he flew, he decided that he should probably catch a mouse. Or maybe he should catch five mice; one for each of the ungrateful screeching mouths that would greet him. But he was so tired! Maybe he'd just let them yell. No. He'd better get at least one mouse for his awful mate. He'd stuff it right into the gaping maw of that Queen of the Harpies. It'd keep her quiet for at least a minute or two. What an awful life. What a sad little owl he was. He screeched mournfully.

She glared after the retreating owl. How dare he screech insults at her! She was wishing she had a slingshot when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Sarah, what on earth are you doing to that poor owl?"

"YOU!" she roared, spinning to face him and immediately forgetting all about the hapless owl. "What have you done with Toby?"

"Oh, he's perfectly safe, I assure you," he replied with a smug grin. "He's playing with the goblins. So far they haven't eaten him, but I can't guarantee how long that state of affairs will last."

The dozen or so goblins surrounding Sarah threw their hands into the air and stomped about and outdid each other in making menacing noises and threats.

Jareth crossed his arms and gave her a truly evil smile. He congratulated himself on the way his scheme was going. This was going to work. She would definitely trade herself for Toby and soon he would persuade her to be his queen. He had dressed himself fetchingly for her benefit; wearing snug, artfully ripped jeans, a black western shirt open nearly to his trim waist, and a red bandanna as a headband, complete with two magnificent feathers he had grown from his very own behind, especially for an occasion such as this. He was smugly confident that his scheme was infallible and he was irresistible and he continued to feel pretty good right up until the moment Sarah burst into tears.

"You stupid idiot!" she yelled through her tears. "Why are you being so stupid?"

Jareth's mouth gaped open in astonished dismay. He had absolutely no idea how to proceed. Her tears had utterly vanquished him in an instant and he was overwhelmed by the urge to take her in his arms and apologize profusely over and over.

The goblins were just as confused as their king. A few of the more sensitive goblins began to weep along with the girl. Some filthy handkerchiefs were offered up and the smallest goblin present wrapped itself around her ankle and began wailing as if its heart were broken.

"I… wanted to get you to… come to the Underground," Jareth stammered. His elaborate plotting and scheming had fallen completely apart in a heartbeat and dissolved in her tears. If he hadn't been a grownup Goblin King with his own castle, he might have burst into tears of frustration, himself.

Sarah tactfully declined the goblin handkerchiefs. She did accept the red bandanna Jareth pulled from his hair and gave to her.

"What on earth were you thinking?" she said, continuing to shed angry tears.

"I thought… you…" he hesitated, "would trade yourself for Toby and come to the Underground and be my queen," he spit the rest of the words out hurriedly.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she snapped. "Why didn't you just ask me out for coffee or something?" She was no longer weeping but still occasionally sniffling.

"Because that's not the way it's done," he said, sounding baffled.

"That's EXACTLY the way it's done!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"But you'd say no," he said, looking away and refusing to meet her gaze. He sounded a bit forlorn.

She looked at the gorgeous, blue-eyed idiot with complete disbelief.

"Jareth, I said no to a marriage proposal," she said. "It WAS a marriage proposal, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he admitted, frowning and still refusing to look at her.

"I was fifteen years old, Jareth. That's a little young."

"I didn't intend to marry you right that instant," he said petulantly. "We would have been betrothed until you were of age." He paused. "Was that your only objection?" he said, suddenly sounding hopeful.

"That and the fact that I didn't know you at all," she said with asperity.

"That's what a betrothal is for," he said, rolling his eyes, "to get to know one another."

"That's also what coffee is for," she said, "and it's a lot less binding than a betrothal."

"That would be a point in favor of betrothal," he muttered.

"Jareth," she said, crossing her arms, "did you threaten my father over a flower?"

"I told him it was endangered," he grimaced.

"Why, exactly?"

"I told him that he could avoid jail if he agreed to give me the first creature to greet him upon his return. I THOUGHT that would be you." He glared at her accusingly.

"And?"

"And if he agreed to that bargain, I would have power over you and could take you with me," he finished, shamefaced.

"That's ridiculous," she said. "So when Karen greeted him… Did you kidnap Karen?" she asked, exasperated.

"Yes, and I was right glad to bring her back! And when Toby greeted her, I had power over him. You know, this would have all been easier, if you would just greet your family members once in a while," he said querulously.

She fell silent and gazed at him with a speculative air until he became uncomfortable and began to fidget.

"So you have feelings for me?" she asked.

"Well, obviously," he huffed in irritation. "I wouldn't have gone to all this trouble for anyone else."

By this time, they had both forgotten the goblins sitting in a circle around their feet. They suddenly remembered them when the goblins let out a "wooOOoo," sounding very like a sitcom audience.

"Scram," Jareth barked and they vanished in twelve directions.

A brief moment passed with no words as both considered what had just been said.

"You know," Sarah finally said, "I've been daydreaming of you for the past four years."

"Any regrets?" Jareth asked, smiling ruefully.

"A couple," she smiled back.

"Jareth, I couldn't let you keep Toby and I couldn't stay with you – not when I was only fifteen. You get that, don't you?"

"Oh, Sarah," he sighed. "Toby was able to go home as soon as you reached the castle. And I didn't expect you to stay permanently at that time. We would have been betrothed, not married." He kicked at the ground in frustration. "I just wanted…

"You were beautiful, even if you were just a child. You were brave and resourceful and… and mouthy and funny and… I wanted you. That's all. I was willing to wait for you to grow up."

"So I don't hear from you for four years because…"

"You were NOT old enough to take from your parents," he said with a look of stern disapproval.

Her mouth fell open and she suddenly laughed.

"Jareth," she said.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come by for coffee sometime?"

She nearly lost her breath at the smile that came over his face then, hopeful and radiant.

"I would like that very much," he said.

She was staggered with a sudden knowledge; that she had power over him, amazing power. All she had to do was claim him.

She stepped forward and put her hands on both sides of his face, smiling at his look of surprise.

"I've been thinking about this for four years," she said and delicately put her lips to his, barely touching, barely breathing, barely moving, making the most ephemeral contact. Her tongue flicked out, running over his lip, teasing his skin. She gently, so gently, took his lower lip into her mouth, brushing her teeth against the trembling flesh.

He took in a shuddering breath. His skin seemed to be tingling everywhere she touched him. He carefully slid his hands around her waist, nearly afraid to breathe, embracing his dream with trembling arms.

It was a good kiss, not the best kiss they would ever share in their long lives, or even in the top ten, but it was their first kiss and they would both forever remember it with warm, wistful smiles.

She finally pulled herself away to catch her breath and gazed up at him. When he finally opened his eyes, they were soft, dreamy and unfocused.

"Well, did you hear music?" she said, gently teasing.

"No, just your heartbeat," he murmured.

He delicately pushed a stray strand of hair back over her ear. He then leaned forward and kissed that delicate pick ear, smiling when she shivered just a little bit.

"Go back to the ranch. Toby will be there to tell you all of his adventures," he said.

"His adventures?" she said.

"He had a marvelous time today," he laughed softly.

"When will I see you again?" she said.

"When the coffee's ready," he said. He reached out to gently touch her cheek and then vanished from her sight.

"We've decided to stay here. We paid for two weeks and haven't been here but three days," Karen prattled on. "It's so much fun after all and very relaxing."

Sarah's mouth fell open. She had returned to find Toby happily playing horseshoes with her father as if there were nothing out of the ordinary, and Karen relaxing in a lounge chair, watching the same shirtless young man washing another horse.

"Relaxing?" she sputtered. "But what about being kidnapped and…"

"Oh, that," said Karen dismissively. "That was no big deal. They had all sorts of grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate and dreamcatchers. It was nice," she trailed off, her gaze having become unfocused and peculiar.

"Anyway," she said, coming back to herself. "We're going on a hayride this afternoon. It'll be interesting to see the native flowers in bloom."

"I smell a spell," Sarah said with a grim expression.

"Oh, dear, that's to be expected on a ranch. The animals don't use bathrooms, you know," Karen chuckled as she stood up and walked off to go on the hayride, leaving Sarah to stare after her, mystified by that last bizarre reply.

"Are you ready for coffee?" Jareth said into her ear.

Sarah startled in surprise and turned to give him a sharp look. His exotic face gleamed through the glamour obscuring his otherworldly identity from everyone but her. She couldn't help noticing how attractive he looked dressed casually in jeans, his wild blond hair tamed in a ponytail. It almost made her forget to be cross with him. Almost.

"Did you put a spell on Daddy and Karen?" she said suspiciously.

"Well, you don't really want them to be traumatized by being threatened over flowers or being kidnapped, do you?" he said reasonably.

"We're going to have to negotiate some ground rules," Sarah groused as he put his arm around her and began to steer her toward the Happy Trails Dude Ranch Holiday Center and the coffee bar within.

"Yes, Precious," he said dutifully, smiling happily to himself. He had great confidence in his bargaining skills.

The End