Please forgive me for the long wait! I hope you like this weird, Jareth-angst chapter! I'm planning the Hogwarts chapters in my head as I'm writing these final Labyrinth-setting chapters. I'm really excited to get more barmy Albus and our favorite Head of Slytherin into the story.

I hope Jareth's bitterness is not overly OOC or over the top. And remember Labyrinth and Harry Potter don't belong to me! I just like stringing them together in wacky, questionable situations where the akward is inevitable!

- Chapter 13 -

The Thirteenth Hour Approaches

Sarah could feel it, she knew it was coming as her stomach began to clench with nerves and jitters. The thirteenth hour was coming fast and the boys didn't have too much time left… For one thing, Jareth had taken her crystal ball away from her so she was no longer a 'seer' to watch over either her brother or Harry (who she had last seen disappear in the junkyard pile) while on the last bit of the run to the castle.

They had to get through the city.

Hoggle was at her side, moving her plate away from her as she was no longer lifting any substance into her mouth. He was worried by the quiet, unmoving woman that had replaced the happy, joyful friend he had met ten years ago. But the dwarf remained silent because it seemed even the Goblin King's silence was radiating unease and wariness.

Jareth's mismatched gaze flickered toward Sarah who sat helplessly in her chair at the dining table he had materialized for them. She stared at her lap, her eyes showing the hints of emotions that were raging within her without a noise, all creating turmoil within her head.

It took him all his emotional restraint to not let half his sight wander from the group who was within his city walls. Harry was very skilled with his wand and his magic was maturing ten times as fast as it would aboveground. Toby was being protected by the teenage but the lad was also finding his strengths and summoning courage to fight alongside his new friends.

He was fighting to get to the castle.

His castle.

To get back Sarah.

His Sarah.

But was she really his?

Jareth lost momentarily to his desires and severed his sight from the fight outside and his complete focus was on the young woman who had somehow changed and stayed the same after all these years. Beautiful…intelligent…creative…generous…well, generous to everyone but him, the Goblin King…because somewhere in her mind, the fifteen year old was still there warning the older Sarah that he was still the villain in her fairy tale. He didn't deserve her generosity, her smiles, her eyes…or her love.

Hoggle was deeply disturbed as he picked up the fork that had been bent at an extreme angle from the beastly grip of the king. He chanced a glance at the king and saw he was looking at Sarah again, a strange question burning in his eyes that he dare not let pass his lips.

The dwarf knew. 'You want Toby to win…to take Sarah back. And then you don't. Do you regret letting the wizard help Toby through your labyrinth now?'

"Jareth,"

Both Jareth and Hoggle were immediately snapped out of their deep musings at the sound of Sarah's voice. But it was Jareth whose mouth was hanging slightly agape. (A moment in his life he would never admit to later on. Such a sight was certainly not befitting for a king!)

It had always been 'you', added with traces of annoyance or (Jareth shuddered to even think of) with hatred. But mostly it was his title 'Goblin King' that she had been using to refer to him as…up until this second.

Sarah lifted her chin and pulled on a calm façade that she hoped spoke of professionalism and poise. She refused to remain stuck in her worried state because there was no need to. Her brother and his friends would get to her in time; they'd be back in her parent's house in no time and maybe even have a victory party just like last time. She's hold her little brother in her arms and tell him she'd refuse the Hogwarts job, even if it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she'd do her best to keep feeding him magic and imagination in any way possible.

She felt something inside her shudder with sorrow as she recalled Toby's anguished words hours ago, right before he had wished her away. He had no friends, his classmates made fun of him; he felt all hope of magic would abandon him without his big sister…

Sarah had promised to always be there for him, to never fail him as a guardian, a friend and sister…not for just making her eternal amends from that fateful stormy night…but because he was her brother, dear and special to her. If Toby wanted her to stay with him, then she would even if Hogwarts were to offer her all the galleons in Gringotts!

"He's going to make it, with his friends and courage, Toby is going to win." Sarah stated firmly, her eyes locked onto Jareth's.

"Yes, that may be so…I fear you are correct." Jareth answered in the same resolute tone. "But I am not done with these two boys just yet, Sarah, and neither is my labyrinth." Sarah caught herself from rising in anger when she noticed how stiff and rigid Jareth was sitting in his seat.

Hoggle was suddenly no where to be found in the room.

"What do you mean? They're so close! So close to getting here! I…I…" She didn't know what else to say now, her confidence was now dwindling again. The bravery of her fifteen year old spirit was so tired, so worn from worry and fright, betrayal and trust. She was so torn… This Goblin King had a lot to do with that.

Suddenly she was on her feet and with a swish of Jareth's wrist the dining table disappeared from between them. He had an odd glint in his eye that was so familiar…one of the last expressions she remembered on his regal features before his defeat.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, hesitant if she wanted to know the answer.

"Sarah, Toby's last trial is near; neither Harry nor his friends can help him with this. He must go alone." His eyes became unfocused as they looked beyond the stone wall behind her head. They became sharp once more as he spoke again, Sarah shivering from the darkness that was growing from the depths of his pupils. "Harry has a final test as well. They are ready…or as ready as they will ever be."

"A last test? Going through the city is the last part of the run! What are you…?" Sarah began but she lost her words as she stepped back fearfully. That darkness in his eyes was now starting to take over his whole demeanor.

"Yes," he scoffed harshly, a sharp bite to the word. "Of course, you would have blocked it out of your head. You were merely the heroine of the story, weren't you, Sarah? Running the evil King's labyrinth and finding her brother in the city! Then you won him back…by what, Sarah? Did you slay me with a sword? Melt me with a bucket of water? Or, wait, you used that infernal notion of that barmy headmaster, LOVE?!" Jareth's clothing had begun to deepen as though a shadow had been cast on them, his skin becoming more pallor and his eyes brewing with a storm. A thick energy of anger was tingling Sarah's skin.

Sarah wasn't sure if she should run and give him an excuse to show her his wrath by moving or allowing him perfect aim by standing there in front of him. She trembled from the magic, dark by wizard's standards, that was filling the room and strongest from where the fae stood.

A strange, feral grin that showed a devil's smile formed as he chuckled darkly. He had begun to walk towards her. "Temptation, darling… I have yet to offer Toby his temptation once more, to offer that and more. What do you think he'd say to becoming my heir as I initially intended? The boy is just what I would've wanted as my heir. Do you honestly think he'd choose you over all this?" he asked her, waving his hand at the air. "I could give him anything, Sarah, where you only hid them from him! Who would he choose then?"

"No…no…no…" she chanted softly in a sorrowful moan. "Toby, Toby…no…I…"

She felt the cold stone wall at her back as she leaned against it to keep upright. Sarah was about ready to fall to her knees. The words of Jareth were shaking her core, draining her spirit and bravery, her magic and hope.

"You have failed him, Sarah. I can give him what you can't. You've been keeping from him what he's wanted for so long. You seem to do that with the many males of your life, don't you?" he purred menacingly.

Both of their minds were temporarily oblivious from the fight outside as Toby and co. advanced into the castle. Only images of ten years past were before them. There Jareth stood offering Sarah's dreams. And Sarah could feel it, how so close she had been to accepting it, giving up on Toby and shunning her mortal world.

Because she too had been like Toby before…without friends, lost in magic and fairy tales, fearful of the real world. It had almost made her forfeit, almost made her loose. Sarah felt stricken as the grip of hopelessness took over her heart. How would Toby fight the same tug of emotions as she did? Was he strong enough?

But what…what was it that had tempted her so? She needed to remember so she could find some flaw to believe in Toby once more… What had made her want to forget her mom's abandonment of her, her stepmother's cruelty, her father's betrayal, her poor Cinderella lifestyle, the teases from classmates?

It had been him. Jareth. "…and I have done it all for you!"

What she would have given ten years ago to be the Queen to a King of a magical land, away from all her burdens. Because once she had seen the Labyrinth, fought her way through it, met new friends and overcome obstacles, she had grown to love it. And Jareth, the fearsome Goblin King, offering her her dreams, anything her heart desired, the unmatched love of a fae, the wonders of his Labyrinth, the affection and adoration of his heart.

How… Why had she turned down…

Sarah felt herself go lightheaded. The fae magic Jareth was emitting was beginning to affect the witch's core that was so weak compared to his power. It was only the "certain powers" he had bestowed on her many years ago that was keeping her semi-conscious and breathing.

Suddenly strong arms were wrapped around her waist as she struggled to gather her thoughts and her remaining bits of hope. She wriggled in them, attempted to push Jareth away to no avail.

"Now you understand how hard it shall be for the boys. Such temptation has driven men to madness and their deaths…" His tone became softer, remnants of his darker persona gone. "How brave of you to have overcome such might, Sarah…how wonderful of you, my Sarah…" he whispered as he kissed her dark hair. Slowly, she went limp in his arms and she was deep in slumber.

Sarah wasn't in as deep as he had wanted without Severus's amortensia brew to aid him. So, time was of the essence. ("Thank you, Severus, for not giving me this one request!" Jareth snapped angrily. But he had been pleased that Smithers had had a successful mission while annoying the Potions Master in the process.) And if Sarah still had the same will as she had when he had used the bewitched peach on her, he had even littler time than before. He didn't want his Lady to have to submit to his poison again but it was necessary she was out of the way when he approached the boys. But he was scared she would never forgive him for it.

Jareth knew he could have simply drugged the little food she had nibbled at to get her unconscious. Why had he chosen to weaken her so? Force her to submit to the power of his darker side, the shadow of his soul's generosity and love? Cruelty? Maybe. Revenge?

But the Goblin King knew revenge was a sly and evil thing… He had succumbed to it briefly only to catch himself before he killed the only person who could force such darkness from him. Out of his love for her, Sarah was able to conjure the worst in him.

Maybe she had been right to turn him down.

He lifted the young woman into his arms more comfortably and headed toward the spiraling stairwell. At the top most guest bedroom he would leave her to sleep, waiting for her savior like some strange version of Rapunzel. He smoothed her hair and pulled the silk comforter over her shoulders before kissing her head again. She sighed in her slumber and he smiled softly.

"Oh, how this female affects me so!" he thought with bitter affection.

And now he was sitting in the throne room, hair more crazy than before, glittery and powerful. His thoughts were coached into focus.

He was going to keep Sarah. She was his.

He wasn't going to loose her again.

As angry as he would be at himself later for tricking Sarah's little brother, who Jareth also couldn't knowingly bring himself to harm, he had to focus. Sarah would stay wit him. Never would she leave him again. Never would he have to bear the defeat Sarah had dealt on him ten years ago. Never would he have to watch her longingly in his owl form. Never would he be without his queen.

And it was in this state that the two boys, the dog knight and hairy giant found him.

"You've come this far, boys…but this is where your luck turns."

And then the stone floor disappeared from beneath their feet.

A/N: Please leave a kind reveiw! I love hearing from anyone who might pass by my measly stories! Anyone have suggestions to Harry's final trial? The Sirius thing from the previous chapters has been dealt with? What to get over next? The eventual battle with Voldemort? Maybe? Will Sarah forgive Jareth for the onslaught of power he weakened her with? What will happen when she wakes up?

Until next time!