She felt herself falling but could only see the blackness around her as she descended. Sarah wasn’t aware of how long exactly that she was falling but it felt like forever. As she finally stopped her descent the sudden light that illuminated her and her surroundings blinded her eyes. Blinking back against the sudden change in scenery her eyes started to adjust to her new surroundings.

            It was strange yet familiar as she sat amongst a field of greens, oranges, and reds. The grass and wild flowers moved gracefully as the calming and soothing breeze caressed against them. Turning her face towards the breeze, Sarah closed her eyes as her hair was swept back away from her face. The warmth of the sun and the soft scent of spring that rode with the gentle and soothing breeze made her smile. For the first time in her life she actually felt safe and free, as if she were truly home.

            Opening her eyes she watched as a butterfly fluttered amongst the grass and flowers, its wings shimmered with blue, yellow, and dark green. It was then that she felt a presence. Her back stiffened and she stood from her sitting position amongst the soft grass. Her heart started to race the warmth and soothing of her surroundings loosing its luster.

            “Who’s there?” she whispered.

            A soft laughter echoed around her, not mocking nor threatening, but amused. “Now that is a loaded question,” a strong voice replied from what seemed everywhere.

            She turned in her spot looking desperately for the source of that voice, a voice that sounded familiar but that she knew that she had never heard before. “What do you want?” At her question she felt a soft caress against her cheek. Turning towards the touch she saw nothing but open fields.

            “Do not be afraid child I have no intention of harming you. So you want to know who I am, do you.” Sarah spun around eyeing her surroundings but still not seeing to whom she was speaking to. The voice seemed to come from everywhere as it continued to speak to her, “To put it in a way that you can comprehend, I am the labyrinth.”

            “The labyrinth,” she murmured to her self, “How can you be the labyrinth? It’s a place not a living being.”

            “Oh, but that is where you are wrong. I am the wild magic that makes up my being. I surround you and guide or mislead you. I can see into your hearts and souls.”

            Sarah felt confused, if this really was the labyrinth that she was speaking too. Why now and most importantly why her? “Why are you telling me this?”

            “You Sarah are destined for a great many things. I need you, the beings that dwell within me need you as well as the whole world in which I exist.”

            Sarah swallowed hard at this, “Why me?”

            “And the mortal shall defeat the great labyrinth to leave and return a time later. Forever linked to the place, her powers shall become great. For great evils shall awaken in this land of magic and of dreams. Her destiny shall unfold the defender of the right she will be.”

            After those words were spoken the world around her started to shift and fade until darkness surrounded her once again. She stood there blinking at the sudden change around her. The darkness was like a thick blanket that wrapped soothingly around her. Just ahead of her a small light appeared and started to grow and grow coming closer with each growth. Feeling her body falling once again she jerked, eyes blinking as the world around her shifted once again. Above her was white sheer fabric laced over a long silver shaft that made up what seemed to be a canopy of a bed. The dark sheets felt luxurious against her skin as she shifted within their cool embrace.

            Like cold water being suddenly dropped on her the memories of just before she had lost consciousness hit her full force. Sitting up from the bed she quickly lied back down as a wave of vertigo overcame her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she waited for the room to stop spinning. Sarah ran the strange dream over within her mind trying to make sense of it all. ‘Was that real? Was I really talking with the labyrinth? Did the labyrinth say something about powers? Maybe it was referring to me being the Slayer. Yeah, that has to be it. God, what happened? One moment I’m trapped on the ground with this elfin vampire at my throat trying to kill me, I black out, have a very strange dream that probably wasn’t just a dream, and now I’m lying in a strange bed and have no idea how I got here. Buffy, she must have gotten to me somehow.’

Sarah let out a long sigh after she ran through her stream of thoughts about what had happened. She started to long for a time before all of this had happened, before she had discovered being the Slayer and before she had found that she was falling in love with the Goblin King. ‘Is it love? Maybe it’s just my long time infatuation with the idea of being in love. Maybe it’s not love at all but lust. I’ve never been with anyone…Why am I thinking of him? He drugged me for God’s sake and tried to seduce me just to knock me off track of saving my brother in time!’ her last thoughts were interrupted when she felt the tingle of magic and then a presence.

            Jareth stood before the bed that he had placed Sarah upon, she looked as if she was deep in thought and he watched her silently. He knew that she knew that he was there. For the past week he had noticed that they had somehow become connected in a way. He could sense when she was within a room and he knew that it was working the same way with her. There was also the fact that he could sense power from her, not that of the Slayer but something more, something that remained buried within her. Edging closer to the bed he lightly sat at the beds edge waiting for her to open her eyes and look to him.

            Sarah could feel the side of the bed sink in as a wait was placed on it She could only assume that it was him. A part of her was afraid, afraid to face him, to acknowledge that she felt something towards him. An attraction that she was sure he felt towards her but what would he do with her once he had gotten what he wanted. Would she be thrown aside like a sack of potatoes or would he stay by her side? Did she want this? Was she ready for this?

            Opening her eyes once again she forced down her fears and faced the handsome Goblin King that sat before her. The look on his face looked to be that of concern, ‘Did he rescue me then?’ she thought to herself.

            They were both silent, looking at each other not uttering a word. His hand went out towards her face as he softly moved a strand of her hair away from her eyes. Her skin tingled and her heart thundered under his touch, this both excited and scared her.

            Sarah sat up quickly looking away as she leaned against the headboard and pillows of the bed. Clearing her throat she looked back to him making sure that she did not make eye contact, “What happened?” she cursed herself for her voice came out weak and not steady and strong like she wanted.

            Jareth frowned seeing that she was trying to push him away, that she would not met with his eyes. “I heard you call for me and when I found you…” his heart wrenched as the image invaded his mind. Sarah’s limp body in the arms of that creature as it was slowly draining her very life away. If he had not come when he did…he did not want to finish that thought. “I helped you and your friend escape and brought you back to my castle.”

            She looked to herself deep in thought, ‘Had I called for him? I don’t remember.’ Letting her eyes drift from the King, Sarah slowly took in her surroundings. She was sitting on a large four poster bed with velvet satin sheets and silver thin material that laced over the canopy of the bed. The room was fairly large with cold gray concrete floors. Within the room was a large fireplace that held a raging fire warming the room with its blaze. Before the fireplace sat a large couch of silver with velvet designs spread throughout.

            Jareth silently watched her as her soft blue eyes lazily swept through his room. He silently wondered what exactly she was thinking before he finally broke the silence, “Do you like what you see?”

            Ignoring his question she edged herself to the edge of the bed on the opposite side of him, “Where’s Buffy?” her mind then went back to what had happened between them the last time and she panicked. “You didn’t do anything to her, did you?”

            Jareth smiled to him self amused by her inquiry, “Now Sarah, I rescue you and your friend from being killed and this is how you repay me. By accusing me,” his voice was of mock hurt.

            Sarah stood as she fumed at the man before her but wavered as she felt suddenly dizzy from the sudden change in altitude. He was there in an instant catching her before she could fall. She tried not to look at those eyes of his but his sudden closeness had caught her off guard.

She did not struggle against him as he eased her back onto the bed, “Don’t try to get up just yet. You lost allot of blood.” He touch the spot where she had been bitten and noted that it was completely gone leaving no trace of the attack.

She instantly looked away afraid of the feelings that he brought forth within herself. “I’ll be fine,” she said as she pushed his hand away from her.

Jareth crouched before her with hands now propped over his knees, “Buffy is in no danger. She’s safely within the castle just as you are.”

Sarah felt relieved at knowing that Buffy was all right. The image of the two shields of Alph and Ralph leapt to mind making her eyes start to water with bordered tears. He saw the pain within her eyes and the held back tears. Quickly he was beside her holding her to him as he tried to sooth the pain that lied within.

She felt herself against his strong chest and could hold in the tears no longer as she let them fall. Her body shook now as she openly wept within his arms, no longer caring that she probably seemed weak by the act.

He rocked her within his arms gently rubbing her back to comfort her. He wanted to rip the heart out of who ever it was that had caused her such pain. He knew that it wasn’t just the events of the past few weeks but of so much more. She would never know but he had always watched her. Had seen how her so-called family had treated her. How her own mother even turned her away for her own pathetic career as an actress, breaking Sarah’s heart. Sarah was the most beautiful person he had ever known and not just on outward appearance but within as well. She was capable of cruelty and yet never revealed it.

Sarah could barely believe that she was crying in the arms of the Goblin King. That Jareth was trying to comfort her that he actually cared. She held on to him as if he was her only hope for salvation as she finally let the pint up feelings that had built up over the years out. After a moment longer she forced the tears to stop as she knew that now was not the time for this. That there was an evil within the Labyrinth that was a threat to everything within the Underground.

Jareth lovingly looked down to her as she stopped crying and pushed herself away from his chest. Their eye’s met and his heart sank within his chest at the sight of her reddened eyes. Gently and slowly he whipped away the tears that stained her cheeks with his thumbs as his hands held her face towards his. She just sat there silently watching him as he whipped away her tears, not sure what to do next.

Before he could stop himself he was drawing nearer as she did the same. Slowly he tasted her lips until he felt her return his kiss. When she did he pulled her closer as the kiss deepened, his desire for her growing like an uncontrollable flame.

She closed her eyes not believing that this was happening. This kiss was different from any that they had shared it seemed more passionate, right. Her head was spinning from the kiss mindlessly wrapping her arms about his neck bringing him closer the world around them disappearing, no thoughts of the danger that was threatening the labyrinth, no thoughts of the past nor of her friends, but of this moment this time. She barely even noticed when he lowered her down onto the bed continuing their passionate embrace. She softly moaned as she felt his warm hands moving over her skin.